S15.W09 (E40-44)

[katisha]

So I think all of us are pretty much expecting that a woman will go home tonight.  The question is, which one? 🤔

[Snazzy Daisy]

9 minutes ago, katisha said:

The question is, which one? 🤔

This one please...🤞🏻

🤣🤣🤣  

[katisha]

5 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

This one please...🤞🏻

So close and yet so far, @Snazzy Daisy.  I was so positive she was gonna go when that fondant failed so badly but I guess they couldn't get past the baking soda-tinged biscuits Malissa made.  Those poor cameramen will be in 🍑 mourning.

And so the twin agendas of 'Secrets and Surprises' have come to pass - a male winner, and a top 5 made up of only men and old chooks.  I'm pretty sure this is the furthest any woman Rhiannon or Cath's age has ever made it in any season of Masterchef AU.  I mean, even when Julie Goodwin won, she was only 38.  Sashi was 39 when he won and I think he might be the oldest ever winner?  And I should be glad that two women in my general age group made top 5 but... WHY THOSE TWO?!!!!

Cath really is so much like Kath from Fountain Lakes, isn't she, even down to the self-directed pep talks ("come on, sweetie - you got this") and never-ending internal monologues.

And last but not least, I'm perfectly OK with any of the men winning but I would rather it be Theo or Declan than Brent, because as others have said, it's not quite an even playing field having Brent coming back this season after making it halfway through another.  And whilst he sometimes irritates me, I actually really like Declan a lot of the time too.  You can't fault his work ethic and today, he was the only contestant brave (or silly) enough to play the strategy of putting a huge effort into dish 1 so that he wouldn't have to go through round 2, so I'm happy for him that it paid off so handsomely.

Edited July 2, 2023 by katisha

[Aerobicidal]

The funny thing is that Kath from Kath and Kim is like Masterchef Cath in all those ways and is also a hilariously awful cook (her "beautiful lasagna" comes to mind). I'm sure Cath isn't a bad cook, but she and the delusionally overconfident Rhiannon are obnoxious and seemingly interchangeable in a way that makes me surprised the producers would keep them both just for a sake of variety.

I agree with everyone that Declan is likable (although I still would never watch a show he hosted) and Brent has an unfair advantage, but I would still bet Brent winds up winning. I personally don't care anyone as long is it's--as it inevitably will be--one of the men.

On a side note, is it common in Australia to pronounce the word "slalom" as "SLAY-lom" like Rhiannon did? I'm not asking to imply that pronunciation is objectively right or wrong, but as someone interested in linguistics and regionalisms. (Google indicates that the American and British pronunciations are the same--no long "a" sound.)

Now I'm off to fake-tan my right arm so I'll look good in my new asymmetrical top for my big hen's night.

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E40 - Kirsten Tibballs’ Pressure Test

The Eliminator has been eliminated, finally. Goodbye Malissa! You learn and grow a lot throughout all those elimination rounds that you’ve gone through. COLES might have eyes on you. You are a nutritionist and have a pleasant personality. So, yeah…

Chaotic Cath with another frozen elements and the judges say nothing. She gets flustered easily in team challenges but not in individual challenges. How weird is that? Who actually started the self-pep talk this season - Rue or Cath?

Am (still) not a fan of Deccy but I respect his attitude of not giving up and give it his all in every challenges. His underdog edit is getting stronger as we move closer to the end. That remark on “Willy Wonka’s wife” is f-king weird and cringey though. Btw, that chocolate curls - nice touch!

Hey Brent, you really think you can slide into the finale solely based on octopus, squids and hibachi? I hope Theo and Deccy pay close attention to Brent’s major weakness and play it to their strengths.

Rhi Rhi was once saved by her sambal and now by the baking powder. Lucky! When she’s plating her first chocolate fondant, Jock acted annoyingly around her. Leave her alone, Jock. Grr! Her backstory on being an accomplished water-skier, why the editors only mention it now? Weird timing.

 

13 hours ago, katisha said:

So close and yet so far. I was so positive she was gonna go when that fondant failed so badly.

