Top Chef 12/17 Discussion Thread **SPOILERS**

[MFWalkoff]

A reminder: Tonight's episode is another "super-sized" 75-minute deal. Adjust your recording devices accordingly!

Please keep all discussion in this thread until 2:15AM ET / 11:15PM PT.

Enjoy the show!

[texasgal26]

Is anyone else here in love with Fabio? Could he be any more endearing and adorable?

[teddyray110]

Ariane wins quickfire and poor Jamie comes close again. Hopefully elimination challenge?

LOL @ Fabio mentioning he was a bad boy

[teddyray110]

Great teamwork. Props to helping Radhika and Hosea.

[Jexter]

Poor Eugene. He was one of my favorites at the very beginning, but he has gone down hill steadily. And he and Melissa are clueless...How can they simply deny numbers???

Oh, and I am LOVING this season and how this group really, really supports each other. For me, there is enough drama in the challenges that I don't necessarily want to see it in the contestants' relationships.

Even when they suck. Which they all do right now according to tonight's episode! There's a lot of drama in just how bad they are!

Love Carla calling out for Gail in the promo for next week.

[pretlitdev]

Texasgal26, no I don't think it's possible for Fabio to get any more adorable. I was very worried for him this episode, although I don't get the criticism of his food. Personally, I think it all looks delicious enough to try, even with the stuff I don't normally like such as crab.

Thought the interaction between him and Stefan was fun too. It was nice to see Stefan smiling and laughing, he looks so much better than when he's scowling.

I think the camraderie of this season is nice, especially if you think back to season two when it seemed like they were fighting nonstop.

What did everyone think of this challenge? It was one of my least favorite challenges ever, and as Fabio pointed out, some of the phrases were much harder than others. I think it ranks of there with the grocery store aisle challenge and the gas station challenge. The judges should really have expected that the chefs would struggle.

[dberk]

Let me just say that watching Jaime lose is better than watching anyone win. She has a terrible attitude and seeing her close but unable to pull in the prize is becoming funnier to me by the week.

I need to rewatch this ep for parts that I missed, but the QFC made my day. Finally a season where Joe confronts the chefs about mediocrity near the beginning rather than wait until the end.

[texasgal26]

I agree with a lot of the comments here - that Jamie's attitude sucks, that Stefan and Fabio are a funny duo, and that the interpersonal drama is not what's getting me to like this season. I still like the chefs a lot and think they're a talented bunch despite Tom's clear disappointment - but then, I'm not tasting the food.

I'm embarrassed to admit this: I actually teared up when everyone rallied for Hosea and Radhika. That was so incredibly touching and sportsmanlike. And no one seemed to hesitate. They even seemed happy when those dishes were the ones in the top.

[thetortfeasor]

Let me just say that watching Jaime lose is better than watching anyone win. She has a terrible attitude and seeing her close but unable to pull in the prize is becoming funnier to me by the week.

I need to rewatch this ep for parts that I missed, but the QFC made my day. Finally a season where Joe confronts the chefs about mediocrity near the beginning rather than wait until the end.

Joe?? Did you mean Tom??

But I agree with you about how seeing Jamie continue to always be a bridesmaid and never the bride is hilarious. I just hope the show isn't setting us up for her to go all the way and win the top chef crown after never winning a quickfire or elimination challenge.

[CrossingGuard]

I can't believe that they were able to get Martha on the show. Out of all the guests that have appeared on TC, she's probably the biggest and most well-known.

And yet, Carla seemed to be more happy to see the Harlem singers than she was to see Martha.