Special Contestants: All Stars and Firefighters and Lunch Ladies, Oh My!

[mlp]

I was conflicted through the whole episode.  I really wanted Jet Tila to win because I've liked him when I've seen him elsewhere.  I would have liked to see Art Smith win also although I knew that was a long shot.  He doesn't do deconstructed this and fancy-schmancy that.  What he does do is make food I'd want to eat.  And I like him.

 

So it came down to the two people I least wanted to see win.  I know MIchael Psilakis has a good reputation as a chef but there's something about him I just don't like.  I've never figured out what.  Nothing he made looked very appetizing to me. 

 

Anne does herself no favors.  She has a degree from Canisius, a Jesuit school, so she's no dummy and should be smart enough to clean up her act.  I liked her on her cooking show but hated the way she behaved on Chef Wanted.  I think she's a really good chef but she makes herself hard to take.  Maybe, when she sees herself on the finale, she'll realize how she comes across to others and work on her attitude.  Or not.  She's been obtuse about her image for so long that I'm inclined to think she just doesn't care.  On a positive note, she finally found a hairstyle that looks decent.

 

Anyhow, what was a good tournament for the most part ended up in the region of meh in my book.

[GaT]

I know MIchael Psilakis has a good reputation as a chef but there's something about him I just don't like.  I've never figured out what.  

 

 

I think a lot of people (myself included) feel this way. There is just something about him that grates on my nerves, he never does anything obviously obnoxious, but I just don't like him.

[cooksdelight]

 

On a positive note, she finally found a hairstyle that looks decent.

 

She doesn't look like the lead singer from A Flock of Seagulls anymore.

 

Michael never smiles. He always looks angry or pissed off at the world. That's one reason I never warmed up to him.

[stanleyk]

Yep. I finally conceded it was rigged when they praised Hung's dessert over Anne's then gave her the win. I didn't realize how much I'd accepted it as fact until I looked at the 4 contestants for last week and thought, "Jet Tila has the biggest Food Network presence, so he's winning this one." And damned if he didn't.

The fix is in :(

 

I've always resisted the idea of reality show fixing, but that was the same moment I conceded that it's all rigged in favor of which chef is really in with FN; I also knew Jet would win when I saw the line-up, and the way the finale went down confirmed my suspicions for me. Anne's got the biggest FN presence, so she wins. I was only surprised Michael ended up second rather than Jet, but I assume that's because he had an emotional story about his dad (Chopped has to keep the tear-jerking theme going even in "special" episodes!).

 

With these "all-star" Chopped competitions, it feels like an excuse for FN to whine about how they're way better than Top Chef! Way better! See how all the Top Chef alums get chopped and all the FN "experts" win! The problem there is that Top Chef actually has credibility in the serious food world, and none of FN's gimmicky competition shows (which I also love) do.

[jaigurudeva]

I was rooting for Tila, and was bummed he was voted off for no good reason. The rules of Chopped are to use all the basket ingredients to create a cohesive, tasty, well presented dish; not to make each basket ingredient a star component. As Ted Allen says, "Use a little or a lot, but they must be used in some way." If you get thrown jelly beans in the entree round, you're better off making a gastrique that just has the hint of sweetness from the beans, rather than mushing them into a patty and calling them "jellybean burgers." Obviously, the latter showcases the jellybeans more, but the former is a better utilization of the dud ingredient.

[joanne3482]

I was rooting for Tila, and was bummed he was voted off for no good reason. The rules of Chopped are to use all the basket ingredients to create a cohesive, tasty, well presented dish; not to make each basket ingredient a star component. As Ted Allen says, "Use a little or a lot, but they must be used in some way." If you get thrown jelly beans in the entree round, you're better off making a gastrique that just has the hint of sweetness from the beans, rather than mushing them into a patty and calling them "jellybean burgers." Obviously, the latter showcases the jellybeans more, but the former is a better utilization of the dud ingredient.

