Past Seasons Discussion

[Mellowyellow]

Omg spot on @Myriad in your comparison of the Larissa win to Emma of S5.

Both are equally bad to me that I can't bring myself to watch this finale. 

Larissa can cook better but Emma seems like a much nicer person. I found Larissa's personality quite unpalatable actually to the point where I can't stand to watch her win. 

I can't put my finger on why I dislike her. She's not crazy like some of the Masterchef US contestants and yet I dislike her more. I think there's some sort of smug and sneaky lurking in her that I hate. 

[retrograde]

Who magazine is the one reporting Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone and Poh, though I have to say it is a very thin article with vague sourcing. Channel 10 is currently officially saying no decision has been made and that does seem more likely to me unless this has been in the works longer than it seems.

That said, I think it's plausible. Stone most recently hosted the ill-fated US version of My Kitchen Rules and is already a shill for Coles, Maggie did Great Australian Bake Off and is one of the most popular MC guest judges, and Poh's already part of the brand. 

Suggestions I've seen on Twitter that I like are Adam Liaw, Kylie Kwong and the yeti from Planet Cook.

Edited July 24, 2019 by retrograde

[Myriad]

Whoever the new judges are - and it's not for me to offer suggestions or judge any others' ones -, they'll be walking in big shoes and all of the audience and new contestants alike will need time to adjust to a new MasterChef style.

As I like to say in my everyday life, all things pass.  Better to go with the flow, not drown in it.

[katisha]

22 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I can't put my finger on why I dislike her. She's not crazy like some of the Masterchef US contestants and yet I dislike her more. I think there's some sort of smug and sneaky lurking in her that I hate. 

I get the impression that under the surface she isn't the nicest person at all so to me she comes across kind of fake?

[retrograde]

In semi-related news: Margaret Fulton -- Australia's original celebrity chef, who appeared in the very first season of MasterChef then went scorched earth -- has died.

[ppl]

Boo that Larissa won! Boo that Simon even made it into the top 3. Boo that Tim got back into the competition with a sad looking dish. Worst season ever. I'm just relieved that Simon didn't win. For all the people who have been talking about Larissa/Tessa being smug, I find Simon to be equally as smug and arrogant as Larissa.

Her meringue broke and she got 10/10 from all the judges? Really?

It's no secret that the judges don't care if you serve food 5-6 hours late in the last service challenge. Georgia from Season 7 served well behind the others but the judges didn't make a big deal out of it during tasting.

Not a fan of Simon at all. Most of the time he puts elements of a dish on the plate but never makes a complete dish. He's easily one of my disliked contestants of all time.

I've cooled on Tessa the past few episodes but I still wanted her to win over the others. I thought she would go a little bit out there with this challenge but she just went with flavours she knew.

Larissa screwed up royally with time management. She reminds me of Ben from S9. All he did was chuck different flavours and make it into ice cream. Big whoop.

I think the judges being dropped is both welcome and sad at the time. Gary/George/Matt had an easygoing friendship and that helped to carry the show but I find myself being turned off by Gary/George and Matt's favouritisms as the seasons progress. If the rumored judges' lineup is true, I don't think I will watch next season. Poh grates on my nerves and Maggie is only good in small doses. Curtis is a good replacement though but he's not a star in my eyes. He is more like a complementary piece than an absolute necessity. I dislike Matt Sinclair as well. Prawn heads and prawns. Enough said.

I don't think they should cast the judges based on diversity. They have to cast based on personality and relationships with each other. That's what made the show work.

[SnideAsides]

My thing with Curtis Stone is... like, why is he a thing? Why do people keep insisting he's popular? Because there's basically no evidence of it. He's hosted so many shows he's basically this generation's Larry Emdur, and the only ones that weren't total flops were Top Chef Masters (which had existing brand recognition and was already in its third season when he took over), My Restaurant Rules (where he was so bad he got fired and replaced with noted TV chef Dicko after one season), and Surfing the Menu (and Ben O'Donoghue is far better, if we're going to raid it for new judges). Everything else? Disaster.

[Mellowyellow]

I quite like Matt Moran (love the baking show and he's very solid on it) and I really like Luke Nguyen on his travel shows. Not sure how that'll translate to the MC format. 

