S12.E04: Room Service Revenge

[zxy556575]

Quote

The finalists try their hands at delivering a trendy remote food report and are tested on how well they can handle curveballs.

[leighdear]

Damiano came off to me as a real ass.  And I still can't understand a word he says, and I lived in Italy for 2 years!  

Tregaye comes off so unprofessional and immature.  Nobody that constantly uses "fleek" will ever have any food authority or appeal to me. 

I really just don't like any of them very much.  

[smiley13]

So who left?  I completely forgot to watch and will have to catch it On Demand in a few days when real life slows down.

[HappyDancex2]

I actually laughed out loud several times during this episode.  The faux live report was just hilarious...all the awkward pauses, over talking and general lack of sensibility was tv gold.

the curveballs were amusing but pretty hard and tested adaptability more than anything else.  I think if they had the ability to change their food altogether it would have been better quality.  Jesse was taking the tiniest bites of everything...the food must have been bad.  LBH had too many teethy close ups today.  Shudder.

Thought it was nice of Rob (?) to finishing plating Joy's dessert and then serve when she went into ramble mode. Good teammate.

Fleek.  Just stop.

bye Yaku.  I had no idea a star salvation was happening.

[Christina]

I noticed during LBH's teeth close-ups she didn't have any food on her fork. There certainly didn't seem to be enough food to taste. 

[LittleIggy]

What does LBH stand for. I know it is a reference to Giada. Who was that Hannah chick? I've never heard of her.

[Sew Sumi]

Little Big Head.

[mlp]

The first thing I noticed was that Giada was dressed demurely.  She looked quite nice.

Back when the leadership at FN changed, I read an article somewhere that said the new president planned to use more "celebrities" to attract more viewers.  That has to be the reason those two non-foodie judges were on and used up air time with their "comedy."  The contestants are already under pressure and stressed out then they got major curveballs and then had to present in front of celebrities they recognized.  I felt sorry for them and hated the challenge.

I liked Yaku and was sorry to see him leave but it was the right decision.  He's been just blah in all his presentations and serving under-cooked lobster did him in.  I was glad to see that Rob shaved finally.  I like him but he looked like a bum.  Cannot stand much more of Tregaye.  I rather like Erin which surprises me because she drove me nuts when she was on the holiday baking show. 

[HappyDancex2]

"be patient."  Ouch. And Ouch.  And she still never tied it together..."you'll find out" never materialized on air anyway.  Bobby is still waiting.  Hahahahahaha.

"nut girl". Um yeah.  Awkward. Ana makes weird TV.  And the whole Sophia Vergara rambling was priceless.

minor point: diner didn't want dairy and I'm positive Damiano's puff pastry cookies had dairy.  However the phone call said to just change the gelato so lol.  I have no clue who the girl is but her "make the appetizer taste like Mexican food" was awesome...then ending with Gracias was a nice touch.  I am easily amused.

[Snarklepuss]

I don't get why one team didn't have the same judge as the others.  What, did Jessy Tyler Ferguson have to catch a flight or something?

I can see we're already into one of those seasons where the eliminations just don't seem to follow from what we see on the episode.  Jernard bombed as much if not more.  Even Joy and some others could have been on the chopping block.  I can't say that it wasn't time for Yaku to go, though.  He was never one of my favorites.  Tregaye just has to go.  She had a good week this week but in general, ugh.  Yaku seemed to be her best bud, but with him gone maybe she'll self destruct.

I had a feeling they were keeping "Star Salvation" under wraps until a few weeks in - They did that last season too.

I like Joy but does she have to mention her 5 kids in every sentence?

I am seriously disappointed in the cast this season.  Other than Joy and maybe Rob for comic relief, none of them is worth rooting for.  Last season's cast was so much better.

I guess we're not going to see Medusa this season, unless they're saving her for later.  Will miss her and of course Bob, who left.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[spiderpig]

Just watched the West Coast feed and was seriously underwhelmed.

Since it's hard to really root for anyone, I have to reverse the scale and decide who I want booted in order of general aggravation.

Tregaye - you're Number One.  Your talking heads belong on Hell's Kitchen.

Joy - quit trying to bury us in Southern schmooze and pay your back taxes.

