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TV: Top Chef - Season 4

AmorRoark

Bluelight Crew
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Jul 28, 2002
Messages
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way over yonder in the minor key
We've got a new season of Top Chef (on Bravo! for those who don't know) underway and I for one am so happy to see it here! IMO, this is one of the best reality shows still running. If you didn't catch it last night I'm sure you can see it any other time this week as Bravo replays their episodes constantly.

So, thoughts on the food last night and the new contestants?
 
i was sitting watching tv last night when an alert came on telling me that my dvr box would be taping top chef in two minutes - so excited! i had no idea that the new season was starting so im glad i didnt erase the recording from last season.

already i think i hate about half of the cast, though
 
does that mean it is marcel? i haven't watched tonight. the finale, but i am hoping not. last year was all about the integrity of the chef in the kitchen... making marcel the top chef would be directly against that.
 
season 2 analysis
NSFW:
No, wanderlust, it means elan won. :p If someone who knows me well reads this, they'll call me soft on Marcel because I rooted for him, and for Stephen last year. I'm more inclined to think its coincidence or daring hairdos than the fact that both of them got vilified for not being "team players" or "honoring the kitchen" or whatever else losers call the people who beat them. Stephen's reputation was earned: he was snobby, aloof, and he actively criticized the other chefs. Marcel got a bad rap.

Betty arbitrarily decided to hold some bullshit against him, and since she was such a glad-handing, networking, backstabbing bitch (all hallmarks of someone who can't cut it based on merit) the animosity was infectious. I was dissappointed to see chefs that I like as people (Mikey, Elia, Sam) turn one at a time on him for really minor shit (as far as a television viewer can tell, anyway). The other chefs talked an incredible amount of shit and made the whole competition a hostile environment for him. He never once stooped to their level. That's way more than I could handle in a similar challenge. As far as I'm concerned, Marcel walked away from the finale looking like the more innovative, more adult, and more capable chef. In ten years time, he's going to be the one with food & wine spreads, and elan is going to be stuck cooking in a style that will soon lose the cache it enjoys.

As for the season on the whole: it sucked. I like marcel and all, but I can think of three chefs (Harold, Stephen, and that bull-dyke ginger) who could have mopped the floor with either of the finalists. In my opinion the invisible hand of the executive producers was painfully obvious in some of the eliminations. The product placement was disgusting (the Glad family of products, The Kenmore Elite Pro kitchen, the Korbel champagne) fucking gag me. I understand that this is a great way to generate revenue, but it makes me want to buy the competing brand when it come across forced. That's probably this decade's contribution to television history: terrible, ham-fisted product placement. The host was better, but its still obvious that Tom Calicchio is the only one who knows how to do anything other than microwave popcorn. Maybe if they had a show called "Top Bulimic".

I'm also not a fan of the "oh, well starting in this challenge, nobody gets immunity" or "oh, in this challenge, you have to cook while skydiving". I'm sure they can do better if they think harder. All in all, I can't wait for season three. The show is still a great concept IMO, and I hope it attracts some better talent, or at least better personalities, in season 3.
 
My thoughts:

NSFW:
+I think Marcel screwed himself by picking Mikey. First of all, it was Sam (sore loser) who suggested Mikey, and also Mikey himself said he would rather work with Ilan. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some serious sabotage going on.

+I also disagree with the whole concept of having to use disgruntled former cheftestants as sous chefs. That is not fair to the final two and humiliating to the runners up. The final two should be allowed to use anyone they want to as their sous chefs.

+I agree with Ilan winning Top Chef (out of him and Marcel). Other than the $100K, winning this show is not really that big a deal, doesn't really matter much in the grand scheme of things. I think Ilan will flameout quickly, a la Rocco, while Marcel will continue to improve and ultimately become a very famous chef. I think that right now, Marcel is just a bit too inexperienced, and really wouldn't handle well having the ability to open his own restaurant that soon.

+Overall, I think Cliff would/should have won. But, he screwed himself also. While Cliff is the one who physically was involved, I think Ilan, Sam and Elia should all have been eliminated.

+This show is over for me. Season one was great, it really was all about the food and being a chef. Season 2 was all about the drama, and in some episodes the food did not even matter. Bravo has posted that this season of TC was the highest rated cable show ever or something like that. What that means is Bravo now will cast season 3 thinking drama=ratings, and will put that first instead of ability and creativeness.

+I understand the need for a pretty hostess, but surely there is some hot chick out there somewhere, who also knows something about food? A food writer, a restaurant reviewer, someone? If they can't find one, then the hostess should not be a part of the judge's table.

+The pineapple faux poi was genius, and I will now actively seek out restaurants that employ the use of molecular gastronomy. :)
 
^^
your pick for a winner would have been sent home for his lackluster course the same week he was dismissed, imo. He also *should* have been sent home for completely fucking his team on the hollywood hor d'oeuvres challenge. He also should have been sent home for serving something that looked like it came from a barf bag at denny's (with sand in it!). The only reason he didn't go then was somebody managed to rise to the challenge and fuck up basic cooking even worse.

That guy is a washout, girl!


The former contestants as sous chefs worked better in the first season, imo. There were actually some capable people (like when dave spent months learning desserts so whoever he got teamed with wouldn't have to worry about a course none of them was trained for). For the life of me, I dont know why Marcel picked Mikey, or why Ilan picked Betty. Those were the two people who lasted 2-4 episodes longer than their skills indicated. I'd have picked up Mia in a heartbeat before either of those two.
 
Up until Clippergate, I liked him. I thought he was a decent person, and he made some dishes that I would really enjoy. I can't say the same for the winner, as he was just simply obnoxious. I can't even type "chicken livers and chocolate" without gagging, let alone wanting to eat it.

After that, I was rooting for your pick as well. I really think he will go on to be great.
 
Pre-Season 3 delectable morsels:

-Season 3 will start filming in April, in Miami.

Also, the SoBe Wine and Food Festival was going on down here not too long ago, and the local paper had a blurb from Colicchio, saying that "because results leaked out this year, the final dinner for the next season will be shot live" but he won't say where.

Anyone know, is Padmadala back for this season?


(I used the beaker icon in tribute to Marcel's molecular creations!)
 
thinking about ilan... i get annoyed that he stayed with spanish food even in all the final rounds. he didn't try nearly enough to step over the line and out of the box (boo cliche!) with his food. marcel did, and i like what he did in the weeks leading up to the finale. so, from my earlier post (pre-finale watching) my thoughts on the top two have changed a little but...
but i don't think marcel should have won. ilan either. def. not cliff. maybe sam. i am seriously annoyed at ilan and elia for their little spout hissy fit about marcel's behavior. the (faux or not) drama of this year overshadowed the food and that is disappointing.
 
^^
awesome news.

WIRED had an article with Marcel this month, where he showed off some of his gastronomic skillz. The coffee "caviar" looks dope. I hope he's doing well.

LINK!

FF_gastro_coffee10_f.jpg
 
Even if we are a little bit behind here (as usual!) :p this is fast becoming another one of my fave shows to watch on TV. Go Bravo!
 
My two-month roadtrip starts June 10th, so looks like I will be missing S3. Which sucks, because Ted Allen is amazing.

The cheftestants' bios are up on the Bravo site.

The show should be saving a lot of money on wardrobe this year. It's a given that since it's Miami, Padmadala will be wearing even skimpier outfits. You know, completely apppropriate kitchen attire.

Some interesting bits can be seen here, with the most major one being that Colicchio is no longer allowed in the kitchen. No more sniff-n-sneers?? What else does he have to offer?
 
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