24 in 24: Last Chef Standing - General Discussion

[schnauzergirl]

I wasn't sure what to expect.  Eliminating half the chefs in the first cut was a surprise.  I was glad to see Elizabeth Falkner go and also Mark (don't remember his last name) who was the -- to me -- the obnoxious "Hash Tag" contestant on Next Food Network Star some years ago.  Will be interesting to see how week #2 unfolds.

Edited April 17 by schnauzergirl

[Mondrianyone]

3 hours ago, schnauzergirl said:

I was glad to see Elizabeth Falkner go

Me, too. She's been a sore loser in the past yet seems to feel entitled to win--which is odd for someone who doesn't seem to win much.

3 hours ago, schnauzergirl said:

Mark (don't remember his last name)

Matt Jordan?

Martel seems to be getting lots of camera time. I wonder if that's a sign of something to come.

After that little bit about being inspired as a chef by his connection to his mom, I liked Marcel a lot more than I once did.

I was also surprised by seeing half of them gone so fast.

And surprised by Aarthi's failure to pay attention to time.

I wonder if this was filmed before or after Jet lost TOC.

[Liddy52]

Thanks for getting this forum started. Agree with everything that has been said so far, especially with the part about half the contestants being gone so quickly! I have never seen,  or at least never noticed, the lady co-host , so not sure what her credentials are. I also found Marcel to be more tolerable than in the past. And yes, glad Elizabeth Faulkner is gone! I was amazed at all the different egg dishes the contestants came up with in the second round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Liddy52]

Oh, forgot to add, while I did like Marcel better than previously, this episode did nothing to improve my opinion of Carlos.

[Salacious Kitty]

Carlos is certainly full of himself. Not a fan. 

[Mondrianyone]

8 hours ago, Liddy52 said:

Thanks for getting this forum started.

You're welcome, even though I see that @schnauzergirl is stealing all the credit 🤨--I'm kidding.

8 hours ago, Liddy52 said:

I was amazed at all the different egg dishes the contestants came up with in the second round.

Totally agreed. And to keep my newly established Marcel fan club going, I thought his dish was exceptionally beautiful. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's episode.

[schnauzergirl]

9 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

You're welcome, even though I see that @schnauzergirl is stealing all the credit 🤨--I'm kidding.

Totally agreed. And to keep my newly established Marcel fan club going, I thought his dish was exceptionally beautiful. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's episode.

No one is more surprised than I am about "starting" this forum.  And, yes, I know you're kidding.

[candall]

Okay, I can be the only one in the Elizabeth Faulkner Fan Club--I'm pretty loud.   🔊

 

I enjoyed it, watched it twice.  It seems interesting and I'd be happy to give it my two-hour Sunday night TOC block.  I hope the emphasis doesn't swing completely over to "We've been cooking for ten/twelve/sixteen straight hours!  We're exhausted!  Blllll blll bbbll babblebabble"

 

(I'm calling out Chris D on whether he's worked in "a few three-star kitchens.")

[Grizzly]

Marcel's hair makes him look like a smaller, scrawnier Wolverine.

[MerBearHou]

27 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Marcel's hair makes him look like a smaller, scrawnier Wolverine.

So true!!  I like Marcel and I’m glad that he seems to have “grown up” nicely.

I really, really think this show should be judged blindly.  

Edited April 22 by MerBearHou

[DEL901]

9 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

So true!!  I like Marcel and I’m glad that he seems to have “grown up” nicely.

I really, really think this show should be judged blindly.  

Yeah, I felt for Jet when he realized he had to eliminate 12 chefs based on one bite.  

[janeyjay]

Who knew that Marcel would have matured into a likeable, dare-I-say charming dude? He was also as delightful on Kristen Kish's Top Chef after show and "Wildcard Kitchen." Go Marcel! And also go Martel! And Chris the firefighter! 

The premise of this show is exhausting and so is Carlos Anthony. 

[cameron]

Michael Simon looks like he has lost a lot of weight.  Hope he is okay.

[potatoradio]

I have a bad feeling the network/powers that be really, really want to try to make Carlos happen. No, thank you. 

Man, they give Jet Tila all the fun jobs, don't they? Perpetual TOC bridesmaid and then having to eliminate half the contestants on this show, whereas the judges in later eps just have to eliminate one. He deserves better. 

The judging should absolutely be blind. I have been spoiled after TOC. 

It's fun to play the "where have I seen him/her before?" game. 

The chef from Africa cracks me up. "I had to fetch water every day...yeah, I can handle 24 hours of standing." I also like the firefighter chef and the Navy vet chef. And the guy from Food Trucks....Seoul Sausage, I think? He's funny and makes really good looking food. 