Damiano - the Italian shtick isn't working.  If Giada's looking for real manly charm, have her check out Alejandro on Masterchef.

I'm having trouble remembering the other contestants and I just watched the show.

[J-Man]

Again, contestants are flaunting their lack of knowledge of food. Rob didn't know what baharat was or how to pronounce it, and made light of the fact. Jernard kept pronouncing "Rangoon" like "ragout." Damiano told them he was serving gelato, but it was really a sorbet (sorbetto.) Joy again played the "I'm just a poor southern housewife who don't know nothin' 'bout no fancy ingredients" card like she did a few weeks back when she claimed not to know about or be able to pronounce, the dishes on one side of the "mash-up" board. So much for being "food authorities."

I think Yaku was robbed. He's consistently had pretty good food up until the raw lobster, and I think he had potential. And I think his dish was the most affected by the customer's preferences. The heart-shaped steak would've been perfect for his romantic surf-and-turf, but what can you do with chicken? (Side note: speaking of people's food preferences, on tonight's "Silicon Valley (on HBO), one of the characters was so picky about his food that he called himself a "pesca-pescatarian." His definition: Someone who only eats fish that eat other fish.)

Quote

That has to be the reason those two non-foodie judges

I'm pretty sure I've seen Jesse Tyler Ferguson as a judge on some other FN shows, like maybe Iron Chef? I don't watch those shows, but sometimes I see them on the promos or when channel surfing. So maybe he's something of an amateur foodie? He was also featured in Rachael Ray's magazine and discussed the fact that he cooks often.

[GaT]

I don't even understand the purpose of the curveball challenge. If these people are supposed to be auditioning for a TV show, why are working in a hotel kitchen? The whole thing was stupid.

[TDT]

Maybe Yaku will be on Star Salvation..

[Snarklepuss]

5 hours ago, J-Man said:

Again, contestants are flaunting their lack of knowledge of food. Rob didn't know what baharat was or how to pronounce it, and made light of the fact. Jernard kept pronouncing "Rangoon" like "ragout." Damiano told them he was serving gelato, but it was really a sorbet (sorbetto.) Joy again played the "I'm just a poor southern housewife who don't know nothin' 'bout no fancy ingredients" card like she did a few weeks back when she claimed not to know about or be able to pronounce, the dishes on one side of the "mash-up" board. So much for being "food authorities."

ITA, although not to defend Damiano because he can go home any time now, but didn't he originally want to do gelato but changed to sorbetto because of the request for no dairy from the "hotel guest"?  That's how I remember it, but admittedly I never understand what he's talking about, LOL.

What bugged me the most was Erin not knowing that miso is made of fermented soybeans.  OK, she's a "baker" but she should still know that if she's that much of a foodie.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[candall]

Why in the world would they switch out Jesse Tyler Ferguson for some internet woman?  JTF was funny, likable and added quite a bit more to the show than any of the other "food adjacent celebs" they've crammed in.

I had to pause the video and examine that full-pounder hamburger patty on top of Damiano's head.  Whuut?  (I don't have any trouble understanding him, though.  I use CC.)

Whatshername Model's "just cool your jets, Bobby" presentation made me laugh--and nearly gave Giada whiplash, which was gift-with-purchase bonus funny.

I can't remember who talked so much she forgot to plate, but Rob nudging her over and assuming responsibility was a generous move.  I may let him off the hook for knowing he was shaky on his barahat pronunciation and not taking ten seconds to nail it down.  Did he somehow imagine fumbling his target ingredient word would be endearing?

These people continue to lose entertainment value with every elimination.  Tregaye's game will take a serious hit without Yaku to heft her up and carry her around--she can't survive on "fleek" alone.  MarTEEta would have left Ana in the dust on the Sofia Vergara reference point.  ("Nut girl."  Bwah.)

[CoyoteBlue]

2 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

What bugged me the most was Erin not knowing that miso is made of fermented soybeans.  OK, she's a "baker" but she should still know that if she's that much of a foodie.

She knew, she just never said it in the presentation. She somehow circled all around it without actually saying it.

[cattykit]

7 hours ago, J-Man said:

I'm pretty sure I've seen Jesse Tyler Ferguson as a judge on some other FN shows, like maybe Iron Chef?

The only other thing I've ever seen him on was as a judge the tie episode of Project Runway.  I have no idea who he is, although he seems nice enough.

