S15.W07 (E30-34)

[katisha]

And off we go again!

[katisha]

As soon as I saw Antonio was in the bottom three with Malissa (who always seems to squeak her way through eliminations) and golden boy Declan I knew poor Antonio was a goner. It's so much bullshit because in my view, Antonio managing to make that weird flavour combination work so well was worth far more than Declan cooking a fish competently for the 12th time and Antonio should have been given a pass on the subpar pastry.

Other thoughts...

* Rhiannon still bugs me but I liked her better tonight when she was talking about her poor mum dying of ovarian cancer. That is a particularly nasty way to go and I thought it was touching that Maggie brought back some happy memories for Rhiannon.

* Is anyone ever going to tell Brent that he needs to show he can cook food using something other than a hibachi?

* I wanted to give both Ralph and Antonio a big hug after tonight - I am sad to see the end of that bromance.

* Is it just me or are these contestants making some really basic mistakes, like Declan not knowing that he had to grind caraway seeds or Malissa not realising what happens with salt in a pressure cooker?

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E30 - Maggie Beer Gamble Elimination Challenge

NO Antonioooooooooo! You’re being too ambitious on a wrong day. And why on earth would you choose white chocolate to pair with oranges??! Ugh.

😭😭😭

I am devastated. Two out of three contestants that am rooting for have been eliminated. Only left Theo. 😣

Lately, Rhiannon has been given more airtimes, so more (sob) stories but still cooking some basic dishes with familiar flavors.

And Cath is still doing her usual frozen elements. Has she tried to make curry or noodle or steak using a hibachi etc?

Malissa has 99 lives. She is going to make it to Top 5, isn’t she?

Declan’s weakness/limit is getting obvious now. But they won’t eliminate him as they need him as Andy 2.0.

Brent continues to rely heavily on the hibachi. Dude, come on!

Majority of the Top 9 are NOT risk takers. They don’t have the courage to pick the ingredients under those cloches. They aren’t even inspired by the ingredients that Maggie Beer selected for them. Geez. Talking about play safe!

Is Maggie Beer wearing her nightie in MC kitchen??! 😱

[katisha]

When the judges said before the start of the challenge that they were looking for something totally and completely unexpected, please tell me I wasn't the only one who immediately thought:

• Declan does a competent job of cooking something which doesn't feature fish
• Rhiannon makes something which doesn't contain chilli and or Asian flavours
• Brent makes ANY dish at all without using the hibachi or seafood 
• Malissa doesn't make pasta or some other really stupidly conceived dish

Well, two out of four ain't bad?

• Cath and Rhiannon are both shocked they've made it to top 9.  Not as much as we are, ladies.
• Malissa said she was embarrassed by her dish, abd so she should have been.  I'm pretty sure I could have made something similar and I am no chef!
• Did Rue plan an "egg" outfit in advance to match her dish? 🤣
• I couldn't decide whether Andy looked more like a mortician, a dentist or a 60s throwback in that Nehru collared shirt.

For once I kind of hope Malissa survives the elimination if it means we get rid of Rhiannon, but more likely we'll lose Ralph and that'll be a shame because he's not as one-dimensional as either of them.

[Mellowyellow]

Yup we're probably going to lose Ralph who is the one I like the most! I'm sure of it.

Weakest top 10 for me in years!

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E31 - Surprise Mystery Box Challenge

Whoever comes out with the idea of this challenge, I guess he/she doesn’t really know the meaning of “surprise”. If the judges want to be surprised, don’t go around asking the contestants about their dishes. 🙄

The only surprises for me:

• None of these dishes are Top 9 worthy.
• Everybody thinks that surprise equals to “oozing center” - tunnel vision?

 

Cath manages to escape the pressure test again, thanks to another frozen dessert.

Malissa, you are in Top 9. That basic cake is really embarrassing, you can’t even execute it properly. At this level, your cake should be like Poh’s or Emelia’s.

A decent dish from Deccy.

Am not impressed by all the sweet dishes tonight including Rue’s weird egg. I am spoiled by Reynold and Jess, they have set the bar too high with their concept and flavor combo.

Antonio and Grace would have nailed this challenge. Just saying...

I guess we need to be ready to say goodbye to Ralph as he is up against we know who. Hmm.

Is Andy having a mild stroke while eating Rhiannon’s chicken ballotine? 🤣   
 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[Aerobicidal]

In the battle between surprise chicken curry and surprise ooze, the loser is . . . Surprise! It's the English language.

Chicken and choux pastry was fashionable so long ago that Declan probably hasn't heard of it (although I imagine he hasn't heard of a lot of things, like he would be surprised that New Zealand isn't the same thing as New Guinea and he wouldn't understand how to do Mad Libs), but I guess it was oozily one of the best? 

