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Masterchef (US) - General Discussion


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10 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Barbies voice is too baby like to be real. It’s practiced to seduce the man with aren’t I adorable routine? And her fake crying with delicate dabs at the tears. Girl has me in tears from laughing.

And the thing his, she seems like she could be a nice person under all of that fakery. But I simply find her annoying. 

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I crack up every time they start the episode with the contestant in their white aprons.  Then they are instructed to remove the aprons and put on the black aprons. So artificially ceremonial. It makes me remember the seasons where the judges each chose contestants and gave them an apron.  And every episode would give some solemn mention whose apron a contestant was wearing.

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11 minutes ago, NowVoyager said:

Subha & his shrugging shoulders annoys me. He makes some delicious sounding food in the individual challenges, but in the team challenges, I would be ready to strangle him. There. I said it. I'm a bitch.

He just marches to a different drummer. Yes he does better in individual challenges and is so annoying in team challenges, but he is a good cook. It is like he is going through the plan in his head and knows he will get done in time, his time, despite all of Gordon's rude yelling at him

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I like Shuba. He tries to cook his best and fusion Cajun and Indian food, no easy feat.

I hate team challenges, specially when some of the chefs want to be the center of attention.

I hate working in teams in my daytime job too. Just tell me what you want, how do you want it and when do you want it and let me alone. I will take care of it.

11 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

He just marches to a different drummer. Yes he does better in individual challenges and is so annoying in team challenges, but he is a good cook. It is like he is going through the plan in his head and knows he will get done in time, his time, despite all of Gordon's rude yelling at him

We don’t really know if he is really annoying or really disrupting in team challenges or that is the way they want us to see him.

Edited by El maestro
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On 8/15/2019 at 9:22 PM, preeya said:

Was there a sale on wild boar meat at the Incredible & Stunning Masterchef grocery store?

Damn. Damn.  I do not hunt.  It freaks me out.  But I have hunter friends.  We have a deal.  Bring me dead stuff in a cooler.  I don't open it, I go directly to the processor.  I pay the bill, then get meat back in white packages like nature intended.

Oh my!!! Wild boar is amazing!  It's lean and flavorful!  It tastes nothing like domestic pork.  It's so damn lean you have to add oil to the sausage!  

I am constantly asking why if wild boar is a varmint/scourge can't hunter dudes and food banks make a deal?  Jeez.  It's a lean, delicious protein.  I'd pick it over chicken any day.

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38 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

He just marches to a different drummer. Yes he does better in individual challenges and is so annoying in team challenges, but he is a good cook. It is like he is going through the plan in his head and knows he will get done in time, his time, despite all of Gordon's rude yelling at him

I wonder why Subha auditioned for the show in the first place.  If he watched, he would know the kinds of pressure he would be subjected to.  I suspect his wife auditioned for him, blinded by his tasty dishes, not thinking about what all else is involved, and Subha just couldn't disappoint his wife, so he's going along with it all and repeating "Thank you, chef.  Yes, chef."  Nobody has clearly identified themselves as this season's winner, so go Subha!

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I barely paid attention to this week's episodes. Fred is gone and usually for me when someone I root for is eliminated I don't pay as much attention to the show. I'm taken out of it. 

The first episode kind of went by in a blur for me. All I remember is a guest judge from Chicago who does neat things with food forgot his name lol. Only dishes I remember were Nick and Jamie's. Only reason I remember Nick's is because his was in a dough mixer. 

I'm really tired of seeing puree on dishes. I see it on every cooking competition. It doesn't make a dish look good. To me it looks like the dish took a big dump and is unappetizing to me. Wolfgang Puck said that every dish doesn't always need puree. Puree needs to be on the dish for a reason not there for decoration sake. 

IDK why Bri boasts about her plating. Her plating is mediocre and should have used a smaller plate for that sad looking pasta sausage dish. Boo hooing it up once again. Last week forgot the most important ingredient this week didn't highlight the sausage.

