Halloween Baking Championship - General Discussion

[Dirtybubble]

5 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

6 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

His name is Zac Mercer aka Miss Carrie and I'm glad he won with his burning witch cake -- it was the best!

Love him!  So talented and fun and is fantastic in his camaraderie with the other bakers and John.  So glad Zac won last night!

I like him too.  He won the 1st challenge but not the main challenge, right?  I liked his idea with drag queen fight and pulling of the earing and fingernail but I just didn't see it properly represented in his cake.  

The lady that won (sorry I can't remember her name) with the monster mouth coming out of her cake--now that was GOOD!  All the remaining bakers are really talented and it's now coming down to nip picky stuff as to who gets eliminated.

11 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Even though she was eliminated, Lola’s toenail cake was spectacular! I don’t care that the toe itself could have been crafted better.

It was a great idea but I see what the judges were saying about the toe being so large it was almost cartoonish.  Again little nit picky stuff....

[libgirl2]

36 minutes ago, Dirtybubble said:

It was a great idea but I see what the judges were saying about the toe being so large it was almost cartoonish.  Again little nit picky stuff....

I agree that the toe just didn't look real enough. If she would have just done it a bit better, because that nail was gross. And  yes, when I was about 14, I opened a door and hit my big toe nail. It look just like hers did. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by libgirl2

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

The woman who made the "intestines" cake in the second round-- I couldn't believe she was yanking at her tart from the top and sides to get it off the bottom tart tin. Who does that???? Of course it's going to break. She really got away with it though with the judges saying that the intestines were so heavy that they broke the tart. Uh, yeah, right.

Wasn’t that the former baking instructor? I kept wondering why (after she released the sides) she didn’t take a spatula and gently slide under it to release it when she saw she was having problems with it.

Yes, that was Kristy the instructor. The intestines with the broken crust was the first round, not the second (the second round was the lovely oozing cake that caused John to leave the room). Maybe the shorter time limit caused her to not think it through clearly...or maybe all the cracks were already there and sliding a spatula under would have made no difference. She was just trying to get it out of the tin to see if it was usable, which apparently it was!

[RoxiP]

It was the former baking instructor (but I thought that was her first round cake).  I was thinking her second round cake was the one that gushed blood.

[libgirl2]

35 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

It was the former baking instructor (but I thought that was her first round cake).  I was thinking her second round cake was the one that gushed blood.

Yes, that was her second round cake. 

[mojoween]

Lola was a shoo-in to be eliminated, but it feels like Alexey was there because they had to pick someone.  It didn’t seem like his cake was that much worse than everyone else‘s.

They already put too much shit into their cakes, and now they added meat.  I don’t care what you do to it, pepperoni and cake batter is never going to taste good.

[Salacious Kitty]

36 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

It was the former baking instructor (but I thought that was her first round cake).  I was thinking her second round cake was the one that gushed blood.

That cake was epic! I don't think I have ever seen John do a runner before. 😂

[toodywoody]

On 10/4/2022 at 12:38 PM, Dirtybubble said:

All of these bakers seem to be talented, but some seem to struggle with the time constraints and the twists.  I mean seriously who uses Sauerkraut in any type of dessert?!  When I saw that sad, deflated looking jack-o-lantern thingy I knew she was gone.  

ITA!  All 3, especially Zac, always seems to have something positive to say even when there's something else wrong.  I watch A LOT of reality tv and there always seems to be 1 judge who is just a butthole but all 3 seem to be very pleasant here.  LOVED everyone's costumes and John continues to be a joy to watch.  The other Halloween shows (Halloween Wars, Cookie Challenge, etc.) the hosts seem to be so bland and stiff compared to John ❤️

I love John and am so glad he's back. The cookie challenge is pissing me off. Jet is ok but the other chick does not have any comic timing. I can't even remember what gag they did but she said the line and it was lame. Meanwhile John is over there scratching his back with the arm and throwing it into the fireplace and I'm giggling. John is just funny to me. 

[Dirtybubble]

16 hours ago, toodywoody said:

I love John and am so glad he's back. The cookie challenge is pissing me off. Jet is ok but the other chick does not have any comic timing. I can't even remember what gag they did but she said the line and it was lame. Meanwhile John is over there scratching his back with the arm and throwing it into the fireplace and I'm giggling. John is just funny to me. 