Favorite line so far, "I went to a fresh French market...he went to the grocery store!" (said in the most sneering, spitting French accent possible). ROTFL.

This is more enjoyable than I thought it would be. 

[DEL901]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

Michael Simon looks like he has lost a lot of weight.  Hope he is okay.

I  think he lost the weight a few years ago, and I don’t think he looks unhealthy…just different.  

[chessiegal]

When Michael was on The Chew, which is many years ago now, he said something was making his joints hurt, and started eliminating food to get to the root of it. He lost weight in the process, but he's at a healthy weight.

Quote

On cooking shows like The Chew and Burgers, Brew and Que, the charismatic Chef Michael Symon, with his signature bald head and contagious smile, whips up mouth-watering dishes with what seems like boundless energy and enthusiasm. What’s not so apparent are his painful hands, aching knees and ankles, and lurking fatigue.

Symon, 51, was diagnosed in his 20s with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and discoid lupus, a form of lupus that primarily affects the skin, but also the joints.

“Literally one morning I woke up with these two enormous butterfly splotches under my eyes,” Symon recalls. At first, he and his dermatologist focused on managing the lupus by staying out of the sun. But when his joint symptoms persisted, his dermatologist sent him to a rheumatologist, who diagnosed RA.
.....

It also led to a new cookbook he co-authored, Fix It With Food: More Than 123 Recipes to Address Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation, released in late 2019. He is currently working on another volume of Fix It With Food, which will be released in November 2021.

From the Arthritis Foundation's web site:

Michael Symons recipes for easing arthritis pains.

[roughing it]

17 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Marcel's hair makes him look like a smaller, scrawnier Wolverine.

Well my thought was "leprechaun".  Still not a fan of him. 

I too was happy to see smug Elizabeth Faulkner eliminated.  I'm over her and her smooshed gel unkempt hair.

[Grizzly]

When Michael Symons was on Selena Gomez's holiday show, they discussed how they both had lupus.

[janeyjay]

3 hours ago, potatoradio said:

I have a bad feeling the network/powers that be really, really want to try to make Carlos happen. No, thank you. 

He's like "fetch" and TPTB need to stop trying to make him happen. PLEASE.

I've also been charmed by Kess and I hope the network opts to showcase her more. There are a lot of fresh faces and winning personalities still in the competition and for me, that's a great thing.

[Salacious Kitty]

Awww I liked Skateboard Chef girl, but she was in over her head. 

ABC! (Anyone but Carlos). 

[Rammchick]

Which sadist at Food Network dreamed up this show?!

Seeing Marcel didn't thrill me initially but like some others here, I'm finding him kind of...dare I say it?...sweet. But to me, he looks like a Great Horned Owl!

[mlp]

On 4/17/2024 at 6:36 AM, schnauzergirl said:

wasn't sure what to expect.  Eliminating half the chefs in the first cut was a surprise.  I was glad to see Elizabeth Falkner go and also Mark (don't remember his last name) who was the -- to me -- the obnoxious "Hash Tag" contestant on Next Food Network Star some years ago.  Will be interesting to see how week #2 unfolds.

I had no idea what to expect either and didn't even bother to watch it until last night.  I was intrigued and ended up watching both episodes and the next thing I knew it was 1 am.  :0  I liked it.  The most frustrating thing was the first round when there were several pairings where I wanted both people to stay.  Especially Viet vs. Marcel.  I felt a bit sorry for Jet having to taste so many things and make so many hard decisions.

I was not at all sorry to see Hashtag go.  He was Matthew Grunwald when he was on FNS.  I don't know why his last name is now Jordan.  He was on Chopped last year and his name was Jordan then too.

I've thought Elizabeth Falkner is obnoxious ever since her days on the old FN Challenge.  Since then, I've seen her compete many times and I don't recall seeing her win anything ever.  I'm not sure why she regards herself as a competition powerhouse.

On 4/20/2024 at 3:48 PM, Salacious Kitty said:

Carlos is certainly full of himself.

I would have known he was a protege of Brian Malarky even if he'd never mentioned it.  I didn't like him at all when he was on GGG and TOC but I recently saw him on Wildcard Kitchen and he came off well.  He needs to drop the Malarkey shtick and just be himself.  And I like Brian Malarkey.  He somehow manages to be annoying and likeable at the same time, IMO anyway.  Carlos doesn't.

One thing that puzzled me was how many chefs were complaining of exhaustion at the 6 hour point.  I know they were under a lot of pressure and cooking in a hot and unfamiliar kitchen but I would think most of them are used to heat and pressure and being on their feet for hours.

