10/25 Show Discussion***Spoilers***

[Misaru]

Well, setting aside the issue of whether Marissa should have confronted Otto before leaving the store, I think Otto's behavior was still unacceptable. He lied with a straight face in front of the judges when they were being questions. That's not cool. He said something to the effect of "I didn't know." That's a complete bull.

I do think that Marissa should have gone. Like others said, she failed where she claimed to excel. Everyone relied on it and her excuse was "I did what every pastry chef is taught . . ." So? She failed the dessert, plain and clear.

One thing I missed: Who made the pork on Korean team (Marissa's and Otto's team)??? The judges were raving about the pork so much. Did they disclose who made it? I missed it if they did.

[corprip]

Well, setting aside the issue of whether Marissa should have confronted Otto before leaving the store, I think Otto's behavior was still unacceptable. He lied with a straight face in front of the judges when they were being questions. That's not cool. He said something to the effect of "I didn't know." That's a complete bull.

I do think that Marissa should have gone. Like others said, she failed where she claimed to excel. Everyone relied on it and her excuse was "I did what every pastry chef is taught . . ." So? She failed the dessert, plain and clear.

One thing I missed: Who made the pork on Korean team (Marissa's and Otto's team)??? The judges were raving about the pork so much. Did they disclose who made it? I missed it if they did.

I don't think they did, but Elia and Marissa worked on the pannacotta, Otto did the kimchee, which leaves Marcel, Cliff, Frank, and Ilan. It looks like Marcel and Cliff were helping with the kimchee, and Frank claimed to do the rice (which doesn't necessarily preclude him from doing the pork), but judging by Ilan's defensiveness about the pork, my guess is he cooked it.

[Starbucks880]

I do not condone what Otto did. I think it started out as an honest mistake, but the moment he noticed and didn't bring it back--he was being dishonest and cheating and stealing. That said, I do not think he should have been the one to go. If only he had not bowed out. Marisa tries to say she is the moral one here, but if she was so moral, she would have insisted right there that they take it back rather than let them drive off with it. She was simply making an issue about it because she was most in danger of leaving. I think she knew deep down there would be an issue with her hockey puck desert. She definitely should have gone. There's something wrong when a pastry chef cannot make a decent desert--that desert should have been a slam dunk for her.

[pg13]

For those who missed the beginning of the show (and simply refuse to watch Bravo's bazillion re-runnings of the show)--the Quickfire challenge had all of the contestants woken up at 4:30am by Tom. Tom took them down to the fish market where they were told to gather up fish for a sushi dish that would be judged by Hiroshi Shima. When they brought their "catch" back to the kitchen, they were shown a table full of other ingredients and set loose. Cliff won with a hamma oyster dish that included jalapeno...

(This was one part of the show that I appreciate having a girlfriend who actually speaks Japanese--as she let me know that one of the translator's translations was VERY incomplete...what the translator said made it seem like criticism but the actual statement had Chef Shima making a comment but backing it up by saying that despite the comment that he liked the taste.)

Anyway...onto the controversy du jour. (That means the controversy of the day. That sounds good, I'll have that...)

The incident itself: I've been there and I've done that. I've gone to a grocery store and had the checkers not notice what was in the bottom section. If I've noticed it while I'm being rung up, I tell them... If I don't notice it until I get home and check the receipt--I tend not to go back and return it.

Not that this justifies that behavior, but I'm certain that I've been double charged for plenty of things in the course of my going to grocery stores...and I tell myself that it all averages out.

But that's me...in real life. This scenario happened in a tightly monitored competition where "exactly what you spend" is a condition of the competition.

Now, I can see someone thinking to themselves "oh, wow...we caught a break there...we got all of this stuff for free..."--and I think that's where Otto was in his head. Not the smartest way for a reality tv show competitor to think...

The minute that he said something out loud acknowledging the mistake (or, as I'm sure he was thinking "good fortune")--when he was being filmed and was mic'ed up--he should have realized that he needed to return the lychee. (And why, oh, why couldn't he pronounce that ingredient's name correctly?)

He didn't. That was his decision.

Marisa and Elia also made a decision--CYA--to cover their butts. They told Tom about the lychee situation--drawing his official reaction to the situation.

As much as people here have said that they brought unnecessary drama to their team--I get the sense that it was a decision based on there not really BEING a team (which is why Frank's words while waiting for the Judge's Table decision later rang so hollow.) Whereas Team Vietnam had a leader and were very efficient at discussing menu options, creating a shopping list and assigning duties...Team Korea, much to Elia's dismay, were more interested in getting drunk.

This is the second episode out of two where the contestants chose to get drunk...am I watching MTV's The Real World? If you get a one in a million chance to rapidly advance your career with a competition being filmed for television--do you think that you could stay sober and unhung-over long enough to give it your best shot? Unbelievable.