Don't mind Curtis or Poh but not a fan of Maggie. She rings a bit false to me with her "aww shucks" demeanour. 

I used to dislike Poh but I watched her on her own show and she was a lot of fun. She was really scatty and funny.

[Myriad]

1 hour ago, Mellowyellow said:

(...)  but not a fan of Maggie. She rings a bit false to me with her "aww shucks" demeanour.

Funny you say this.  I do have the sane vibe.  Same for Nigella.  I may be wrong, but to me it's more about them being seen on the show rather than helping the show.  I'd add to the list Heston and the one-timer Gordon whose RAW  salmon was down in swimming in the ocean even though it was dead,

I would so loved to have seen Gordon's face at the sheer idea of a white chocolate velouté.  Mmmmm...

[themadman]

I can live with Poh and Curtis but I find Maggie Beer annoying with her whole Granny Goodness act (bonus points if you got that reference). Plus she can't handle a hint of chilli in her food and that's going to be a problem when judging. 

Honestly, I'm not cut up about the judges leaving. I've been questioning their judging for a while now, and when a finale dessert with a broken meringue gets a 10/10, I am fine with some fresh blood. 

I wish Larissa all the best with her probable ice cream truck venture in the future.

[PepperMonkey]

Goes without saying I shan't be watching this finale and actually, it's my least favourite win ever, and even including Emma, because the Emma season was so bad it was good from the standpoint of "TRAINWRECK: must watch!!!!!"

I am sad that Gary and Matt are gone, but if they are willing to lasso themselves to George's moon, then so be it I guess. I have no idea why Curtis Stone is a thing either, but he's been hosting cooking shows in the US forever so I'm sure he'd welcome hopping onto a successful, albeit waning, franchise. I don't find him gorgeous or that charming but I can tolerate him. I have never been a Poh fan, but some of you say she sparkles in some instances on television. I'm kind of judging from her appearance as a "mentor" on MC this past season and I was not impressed. Blasphemy ahead: I do not care for Maggie Beer at all. I find her extremely tedious and over the top goody two shoes and I'd rather have George back with Poh and Billie (YAWN) than have Maggie Beer. Matt Moran, original mentor for MC AU, I would LOVE to have as a judge. ((Is Great Australian Bake Off not on anymore?))

Anywho.... I didn't mind Sashi's win because he was such a nice guy and his family was so cute, and also if HE didn't win, it would have been Ben, but that season was lackluster for me. I held much hope for season 11, but this season was downright disappointing and overall meh. So it ends with a whimper and not a bang.

But I look forward to seeing you ALL on the Masterchef: The Professionals (UK) forum and I will still be counting the days until next season of AU. 

[Myriad]

1 hour ago, PepperMonkey said:

But I look forward to seeing you ALL on the Masterchef: The Professionals (UK) forum and I will still be counting the days until next season of AU. 

I'll be there, youppi!  Provided some kind soul lets me know of the beginning date.

And wherever we are in January, @PepperMonkey, I'll be thinking of you just like I did this last January.  Five, four, three, two, one month... "THAT'S IT!" Count down has begun! Heee!

[Athena]

3 hours ago, Myriad said:

I'll be there, youppi!  Provided some kind soul lets me know of the beginning date.

I or someone else will post the beginning date here. It usually starts around Oct/Nov.

I am so glad that I had to take a break from the show due to holidays and then never caught up. I really became tired of the repetitive challenges. I didn't feel connected to any of the contestants. I do like some aspects of this show, but like MKR, the seasons are too long. It's become a slog. I think they are running out of viable and interesting contestants to join these competitions. It's also why they push some "young" person every season.  The formula is overdone.

I don't have any feelings about the judges leaving. I never liked smug George. Gary was ok and I probably preferred Matt, but whatever. Don't let the door hit you out, boys. 

I'll check out a couple of eps of the S12 , but this show needs a big overhaul. 

[babs1226]

On 7/23/2019 at 9:40 PM, katisha said:

I keep reading that the replacement judges are Poh, Maggie Beer and Curtis Stone. The first two, maybe. But as was said upthread, Curtis Stone is way too successful, surely, to need the gig?

