S14.E10: The Final

[dleighg]

11 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Lardy cakes? Lardy lardy. So, was that like Crisco or real lard?

I'm pretty sure it was real lard. Paul mentioned that the porky taste was part of the appeal.

[Sailorgirl26]

12 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

Paul and Prue basically said that Matty’s cake was perfect except for the fact that it listed to one side. 

"On the wonk." Yet another British saying I've learned from GBBO that I must now find a way to work into a conversation!! 😆

[mellyf]

18 hours ago, kay1864 said:

I just re-watched the judging for Josh and Matty. Josh clearly won the signature eclairs, and of course aced the technical. I guess it all comes down to ONLY “how does the showstopper taste?” 🤔🧐

I don't think it was clear that he won the signature. Prue commented at least a couple of times (and I think during their final discussion as well) that Matty was the only one who nailed the bake on the eclairs. The exteriors on Josh's  and Dan's were too soft. 

[Rinaldo]

10 hours ago, snarktini said:

Have we ever had an all-men final before?

Yes, the third season (the earliest to have aired on PBS, and years after subsequent seasons had aired there). And the situation was eerily similar, as there was one clear front-runner all through who had all the techniques at his fingertips and did effortlessly well week after week... who then faltered in the final (in his case, by attempting way too much) and was bypassed by a surprise winner.

As it happens, the top two from that season have both done well subsequently, with multiple books published.

[iMonrey]

19 hours ago, kay1864 said:

I just re-watched the judging for Josh and Matty. Josh clearly won the signature eclairs, and of course aced the technical. I guess it all comes down to ONLY “how does the showstopper taste?” 🤔🧐

I thought that at first too but on re-watch the judges said Matty and Josh were pretty dead even in the Signature. As noted above, Matty was the only one to get the bake right. I think the technical might have tipped the scales back in Josh's favor but he clearly let the judges down with his showstopper.

I also noticed that Matty's cake wasn't leaning much until he brought it up to the judge's table. When he finished it as Allison/Noel called "time's up" it wasn't leaning nearly as much.

Also, at the beginning they showed clips of some of Josh's earlier showstoppers like the dog and the triple decker burger and they truly were works of art. So I can see how the judges expected far more from his cake. It was neat as a pin, especially compared to the other two, but nothing really special in terms of decoration. 

Matty's cake, on the other hand, apart from the lean, was fairly artistic, whether you care for that sort of style or not. And the fruit decorations around the base and on top were just lovely.

I do think it was very, very close but I don't see any shenanigans in play about the decision. By the end all three knew it was going to be between Josh and Matty.

[gorgy]

I was shocked, I tell you, shocked when Alison announced Matty as the winner. I've been rooting for him since episode one, but even I thought Josh's ho-hum final cake was enough to put him through. I assumed that the technical challenge win would be the deciding point, but Matty's chocolate cake must've been so damn good. I'm not a chocolate cake person, but I'm curious to try it myself.

Some people dislike Dan, I personally hate Josh, but all in all, we can all agree the best part of the season was the addition of Alison

[meep.meep]

Josh's lack of flavor and bad decoration lost it for him.  It looked like he used the wrong size of piping nozzles - everything was chunky that should have been thin.

Hooray for Matty!

Don't ever offer me Lardy cake!

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

Josh's lack of flavor and bad decoration lost it for him.  It looked like he used the wrong size of piping nozzles - everything was chunky that should have been thin.

Hooray for Matty!

Don't ever offer me Lardy cake!

Josh's decorations were just not up to his standard. If they were better and his cake tasted better, I think he would have won. 

[J-Man]

Did Matty's showstopper cake have cut-up pieces of brownie in the filling or in the cake itself? It sounded very interesting. Has a recipe been released?

[rur]

1 hour ago, J-Man said:

Did Matty's showstopper cake have cut-up pieces of brownie in the filling or in the cake itself? It sounded very interesting. Has a recipe been released?

The brownie pieces were in the filling. There was one shot of him scattering them  across the top of a layer.

[caitmcg]

 

19 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

I'm sorry, but I really don’t think the winner is based in any way on personality. Yes, Matty is more personable than Josh, who is quiet, but he out baked him, and that’s why he won. 

If they awarded the win based on personality/personableness and skipped the quiet ones, Rahul wouldn't have won his season.

Edited December 2, 2023 by caitmcg

[Ancaster]

On 11/30/2023 at 4:30 PM, Mellowyellow said:

I agree with this and this is where I have to give credit to Noel and Alison. They may have their favourites but they make an effort to be genuinely warm and bond with all the contestants. They’re also very supportive to anyone who needs support. I really respect them for that. 

I've kept meaning to say this but keep forgetting - Noel has totally had a man crush on Dan throughout the season, god love him.

[Ancaster]

On 12/1/2023 at 5:00 PM, J-Man said:

Weirdest takeaway from the final: Amos's partner is named ANDY?