What is fleek?  Even if I never find out, Tregaye needs to go far, far away. 

Why did the first challenge not factor into the final decision?  I don't think the first challenge is as much of a Quickfire as it is another opportunity to evaluate the finalists.  And in this case, probably a more significant opportunity as it related to their on-camera skills.  The prize for excelling at the first challenge was a joke, too.

[Wings]

I think the challenge, in real time, was too long to have/pay Jesse to stay.   It may have been filmed over 2 days and if not certainly hours apart.  He is a foodie; I have seen him on other cooking shows as a judge.  I think his value is the entertainment he brings more than anything else though. 

The only one I can root for is Monterey.  I like her.  Her presentation was perfect when she mentioned her modeling career.  I think they see potential.  They know these curve balls are more for the entertainment factor than a real test of their ability at this point.  

I missed the Vergara reference so I have no clue what that was.  Nut girl?  

I think this contest is more important to FN's ratings and revenue than the show the winner receives. They get a 1/2 hour, early on Sat or Sun for 6 weeks.  No skin off their nose if they fail.  Surely more skilled people applied!

Edited June 13, 2016 by wings707

[joanne3482]

54 minutes ago, cattykit said:

What is fleek?  Even if I never find out, Tregaye needs to go far, far away. 

It's the way the cool kids were saying "on point" they'd say "on fleek." According to my 13 year old now that us oldtimers say it, it's over. 

I'm not feeling this cast at all. Admittedly I rarely would watch one of the winner's original shows (although I'm now really enjoying Guys Grocery Games), but I can't imagine watching any of these folks do a show. Even a competitive cooking show or a we wander to this locale and eat food kind. 

[xaxat]

I hate to admit it, but my enjoyment of the show is not as high because there's no one who is flat out terrible.

No laughs from Dom just deciding to wander off the set. No Pah' Style snark from the posters here. No astonishment at the utter clownshow that was He Who FN Will Never Mention Again.

The contestants this season are are pretty mediocre. And that makes for boring TV.

[Gregg247]

This is the second week in a row where I think the wrong person was eliminated.  Martita and Yaku are both good cooks who had one mistake and BOOM - they're gone.  Up until last night, the judges loved everything Yaku prepared for them.  Last night was also the first time they'd mentioned him not saying much about himself.  I thought he'd be one of the finalists.

Ana and Tregaye have cooked well, but have also had problems in front of the camera (plus, Ana is notorious for time management problems).  The model (Montegue?) has had problems with both her cooking and her presentations.  Any of these 3 should have gone before Martita and Yaku,

It probably doesn't matter.  I think TFN has given up on the idea of finding a "real" star for them like Guy Fieri, and now they're content to just pump this show out as a straight-on competitive reality show, with no strings attached.  I saw an ad that has last year's winner serving as a co-host of some kid's BBQ competition show.  Probably not the "stardom" he'd been expecting.

[J-Man]

I think the main reason they had JTF on was because he's currently starring on Broadway in "Fully Committed", in which he plays 40 different characters, one being the person who takes reservations for a very popular restaurant, and most of the rest being the people who call in for reservations. So the "hotel guest" personae he adopted were undoubtedly variations on the restaurant customers from the play.

[Wings]

1 minute ago, J-Man said:

I think the main reason they had JTF on was because he's currently starring on Broadway in "Fully Committed", in which he plays 40 different characters, one being the person who takes reservations for a very popular restaurant, and most of the rest being the people who call in for reservations. So the "hotel guest" personae he adopted were undoubtedly variations on the restaurant customers from the play.

Bingo.  Missed that.  

[Court]

1 hour ago, Gregg247 said:

This is the second week in a row where I think the wrong person was eliminated.  Martita and Yaku are both good cooks who had one mistake and BOOM - they're gone.  Up until last night, the judges loved everything Yaku prepared for them.  Last night was also the first time they'd mentioned him not saying much about himself.  I thought he'd be one of the finalists.

