S01.E04: The Great Holiday Baking Show: Final Week

[Athena]

Quote

In the Season 1 finale, the three remaining bakers compete in the final three challenges in hopes of being named the winner.

[Grommet]

I wish I liked Lauren more since she was clearly the best baker. Tim improved the most and Nicole stepped up as well, so well done by them too.

Because it can't be said too often: Mary is a delight.

[Rinaldo]

Well, that was... a relief. I had been worried that Nicole might pull out a win, and I just don't think she's good enough. I spent the whole hour in an "anyone but Nicole" attitude, but I should have trusted the show more: even in its Americanized version, it doesn't do phony surprises or redemption arcs. Thank goodness.

 

I had been pulling for Tim, after his good showing last week, and I still can't see how he wasn't #1 in this technical, if Lauren's jam was too liquid and was leaking. His Showstopper did look sloppy compared to Lauren's characteristically precise and impressive decoration and presentation, and apparently their flavors were comparable, so she did best with that overall.

 

So, no surprises. The person who looked like the winner at the start actually was the winner. But that's as it should be, and the reason I like this competition even in this watered-down, not really successful version: it isn't about reversals or surprise, it's about seeing the best contestant recognized. 

Edited December 22, 2015 by Rinaldo

[Madding crowd]

Lauren's cake looked the best, I'm happy she won. I wish they could have had an assistant to do some of the smaller details; the cakes would have just looked better I think. I understand they don't have assistants in the British Version but I also some of their show stoppers could use a bit of improvement in appearance. I do adore Mary, and I liked how friendly the contestants were to each other.

[Irlandesa]

I thought this was the best episode of the four.  I especially liked the technical bake and how it was something that none of them would have baked before.  (Although I too would have taken messy icing over leaky jam.) 

 

I know it wasn't as great as the original.  It probably wasn't as great as the previous American version with Jeff Foxworthy.  But I still would like to see it continue.  I just think it needs to not be so thrown together at the last minute as this felt.

[Amethyst]

I had been pulling for Tim, after his good showing last week, and I still can't see how he wasn't #1 in this technical, if Lauren's jam was too liquid and was leaking. His Showstopper did look sloppy compared to Lauren's characteristically precise and impressive decoration and presentation, and apparently their flavors were comparable, so she did best with that overall.

 

IA, I was surprised that the leaking bread wasn't a bigger problem for Lauren.  

 

As for the showstopper, the interior of Tim's cake was amazing while Lauren's was lacking.  Her Christmas trees were upside down and the judges didn't even know they were trees until she told them.  Tim may have screwed up his fondant, but he absolutely nailed the checkerboard print, very clean and color-wise, it was a bright and cheerful contrast.  

 

Still, Lauren has been fairly consistent overall with her mostly-solid bakes and outstanding decorating prowess.  Still wanted Tim to win it, but I can see how Lauren pulled it off.

[Irlandesa]

Since there were three parts to the competition, I suspect Lauren won because she performed admirably in all three parts.  Nicole hurt herself in the technical challenge and Tim's runny pie hurt him.

[mertensia]

I agree Lauren deserved the win even if I don't understand why Tim's bread was inferior to Lauren's.

I have to say I loved the contestants not backstabbing, bitching about or trying to sabotage each other. Or, if they did, not showing it.

I love surprise cakes. They seem so fun.

When Mary said she'd never had sweet potato pie I shouted "it tastes just like pumpkin!" at the TV.

[GaT]

No surprise, Lauren has looked like the winner since the first episode, but I wasn't really impressed by any of the showstoppers. Even though these were supposed to be the top 3, their cakes all looked amateurish to me. I also found it interesting when Nicole said something about practicing the showstopper at home. Did she literally mean she practiced before she left the US, or was she referring to wherever the contestants were staying which would mean they had access to a kitchen?   

[Miracle Maxie]

That was a letdown. I was really hoping Tim would win. How did he not win the technical? I don't get it.  I suppose I could rewatch, but I found myself so disappointed overall that I don't much want to go through it again.

 

As excited as I was to see the first episode, I'm about equally relieved that it's all over. Even with Mary, whom I adore, it just isn't successful with Americans, IMO.  I got to like Johnny quickly and I even came to tolerate the hosts, but the contestants never particularly appealed to me. I'm not sure I'd watch an all-American version (Mary and The Tent being my favorite parts of the show); I never watched the Foxworthy version. Sadly, I kind of hope they don't do this again.