Damn it‼️

Next elimination please… 🤫

[Snazzy Daisy]

TOP 5‼️  
 

[katisha]

2 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

Her backstory on being an accomplished water-skier, why the editors only mention it now? Weird timing.

That's actually the main reason I thought she was getting booted!  They usually only dig further into a person's backstory if they're on the way out the door.  For once (this season) the editors fooled me.

5 hours ago, Aerobicidal said:

On a side note, is it common in Australia to pronounce the word "slalom" as "SLAY-lom" like Rhiannon did? I'm not asking to imply that pronunciation is objectively right or wrong, but as someone interested in linguistics and regionalisms. (Google indicates that the American and British pronunciations are the same--no long "a" sound.)

It could well be a Townsville bogan thing, @Aerobicidal :)  I say "slah-lom", personally.

[Snazzy Daisy]

2 "oldies" are still in the game! 

SOURCE

Edited July 3, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[Richy]

wondering if anyone knows what brand Theo’s hats are especially the style with the black strap band. Thanks

[katisha]

Thanks to this photo, which was on the MC Au Facebook page last night, I already knew Brent would win the Mystery Box challenge tonight.  What is he not wearing that everyone else is wearing in this photo?  I can't believe they've been so sloppy this season.  And yet there's no Sportsbet odds because they're sick of stuff getting out before they're ready to release it? 😑

There was not much suspense to be had in this episode, so I had to find things of interest.

• As bogan as she sounds, I'm now pretty sure Rhiannon is not a Townsville native.  @Aerobicidal, unlike the huge variety of accents you get from state to state across the USA, in Australia most of us sound much the same but there are certain vowels which are a bit of a giveaway as to where you're from.  Rhiannon pronounced "eggplant" as "eggplarnt", so I would guess she might be from South Australia?  No true Queenslander, myself included, ever says "darnce" or "Frarnce"! 
• Still on Rhiannon, it's just as well she put that raw fish on top of the "eggplarnt" salsa or whatever it was because it looked like a pile of dog vomit before that.  Also, how on earth did she not know that fish fillets often stick to the hibachi and end up looking like a huge burnt mess?  Hell, I don't eat fish or use a hibachi but I've seen it happen several times on this show.  Do your research, girl!
• I talk to myself from time to time (not because I'm nuts - at least, I don't think so) but I don't ever call myself "sweetie" or "darling" whilst I'm doing it, unlike Cath.  Or maybe she's talking to the food?  I couldn't work it out!
• Poor Theo, not being successful with his mum/yiayia's dolmades recipe.  I love dolmades!

Edited July 3, 2023 by katisha

[Aerobicidal]

Thanks for the explanation on accents, @katisha! 

I can't believe Cath made a lasagna the day after we were discussing the Kath and Kim lasagna, and the one on Masterchef looked almost as awful (only in a completely different way).

I can't believe the judges didn't comment on how unappetizing that dish looked.

I can't believe the offenses against kitchen hygiene I'm witnessing.

I can't believe how much the judges eat, unless they are looping footage of it.

I'm starting to think Declan may be getting the biggest winner's edit; even though he obviously didn't win today, it seemed close, though, and Declan will presumably have a huge advantage over Brent when it comes to desserts.

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E41 - Garden Mystery Box Challenge

It’s OK Theo, keep cooking from heart and always remember that advice from Mel:

Quote

“As you continue to survive in this place, make smarter decisions & you’ll stay longer.”

Inedible dish at Top 5??! Rhiannon, it’s embarrassing!!! I hope you do realize that you don’t belong in Top 10, let alone Top 5.

Jock has complimented plating styles from Theo and Deccy. Then you have these dishes presented by Rhiannon and Cath. Junior Masterchef contestants have plated better than these two. 🙄

Hey producers, if you’re trying to invent Julie Goodwin 2.0 with these two, please stop it! It’s not gonna work. They both don’t have the magic that you desperately need. You keep these two while you eliminated the more capable contestants like Grace, Antonio, Ralph and Alice. Geez. 🙄

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy
Episode title!