And yet that's the constant miscommunication the chefs are struggling with. It seems that, depending on the judges, each item has to be the star or the mushing into jellybean burgers didn't work and it should be cohesive. I've seen both excuses for chopping folks and there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason as to which way the wind blows in each episode. 

[cooksdelight]

THAT is what drives me nuts about this show. The irregularity of how they judge each round. It's as if they have a favorite in mind and they'll work around the rules. Or when they have those shows like the one recently where they had to make pizza each round, and the winner was the one chef who specialized in pizza. Talk about rigged!

[cattykit]

THAT is what drives me nuts about this show. The irregularity of how they judge each round. It's as if they have a favorite in mind and they'll work around the rules. Or when they have those shows like the one recently where they had to make pizza each round, and the winner was the one chef who specialized in pizza. Talk about rigged!

And we all remember the vegan chef who won the vegetarian episode.  And the chefs have to worry about each judge's idiosyncrasies rather than what's the right thing.  Even Anne, and I can't stand her any more, said her appetizer would have been better with red onions but she left them off because of Scott Conant.  A dog show judge has to judge against the standards for the breed, not what puppy they happen to like, and that is how a chef judge should be.  I remember Mike Symon saying once something to the effect of, I base judging of a dish on whether it's perfectly cooked, regardless of my personal preferences.  He should be a judge.

 

Watching the all-star tournaments, however, is like watching old style figure skating with five Soviet bloc judges.  The FN celebrity, including the Chopped judges, almost always wins.  If they're going to include their homeboys and homegirls in the tournament, get a set of neutral judges. 

 

I've been a faithful viewer of Chopped since the very first episode but I'm getting tired, and no amount of gimmicks or celebrity tournaments will fix that.  I even watched the reruns faithfully and now I delete them as soon as my DVR picks them up. 

Edited May 27, 2015 by cattykit

[Rammchick]

Anne was shown in TH saying several times that she's never won any of the competitions in which she has participated.  That's telegraphing the win right there.  And sure enough...

Edited May 27, 2015 by Rammchick

[Crucial]

I was hoping Jet would win but I knew Anne was going to.   If a regular contestant on Chopped did what she did, you'd be hearing a lecture going on (especially with Scott and Jeff as judges).  And her apology, I thought, was insincere especially with the smile at the end.  I'm kind of tired of seeing her on TV.  She's just so obnoxious anymore when she is on tv. 

[phoenix780]

I totally agree that this- and other- All-Star competitions on FN tend to be as much about the current hierarchy behind-the-scenes as the talent of the chefs.  I guess the illusion we could believe is that because they're on the network their cooking is equally fantastic, therefore it doesn't really matter who winds up in what position.  

 

That's why I was surprised by Anne winning, though.  I totally thought her place was on second-tier shows, her longevity giving her an edge over Jet but not quite knocking out the other guy, who I always confuse with Michael Symon.  I thought the other guy had an edge partly because of his charity story.  He was weepy; she threw a "hissy fit." 

 

I loved that whole scene, if I'm honest.  I loved seeing an emotion that didn't feel contrived or designed to get me to root for someone, and it to me it was anger/frustration without total douchebaggery (though I freely admit that's just my interpretation).  

 

So, I kind of loved the resolution to this little play...right up until Alex's weepy comment that I couldn't help but interpret as some kind of comment on how tough it is to be female chefs.  I'm not knocking it for that reason- the other reason I thought Anne would lose is because she's a woman, that doesn't always work out so well on FN competition shows.  It just undermined the whole thing a little bit, the whole "I was rooting for you..." from a judge.

[Bastet]

And her apology, I thought, was insincere especially with the smile at the end.

 

The smile gave me pause, but I found the words preceding it sincere (especially since she apologized following a benign comment on her frustration rather than to an outright criticism of her behavior) and thus chalked the smile up to embarrassment.

 

to me it was anger/frustration without total douchebaggery

 

To me as well -- really bad form, but rooted in non-asshole emotion.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Bastet

[Gbb]

To me as well -- really bad form, but rooted in non-asshole emotion.