[Rinaldo]

IA, I was surprised that the leaking bread wasn't a bigger problem for Lauren.  

 

Lauren has been fairly consistent overall with her mostly-solid bakes and outstanding decorating prowess.  Still wanted Tim to win it, but I can see how Lauren pulled it off.

As Johnny reiterated, they all start equal each week -- past achievements aren't considered. Still, as Irlandesa said, Lauren was the most consistent even this week: she didn't come last in anything, as Tim did with his pie and Nicole with her bread. I had no problem with Lauren winning overall (just the technical).

 

I also found it interesting when Nicole said something about practicing the showstopper at home. Did she literally mean she practiced before she left the US, or was she referring to wherever the contestants were staying which would mean they had access to a kitchen?   

I would expect that they did have access to kitchens between episodes (however long a time that is), but if it's run like the regular GBBO, they do decide on all their Signature and Showstopper recipes before it all starts, so they do have a chance to practice in advance, depending on how they manage their time at home. Part of the point of that is to let production know in advance what ingredients they'll need, so everything is on hand in the tent -- all the more important in this case, I imagine, if some specifically American ingredients aren't as readily found in the UK.

[BusyOctober]

Nicole has a great personality, and she would be fun to hang out with, but her baking skills are just not there. I was so tired of her looking at the camera and saying she never heard of this, or never made that. If you enter a baking competition show, you should assume the judges are looking for more than treats you make fro your kids' Girl Scout troop. Pastry, various cakes, breads, fillings...there's a lot of skills they want to see. And for the love of God, enough with the damn pumpkin (and it's smaller cousin, sweet potato)! Does Nicole live on a pumpkin farm? Maybe she or her husband work for the Pumpkin Growers of America lobby?

I liked this show overall. It would be great if they do another series and tweak it to be more like the original BBC version -I.e.- more bakers with more range and more skills.

[Rickster]

I was wondering how cold the summers are in the UK to see everyone dressed in winter coats at the end ;).

I thought it a bit surreal.

[ari333]

Nicole seemed more into pulling faces and spewing catch phrases than cooking.

 

I was hoping for a Tim win, but OK then.

 

Im not crayzy about this truncated version of a season. Meh.  Just when I was kind of getting into it, it was over.

[tenativelyyours]

All this did was make me ask the rhetorical "why the heck did you even bother?".  Mediocre contestants, rushed 'season' and a really odd determined notion yet kind of vaguely carried out homage to the original.    And it made me wish that the original recipe and the Australian version were doing a holiday themed season simply to explore what could have been (but after this going by all the production flaws was never going to be).  Ironically the closest this is in terms of being a decent effort is the Irish one and they off course ARE doing a Christmas show.  And the only way I'd watch that if is that horrid judge Paul got baked and then flambeed. 

[Rinaldo]

I'm glad Nicole tried some other flavors beyond her usual pumpkin

As BusyOctober said, sweet potato -- especially as a pie filling -- is about as close as you can get to pumpkin flavor and texture without actually being one.

 

I was wondering how cold the summers are in the UK to see everyone dressed in winter coats at the end ;).

I believe it was taped in the fall (autumn, in invariable UK usage), the whole thing being kind of a last-minute project. So I did wonder if the whole winter-coats business (topped off by "oh look it's snowing" for the last moment) was, at last, a bit of production interference and fictionalizing. It may have been slightly cool in October, but I bet they didn't need winter parkas and all.

[tenativelyyours]

As BusyOctober said, sweet potato -- especially as a pie filling -- is about as close as you can get to pumpkin flavor and texture without actually being one.

 

I believe it was taped in the fall (autumn, in invariable UK usage), the whole thing being kind of a last-minute project. So I did wonder if the whole winter-coats business (topped off by "oh look it's snowing" for the last moment) was, at last, a bit of production interference and fictionalizing. It may have been slightly cool in October, but I bet they didn't need winter parkas and all.

 

I keep my beloved Barbour out all year round and have worn it well into June and back on in early September.  In fact (not a spoiler I promise) Mel and Sue wear what I call winter coats at the start of the sixth season of the original and in the next episode (a week later) are in short sleeves and glad summer is here.  I have often heard the joke, 'so what did you do this past summer?"  "It was a Tuesday wasn't it?"