Even weirder?  No-one British even blinked an eye!

[Salacious Kitty]

11 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Even weirder?  No-one British even blinked an eye!

Would Brits even get the reference? Amos and Andy is American and aired before most of us were born. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Salacious Kitty

[Ancaster]

12 hours ago, Sailorgirl26 said:

"On the wonk." Yet another British saying I've learned from GBBO that I must now find a way to work into a conversation!! 😆

I'm thinking the same thing, and I'm British!

Thirty+ years in the States and I've never heard "on the wonk" before.  I guess that's one anachronism that didn't make it onto All Creatures Great and Small or Downton Abbey!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Ancaster

[Ancaster]

52 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Would Brits even get the reference? Amos and Andy is American and aired before most of us were born. 

Yes, exactly!  I'm sorry, it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.  And yes, no-one British would have got an Amos and Andy reference.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Ancaster

[Cherpumple]

I was pleased with the finale, but need to rewatch the season to get a better feel for all the contestants. This one flew by for me. I felt bad for Dan, but he kept his composure and in a way it may have been a good thing that his bakes went wrong from the start. Shortly into the showstopper he knew he wasn't going to win, so he could just do his best and relax and enjoy the experience without the stress of hoping to win.

I loved Matty from early on, and enjoyed Alison's flirty chats with him. But I was distracted all season because every time I looked at him all I could see was a young Peter Falk (that's a compliment!)

[Ancaster]

Wow!  I'm not familiar with Peter Falk, but there really is a similarity!

[Mellowyellow]

3 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I've kept meaning to say this but keep forgetting - Noel has totally had a man crush on Dan throughout the season, god love him.

Oh he totally did!!! I loved it when he’d stop by for a flirty banter with Dan!

[Ancaster]

Since the forum and the internet have chosen to chew up and spit into a black hole my lengthy, erudite, witty, cogent, and brilliant dissertation about the final, I'll just leave you with my resuscitated predictions (scribbled down before I watched on my pretty little Rhodia notepad, because I am the type of person who does this) for the final, just to show you all what a brilliant Oracle I would make:

• Dan will be too ambitious and over-extend himself
• Josh's final bake will lack flavour
• Matty will pull out all the stops and peak at the perfect moment

You may now all bow down before me.

 

[buttersister]

Poor Josh looked like he thought he’d let down Nan. 😥 so I felt bad for him. He’d been coming through all season.

But dear Matty started weak, got better and peaked at the precisely perfect moment. Amazing, really. And let me say, a great-tasting, light chocolate cake is a true feat. Good for him and Lisa!

Dan’s boys still thought he was a winning dad and he’ll bake them and their mates lots of treats to come.

Allison, you (and these bakers) revived my affection for this show. And you make Noel so much better. Shades of Sue and Mel indeed.

[cynicat]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Poor Josh looked like he thought he’d let down Nan. 😥 so I felt bad for him. He’d been coming through all season.

What makes me feel better for the ones who don't win is that they can (and do!) still launch amazing careers in baking, just for being on the show.  

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, cynicat said:

What makes me feel better for the ones who don't win is that they can (and do!) still launch amazing careers in baking, just for being on the show.  

Yes, possibly a side benefit of being aired in a small country, where the entire country will get behind a single idea, is that it's quite easy for someone with a winning personality and skills to get their face out there.  And don't forget, a lot of people who go on GBBO aren't looking for fame and fortune, they're doing it to honor their nan, to prove to their mum that they can bake, to make their kids proud, or whatever.  These guys are all going back to their regular lives every week between recordings, and most of them pretty much all go back to their regular lives after the show is over, and probably don't have too much trouble readjusting to life after the big tent.

[blueray]

I think I finely figured out what annoys me about Dan. I don't dislike him (because I don't personally know him) but its he's fake "helpfulness". It comes across as him basically saying "I pity you and am willing to help you, aren't I amazing!" It doesn't seem natural, its force and almost if he is trying to overcome something. It's possible it's the editing, but in this episode there was kind of proof. He "offers" to help Josh carry his showstopper. Josh gives him an annoyed look and says that he'll manage. It was awkward and weird that Dan even suggested it.

[peeayebee]

Obviously we don't all see things the same. I disagree that Dan's offer to help Josh was "proof" that all his offers to help others was fake or self-serving or whatever. Josh's showstopper was on a big board, and the cake was tall, so it's easy to think that it would be awkward to carry.

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Thirty+ years in the States and I've never heard "on the wonk" before.

I've heard the term "wonky" lots of times though, so I wasn't confused by what Prue said. She might have even made it up.

9 hours ago, buttersister said:

Poor Josh looked like he thought he’d let down Nan. 😥 so I felt bad for him. He’d been coming through all season.