Me three. I'm not really an Anne Burrell fan but I can totally see myself throwing the same little hissy fit out of frustration and the stress of competition (complete with shoving the thing that was dripping water everywhere) then having to find the producer afterward and apologize for being a bitch.

[NikSac]

Jet was bugging me in the beginning, but as it went on I liked him.  I didn't dislike Art, but I didn't miss him.

 

I bet Jet was bugging you for the same reason he was cracking me up. At least any other time I've seen him, he seems like a total teddy bear and not Mr. Tough Guy, but he was coming across (or trying to) all tough in the beginning part. I also follow him on Facebook and from his posts there he's very kind-hearted, gracious to his fans, etc.

 

Same here about Art. I didn't dislike him but I kept thinking to myself "what are you even doing here?"  I don't know him from other shows so maybe that's just how he normally cooks, but I kept thinking it seemed awfully plain compared to the other 3 dishes. I don't care about it being super fancy (and I hate "deconstructed"), but I just didn't see anything special about it at all.

[anonymiss]

This had zero surprises and was a total snoozefest.

 

Hope the next one won't be more of the same.

[NikSac]

Do you have Bravo in your Cable/Satellite TV channel package? That's the channel which airs Top Chef. The most recent Season was Season 12 which, I think, ended in, like, February this year--earlier this year, anyway. It's been renewed for Season 13, but I'm not sure when that starts airing, nor am I sure if Bravo is currently airing repeats of Season 12 or earlier seasons.

 

BWManilowe I just realized I never replied to your helpful message. Thank you!  I just finally figured out that's why I can never find Top Chef when I go to set uP DVR recordings... we don't get Bravo.  Makes sense why I am only really familiar with the chefs from there who cross over as judges on FN sometimes.

[Gbb]

BWManilowe I just realized I never replied to your helpful message. Thank you!  I just finally figured out that's why I can never find Top Chef when I go to set uP DVR recordings... we don't get Bravo.  Makes sense why I am only really familiar with the chefs from there who cross over as judges on FN sometimes.

Do you have Hulu? You can watch most of the early Top Chef Seasons there, which is what I did. Some of them are classics, imo

[kitmerlot1213]

I was hoping Jet would win but I knew Anne was going to.   If a regular contestant on Chopped did what she did, you'd be hearing a lecture going on (especially with Scott and Jeff as judges).  And her apology, I thought, was insincere especially with the smile at the end.  I'm kind of tired of seeing her on TV.  She's just so obnoxious anymore when she is on tv. 

 

Totally agree!  Anne was entitled, rude and disrespectful to the other contestants and producers--her apology was painfully fake especially with her over-exaggerating shrug and cutesiness.  Very disappointed that this contestant won.

 

On the other hand, I would marry Jet and have his children in a hot minute :):)  The man is massively cool :)

[stanleyk]

To me as well -- really bad form, but rooted in non-asshole emotion.

 

Me four. I have no great love for Anne, and suffered vicarious embarrassment at her temper tantrum, but, as someone with a bad temper, I would act the exact same way in that situation, including the shame once the temper wore off. I saw the smile as nervousness and embarrassment at her poor behavior, and the apology as sincere. Not excusing the behavior, but I understood it and actually appreciated in one way as a real emotion based on her desire to do well.

Edited May 28, 2015 by stanleyk

[jcbrown]

 

Totally agree!  Anne was entitled, rude and disrespectful to the other contestants and producers--her apology was painfully fake especially with her over-exaggerating shrug and cutesiness.  Very disappointed that this contestant won.

Anne is both a sore loser and a bad winner. I used to like her but I just can't stand the persona she has adopted for all these competitions. She is edging into Elizabeth Falkner territory for me and I am someone who normally wants the women to win so the fact that FN has two I cannot stand is unfortunate.

 

I was so disappointed that Jet did not win.

[buttersister]

Michael never smiles. He always looks angry or pissed off at the world. That's one reason I never warmed up to him.

I was so disappointed that Jet did not win.

Wraps it up for me! I was gone after Jet got chopped--since we can't taste anything on TV (and I don't trust most of those judges), I'm going by sounds/looks good to me--and Jet's food was what I wanted.