Edited April 24 by mlp
Correct typo

[eclectcmoi]

I didn't like how Chris Oh didn't get his breakfast item even on the table to be judged, but yet he won the lunch round and got immunity and didn't have to cook the dinner challenge.  I think he still should've had to cook dinner.  That didn't seem fair to me.  

Add me to the ABC - anyone but Carlos - club.  In fairness though, I did see him making coffee for the other chefs in the breakroom when he could've been resting.  I think he can be a nice guy, but his manic antics are too much for me to enjoy watching him cook. 

[coffee drinker]

I was happy to see Camille win the breakfast part of that last challenge and thereby given immunity from the rest of the shift.  He'd been on his feet since the start (having to endure that elimination challenge and then move right in to the next one with no break.)  

[Ancaster]

Call me too literal, but I thought it was stupid that they had to make burgers without ground meat and then most of them just ground their own meat and that was okay.

Oh, and ground up meat and fish together sounds disgusting.

Edited April 27 by Ancaster

[tv echo]

I'm enjoying this show. But I had to say, I'm concerned about letting chefs get so sleep deprived and exhausted, both physically and mentally, when they're going to be cutting with knives and cooking over flames. Just sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I just hope they're monitoring the chefs closely to prevent any injuries.

I would also prefer blind judging, but I guess it's not feasible when the judges are tasting the dishes as they're done. If they had to leave the room, wait for everyone to finish their dishes, and then come back in to do the tastings, then it would slow down the momentum of the show and cut into the nonstop pace. But yeah, blind judging would be more fair.

Edited April 28 by tv echo

[AZChristian]

I wish they had blind judging on ALL the cooking/baking shows.  It seems fairer if each dish is judged on its own merits, rather than the chef's/baker's known history in front of the judges.  There also sometimes seems to be favoritism between judges and a particular baker.

Bobby Flay's Triple Threat is an example of blind judging (as is Beat Bobby Flay).  I enjoy that aspect of each show.

[paramitch]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

I'm enjoying this show. But I had to say, I'm concerned about letting chefs get so sleep deprived and exhausted, both physically and mentally, when they're going to be cutting with knives and cooking over flames. Just sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I just hope they're monitoring the chefs closely to prevent any injuries.

Yeah, I'm not sure I like the premise. It's fun so far, but I was hoping it would be in 6-hour or even 12-hour heats, or something.

Keeping everyone awake and stressed for 24 hours feels downright sadistic to me, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that, knowing they are all exhausted and working with KNIVES AND HEAT. Aghghgh. Plus knowing how these productions usually go, it was probably incredibly hot and uncomfortable for them all during filming. And they're CHEFS, so at least some of them don't have great cholesterol or heart health--?

So... it just feels stupid to me. I'm watching, and so far enjoying it, but cheftestants are already saying they're exhausted just 6 hours in. Add another 18 hours and I'm worried we're going to see people fainting, keeling over, etc.

I just hope everyone is okay after this. 

[susannot]

I like young Chris on Chris Oh's team.  He is young and cute and still seems awake and perky after what? 18 hours?  I think the chef who will win is the one who can stay alert.  So far Marcel and young Chris look the best.  Chris Oh and Mika are fading fast.

 

[Grizzly]

It's like a mash-up of every food competition I've ever seen. I liked tall Chris, so was sorry to see his salmon fish n'chips send him and Camille home. Wish the show would stop hammering on people's backgrounds. Did you know Chris Oh is Korean? Or that Kess is from Africa? Voltaggio brothers are always fun. And I loved the shot of Eric talking away to Michael Symons while Michael had this glazed look that said he wasn't really listening. I thought 50k was a little stingy for a competition of this magnitude. Glad they sweetened it with a trip to Hawaii.  More people then Marcel have won money. I wish every time a chef's name was shown, it would show their earnings.

[Irlandesa]

I low key loved this episode. You can see the chefs are starting to get punchy and I'm enjoying it.

The "make art out of a TV dinner" is such a wacky challenge but it's unlike anything I've ever seen on a cooking championship before, even when it's art focused, that I liked it.

I'm a little surprised Marcel won the final challenge, especially after it was called one-note.  And salmon isn't purple.  Based on the commentary, I thought Carlos or Mika should have won.

[Thalia]

3 hours ago, paramitch said:

I'm watching, and so far enjoying it, but cheftestants are already saying they're exhausted just 6 hours in. Add another 18 hours and I'm worried we're going to see people fainting, keeling over, etc.

I find myself wondering how the producers prepped for this show.  They have to have done at least one or two practice 24-hour periods to make sure all the logistics worked if nothing else.   I've also been wondering if the hosts got to take naps, but Judge Not!MichaelSymon just relaxed on the sofa with a banana.  

