Top Chef Seattle 2/27 Finale Pt 2 Show Discussion *Spoilers*

[straycat80]

I was sad for Brooke. I also felt like this was set up where Kristen would win. I also feel like Tom really favored her. I found the whole thing rather anticlimactic. I didn't like the live show.

I was hoping with her non-dramatic personality, Brooke would win fan favorite. Seems like she should have won something! ahh well, I guess she did win some challenges. I'm just sad for her because she worked so hard.

I feel the same way. Although I was happy for Kristen I felt bad for Brooke. I was glad that Sheldon won fan fave, I liked him.
I didn't really care for this season of Top Chef. I don't like returning players or LCK. And I didn't like the way they did the finale.
At least there is another woman in the Top Chef winners so CONGRATS Kristen!

[tinderbox]

Thrilled that Kristen won. Very well deseved!

That said, I didn't like the format of the finale. Hope they don't do the Iron Chef style cook-off again.

[JORY'sMom]

That said, I didn't like the format of the finale. Hope they don't do the Iron Chef style cook-off again.

Agreed! Paying attention to the time left in the show, it was obvious after round three who the winner would be.

[Shoepie]

I wonder how Brooke feels about CJ burning the pig ears. Brooke delegated a lot to him without checking. That may have played a part in their decision. Tom is big on being able to handle a the kitchen and keep your focus on what goes out.

[PA Snow Bunny]

Well glad I didn't waste my time watching this.

[AcookerTV]

Tom tweeted today that he'd heard from many people that they did not like the format of the finale, that he didn't like it either, and doubted it would be done again. I liked that they tried to mix things up. When finalists go into a finale knowing pretty much what to expect and can prepare really well based on watching previous seasons, it's boring to me. But the way they mixed it up was a big failure!

[MFWalkoff]

I wonder how Brooke feels about CJ burning the pig ears. Brooke delegated a lot to him without checking. That may have played a part in their decision. Tom is big on being able to handle a the kitchen and keep your focus on what goes out.

She & Kristin were on WWHL after the show. She said that she didn't blame CJ for anything and that most of the pig ears were cooked just fine, so maybe the editing exaggerated that moment.

They were both very gracious on WWHL, even when talking about Josie. Sounds like everybody in the cast parted as friends.

(BTW I don't know if it was mentioned upthread, but on WWHL Andy announced that Sheldon won Fan Favorite, and $10,000)

[ness]

I wonder how Brooke feels about CJ burning the pig ears. Brooke delegated a lot to him without checking. That may have played a part in their decision. Tom is big on being able to handle a the kitchen and keep your focus on what goes out.

We're thinking along the same lines, here.

Far as I could tell, Brooke's ship started sinking from Dish 1 when she smelled burning pig ears, didn't stop to check or tell CJ to chuck 'em, or look at 'em CAREFULLY to make SURE there were no burned/bad ones.

Then, I think her ship sank a little lower when she served up the chicken wings.

Chicken wings?

Hmmmm . . .

I mean, we ALL know she stepped in it at the fried chicken challenge when she served her de-boned bird, and she was embarrassed about that.

OK, Brooke. You survived that.

MOVE ON.

But, she chose not to, and resurrected those wings (bone-in, this time) just to prove/show she could fry bone-in chicken. Why? Everybody and his mother KNOWS she could cook chicken properly. Even if she didn't THAT time. If she couldn't, she sure as HELL wouldn't've been F2, and we all know that, too.

And after the Finale tasting where Brooke presented those chicken wings, I even seem to remember HER remarking that she'd made a serious error with electing to serve those, and she couldn't afford to make any other errors from then on.

Oh, and I don't think it was too great, either (and this is most likely what sealed her deal and sent her COMPLETELY under the waves), when she was being quizzed at judges' table about what ingredients were in her last (?) dish, she had to think about one of 'em. Then, to add insult to injury, one of the judges had to tell her one that she hadn't even remembered was IN there.

Why? Because that was the first time she'd ever made that dish! Matter of fact, right when she began to cook it, I seem to remember a voiceover she did SAYING she was taking a risk doing that dish, because she'd never made it before.

(Kinda like when Carla chose to do that sous-vide in that final when she'd never done one before.)

So, from my vantage point, at least, Brooke made too many cooking/construction/judgment errors. Enough of them in total to where the judges couldn't overlook them. Because, to me at least, they pretty much seemed to like the tastes of the four dishes from BOTH ladies pretty equally, for the most part.

I DO remember Padma CLEARLY telling Kristen on one of her dishes that she wished it would've been hot. And Kristen KNEW Padma wasn't playing with her about the temp issue.

I am happy Kristen won. I would've been happy if Brooke'd won, too.

I just think that what tipped everything in Kristen's favor was the number of Brooke's missteps and/or mishaps.

[Maybaybie]

My satellite went out right at the start of the show last night so I went to Bravotv.com to watch it and the winner was right on the home screen. Grrrrrr! To add insult to injury, the new episode isn't even up yet. Oh well...it doesn't sound as if I missed much. Until next time....

[cubsfan55]

I didn't like the format of the finale. Hope they don't do the Iron Chef style cook-off again.

Agreed! Paying attention to the time left in the show, it was obvious after round three who the winner would be.

Agree x 2.
The previews made the Finale look so fun and exciting! It was anything but.
In fact, all I could think of while watching the obvious unfold in those final minutes of programming was, "...this has got to be the most boring and anti-climactic reveal of a Winner. EVER."

I also agree with many of you -- I'm very happy for Kristen but feel real bad for Brooke. Truth be told, I don't know if I would've felt this bad for Kristen if Brooke had been named the Winner. Heck~ Kristen could always go over to ANTM (or now, The Face) and win! She is stunning.