 

Poor Art. His restaurant is down the block, his food/kid charity work is wonderful and his food tastes good (fried chicken and biscuits!) but he doesn't operate in the styles du jour, so he suffers in competitions in which judges gravitate towards that. But he seems to mostly enjoy himself, so there's that.

 

I don't know what to make of Anne. I've enjoyed her on my TV since her Mario sous chef days, but the FN machine has done her no favors. Now if I see her coming up, I'm more often than not changing channels.

 

And the Food Network machine should get off the pipe thinking they've supplanted Bravo for food competition shows. Top Chef has seen better days, but even in their less stellar seasons, they present chefs and cooks with some reputations, not manufactured blowholes (or former legit chefs/cooks who have sold their souls to Tush and will say or do anything to keep their pusses on the screen). Except for Blais, and I call FN cooties on them for that.

 

ETA: For grammar and that besides the emotional pull of their charities, at least we didn't have to listen to any sob stories about family rejection, death, addiction and more drama than can fit in a basket. Geez, Queen for a Day or what? (Go find it someplace--probably on Kinescope;-)

Edited May 30, 2015 by buttersister

[BW Manilowe]

Earlier tonight, they repeated the ep with the kid cooks where the winner would be their youngest winner ever, at least according to Ted. It also was the ep where 1 of the kids kept asking Ted for help with stuff.

What was the deal with that--asking Ted for help? Was he legitimately too short to reach stuff, did he just want/think he could get away with an extra hand--& was it REALLY fair he got help from Ted in every round/pretty much every round, when the others had no help--or what? I'm asking about stuff like the kid's height because I've been dealing with some personal health issues since last summer, & most of the time now my "comfortable" side of my body is the side facing away from my TV--so I'm mostly *listening to* TV now, as opposed to actually getting to *watch* it, so I've been trying to figure out the kid's rationale for having Ted's help & I'm not getting it just based on listening.

Also, going back to Idiot Penny on the old All-Stars Finale competition. Another thing that bugged me about her was when she kept repeating in her Talking Heads, or wherever, that she was this huge "authority" on Middle Eastern cooking (then I *loved* when she proved how much she wasn't 1 by overdoing the saffron in the Entree round, but claiming the Judges, especially Amanda, didn't know what they were talking about when they said she used too much).

But I seriously *loved* when Jeffrey Saad said, in 1 of his Talking Heads, she was cooking whatever fish they were given as their protein with the skin on, & apparently she didn't know you weren't supposed to do that. Although, when 1 of the (male) Judges pointed that same thing out to her, she tried to give them a "bullshit" excuse about she thought cooking it "skin on" would make the fish more moist, or tastier, or something, instead of admitting she didn't know you weren't supposed to do that & "Miss Perfect Chef" actually made a mistake. I think it was in the same round as the saffron mess up & was another reason she got Chopped, ultimately.

Penny, dear, just because you say something about yourself, that doesn't necessarily make it true. And if you make a mistake, FREAKING OWN IT instead of claiming whoever pointed out the error is wrong or trying to bullshit someone that your error WASN'T 1 for some reason or other!

Edited June 5, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[Matryoshka]

Earlier tonight, they repeated the ep with the kid cooks where the winner would be their youngest winner ever, at least according to Ted. It also was the ep where 1 of the kids kept asking Ted for help with stuff.

What was the deal with that--asking Ted for help? Was he legitimately too short to reach stuff, did he just want/think he could get away with an extra hand--& was it REALLY fair he got help from Ted in every round/pretty much every round, when the others had no help--or what? I'm asking about stuff like the kid's height because I've been dealing with some personal health issues since last summer, & most of the time now my "comfortable" side of my body is the side facing away from my TV--so I'm mostly *listening to* TV now, as opposed to actually getting to *watch* it, so I've been trying to figure out the kid's rationale for having Ted's help & I'm not getting it just based on listening.

All four of the kids asked Ted for help with reaching for things or lifting things that were too heavy for them so it was apparently an okay thing to do this ep. I actually thought it was kind of cute.