The Voltaggio brothers were as relaxed as I've ever seen them.  I would like to see them together in more things.  

[Carrie1111]

On 4/21/2024 at 6:35 PM, candall said:

Okay, I can be the only one in the Elizabeth Faulkner Fan Club--I'm pretty loud.   🔊

 

I enjoyed it, watched it twice.  It seems interesting and I'd be happy to give it my two-hour Sunday night TOC block.  I hope the emphasis doesn't swing completely over to "We've been cooking for ten/twelve/sixteen straight hours!  We're exhausted!  Blllll blll bbbll babblebabble"

 

(I'm calling out Chris D on whether he's worked in "a few three-star kitchens.")

Chef Chris D has worked Alinea and Next and he’s also a chopped champion 

[nitrofishblue]

They are doing something every show that really bugs me. How many times must they "tell" us how tough the competition is, how this is a new version of a cooking show? I think it is about every five minutes of cooking. The producers need to stop treating the viewers like we are just a bunch of idiots that can't remember anything !!! Give us a break and just get on with the cooking

[Liddy52]

I like the Voltaggio Brothers and enjoyed  their appearance. However they kept commenting on how they had never seen a competition like the relay one in which the one team member set up the classic combo dish and the other teammate didn't know what had been started and how to complete it. Guy's Grocery Games has had two episodes with a similar but to me more difficult challenge. It involved 3 team members and more requirements for the dish. Is there only one female chef left? I don't think any of the judges ate deliberately biased but it is interesting when you compare the results with the blind judging on Tournament of Champions. 

.

 

[tessabq]

I am enjoying this but, at times, it gives off a dance-marathon-with-knives vibe!

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

How many times must they "tell" us how tough the competition is, how this is a new version of a cooking show?

I get it maybe in the first episode.  But by now? It's so unnecessary.  By now, the hours of competition are piling up.  The kitchen has been thinned.  The fatigue is starting to show on the faces and bodies of at least some of the chefs.  You can see production scrambling about to give the impression of constant movement. 

They have enough to do more showing vs. telling. 

2 hours ago, Liddy52 said:

I don't think any of the judges ate deliberately biased but it is interesting when you compare the results with the blind judging on Tournament of Champions.

Especially when some of these chefs are more well-known than others. 

[Liddy52]

8 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I get it maybe in the first episode.  But by now? It's so unnecessary.  By now, the hours of competition are piling up.  The kitchen has been thinned.  The fatigue is starting to show on the faces and bodies of at least some of the chefs.  You can see production scrambling about to give the impression of constant movement. 

They have enough to do more showing vs. telling. 

Especially when some of these chefs are more well-known than others. 

Yes, I have to feel that way especially with Marcel and Carlos. And I really feel the producers are trying to make those two the stars. I wonder if the judges pick up on that and subconsciously judge them more favorably. I don't think they would purposely do it. However it is happening, Carlos still is annoying to me. 

[Rammchick]

3 hours ago, Liddy52 said:

I like the Voltaggio Brothers and enjoyed  their appearance. However they kept commenting on how they had never seen a competition like the relay one in which the one team member set up the classic combo dish and the other teammate didn't know what had been started and how to complete it.

They've also done something similar on Top Chef, it's nothing new.

[schnauzergirl]

May we send Mika home now so she can sleep and put her sentences together?  Everybody has commented on the stress, physical and mental, of 24 straight hours of cooking.  Mika, thought, mentions it every.single.time.  For me, she's right up there with Carlos as irritating.  

[MerBearHou]

I find Mika more irritating than Carlos.  

[HyeChaps]

What time of day did this competition begin? 

How long was everyone awake at the beginning?

[buttersister]

Marcel is competing to help his mother overcome deafness? Lemme guess who wins.

[janeyjay]

The premise of this competition is exhausting and now, so is Mika. In every sense of the word. Chris Oh also talks about how tired he is but for some reason, he's not as irritating. 

Sad to see Kess clock out. Not the strongest chef still standing but I found her endearing.

 

 

[DEL901]

One thing I always try to remember with the talking heads….they are generally answering direct questions posed by the producers.  

[Mellowyellow]

I like Mika. I think she’s just slightly delirious so she’s rambling. Doesn’t count as a personality flaw to me. She’s not nasty or anything.

Interestingly the fatigue seems to have toned Carlos down. I like all the chefs even Carlos. He’s very loud and in your face but I don’t get bad vibes off him like I do with someone such as….. say Zakarian.

[Ellee]

Did I read or hear about Chris Oh having some health issues before doing this show?