Micah's reduction on his plate looked like a crime scene, looked like someone was murdered. Shari needed to use a smaller plate too. When there's too much space on a plate it throws the portion of the dish off for me.

The sausage plating this week was generally bad across the board.  How many more lives does Bri have. She seriously needs to be eliminated. 

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13 hours ago, SweetSin said:

I barely paid attention to this week's episodes. Fred is gone and usually for me when someone I root for is eliminated I don't pay as much attention to the show. I'm taken out of it. 

The first episode kind of went by in a blur for me. All I remember is a guest judge from Chicago who does neat things with food forgot his name lol. Only dishes I remember were Nick and Jamie's. Only reason I remember Nick's is because his was in a dough mixer. 

The sausage plating this week was generally bad across the board.  How many more lives does Bri have. She seriously needs to be eliminated. 

Micah copied chef Achantz dish and he couldn’t stop brown nosing him about how he is his culinary hero. The next day Micah plated his food like a prison tray, but the judges gave Jamie a bad time about his plating. 

Plating sausage is not difficult, but we know the judges are going to be picky no matter what you do.

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At this point I'm just watching for the Aaronisms.

"Look at how it's hugging the casing."

"Heavy brooding light and fresh."

"Your presentation had grandiose ideas,"

"Look at how it's conceptualized."

Edited by Brookside
Because of weird copy and paste madness.
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On 8/15/2019 at 6:49 AM, cameron said:

Just looked Subha up on LinkedIn and he's been in the IT field for 29 plus years .  Currently works at Cigna.  There goes the chemical engineer theory.

Thanks for posting that.  I actually have contacts in common with Subha on Linkedin having worked in IT and health insurance in the same area.  I think one of my old bosses was his boss at one time.  I've been rooting for him all along but now I want him to win all the more.  I too have been seething over the way the judges, especially Gordon, have been treating him.  Subha has a BS in Chemical Engineering.  I think that qualifies him to call himself one.  I still consider myself a "Theologian/Metaphysician" because I have a BA in Philosophy/Theology even though I never used either in my career.

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On 8/15/2019 at 6:36 PM, TzuShih said:

AND, also, I missed out on the explanation of the little 'hanging pail.'  Can anyone explain what was its intention?   (Nick's creation could very well have been stunning - but the viewers deserved to at least share in what made the judges go gaga.) 

P.S.  On the bright side, it reminded me of the 'olden days' when kids went to Jahn's Ice Cream Parlour and devoured its number one crowd pleaser:  The Kitchen Sink  (A little bit of everything delicious! Out of 30 locations, there's only one left....in Queens, NY.) ☹️

OMG, I thought the SAME THING when I saw that metal bowl!!  I grew up in the Bronx and went to Jahn's there all the time.  In fact, Mr. Yeah No and I had our first date there.  I also thought his dish was mildly reminiscent of their other concoction the "Twosday" - a smaller version of the Kitchen Sink with two chocolate ice cream sodas on the sides with the silver bowl of ice cream in the middle with just about every flavor thrown in there like some kind of abstract art!  Thanks for bringing back a memory!

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21 hours ago, SweetSin said:

The first episode kind of went by in a blur for me. All I remember is a guest judge from Chicago who does neat things with food forgot his name lol. Only dishes I remember were Nick and Jamie's. Only reason I remember Nick's is because his was in a dough mixer. 

I'm really tired of seeing puree on dishes. I see it on every cooking competition. It doesn't make a dish look good. To me it looks like the dish took a big dump and is unappetizing to me. Wolfgang Puck said that every dish doesn't always need puree. Puree needs to be on the dish for a reason not there for decoration sake. 

IDK why Bri boasts about her plating. Her plating is mediocre and should have used a smaller plate for that sad looking pasta sausage dish. Boo hooing it up once again. Last week forgot the most important ingredient this week didn't highlight the sausage.