He may want to do something different?  He did show up twice this season.  Of the three you mentioned,he's the only one that I could see filling the shoes of Matt and the G's.  I have nothing against Maggie or Poh, but it's hard to imagine them in that role.

[babs1226]

13 hours ago, Athena said:

Gary was ok and I probably preferred Matt, but whatever. Don't let the door hit you out, boys. 

I realized today that I will really miss Matt's outfits!

[akr]

60 episodes of Curtis Stone seems like 50 too many to me. 

[Myriad]

7 hours ago, akr said:

60 episodes of Curtis Stone seems like 50 too many to me. 

You're very generous.  Half an episode would be enough on my side. 😄

[Myriad]

On 7/24/2019 at 11:49 AM, Athena said:

I or someone else will post the beginning date here. It usually starts around Oct/Nov.

Will you be the mod?  If you know. But thank you for posting the date here, it is appreciated.   And the link, maybe?

Edited July 25, 2019 by Myriad

[Athena]

5 minutes ago, Myriad said:

Will you be the mod?  If you know. But thank you for posting the date here, it is appreciated.   And the link, maybe?

Yes, I am the mod for the MC UK shows too. The old Masterchef (UK) forum and all its threads disappeared with the last update. We don't have a MC (UK): The Professionals thread yet, but I think we can create one based on the demand. Most of the time, it was only me and a couple of other posters chatting about it.

[TVbitch]

Yay, come on over, y'all! And don't forget to follow this thread and UK "with notifications" so you are alerted when it starts! 

[TVbitch]

I finally got to watch the finale:

Why is that woman snogging all over my Simon. Ugh, it is his dreaded Georgina, I don't need to see that!! ...Ooh, it's Shannon! Yay! Oh no, he's done that bloody hair cut where the bottom half of the head is shaved but there is still hair on the top. It makes his man bun teeny weeny. Why, Shannon, why?! But look, he is actually mentoring! There is mentoring happening in the Masterchef kitchen. It is a season 11 miracle!

Okay look, Lari won. I think the 10's were a bit much and unnecessary, but if I am honest, and you know it pains me to say it, I most wanted to eat her meal. That's just my truth, people. But I also think that with them having the choice between sad face Tessa and her safe meal and "the youngest winner ever with crazy flavors!!!" it was pretty much a forgone conclusion.

Tessa had the best technical performance. And Simon wins for Miss Congeniality. (I loved during the judges cook when he said his line to George but walked off in the wrong direction, giving everyone a good laugh. "I had one job!!")

As for the judges getting axed, I hope it's a good thing. I can't stand Curtis Stone. He's like a walking tree stump to me and I don't get why he is supposed to be so dreamy or charming. Maggie is good on the baking show, leave her there! Poh was a non-entity here and I can't imagine why they would think she would bring life to this. Whereas Matt brought... too much Matt. I will keep a light on for Shannon.   

[Myriad]

8 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Why is that woman snogging all over my Simon.

Hahaha!  I had about the same reaction.  "Leave him alone, you frigging control freak too happy to be on camera for no reason at all!"

[Myriad]

13 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Ooh, it's Shannon! Yay! Oh no, he's done that bloody hair cut where the bottom half of the head is shaved but there is still hair on the top. It makes his man bun teeny weeny. Why, Shannon, why?! But look, he is actually mentoring! There is mentoring happening in the Masterchef kitchen. It is a season 11 miracle!

You must be my lost sister, because the same thoughts went through my mind, the haircut, the welcome back and the TRUE mentoring.  I was beyond myself when I saw his face showing up through the door!

But that haircut, Shannon?  Doesn't look like you at fucking all.

I find myself very excited to see the next season (hello, @PepperMonkey! See you in January for the countdown!) with brand new judges. I'm guessing the producers will take this opportunity to invite all kinds of changes and turn the show around.  As long as they stick to the relay challenge, my favourite one, I'm all for a renewal.

[Myriad]

I had begun a rewatch before the finale, but since knowing that Lady of the Failed Pana Cotta has won, I refuse to ever never watch this season again.  Maybe @katisha could let us know of the reactions on Facebook, but were I ever on that crappy thing, it would be with a fist in the air. But I'm guessing the talking is more about the judges than the winner. And everybody hating George.

