How about that Top Chef ***spoilers***

[LynneSin]

Damn, it would take me close to being passed out for me to shave my head. But she looks really good with it. And I can't believe they kicked Cliff off, I kept thinking Marcel would have heart and ask the producers to keep him in the competition. But I guess the judges felt he had the worst dish last night and would have been booted anyways.

[Pithlet]

1. I thought she looked good, too.

Not many people can pull off that look, but she rocked it. I don't think the producers had any choice in kicking Cliff off. I don't think he meant to hurt Marcel, but he could have, and it was still assault. Marcel seemed upset when Tom came in and kicked Cliff off, and and I heard that Marcel did not go to the producers, they came to him and he didn't want to talk about it. They had to talk to the others to find out exactly what happened. I felt awful watching the whole thing, and while there was no excuse for what he did, I was holding back tears when Tom was telling him to go. Cliff handled it with grace. I think they all did, and realized things had gone too far.

[seemunkee]

2. She's a beautiful woman, with or without her hair.

I was hoping that Cliff would make it to the finals. He seemed pretty solid all the way through and was surprised by his dish last night. He probably would have gone last night even without the stupid fight issue.

Personally I've been liked for Sam and Mia.

edited because I can't spell

[philosophie_en_rose]

3. The idiots videotaped themselves.

Cliff probably would have gone anyway, but he made the mistake of tackling Marcel - especially on tape. I don't think Marcel would have been wrong to be really angry, but he wasn't. He seems like a kid resigned to being picked on. :( But I think Cliff handled being asked to leave with class.

I want to see Elia and Ilan in the end of the competition. Marcel and Sam are okay, though.

I really feel for anyone that gets Loud Betty on their team at the end.

Also --> there's a video of Cliff's reaction to leaving and blogs from the judges at http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/index.shtml .

[jakefrep]

4. Not surprised Cliff got kicked off....

...but Marcel is a wanker. I hope Elia wins.

[bullwinkle428]

5. For all that they've shown as far as the others picking on Marcel

throughout the show, I really have not seen anything that Marcel has done to instigate them. It's not like there's not cameras on them 24/7. Look at Frank's physical threat towards Marcel, simply because he moved his toiletries bag off the kitchen counter. I think it was just a playground mentality at work, where the "runt" was viewed as easy to push around from the beginning, a convenient punching bag for those in a new and stressful environment.

They really had me going last night..."Oh, no - they're dumping Marcel and Elia in one fell swoop? YES! All four of them go to the finals!"

[democracyindanger]

6. Except in an earlier episode

Elia noted that she had worked with Marcel before and said something along the lines that he had problems working with others. Maybe he's just a jerk.

[Richardo]

7. It's the haircut

Plus, he is a prick.

[democracyindanger]

8. + the soul patch + his "rap"

+ foam

[Richardo]

12. All of that, plus: prick

His 'rap' makes Vanilla Ice look like Kanye West.

[bullwinkle428]

14. So being a shitty rapper looking and looking weird justifies

assault? Although I'm willing to make an exception for K-Fed... :hide:

[philosophie_en_rose]

21. I agree with you. He seems immature and tactless.

But I don't think that means he deserves to be bullied. Ilan was particularly bad about that.

[bullwinkle428]

25. Yes - Marcel will get his digs in, but it seems to be in response to

the provocation of others. Last week when they were doing the seven deadly sins, Marcel was making his Lust-inspired dessert and Ilan kept taunting him about being a virgin. The preview for the finals showed a panicked Ilan running with a flaming saucepan and Marcel remarking "You should have done that for the flambe challenge" or something like that... :rofl:

[Shakespeare]

34. And insufferably uncool, but doesn't realize it.

He tried throwing out the word "dope" last night, and all I could do was shake my head. He's annoying as all hell.

[Ramsey]

31. The others bug me way more than Marcel

Marcel is a bit of a jerk, but he's the most focused in the task at hand, which is after all making food. The other guys always bitching about him and screming at him and making jokes at his expense are far more annoying and far more immature than anything they've shown Marcel doing.