Micah's reduction on his plate looked like a crime scene, looked like someone was murdered. Shari needed to use a smaller plate too. When there's too much space on a plate it throws the portion of the dish off for me.

The sausage plating this week was generally bad across the board.  How many more lives does Bri have. She seriously needs to be eliminated. 

ITA, I thought almost every dish looked completely unappetizing like the cooks were stretched too far with their creativity and were trying too hard.  Too much puree that looked like baby vomit and violent crime scenes.  On top of that the judges' criticisms seemed too harsh in some cases and too lenient in others.  It's especially obvious when they criticize the way a dish looks because we can see that.  And it didn't seem to add up.  I felt like they were gunning to find something wrong with Subha's dish but were going overboard to praise Micah's.  I didn't think his composition was so great.  Something about the way the judges acted felt disingenuous in this episode.  Every season I often feel that they are slanted in favor some contestants for no good reason and against others.  Obviously Subha is a much better cook than they are acting like he is.  I felt like they were reaching to find something wrong with his sausage but then they acted forced to admit in the end that it tasted really good.  But they do it like they don't want to do it.  Meanwhile with others they may criticize the appearance of the dish but balance it out by giving great praise to the taste.  With Subha they admit it tastes good at the very end like it doesn't matter so much.  What BS.

Edited by Yeah No
Grammar.
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12 minutes ago, jumper sage said:

I am ready for Bri to go home.  She cries every episode.  I don't like when the kids cry and I really don't like when she cries.  Boo Hoo get out.

The kids are kids for goodness sake, they can't control their emotions like an adult can. Bri is a grown a$$ adult and should be able to control herself. I think the tears are  just as phony as the Barbri persona she is portraying.

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On 8/17/2019 at 12:37 AM, hhawks said:

I wonder why Subha auditioned for the show in the first place.  If he watched, he would know the kinds of pressure he would be subjected to.  I suspect his wife auditioned for him, blinded by his tasty dishes, not thinking about what all else is involved, and Subha just couldn't disappoint his wife, so he's going along with it all and repeating "Thank you, chef.  Yes, chef."  Nobody has clearly identified themselves as this season's winner, so go Subha!

Cash prize is $100,000? I assume everyone is there for the $.

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On 8/14/2019 at 8:04 PM, susannot said:

Hmmm.  This should be interesting.  Achatz is a higher end chef than they usually get on the show.

Yeah, although they did once have Daniel Boulud as a guest judge in the finale a few years ago.  And of course there's Puck if you want to consider him in that category too.  But it's so rare they're all I can think of.

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On 8/16/2019 at 6:19 PM, hhawks said:

Good to know.  I've been wondering lately how much actual coaching and help they get.  It just doesn't seem possible for them to make up recipes for dishes they know nothing about.

after watching the Great British Bake Off you can tell they had recipes because with cake you just have to. 

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On 8/17/2019 at 12:37 AM, hhawks said:

I wonder why Subha auditioned for the show in the first place.  If he watched, he would know the kinds of pressure he would be subjected to.  I suspect his wife auditioned for him, blinded by his tasty dishes, not thinking about what all else is involved, and Subha just couldn't disappoint his wife, so he's going along with it all and repeating "Thank you, chef.  Yes, chef."  Nobody has clearly identified themselves as this season's winner, so go Subha!

Yes, or perhaps he just wants the the confidence to free himself from the shackles of "soul-less, hum-drum corporate America", so he can go open an Indian restaurant. Hopefully he knows someone that could handle opening a business like that because I don't think he'd make a great owner.

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On 8/17/2019 at 4:16 AM, SweetSin said:

I'm really tired of seeing puree on dishes. I see it on every cooking competition. It doesn't make a dish look good. To me it looks like the dish took a big dump and is unappetizing to me. Wolfgang Puck said that every dish doesn't always need puree. Puree needs to be on the dish for a reason not there for decoration sake. 

Preach.  It looks like baby food to me.  Why would I want any root vegetable pureed when it could be roasted and seasoned?