Ana and Tregaye have cooked well, but have also had problems in front of the camera (plus, Ana is notorious for time management problems).  The model (Montegue?) has had problems with both her cooking and her presentations.  Any of these 3 should have gone before Martita and Yaku,

It probably doesn't matter.  I think TFN has given up on the idea of finding a "real" star for them like Guy Fieri, and now they're content to just pump this show out as a straight-on competitive reality show, with no strings attached.  I saw an ad that has last year's winner serving as a co-host of some kid's BBQ competition show.  Probably not the "stardom" he'd been expecting.

I agree.

 

I would have rather seen Ana, Tregaye or Monterey go. Monterey has continually messed up every week with food and presentations. 

I had no idea who the judges were.

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

It probably doesn't matter.  I think TFN has given up on the idea of finding a "real" star for them like Guy Fieri, and now they're content to just pump this show out as a straight-on competitive reality show, with no strings attached. 

That's because back then they picked real contestants & not "types" for the show. If they want a "real" star, they need to start with "real" people.

[MerBearHou]

The minute that Yaku served raw lobster and the judges called him a "great guy", I knew he was a goner.  I'm very fond of him so sorry to see him eliminated, but it was the right call unfortunately -- raw lobster just can't happen.

Tregaye is very annoying and this on-fleek business is just not cool for someone of her age.  My 20-something kid says it.

Monterey bugs me too -- she often seems like she's borderline flirting with Bobby and the "be patient" put me over the edge.  The former model bit is not something I look for in a good cook.  IMO, it's already too much on the FN that Giada is so "look at me" in her manner and wardrobe.

Speaking of Giada's dress, her dress at the final judge's table was so incredibly tight -- the view from the back proved it.  Ugh.

The forced POV/schtick of each one is what makes them annoying to me.  I get that the FN makes them do this, but it's ill-advised, if you ask me.  Just cook well!!!!!  Then you don't need to be overly sexy, flirty, goofy, cutesy, trendy, whimsical, what-have-you.

Edited June 13, 2016 by MerBearHou

[jackjill89]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

That's because back then they picked real contestants & not "types" for the show. If they want a "real" star, they need to start with "real" people.

YES! I am so sick of the "types" they choose for this show. Unfortunately, this is a show unto itself and not truly a vehicle for finding a FN star. The way the network is going to all the celeb cooking shows, authentic chefs/cooks, etc. aren't going to have much of a chance getting a show. They don't want to find/nurture talent, they want a built in audience. (It reminds me of the children's book industry. If a celeb writes a kid's book, it's published, even if it stinks, because it will sell due to name recognition). I wish FN had more faith in its audience. 

[cooksdelight]

I watched this last night with my dinner date.... and started to watch it again this morning because I forgot I watched it last night. That's how boring and bad it was, to me.

[SandyToes]

Home from work, flipping through the channels, and neon purple lipstick jumped out at me. Yep, Tregaye (and her siblings!) on Guy's Grocery Games. Air date of Jan 2015. Still manic, but with shorter hair.  I missed the first episode or two here - are all of the contestants former FN "visitors?" I've seen y'all reference Erin being on a baking show.

Quote

That's because back then they picked real contestants & not "types" for the show. If they want a "real" star, they need to start with "real" people.

Yep.

And I agree, that the chef voted off the island often seems rather arbitrary.  And sometimes, they seem to be better when working with someone else. Almost like they'd be a better "star" if it were a duo.

[mlp]

Quote

The minute that Yaku served raw lobster............................

I wondered about that when both Bobby and Giada said it was raw.  Raw lobster is sort of translucent and the lobster I saw on their plates looked solid white.  I thought maybe the part covered by the shell was undercooked.  Then I read Yaku's exit interview and he said the lobster was definitely not raw.  I'm not sure what I think now.

[Westiepeach]

3 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Speaking of Giada's dress, her dress at the final judge's table was so incredibly tight -- the view from the back proved it.  Ugh.

 

 

OMG yes a thousand times! I could not believe they kept showing it. WAT too tight!

[nottopbravo]

7 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

This is the second week in a row where I think the wrong person was eliminated.       

I agree.  They should have eliminated Hanna Hart.

[smiley13]

This Monterey chick professes to be a model??  I am so not seeing that..... Sorry, but she is just not all that.

[DeLurker]

I was thinking she didn't look tall enough to be a  model. 

[cattykit]

8 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

It probably doesn't matter.  I think TFN has given up on the idea of finding a "real" star for them like Guy Fieri, and now they're content to just pump this show out as a straight-on competitive reality show, with no strings attached.  I saw an ad that has last year's winner serving as a co-host of some kid's BBQ competition show.  Probably not the "stardom" he'd been expecting.

Eddie was a guest judge on Beat Bobby Flay not too long ago, and in the course of the competition he needled Bobby to call him a Chef.  If looks could have killed, our Eddie would have been barbecued.

[J-Man]

Quote

Maybe Yaku will be on Star Salvation..

Yaku (along with Havird and Aaron) IS on the first episode of Star Salvation. Not sure why they were picked instead of Melissa and Martita, but whatever.

[Jodithgrace]

It really seems unfair to me the the third group didn't have Jesse Tyler Ferguson. JTF is a real celebrity, since Modern Family is such a hit, and the the contestants got nervous and flustered. Nobody in the third group cared about that You tube woman and they were a lot more relaxed. Not that it saved them, or made their food any better..I just didn't think it was a level playing field. All three groups should have had the same level of celebrity if that is part of the challenge. 

Not that i really care about any of it. This show is pure summer time filler. 

[HappyDancex2]

Nowadays "model" is pretty generic to encompass wide ranges of work.  I have family and friends with model in their CVs...ranging from "got head shots and an agent" to doing commercials or print ads.  They are all telegenic or interesting looking but we are not talking "Victoria's secret model" if that's the standard by which Monterey is being judged.  I think she's very telegenic.  When she points out that she modeled I don't think it does her any favors food wise.  She may be a caterer now but I don't think most people equate modeling with food authority.  And traveling the world doesn't make you an authority either.  I've traveled the world and am food centric...I'm even a pretty good home cook....doesn't make me an authority on any global cuisine!!!

[Wings]

2 minutes ago, HappyDancex2 said:

Nowadays "model" is pretty generic to encompass wide ranges of work.  I have family and friends with model in their CVs...ranging from "got head shots and an agent" to doing commercials or print ads.  They are all telegenic or interesting looking but we are not talking "Victoria's secret model" if that's the standard by which Monterey is being judged.  I think she's very telegenic.  When she points out that she modeled I don't think it does her any favors food wise.  She may be a caterer now but I don't think most people equate modeling with food authority.  And traveling the world doesn't make you an authority either.  I've traveled the world and am food centric...I'm even a pretty good home cook....doesn't make me an authority on any global cuisine!!!

Yeah, I get that too but the judges liked her tie in to appearance of the food (red carpet comment) and a reason she traveled the world.  It sounded showy but it was genuine, that is her history.  I like her, I really do.  There is no one else there I can back and I tend to look for that in contests.  

I think they favor Joy for the 5 kids, southern draw but she is coming up short for me. 

[Aquarius]

I had NO IDEA who Jesse Tyler Ferguson is.  None.  I would have been the perfect contestant in this challenge, I guess.  I would have treated him like the annyoing little twit he was.

I wished they had all gotten as drunk as the YouTube woman seemed to want to get.  Drunk dialing!  That would improve this shitfest.

[HappyDancex2]

8 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Yeah, I get that too but the judges liked her tie in to appearance of the food (red carpet comment) and a reason she traveled the world.  It sounded showy but it was genuine, that is her history.  I like her, I really do.  There is no one else there I can back and I tend to look for that in contests.  

I think they favor Joy for the 5 kids, southern draw but she is coming up short for me. 

I agree...they definitely made it a point to tie it in as she made a point to say it for the fake live shoot.  She doesn't use it other times like the camping challenge "when I was traveling the world modeling, I never got to try all of the exotic flavored potato chips there are in the world because well, I was a model!  So I gave them to Rob, who clearly loves potato chips!  I'm going to try to make ice cream, because I memorized some ratios for food to try to cook on this show...plus I've seen rank amateurs do it on Chopped 2000 times but heck I can't eat this either."

so it's kind of her story, when it fits the challenge.  I actually thought for this episode her beauty tie in was ironic.  She seemed to nail the aspect of a beautiful plate to the eye, but her flavors were unbalanced.  I was snarking that metaphor for the whole segment!

[bluepiano]

20 hours ago, J-Man said:

So much for being "food authorities."

Yeah, that's the way this show has been trending for the last few seasons. Tuschman and Fogelson used to harp on "food authority," and I remember challenges in the early years that were specifically designed to test food knowledge across a variety of cuisines. (A challenge that would've humiliated Miss North Carolina "I don't know nothin' 'bout no fancy vittles"). What's pathetic is that if they've given up on finding knowledgeable contestants, you'd think they'd at least be giving us people who are comfortable on camera. But they're not doing that either. Just what are the criteria for being on this show?

I liked Yaku because he was one of the few contestants who seems genuine, instead of trying hard to play a "character" to appeal to the judges. Then there's Tregaye, who seems to have a different personality every week. In the past she's alternated between manic and frozen, and then suddenly in the room service challenge there's a new, sweet Hallmark Cards Tregaye. Her lack of consistency alone should be immediate cause for being sent home, because how can you build a show around a "star" when you never know which person is going to show up?

Ultimately, I think Yaku got the boot because he was too calm. From the standpoint of TPTB, there was nothing interesting about him other than his height.

Monterey gets the Most Improved Player Award. Suddenly she seems over her jitters, and if she continues on this path could be a contender. I've said that the final two will be Joy and Rob, but Rob is starting to look shaky.

Wow, The Real Housewife is actually turning out to probably be the best cook on this show.

Edited June 14, 2016 by bluepiano

[Wings]

1 hour ago, Aquarius said:

I had NO IDEA who Jesse Tyler Ferguson is.  None.  I would have been the perfect contestant in this challenge, I guess.  I would have treated him like the annyoing little twit he was.

I wished they had all gotten as drunk as the YouTube woman seemed to want to get.  Drunk dialing!  That would improve this shitfest.

I don't watch Modern Family (his show) but I have seen him in many other venues. He is witty, personable and very likable.  He did not measure up on this show.  His deal fell flat. Their fault, not his, in my estimation. 

Edited June 14, 2016 by wings707

[Snarklepuss]

14 hours ago, CoyoteBlue said:

She knew, she just never said it in the presentation. She somehow circled all around it without actually saying it.

Re: Erin knowing what miso is, of course she knew in her talking heads, but they were done after the fact so I'm not convinced she really knew beforehand.  She didn't act like she knew in her presentation.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[Albino]

46 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

Yeah, that's the way this show has been trending for the last few seasons. Tuschman and Fogelson used to harp on "food authority," and I remember challenges in the early years that were specifically designed to test food knowledge across a variety of cuisines. (A challenge that would've humiliated Miss North Carolina "I don't know nothin' 'bout no fancy vittles"). What's pathetic is that if they've given up on finding knowledgeable contestants, you'd think they'd at least be giving us people who are comfortable on camera. But they're not doing that either. Just what are the criteria for being on this show?

 

I really miss Bob and Susie at the judging.  A few weeks ago I binge-watched season 7 (when Mauro won) and man...what a difference.  The challenges were to test their skills, not just for entertainment value.  A lot of them were on location - at cooking expos or barbecues, and the caliber of judges was just so much better, to say nothing about the production quality.  

And what's with Giada being too emotional to deliver the elimination?  

[biakbiak]

Jesse is really into food and owns a restaurant.

Edited June 14, 2016 by biakbiak

[Wings]

55 minutes ago, HappyDancex2 said:

 I'm going to try to make ice cream, because I memorized some ratios for food to try to cook on this show...plus I've seen rank amateurs do it on Chopped 2000 times but heck I can't eat this either."

Get  an inexpensive ice cream maker on amazon and do it.  It is easy.  I love mine. I had malted vanilla, at Hershel's in North Hampton Ma and when I moved, I mourned the loss more than deemed reasonable.  It was difficult, tragic and sick.  I now make it!  Ahhhhhh, and so easy. 

[HappyDancex2]

albino- I forgot about that Giada being too emotional to ax Yaku...what was the point of that????  To make him feel better about it?  LBH cares so much she can't utter the words so she makes Bobby do it?? Unnecessary drama whoring.

[bluepiano]

5 minutes ago, Albino said:

And what's with Giada being too emotional to deliver the elimination?  

Yeah, that seemed total BS. I could maybe (just maybe) believe it if she had to eliminate one of her Italian Stallions. But I've never thought of her as the sentimental type, and did not notice any particular personal connection with Yaku.