[girlplease]

I have often heard the joke, 'so what did you do this past summer?"  "It was a Tuesday wasn't it?"

 

Heh.

 

Few things could live up to the original UK show, so I was happy enough with this show as background noise for wrapping presents and baking cookies. I was rooting for Tim, but well done, Lauren!

[Dobian]

I agree about Tim not winning the technical.  His showstopper though, what was up with that fondant?  It's easy to make mistakes with fondant, but they're usually pretty minor.  It's not hard to get the sides reasonably smooth.  He should have pulled it off and done it again when it was so lumpy.  So the best one won, which is good, but still the overall level of baking between this and the British mother show is pretty steep.

[Pallida]

If I understood the judges correctly, Tim's glaze in the technical seeped into the cake because it was too thin (consistency, not width). Lauren's bread looked like it had a much better rise too.

I think if Tim's flavor had been stronger in the show stopper, he would have (should have) won.

I think this truncated season did a disservice to the show. Bakers, hosts, judges were all hitting their stride and it ends. Seems like a one- or two-part special or minimum six weeks would be far better.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

Did I miss what they won?

[Grommet]

The winner gets a plate. Maybe it's the lack of a cash prize that makes the contest more amiable, less back-stabby.

[Athena]

Yeah, in most of the Bake offs, the prizes are a trophy and a title. Of course, the winner gets a lot of media attention and usually book deals/opportunities. However, officially, on the show, it's really the title. I like that about the shows because it's really about the passion and competition. Not sure about this set, but maybe this will allow a better improved remake in the US? Who knows.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

I was going to a baking show in Chicago where the winner of CBS' version was a featured "celebrity chef" after looking around online he seems to offer cooking classes at the William Sonoma near him.

 

He got a book deal.

[theatremouse]

I agree Lauren deserved the win even if I don't understand why Tim's bread was inferior to Lauren's.

 My impression was Lauren's only flaw was the jam seepage. Tim's bread had two: his icing was wrong and his bread wasn't as well proofed or as tasty as Lauren's. I took it as close, but edge to her.

 

Maybe it is the way they carry the cakes out, but it looked like the cakes they carried out at the end were whole cakes even though we had seen them cut into by the judges a few minutes before.

I thought the same thing at first, but then when Nicole put hers on the table outside I could see the slice out of it, so I think they were just intentionally carrying them with the sliced bit towards their bodies so it looked prettier to the guests/viewers as they carried them out. Depending how big the slice, may have also just been easier to carry that way.

 

 

I thought he made the edges untidy on purpose...as if a child (or me) had wrapped the packages.

He said they looked like packages would look if he wrapped them as a child, but I assumed it was a joke when they called him out on how sloppy it was. I didn't think it was actually a design choice. Tongue-in-cheek. There was no mention of it in the design overview at the start of the challenge and the sketch didn't seem like it was supposed to look hastily wrapped. I think he was just pressed for time and didn't fix it, or he's not good with fondant. Not sure which.

[Rinaldo]

Yeah, in most of the Bake offs, the prizes are a trophy and a title. Of course, the winner gets a lot of media attention and usually book deals/opportunities. 

One of the nice things about the Bake Offs so far is that even the runners-up seem to get book deals if they want them, or some kind of local fame at least. I'm not sure how many years more this can keep going before every second person in the UK has published a book about baking, but so far I find it heartening that if I want to read a book by my favorite from Season X who was this close to winning, it probably exists. Some of the others have newspaper columns or popular blogs.

[shandy]

Just caught up.  I found Nicole a hoot - alright, her techniques weren't up with the others, but I liked the contrast between her 'pumpkin and potato' style and the two sophisticates, who were great as well. A much larger cast would have been to her benefit I think, as her instincts rather than her techniques would have carried her over for several weeks. 

 

I was happy with the winner but agree with the comments about 'truncation'.  A little like the last 'real' season in the UK which didn't grab me at first, the bakers were just finding their feet by show four, I was beginning to get interested in them as individuals. The hosts were finding a groove. Johnny realized he didn't have to try so hard, and with a swig of Lauren's bourbon Mary looked like she could go for a few more episodes.   Then kaboom.  This show grabs you like a slow burn, like a pair of comfortable slippers. I wanted PBS to do an American version because I think they might have understood that. ABC realized that Mary was a lot of the magic, but it needs more. I would love some historical segments on local flavors.  

