S03.E02: The One With The Friends

[chitowngirl]

Six sets of friends put their sleuthing skills to the test.
 

I like that they titled it like it was a Friends episode (The One With…).

They should let the safety team go through the kitchen just to see what they would make and see how close they’d be.

[Quilt Fairy]

45 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

They should let the safety team go through the kitchen just to see what they would make and see how close they’d be.

I preferred season 1 when they just got a clue to the final bake, which they frequently totally - and hilariously - misinterpreted. 

These people don't seem any more talented than the other crew.  What happened with casting this season?

[DanaK]

18 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

These people don't seem any more talented than the other crew.  What happened with casting this season?

The British/Polish duo sure didn’t seem to know what they’re were doing in the first round

[Irlandesa]

I don't mind that they give the winning team immunity but it might be kind of fun if they give them the option to either sit out or compete and if they win again, they get a financial reward.

Janusz (Polish guy who wanted to put bananas in the dessert even though that wasn't a clue) competed on the Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show depending on where you watch) and his partner Kieron competed on the Professionals version.  For those wondering, Janusz came in fourth.  I don't know what place Kieron finished in.

So clearly they were recruited but neither show was even mentioned.

 

[mertensia]

Man, I liked the cowboys, but they sucked at the clues.

 

[Ms Lark]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Janusz (Polish guy who wanted to put bananas in the dessert even though that wasn't a clue) competed on the Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show depending on where you watch) and his partner Kieron competed on the Professionals version.  For those wondering, Janusz came in fourth.  I don't know what place Kieron finished in.

So clearly they were recruited but neither show was even mentioned.

Thank you! I knew I knew both of them from somewhere, but I couldn't place either. Janusz wore loud shirts for GBBO, IIRC--he was a lot of fun.

Good, bad, indifferent, I really enjoy this show! Joel does great, too. Every year I'm surprised it's been renewed, but I'm glad it is. $100k is a big prize. Heck, GBBO is only a cake plate and bragging rights! 😉

 

[freeser]

9 hours ago, DanaK said:

The British/Polish duo sure didn’t seem to know what they’re were doing in the first round

By insisting on using bananas and caramel, it seemed like they did not appreciate or understand what the point of the show was.  

I love Joel and both judges, but the cooks don't seem to be the most or talented knowledgeable contestants.  Their reaction to where clues were found or the possibility that the clues were there to mislead them did not seem to be something they were aware of.  Makes me think they were not past viewers of the show.

[blackwing]

Maybe because there have only been two episodes so far this season, but I think the quality of the contestants has been so much worse than in previous seasons.  There's not one team in either set that screams to me that they are competent and formidable or seem to be standing out as frontrunners.  In the first season, pretty early on we had Thomas and his mom.  In the second season, the two French women stood out instantly to me, they had so much knowledge. 

Here, most of the teams are just clueless.  The two cowboys who see raspberry jam and decide to make a raspberry tart, but have no clue what else to put in it because they missed the entirety of the clues except for the tartlet pans?  So they just decide to add in random elements like blackberry and a meringue?  Deserved to go home.

After Joel mentioned it, I decided that I kind of like his sweater and want to get one for myself.  That sweater was one of the only highlights of this episode.

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Janusz (Polish guy who wanted to put bananas in the dessert even though that wasn't a clue) competed on the Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show depending on where you watch) and his partner Kieron competed on the Professionals version.  For those wondering, Janusz came in fourth.  I don't know what place Kieron finished in.

So clearly they were recruited but neither show was even mentioned.

I recognised Janusz instantly from The Great British Baking Show.  If it's possible to hate someone on something as fluffy as TGBBS (as opposed to Survivor where contestants are often actually despicable), for me, it was him.  I disliked his constant faux-embarrassed "aw shucks me???" whenever he won a challenge.  Was glad when he was eliminated.

He seemed like a good baker on TGBBS, but here he just seemed completely clueless.

I don't know the English guy at all, and didn't even know there was a "Professionals" version.  I'm going to have to see if it's available on Netflix here in the States. 

Are these two a couple?  The English guy called Janusz "babes", which isn't usually a term of endearment between two male friends who aren't a couple.

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't mind that they give the winning team immunity but it might be kind of fun if they give them the option to either sit out or compete and if they win again, they get a financial reward.

 

In the first season, the team that won the first challenge got an additional clue to the second challenge.  Last season they changed to immunity for the elimination bake.

It makes sense to me that if you win the first challenge, you get immunity for the elimination.  But there is absolutely no bonus if you win the elimination challenge... you are safe, just like everyone else.  So in the end, all you have to do is be less wrong than one other team.

I think if you win the elimination bake, you should get an extra minute in the CSK for the next Safety Bake.  There should at least be some kind of reward.