[NikSac]

All four of the kids asked Ted for help with reaching for things or lifting things that were too heavy for them so it was apparently an okay thing to do this ep. I actually thought it was kind of cute.

 

I thought it was cute too. And as a short person myself, I was thinking "they should do that for all the short contestants!" I mean if they're going to put heavy stuff on high up shelves, it's probably a safer option. I do think the one kid asked for a little more help than the others, but he was pretty small so maybe he really did need that much help.

[Bella]

I thought it was cute too. And as a short person myself, I was thinking "they should do that for all the short contestants!" I mean if they're going to put heavy stuff on high up shelves, it's probably a safer option. I do think the one kid asked for a little more help than the others, but he was pretty small so maybe he really did need that much help.

 

I remember one of the various "celebrity" versions, they had a little person of some note. For her, they had set up some steps and such that could be kicked into place and out of the way fairly easily, and she used them without missing a beat. However, most kids are clumsier than most adults, which may be why the kids had Ted helping them.

[BW Manilowe]

I remember one of the various "celebrity" versions, they had a little person of some note. For her, they had set up some steps and such that could be kicked into place and out of the way fairly easily, and she used them without missing a beat. However, most kids are clumsier than most adults, which may be why the kids had Ted helping them.

The little person of note was Linda (I think that's her 1st name) Roloff, the wife/mother from TLC network's Little People, Big World show. In the last week or so, she & her husband announced they're getting a divorce after 27 years of marriage.

[Matryoshka]

It's Amy Roloff. That's interesting , I actually thought they'd gotten divorced a couple of years ago.

[NikSac]

It's Amy Roloff. That's interesting , I actually thought they'd gotten divorced a couple of years ago.

 

Okay so I wasn't the only one!  When I saw that announcement I was thinking the same thing.  Sorry for the brief o/t.

 

Back to the show, I am assuming both from seeing Amy's show here and there and seeing her on Chopped that she's fairly strong, even though she's small statured. I think I would've been a nervous wreck watching the littlest of the kids in the Chopped Kids competition teetering down stairs/step stools with heavy kitchen equipment, especially assuming they aren't used to climbing up and down stairs with that stuff (while Amy probably is). I did think they kind of over-emphasized it, but it was fun seeing Ted act all "dad-like" helping them in the kitchen too.

[BW Manilowe]

Yep, it's Amy Roloff. I just saw a new Tweet about her & her estranged husband & was coming to correct it; but you guys had the right name, so thanks (by the way, the Tweet--from E! Entertainment Television or somewhere similar--said Amy & Matt officially filed for divorce this past week).

[cooksdelight]

I'm ahead of y'all, LOL! Posted about Amy last week here:

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/21918-contestants-the-arrogant-the-weepy-the-chopped/page-2#entry1216079

[Bastet]

Good night, Irene, Marc is even more annoying as a contestant than a judge.  I wish he'd been gone after the first round, but it was obvious it was going to be Amanda.  Too bad; I really like her.

 

I was craving Alex's dessert something fierce.

[mlp]

I love Amanda but it was clear that she'd go first - again.  She seems to always make something that's a bit too simple for the judges.  I've seen quite a few people say that they find Marc annoying but I honestly don't get why.  I like him a lot.  He said once that he's severely dyslexic and I've always been impressed by how much he's accomplished with that kind of handicap.  I've also wondered if he was the class clown while growing up to compensate for it and that's why he sometimes goofs around a little too much.

 

Aaron is the one who annoys me somewhat but I have to admit that he earned his win on this episode.  I enjoy him on Chopped After Hours when he's just being himself without worrying about being on camera.  Other times he gets all pretentious.  The other judges all seem genuinely fond of him so he must be OK in real life.  What I really hate is the close ups of him handling food with his grossly tattooed fingers.  I know his hands aren't dirty but the visuals make me cringe. 

