Sam Talbot - Season 2

[pg13]

I do agree that Ilan was not the best choice for Top Chef, but the show is over and the producers went for a final that stressed drama over skill. They wanted a showdown between Ilan and Marcel. I really wonder what this show would have been like if Marcel had been sent home on the first challenge. We might have seen a show that focused on the cooking and not the drama.

Uggggh. Take off the tinfoil hat.

Marcel made good food, had a fairly unique point of view when it came to food preparation and shouldn't have even been in the bottom four on that first challenge. Based on the taste of his food alone, he made it from the final four into the finale and based on his food alone he nearly won Top Chef...but, based on his food alone, he didn't.

Ilan made good food and has learned a great deal about how to make good food from his experience working in an excellent Spanish restaurant. With a couple of stumbles that weren't bad enough to get him eliminated, Ilan has presented the judges with great tasting dishes. When it came down to the final four, it was the taste of his food and inventiveness of his techniques that earned him a place in the finale over Sam, who based on his food alone played it too safe to advance in a direct comparison of food versus the dishes Ilan served that day. Based on the taste of his food alone, even considering being far overshone in creativity and vision shown by Marcel's meal, Ilan fairly and squarely won the title of Top Chef.

I just don't buy the "they wanted drama over food" argument here--because they often HID drama from us.

Sam...seemed like a fairly cool guy with a few weaselly moments... He had the best overall skill set and this was his competition to lose. He made a few really awful decisions that could have eliminated him along the way, but he survived those scares...and fell just short of the finale based merely on a terribly close decision between the delicious food of two capable chefs--Sam losing out because he wasn't as inventive as Ilan was in the final four elimination challenge. So close...but so far.

Still, Sam stepped up in the finale...made me think good things about him again...and really gave Marcel the best chance he had to win. I wish him luck.

But, there was no conspiracy to shun Sam's excellence for drama. Sam got to the one yard line but couldn't punch it into the end zone for the score...and we all have to deal with it.

pg--I'd have loved to have seen a Marcel versus Sam final...for one thing, who would have Marcel been able to pick for his team? Sam stepping up and WANTING to work with Marcel gave Marcel the best chance to win, he wouldn't have gotten that from Elia or Ilan and there was a severe drop off of pure skills after that bunch from those available to choose.--seattle

[mrs. tino]

I disagree, review the tape, he was asked if it was his idea to use sea beans and he clearly said yes. Considering that Sam was voted fan favorite and is considered handsome by many fans, I feel that people's opinions and perceptions are distorted in his favor.

I don't think Marcel was faultless, nor did I particularly care for ANY of the contestants. I started the show liking Josie and Elia but Josie left too early and Elia went bat dip.

In any event, Sam was very shady, his instigation of Frank was blatant. Marcel did not put Frank's toothbrush on the floor. Even outside of Marcel, Sam's "I don't want to point fingers but, people were cheating" when he was in danger of being eliminated in the diet camp challenge. He can't have things both ways.

And no, not everyone on the show was a bully. Marcel was not a bully, perhaps obnoxious and self-centered, but not a bully. I'm sorry but no matter how "hot" Sam is to other people, no matter how annoying Marcel might have been, I don't care, it's unacceptable to use popularity or size to pick on or intimidate someone else.

There really was no one on the show to root for. Ilan was weasely, shady and distressingly hateful and immature. Sam was not the only person I took issue with but more people seem to give him carte blanche because of their infatuation.

I think people tend to favor Sam because he was clearly the most skilled chef on that show. Looks aside, he was consistently in the top in quickfires and eliminations and seemed to have the respect of ALL his fellow chefs (something that none of the other chefs were able to accomplish). He won the fan favorite because he was the most skilled one there. Hands down.

And we don't know for sure how much of Frank's outburst and things like that were Sam's fault. Editing plays a HUGE part in these shows and they edit it to get the most possible drama/conflict out of a moment. Like someone else mentioned, Sam said that when he blew up at Marcel in the restaurant supply store was because Marcel confronted him on something first - which was never shown. Sam didn't "bully" Marcel anymore than anyone else did and we don't know how much of that was provoked. I'm not saying Sam is perfect or without his faults but he is definitely the most skilled chef that was on that show. Hands down.