[katisha]

Well, if the third person into the immunity cook-off tomorrow is not Declan, I'll truly be astonished.  It was going to be either him or Theo winning today (go, Theo!) because even for them, Cath and particularly Rhiannon were shambolic today.  

I always feel a bit sorry for whoever is on the non-gantry at location shoots.  Poor Brent was kind of hanging around awkwardly like a spare sock!

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E42 - All Saints Estate Time Auction Challenge

What a boring episode! We have wasted 20 mins watching Declan stirring some sh!t in the auction. Imagine if Cath is the one doing this, she will be crucified, for sure. But since it’s Declan, it’s considered cute eh…🙄

Congrats Theo but sorry to say mate, your dish today isn’t that impressive. Hope to see a Top 5 worthy dish in next immunity challenge! Don’t let Brenty wins easily.

Another inedible hibachi’ed dish from Rhi Rhi. Gosh! 🙄

I really don’t understand why Cath wanna cook something from a recipe that she couldn’t remember. And why we don’t get to see the judges deliver their criticisms to the ladies?

Tomorrow’s preview is confusing. If that isn’t a spoiler, then where is Rhiannon? Why Brent and Theo need to cook when they have already earned their spots in the immunity challenge? 😳

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy
Episode title!

[katisha]

10 hours ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

Another inedible hibachi’ed dish from Rhi Rhi. Gosh! 🙄

I really don’t understand why Cath wanna cook something from a recipe that she couldn’t remember

Normally by top five time, you should get nothing but great dishes which demonstrate how far a contestant has developed. Inedible dishes should be confined to the first couple of weeks when they eliminate the "filler" contestants. How embarrassing for the producers that this is happening.

[Aerobicidal]

This episode was sponsored by the noun "acid," the adjective "glossy," and the phrase "the win couldn't have been more heavily telegraphed."

The winning dishes are turning this into Giant Meat Week--too bad Pride month is over.

For aspiring chefs, Rhiannon and Cath are setting themselves up well to do voiceovers for Crown Lager commercials.

My only hope for those two is that Cath serves a theatrical dessert that requires the judges to do this while eating it:

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

1 hour ago, katisha said:

Normally by top five time, you should get nothing but great dishes which demonstrate how far a contestant has developed. Inedible dishes should be confined to the first couple of weeks when they eliminate the "filler" contestants. How embarrassing for the producers that this is happening.

Do you notice how the judges are making excuses for these 2 ladies for not being able to deliver what they have promised? And they blame the TIME instead of the contestants’ time management skill. Geez.

I guess the producers don’t anticipate these 2 “oldies” would bring enough drama to this show. Then they see the Waaaow, the Flayyy-vour, the Me-on-the-plate, the Marge Simpson hairstyle etc. The rest is history. 😆

Can these Top 5 survive an individual service challenge? Will they be able to create a cohesive 3-course meals, cook and serve them to 20/30 guests in time? Will Deccy be cooking fish into the finale? Can Brenty and Theo cook desserts other than ice cream/parfait/sorbet?

[retrograde]

Catching up on a few episodes here:

"Willy Wonka's wife." I almost envy Declan's apparent lack of shame. If I'd said something like that I would crawl up into a ball for a year.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but: Malissa was robbed. Baking soda aftertaste aside, there's no way she should've lost to Rhiannon's imploded fondant. That wasn't a minor issue, it's like the whole dish. 

I think that was backed up by Rhiannon's struggles in the following two episodes. Surely she is next to go?

[ReallyRealReality]

The preview for the next episode clearly showed Declan and Kath walking in wearing white aprons being followed by Brent and Theo without.  The judges shout 'surprise' and Declan's jaw drops as he looks down beside him (at Kath, I assume) and then we see all four of them cooking in white.

Either production messed up royally or Rhiannon could no longer participate and they've moved the immunity challenge up to include all four.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not in a hurry to see this season end.  It crushes me that we won't get to see Jock and his enthusiasm, compassion and great sense of humor.

[katisha]

On 7/5/2023 at 1:03 PM, Aerobicidal said:

This episode was sponsored by the noun "acid," the adjective "glossy," and the phrase "the win couldn't have been more heavily telegraphed."