[NikSac]

I feel like Amanda's just missing a little tiny *something* but I'm not sure what it is. She's a little too plain/boring/simple with her dishes on Chopped.  Same with that American Diner Revival show. It bugs me because I like her generally, but she just puts me to sleep on these shows.

 

I enjoy Chopped After Hours - it's fun watching all of them just be themselves.

 

Alex's dessert did look yummy!  I'm not even a big sweets person and I wanted dessert after that.

 

Overall I was happy with Aaron's win, and it was a fun episode to watch. I'd love it if they get back to normal episodes soon though - normal people, normal ingredients (well not normal, but not so theme based).  One can hope.

[xaxat]

Ted got to eat something!

 

As we slog through the increase in sob stories and episodes featuring people that are not chefs, one of the few things that keeps me watching are the judges. They look like they really have fun working on the show and with each other and that definitely came through on this episode. 

 

I feel like Amanda's just missing a little tiny *something* but I'm not sure what it is. She's a little too plain/boring/simple with her dishes on Chopped.  Same with that American Diner Revival show. It bugs me because I like her generally, but she just puts me to sleep on these shows.

 

I agree. And professionally she seems to be a half step behind the others as well. She's apparently struggled to get her own restaurant and her brand is not as strong as the others. But she's still my Chopped girlfriend!

[Rammchick]

I was thinking the same thing about Amanda being a slightly lower echelon as I watched the episode.  I don't think it's a lack of talent, by any means.  I think her ambitions in terms of the dishes she creates are not as lofty, which is why you see her on this diner revival show.

[NikSac]

I was thinking the same thing about Amanda being a slightly lower echelon as I watched the episode.  I don't think it's a lack of talent, by any means.  I think her ambitions in terms of the dishes she creates are not as lofty, which is why you see her on this diner revival show.

 

It's funny because she makes food I'd want to eat most of the time, and if I were to pick someone to help teach me how to cook she'd be pretty high on the list, but just... her food looks good, but not that exciting.

 

I forgot to comment earlier about Ted finally getting to eat!  I've always thought he should get at least a little sampler even if he's not judging, or let him snack on the 'pretty' plate once they tape it, or something. I'd hate to see the contestants have to try to finish one more plate, with how often they barely make it through 4 of them though.

Edited June 11, 2015 by NikSac

[buttersister]

her brand is not as strong as the others.

Maybe, but to me, she's also not as annoying as the others. She's the one I'm pretty sure I could have lunch with without wanting to jam a face into the dessert plate. Also not surprised to see her out first. Still, this is a great gig for this bunch--not anyone's top tier of chefs but thankful, one could surmise, for the ka-ching.

[GaT]

I feel like Amanda's just missing a little tiny *something* but I'm not sure what it is. She's a little too plain/boring/simple with her dishes on Chopped.  Same with that American Diner Revival show. It bugs me because I like her generally, but she just puts me to sleep on these shows.

 

 

As she said, "I always get chopped". I've watched her compete a number of times, & she never wins. As much as she seems like a great chef, she must be missing something in her cooking or she would at least win sometimes.

[paramitch]

I don't agree that Amanda must be missing something in her cooking -- she was an incredibly close second on her season of Next Iron Chef, and the judges were raving about her dishes all the way to the end.

 

I do think that sometimes she gets in her head a bit too much, and that slows her down and causes her to simplify on occasion, but I think she's a brilliant chef, and seems to be such a nice person, as well. 

 

Meanwhile, I like Marc, and he seems like a lot of goofy fun to be around, and I've always liked Alex because she seems to be both warmhearted and genuinely funny (and she always does a fabulous stinkface). The only one who drives me nuts is Aaron, but part of that does seem to be because he's working so hard to put forth a "persona" on the show (like the slow, pretentious head-nod he always gives when they introduce him, etc.). He seems so dramatic, but the other judges seem to genuinely like him, so maybe he's just one of those super-dramatic types.

 

It's always fun to watch the judges cook and compete -- as someone who loves the Chopped After Hours bits, it's always a treat to get a whole episode of just the judges competing. And almost all of the dishes on this one looked gorgeous.

