52 replies to this topic

[TWoP Nikita]

From Zap2it:

The cheftestants become the judges; Maroon 5 drops by and challenges the chefs to create a feast fit for a rock star.

[Auntie Anxiety]

This show is becoming a real snoozefest. I didn't see the last part and I don't even know who lost, nor do I care. I hope Bravo pulls the plug after this season.

[aemilia]

I really disliked the guys in Maroon Five. They were really douchey and were almost always opposite of the judges; which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the way they made the comments they made was really off-putting.

I've been so happy for Tracey. She's awesome and I'm glad that she keeps winning.

I'm sick of this show torturing these chefs. This is so not what Top Chef Masters should be. Once for a giggle and drama would be tolerable (like the dorm challenge in season 1), but not every week. Cooking in an RV? Really? That's ridiculous. I'm surprised no one has quit yet.

I wanted Celina Tio to be eliminated. She's just not impressing me. She impressed me far more on Next Iron Chef. Alex should have stayed.

Edited by aemilia, May 11, 2011 @ 11:03 PM.

[spankydoll]

Could someone explain the chefs dismay about the gal cooking Fois Gras for the QF?

[aemilia]

Spankydoll, I think that the other chefs were amazed that Naomi had time to grill foie gras in 7 minutes and make a whole composed dish. I have to say, I'm amazed too. Most of the other chefs went raw.

[Stamelo]

This show is awful. I also hate that they make it seem as though every member of the successful team had excellent dishes while the losing team all has awful dishes. Such contrived editing.

[basiltherat]

Highlight for me? Hugh acknowledging the awesomeness of his unibrow. (Sadly, it had nothing to do with cooking. That about tells the story.)

[biakbiak]

I am shocked, shocked I tell you that a meal made on moving tour bus was not as refined and as intricately plated as other challenges. I don't have a problem with this challenge, I have a problem with the judges making stupid comments about plating under those circumstances.

Hugh's unibrow comment was the only amusing thing.

[kiki1234]

I am shocked, shocked I tell you that a meal made on moving tour bus was not as refined and as intricately plated as other challenges. I don't have a problem with this challenge, I have a problem with the judges making stupid comments about plating under those circumstances.

My problem with the challenge was it looked dangerous. I agree about the critic's dumbass comments. I'm paraphrasing but when Oseland said something like "Alex gave us cafeteria food" I thought no, he gave you RV food.

Hugh's unibrow comment was the only amusing thing.

Hugh was cracking me up all night. And then there was Alex trying to go up the down escalator to get his cart. It was a Three Stooges moment.

Was Oseland flirting with Curtis during the dinner? Is there going to be a catfight between him and Restaurant Girl?

Mary Sue and Tracey don't seem to get along very well. I wonder if it started on the show or if there was history before?

[Razy]

This show is awful. I also hate that they make it seem as though every member of the successful team had excellent dishes while the losing team all has awful dishes. Such contrived editing.

I am very disappointed with this season. I guess they wanted to create more draaaama with this format vs. the old TCM format, when they had several rounds with the best chef going on in the competition rather than naming a loser each week.
I noticed that they didn't mention Celina's corn soup at all, and it seemed to be one of the favorite dishes of the evening.

My problem with the challenge was it looked dangerous.

Seriously!

[pez10s]

I also hate that they make it seem as though every member of the successful team had excellent dishes while the losing team all has awful dishes.

Seriously. The guy in the band raved about Celina's corn soup and even said it was better than Hugh's, and yet there was no mention of it.

I hate James Oseland. I can't put into words what it is about his appearance, except that he always looks so pinched. He somehow manages to make "bitchface" a full-body expression.

I think what pisses me off most is that all through the critics' discussion, Curtis went on and on about how Alex was such a fucking hero for single-handedly cooking ten thousand meals as he was simultaneously performing brain surgery balanced on a unicycle, all while dodging poison-tipped Nerf darts that Celina and Floyd were shooting at him. But then after giving him the heave-ho, Curtis blabbed on about how it was Alex's fault for taking on too much.

I want to like Tio, but she's sucking big time in this competition. She either needs to step up HUGE next week or they need to put her out of her misery.

Traci FTW, as if I care.

[Bungalow Joy]

Mary Sue and Tracey don't seem to get along very well. I wonder if it started on the show or if there was history before?