I get that it's there sometimes for moisture or to drag a protein through.  I'd much prefer a side dipping or pouring sauce.  It's almost like NOT having a schmear will get you tossed off MC.

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12 hours ago, Yeah No said:

 Obviously Subha is a much better cook than they are acting like he is.  I felt like they were reaching to find something wrong with his sausage but then they acted forced to admit in the end that it tasted really good.  But they do it like they don't want to do it. 

He isn't good with the organizational skills and functioning as part of a team. He food tasting good is the reason he is still here.

Edited by eel21788
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2 minutes ago, zillabreeze said:

Preach.  It looks like baby food to me.  Why would I want any root vegetable pureed when it could be roasted and seasoned?

When I order a vegetable in a restaurant, I expect to get a portion that qualifies as a full serving according to the ADA, not one tablespoon smeared across the plate.

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5 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

When I order a vegetable in a restaurant, I expect to get a portion that qualifies as a full serving according to the ADA, not one tablespoon smeared across the plate.

I'm also figuring that if I live long enough,  someday puree may not be a choice 😁

I'd like to taste and chew for now, thank you.

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13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

ITA, I thought almost every dish looked completely unappetizing like the cooks were stretched too far with their creativity and were trying too hard.  Too much puree that looked like baby vomit and violent crime scenes.  On top of that the judges' criticisms seemed too harsh in some cases and too lenient in others.  It's especially obvious when they criticize the way a dish looks because we can see that.  And it didn't seem to add up.  I felt like they were gunning to find something wrong with Subha's dish but were going overboard to praise Micah's.  I didn't think his composition was so great.  Something about the way the judges acted felt disingenuous in this episode.  Every season I often feel that they are slanted in favor some contestants for no good reason and against others.  Obviously Subha is a much better cook than they are acting like he is.  I felt like they were reaching to find something wrong with his sausage but then they acted forced to admit in the end that it tasted really good.  But they do it like they don't want to do it.  Meanwhile with others they may criticize the appearance of the dish but balance it out by giving great praise to the taste.  With Subha they admit it tastes good at the very end like it doesn't matter so much.  What BS.

Suhba and Noah are the Cinderellas in this competition. No matter how well they cook, they are never good enough.

Micah and Dorian seem to be the darlings of the judges. They always find some redemption in their dishes.

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8 hours ago, zillabreeze said:

Preach.  It looks like baby food to me.  Why would I want any root vegetable pureed when it could be roasted and seasoned?

I know!  The only time I puree is for the babies in the family.

8 hours ago, zillabreeze said:

I'm also figuring that if I live long enough,  someday puree may not be a choice 😁

I'd like to taste and chew for now, thank you.

🤣

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I feel like, when a technique is demonstrated and then expectations for what makes a good final product are explained, that should be part of the judging. Sure, Subha finished plating everything, but he paid so little attention to the sausage at the front half that he was rushed making them, and then they exploded while cooking because he had too much air in them. So basically he was NOT successful in making sausage--and even though the judges commented on it while it was happening, they didn't say anything about it while they were tasting and judging the plate.

I feel that winners in previous seasons have shown a progression throughout, they demonstrate that they're learning and growing as they get deeper into the competition. Subha's food may taste good but it seems like he doesn't pay attention to the details that all the other contestants beat themselves up over. He doesn't really listen, but he's a good enough cook to stumble away from elimination. In that, I don't think he's much better than that tool from Brooklyn (or maybe NYC) that they got rid of earlier in the season, who refused to learn anything and thought he entered Masterchef already at the knowledge and execution level of a crowned Masterchef. Subha just isn't an outward egotistical jerk like the other douchecanoe was. 

Edited by dvr devotee
Using too much douche is not a good thing
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This will never happen .... but unless there are blind taste testings in these types of food competition shows, the true winner of having the best plating, best tasting, best all around dish will never be known.

They are all scripted reality shows and I often think the winner is pre-ordained from the time they all walk on the stage for the first time. They decide who is the most photogenic, best all-around person to appeal to the masses and crown them the winner.