It's kind of ironic but Josh was basically a victim of his own success. He had set such a high standard for himself, especially in the Showstopper, that it was easier for him to disappoint the judges with just a so-so bake. I have to think even they went into it assuming Josh would probably win which also made it easier for them to be underwhelmed. 

On the other hand, maybe expectations for Matty weren't quite so high, so it was easier for him to bowl them over with what Paul called "the best chocolate cake I've had in a very, very long time." Also, at the start of the Showstopper round, Matty admitted he was doing something he was familiar with and had made enough times to know he could do it quickly and correctly, so he was on familiar turf and didn't over-extend himself.

[peeayebee]

6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I've heard the term "wonky" lots of times though, so I wasn't confused by what Prue said. She might have even made it up.

I was thinking the same thing. Wonky is very familiar to me. I've used it a lot and heard it a lot. I don't know how common it is in England, and if, as you suggested, she actually made up that particular phrase.

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

I was thinking the same thing. Wonky is very familiar to me. I've used it a lot and heard it a lot. I don't know how common it is in England, and if, as you suggested, she actually made up that particular phrase.

Wonky is used all the time in British English.  Lovely word.

I've never heard "wonk" in any form that I remember.

[Shrek]

5 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Wonky is used all the time in British English.  Lovely word.

I've never heard "wonk" in any form that I remember.

Me either.

[AZChristian]

Each week, the eliminated contestants have written a page about their experiences on GBBO.

Here are the pages from the finalists.

[peeayebee]

Wonk: a person who takes an enthusiastic or excessive interest in the specialized details of a particular subject or field, especially political policy.

Of course that's much different from wonky.

What lovely letters those are. I actually teared up reading Dan's "To Matty, who thought he was going home every weekend..."

[Ancaster]

51 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Wonk: a person who takes an enthusiastic or excessive interest in the specialized details of a particular subject or field, especially political policy.

Of course that's much different from wonky.

 

Of course!  Policy wonk - such a different context that it never even occurred to me.  Thanks!

[magdalene]

On 12/2/2023 at 6:59 AM, dleighg said:

'm pretty sure it was real lard. Paul mentioned that the porky taste was part of the appeal.

I can believe that. Where I grew up in Germany there was a thing called "Griebenfett" - basically lard with bacon pieces in it and you spread it on a piece of bread.  I swear it was extremely popular and lots of people loved it, including my family. The odd thing was everybody who I knew loved eating it was skinny and very long lived. I was always told that this fat was good for you and it was sugar and sweets that killed you.  Shudders at the taste memory.

[peeayebee]

When I went to Poland, I was introduced to "bread with fat." I was told you had to put salt on it, and that's true. I had it without salt and... blurg. But with salt... it wasn't too bad. Still, to this day, we joke about it and have to pronounce it staccato, "Bread with fat." 

[Jodithgrace]

The British use suet, which is also animal fat, in a lot of their steamed puddings, so lard is hardly a bridge too far. Plus lard is a popular ingredient in pie crust in large parts of the US. We just don’t call it out by name…”Here’s a nice lardy pie!”

[rur]

Lard makes a flakier pie crust than shortening, so I imagine it's better at creating the lamination than a more modern ingredient. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by rur

[RoxiP]

Great final 3 - would have been happy with a win by any of them.  Dan tanked in the finale which is kind of surprising because he always seemed to be a pretty confident guy but we've seen this happen before.  Josh was consistent and always put out a great effort but Matty's cake must have been amazing (it certainly looked that way on the inside...outside maybe not so much...LOL!).  He seems to be a truly nice guy and a deserving winner.

[joanne3482]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:11 PM, CherryMalotte said:

This was my first time watching an entire season of this show, and I loved it.  I've tried to watch a few episodes of other seasons but that Lucas host just turned me off so I never went back.

There was a time that Roku had the very early seasons with Mel & Sue. You may be able to find them there and see the before Lucas seasons. They had Mary Berry instead of Prue as well. 

I'm still giggling to myself at Matty kind of prancing around in the background where Paul is trying to do a talking head carrying his cake plate above his head.

[chaifan]

Oh, I feel so bad for Josh.  I really wanted him to win, especially because of his Nan.  I think he's overall a better technical baker than Matty, but Matty seems to have an instinct about flavors and may have a more innate baking ability than Josh. 

Weird observation about Dan...  going back to his week as Star Baker, and the call home that his wife didn't answer.  I thought it was odd that his at-home piece on this episode had absolutely no mention of a wife or mother of his kids.  At the picnic, there was a very brief shot of a woman standing next to him.  But other than that, it was just Dan and his kids.  Did anyone else pick up on this?

[dleighg]

7 minutes ago, chaifan said:

But other than that, it was just Dan and his kids.

I did wonder, during that montage, whether he was a single dad. I'd guess that his wife just didn't feel like being on TV, for any number of reasons. I might feel that way myself in a similar situation.