What SHOULD have happened is that the TEAM should have reacted to the extra lychees and decided what to do about it...as a TEAM. I get the sense that the drunk guys decided "eh, whatever" and the now-seen-as-stick-in-the-mud girls were left with the ethical problem...and, seeing that they were stuck with a team that had no clue what they wanted to do, what they needed from the Korean market or how they should present themselves to the public...I can see them wanting to cover their own butts.

Here's the thing--did Otto STEAL the lychees? No. But, he was the one who noticed them and did nothing... He told Marisa who told Elia...and they did something. Had the team been more proactive (and less drunk), Otto wouldn't have gotten in trouble, the lychees could have been returned earlier, instead of when Otto should have been in the kitchen helping them.

Otto put his team at a disadvantage--but his team let HIM down as well. The fact that he took responsibility for it and self-eliminated seems noble...but it also shows that he really didn't understand what was going on.

So...onto the dessert. Marisa chose to do an Italian dessert for a Korean food exhibition. Yes, it was flavored with Korean tea...but still... And then, she executed the dish poorly...to the point of being possibly inedible. The fact that everyone loved the pork so much that it almost got Team Korea the win, despite everything...and that, even despite the bad rice, it was the DESSERT that lost them this competition...indicates that Marisa should have gone home.

If you want to be the one to point fingers at others--to be the point person in the lychee drama--even if it is just to cover your butt...then, you've got to make certain that what comes out of your butt doesn't stink. That dessert stunk...

(Now, quickly...who here would have been happy to send Mike from Team Vietnam home for being the broken spoke in that team? I got the sense that he would have much rather have been getting drunk with Team Korea than being part of a well oiled machine winning a challenge on the competitive tv show that they're on. Bad knife skills, bad reaction to the authority of a very capable team leader... Bleh.)

And, we end with Frank. He made bad rice. He then starts acting like the high school football coach criticizing his team after a loss. If he'd shown that kind of leadership BEFORE--then the lychee issue, the panna cotta decision, the disorganization, the poor presentation...all of Team Korea's issues would have gone away--and they would have won.

OK, they would have still probably have been hung-over, but you get what I'm saying, don't you?

pg

[silverstrand]

It may be that Otto lied and cheated with the product, but the fact that he was so super repentive and bowed out was admirable. I think this is based on the food and for that reason Marissa should have been packing her knives and leaving. Liked Michael's comment this week about the team acting like a team... (not throwing anyone under the bus).... and Josie did great as a leader.... I'm in a trivia each week and this week I guessed the elimination correctly [but we do this before we see the show, the making of the predictions] and I chose Betty for the quickfire and the elimination for the winner because I really like the way she takes on the challenges and puts forth her best.... if I had to choose a winner right now for the Season that would be Betty... but it's still too soon to really make that guess.... the group pulling of names for our person who will win is Carlos for me, but I wouldn't pick him to be the winner. That was the luck of the draw, ...

[silverstrand]

oops... it was Frank who made the team comment and not Michael... sorry

[Gala62]

Interesting tidbit....was reading LeeAnne's blog on Bravo and she claims after watching the episode a couple of times she noticed Marissa using a TABLESPOON as the measure not a teaspoon!

Geeeee...think that made the difference?!! LOL

[dberk]

pg13, If you see Yardgnome's avatar watching you carefully in the check out line of your local grocery store on your next visit, you have only yourself to blame.

This show is so far superior to Hell's Kitchen that I became an instant fan. For some reason BRAVO doesn't come throught clearly on my cable so details are hard to see. I thought this show was on at 11:00pm so never tried to watch it before.

Otto was on the way out the door from the first challenge on. I wasn't happy about the theft and cover up, but agree that the pastry chef should have gone. Since she was probably the judge's choice to leave, they will be quick to give her the hook at the next opportunity.

[Misaru]

I don't think they did, but Elia and Marissa worked on the pannacotta, Otto did the kimchee, which leaves Marcel, Cliff, Frank, and Ilan. It looks like Marcel and Cliff were helping with the kimchee, and Frank claimed to do the rice (which doesn't necessarily preclude him from doing the pork), but judging by Ilan's defensiveness about the pork, my guess is he cooked it.

Thanks! Ilan's stock is going up for me :-) If I had to pick a winner right now, it's either him or Betty.

[Misaru]

Interesting tidbit....was reading LeeAnne's blog on Bravo and she claims after watching the episode a couple of times she noticed Marissa using a TABLESPOON as the measure not a teaspoon!

Geeeee...think that made the difference?!! LOL

That's absolutely horrible!!!!! And she claims she's a pastry chef?!?!?!?