The Big Brunch - All episodes talk

[Ms Blue Jay]

I hope it's okay that I started this topic? I have a lot to say about the show, and every single episode is the same, so I don't know how to talk about this in each episode thread.

My problems with the show are as follows:

50% of my issue is with the show itself, and the judges.  This Combo of Sohla, Dan (especially Dan), and Will (who nobody knows, nobody who's not in the business knows anyway) is an extremely pretentious group.  I'm glad that the bartender is only in a few episodes because the visual of her serving everyone gave me a very icky feeling.  And Dan is just soooooo pretentious. "Let's brunch"?  How has he decided that saying that makes any sense?  How is that acceptable?  Does anyone say "Let's lunch" or "Let's dinner"?  Sohla has absolutely no sense of humour, so you need more of a balance.  Dan and Will are also almost humourless in a sense.  Dan has a sense of humour, but he can be so precious and pretentious that it really offsets it.

50% of my issue is with the contestants and how there's no control over them.  I'm sure J is a nice person, but J leading every to applaud every interaction is very cultish.  Also, the way they all hug each other after every. single. judging.  Oh my god!  The hugging and the clapping...... it's absolutely insane.

The overall vibe of the show is therefore half pretentious, and half overly sentimental and cloying.  And, I can't stand the little vignettes of the background of each contestant.  That music they play, oh my god.  I immediately fast forward.  Who cares!  It's the worst part of American Idol that everyone hates, why bring it here?  In 2022!

I can't believe I have even more to say.  Okay, an entire show about BRUNCH?   Oh, and the prize?  Just give the winner MONEY!  The fact that they have to prove that they're running a charity to even be considered!??!?!?!?

I think I'm on episode 6 now, and Sohla is getting worse and worse.  She's downright angry and mean this episode.

[luna1122again]

I like it. It's soothing, and has a good heart behind it. and I love Dan Levy unreservedly, even when he gets a little pretentious. Which, actually, I rarely find him, honestly. I'd love to 'do brunch' and drink Bloody Marys (hold the clamato juice) with him. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

My issue is not that he says "let's do brunch", because he doesn't.  My issue is that he says Let's Brunch.

[Aulty]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

My issue is not that he says "let's do brunch", because he doesn't.  My issue is that he says Let's Brunch.

It's fine to say it when you are about to eat/have brunch, but the show uses it as a catch phrase to get them to prepare/cook brunch. I assume that's the issue. Not a very elegant phrase. Doesn't bother me but I get your point.

[meep.meep]

Thank you for starting this - sometimes a single thread is all you need.

I posted this in one of the episode threads as my meta reaction to the show:

I'm enjoying this.  But the male judge who isn't Dan reminds me so much of Jonathan Adler.  And Roman reminds me of Keith Ranieri.  And I keep hearing Nancy Fuller in my head asking "but is this brunch?"

Clearly, I watch too much TV.

This episode with the required non-gluten baking - would it have killed them to relate what they were using in their bakes?  I do low carb, not gluten free, but am willing to experiment especially when the bakes are highly praised.  A plate of vegetables I can figure out easily.  When they could be using gluten free flour, or almond flour, or chickpea flour, etc.  is a different story.

I actually like the bartender and Sohla.  

[theajw]

Thank you for starting this thread.

I wanted to love this show.  Dan Levy is a treasure, and brunch is my favorite meal of the week.  

However, it's just so...forced?  I know it's trying to recreate the vibe of GBBO, but I thought Netflix's recent Drink Masters did a better job at camaraderie with its cast.   

There's just not enough of the food. Six episodes in, and it's barely registering with me.  I'm not sure why I'm still watching.  

I also am not a fan of Sohla.

[willgracefan]

22 hours ago, theajw said:

Thank you for starting this thread.

I wanted to love this show.  Dan Levy is a treasure, and brunch is my favorite meal of the week.  

However, it's just so...forced?  I know it's trying to recreate the vibe of GBBO, but I thought Netflix's recent Drink Masters did a better job at camaraderie with its cast.   

There's just not enough of the food. Six episodes in, and it's barely registering with me.  I'm not sure why I'm still watching.  

I also am not a fan of Sohla.

All of this. Forced, is the perfect word. Both the judges and contestants seem so forced. The contestants with their million jokey comments when presenting their food.  This is a cooking show, the food should speak for itself. Just say what your dish is and zip it. 