 

Does anyone know if PBS intends to pair the latest season with Downton again? Or even Netflix. Has ABC locked it down while they decide to do a full season with the format ...I was genuinely surprised that PBS wanted to air GBBO earlier, but had to wait until CBS let the rights expire, and that was months after they had cancelled The American Baking Show. I was even more surprised that CBS, with no intention of airing GBBO, wouldn't let it be shown anywhere else. 

Edited December 23, 2015 by shandy

[vibeology]

I enjoyed the show well enough and I'm happy Lauren won. She's not the warmest personality, nor do her flavours really excite me, but she proved to be the most consistent and capable baker this week and all through the competition. Spumoni is not for me, but her cake looked lovely, her bread the best proofed and her pie about as good as a pie can look under a time limit. I'm all for an underdog story, but when someone turns out beautiful and tasty food all the time I'd rather see them rewarded than someone who had one good dish.

 

I do hope this comes back in some way with Americans. I love the British show, but as a Canadian some of those American flavours and classic desserts are more familiar to me. I have a hard time with Brandy Snaps, but Sweet Potato Pie I know. I'd love another go at this with more contestants, Mary, Johnny and the tent. And I hope if ABC decides to do another season, they take a little more time with the casting because I'd like it to be a tighter competition.

[Auntie Anxiety]

I call this America's Most Mediocre Baking Show.

One way to improve it would be with contestants who actually knew how to bake. Get rid of Nia and her Forever 21 rompers. Stop making believe that it is December when it is clearly the middle of the summer.

It's not good when you are relieved that it's over.

[Eolivet]

At first, the ending seemed predictable, but I realized that's a good thing. I've had to stop watching other cooking shows because there's no cumulative judging. It's just "Well, did you make the best meal today? Then you win!" Much more talented and consistent chefs have been shafted by these ridiculous and in my mind, unfair standards for years and it drives me crazy.

 

So, I liked that Lauren won. I think she should've won even if she didn't have the best week this week. She was the best overall baker, with the most skills. I'm sick of "underdog!" stories whose only purpose is to surprise the audience as opposed to reward the best overall talent.

 

(I'm looking at you, obnoxious Jeff Foxworthy baking show winner. Sometimes it's more important to reward talent than it is to make "good TV.")

 

In a season that celebrated traditions, I'm glad this was one they broke with. I hope to see this show back next year. Loved the judges, the hosts -- and with better contestants, I think this could be really good.

[rab01]

Whenever they actually shot this episode, it was legitimately cold because you can see Nicole's breath during one of her talking heads. I'm glad they didn't try to re-edit the show to create suspense when it wasn't actually there. Lauren did the best work this week and won and they didn't try t hide it as it was happening.   The most interesting part of the judging discussion to me was that before the showstopper round, the judges clearly say that Tim was a significant third to Lauren and Nicole who were close to each other.  For that to be the case, they really must not have liked his pie that much and his technical must not have been as close to Lauren as just having his icing too thin.

[barbedwire]

I am glad Lauren won.  I thought Spumoni cake was a great idea.  I would eat that!  Have never seen it before.

 

Yes, Tim, the fondant should have been smooth.  Doesn't matter how you wrap packages.

 

I didn't know the winner basically just got a plate and some flowers!  I liked Nia and Ian, thought Jeff Foxworthy was great as a host too.

[Rinaldo]

I've had to stop watching other cooking shows because there's no cumulative judging. 

There has never been cumulative judging on any of the Great British competitions (except for one or two occasions in the earliest seasons that they clearly regret). They're very definite -- Johnny said it explicitly this week -- that each week everyone starts equal. That may be unfair from one standpoint (not mine), but I think it's the only fair way to run a competition like this. How much is a bad bake today worth versus one 3 weeks ago, without distance and hindsight coloring one's weighing of the ups and downs of previous weeks? I don't think it can be done.

 

Fortunately in this case, the strongest baker this week was the strongest pretty much throughout, so no conflict arises.

