Worst Cooks In America - General Discussion

[Chyromaniac]

I don’t know if I believe that hockey cheerleader has been to Italy either.  While buongiorno may not literally mean hello, it is a standard greeting for pretty much anyone, whether you know them or not.  For the record it’s “good morning” (buonasera for good evening), so no- not “wrong, very wrong.”  From her clip you’d think he tried to pass off rigatoni as hello...

I’m sure she’s a lovely person in real life, but her shtick was wearing thin, so I’m fine with her leaving.  It’s a shame that we lost Ayesha, but bartender Amber is still my favorite this season so I’m happy she stuck around.  It was nice to see basically all the risottos turn out fine.  It’s not the most complicated dish, but it does require patience and attention - two valuable qualities for cooking.

[ConcernedCitizen]

On 2/2/2021 at 1:15 PM, Rahul said:

This show used to be absolutely hilarious. I remember laughing very hard the first couple of seasons, and that is an extremely difficult feat for a TV show (or anyone really) to accomplish with me.

I think the zaniness has been toned down a lot this year, which has helped tremendously. At one point this show was beyond silly. All the most over-the-top contestants have already been eliminated. There aren't any characters who annoy the crap out of me like Domaine or that Armenian Kim Kardashian wannabe from last season. 

I find myself chuckling at Ayesha's shtick. She's very aware of the performative aspect needed to make the most of her camera time, but never crosses that line into being vexatious. 

Agree with everything you said, particularly about the Armenian Kim Kardashian wannabe —  watching her is as painful as stubbing your toe on the end table. But disagree on the Domaine bit. Domaine is in fact the most popular and well-loved Worst Cooks in America alumni from a non-celebrity season for a reason. When I think of annoying characters from the previous season, on top of the annoying Armenian loudmouth, I think of the guy who cried all the time. Or the currently *suspected* murderer Ari. Not Domaine. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Wait, which one was the "Armenian Kim Kardashian wannabe?" Was it that weird girl who hit on Bobby? 

Domaine is ok by me. 

[mlp]

WC has been moved to Discovery+.  I signed up because all the FN shows I watch seem to have been switched but I can't for the life of me figure out how to find a NEW episode or see what time it will be on.  I can't even find a decent explanation of how to use the site.  This show and others will tank if it's this hard to figure out.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

It's not on today because of the game. It's on next week. If they move it to Discovery+ during the middle of a season, they can kiss my scrawny ass. 

[chessiegal]

Usually the network announces when they are moving a show to plus. I haven't heard that about WC. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Apparently the two episodes of that aftershow were just a teaser; now it's on +. That said, my DVR & tv listing both show this on next week. 

[Maverick]

 Yes, the aftershow is exclusive to D+ but I don't think even Discovery is dumb enough to move a show in the middle of a season.   If they moved it to D+, regardless of timing, it wouldn't make me consider getting it.   This show is so long in the tooth and all the seasons already blend together.  It's pretty much rinse and repeat every (half) year.   It's why I quit watching Hell's Kitchen years ago,   How many times can you watch supposedly trained chefs screw up Wellington and risotto. 

[mlp]

Thanks for the comments.  Maybe the current season will continue on FN.  WC is on D+ but only seasons 1-8 as far as I can tell.  

 

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

10 hours ago, Superclam said:

Wait, which one was the "Armenian Kim Kardashian wannabe?" Was it that weird girl who hit on Bobby? 

Domaine is ok by me. 

See? Like I said, she wasn’t memorable. Ha. It was the superficial one with Chef Alex, the one that only cared about her makeup and “expensive” extensions. In terms of annoyance level, she is indeed on par with that weird girl from a different season who hit on Bobby.

[Mr. Sparkle]

21 minutes ago, ConcernedCitizen said:

See? Like I said, she wasn’t memorable. Ha. It was the superficial one with Chef Alex, the one that only cared about her makeup and “expensive” extensions. In terms of annoyance level, she is indeed on par with that weird girl from a different season who hit on Bobby.