You're going to love tonight's episode, then, @Aerobicidal! I could have saved myself an hour or so by not watching it because Declan vs Kath for the spot in the immunity challenge - pfft, no contest.  And Brent v Declan and Theo for the super duper special advantage in the immunity challenge - pfft, no contest.  

On 7/5/2023 at 1:48 PM, Snazzy Daisy said:

Do you notice how the judges are making excuses for these 2 ladies for not being able to deliver what they have promised? And they blame the TIME instead of the contestants’ time management skill. Geez.

It would have been so much more fun if the judges had made the surprise announcement, "We've actually come to the decision to send Rhiannon home to Townsville on the first plane we could get her onto because we've realised we've made a horrible mistake and she actually isn't a very good cook.  Oops!"  But no, she was just not well.  Would it be too bitchy of me to say it was caused by tasting her own cooking given that she's served two inedible dishes in a row? 🐈

22 hours ago, retrograde said:

I think that was backed up by Rhiannon's struggles in the following two episodes. Surely she is next to go?

Whatever little mojo Rhi-Rhi had has deserted her now so I have to agree.  She has to be the next out the door.

20 hours ago, ReallyRealReality said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not in a hurry to see this season end.  It crushes me that we won't get to see Jock and his enthusiasm, compassion and great sense of humor.

😢 Yeah, it's really starting to sink in now.

Edited July 6, 2023 by katisha

[Mellowyellow]

The time excuses kill me! They are given more time than anyone on any other show! 

As happy as I was to see Malissa go I agree that Rhiannon should have been eliminated! The whole baking powder thing was really shady because they didn't edit Malissa as doing poorly. It was very weird.

That said Malissa seems to have no creativity or good recipes of her own. Well she's extremely limited. But she is very good at following instructions so does well following other people's recipes in pressure tests. Foolish girl should not have used her pin last week! She was doing absolutely fine.

 

ETA: For much of this season, for me, it felt like Jock was still around. I was able to suspend reality and because he was so animated on screen it didn't feel like he is gone. I will miss him.

[ReallyRealReality]

32 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

The whole baking powder thing was really shady because they didn't edit Malissa as doing poorly. It was very weird.

Actually, they did show it in the edit because I remember her talking about it when she was putting it in and I thought to myself, 'wow, that looks like a LOT!'.  I know recipes usually call for about a teaspoon, it looked to me like she put in a quarter cup.

 

1 hour ago, katisha said:

😢 Yeah, it's really starting to sink in now.

I'm thankful the editors allowed us to laugh tonight with all of the fly-swatting and it didn't wind up on the cutting room floor.

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E43 - Cactus Country Invention Test

There’s a lot of 🪰 in this episode. Why would people choose this venue as their wedding location??!

It’s not a surprise that Cath’s interpretation of Mexican cuisine is spice-rubbed grilled chicken wings with salsa and avocado cream. It’s quite basic and Jock says it’s OK to not knowing everything. How forgiving…

At this point, am so tired seeing Declan cooking fish. People are NOT gonna bash him like they’re complaining about Malissa cooking pastas or Cath making frozen elements or Brent’s attachment to hibachi. It’s lucky to be a fan favorite and judges’ pet huh. 🙄

Gosh Theo! I wish you could’ve spent time studying and analyzing your opponents especially Brent. Pay attention to how his mind works in developing flavors and learn from it. No more glazed pork, for god sake! If you wanna win, you need to up your game, buddy! The other two have producers and judges on their side. Both have marketable narratives from the get go - Redemption (Brent) and Evolution (Declan). And one is employed by the major sponsor. So, chop chop‼️

[Aerobicidal]

"Cath at the beginning of this competition wouldn't have been able to do this!" Wow, I'm so impressed she learned how to pivot from a failed octopus dish to a chicken dish that looked unbelievably easy to make. Too bad she didn't use the show to learn how to boil water or--you know--cook octopus. Or figure out some rabbit recipes. Or try to understand Mexican food/flavors.