[Eolivet]

I do realize they said that here -- my point was (YMMV) I've always hated it. That unrealistic (IMO) criteria produced many a mediocre Top Chef winner back in the day. I realize meals are judged individually, but I like to think of these competitions as an assessment of skill and technique in addition to what one makes that day, and presumably, judges have been able to identify superior skill throughout the competition. Unless someone with previously identified superior skill makes a rookie mistake so egregious or produces a meal so foul it makes the judges sick, I don't believe they should lose the final competition for the sake of good TV (and that's always what it feels like, to me. "Now we'll shock you! Aren't you shocked?" The shocking of the audience becomes more important than the skill of the cook/baker).

 

But I'm pretty far afield of my point -- I'm glad there was no conflict here, so I found it superior to the Jeff Foxworthy version (which found themselves having to edit, to me, an unlikable contestant into a winner because he produced better baked goods that one time in the finale).

[Skittl1321]

Other than the low skill level of the contestants, the biggest problem with this show was it was too short: I just did not care who won. A longer season gives me time to become invested in the contestants.

[Kohola3]

Not only was it short, it was positively LOADED with commercials. I counted 12 commercials between segments on one show. It was ridiculous.

[starri]

Lauren's cake sounded really good.

 

I was Team Anyone Not Nicole, so I'm happy with how this whole thing turned out.

[Kromm]

I would have rolled my eyes if anyone but Lauren had won (at least once Ainsley left--who still wasn't quite as good but was at least in the same neighborhood.

 

Oh, to reiterate something I said in the Judges topic, I think whatever our problems overall with this compared to actual Bake Off I do think that Mary not only "saved" this, but I even think she seemed a lot looser and relaxed than she usually is on Bake Off, and it's a look she wore well, so to speak.  She'd never do a bonifide version where she had to leave home, never. but by the middle and into the end of this you could really tell she was having fun (and it says a lot of about Nia, Ian and Johnny that they helped that along and gave Mary the openings to do that). Not that she's lacking on Bake-Off mind you, but I wish we could see this looser aspect of her there (put perhaps the combo of Paul's ego, the hosts not thinking they could be as cheeky with her, and BBC "standards" on how to do things haven't allowed it).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was okay with Tim's apple cranberry pie with maple custard sauce until they mentioned the ginger. When he added the filling to his pie crust, it looked like there weren't a lot of cranberries, but maybe I just blinked and missed them. I liked the angel on top, but daaaaaaaaamn his filling was way too liquid.

 

I don't like sweet potato pie but I was just glad that Nicole didn't make pumpkin again. I love condensed milk so that was the only part of the pie I was interested in.

 

Lauren's bourbon raisin and salted caramel pie sounded gross to me. I love salted caramel but with raisins? I noticed that both she and Nicole pronounced poinsettia as "point-set-uh."

 

The candy cane bread looked interesting. Not at all surprising that Nicole came in last because she had so many problems. Even without the underproofed and underbaked dough, hers looked so messy. I thought Tim might get first, but Lauren's dough was better according to the judges.

 

I know this is very superficial, but I love when the bake off shows have the contestants make surprise cakes with some sort of design on the inside.

 

Nicole's nativity cake didn't impress me aesthetically because it was just sprayed on stencils. The peppermint swirl cake looked the best, probably because it was supposed to be a mess. Her checkerboard cake wasn't as neat as it should have been. I wouldn't be enthused about finding a baby Jesus in my cake but then I saw what she made and it looked nothing like a baby or a Jesus.

 

No surprise that Lauren's cake looked the best of the three.  I agree with Johnny that maraschino cherries can have a very fake flavor, so it was nice to hear that her cherry candy cake tasted gppd. Her pistachio Christmas tree cake just looked like a green blob. The pistachio and cherry polka dots looked good.

 

Tim's fondant was so lumpy and messy on all three layers of his cake. I appreciate his sense of humor about it (and I believe him when he says that's how his presents look when he wraps them) but visually his decorating was not very good. Luckily his cakes looked better on the inside. The holiday light bulbs turned out pretty well, as did his red and green checkerboard . His cinnamon candy sounded fun.

 

Not at all surprised that Lauren won. Her creations have always looked the best from the beginning. I'm just glad that Nicole didn't win because she was the weakest baker in the final. I wish Ainslie had been the third finalist instead.

 

Not only was it short, it was positively LOADED with commercials. I counted 12 commercials between segments on one show. It was ridiculous.

This episode was just under 42 minutes long without commercials, which is the standard length for an hour long show on network tv in America. It may have felt like there were a lot of commercials, but the episode was actually as long as comparable tv shows.