Mystery Diners - General Discussion

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[Guest]

A Florida cooking academy is investigated, because the owners are worried that their instructors are going off curriculum.

 

 

[Primetimer]

When a renegade chef tries to become internet famous without his bosses' consent, Mystery Diners's Charles Stiles steps in as the ultimate cook block.

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[EAG46]

I hope Ryan Stiles from Whose Line Is It Anyway? isn't related to Charles Stiles. Two drastically different levels of charisma isn't possible in the same family.

[Gregg247]

"The Least Charismatic Man in America, Charles Stiles" LOL!  I love this show simply because its so over-the-top awful.  Every episode, I hope that the "villain", when brought into the Command Center, will go, "Wait, you're Charles Stiles! Oh no!", and now its actually happened! hahaha

 

In terms of fake reality, I like this one much more than the repo and pawn shows on Tru TV; those are ugly and disagreeable.  Mystery Diners is just good fun, with Charles and whatever model/starlet/dancer he shows up with as his "undercover associate" at the initial meeting with the client.  Getting a professional PI with solid Googling skills just adds to the hilarity.

 

Charles Stiles is like Batman (but the stiff, cardboard Adam West version of Batman from the TV show).  Thank goodness he shows up to protect all of these owners from restaurant evil-doers!

[toodles]

This is one of my favorite shows. It's the fakeyest fake show around. Where else on TV do you see fake drones and then they say release the drones? Charles Stiles is perfectly awful and the set ups are so bad. The rightous indignation of the "bad guys" is just so fake it makes me laugh every time. What a great show.

[kalamac]

Organic food is totally overrated, and nowhere near worth the exorbitant prices most places charge.

[MrHufflepuff]

YMMV, but I think it's always 0% authentic.  The fakest episodes for me would be the ghost one and the dinner theatre one, where the waiter is in love with one of the actresses.  That last one was pretty hysterical.

Edited July 3, 2015 by MrHufflepuff

[MrHufflepuff]

They should do a cross-over episode between this show and Catfish.  The combined fakeness might create a fakeness singularity which destroys reality TV forever.

[buttersister]

LOL! In an earlier season, a local place (whose bones were made on triple D) got themselves an ep--they have no liquor license and one of their "employees" was driving thirsty customers (who hadn't thought to bring their own beers) to a van parked a block away to buy some. The over-acting on the part of the two owners was adorable (they're sweet and the place is great) and beyond any proof needed that this show was the fakiest fake that ever faked. Bon appetit! 

[Tara Ariano]

The owners of Latin House in Miami worry that someone at their off-site warehouse is giving away the recipes to their award-winning burgers.

[cooksdelight]

I would hate to ever be on Momma's bad side!! "This circus act comes to town....!" LOL

[cooksdelight]

I grew up where one of the restaurants is.  A member of our local Facebook group went to the restaurant a day or so before their episode aired and the people who were fired were still working there.

I've always wondered about this show, thanks for the info. I still love it as it's hilarious to watch these people hauled into the room to see their misdeeds on film.

[MrHufflepuff]

We have no idea where the van stopped, since we only have cameras inside the van.

 

Five minutes later....

 

We've installed a GPS device in the van.

 

Great Mystery Dinering, Charles!  

[Primetimer]

Charles Stiles has been spicing things up this season with new gadgets, but the technology is just as implausible as the storylines.

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[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

Show of hands: which show is more realistic: Mystery Diners or Bob's Burgers?

[JTMacc99]

You know, I don't watch this show and am usually pretty disappointed when I flip on the TV looking for mindless and find stupid instead, but I freaking love these episode recaps.

You had me at "America's Least Charismatic Man Charles Stiles".

[Jamoche]

I'd rather see them on Kitchen Nightmares- cue Ramsey:"You make your burgers 250 at a time across town and ship it over in a truck? Then what, stick it in a #$!#$bleep@$!#$-ing freezer?"

[cooksdelight]

I don't know, I think Granny would have given Gordon a run for his money.

[EAG46]

Oh I think Granny and Gordon would get along swimmingly, once the language barrier is solved.