[akr]

Ben Trobbiani did an AMA (ask me anything) on reddit a few days ago & continues to pop in  to answer q's in the thread.  Just thought I'd point to it in case anyone is interested & hasn't seen it.  

[katisha]

Hello to all you MC AU fans out there.  So, we have some new judges.  Be interested to know what y'all think!

[TVbitch]

I'm all for it! Let the contestants be the stars. Thank god no Curtis or Poh! They have credentials, and hopefully they interviewed them enough to know that they have good personalities. They men are not bad to look at. 

I will kind of miss Matt and Gary, but the truth is, they were played out. ...based on the articles, the woman might be trouble. Looks like they are doing...

Spoiler

all stars season.  

[retrograde]

Interesting! I too am glad they didn't go with bigger names. Would've liked to see even more diversity but still better than the previous three. I think the most important thing is that they have good chemistry together and are good in front of the camera, which I suppose remains to be seen. 

[akr]

16 hours ago, retrograde said:

Interesting! I too am glad they didn't go with bigger names. Would've liked to see even more diversity but still better than the previous three. I think the most important thing is that they have good chemistry together and are good in front of the camera, which I suppose remains to be seen. 

Maybe starting with an all-star season will help them get their footing, too. I really liked Matt, George, & Gary but I'm willing to give these three a shot.  I just hope it doesn't become even  a little bit more like the US or Canadian versions, or even  the UK ones (which I like, but nowhere near as much as MCAU).  

[SnideAsides]

I hope it's not All-Stars. Not just because Andy's there as a judge and it would seem weird, but because you know this show's idea of "All Stars" nowadays is, like, Lynton the Ocker Stockman and Ice Cream Ben compared to the legitimately excellent casting for the first All-Stars miniseason.

I'm okay with the new judges, though it could definitely have been much better. In particular, Jock is that one white dude who got treated like the food messiah for appropriating bush tucker a couple of years back, and... like, if your show's been criticised for MORE THAN A DECADE about the lack of diversity on its judging panel, maybe that's not the right choice? Still, at least it's not Billie and Matt, so... a win for all concerned?

[katisha]

I am really hoping a woman being part of the judging panel will mean no more pretty little blondes getting away with week after week of frozen desserts.

Here's a brief interview with all three judges which hopefully the overseas viewers will be able to check out.

[WearyTraveler]

1 hour ago, katisha said:

I am really hoping a woman being part of the judging panel will mean no more pretty little blondes getting away with week after week of frozen desserts.

Here's a brief interview with all three judges which hopefully the overseas viewers will be able to check out.

Unfortunately, nothing from the domain 10 play can be watched overseas. If there's a press article one of you can share, I'd appreciate it.

Edited October 13, 2019 by WearyTraveler

[katisha]

15 minutes ago, WearyTraveler said:

Unfortunately, nothing from the domain 10 play can be watched overseas. If there's a press article one of you can share, I'd appreciate it.

No worries. 😊 Try these links.

[retrograde]

Matt and Gary are doing a new cooking competition on Channel 7 with Manu Feildel called "Plate of Origin." I tend to agree with this article that it is "the kind of pitch you come up with when you think of the pun-title first and the show second." Three white guys is also a questionable choice for a judging panel on a show purporting to compare different cuisines from around the world, though I can't even pretend to be surprised. (On the plus side, I like Manu but hate MKR, so that's something).

George will just have to stay home with his millions of dollars.

[TVbitch]

"cuisines from around the world are pitted against one another"

That does not even sound fun! It almost borders on sounding inappropriate! I mean, how is that not highly subjective?

[retrograde]

I'm really late to this (by Australian standards), but I just started watching The Chefs' Line on Netflix and highly recommend it.

If the reasons you like MC Australia (versus other reality cooking shows) are the positive judges, supportive competitors, lack of ~drama~ and the high standard of cooking -- but wish there was more diversity and fewer OTT "characters" dominating the screen -- check it out. The budget's a bit lower (it comes from one of the public broadcasters) and the pacing can be a little slow sometimes, but I think I like it more than MC now. 

To me, it's a much better representation of 21st century Australia and the food Australians eat than the often very Euro-centric MC. 

Also, it has one of the new Masterchef judges, Melissa Leong, and she's good! Really knowledgable and seems very natural in front of a camera. 