IIRC they're actually good, longtime friends. I think they talk to each other the way friends can talk to each other.

I really don't care, though, because this show is not engaging me. I'll probably take it off DVR and just catch an episode when it eventually shows up on demand.

[SKHomer]

Wow, this was a boring episode -- part of the problem of filming in RVs is that there's nowhere for the camera to go. So even at the visual level, there just wasn't much to look at.

[taalsi]

I noticed that they didn't mention Celina's corn soup at all, and it seemed to be one of the favorite dishes of the evening.

They didn't mention it because she was on the losing team. That's the same reason they didn't say anything about Hugh's bad corn soup. I really don't like that. Obviously everything on the winning team isn't going to be spectacular, just like everything on the losing team isn't going to suck. I would like to see them give criticism and praise as it is deserved.

[JTMacc99]

I don't have the exact quote, but I can give you my exact reaction.

At one point, James Oseland said, "[Insert chef's name here] is a brilliant and talented chef, and I just expected better." My response, "Well, maybe you should give these poor bastards a chance to actually show us what they can do. God."

Again, the quickfire was entertaining for me, because it's just a quickfire which is the appropriate place to see what these chefs can do with crazy constraints. It's one small dish and ten minutes of the show, so why not make it harder than a normal TC quickfire and see what can happen?

On the other hand, the elimination challenge was fucking stupid. Again. This challenge would have been 100 times better if they had just let them finish cooking in a real kitchen. Making them prep on the ride over would have been plenty amusing, and just enough of a challenge to make it hard for the masters.

Somehow the producers of this show don't understand that a significant portion of the entertainment value of Top Chef Masters is seeing how accomplished chefs turn out great, gorgeous looking food under the same circumstances that create hit and miss results with ordinary TC cheftestants. Instead, they are under the impression that we want to see the same hit and miss rate, which can only be accomplished by increasing the level of difficulty.

Edited by JTMacc99, May 12, 2011 @ 7:57 AM.

[MsLawDawg]

I hate James Oseland. I can't put into words what it is about his appearance, except that he always looks so pinched. He somehow manages to make "bitchface" a full-body expression.

This captures it perfectly, pez10s, thank you. I couldn't put it into words either, but I think the living embodiment of "bitchface" is spot-on. Gawd, if he uses the word "pedestrian" one more time to describe a dish, I think they should fine him $5k per use and split and donate the funds to each of the participants' charities. They would probably make more money than they make from the challenges. But all of the judges seem to be serious fans of the word, and I heard Celina use it last night. Please make it stop!

I am shocked, shocked I tell you that a meal made on moving tour bus was not as refined and as intricately plated as other challenges.

Geez, so am I. This was like a twist on the TC Carla/Stephan season, where they had to cook a Thanksgiving meal for the Foo Fighters under tents with very limited equipment and then, bonus, it started raining! Huzzah! (Just like Tracy's tour bus was being driven by Mr. Magoo last night.) When one of the Maroon 5 guys said he wanted Thanksgiving dinner, I thought it was just too much of a coincidence. And does Maroon 5 have an upcoming deal with Bravo or NBC? Because obviously their opinions mattered not to the "critics", not that I really care. I was so grateful to see Gail Simmons, but she was still in TC: All Star mode apparently with some of her comments.

I don't have a problem with this challenge, I have a problem with the judges making stupid comments about plating under those circumstances.

ITA. Why would any well-known chef of quality willingly sign up for this crap after this season? One or two ridiculous challenges is ok, but I really want to see talented chefs do amazing things under semi-normal competitive circumstances. I've already seen every possible twist and turn on TC: All Stars, which just wrapped up. And then for these chefs who are playing for very worthy causes and taking time away from their restaurants and families to have to be judged by two unknown food bloggers, Oseland and Curtis (who is probably releasing a line of hair care products available on the Bravo website any day now because he has shilled every other possible thing)? No thanks! It would really be a bummer to be psyched up to compete for your charity based upon what you had seen in previous TC: Masters seasons and to have faced....this.

ETA: Seems like we were thinking similarly, JTMacc99, although I think your summary was better!

Edited by MsLawDawg, May 12, 2011 @ 8:11 AM.