You're right, because I had to go look her up. She looks familiar, but I don't remember any of her antics. Her instagram page is as filtered as can be. 

[ConcernedCitizen]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

You're right, because I had to go look her up. She looks familiar, but I don't remember any of her antics. Her instagram page is as filtered as can be. 

LMFAO I didn’t know, I don’t follow her. Now that you mentioned it, I’m glad I don’t. Thanks for the warning. That’s why you can imagine my disappointment when they paired them on the aftershow. I refuse to believe someone of Domaine’s level would allow a fame-chaser to piggyback on her success and be her supposed “best friend.” That’s probably just for the show. Reality TV, am I right? Ha.

 

[Yeah No]

The aftershow has moved Discovery+?  Where?  I looked everywhere and didn't find it.  BTW, Discovery+ has WC all the way up to the present season (21), but it's a week behind.

[ConcernedCitizen]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The aftershow has moved Discovery+?  Where?  I looked everywhere and didn't find it.  BTW, Discovery+ has WC all the way up to the present season (21), but it's a week behind.

Yeah, the aftershow Worst Cooks in America: Dirty Dishes has been permanently moved to Discovery+ after airing a couple of episodes on Food Network. Another cash-grabbing casualty.
 

Also, Season 20 of Worst Cooks is now pulled-out of all platforms, including Discovery+, in the light of the recent events that plagued it’s season’s winner. Google it, or scroll a couple of pages back for more info.

[ConcernedCitizen]

Warning: Sensitive Content

Video of Bond Hearing for Ariel Robinson (Worst Cooks in America Season 20 Winner). A judge denied bond for her Friday morning, as she faces charges of homicide in the death of a 3-year-old child.

[Fostersmom]

I'm not going to watch the bond hearing, but I just read she's claiming the child died after drinking too much water and the signs of abuse and trauma were from trying to save her with the Heimlich. What the actual fuck? The husband is claiming she regularly hit the little girl. 

[Grizzly]

Baloney Cameron was the best cake on the red team. Mikayla clearly had the best looking cake.

Love seeing Zac.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, Grizzly said:

Baloney Cameron was the best cake on the red team. Mikayla clearly had the best looking cake.

I don't remember what Anne tried to say to justify Mikayla being eliminated over JJ but it didn't make much sense. Unless she needed JJ as a patsy to get Chandalay (?) into the finale. Has a team swap member ever won?

[Leeds]

Does anyone know when this was filmed?  That smashing their faces in the same cakes would be disgusting at the best of times, but if it was filmed during the pandemic it would be truly unforgivable.

[Chyromaniac]

On 2/14/2021 at 10:09 PM, LexieLily said:

I don't remember what Anne tried to say to justify Mikayla being eliminated over JJ but it didn't make much sense. Unless she needed JJ as a patsy to get Chandalay (?) into the finale.

Chandali is currently on the Blue Team - it’s down to JJ and Cameron on Red.  Anne said McKayla’s dish was undersauced overall, and the flavors of the squash medley were muted.  It seems like Anne expected her to combine the veg into the sauce.  I suppose she could have actually suggested that, but maybe McKayla said something to her about being inspired by ratatouille- I think that was at least mentioned in a talking head.  If so, I would get why Anne might assume that was understood.  Regardless, that was apparently worse than the other two, who mostly had inconsistent pasta.  But yeah, I’m going to miss McKayla.

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

Does anyone know when this was filmed?  That smashing their faces in the same cakes would be disgusting at the best of times, but if it was filmed during the pandemic it would be truly unforgivable.

They’re running around without masks, and no distancing - I don’t think that a face full of cake is going to make much of a difference.  I’m not sure whether this was recorded during the pandemic or not, although I suspect it was.  It felt like FN blew through all the series that they had in the can pretty early in the lockdown.  This show also has a 2021 copyright, which can sometimes be an indication- at one point Fox was showing Hells Kitchen seasons at least a year past when they were produced.  Given that this had the current year, it’s probably a solid bet that it was a recent shoot.  In any case, reality casts are usually sequestered anyway- but hopefully they took extra precautions to keep everyone involved safe.