[TVbitch]

Hey all ya'll. Just dropping in to let you know that Masterchef The Professionals (UK) has begun airing. They are on episode 3. I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but I certainly will! It's a great one.

If anybody needs help finding the episodes, just shoot me a PM! Hope to catch some of you in the Masterchef UK forum soon.

[katisha]

On 10/29/2019 at 4:43 PM, retrograde said:

On the plus side, I like Manu but hate MKR, so that's something

I would watch Manu in anything (but not MKR) Phwoar! 😍🤪

[Athena]

18 hours ago, katisha said:

I would watch Manu in anything (but not MKR) Phwoar! 😍🤪

Can we start a petition? I really like Manu. He and Colin were the only things that made watching MKR almost worth it. 

[retrograde]

No sympathy for George, but this sucks for his staff.

Meanwhile, in the mixed blessings department, there will be no Heston this season, but there will be a whole week of Gordon Ramsay. 

[TVbitch]

I never liked George, but that's a shame for his staff.

I find Gordon more tolerable when he is outside the U.S. I guess he feels he has to be a over-acting buffoonish asshole to appeal to American audiences. 

I couldn't find a premier date?

[SnideAsides]

Probably in mid-April. Australian Survivor just started in its timeslot last week.

[akr]

11 minutes ago, SnideAsides said:

Probably in mid-April. Australian Survivor just started in its timeslot last week.

Usually it's first week of May, or occasionally the last week of April. Season two started earlier (4/19) & season 5 started later (6/2) but the rest were 4/27-5/7 (2 of those in April, 7 in May, for a total of 3 April, 7 May, 1 June). 

[retrograde]

For some reason Australian TV almost never gives concrete airdates until quite close to the actual premiere, I don't know why. 

[katisha]

Hi all! So here is the cast of returning contestants for the new season. Some good and not so good choices there.

[SnideAsides]

For those who can't be bothered sorting, here's how the cast looks on a season-by-season basis instead of alphabetically:

1: Poh (2nd), Chris (3rd)
2: Callum (2nd), Courtney (5th)
3: Dani (4th), Hayden (6th)
4: Ben (5th), Amina (11th)
5: Lynton (2nd)
6: Laura (2nd), Emelia (3rd), Tracy (5th)
7: Reynold (4th), Rose (10th)
8: Harry (3rd)
9: Ben (2nd), Sarah (6th)
10: Khanh (3rd), Jess (4th), Reece (6th), Brendan (9th), Sarah (10th)
11: Tessa (2nd), Simon (3rd)

Generally okay with this cast, but mostly because so many Masterchef people blend together that I can't tell if there's many big absences. Like obviously there's no winners, but aside from that the only people not included that seem like notable omissions are Justine, Marion, and Rishi? There are parts I'm not looking forward to, but if having to deal with tenth-place Rose and nearly a quarter of the season ten cast is the trade-off for justifying eleventh-place Amina and only having one person from season five, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Interestingly though, Courtney is the only one of the six eligible people who wasn't part of the first All-Stars season.

Edited February 19, 2020 by SnideAsides

[misgabi13]

I'm really excited for some of the returning contestants (Poh, Callum, Khanh, 'meat guy' etc) but there are definitely some I will be happy to see gone (Rose, mexican 'expert' Ben etc).

I do think having returning, known people is a clever way to launch the 'new' Masterchef.

Can't wait!

Especially as there will be actual cooking shown (unlike wretched MKR this year which is now a total travesty and rivals MAFS!!!!!).

[TVbitch]

I did not know it was a second chances seasons! I'm sure I will only remember a few of them, cuz my memory is shite.

Is it really fair to have Poh compete when she has now been a mentor and employee of the show?! 

[SnideAsides]

7 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Is it really fair to have Poh compete when she has now been a mentor and employee of the show?! 

No less fair than it is for Mexiben to be here while his best friend Andy is one of the new judges.

[retrograde]

Impressed they managed to convince people who've gone onto have legitimately successful post-MC careers like Poh and Reynold to risk going on this and losing. Not looking forward to Ben Ungermann's wacky ice creams every week again.

As the only person on the planet who liked the Australian MC: The Professionals, I think I'll like this format, though.