Cath, look at moi, look at moi, look at moi, I've got one thing to say to you: Is there anything you can cook?

The way this is going, if Theo wins I'll be as stunned as a headless chook.

Speaking of chicken, Brent really got a cocky edit in this episode. The glimpses we see of his personality (which don't seem that frequent) make me feel more and more skeptical about his likability. Does this mean Declan will win it all?

I don't know, but if Rhiannon is eliminated next, I really want the show to refer to the top four as "Cath as her four hunks of spunk."

[katisha]

1 hour ago, Aerobicidal said:

Speaking of chicken, Brent really got a cocky edit in this episode. The glimpses we see of his personality (which don't seem that frequent) make me feel more and more skeptical about his likability. Does this mean Declan will win it all?

Totally agree. It's almost like the producers begged him to come back and virtually guaranteed him a win because why else would he be so uber-confident? Quite frankly, it makes me want Declan to win if Theo can't. 

1 hour ago, Aerobicidal said:

Cath, look at moi, look at moi, look at moi, I've got one thing to say to you: Is there anything you can cook?

I thought you might say "Velcro dots"!

[katisha]

Well, even though the producers probably told him to say it, the minute Brent came out with, "I'm not gonna let these other two wallies win this challenge," I began hoping not only that he wouldn't win it, but that it'd be because he left a bone or two in the fish.  And as it turned out, he didn't, but the main thing is he didn't win the challenge either, so yay! I can't say I care much for "cocky edit Brent".

Meanwhile, there's probably nothing terribly revoluntionary about what Declan did with his barley dessert, because barley is the blandest of bland grains and out of all the ones that were left, he picked the right one.  But I honestly don't think that Brent or possibly even Theo would have been able to do as well had they had to make a dessert featuring a grain so I'm really happy for Declan.  But for once I felt like all three dishes, whilst probably not top 5-worthy in many, many other seasons, were of a high standard for this season and none of them were inedible, probably because Cath and Rhi weren't cooking!

Roll on Sunday where we're saying bye-bye to either Cath or Rhiannon, since we know the blokes are not going anywhere.

[Mellowyellow]

2 hours ago, katisha said:

Roll on Sunday where we're saying bye-bye to either Cath or Rhiannon, since we know the blokes are not going anywhere.

Are you sure about that Katisha because it would be 🤯 if inedible Rhiannon and Chaotic Cath both survived.

[Snazzy Daisy]

S15•E44 - Murtoa Stick Shed Immunity Service Challenge

Theo is on 🔥🔥🔥 today! He cooks his best dish of the competition while taking digs at Brent and Deccy re no hibachi and fish dessert. Hahaha! I love sassy Theo. 😆

Congrats Deccy for being the first one into the Final Week. Will we be seeing more fish and choux bun??!

Brent can do no wrong huh. His entrée looks like sh!t (the plating, the color) but Mel describes it as “elegant”. Geez. 🙄

Hoping for double-elimination on Sunday! 😈

Also hoping Theo will be safe and not receiving any kind of “Ralph treatment” whatsoever.🤞🏻

[katisha]

7 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Are you sure about that Katisha because it would be 🤯 if inedible Rhiannon and Chaotic Cath both survived.

I am not 100% positive but pretty close. I think the producers are telegraphing very heavily that it's a bloke year!

[Aerobicidal]

Unless Theo sneaks into the final two, I'm not expecting anything interesting or unpredictable to happen before then, but I am hoping against hope that Cath serves up Little Baby Cheeses or something from Donna Hay's Chinese newie.

Cocky McCockface Brent is really obnoxious. I have no idea how blokey or cocky he actually is; maybe this is just producer manipulation setting up Declan's win (which would be fine with me).

@katishaI love that wedding episode with the velcro dots and the horsey switch. And now I want one of the remaining episodes to have a Mutton Dressed as Lamb challenge involving hooks and crooks.

ETA: I would love vegetarian versions of Brent and Theo's dishes from this episode. I'm not a dessert person, but Declan's pudding looked interesting and I'm glad he won.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Aerobicidal