[seacliffsal]

It seemed like Carla basically gave her one team member the recipe for carrot cake cupcakes as she told her all of the spices, etc., that were a part of it instead of letting the contestant figure it out since that was what she wanted to make (forgot the contestant's name).  Maybe playing favorites?

I really wanted Makaela to stay as Cameron is a bit too much for me, but her pasta did not look good.

I'm rooting for the bartender to win.

[SilverLake0315]

I have a feeling the final two will end up being Amber and Cameron. If so, I'll definitely be rooting for Amber (I probably would even if it was Amber and JJ). Cameron is just... too much for me  haha 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Amber is by far my favorite of the remaining. I'll be annoyed if she doesn't make the finals. 

[jcbrown]

I like the guy on Anne's team who is not Cameron. Says something that there are two episodes left and I don't know his name. JJ, maybe? Cameron is okay but he is A LOT. He would be better if he could turn it down from 11 every once in a while.

I'm still liking Carla in this role. Her calm demeanor is a nice counterpoint to Anne. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

56 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

I don't know his name. JJ, maybe?

Yes, JJ. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. 

[mlp]

I've liked Amber right from the start and I can't imagine that Carla won't choose her for the finale.  I like both of the guys but I'm partial to JJ.  He seems genuine and like a nice guy in real life.  He does have trouble getting finished on time but I think he's more apt to settle down and take the cooking in the finale seriously.

Carla has been a good addition to this show and she and Anne seem to work very well together.  

[SilverLake0315]

15 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I'm still liking Carla in this role. Her calm demeanor is a nice counterpoint to Anne. 

ITA. I was annoyed that Carla was going to be on yet another show, but this is the most I've liked her in what feels like a long time.

[Grizzly]

If Anne manages to win the finale with the 2 she has left, I'm calling major shenanigans.

[ConcernedCitizen]

Oh wow. So Domaine just posted these on her Instagram Story. Could she be alluding to a future Worst Cooks in America - All-Stars season?! Are they showing a preview after the finale episode or something?! We need answers!

[Mr. Sparkle]

7 hours ago, ConcernedCitizen said:

Could she be alluding to a future Worst Cooks in America - All-Stars season?!

Dear G-d no!!! 

[Grizzly]

YES, I can sleep tonight knowing the least annoying, more deserving cook won.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Yes! And Anne lost too! 

[ConcernedCitizen]

6 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Yes! And Anne lost too! 

Wow. Back to back losses for Anne. She’s going to be real hungry for a win next season.

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 2/27/2021 at 12:39 AM, ConcernedCitizen said:

Oh wow. So Domaine just posted these on her Instagram Story. Could she be alluding to a future Worst Cooks in America - All-Stars season?! Are they showing a preview after the finale episode or something?! We need answers!

Wait, did I miss something? I didn't see a familiar face. 

[ConcernedCitizen]

1 minute ago, Superclam said:

Wait, did I miss something? I didn't see a familiar face. 

Indeed you did! It was a commercial for an upcoming all-stars season! I knewwwww it! I knew it! I knew it!

[ConcernedCitizen]

Just now, ConcernedCitizen said:

Indeed you did! It was a commercial for an upcoming all-stars season! I knewwwww it! I knew it! I knew it!

In here, Domaine is obviously the one on the left.  Then Joey from this season. Then Lulu from two seasons back. I don’t know who the last one is. I also saw the black woman from this season who got eliminated early. Aside from Domaine, I’m particularly excited about Michael Symon.

[LexieLily]

Best of the Worst: judging by the screencap @ConcernedCitizen posted it seems like they mean "Best of the Worst" as the most awful contestants, but I would have preferred a season of the competent ones, ones that have learned the most and/or took what they learned from the show and learned more.

I'm also interested on who they consider to be All-Stars and how far back they'll go, season-wise, to retrieve people.