[ZeeEnnui]

So I love Dan, he's got such a good heart. But...I think maybe getting the costume designer from Schitt's Creek would make him look better. His clothes are cringe. Like a little kid trying on their dad's oversized clothing. 

All I want is for Danielle's bakery to go nationwide (or at least be available through Goldbelly). I need all of her baked good's in my life and belly immediately (screw you, hard pants!)

This show tries too hard. Like, I'm probably an asshole but the contestants do-good-ery kind of grates on me. (Don't worry, I know I'm going to hell for saying stuff like that. I've been building a fiery retirement home there for years). It's like they want the feel-good of GBBO, but have to go the extra mile by telling us that not only are these nice people but they do stuff for communities. We get it. These people are nice. No one cares about extra credit. How about we just focus on the contestants, and give us more on their cooking?

Roman annoys me. I'm not sure what it's about, but he's too smile-y and "off" if that makes sense. I would not want to grab a drink with him. Same with J. She's too extra. Stop with the aggressive clapping and take the spirit fingers out of my face!

I like the bartender. She's cool, and I appreciate the show acknowledges that without alcohol there is no brunch. If you ain't boozing, then it's breakfast...and where's the fun in that?

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 minutes ago, ZeeEnnui said:

So I love Dan, he's got such a good heart. But...I think maybe getting the costume designer from Schitt's Creek would make him look better. His clothes are cringe. Like a little kid trying on their dad's oversized clothing. 

That blue denim (or fake denim?) jacket with the green stitching from the vegetables episode.  That was the worst one.

[ZeeEnnui]

17 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

That blue denim (or fake denim?) jacket with the green stitching from the vegetables episode.  That was the worst one.

It was pretty heinous, but I have to nominate the sweater vest that was at least 5 sizes too big from episode. It was a Big and Tall fail.  Tragic!

[Pop Tart]

This is an all-episode thread and may contain spoilers for those who haven't watched the full season. If you want to remain un-spoiled, you can discuss in the specific episode threads. 

[Ms.Lulu]

On 11/20/2022 at 4:17 PM, ZeeEnnui said:

All I want is for Danielle's bakery to go nationwide (or at least be available through Goldbelly). I need all of her baked good's in my life and belly immediately (screw you, hard pants!)

You can order directly from the Hungry Gnome--they ship nationally.

https://thehungrygnomeny.com/collections/scones-baked-goods

Edited November 24, 2022 by Ms.Lulu

[cmfran]

I like Dan Levy, but this one is bad. Nothing much new to add, but I agree with many of the opinions in this thread. Even if the other elements were better, I'm not sure how much of an audience there is for a show that focuses on "brunch" that's assembled with tweezers and edible flowers. Not that there isn't a time and place for that, but most of what they're cooking would never interest me as brunch. 

[buttersister]

I like it. But then, Schitt's Creek got me through the first few years of the pandemic, so I kind of owe Daniel. 

Things I like: Brunch with cocktails. Many of those dishes. Nice, supportive cooking contestants that compete with themselves, rather than each other. A well-stocked kitchen. Cranky Sohla.

Also, I didn't mind redemption or charity-stoked stories.  I watch CBS' Steve Hartman On The Road episodes in an attempt to warm up a bit of my cold dark heart.

You could see the winner coming, which was fine by me. And I'm still laughing over the chefs belly-flopping in front of cutie Capt. Cronuts.

[meep.meep]

Didn't Shirley Chung's restaurant shut down during the pandemic?  Maybe she's not the best one to mentor J.  Especially since she talked her into saying she was going to use the money to open a restaurant when all she talked about before was the cookbook.

[Ms Blue Jay]

For those who are really into Dan Levy he also hosts "The Great Canadian Baking Show".  He's a lot less involved there than here though.  He is not a judge, he's just a host who announces things.

[Aulty]

6 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

For those who are really into Dan Levy he also hosts "The Great Canadian Baking Show".  He's a lot less involved there than here though.  He is not a judge, he's just a host who announces things.

Only for the first 2 seasons though. I love the episode where he chugs cooking sherry from a measuring jug.
GCBS is worth a watch anyway, by Primetimer consent ist has the best Bake Off judges at the moment and the challenges are overall more reasonable than GBBO.