Tomorrow's bottom three should really all be eliminated, although it's probably going to be Ralph unless Malissa's witness protection identity and location have been solidified.

Rhiannon has achieved the oozy distinction of annoying me more than Cath. I kind of imagine the producers constantly tell her, "That reaction was good, but now show a level of excitement that's only achievable after a cocktail of MDMA, Pixy Stix, and Jolt" and they do another take and that's what makes the show.

Ooze going to win this shambles of a season? I don't think it's going to be a surprise. . . .

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Aerobicidal

[katisha]

21 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Yup we're probably going to lose Ralph who is the one I like the most! I'm sure of it.

Weakest top 10 for me in years!

You're so right.  Only one or two are of the required standard to make top 10 in a better standard season.

And sadly, we were right about Ralph, but not for the reasons we suspected.  Pity he doesn't seem to have any time management skills whatsoever because he was a better fit for the top 10 than Rhiannon and Houdini aka Malissa.

This team challenge tomorrow night is going be ridiculous because with only eight hamsters, Cath's inevitable chaos is going to be impossible to hide. 

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E32 - Nelly Robinson‘s Mr McGregor Garden Pressure Test

Goodbye Ralph, I will miss your soothing voice! 😢

Told ya! Never underestimate those 2 ladies. It’s all obvious from the very beginning. Malissa gets a winner edit, Ralph is given a doomed edit and Rhi Rhi has a positively struggling edit.

When Rhiannon starts talking about her dad & England etc, am like…come on!!! Why EVERY dishes has to remind her of someone??! Every time. Thank goodness Mr McGregor Garden doesn’t “taste like Thailand”. 🙄🙄🙄

Now in Top 8 and they still don’t know how to quenelle. Can you believe it?

Am glad to see Andy in that dusty pink jacket again, always love this color!

Sorry Mel! I wouldn’t call this dessert “elegant and whimsical”. It looks horrible and I definitely don’t want carrot & sweet potato in my dessert. 🤢  
 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy
Incorrect chef's name!

[katisha]

13 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

Goodbye Ralph, I will miss your soothing voice! 😢

I will too. We still have Cath and Rhiannon, who have fingernails on a blackboard voices and are LOUD. 🙄

[Snazzy Daisy]

1 hour ago, katisha said:

I will too. We still have Cath and Rhiannon, who have fingernails on a blackboard voices and are LOUD. 🙄

Their nasally distracting voices remind me of this...🤣

[katisha]

You know, a thought struck me tonight - what's missing from this season, apart from half-decent home cooks, is any sort of element of surprise.  To give credit to past edit gibbons, in the past few seasons, from time to time they did trick me in regards to who was going home/staying/winning the challenge/winning the immunity etc.  But this season I can't remember being surprised by much at all.  In fact, it's almost as though we've all read spoilers even though none actually exist in 2023!  Right from the time the three guys all ended up on the same team, they were never going to lose that challenge since the producers' agenda about a male winner has been so obvious.   And look at the lineup on the other team: Chaotic Cath (who spent 2.5 hours preparing walnuts and grapes), Rhiannon (bossy but pretty useless), Rue (a bit of a space cadet even though she has some talent) and Adi, whose overthinking and hubris tends to get in the way of her ever excelling at challenges.  

• Why was Jock giving Declan credit for saving the mashed potato part of the dish?  He didn't save it - Shannon Bennett told him what to do and he did it. 😕
• I enjoyed Theo in the episode tonight because he was having such fun being able to cook food he loves.  Go, Theo!
• Why is there always a team in challenges which chooses the most prep-heavy dish imaginable and then wonder why they're getting nowhere with 30 minutes to service time?

 

[Mellowyellow]

At this point @katishaI've had enough of the ladies (Adi is ok I guess) I'm happy for them to rig it for one of the guys to win!!!!

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E33 - NGV Greek Service Challenge

Am happy for Theo that this challenge has inspired him on what’s next in his food journey. And I am also glad that he is in the Red team, away from Chaotic Cath & Thai Rhi Rhi. 😆

Shannon is really helpful in the kitchen today. He guides them a lot. I can’t believe Andy gives credit to Declan for improving the texture of the skordalia when all he does is following Shannon’s instructions step-by-step, like a good soldier. 🙄

It’s so unwise of the Navy team to choose a menu that needs tedious preps when there’s only 4 of them. Why are they still making this rookie mistake at Top 8? When Adi is blabbing about her Greek vacay and seafoods yada yada yada, someone should have shushed her back to reality.