[swankie]

This show isn’t as exciting as the first Top Chef Masters. Maybe if I had heard of any of these cheftestants before the show, I would be more invested in who wins. As it stands, seeing any of them leave doesn’t affect me one bit. There’s not even a good villain to root against. The guy who left seemed like a nice guy, but him leaving meant nothing to me. And the gimmicks they are coming up with are getting dumber and dumber. I thought you’re not supposed to cook in an RV while it’s in motion. Isn’t that a hazard?

[potatoradio]

"bitchface" a full-body expression

OMG, that is perfect! Ha! Also fits what's-his-Chipotle-prig's name...

Show is slightly more tolerable after drinking. Slightly, but...

Restaurant blog twit still needs to shut up and go away

Ditto James with his full body bitch

Maroon 5 - it's 2004 on the line, just confirming that your heyday is long over.

Almost tossed my cookies at the dinner, where we were "privvy" to some of the insightful questions Curtis posed to Maroon 5, "What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?" I mean, really, thanks for that, show. That Freshman Interviewing 101 really had me on the edge of my seat.

So next week we see the Gordon Ramsey palate challenge rip off? Oh, goody.

Hugh is funny. I like him, Mary Sue, Traci and Naomi, but I don't give a crap if they win because this contest is pathetic and I'm embarrassed for them, though hats off to all the contestants for willing to do this shit for charity.

[leefonthewind]

They need to stop doing family-style plating on TC: Masters. Part of the fun of watching a master chef at work is seeing how they plate the food, and family-style dining defeats that completely.

Also, knifework for prep in a moving bus sounds like a really really bad idea. Also like an insurance claim waiting to happen for the show. I was really puzzled why they included the buses in the challenge at all, really. Just let the challenge be to cook a coherent meal that featured five very different kinds of food, and give them the hotel kitchen to do it. The judges would have gotten better food, and the viewers would likely have gotten more entertainment out of the results.

[Lamb18]

does Maroon 5 have an upcoming deal with Bravo or NBC?

A guy from Maroon 5, Adam Levine, is a judge on NBC's The Voice. This episode was reminiscent of the Foo Fighters episode in season 5, as MsLawDawg says, except food was cooked in RVs instead of under a tent.

[lovinbob]

You guys all nailed my reactions. I am so over the judges' (esp. Oseland's) pearl-clutching incredulity over the poor plating and "cafeteria food." Normally I can handle a twist or two, but these just feel like humiliations that such nice people (working for charity) shouldn't have to endure. They're not fun challenges; they're just annoying nuisances.

I was, however, happy to not endure that annoying Grub Street kid. He is just so unimpressive.

I really like Traci, but something about her demeanor reminds me of Butch from the Little Rascals, or Kevin Conway, recently of The Good Wife. I know this isn't very complimentary, which is too bad because I really like her. But she always seems a bit haggard and weather-worn. I loved in this episode when she just lit up a couple of times, when her food was received well and she won.

[Nutjob]

This episode was reminiscent of the Foo Fighters episode in season 5, as MsLawDawg says, except food was cooked in RVs instead of under a tent.

Plus, the Foo Fighters were much, much cooler.

I think this episode finally broke TCM for me. I'm not sure I'll be tuning back in.

[Darth Nigel]

Couple of random thoughts after this week's episode.
In the QF, I was waiting for them to bring out Tom Colicchio to judge it. Would have been a nice cap, although it was interesting to have them judge each others' work. I especially liked Hugh to Curtis, "My dish was the worst. We talked about that already!"

The EC wasn't bad, a bit gimmicky but OK. Interesting that Traci/Celine (I don't get them confused, but I can't remember who said it) mentioning cooking in the bathroom as an homage to Hubert Keller.

But dear god, the judging. It was nice to see Gail. Oseland's reactions to the food ("clutching his pearls", "bitchface as a whole body expression") made me realise what I miss from this incarnation of Judges Table... the sense of humor. On TC especially, there's a certain camaraderie and "shafts of wit" between the judges; they seem to enjoy themselves and the company of the chef-testants. On this one; we have a competition between Oseland and the strange "Restaurant Girl" blogger lady (who makes me realize that Harry Knowles isn't the most talentless hack on the intarwebs) as to who can be the most disappointed in the food presented.
I at least enjoyed the guy from Menudo (or whatever teh band was called) threatening to stab James with a fork.