10 hours ago, mertensia said:

Man, I liked the cowboys, but they sucked at the clues.

I greatly disliked them.  The cowboy schtick was obviously their designated persona, and whether the comments were prompted or fed by the producers/camera people or not, I was so tired of the constant cowboy talk.  Especially at the end where the old man said he was going to ride off in the sunset and retire to his ranch and watch the sunset.  Because he lost at CSK?  And then the younger guy "that sounds nice".  Mmmm hmmm.

[seacliffsal]

One thing that really surprised me was, when tasting the first German chocolate cake, the female judge said the cake wasn't dark enough for a chocolate cake.  I couldn't believe it as she's supposed to be a cake expert-German chocolate cakes are made with German's chocolate, so the cake is not as dark as a traditional chocolate cake.  I know that a lot of grocery stores/bakeries just put the cocoanut/pecan frosting on a regular chocolate cake and then call it a German chocolate cake, but it's not really one unless it's made with German's chocolate. IMO.

[lh25]

On 10/3/2024 at 6:54 PM, chitowngirl said:

They should let the safety team go through the kitchen just to see what they would make and see how close they’d be.

I was thinking the same thing!  I would love to get to go through the kitchen and see how close I got.  Even if I didn't bake anything.  

[GeorgiaRai]

Aren't the mystery bakes usually a "thing"?  Like Italian Cream Cake or Pear Frangapine Tart?  Sometimes the details vary - how many layers, decorating, etc. but don't they start as something fairly specific?  This year's bakers seem to be playing it more like Chopped - they come up with a list of ingredients then put them together in some random creation.  I'm sure finding and deciphering clues is hard, but Italian Cream Cake seemd fairly obvious & made more sense than "buttermilk cake with pecans and coconut." 

[Quilt Fairy]

9 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

This year's bakers seem to be playing it more like Chopped - they come up with a list of ingredients then put them together in some random creation.

That's what I'm seeing, too.  Maybe they got freaked out last year when some teams were too on point with the mystery desserts and they actively picked teams with less baking knowledge this year. 

[Irlandesa]

There was an article in the media thread that said they're trying to make the clues harder to find.  For instance, I think they had a clue that was above the garbage implying that it got stuck above the garbage when someone was trying to throw it away.

Or in the past they had a half of pint of strawberries indicating strawberries were used but this year they might have a smoothie container that has remnants of a strawberry smoothie.  So it's not just finding evidence of what was used but also eliminating things that were used for different purposes. All in about 2 minutes.

They're probably all fine bakers but some have to guess more than others.

 

Edited October 9 by Irlandesa

[kris4n6]

On 10/3/2024 at 9:54 PM, chitowngirl said:

They should let the safety team go through the kitchen just to see what they would make and see how close they’d be.

I agree.  I think it's actually a disservice to the winners, because now they've had less time to be able to hone their skills at looking for clues.  If you haven't won a safety bake or lost the elimination yet in the Family group for example, you've had 4 scenes to work through, while the winners of the safety bakes have had a max of three at this point.  And if the same group wins more than once, that's even less time in the csk.  

[Dirge]

On 10/3/2024 at 8:09 PM, Irlandesa said:

Janusz (Polish guy who wanted to put bananas in the dessert even though that wasn't a clue) competed on the Great British Bake Off (or Baking Show depending on where you watch)

I thought he did! but then since they didn't mention it, I decided maybe it was someone else with that name. It didn't even occur to me that they wouldn't mention another baking show. 

[proserpina65]

Finally got to see this episode on Hulu over the weekend and all I can say is "Janusz!!!!"  I loved him during his season of GBBO and am thrilled to see him here.  So now I have a favorite team.

[proserpina65]

On 10/4/2024 at 11:09 AM, blackwing said:

In the second season, the two French women stood out instantly to me, they had so much knowledge. 

They were the only team like that last season and I actually disliked that about them.  I like where there is more of a mix like the first season and this season.  (Edited to note that I thought they were ringers and I was thrilled when they didn't win.)

On 10/4/2024 at 11:09 AM, blackwing said:

I recognised Janusz instantly from The Great British Baking Show.  If it's possible to hate someone on something as fluffy as TGBBS (as opposed to Survivor where contestants are often actually despicable), for me, it was him.  I disliked his constant faux-embarrassed "aw shucks me???" whenever he won a challenge.  Was glad when he was eliminated.

I loved him and wish he'd made the final instead of the woman who won.  She's the one who came closest to a contestant I could dislike on that show.

 

On 10/4/2024 at 11:09 AM, blackwing said:

Are these two a couple?  The English guy called Janusz "babes", which isn't usually a term of endearment between two male friends who aren't a couple.

I don't think they're a couple but they do remind me of how a couple of gay men I know talk to each other even though they're not dating.

Edited October 21 by proserpina65