Looking at how unorganized the Navy team is, I really miss the magical moment where Billie quietly prepared a whole dessert in the service challenge all by herself. She slayed that, no drama whatsoever.

The way the Navy team plating their desserts is so silly - it’s very 5yo!

Why are the contestants allowed to wear a ring with stone when cooking? Food safety isn’t a priority in MCAU universe??! 🤔   
 

[Aerobicidal]

13 hours ago, katisha said:

You know, a thought struck me tonight - what's missing from this season, apart from half-decent home cooks, is any sort of element of surprise.  To give credit to past edit gibbons, in the past few seasons, from time to time they did trick me in regards to who was going home/staying/winning the challenge/winning the immunity etc.  But this season I can't remember being surprised by much at all.  In fact, it's almost as though we've all read spoilers even though none actually exist in 2023! 

 

Totally agree with this. I've been thinking that they're telegraphing the eliminations as if the average viewer has 1/2 of Declan's IQ and 2/3 of his linguistic expertise. 

I'd be shocked if the final isn't either Brent v Declan or Brent v Theo. Either way, I think Brent should win, which says a lot about the quality of this year's cast.

I'm no chef, but I would have no problem making a serviceable skordalia without a recipe (and I can also pronounce it, and I am zero percent Greek and have never been there either) so that part of the episode was annoying. Also annoying--Cath and Rhiannon.

I feel bad criticizing female contestants in a season that is stacked against them, so I will add that Justin and Reynold are probably the two former winners/near-winners I most strongly never want to see again.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Aerobicidal

[katisha]

Just when I thought this season couldn't get any more insane, Malissa beats a professional chef and wins an immunity pin.  Right, show, SURE she does.  😏🤔🙄  The same Malissa who made an embarrassingly simple and unfinished cake only last week that the average year 8 home economics student could have executed more successfully.  The same Malissa who's in practically every elimination episode.  I guess the only good part about this turn of events is the fact that she won't have it very long because she'll be in the next elimination and will be forced to use it. 

On 6/19/2023 at 4:04 AM, Snazzy Daisy said:

Malissa has 99 lives. She is going to make it to Top 5, isn’t she?

It looks like it, doesn't it?

11 hours ago, Aerobicidal said:

I'd be shocked if the final isn't either Brent v Declan or Brent v Theo. Either way, I think Brent should win, which says a lot about the quality of this year's cast.

As long as Malissa, Cath or Rhiannon are not in the final three, I think I can live with any other outcome.

[Mellowyellow]

Omg noooooooo

Surely you're just making this up

She can't freaking cook. Noooooooooo 

[Aerobicidal]

Thank you for preventing me from the rage I would have experienced watching this episode, @katisha.

I didn't watch much of the last 2-3 seasons with the previous trio of judges, but I'm thinking this might be the worst top eight since season five. I don't know if anyone remembers Daniel Churchill, the constantly shirtless dude from that season whose food makes Malissa look like a Michelin starred chef, but he finished eighth after he had to cook a dish from North America and was frustrated because he wanted to make something Mexican.

Now, to be fair, I'm sure Declan also doesn't know what continent Mexico is part of (or even perhaps what a continent is), but I would rather have him cook for me than Emma Dean.

Thus ends a rambling tour through Masterchef memory lane . . .

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E34 - Coffee/Tea Immunity Challenge

I really want Theo to win an immunity from Sunday’s elimination. Damn it! 😢 I hope from now on Theo will be extra careful in balancing flavors in every challenges. Don’t get yourself eliminated over silly mistakes ok.🤞🏻

Malissa must have gained a new level of confidence after that sh!tty dessert pressure test and yesterday’s team challenge. And the producers need a female contestant to win the pin. So win-win.

This is an honest question - is Declan on the spectrum? The way he’s so giddy about the liquid nitrogen, putting on the safety glasses etc.

I really love Brent’s flavor combo - coffee, chocolate and cherries. Yums. He should at least give it a try to use the liquid nitrogen instead of simply saying he doesn’t have time for it.

Chef Kay-Lene Tan has a fun, friendly personality and doesn’t seem bitter with that lowest score of 19/30. Excited to see more of her in Dessert Masters. I love seeing her talking to herself in the “panic room”. 😂

 

12 hours ago, katisha said:

It looks like it, doesn't it?

Very likely.

But based on random spoilers that have been flying around…

Spoiler

Malissa won’t make it to Top 4.

Do you notice how frequent we see her 🍑 in this episode? Naughty cameramen or naughty editors? They always find interesting angles to showcase it. Creepy! 😬

[Snazzy Daisy]

Antonio and Ralph… 😢

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy