Season Three Episode Talk

[illini1959]

Quote

I was surprised the one guy didn't get called out for stacking his Yule log instead of rolling it. 

Me, too!

Agree about Jason's win, too. His yule log was not decorated at all!

Can we keep being random, judges? :/

[TheFinalRose]

I'm glad Matt stayed, even though his elimination was obvious ... until it wasn't.  I thought Vincenzo overall was doing great but his neon yellow yule creation was hideous.  They were probably instructed to keep Matt--the sensitive, sickly, hipster eye candy--over the burly baker for ratings' sakes. 

Okay, Cheryl is losing her smugness and having a few mishaps, that's making her a more likeable contestant to me. I loved her red ball ornament ... it also would have made a cute Rudolph nose.  But Jason's window was actually quite spectacular IMO, and I was glad to see him get the win. But didn't his cake look awfully thin rolled up? The proportion of cake to icing seemed way tilted over to the icing side and for me, properly balanced proportions in my foods is something I appreciate, and his looked way out of balance.

[Grommet]

I have a girl crush on Amber. She's so pretty and happy, and she seems to have real baking skills.

I was shocked that Matt didn't get eliminated. He's screwed up almost every challenge and his yule logs were so plain. At least Vincenzo's had some color! Okay, too much color, but it still looked more appetizing.

[Crucial]

I didn't care for this challenge and didn't care for any of the designs.  What was really meant by bling it out.  Just have them make a yule log in a setting they wanted.  Matt staying is baffling.  He messed up practically every challenge.  His design looked like a child made it.  Vincenzo made different elements to his design.  For me, the only thing he is consistent on is being annoying.

[CherZ]

Ugh Food Network why you gotta be doing this to me? First you keep a terrible team on Halloween Wars for drama, now we get Matt the Sad Panda whining when Vincenzo should have stayed! At least they raved about how his tasted! This was ridiculous!

They didn't even give him the little spiel, like 'Vincenzo, you're cake just wasn't pretty enough' thing at the end because they knew they had nothing but producer-contrived bs.

I'm really hating you Food Network, what happened to good ol' fashioned talent staying instead of big whiny crybabies?

[Wings]

On November 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM, cherrypj said:

"Gobble 'til you wobble."

I've started using that. 

And you admit this?  LOL

[dewelar]

I think this was the most enjoyable episode since the first week. The past couple weeks have been okay, but I haven't really been feeling the energy. Not that I'm not enjoying it, it just hasn't been as engaging -- then again, that might just be my nasty lingering stomach bug talking :( .

Interestingly, the bakers' placement in that final challenge pretty much reflected my feelings about each -- Amber and Jason are my favorites (I didn't even realize how much Jason had grown on me until I actually fist-pumped at his win), Cheryl and Shawn are "eh" (honestly, I occasionally forget Shawn is even there), and I really wouldn't have minded seeing either of the bottom two go. Going by appearance, Vincenzo's Yule log was a seriously hot mess, but like several others I expected Matt to leave. If he goes next week, it's all good.

[jcbrown]

On 11/28/2016 at 6:43 AM, Ilovecomputers said:

Maybe Amber should have received first choice of one bling component instead of all of them. Pretty hard for a cake to have bling without any edible items. I understand her Yule log was contemporary but it reminded me of a porcupine.

I kind of liked Amber's Yule log but I agree it was weird to give her all the "bling" (hate that word). Her log reminded me of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones.

[halkatla]

On 23.11.2016 at 4:03 PM, Maya said:

I hope the Kentucky guy lasts forever. He's like a cartoon character!

Someone up thread called him "Mr Garrison" and now all I can see when he´s on screen is a real life (nice & non-pervert) Mr Garrison. I hope he wins.

[LittleIggy]

Jason's decoration was that fantastic window.

Vincenzo should have stayed because his monstrosity at least tasted good!

[bugsmum]

Shocked they got rid of Vincenzo; I thought Nancy would drag him right to the end come hell or high water.  Don't quite understand why Matt is still there, though.  

[LazyToaster]

I like Jason - that clip they keep playing on the commercial "Lord honey, this is exciting!" or something like that just cracks me up.  I am from the Midwest and live there now; but, I lived in the south for a long time and so the twang doesn't bug me at all.  I just think he is very into the contest and shows it.  Matt hasn't done well at all so I was also shocked when they got rid of Vincenzo (yelled at the TV! Ha!). 

Nobody on the show really bugs me much - except Nancy Fuller, she just seems so full of herself to me - whenever/wherever I see her.  I have seen parts of her "cooking" show and you can tell she knows what she's doing in the kitchen; but, I just don't like her.  Duff is a cool dude.  Lorraine is ok I guess but she seems pretty snooty to me. 

[Amarsir]

Well I also thought Matt was dead and buried last week, but he did have a week go right. I can't say I'm rooting for him but it's nice to the skill coming out.

[LittleIggy]

Jason has grown on me. He is so funny!

I don't like Lorraine. She just grates on me.

[Maya]

So Matt makes a plain chocolate box with the mold, barely decorates it, and wins. WTF. His smug face lives to see another day. 

[Wings]

I love Loraine's mouth. She has gorgeous teeth. 

I like sweets in small doses so by the end of an episode I am slightly queezy. How can they consume so much sugar in one day?  I appreciate Loraine's reserve. 

I totally get why Matt won.  His cookie was delicious and the Chocolate for the box was tempered and tasted good. I like him. 

[Irlandesa]

I wasn't surprised by who won or who lost.  He did get the mold but that chocolate looked chocolate-bar-ish.  Duff continuing to crack it made me laugh.

But I did wonder why Cheryl didn't end up in the bottom.  The box looked beautiful but they didn't seem to like the taste of it or of the treat inside. Jason's was ugly but they seemed to like the taste of it and the treat inside.

[Writing Wrongs]

I thought Shawne's tuile looked a hot mess.

[WaitForMe]

Matt has to be related to someone important on the show.  The way Duff was acting about that Hershey bar was over the top.  Matt should have been gone last week.  I bet he somehow wins!!  Can't stand Cheryl. She doesn't do ugly?  Take a look at some of your past creations. 

[cdp73]

44 minutes ago, WaitForMe said:

 Can't stand Cheryl. She doesn't do ugly?  Take a look at some of your past creations. 

If she thinks she doesn't do ugly, she should take a look in the mirror at what she's done to her eyebrows.

[Maya]

2 hours ago, WaitForMe said:

I bet he somehow wins!!  

I think you're right. They're even giving him the dramatic road to redemption edit. 

[cherrypj]

Jason's inability to articulate what his "... box" was made me lol.

[backgroundnoise]

Sigh.  I really wish American baking shows would give them more time, even if a hour or so.  Wouldn't everyone  rather see some boxes that actually held together or were more thought out?  Rather than umpteen failures due to running out of time?  The ones that didn't actually fall apart were blah.

[TheFinalRose]

Quote

Matt should have been gone last week.  I bet he somehow wins!!

I had a sense that Matt would be our winner too, as last night was clearly his redemption tour. It was almost transparent how they were told to rehab his image. Of course, he still had that mishap breaking his bowl and having to start his batter over and I thought, oh geez, here we go again, but he pulled it out.  I still like him, however, even though he seems to be the recipient of some backlot favoritism.

I would rather have had Cheryl go and Amber stay, but Amber's box was tres horrible. Too bad. I hope her and her mom take a trip around the world anyway. I thought Cheryl's devil's food cupcakes with twirly chocolate ganache frosting were pedestrian for this show. And her lame answer as to why she wants to win might have dinged her chances as these shows love an inspiring narrative/backstory.

 I wish I could have tasted the rum fruitcake as I have childhood memories of my dad eating that and nowadays no one does. I also want to taste Jason's tartlets with the bacon. I wonder if there is a recipe for those somewhere ... But his comic timing when describing his .... box was superb. 

[Crucial]

Ugh I think somehow they want Matt to win.  I'm sorry I just don't think anything he does is that great.  He won the first challenge which should have gone to someone else.  It wasn't ugly.  It, again, looked like a child made it.  He gets molds to make a box and a pre made design - of course it would look good.  He made a Hershey bar. Duff could make it snap.  Ok, I didn't know that was one of the rules it had to be.  He should have been gone last week.  But oh well, I need to stop complaining about that.  

Add Cheryl into my rant too.  Oooh I can't make ugly.  Stop, just stop.  You just didn't want to do the challenge.  That was just maddening to hear that kind of crap.  Then to say to the judges too?  So you are so superior that you don't know what ugly is?  She should have been in the bottom too.  Box was nice but they didn't like the taste.    If these two are both in the final, how exhausting it will be to watch. 

[stitcher73]

I just hope Matt isn't the new Damiano.   I really don't want him popping up on every show.   

 

Is there a forum for Clash of the Grandmas?  I can't find one.  And this show needs one.

[BW Manilowe]

31 minutes ago, stitcher73 said:

I just hope Matt isn't the new Damiano.   I really don't want him popping up on every show.   

 

Is there a forum for Clash of the Grandmas?  I can't find one.  And this show needs one.

You can request a forum here, in the New Show Forum Requests thread.

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/47-site-business/

[Swiss]

 I am so disappointed in this show.  Matt should have been bounced last week and then he wins tonites final challenge??? How much creativity did it take to pour chocolate into that mold?? I guess there was the suspense that he could have spilled all the chocolate...oh the horror!!  Cannot stand him and I believe the show is rigged for him to now win it all.   I won't be watching anymore after last nite but am rooting so hard for Jason to win it all..GO JASON!!

[Amarsir]

The problem with the first challenge is that the inspiration sweaters are ugly as in tacky. But simply calling them "ugly" allowed interpreting ugly as unappealing. And this enabled Matt's cookies to win when they had more of a dirty look than others. True to "ugly" but very different from tacky sweaters.  A narrower definition would have yielded a different result.

But then a loose interpretation of "impostor cupcakes" worked for Cheryl a few weeks ago so I guess it goes around.

I don't want to undermine what Matt did on the second challenge though. Yes, molds help. It's an "advantage". They're meant to. But he layered and tempered properly which many would not do, and his interior sandwich cookies were pretty creative. 

[Thalia]

Matt's cookie was ugly, but not "ugly Christmas sweater ugly."  Ugly Christmas sweaters are tacky, but colorful.  See, i.e., Amber's donut or Jason's cookie, or even, I don't know, the damn sweater that Bobby Deen wore as an example.  The frosting on Matt's gingerbread was the color of snow pushed up against a curb after the streets are plowed in a city.  

[Mittengirl]

Matt's cookies looked like a cookie we made in third grade with the twisted dough.  I didn't see how he made them look dirty.  But, it didn't seem all that ugly to me.  Just over baked and amateurish.

I thought all the boxes were boring.  I thought more would go with a cookie box, like gingerbread.  Seems more stable than chocolate.  While the structure of Matt's box was polished, it was absolutely plain.  It seems like he should have been able to spruce it up or "bling it up" as the kids say.

He sure seems destined to win, for reasons that don't seem related to what he has shown so far.

[Madding crowd]

I don't mind any of the remaining contestants although I hope Cheryl doesn't win because I find her pretentious. I am actually glad the judges rely more on flavor than on presentation because that's what is important after all. I have seen cakes and other pastries that look beautiful but tasted awful. Of course the judges want both, but if they have to choose they will usually pick flavor every time. I do wish the show would be more consistent with the challenges. The ugly sweater thing should have asked the people to make something that looks like an ugly sweater; instead they just went with looks ugly (except Cheryl of course-she doesn't do ugly). Only Jason had something that vaguely resembled a sweater.

In the box challenge, none of them looked festive or Christmas like to me. So I am happy with them relying on taste. All along Matt has made mostly good tasting things, his decorations often are lacking. I was sorry to see Amber leave-she seems like a really nice person. 

Edited December 6, 2016 by Madding crowd

[Jobiska]

12 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I thought all the boxes were boring.  I thought more would go with a cookie box, like gingerbread.  Seems more stable than chocolate.  While the structure of Matt's box was polished, it was absolutely plain.  It seems like he should have been able to spruce it up or "bling it up" as the kids say.

 

He "blinged" it up by using a torch(?) to soften the ribbon candy he got in his advantage to try to make it look more like actual ribbon, but the right-hand judge said it looked like bacon instead.  Raw bacon, presumably, which is much less appetizing than the bacon chunk inside Jason's tartlets!

Unlike many of you, I don't dislike Matt, especially when he smiles.  I think it's because I live in a big city with a lot of hipsters so I am just kind of used to them by now so he doesn't annoy me as much as he might!  But I definitely would prefer another winner--Jason or Cheryl (again, she doesn't bother me either).  I like Shawne but he's not going to win.  I think it's funny how worked up he got over his mom's oven mitts.  They help her bake for you--what's not to like? 

[needschocolate]

On 12/4/2016 at 2:53 PM, LazyToaster said:

Nobody on the show really bugs me much - except Nancy Fuller, she just seems so full of herself to me - whenever/wherever I see her.  I have seen parts of her "cooking" show and you can tell she knows what she's doing in the kitchen; but, I just don't like her.  Duff is a cool dude.  Lorraine is ok I guess but she seems pretty snooty to me. 

I agree - I like Duff, think Lorraine is snooty, and Nancy tries to hard to be cute, although she might be going for "clever."  Usually, Nancy and Lorraine bicker and disagree, but this week it seemed more like Duff disagreeing with everything Nancy said - we wondered if they had a fight backstage or she insulted his puppy or something.  However, I like Duff and wouldn't mind if Nancy was replaced (but not with Damiano), so I was okay with his picking on her.

22 hours ago, backgroundnoise said:

Sigh.  I really wish American baking shows would give them more time, even if a hour or so.  Wouldn't everyone  rather see some boxes that actually held together or were more thought out?  Rather than umpteen failures due to running out of time?  The ones that didn't actually fall apart were blah.

If you are not watching The Great American Baking Show on ABC (started last Thursday), then you should be.  It is the Great British Bake Off (Baking Show) except done in the US.  No phony talking heads filmed after challenges but shown during them, no manufactured drama between contestants, no gimmicky challenges, no surprise twists, no wonky grading curves, no wannabe reality stars, no "inspiration" story required, and they get a proper amount of time to complete the challenge. They even have Mary Berry as a judge.

[Frost]

Shawne's constant harping on how the challenge doesn't make sense for someone from the Caribbean (eg ugly Christmas sweaters) is wearing on me.  I'm sure he's prompted during the talking heads but honestly, you're on something called the Holiday Baking Challenge in the USA.  I'm all for cultural diversity but that doesn't mean everything has to be compared and contrasted.  We get it!  The holidays have different traditions in the Caribbean!  Celebrate them, just stop using "Caribbean" in every other sentence. 

[Ilovecomputers]

Quote

If you are not watching The Great American Baking Show on ABC (started last Thursday), then you should be.  It is the Great British Bake Off (Baking Show) except done in the US.  

Plus it has blind judging (which seems more fair). I like the two women who wander around the bakers on the British show better than "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" Nia and her husband, only because Nia and her husband seem awkward and don't have much to say. 

[LittleIggy]

On 12/5/2016 at 1:21 AM, wings707 said:

I love Loraine's mouth. She has gorgeous teeth. 

Ugh, I think she looks like a barracuda.

[festivus]

I liked Amber but y'all I'm so glad Mr. Garrison is still there. I love him, I want him to win it all. I always wish I could eat Cheryl's stuff but she is a little offputting. Matt, whatever. Shawne should have won the 1st challenge, I thought the ugly oven mitt idea was creative and 2/3 of the judges loved them. Lorraine ruined it for him.

[BW Manilowe]

7 hours ago, needschocolate said:

I agree - I like Duff, think Lorraine is snooty, and Nancy tries to hard to be cute, although she might be going for "clever."  Usually, Nancy and Lorraine bicker and disagree, but this week it seemed more like Duff disagreeing with everything Nancy said - we wondered if they had a fight backstage or she insulted his puppy or something.  However, I like Duff and wouldn't mind if Nancy was replaced (but not with Damiano), so I was okay with his picking on her.

If you are not watching The Great American Baking Show on ABC (started last Thursday), then you should be.  It is the Great British Bake Off (Baking Show) except done in the US. No phony talking heads filmed after challenges but shown during them, no manufactured drama between contestants, no gimmicky challenges, no surprise twists, no wonky grading curves, no wannabe reality stars, no "inspiration" story required, and they get a proper amount of time to complete the challenge. They even have Mary Berry as a judge.

They actually film this in the UK, but with American bakers. And I'm pretty sure they're all amateurs; nobody owns a bakery or anything like that.

[Wings]

6 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Ugh, I think she looks like a barracuda.

Her teeth are a little closer together.  She does have a space between her 2 front teeth though, so there is that. 

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by wings707

[zxy556575]

I felt sorry for Jason when the design of his stocking cookies was blasted. He explained that they were elf stockings, which made sense when you saw them and which at least showed some creative thought. He won on taste in the end but I think only because the other three weren't very good.

I also had sympathy, as a human, for Matt's distress but he's pretty much sucked throughout and it was past his time to leave.

I hope the final three step up their games because the quality of work this episode was lackluster all around.

Edited December 12, 2016 by lordonia

[Frost]

I was rather unimpressed with everyone too.  plus Nancy and Lorraine sniping at each other seemed to have more of an edge this week.  

Jason's "aw shucks, I won, don't that beat all" is wearing on me more each episode.  Although I'm super happy Matt is finally gone!  Smoked white chocolate?  That sounds gross. 

[DeLurker]

Watched for the first time tonight- thought Nancy Fuller was Paula Deen. 

[Mittengirl]

So glad Matt is gone!  I was sure they would find a way to keep him instead of Shawn.

Lackluster is a very good word for the items produced tonight.  I can't figure out why they had such trouble with the stocking challenge - cut a cookie or cake into a stocking shape and decorate it.  I think they all should have been much better.  And I couldn't figure out why Jason couldn't cut out an elf-stocking shape freehand. 

[penbrat]

8 hours ago, Frost said:

I was rather unimpressed with everyone too.  plus Nancy and Lorraine sniping at each other seemed to have more of an edge this week.  

Jason's "aw shucks, I won, don't that beat all" is wearing on me more each episode.  Although I'm super happy Matt is finally gone!  Smoked white chocolate?  That sounds gross. 

Jason is the only one left in the final three I can take.  I think he is funny and I love his attitude and personality.  Jason for the win!

[Frost]

Was Cheryl replaced by a clone?  Or maybe the Cheryl in the preceding episodes was the clone?  Whichever, the Cheryl in this episode had the decorating skills of a newbie.  She's been so meticulous up until now.  Her fuzzy stockings just looked like big piles of frosting.  And why did all of her snowflakes break?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Did Jason leave his sugar cones inside his cream puff 'tree'?   It's funny that he's the only one who used a tool to make his tree shape and it turned into a column instead!

[Maya]

2 hours ago, penbrat said:

Jason is the only one left in the final three I can take.  I think he is funny and I love his attitude and personality.  Jason for the win!

I love Jason!

Side note: I wonder how old he is. I think his hair may be misleading. He has a very youthful face. 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I admit I'm glad that Shawne made it through ... I may be a little biased though because Anguilla is my happy place (and at the rate things are going hopefully maybe my future home as well LOL!!!)

[Winter Rose]

Well I'm pleasantly surprised. I was sure the judges would fall for Matt getting choked up. I couldn't believe they considered Cheryl in the top when they neither liked the cranberry nor her broken snowflakes, but only one of them could get eliminated.

Like everyone else, I'm rooting for Jason.

[Frost]

I want Cheryl to win.  I don't think she has a real warm personality, but I think she's got the highest skill level of the finalists so I hope she takes the title.