[chessiegal]

I haven't checked my Twitter feed in years but did today. Michael Symon replied to someone complaining about the long hours. His response was that it was no different than opening a new restaurant which is something all these chefs have done.

[paramitch]

I still like the show and enjoyed the latest episodes, even though I felt a little guilty, like I was watching, "They Shoot Sous Chefs, Don't They?"

Everyone seems to be handling the challenges okay so far, I do hope there are good medical and support personnel to give people a break whenever they can grab one.

I continue to root for Marcel -- after season 2 of "Top Chef" (and its vicious bullying and actual physical assault) he handled horrific abuse with so much class, I'm going to root for him where I can.

I know many don't like him, but I never minded him. Sure, he was cocky in his younger days, but it wasn't outward-focused or mean-spirited, so it just came off like hot air. He never used his arrogance to hurt other people, he just believed in himself and for me it was sort of nerdy and amusing and endearingly young.

He's definitely matured over the past decade or so, and it's been nice to see him achieve more calmness overall. I thought his food here looked gorgeous.

On 4/29/2024 at 11:44 AM, tessabq said:

I am enjoying this but, at times, it gives off a dance-marathon-with-knives vibe!

I know, that's what I was feeling when I heard about it! 

13 hours ago, buttersister said:

Marcel is competing to help his mother overcome deafness? Lemme guess who wins.

I found it really sweet, honestly. He came across as sincere, and actually visibly choked up when talking about it. It's a better motivator to win than I see from most reality contestants, frankly.

4 hours ago, DEL901 said:

One thing I always try to remember with the talking heads….they are generally answering direct questions posed by the producers.  

Yeah, that aspect is very visible here -- we can hear the producers egging them on, etc.

I just think some people are able to be natural and conversational in this stuff, while others aren't.

Carlos has "reality TV syndrome," and has adopted the mistaken idea that the more enthusiasm he uses to overact and over-shout his responses on camera, the more "exciting" he is to watch, when honestly it just makes him that much more irritating and unwatchable to me.

He reminds me a lot of the twins on "Rock the Block" (if you know, you know), who seriously spent this season shrieking every answer in one-word exclamations on camera until I had to restrain myself from throwing things at my TV. It's basically Reality TV Overacting 101.

The best contestants, for me, are those who can be real, calm, and answer conversationally, with humor, emotion, sadness, whatever they're feeling.

[tessabq]

5 minutes ago, paramitch said:

I still like the show and enjoyed the latest episodes, even though I felt a little guilty, like I was watching, "They Shoot Sous Chefs, Don't They?"

Everyone seems to be handling the challenges okay so far, I do hope there are good medical and support personnel to give people a break whenever they can grab one.

I continue to root for Marcel -- after season 2 of "Top Chef" (and its vicious bullying and actual physical assault) he handled horrific abuse with so much class, I'm going to root for him where I can.

I know many don't like him, but I never minded him. Sure, he was cocky in his younger days, but it wasn't outward-focused or mean-spirited, so it just came off like hot air. He never used his arrogance to hurt other people, he just believed in himself and for me it was sort of nerdy and amusing and endearingly young.

He's definitely matured over the past decade or so, and it's been nice to see him achieve more calmness overall. I thought his food here looked gorgeous.

I know, that's what I was feeling when I heard about it! 

I found it really sweet, honestly. He came across as sincere, and actually visibly choked up when talking about it. It's a better motivator to win than I see from most reality contestants, frankly.

Yeah, that aspect is very visible here -- we can hear the producers egging them on, etc.

I just think some people are able to be natural and conversational in this stuff, while others aren't.

Carlos has "reality TV syndrome," and has adopted the mistaken idea that the more enthusiasm he uses to overact and over-shout his responses on camera, the more "exciting" he is to watch, when honestly it just makes him that much more irritating and unwatchable to me.

He reminds me a lot of the twins on "Rock the Block" (if you know, you know), who seriously spent this season shrieking every answer in one-word exclamations on camera until I had to restrain myself from throwing things at my TV. It's basically Reality TV Overacting 101.

The best contestants, for me, are those who can be real, calm, and answer conversationally, with humor, emotion, sadness, whatever they're feeling.

I feel the same about Marcel. He was not an ass on Top Chef; he was just young. He never retaliated or even spoke badly about those who physically attacked him. He went on with his life. 

Someone mentioned that Carlos trained under Brian Malarkey. I like Brain Malarkey. His personality has always seemed genuine to me. Carlos, at least on competition shows, seems to be working hard at being OTT. Not fun to watch. 

Loving Chris Oh. Sorry to see the Fire Fighter Chef depart. It was a joy to watch him cook.