Top Chef Finale
When I did my Top Chef giveaway at the end of last year, I was happy to see how many other people were watching the show, so this seems like the perfect place to post my thoughts as we head into the final episode next week (which airs February 27, 2013 at 10/9 central.) I originally wanted to include a fabulous recipe that I made from one of the chefs this season (like that matcha dessert Kristen previously made), but they are all so complicated, that I didn’t have the time. If you haven’t watched this week’s episode, then you should stop reading this now as my post does discuss what happened.
After my post, Kristen really started to pull away from the pack with multiple wins. She definitely became my favorite.
And then came that controversial decision…
I know I don’t always agree with the judges and I didn’t necessarily expect Kristen to win the whole thing, but I was really upset with that Restaurant Wars episode, the judges decisio,n and how Kristen was eliminated. I know I wasn’t the only one since my twitter feed was full of outraged responses.
I have to admit, it took me a few weeks to get over it. I actually stopped watching the show for a while, letting the episodes sit on my TiVo. And then after a few weeks, and seeing that Kristen was still surviving in Last Chance Kitchen, I gradually got into the show again.
So now after last night, when we found out that it was indeed Kristen who made it back (which I was really impressed with), I thought it was time for another post. I also think the fact that she came back really shows how wrong the judges were to eliminate her so early since she then proceeded to beat all the other chefs that got eliminated after her, even having to go against both Josh and Lizzie at the end.
In Kristen’s absence, I’ve grown to quite like Brooke. Since she has a restaurant in LA, I definitely am thinking of checking it out sometime, though I’ll wait until all the popularity from Top Chef dies down to do so. I’m quite curious as to the food served there, especially since she made that pig ear salad in this most recent episode.
I am definitely psyched to see two women in the finale, guaranteeing a female winner this season.
As for who I think will win…
Well even though I still prefer Kristen, I think Brooke is going to be crowned Top Chef.
Here’s my reasoning. I’ve noticed that Kristen does best when she is on her own and has to rely on her skills. When she was still around in the competition, her weakest showings was when they had to pair off. I was already nervous for her going into restaurant wars because I had noticed her weak appearances when paired with someone else. I don’t know if the people she works with just don’t execute as well or maybe she lets their opinions influence her too much, but she doesn’t seem as strong unless she’s relying solely on her own skills. Since the finale will be a group effort with her having to delegate out some of the cooking (much like restaurant wars), I don’t see her doing as well as if she had to cook everything by herself. Yes, I’m sure she’s learned something from her restaurant wars experience, but she still lacks the experience compared to Brooke.
Second, I think no matter what, the Last Chance Kitchen person is at a disadvantage. The judges have been with these contestants all season and no matter how objective they try to be, of course they will grow attached to some contestants, especially the longer they stay in the game. Most of the judges have followed Brooke from the beginning, but didn’t get to know Kristen as well since she got eliminated about halfway through. If it ends up being very close, I think Brooke would have the slight edge just because the judges have a more emotional connection to her.
So that’s my prediction. I’m still cheering for Kristen, but I’ll be okay with Brooke winning too.
So who are you voting for? What are your predictions?
I agree that I think Brooke will come out on top, even though I’d love for Kristen to win… it was so hard to tell who would be eliminated in that last episode and I felt so bad for Sheldon, whom I liked a lot as well. I’m also not sure how I feel about the finale format (as shown in the preview). Normally they’re in a really “inspirational” place and told to serve basically the best meal of their lives. I feel like with the “Iron Chef”-y, cooking in front of a huge live audience in a kitchen arena just didn’t seem like Top Chef to me. Haha. Ok, those are my (much too wordy) thoughts. Can’t wait for next Wednesday!
I know what you mean about the finale. I’m not sure how much I will like the new format. I guess I won’t know for sure until I watch. I read they will also be announcing the “winner” after each course and the one who wins the most is the winner, instead of having the judges discuss and decide at the end.
I’d be fine if either of them won since they are both very talented chefs. But I am rooting for Kristen. I’d love to see a Last Chance Kitchen winner come out on top and win the whole thing!
That would definitely make for such a great story!
Kristen was my favorite this season too! I was so mad when she got eliminated. I’m glad she made it through LCK, but I feel like for a couple of those eps she didn’t necessarily have the best dish. It was almost like Tom Colicchio felt so bad about having her eliminated that he was determined to get her to the finale. Mind you, I love Kristen so I’m not really complaining, but I agree with you that Brooke will probably win. Still keeping my fingers crossed for Kristen though!
You know I thought the same thing! I also had thoughts that it was a big conspiracy to eliminate someone who was a big favorite early so that more people would tune into LCK and that it would make for a great story if she survived and ended up in the finale. Just some crazy theories on my part. Regardless of how she made it through, I’m glad she did.