[ConcernedCitizen]

3 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Best of the Worst: judging by the screencap @ConcernedCitizen posted it seems like they mean "Best of the Worst" as the most awful contestants, but I would have preferred a season of the competent ones, ones that have learned the most and/or took what they learned from the show and learned more.

I'm also interested on who they consider to be All-Stars and how far back they'll go, season-wise, to retrieve people.

Well, the title IS “Best of the Worst,” but I think the definition is too broad so at this point we can only assume why they invited back who. Joey and Domaine are there probably because they have a huge fanbase and following, with the latter being a part of Food Network history as their first trans person ever. Joey didn’t make it far in his season so they probably thought he needs more training. Domaine made it past the halfway point of her (now-doomed) season and her elimination was unjustified and kind of a shock, so that could be for a redeeming storyline. Lulu is a crazy old woman with a personality good for TV. The rest, I have no idea.

[Mr. Sparkle]

11 hours ago, ConcernedCitizen said:

Indeed you did! It was a commercial for an upcoming all-stars season! I knewwwww it! I knew it! I knew it!

Lol, I definitely missed that! Was it after Bobby Flay's show started? It's on my DVR, I'll look for it. 

I'm glad they're giving us an almost 2 month break instead of starting the new season next week. No "celebrity" version this year? 

Who is that bald guy? What happened to Carla, or Alex G. for that matter? 

[Rabbittron]

35 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Lol, I definitely missed that! Was it after Bobby Flay's show started? It's on my DVR, I'll look for it. 

I'm glad they're giving us an almost 2 month break instead of starting the new season next week. No "celebrity" version this year? 

Who is that bald guy? What happened to Carla, or Alex G. for that matter? 

The bald guy is Michael Symon host and judge on The Food Network programs

[emmawoodhouse]

6 hours ago, Superclam said:

Lol, I definitely missed that! Was it after Bobby Flay's show started? It's on my DVR, I'll look for it. 

I'm glad they're giving us an almost 2 month break instead of starting the new season next week. No "celebrity" version this year? 

Who is that bald guy? What happened to Carla, or Alex G. for that matter? 

The promo commercial was near the end of the episode. I almost missed it as I change the channel during breaks. 

[jcbrown]

20 hours ago, Superclam said:

Yes! And Anne lost too! 

That's right! I was so happy that Carla and Amber won that I forgot to also be happy that Anne lost. I will say that is seem to me that Anne was a little less hyper-competetive this season. I'm still happy to see her lose.

[Mr. Sparkle]

2 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

The promo commercial was near the end of the episode. I almost missed it as I change the channel during breaks. 

It's weird, because now that I went and watched it, I remember seeing the chicken with its head on, which of course is a Worst Cooks classic. I only recognized Lulu, I didn't see Domaine, but obviously she's in this. 

[mlp]

I was very happy that Amber won.  She was my favorite right from the start and she acted like a normal person rather than some kook willing to do or say anything to be on TV.  I liked her relationship with Carla too.  It seemed genuine rather than scripted.  

I also liked JJ a lot and I was quite surprised when Anne chose Cameron instead.  Then, when she chose oysters that had to be shucked in a short time and under pressure, I wondered about her motivation.  

[jcbrown]

12 minutes ago, mlp said:

I liked her relationship with Carla too.  It seemed genuine rather than scripted.  

I enjoyed that, too. I was thinking about this again and one thing I forgot to comment on is that once again, Anne chose a chef-fy menu that was all about her (nothing against chef-fy food, it just doesn't make sense for amateur "worst cooks"), whereas Carla chose dishes that resonated with Amber's background and taste. I vastly prefer the latter approach.

[ConcernedCitizen]

2 hours ago, jcbrown said:

That's right! I was so happy that Carla and Amber won that I forgot to also be happy that Anne lost. I will say that is seem to me that Anne was a little less hyper-competetive this season. I'm still happy to see her lose.

Can we just have Anne keep on losing at this point? 