Isn't John a comedian?  He just seems to have a natural ability to connect with people and make a tense situation a little more comfortable.

Over on Halloween Wars they have Zak from Ghost Hunters and I am sorry but he just comes across as a butt.  IDK what it is about him but he doesn't seem to have the natural ease, charisma, and charm to be a tv host.  

In the past they've had ex football stars host the cookie challenge, etc and they never really seem to be comfortable or enjoy what they are doing.  

Now I will say Jesse Palmer (of Bachelor fame) has hosted the Christmas Baking Championship and he seemed to fit in nicely into that.  But I think he's had a lot of experience hosting tv shows.

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, Dirtybubble said:

Isn't John a comedian?  He just seems to have a natural ability to connect with people and make a tense situation a little more comfortable.

Over on Halloween Wars they have Zak from Ghost Hunters and I am sorry but he just comes across as a butt.  IDK what it is about him but he doesn't seem to have the natural ease, charisma, and charm to be a tv host.  

In the past they've had ex football stars host the cookie challenge, etc and they never really seem to be comfortable or enjoy what they are doing.  

Now I will say Jesse Palmer (of Bachelor fame) has hosted the Christmas Baking Championship and he seemed to fit in nicely into that.  But I think he's had a lot of experience hosting tv shows.

John has a real natural ability and flow on this show. I really am glad to see him! 

Count me in as not liking Zak. Just what is his point? He isn't necessary. 

[Salacious Kitty]

4 hours ago, Dirtybubble said:

Isn't John a comedian?  He just seems to have a natural ability to connect with people and make a tense situation a little more comfortable.

Over on Halloween Wars they have Zak from Ghost Hunters and I am sorry but he just comes across as a butt.  IDK what it is about him but he doesn't seem to have the natural ease, charisma, and charm to be a tv host.  

In the past they've had ex football stars host the cookie challenge, etc and they never really seem to be comfortable or enjoy what they are doing.  

Now I will say Jesse Palmer (of Bachelor fame) has hosted the Christmas Baking Championship and he seemed to fit in nicely into that.  But I think he's had a lot of experience hosting tv shows.

Jesse's background is football. He co-hosts a college football show on ESPN during the season, so he has experience in front of the camera, but he's not hosting that show, he's an analyst. I don't know about his experience with The Bachelor. Was he a contestant? Was he the actual bachelor? Sorry, I don't watch that show.

[Dirtybubble]

2 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

don't know about his experience with The Bachelor. Was he a contestant? Was he the actual bachelor? Sorry, I don't watch that show.

Yeah he was a contestant then the bachelor and recently he began hosting the show along with the spin offs.  

[Salacious Kitty]

27 minutes ago, Dirtybubble said:

Yeah he was a contestant then the bachelor and recently he began hosting the show along with the spin offs.  

He's a busy guy.

[Claire85]

I feel like Jesse has this childlike wide eyed enthusiasm that goes with Christmas. John is funny and uses some dark humor, so he’s perfect for Halloween. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Claire85

[Salacious Kitty]

That John will participate in skits and add his comedic flair definitely helps the mood of the show. I just love him to pieces. 😚

[CrystalBlue]

John Henson for the big win!  Boo to Zak Bagans.

[tennisgurl]

I'm so happy to see so much love for John as host, he's such a perfect fit for this show. He's great at those funny morbid sort of jokes you want in a Halloween show, he's got great comedic timing, but he's also got a real warmth to him that allows him to connect with the bakers and keep the show moving from one bit to the next very smoothly. 

It was pretty hilarious watching John lose just a bit of composure looking at some of those cakes, I don't blame him. Some of those were seriously gnarly, in the best way possible. The open wound cakes were exactly what I want from a spooky baking show, those were so delightfully disgusting. Sad to see Lola go, but I agree with the judges on her toe cake looking a bit too wacky combined with the realistic blood. At this point they have to nitpick to get rid of people, everyone is so good.

I'm glad that Zac's witch cake won, it was so cool and looked delicious on top of being really well designed and using the challenge well. 

[MerBearHou]

John’s LensCrafters joke — only John could pull that off in a baking show — I laughed out loud.  Boy, I love him.