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On 7/25/2019 at 5:05 PM, adhoc said:

Hey, for those of you who did not get the "Kwanzaa cake" reference, click this link to see the actual show clip.   I noticed there are also a couple of other youtube clips from viewers who tried to make that stunning cake!

I am new to MasterChef.  I started in the infamous SEASON FRIGGIN 10 and I am really enjoying this forum and its members.

I had not heard of this cake, or attempt to make this "gourmet" cake before.  @Adhoc, thanks for the giggles with sharing this video for us "ignorant bakers".  It really made my day. 

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9 hours ago, dvr devotee said:

I feel that winners in previous seasons have shown a progression throughout, they demonstrate that they're learning and growing as they get deeper into the competition. Subha's food may taste good but it seems like he doesn't pay attention to the details that all the other contestants beat themselves up over. He doesn't really listen, but he's a good enough cook to stumble away from elimination. In that, I don't think he's much better than that tool from Brooklyn (or maybe NYC) that they got rid of earlier in the season, who refused to learn anything and thought he entered Masterchef already at the knowledge and execution level of a crowned Masterchef. Subha just isn't an outward egotistical jerk like the other douchecanoe was. 

Subha might be better than that egotistical jerk if attitude is also a measure of overall MC-worthiness.  But I agree with you that Subha lacks in the technical detail department.  Then again, as with artists and musicians, technical deficiencies can often be overcome through teaching and practice.  Innate artistic ability is unteachable, and therefore may be worth more "points" on some kind of abstract measure the judges may be using in their heads to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each contestant and their dishes.  It looks to me like the judges realize that in spite of Subha's technical deficiencies, he is off the charts in creating a tasty dish and that outweighs those technical deficiencies by a mile.  As much as they hate to admit that, they still have to.  So he must really create some amazingly good tasting dishes.

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2 hours ago, Maccagirl said:

I am new to MasterChef.  I started in the infamous SEASON FRIGGIN 10 and I am really enjoying this forum and its members.

I had not heard of this cake, or attempt to make this "gourmet" cake before.  @Adhoc, thanks for the giggles with sharing this video for us "ignorant bakers".  It really made my day. 

Welcome aboard!

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2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

It looks to me like the judges realize that in spite of Subha's technical deficiencies, he is off the charts in creating a tasty dish and that outweighs those technical deficiencies by a mile.  As much as they hate to admit that, they still have to.  So he must really create some amazingly good tasting dishes.

 

Especially with their inflated egos and snobbery.

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11 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

They are all scripted reality shows and I often think the winner is pre-ordained from the time they all walk on the stage for the first time. They decide who is the most photogenic, best all-around person to appeal to the masses and crown them the winner.

I'm half inclined to agree but then I think about some of the past winners like Claudia (ugh) and whatshisname with the hat and I doubt it.  I liked Dino but I wouldn't think he'd have mass appeal.  If all they wanted was photogenic and able to represent the brand, they would have crowned Leslie who was both of those things plus a great cook.  I'm still mad that he didn't win.

I don't know what they're going for this season.  Subha is a good cook but he doesn't handle working under pressure and time constraints while surrounded by chaos.  Micah or cute college boy (Nick?) could be on an underdog wins arc although for different reasons.  Dorian isn't doing anything really special but the judges keep giving her a pass.  I don't know what to think.

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15 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

This will never happen .... but unless there are blind taste testings in these types of food competition shows, the true winner of having the best plating, best tasting, best all around dish will never be known.

They are all scripted reality shows and I often think the winner is pre-ordained from the time they all walk on the stage for the first time. They decide who is the most photogenic, best all-around person to appeal to the masses and crown them the winner.

In MC Canada, season 3 a contestant spent a lot of time saying that it was time that a (a person like the contestant) win MC Canada... guess what... that person won.

