S03.E16: The Final Level

[DanaK]

Quote

The competition reaches its boiling point as the final three chefs race against the clock to craft a sensational three-course meal. With $250,000 and a year-long mentorship on the line, only one chef will rise to the top and claim the title of the Next Level Chef champion in the all-new "The Final Level" season finale episode of Next Level Chef airing Thursday, May 9 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

 

[oliviabenson]

I predict Zach will win. 

[Tango64]

Umm. Brunette girl wins. Yay??!

[KeithJ]

I am absolutely shocked. I think it was the right choice based on the last cooks but still shocked Gabi won.

[Thalia]

Based on the edit and the look of the final dishes, I thought Christina would be first, Zach second, and Gabi third.  

Zach is no doubt the most technically skilled and creative of the three, but he was done in by his refusal to edit and an apparent desire to show off.  He was told again and again that he was trying to do too much, but it never seemed to sink in.  It was like he just dug in further and became more desperate to dazzle with every poor review he received.  

Edited May 10 by Thalia

[mertensia]

Yay. Yay, I say. 

Bland winner.

[jabRI]

I wanted Christina to win.  Seemed very arbitrary Gabi won.

[cameron]

Once again, producers tried to pass off an already cooked lobster tail as raw.  Come on, give us the viewers some credit as to knowing the difference between the two.

[jabRI]

So Christina's lobster was already cooked, is that what you are saying? You might be right, I'm not a lobster fan but I see what you are saying

[cameron]

9 minutes ago, jabRI said:

So Christina's lobster was already cooked, is that what you are saying? You might be right, I'm not a lobster fan but I see what you are saying

All the lobsters they have been using on this show have already been cooked.  The shells are red instead of the dark greenish color that are on raw lobsters and you could also tell by the flesh that it was fully cooked.   The same thing applies to blue crabs - green shells before they are cooked and red after they are steamed.

 

Edited May 10 by cameron

[jabRI]

43 minutes ago, cameron said:

All the lobsters they have been using on this show have already been cooked.  The shells are red instead of the dark greenish color that are on raw lobsters and you could also tell by the flesh that it was fully cooked.   The same thing applies to blue crabs

So when the judges say 'the cook is perfect' they are just saying you applied the sauce correctly without ruining it?

 

[milkyaqua]

Didn't expect Gabi to win because I though they were setting Christina up for the win but I'm fine with Gabi's win.  Zach does need to learn to edit.

[nitrofishblue]

Happy about the winner. For some reason I could not reach out and like Zach to win. His hair do just drove me crazy. He had issues with trying to edit what he was doing and that is what did him in.  He was told many times to learn ow to edit himself. For whatever reason he could not do that. Was it ego or what. Who knows. Happy with the winner!!!

 

[jcbrown]

I was halfway hoping for Zach but the finale made it pretty clear Gabi had it. As long as it wasn’t Christina and her duck lips, dumb eyebrows, and pre-cooked lobster, I’m good.

[DanaK]

Good, interesting finale

I question whether the kitchen levels ever have made any real difference in who wins or loses a round. It seems to be nothing but a gimmick. As I’ve said before, I also think making the bottom kitchen so grody is unnecessary and dangerous and it doesn’t seem to make any real difference in the quality of dishes

[jabRI]

I liked it Christina.  It wasn't her fault if the lobster was pre-cooked.  But I think for her, I don't get that she was looking for a cooking career, just money to help her family, maybe buy a home?  

 

I don't really see how this shows boosts the careers of the chefs.  Is Tucker really a 'sought after chef'?  What's Tinny doing on social media.  Honestly just asking, I don't follow social media chefs, don't even understand the concept really.  I find recipes online but have no patience for videos. 

[DEL901]

6 hours ago, jabRI said:

I don't really see how this shows boosts the careers of the chefs.  Is Tucker really a 'sought after chef'?  What's Tinny doing on social media.  Honestly just asking, I don't follow social media chefs, don't even understand the concept really.  I find recipes online but have no patience for videos. 

Season one’s winner was allowed to participate in a qualifying competition for Tournament of Champions. They lost in the first qualifying round.  Btw, one of the winners of Master Chef (Claudia??  The one with the bright red hair) also got to participate in the qualifier.  She also went out in round 1 of the qualifier   Neither made the actual tournament.  

[jabRI]

34 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

They lost in the first qualifying round.  Btw, one of the winners of Master Chef (Claudia??  The one with the bright red hair)

I have seen her as a judge on Worst Cooks in American and Master Chef Mexico.  Still not ground breaking but at least she's staying relevant?

[DEL901]

4 minutes ago, jabRI said:

I have seen her as a judge on Worst Cooks in American and Master Chef Mexico.  Still not ground breaking but at least she's staying relevant?

She judged on Chopped too…but everything she said was pretty much the opposite of the other two judges.  

[Meowwww]

Gordon has been enamored of Gabby since day one.  Zach should have won but the pretty girl won instead.  

[oliviabenson]

Christina couldn’t win because Gordon helped her cook the last dish. Lobster did look precooked to me too. 
 

I forgot who Tucker was lol.

I don’t think I’m watching next season. Show is boring!

[GHScorpiosRule]

12 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Gordon has been enamored of Gabby since day one.  Zach should have won but the pretty girl won instead.  

Funny. I’d say Jordan was his favorite, the way he kept saving him.

[jabRI]

I don't know why the final tasting isn't a blind tasting.  The final chefs shouldn't need any 'help' on the cooking floor.

[nitrofishblue]

Kind of happy that Zach did not win. His attitude really bothered me. He seemed too ignore what the judge told him about editing himself. He seemed to feel that he knew better than the judges. For me, I want to see ALL cooking competitions to be judged by blind tasting EVERY ONE.

[blackwing]

Well colour me surprised, I had been prepared for the inevitable Zack win since he was the only male on Richard's team left after the early boot of the other guy on Team Richard.

I do still think this show is rigged to some extent, it does seem awfully convenient that each mentor has one chef in the final for each of the past three years.  Maybe once it gets to the finals, all bets are off?

I'm still annoyed that Christina was in the final.  I hope we never have to hear from Christina ever again.  But she will probably get a "very special appearance" next year, just like the most irritating contestant from last season, Tini, showed up this season.

Von was robbed.

21 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

Kind of happy that Zach did not win. His attitude really bothered me. He seemed too ignore what the judge told him about editing himself. He seemed to feel that he knew better than the judges. For me, I want to see ALL cooking competitions to be judged by blind tasting EVERY ONE.

I didn't dislike him but I found his whole "dude I'm from Hawaii and I cook seafood because it's like Hawaii" vibe to be really annoying.  The hair.  Did he have that hair before moving to Hawaii?  He acted like he was born and raised in Hawaii when in reality he's from a small town near Elgin, Illinois.  Never talked about his Illinois roots at all, it was all "I'm from Maui" all the time.

He did always try to do too much.  The kombucha four ways was annoying, it was reminiscent of what the Iron Chefs did with the secret ingredient in one particular dish.  Zack is no Iron Chef.  And yet the judges really ate that up and were impressed with it.  Don't tell him he tries to do too much but then gush over his kombucha four ways.