[Sunidesus]

Somehow the producers of this show don't understand that a significant portion of the entertainment value of Top Chef Masters is seeing how accomplished chefs turn out great, gorgeous looking food under the same circumstances that create hit and miss results with ordinary TC cheftestants. Instead, they are under the impression that we want to see the same hit and miss rate, which can only be accomplished by increasing the level of difficulty.

I think this is a really good observation.

It reminds me of what happened when Food Network did an "All-Stars" version of Chopped. Those chefs came up with insane dishes under the exact same circumstances as the "normal" chefs. It was amazing to see how much more the all-stars were able to do.

[Minerette]

I at least enjoyed the guy from Menudo (or whatever teh band was called) threatening to stab James with a fork.

Promises. Promises.

[kiki1234]

I hate James Oseland. I can't put into words what it is about his appearance, except that he always looks so pinched. He somehow manages to make "bitchface" a full-body expression.

I don't remember Oseland being so pissy in previous seasons. He seemed more complimentary. I first heard the 'clutching his pearls' description a couple of episodes ago and now I can't watch him without giggling.

I was, however, happy to not endure that annoying Grub Street kid. He is just so unimpressive.

I liked him at first but he's beginning to annoy me too. If there is another season I hope that tptb bring back Jay and they're forced to give him an obscene amount of money to get him to return.

Did anyone else think Gail seemed a little tipsy?

[Kathira]

I noticed that they didn't mention Celina's corn soup at all, and it seemed to be one of the favorite dishes of the evening.

They didn't mention it because she was on the losing team. That's the same reason they didn't say anything about Hugh's bad corn soup. I really don't like that. Obviously everything on the winning team isn't going to be spectacular, just like everything on the losing team isn't going to suck. I would like to see them give criticism and praise as it is deserved.

I think they did it also to increase the drama of who was going to go home. Since Celina's corn soup was obviously superior, there really was no chance of her being knifed. It was between ultimately between Alex's ho-hum pasta and Floyd's pedestrian steak and salad. Personally, I would have knifed Floyd for only doing one thing and doing it badly, but that's just me. I'm guessing that Floyd's dish was OK but boring, where Alex's pasta was not good at all.

Edited by TWoP Nikita, May 12, 2011 @ 9:01 PM.
off-topic

[Borpoh]

Who the fuck are Maroon 5?

[bluemercuryami]

I'm beginning to think that the producers somehow made whoever it was that left so that Hugh would come back just to bring some form of humor and fun into this version. He seems to be the only expressing any sense of fun (or he's the only one the editors care to let us see having a sense of fun). His acknowledgement of his unibrow was both humorous and befuddling. How come no one in his life is telling him to shave it off?! Not even his female teammates. And if he's married, not even his wife? Really?

I'm so sick of the contrived cooking conditions and the judges' (I refuse to call them critics) unrealistic expectations of the food that is supposed to come out of said conditions. Yes they are master chefs but they are not given enough opportunities to show what they can really do. If the producers wanted this to be a rerun of the Foo Fighters episode, at least give them the same conditions because being under tents and having limited cooking equipment is better than being on a bus and having limited space and equipment. Another sign of the contrived factor is the fact that both teams did essentially the same menu because it seemed to make the most sense given their constraints. But I knew the minute that she said that she did a Japanese-marinated steak that her team was going to win provided that the steak wasn't overcooked. But if I was Maroon 5, I would be so disappointed by the food because I would expect a high quality meal that I would pay in a high-end restaurant that these chefs run not something I would pick up at a hotel buffet.

When Adam Levine told James Oseland that he wanted to stab him with a fork, I was chanting "DO IT!" I believe his bitchness is permeating through the judges' table without Gael and Jay to check because the blogger chick and the blogger guy aren't doing it. And Curtis tries in vain. But at least Gail brought a little lightness to it.

I'm having a hard time picking who to root for. I like Hugh's personality and Traci (She's in the lead in terms of charity-winning money, right?) and Naomi have been kicking ass but their food hasn't gotten me excited because of the stupid constraints.

[vb68]

I like Hugh's personality

Hugh is the only reason I'm watching. I like that he's having fun and not taking it too seriously.

I second whoever said that they wonder what chefs will volunteer to go through this after this season. It's just humiliating.

I couldn't stand the guy who said the point of gravy must be covering up average meat. Just unnecessarily harsh.