How drunk did Cliff have to be to put Marcel in a 10 minute body lock? My gawd, the guy is twice his size! I thought Marcel handled things remarkably well considering. I'd have been livid if somebody did that to me and would have raised bloody hell too!

Elia actually looks pretty without hair, she has a beautiful face. But it seems a little unstable to shave your head because your chocolate hearts didn't work out. :shrug:

[Shakespeare]

35. Sure, as long as it involves FOAM.

He may be focused, but I think ultimately he's not as imaginative as some of the others. Elia's my girl. I was almost hoping for another chocolate-on-the-face-dishrag-on-the-head meltdown like she had earlier in the series. That was hysterical.

[philosophie_en_rose]

38. Even the producers had no idea why they picked on Marcel.

Here's a link to an interview with Marcel. http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2007/01/18/feature2.html

[MissMillie]

9. After the way Cliff treated Mia, I was a-ok with him leaving

Mia was right when she said that Cliff had immunity for that challenge, and he should have let the others bring their ideas to the table.

Marcel is a pompous ass. When he said "but I didn't really need that much leadership" I wanted to deck him. He couldn't just let Sam get credit for being a good team leader.

I would like to see Elia take it. Not only is she a good chef, but she is the ONLY one that hasn't come down on some side of a personality conflict. She has remained drama-free.

[NYCGirl]

10. Here's an interesting article from NY Magazine about Marcel and his

relationship with some of the others:

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/01/top_chef8217s_marcel_doesnt_lo.html

This season, everyone ganged up on one chef, Marcel, who had a penchant for putting foam on every dish. Was he really as annoying as he seemed?

Ilan: Much worse.

Sam: Much, much worse. The past couple of episodes they've made him seem like some sort of a sweetheart. Everyone was asking me why I had this outburst with him, but they didn't show him accusing me of cheating for fifteen minutes. I mean, I hope he watches the show and picks up some social skills along the way.

Cliff: Everyone and their mother is beating up on the kid. You know, I saw him at the premiere party, and in a room of a couple hundred people, he's okay.

So what was so awful about him?

Ilan: They don't show all the little bits and pieces leading up to people being angered with him. He's always talking down to other people's techniques and always questioning, and not in a creative way or constructive way. Everything is always insultory … if that's a word.

MORE AT THE LINK.

P.S. I'm rooting for Sam.

[xchrom]

11. like ilan isn't insulting to marcel all along the way?

ilan hated marcel right from the very first -- so his interview is viewd with a great deal skepticism on my part.

[Richardo]

13. Yes, but Ilan is cool and pretty funny.

Why do I have opinions about this? :scared:

[mondo joe]

15. That just means Ilan had good instincts.

He's cute too!

[xchrom]

17. that means ilan is Pissy one hundred per cent of the time.

they all simply gave each other permission to behave badly re: one or more contestants.

and in this case it was marcel.

i.e. in this last episode when sam asked marcel for help -- marcel said no -- and later on camera said he couldn't help a chef who went BEFORE him -- when it was marcel's turn sam of course -- because he didn't believe marcel -- didn't help marcel.

however when who ever it was that went after{cliff i believe} marcel -- there was marcel helping out -- and it was a person who had been shitty to marcel like all the others.

interesting that marcel helps out cliff -- cliff gets all drunk/weird and gets the boot for his actions.

in this case, sam was an ass, cliff wound up being and ass.

plus marcel asked sam to get cliff off of him -- and sam sat there like the arrogant piss queen he is.

[mondo joe]

26. Oh man - I haven't seen enough to know all that detail.

I do know Marcel annoyed me from day one, and it only increased as time went on. :-)

[LynneSin]

16. But here is the question that bugs me - Is Marcel gay?

I mean Ilian is definately gay. I think Cliff & Sam were both straight. But I can't figure out Marcel - he seems gay but looks like someone who would annoy gay people just as much as straight people.