[mrs. tino]

I'd have loved to have seen a Marcel versus Sam final...for one thing, who would have Marcel been able to pick for his team? Sam stepping up and WANTING to work with Marcel gave Marcel the best chance to win, he wouldn't have gotten that from Elia or Ilan and there was a severe drop off of pure skills after that bunch from those available to choose.

I thought that would have been the best finale and it would have definitely been interesting to see who each chef would have picked to help them. Marcel may very well have been stuck with Frank and Mia because I doubt he would have picked Betty or Ilan and Elia really didn't want to work with him. I think having Sam to work with was a HUGE advantage for Marcel. I just would have like to see the two of them in the finale. I think that would have produced some really great food and it would have been a very close decision, just like Marcel vs. Ilan.

[midnightsky]

Uggggh. Take off the tinfoil hat.

Marcel made good food, had a fairly unique point of view when it came to food preparation and shouldn't have even been in the bottom four on that first challenge. Based on the taste of his food alone, he made it from the final four into the finale and based on his food alone he nearly won Top Chef...but, based on his food alone, he didn't.

The other chefs would disagree with you. They believed that he did belong in the bottom group, and would know more since they actually tasted his food. Tom also said "any of these chefs could go home based on a variety of reasons" or something like that when trying to decide which chef should go. Based on the chefs and Tom's comment I do believe Marcel belonged in the bottom for that challenge. Also, I would not say that Marcel consistently created good food either (ex. bacon and avocado ice cream, undercooked chicken). He did come through at the end, but was at the bottom or stayed in the middle through much of the competition.

I just don't buy the "they wanted drama over food" argument here--because they often HID drama from us.

I don't know how anyone can watch this season and say the drama was not spotlighted. Looking at the artificial stress that the contestants are subjected to, (including not having contact with the outside, living in close quarters, etc.) it becomes obvious that the drama was the main objective. The show may be about the food but that cannot be experienced by the viewers (other than the visual) so the viewers are left with the people, their personalities, and their behavior.

[pg13]

The other chefs would disagree with you. They believed that he did belong in the bottom group, and would know more since they actually tasted his food.

They would, would they?

Like Elia telling the judges at the Finale Judges Table that Marcel's food doesn't taste very good...and having Gail counter that by pointing out that Elia hadn't tasted Marcel's food...and that his food tasted amazing?

Or when both Betty and Ilan BOTH said that Marcel's cherry gelee was flavorless...when Padma pointed out that she found it to be quite flavorful?

Or Sam, when he complained about how Marcel uses these odd ingredients and naturally occurring chemicals...and just assumed that they wouldn't taste good, before he even made the dishes?

And yes, in the very first elimination challenge...when there were far worse dishes than Marcel's...and the level of garlic in the dish WAS a matter of choice, some said the garlic was too strong, some didn't...and the general tone of the judges comments indicated that they didn't feel that it was too garlicky, but yet the other chefs pushed for Marcel to be considered for elimination...

Sorry, but I sense a pattern there that makes me distrust the opinion of the other competitors comments about Marcel's food...and I believe that it's been proven quite CLEARLY that Marcel made great tasting food in Hawaii.

I don't know how anyone can watch this season and say the drama was not spotlighted. Looking at the artificial stress that the contestants are subjected to, (including not having contact with the outside, living in close quarters, etc.) it becomes obvious that the drama was the main objective. The show may be about the food but that cannot be experienced by the viewers (other than the visual) so the viewers are left with the people, their personalities, and their behavior.

Obviously, Top Chef is a tv show...and they are there to create a compelling show to watch...and they've created a competitive, high stress environment to help produce a compelling show. However, this is not The Real World--there aren't cameras hidden in every room to catch every moment that happens where they live and sleep.

Yes, some drama was spotlighted during the run of the show--but other very juicy bits of drama were glossed over, altered or ignored altogether.

And I never said that dramatic moments and scenarios weren't in the spotlight of this show...but I stand by my opinion, countering what you said--which was that Marcel facing Ilan in the finals was because the producers wanted to promote drama over the food... I'm convinced, based on what I saw on the show and what I read in Tom/Gail/LeeAnn/Padma/Andy/Harold's blogs that this is not the case--that it was Marcel's food that earned him the right to be in the finals and that Ilan's Final 4 food was strong enough to put him past Sam and into the finals...and was strong enough to earn him the title of Top Chef.