[roctavia]

Can i just say that finding a forum for this show today has like made my day?? This is one of my favorite most ridiculous shows... and I've been hoping for people to discuss it's ridiculousness with! :) 

 

I knew the mother was going to have some charity line or a birthday party or something for why she was giving away the burgers... that was too early on to be the real (fake) culprit.  This season has been interesting with the new gadgets... but i agree that the whole stopping the truck in it's tracks thing seemed kind of useless, although I suppose it kept the driver by the food truck so he could be caught 'red handed' and the owner guy could then yell stuff at the food truck people when he walked by.  

 

The sad thing about this show- even though we know it's fake, I still believe there are people in this world who would try stuff like this to make a few extra bucks...

[cooksdelight]

I've often wondered if the purpose of this show is to help keep restaurant employees honest and on their toes. If they think there's ever a possibility that they might be on hidden camera, who knows?

[Crucial]

Why not take the money the guy got and take the burgers back he was given (or what's left).  I don't understand why they don't show taking the money stolen back -however fake.  Still we see money taken.

[BogoGog24]

I always crack up when everything they say sounds scripted. Like when the owners say something dramatic like "Charles, if I don't find the problem... I'll lose my business!" And then when one of the Mystery Diners comes in and says "For this sting I'm gonna be posing as a waiter to see what REALLY goes on." The acting is so bad that it's obvious it was memorized/scripted.

Does anyone remember the episode where they used drones for the first time? I think it might have been the episode concerning a food truck. The drone crashed and when Charles said "Dang it!" it sounded so fake LOL!

What I've heard about the show is that they reenact scenes after they've caught the person. In exchange for not pressing charges, the person agrees to be on the show and reenact scenes. I don't think the show is completely fake, but it sure seems like in more recent seasons it's even worse and more obviously fake/set up.

[cooksdelight]

They also may use actors for re-enactments. I see that on so many "based on a real case" shows.

[toodles]

Why not take the money the guy got and take the burgers back he was given (or what's left).  I don't understand why they don't show taking the money stolen back -however fake.  Still we see money taken.

If you think too much about the show (i.e. longer than 30 seconds) you'll get a headache.  Just some friendly advice.

No drones released.  Too bad.  They could have followed the burger truck.  Seem like an opportunity missed to me.  Darn it.  That's one of my favorite tv lines every.

[toodles]

The whole thing is fake but I don't care.  It's so fake it's really fun to watch.

[ratgirlagogo]

I find this show completely unwatchable but I also love these recaps.

 

You had me at "America's Least Charismatic Man Charles Stiles".

For a show as obviously fake as it is - they don't take advantage of the "faking everything" the way anyone would logically expect.  The whole point of faking things is that you can script them to be more dramatic.  And yet this show manages to be as fake as a Real Housewives episode, and at the same time has about one percent of the drama of Meet the Press.

Edited July 12, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[C2000]

I wonder how a show this fake made to Season 10. People really like this? It would be nice a show like this but with real cases, no all this pre-set shit.

[cooksdelight]

Maybe there's an entire herd of people out there who don't know this show is fake?

[Tara Ariano]

The owner of a Miami Beach hotel asks Charles and the team to investigate whether his staff are sneaking their friends into a free happy hour he offers to guests.

[Primetimer]

We hope you're into obscure Latin pop singers who were once signed to Madonna's label, because there is a lot of that in this episode of Mystery Diners.

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[cooksdelight]

In spite of this show, I'd stay at that hotel. It looks like a very nice place. I might skip the musical entertainment, however. :)

[Jamoche]

Right. So instead of a full bar, he'd rather have just the hotel guests? There's a reason "playing in a hotel lounge" is considered a place where careers go to die - when I check into a hotel, I'm not thinking "what's playing in the lounge", it's "I'm beat, where's the bed?"

[Bossa Nova]

My hub like this show alot and he believes its real. But he doesn't watch enough reality TV in general like I do, so I am on to the fakeness of it.

 

I always tell him that the employees caught in the act (sometimes criminal) who get fired or quit - would never agree to appear on camera after they are caught, to be further humiliated, embarrassed, or belittled, plus they have to sign releases. Who would do that?

 

Also, I cannot stand that chubby host guy with the mustache. He really creeps me out. Especially when they have the young sexpot girl mystery diners on. Yick.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Bossa Nova

[toodles]

WTH with the big breasted girl shots? Things that make you go hmmm.

[MrHufflepuff]

Is only getting one room key at a hotel a common thing? Every hotel I've ever stayed at gives me multiple room keys at check-in.