[Grizzly]

I can't believe it, I had Alexey in my final four.  That pairing seemed doomed from the start. Nothing seemed to match. Not that I thought the others were perfectly alike. The judges really outdid themselves with their outfits in both challenges. But does Stephanie have to show off her boobs every week?

[libgirl2]

8 hours ago, Grizzly said:

I can't believe it, I had Alexey in my final four.  That pairing seemed doomed from the start. Nothing seemed to match. Not that I thought the others were perfectly alike. The judges really outdid themselves with their outfits in both challenges. But does Stephanie have to show off her boobs every week?

i agree that none of the cakes were an exact match but the ones who won were the closest. I was sad to see him go. 

[Taeolas]

Sad to see him go as well, but his team's cakes were the least matching of the 3 pairs, and he did seem to be getting the Exit Edit that episode. 

It was probably just editing shenanigans, but it seemed he wasn't as comfortable doing teamwork like the others were. Jill asked to compare the batters before baking, and the next scene showed him closing the oven, implying he hadn't done that. (But I suspect he actually did). 

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, Taeolas said:

Sad to see him go as well, but his team's cakes were the least matching of the 3 pairs, and he did seem to be getting the Exit Edit that episode. 

It was probably just editing shenanigans, but it seemed he wasn't as comfortable doing teamwork like the others were. Jill asked to compare the batters before baking, and the next scene showed him closing the oven, implying he hadn't done that. (But I suspect he actually did). 

I suspect editing as well, I think just trying to set up that they weren't quite gelling as a team the same way the others were.

I kind of wish Zac and Lauren had been dinged a bit more on the inside of their cakes not matching. Zac mentioned that he had dyed his vanilla to look like her chocolate, but no one mentioned that the filling didn't match at all. The insides of the other two teams' cakes were much closer. And while I'm complaining, I'd also say that, while Jill and Alexey's outsides were definitely the least matching and I'm not disputing their loss, their design was much more ambitious than Zac and Lauren's, who basically made a bed.

I don't know what I'm going for here 😆 Maybe I was just a little irritated by all the "hee hee we're the troublemakers! We're having fun!" bits from Zac and Lauren. I should just be grateful that Jill (one of my faves) didn't go home, but I liked Alexey, too, so I'm a touch bitter lol.

[Dirtybubble]

42 minutes ago, tracyscott76 said:

I don't know what I'm going for here 😆 Maybe I was just a little irritated by all the "hee hee we're the troublemakers! We're having fun!" bits from Zac and Lauren. I should just be grateful that Jill (one of my faves) didn't go home, but I liked Alexey, too, so I'm a touch bitter lol.

It's weird how this show can suck you into the "drama" of baking 😄  Having said that I too was a bit miffed at Zac running in and taking the PB from the other team and giggling about it.  But that's the nature of the beast.  It was satisfying having that team win the challenge!  Talk about making lemonade out of lemons; good for them making the strawberries and kiwi, a naturally tart fruit, into something yummy.

I agree the 2 beds were uninspired and not nearly as creative as the winning teams cake.

I too had Alexy in my final 4 but enh whatcha gonna do?  I'm sure his bakery business will boom after being on this show.

LOVED the judges in their triplet girls costumes.  Zach's "Mommy says I'm the pretty one." just had me rolling. 😁

[mojoween]

Noooooo Jill’s 2’s were sloppy and messy and looked like R’s and if we’re going to have to nitpick the smallest thing it should have been that.

When Jon was doing the story about the twins and explaining the challenge Alexey was really leaning in; I’m wondering if he was having a hard time with his internal translation.

I can’t believe Blair finished second in the preheat because that cake flavor sounded just awful.

[lh25]

I wondered about the dye that Zac used in his cake.  I've seen people get dinged in baking shows for using too much dye because it can impart an unpleasant flavor.

Edited October 18, 2022 by lh25
spelling

[tennisgurl]

Wow, I'm truly surprised that Alexey is gone already, I had him pegged as top four at least. I like Jill a lot but I thought it would be her, but I guess that's the way the upside down cake crumbles. His eye cake was so good, I'll miss him, hopefully this gets his bakery a lot of publicity. 