[JessDVD]

I really barely care about the results, I just enjoy watching the judges actually cook, rather than sit around and nitpick (I know, editing). I want next week to be the 3 who judged this week's, plus Conant to compete, and 3 of the 4 who cooked this week, be the judges.

 

I'm the only person I know who likes tuna noodle casserole and I was dying to try those dumpling things that Marc made with them in the appetizer round!

[NikSac]

I really barely care about the results, I just enjoy watching the judges actually cook, rather than sit around and nitpick (I know, editing). I want next week to be the 3 who judged this week's, plus Conant to compete, and 3 of the 4 who cooked this week, be the judges.

 

I'm the only person I know who likes tuna noodle casserole and I was dying to try those dumpling things that Marc made with them in the appetizer round!

 

Good point, it's more fun watching them cook than anything.  I was glad they finally showed the judging again this week. That would be great to have the ones who judged this week compete next week. Is it wrong that I want red onions - served raw - as one of the basket ingredients? 

 

I like tuna noodle casserole too! Leftover not so much and I can't even imagine trying to transform it, but I do like the casserole. I thought the dumplings were a great idea.

[SpottedCoachDog]

Good night, Irene, Marc is even more annoying as a contestant than a judge.

But he's People Magazine's Sexiest Chef!! lol

I completely adore Aaròn. I think his perceived pretentiousness is just that Latin male machismo rearing its head. I notice he gives sincere compliments and constructive criticism more than some.

And I want to truss up Scott Conant and put a raw red onion in his mouth like a luau pig and use him as a damn centerpiece. Ass.

[HappyDancex2]

I think the food network is trying to make Amanda "work" so to speak and she doesn't quite fit the mold of quick format TV. All this stuff is a special skill IMO...she's not quite built for cooking competitions but they don't seem to have a large pool of female chefs to choose from that want to be branded by FN. I like her...she also seems genuine and over the years we have not seen her stray into a drama braying cheftestant.

I think they are trying to soften Alex...they actually edit her smiling now!

[DeLurker]

Good night, Irene, Marc is even more annoying as a contestant than a judge.  I wish he'd been gone after the first round, but it was obvious it was going to be Amanda.  Too bad; I really like her.

I had not seen Marc outside of being a judge on the Show and he's always rather severe then.  I found him delightfully goofy during this ep.

 

Ted got to eat something!

That thrilled me!  I love Ted.

 

I turned it off after Amanda and Marc were eliminated.  Alex and Aaron can be too acerbic for me.

[Crucial]

I had not seen Marc outside of being a judge on the Show and he's always rather severe then.  I found him delightfully goofy during this ep.

 

That thrilled me!  I love Ted.

 

I turned it off after Amanda and Marc were eliminated.  Alex and Aaron can be too acerbic for me.

I liked Marc this one (and on Guys Grocery Games too).  I guess I just like his personality.  I thought he was having fun but I can see him annoying some.

 

I almost turned off because I thought Alex would be crowned (I like her now but she gets by I think too much in these competitions - Guys Grocery Games too).  I wanted Aaron to win so I am glad he did.

[nitrofishblue]

I like Amanda. She just seems to be so down-to-earth than the others. Plus her comments to the competitors are right on point been done nicely. Alex bugs the h*** out of me. I have never been able to warm up to her. The same is true for Scott.

 

I am on the fence with Aaron. His appearance lately is strange. He seems to look very tired. I get a kick out of Mark. He looks like he would be a fun companion.

[cooksdelight]

Just a reminder -- or warning, if you will -- that there is a special Teen Tournament starting tonight.

Wonder who will be there, recycled from another young people cooking show?

[Hero]

I hate kids/ teens on cooking competitions, or cooking shows in general. I will not be watching this one.

[GaT]

I watched. I didn't care.

[spiderpig]

I hate kids/ teens on cooking competitions, or cooking shows in general. I will not be watching this one.

 

I agree.  They come across as self-important little wannabes.  I don't watch Masterchef Jr. & I don't want to watch this, but it came on my cable by default.  Yuk.