[bicentennial_baby]

18. Someone better tell his gf then

Ilan, that is...I saw her MySpace page last week. She's real :)

[LynneSin]

19. Ilan is straight?? No way

That man seriously tripped my gaydar. I think God gave me a faulty one at birth

[bicentennial_baby]

20. As far as I can tell, he's at least Bi

Carolina looks to be his actual gf, indeed :)

You should send your gaydar in for recalibration :D

[LynneSin]

22. I did - and it missed the fact that Paul Lynde is gay

I had no idea

[bicentennial_baby]

23. Yep, it's busted

:hug:

[LynneSin]

24. Damn, that really sucks

:cry:

I'll just have to assume everyone is all alike and it's all good then.

Anyhow, I forgot to buy the extended warrenty on the damn thing

[Ramsey]

33. Their restuarant was named after their girlfriends

Remember the episode where they had to open a restaurant in one day? Ilan, Sam and Mike made the restaurant's name out their girlfriend's initials.

[judaspriestess]

27. this seasons contestants

absolutely SUCK compared to season one. I'm just turned off completely. The show should be about cooking not about personalities or lack there of.

[VenusRising]

29. I agree with you.

Last season had far better chefs.

The thing that always happens in these "reality" shows is they start out with a great theme or idea and is consumed by personality conflicts and drama. It's sad really.

As far as the chefs go for the finals, I would be happy with Ilan, Sam, or Elia. They have been the most consistent and I find their food the most appetizing. Marcel always has some wierd combination with foam. I don't think he has the culinary maturity yet. I can't imagine anyone following Marcel in a kitchen and calling him "chef".

Edited to add: I loved Elia's hair. I think she looks fierce. Padma looked like she was going to fall out of her chair when she saw Elia and Ilan.

[Ekirh]

28. Cliff would've been booted off anyways is correct

He had the worse dish . . although the worse dish all night was Ilan's quickfire disaster... HEINOUS


In anycase, that wasn't a comfortable thing to watch (The Cliff Half Nelsoning Marcel disaster or what ever). . .

Elia. . I love you . . you look good with the head shave. . but these melt downs in the kitchen is getting old. Kudos to Sam for getting her back in gear (And Kudos for just letting your Marcel hate go and helping him plate)

In anycase . . . we got our final four . . . and I can't wait.


Note: No Sequel to the Lame White Boy rap? I'm crushed Marcel . . . CRUSHED!!!

[xchrom]

30. so sam watched the cliff trainwreck and did nothing -- and ilan

was holding the camera no less.

[xchrom]

32. top chef winner harold's blog re: wednesday

http://www.bravotv.com/blog/harolddieterle/2007/01/i_just_dont_know.php?page=1

The first half hour, I thought the competition was awesome. They were cooking, they were getting into it. I thought, “You don’t need pre-made drama. Marcel drops his pan, fish goes all over the floor. You don’t need to attack each other to make things interesting.”

I watch a cooking show because I like to sit at home and think about my taste palate, I like to wonder if what they’re making is a flavor profile that I’m going to like. I want a cooking show to educate me. And this hasn’t been so much the case.
Between the first two seasons, this was by far the most high profile chef they’ve brought in. Eric Ripert’s food is spectacular. He’s a gentlemen. He’s the epitome of the way a chef should behave. He doesn’t need to be aggressive, he's just articulate and intelligent. And he fits this description entirely of a Top Chef. So, I have nothing but good things to say about Eric Ripert.


this is just page one -- there are other pages.

[bullwinkle428]

36. Harold's blogs are fantastic - he's so refreshingly honest. He really

tore that guest judge a new one last week, and it was totally justified. The guy was a completely disrespectful prick to the contestants, and it was nice to see someone stand up for them...

[xchrom]

37. indeed.

and he was on point wednesdays episode as well.

[judaspriestess]

39. Harold's blogs are great

Leeann is so hung up on working with production, I don't know it just seems so clingy. Dave Martin, I just love, he will always be my absolute favorite. "I'm not your bitch, bitch"