Edited by El maestro
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2 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I realized at the beginning of the last episode that I was rooting for Micah and Jamie, so of course they sent Jamie home. Sorry, Micah, hope that doesn't make you next.

Don’t worry, It won’t happen, Micah, Bri and Dorian seem to have a pass from the judges.

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Once again I am in the minority, but I find Subha unpleasantly arrogant. I get the impression that it is not that he gets flustered in the team competitions, but that he just ignores what he is told because he is right and everybody else is wrong. It is the same with the judges criticism. He hears it but ignores it and does his own thing. He is still in because he can be eliminated at any time. 

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On 8/18/2019 at 3:36 PM, eel21788 said:

He isn't good with the organizational skills and functioning as part of a team. He food tasting good is the reason he is still here.

And is food is a stretch at that.  Last challenge featured undercooked rice and burnt and burst sausage.  Also, he overcooked his lentils.  Lentils and rice are indigenous to his country and a mainstay.

3 hours ago, Dbolt said:

Once again I am in the minority, but I find Subha unpleasantly arrogant. I get the impression that it is not that he gets flustered in the team competitions, but that he just ignores what he is told because he is right and everybody else is wrong. It is the same with the judges criticism. He hears it but ignores it and does his own thing. He is still in because he can be eliminated at any time. 

Totally agree with your assessment.

22 hours ago, preeya said:

Especially with their inflated egos and snobbery.

Still have to take into account, his undercooked rice, burnt sausages, over spice desert, and overcooked lentils.

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55 minutes ago, cameron said:

And is food is a stretch at that.  Last challenge featured undercooked rice and burnt and burst sausage.  Also, he overcooked his lentils.  Lentils and rice are indigenous to his country and a mainstay.

His country is America.   However, I agree they are commonly used in cooking in his culture.

(I checked his Linked In and it looks like he came to the US in the late 80s, to go to LSU.  Also, he has an MBA from Cornell)

Edited by DEL901
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4 hours ago, Dbolt said:

Once again I am in the minority, but I find Subha unpleasantly arrogant. I get the impression that it is not that he gets flustered in the team competitions, but that he just ignores what he is told because he is right and everybody else is wrong. It is the same with the judges criticism. He hears it but ignores it and does his own thing. He is still in because he can be eliminated at any time. 

I think Subha is afraid that if he were to follow the judges' recommendations he would make even more mistakes and be even further behind time-wise, so he sticks to doing things the way he knows how to do them, for better or worse.  I don't think it's so much from any general arrogance but him knowing his own limitations and how to put out the best dish he can put out under the circumstances.  I think some of the resistance we're seeing is because he is struggling as it is and he thinks that having to do things differently at this point would make him struggle even more, not put out a better result.  That may come off a bit arrogant, but I don't see this reaction as a function of him thinking he knows better than they do.  I think it's the opposite, actually, that he knows he couldn't possibly live up to what they're asking from him without really messing up big time.  At least this way he can squeak by.  He knows how to survive, at least for now, until he really messes up.

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On ‎8‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 2:21 PM, jcbrown said:

I realized at the beginning of the last episode that I was rooting for Micah and Jamie, so of course they sent Jamie home. Sorry, Micah, hope that doesn't make you next.

Micah won't be the last cook standing because he has to be gifted a full scholarship to culinary school from Gordon Ramsey as he's being eliminated. Overall, it will make him ultimately the big winner, but he doesn't get the trophy.   

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6 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

Micah won't be the last cook standing because he has to be gifted a full scholarship to culinary school from Gordon Ramsey as he's being eliminated. Overall, it will make him ultimately the big winner, but he doesn't get the trophy.   

This could happen.

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I am rooting for Noah. I know blue collar types are not very popular now, but he has being very consistent in his cooking, even without the support of the

I think Shari is a very intriguing individual. Midwest lady who can cook traditional Indian food and several other special dishes.

This year contestants seem to be more down to earth after winners like Dino (ugh) or man with a hat Shaun (ugh).

Edited by El maestro
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