[ConcernedCitizen]

12 hours ago, Superclam said:

I'm glad they're giving us an almost 2 month break instead of starting the new season next week. No "celebrity" version this year? 

Who is that bald guy? What happened to Carla, or Alex G. for that matter? 

I’m guessing they substituted this for the celebrity season instead. Food Network knows their audience and they’re counting on this risk paying off, as it should. 

Truly will miss Alex and Carla, but Michael Symon is also a great choice. 

[ConcernedCitizen]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

It's weird, because now that I went and watched it, I remember seeing the chicken with its head on, which of course is a Worst Cooks classic. I only recognized Lulu, I didn't see Domaine, but obviously she's in this. 

I think it was a duck. But yeah, head on the carcass? Only on Worst Cooks in America.

You can’t miss Lulu with all those colorful crap hanging onto her. She’s like the decorator crab of Worst Cooks in America. 

At first I wasn’t sure that was Domaine either (there seems to be a MAJOR glow-up), but after her teaser IG posts the day before, then when she posted the promo clip on her IG story yesterday and said, “Also, who’s that girl with the loud shriek in the end? The brunette one wearing a @marchesafashion couture jumpsuit? So annoying. 😏” It’s a 100% confirmed. In this house, we stan a self-deprecating, self-aware queen! 
 

 

[Chyromaniac]

1 hour ago, jcbrown said:

Anne chose a chef-fy menu that was all about her (nothing against chef-fy food, it just doesn't make sense for amateur "worst cooks"), whereas Carla chose dishes that resonated with Amber's background and taste. I vastly prefer the latter approach.

Yeah, that's something that's always a little strange about the finales.  It's supposed to be a blind tasting - but it usually seems pretty apparent which menu is Anne's, and which is from (Insert Co-Host Here).  If the judges were so inclined, it wouldn't be too hard to suss out whose meal was whose (which chef, for instance is giving you steak and greens, vs. branzino and aioli).  I'd almost want to see them do identical menus - or, have the mentors make a sample menu, and then see how the contestant version stacks up.  In dog show terms, which meal is closest to the breed standard?

Otherwise, I'm pleased that Amber won - she does come across fun and funny, without trying to be a "personality."  Speaking of which, I'm generally fine with Cameron, but he's a lot easier to take when he's in 10-20% of the talking heads, instead of 50.  I was a bit concerned about the ending - I really thought Carla/Amber should have served the cake as more of a parfait than that deconstructed thing - but it really seemed like their meal was well received overall.  Finally, I'm looking forward to a couple months of food trucks before the so called "all star" season.  I think Mike Symon is another solid choice for the show - I think he's got a decent enough sense of humor to roll with this show.

[jcbrown]

5 minutes ago, Chyromaniac said:

Yeah, that's something that's always a little strange about the finales.  It's supposed to be a blind tasting - but it usually seems pretty apparent which menu is Anne's, and which is from (Insert Co-Host Here).  If the judges were so inclined, it wouldn't be too hard to suss out whose meal was whose (which chef, for instance is giving you steak and greens, vs. branzino and aioli).  I'd almost want to see them do identical menus - or, have the mentors make a sample menu, and then see how the contestant version stacks up.  In dog show terms, which meal is closest to the breed standard?

Otherwise, I'm pleased that Amber won - she does come across fun and funny, without trying to be a "personality."  Speaking of which, I'm generally fine with Cameron, but he's a lot easier to take when he's in 10-20% of the talking heads, instead of 50.  I was a bit concerned about the ending - I really thought Carla/Amber should have served the cake as more of a parfait than that deconstructed thing - but it really seemed like their meal was well received overall.  Finally, I'm looking forward to a couple months of food trucks before the so called "all star" season.  I think Mike Symon is another solid choice for the show - I think he's got a decent enough sense of humor to roll with this show.

Agreed on all points. And I just look forward to hearing Michael Symon giggle again. If I can't have Carla, Michael, and Clinton together on my favorite daytime show of all time (The Chew), at least I can have them quietly independently taking over FN prime time.