[cooksdelight]

If the room key is attached to getting free drinks, you can bet you'll just get one. At the Holiday Inn or wherever, with no frills attached, they'll give you two.

[Jorge Moreno]

Holy shit Mike Bummer! This is Jorge Moreno and that review was both Harsh and Hilarious. I actually laughed so much it made me cry.

Low blow on "they rather get the free drinks than watch my performance" though... dick... but admitingly, still funny.

Please come to my bar for some special Mojitos made by one of my other bartenders (that also really from Cuba) that was not fired.

All the best and please remember.. I am the great Jorge Moreno, i have a grammy and was discovered by Madonna, come and marvel at my magnificence!!! :) - JM

[cooksdelight]

Hello Jorge! So, tell us... how fake is the show? I mean, is it an accurate recreation of what really happened?

[flyingdi]

My problem with the show is Charles. He is so undeliberately funny. He sits there so calm he's almost comatose until the last five minutes when they bring the actors(I mean perpetrators) in. Then out of nowhere he goes ballistic on them. It happens every episode and it's hilarious.

[MrHufflepuff]

If the room key is attached to getting free drinks, you can bet you'll just get one. At the Holiday Inn or wherever, with no frills attached, they'll give you two.

 

But what happens if a guest loses a room key?  He has to get another one, right?  So, crack operative Jamie could have just gotten around this whole system and gotten his friends in for free just by coming back later and claiming he lost his room key.  This assumes that they don't check the coding on the room key at the bar entrance (because if they did, bellboy Alex's beach scheme wouldn't work).  This also assumes that operative Jamie actually has friends.

[cooksdelight]

It's my understanding that they swipe the card in order to verify the guest is currently staying there. Otherwise, people could hold onto key cards and use them forever. Of course, maybe Jorge can enlighten us on this. :)

[MrHufflepuff]

But then bellboy Alex would have had to be behind the front desk coding all the room keys he swiped.  Which seems like an awfully risky and time-consuming thing to do.  

[cooksdelight]

Jeff, general manager of Emerald Hills Golf Course in Hollywood, Fla., contacts Charles after fielding complaints about non-members playing for free. Mystery Diners Jamie and Brianna go undercover and discover a bigger problem inside the dining room.

[Mike Benner]

Holy shit Mike Bummer! This is Jorge Moreno and that review was both Harsh and Hilarious. I actually laughed so much it made me cry.

Low blow on "they rather get the free drinks than watch my performance" though... dick... but admitingly, still funny.

Please come to my bar for some special Mojitos made by one of my other bartenders (that also really from Cuba) that was not fired.

All the best and please remember.. I am the great Jorge Moreno, i have a grammy and was discovered by Madonna, come and marvel at my magnificence!!! :) - JM

Jorge! (If this is the real Jorge...) Thank you for reading and (sort of?) enjoying the recap! And thanks for taking it in good stride. While Mystery Diners clearly causes outrage deep within my soul, I watch it with great affection for everyone involved, including you most of all. (Life is complicated, you know?)

 

I will gladly come marvel at your magnificence and enjoy a mojito with you if I'm ever in Miami.

[KHenry14]

This one is the worst for me. While this show jumped the shark a while ago, they reached a new low tonight. For one, i find it hard to believe that the charges to the dead guys accounts were unknown to the GM guy. And if they were actually unknown, he needs to be fired. Secondly, almost all courses that allow the general public on the course have Marshals on the course. They are essentially golf cops, and they look out for drunk buffoons like those four guys. Also, there is NO WAY the members of that course wouldn't have raised hell to the GM about guys like that. They would be on their phone to the clubhouse complaining while it was happening. Which is why I call "fake" on this whole scenario. 

 

I'm just about done with this show. 

Edited July 23, 2015 by KHenry14

[Primetimer]

Seriously. This is one of the least entertaining episodes of Mystery Diners ever. Sorry about the golf pun.

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[toodles]

I cheered when the "drone" started flying. The sharper image helicopter with the camera attached is my favorite part. This show was really bad, even by the extremely low mystery diner standards. And that's saying something.

[Tara Ariano]

The owner of a historical restaurant in Atlanta asks Charles and the team to investigate whether Civil War tours are taking place without his permission.