Zac's coming out joke was funny, but what made it hilarious was John chuckling at it while Zac thanked him for the pity laugh. Jon really does have a great delivery for spooky funny stories, he could be a solid horror host in between baking show gigs.

The triplet costumes were awesome, the judges costumes just get better every week. They're so intricate and creative, and they play well with whatever the theme of the week is. 

The bed cake was well done but safe, I actually liked the concept of the pictures even if the execution was a bit lacking. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by tennisgurl

[CrystalBlue]

Count me in as sad and upset that Alexey was sent home to the 13th Floor.

[mojoween]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

The triplet costumes were awesome, the judges costumes just get better every week. They're so intricate and creative, and they play well with whatever the theme of the week is. 

I love how fancy the judges are dressed in the preheat and then it’s gore city during the main challenge.

[HyeChaps]

The previews for the next week take away the surprise of the judges' costumes.

[Catfi9ht]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:31 PM, HyeChaps said:

The previews for the next week take away the surprise of the judges' costumes.

It's been like this almost every week for me. I'll stop the recording before it gets to the previews then the following week, the episode starts with a recap AND a preview for the upcoming episode that's starting in 30 seconds! Why?!

One week, the preview even showed Alexei and Lola in the bottom two. WTF.

I'm not a fan of the instructor, Kristy. She's got that instructor voice that sounds like she's talking down to you instead of as a person.

Now that Alexei's gone, my remaining favorites are Zac and Loren then Jill who has grown on me recently. 

I really love how the judges embrace their costumes each week. It's probably my favorite part of the show. The Halloween make-up on this show is fantastic every week. 

This show is definitely the best of the Halloween shows. It's so much fun.

[SilverLake0315]

I just love John Henson so much. I need him to host more things.

[mlp]

6 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I really love how the judges embrace their costumes each week.

I read somewhere that Zac has a background in theater and costume design and has even performed in NYC doing what I don't know.  He's not shy about playing into whatever role his costume dictates so I imagine he enjoys it.

Carla is very good too.  She's not a conventionally attractive woman but she carries herself so well that she always looks fabulous.

[Guest]

Stephanie, no matter what crazy costume she has, always seems to interpret it to fit her dry personality, which I also enjoy.

[HyeChaps]

In a previous life, Carla was a runway model.

[Salacious Kitty]

41 minutes ago, HyeChaps said:

In a previous life, Carla was a runway model.

Carla was a model in her younger days of THIS life. 😀

[Grizzly]

5 hours ago, SilverLake0315 said:

I just love John Henson so much. I need him to host more things.

He was great on Wipeout.  The current edition pales in comparison.

[Frost]

I love watching, but would hate to be a judge on this show.  The weird twists of sauerkraut or garlic or licorice or whatever that they need to taste in the dessert?  My palate isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate black garlic in my cupcakes!  I would probably dislike a lot of the end products.

If they must do twists, I much prefer an extra element, like a ghost figure or an extra cookie bake or something.  Not a flavor they must add to something they're already in the middle of making.

Jill is growing on me.  She's my pick to win. (I reserve the right to pick again if she gets eliminated!)

[Pi237]

3 hours ago, Frost said:

If they must do twists, I much prefer an extra element, like a ghost figure or an extra cookie bake or something.  Not a flavor they must add to something they're already in the middle of making.

Agree 100%! The flavor twists don’t add suspense for me. They just make me tense and aggravated… Especially, since we can’t Actually taste anything! So, it’s way more fun to see how they decorate.  

[Grizzly]

I'm now team Jill. "Is it inappropriate to punch the host?" 

The judges were certainly enjoying the first round. It looked like they had a small version of the cocktail so they knew what the cake should taste like. I've heard Carla say in the past that she doesn't drink so I'm wondering how she was feeling.

[Guest]

Wow, fuck that. They sent Kristi home because they didn't like the licorice? The twist ingredient she was forced to use? When all the other twist ingredients were normal things involving chocolate, caramel and coconut? And they loved pretty much everything else about her dessert and found many flaws with Blayre's? Bullshit.

Yay for Jill, though. She's got all my rooting interest now.

[BookWitch]

Right? Stupid licorice.  I felt like Zacs cake would taste the best but Jills looked to busy. Lot of glaze and frosting? fondant? stuck on it.  That gelee stuff in the middle didn't look good in any of them. 