Bottom line--if they wanted to promote the drama over the food, they'd have booked a reunion show...and really turned the show into a Bravo/food-based version of the Flavor of Love finale...

pg

[Suresam85]

No i met this guy once at a restaurant in NYC, he is hot, real hot. It might be a bad pic. He supposed to be able to cook well too, a friend of mine used to work with him near union square

that picture is just a really bad picture of Sam...he is sooo incredibly dreamy. And I was soooooooo utterly disappointed when he got kicked off. Made me question the TC panel.

[gizmo1]

that picture is just a really bad picture of Sam...he is sooo incredibly dreamy. And I was soooooooo utterly disappointed when he got kicked off. Made me question the TC panel.

Sam should have been kicked off in the beach/firepit challenge. His burnt black toad-in-a-hole was inedible. Frank's eggs were overcooked (the way I like them) but his strawberry canoli was a hit with both the surfers and the judges. Despite Colicchio claiming that their decisions are based on food only and not personalities, I have to believe Frank's threatening Marcel (instigated by Sam while drunk) in the previous episode had to have something to do with Frank being sent home instead of Sam.

[miadora]

I guess he finally did shave his head, even if it's a season late.

Still looks like a greasy french fry though.

[gizmo1]

Uggggh. Take off the tinfoil hat.

Marcel made good food, had a fairly unique point of view when it came to food preparation and shouldn't have even been in the bottom four on that first challenge. Based on the taste of his food alone, he made it from the final four into the finale and based on his food alone he nearly won Top Chef...but, based on his food alone, he didn't.

Ilan made good food and has learned a great deal about how to make good food from his experience working in an excellent Spanish restaurant. With a couple of stumbles that weren't bad enough to get him eliminated, Ilan has presented the judges with great tasting dishes. When it came down to the final four, it was the taste of his food and inventiveness of his techniques that earned him a place in the finale over Sam, who based on his food alone played it too safe to advance in a direct comparison of food versus the dishes Ilan served that day. Based on the taste of his food alone, even considering being far overshone in creativity and vision shown by Marcel's meal, Ilan fairly and squarely won the title of Top Chef.

I just don't buy the "they wanted drama over food" argument here--because they often HID drama from us.

Sam...seemed like a fairly cool guy with a few weaselly moments... He had the best overall skill set and this was his competition to lose. He made a few really awful decisions that could have eliminated him along the way, but he survived those scares...and fell just short of the finale based merely on a terribly close decision between the delicious food of two capable chefs--Sam losing out because he wasn't as inventive as Ilan was in the final four elimination challenge. So close...but so far.

Still, Sam stepped up in the finale...made me think good things about him again...and really gave Marcel the best chance he had to win. I wish him luck.

But, there was no conspiracy to shun Sam's excellence for drama. Sam got to the one yard line but couldn't punch it into the end zone for the score...and we all have to deal with it.

pg--I'd have loved to have seen a Marcel versus Sam final...for one thing, who would have Marcel been able to pick for his team? Sam stepping up and WANTING to work with Marcel gave Marcel the best chance to win, he wouldn't have gotten that from Elia or Ilan and there was a severe drop off of pure skills after that bunch from those available to choose.--seattle

I have always felt that Marcel might have done himself a favor by selecting Mia, who really wanted to help him, and sticking with Michael who Marcel praised for being a 'workhorse'. Sam was the worst possible choice. It was Sam who sicced a drunken Frank on Marcel in the toothbrush incident. It was Sam who talked down to Marcel in the grocery store. It was Sam who held the clippers while Ilan was yelling for Sam to "Get him". It was Sam (and Mike) who were loading the carts for transport to the cooksite minus the fish. It was Sam who claimed credit for Marcel's best dish despite only convincing Marcel to serve the dish without the fish.

Sam was questionably the best chef overall among the TC2 cheftestants, but he was no Harold.

[cubsfan55]

For those of us who are Sam Fans, I think it's safe to say we all know and agree the promo photo for him does not do him justice! For one, the pic is a head-shot only...
PLEASE show the rest of him from the neck down, too!!

Reading about Season 2 is fun all over again!

IMHO, Ilan, Marcel, and Elia weren't the top contenders in the series.

I personally would have loved to have seen a final showdown with Sam and CLIFF pitted against each other.
It's unfortunate how Cliff was eliminated--- not saying it was right or wrong, just unfortunate.