[RoxiP]

My least favorite thing about the finale - the show is over for another year!

[TomGirl]

On 12/1/2023 at 1:13 PM, SnapHappy said:

The recap at the end was great.

This was the first time the GBBO actually made me cry.  Happy tears!

[libgirl2]

On 12/3/2023 at 1:03 PM, Ancaster said:

Wonky is used all the time in British English.  Lovely word.

I've never heard "wonk" in any form that I remember.

An ex-manager of mine uses wonky all the time. I picked it up from her. 

[TomGirl]

On 12/3/2023 at 12:44 AM, Ancaster said:

Wow!  I'm not familiar with Peter Falk, but there really is a similarity!

You’re not familiar with Columbo!!??

[janie jones]

On 12/2/2023 at 9:13 AM, iMonrey said:

Also, at the beginning they showed clips of some of Josh's earlier showstoppers like the dog and the triple decker burger and they truly were works of art. So I can see how the judges expected far more from his cake. It was neat as a pin, especially compared to the other two, but nothing really special in terms of decoration.

It wouldn't have improved the flavor, but I think Josh would have been better off omitting the piping on the sides of his cake if he didn't have time to do a good job. From what I could tell, the frosting was quite good, but those decorations were terrible.

On 12/3/2023 at 6:17 AM, blueray said:

I think I finely figured out what annoys me about Dan. I don't dislike him (because I don't personally know him) but its he's fake "helpfulness". It comes across as him basically saying "I pity you and am willing to help you, aren't I amazing!" It doesn't seem natural, its force and almost if he is trying to overcome something. It's possible it's the editing, but in this episode there was kind of proof. He "offers" to help Josh carry his showstopper. Josh gives him an annoyed look and says that he'll manage. It was awkward and weird that Dan even suggested it.

I thought that was weird, since there had been no indication that Josh's showstopper might be difficult to carry. It seemed a little patronizing. Earlier on, when they showed him checking in on everyone while they were working on their eclairs, I was thinking that I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to deal with that every bake (if he did that every bake). Dan never really bothered me before this episode.

I knew Matty was going to win when he said he was making a lemon cake after his parents said how good the lemon cake he'd made for them was. It felt like foreshadowing.

[AZChristian]

4 hours ago, chaifan said:

 

Weird observation about Dan...  going back to his week as Star Baker, and the call home that his wife didn't answer.  I thought it was odd that his at-home piece on this episode had absolutely no mention of a wife or mother of his kids.  At the picnic, there was a very brief shot of a woman standing next to him.  But other than that, it was just Dan and his kids.  Did anyone else pick up on this?

Maybe she's an introvert and didn't want to be the center of attention. I'm an extrovert married to an introvert, and that's the first idea I had about Dan's wife not being on camera.

[caitmcg]

18 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

The British use suet, which is also animal fat, in a lot of their steamed pudding

There is also vegetable suet available in Britain, which is essentially a shortening with the particular texture of suet.

I did a double take of sorts when the roundup at the end said that Matty and Lara had been together eight years, because he hardly looks old enough for that to be true. Looked him up; he's 28, so he was 20 when they got together.

[roseslg]

On 12/3/2023 at 2:48 AM, buttersister said:

Poor Josh looked like he thought he’d let down Nan. 😥 so I felt bad for him. He’d been coming through all season.

But dear Matty started weak, got better and peaked at the precisely perfect moment. Amazing, really. And let me say, a great-tasting, light chocolate cake is a true feat. Good for him and Lisa!

Dan’s boys still thought he was a winning dad and he’ll bake them and their mates lots of treats to come.

Allison, you (and these bakers) revived my affection for this show. And you make Noel so much better. Shades of Sue and Mel indeed.

Lisa? You mean Lara?

[Ancaster]

3 hours ago, TomGirl said:

You’re not familiar with Columbo!!??

Is that the short dude who shuffles about wearing a shabby flasher raincoat?  If so, then I guess I am, put I couldn't have put a name to the actor!

Edited December 5, 2023 by Ancaster

[Ilovepie]

On 12/1/2023 at 7:10 PM, Jodithgrace said:

Im sorry, but I really don’t think the winner is based in any way on personality.

THIS. If it was based on personality, Rahul would never have won!

I was rooting for Tasha, so I was sad when she was eliminated last episode, but as a whole, this entire group is very likeable and I would not have been mad at any of them winning. As was said, all had two star baker wins and all got a Paul Hollywood Handshake.

I would say Josh had a slight edge going into the showstopper, but they liked Matty's cake more, and Josh's decorating was pretty pedestrian. I always think the showstopper is weighted more than the other two rounds, especially in the finale. Good for Matty - how cute is he and his fiance???

This season was excellent. Lovable contestants, great challenges, and finally! The perfect partner for Noel. Bring on the next season!