The maid costume,  was she supposed to be a zombie or electrocuted or something? It was hard to tell.

[MerBearHou]

How?????  I said mid-show that Kristi better not get sent home because of the worst flavor on the planet and while they said she had other errors, she got screwed by the licorice.  Of all weeks, I thought this one was obvious with Blayre going home with her cartoonish design and raw bake.  I like Blayre but can’t believe she wasn’t the one to leave.  

Edited October 25, 2022 by MerBearHou

[Pi237]

That was so unfair. This is why I hate the surprise ingredients. That wasn’t more exciting or fun, it was aggravating! 
 

I also thought they chose fears to coincide with the glazes they already wanted to do. As soon as they said shiny glaze, I knew someone would do space and an ocean.  

[mlp]

I thought Kristi would be a finalist and maybe even win.  Penalizing her for a flavor she had to use was totally unfair.  Good 'n' Plenty is my favorite candy but I sure wouldn't want it in a dessert.  I thought Blayre should go.

[CheshireCat]

Uh, I've never seen an Eclairs filled like that. I've only ever seen them filled so that they're cut open in the middle length-wise, then filling (a mousse) is piped into the hollow part of the lower half and the top is set on. The top is also glazed with either a sugar glaze or chocolate glaze/ganache.
They're also piped with a star tip. These all looked like they were piped with a round one, though I didn't see it.

Lauren's Eclairs looked like they didn't rise either. They were far too flat. Jill's looked like a mess. Did Blayre open the oven while the Eclairs were baking? That's what usually causing what happened to hers.
Shape-wise, Zac's and Blayre's looked the best, though. (They were long and narrow). As far as presentation is concerned, I can't say that I found any of them appealing. Maybe Blayre's if I have to choose.

2 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

Wow, fuck that. They sent Kristi home because they didn't like the licorice?

They actually praised the flavor/the restraint she used it with. What they didn't like was how she used it and I think that's a fair critique because she could have used it in a different way.

I do agree that Blayre should have gone home, though. I don't see how a UFO is scary and one scary pumpkin does not make it scary and I agree that it looked like a kid's birthday party overall. Her cake looked also the messiest once cut into.
I also don't think that the astronaut was representative of her/a nightmare. I feel she should have done a person without an astronaut suit to convey what her nightmare is.

I'm not sure I agree with the judges on the green water color. The middle cake looked like one of those bug-eating flowers, not like something that comes out of water.

Jill's cake really did look the best and in that regard, she seems to be the deserving winner of this round. That was some amazing work especially for the little time they have.

[libgirl2]

I was really surprised she went home, but I get a feeling they all did an outstanding job on those cakes. Still, she got stuck with the licorice! Though when she ground it and had Zac try it he mentioned the pieces were big. That might have played into it. Hard to say since I couldn't taste it. 

Jill has grown on me. I would love for her to win but I think it will be Lauren. 

Edited October 25, 2022 by libgirl2

[KayVeeTeeVee]

11 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I was really surprised she went home, but I get a feeling they all did an outstanding job on those cakes. Still, she got stuck with the licorice! Though when she ground it and had Zac try it he mentioned the pieces were big. That might have played into it. Hard to say since I couldn't taste it. 

Jill has grown on me. I would love for her to win but I think it will be Lauren. 

If there MUST be a twist, every baker should get the SAME ingredient!  Thinking back to the poor woman who got green apple.

[libgirl2]

47 minutes ago, KayVeeTeeVee said:

If there MUST be a twist, every baker should get the SAME ingredient!  Thinking back to the poor woman who got green apple.

I think so too and the winner of the previous heat doesn't have to use it. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Jill has grown on me. I would love for her to win but I think it will be Lauren. 

This is what I'm thinking as well. The judges really seem to like Lauren.

Not that they hate the others.

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Except Kristi

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I'm not bitter

[dleighg]

While I agree that licorice was a *terrible* candy to get, it didn't sound like the judges marked her down based directly on that. It was how she handled the candy, and some other flaws.

It really seemed unfair though to make her deal with it at all. All of the other candies were things that meshed well in a variety of desserts-- caramel, peanuts, coconut, etc.