Sam Talbot - Season 2

[mrs. tino]

I was impressed at how hard Sam worked for someone who he obviously didn't like that much. I was impressed with how professional he was in the kitchen. He is the one who should have been the Top Chef.

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[gizmo1]

Originally Posted by mrs. tino

I was impressed at how hard Sam worked for someone who he obviously didn't like that much. I was impressed with how professional he was in the kitchen. He is the one who should have been the Top Chef.

Although the cameras showed Sam and Mike helping Marcel, Marcel said in a later interiview that Mike was the workhorse while Sam spent four hours making vinegarette and chopping mushrooms. Marcel was also upset that editing made it appear as if the dish with the missing fish that did so well among the judges was prepared by Sam who pretty much took all the credit for the dish. In reality the dish was the same dish planned by Marcel except it had no fish.

Sam should have been the Top Chef if scores were cumulative and leadship was to be considered. However, while Sam's dish in F1 was good, there was nothing special about it. Both Marcel and Ilan brought their A-games and overachieved while Sam falsely assumed that his past performance would be factored in and he'd come up a winner.

[Jexter]

Regarding Sam taking the credit at the end for Marcel's dish... I rewatched that segment just to make sure I heard right. When Marcel found he was missing the fish, Sam suggested that Marcel grill an ingredient. Marcel responded with "yeah, and then roll in something etc.".

Obviously this isn't verbatim, and maybe Marcel would have figured out a solution himself, BUT....Marcel was up a creek. Sam handed him a paddle.

[Jexter]

Someone posted they had gone back to replay the scenes. Here's what that poster said:

"Nerd that I am, I rewound to try to figure that out after the JT. The sea beans were part of Marcel's original plan -- they showed each finalist's complete menu relatively early in the show -- but there was this part after Marcel gave up on the fish where Sam asked him if he had a set of ingredients (one of them was garlic -- can't remember the others) and said, OK, you can saute the sea beans in that -- something like that. So I think what got lost either in the editing or in Sam's account to the judges -- no way to tell which -- is that Sam played a key role in helping Marcel figure out how to prepare the sea beans differently so that they were more of a main ingredient once the fish was missing, but wasn't the reason they were in the dish (which makes sense, since they shopped in advance -- not like Sam had sea beans in his pockets or something)."

[Pookipichu]

Sam is a liar and a jerk. I can't believe he took credit for sea beans being IN the dish. My instinct tells me he tried to sabatoge Marcel and was responsible for the missing fish. For someone who proclaims his humility and affability, he did not take the high road, nor did he portray himself well. He instigated Frank into bullying Marcel. He gets in Marcel's face and tells him to get lost. Does anyone see the irony in that? I started the show disliking Marcel but all the pettyness and immaturity made me dislike him the LEAST. I hate bullies and Sam was a bully and ringleader and everyone followed his tone because he was portrayed as the "cool kid" as opposed to Marcel's awkward outcast. That is just so sickening and it really turns me off to pop culture because tv tends to reinforce behavior in society as well as reflect it. If Marcel was so arrogant and obnoxious why is it Sam's job to outdo him in that department?

Furthermore, the physical assault of Marcel was totally despicable. No one in that room stepped in to say, "this is not right". People using their bigger size to control a smaller person and force him to the ground for being unlikable? That is just disgusting. How often in history has this happened yet no one ever seems to learn that physical violence is unacceptable. That marginalizing people because of dislike, envy or prejudice is unacceptable. How could they let any of the people involved continue in the show is beyond me.

[littlechick]

Does anyone know where Sam is currently working? I'd love to taste his cooking.

[mrs. tino]

Originally Posted by Pookipichu

Sam is a liar and a jerk. I can't believe he took credit for sea beans being IN the dish. My instinct tells me he tried to sabatoge Marcel and was responsible for the missing fish. For someone who proclaims his humility and affability, he did not take the high road, nor did he portray himself well. He instigated Frank into bullying Marcel. He gets in Marcel's face and tells him to get lost. Does anyone see the irony in that? I started the show disliking Marcel but all the pettyness and immaturity made me dislike him the LEAST. I hate bullies and Sam was a bully and ringleader and everyone followed his tone because he was portrayed as the "cool kid" as opposed to Marcel's awkward outcast. That is just so sickening and it really turns me off to pop culture because tv tends to reinforce behavior in society as well as reflect it. If Marcel was so arrogant and obnoxious why is it Sam's job to outdo him in that department?

Furthermore, the physical assault of Marcel was totally despicable. No one in that room stepped in to say, "this is not right". People using their bigger size to control a smaller person and force him to the ground for being unlikable? That is just disgusting. How often in history has this happened yet no one ever seems to learn that physical violence is unacceptable. That marginalizing people because of dislike, envy or prejudice is unacceptable. How could they let any of the people involved continue in the show is beyond me.

I completely disagree. I think if you're going to call Sam a bully then you have to say that about everyone this season... including Marcel. None of the contestants were without blame but Sam was by no means the worst.

As for Marcel's dish, Sam helped him out with it but I did not see him taking credit for it. He merely stated that he contributed to it, which he did, and it was something that even Marcel acknowledged at the judges table.

[Pookipichu]

Originally Posted by mrs. tino

I completely disagree. I think if you're going to call Sam a bully then you have to say that about everyone this season... including Marcel. None of the contestants were without blame but Sam was by no means the worst.

As for Marcel's dish, Sam helped him out with it but I did not see him taking credit for it. He merely stated that he contributed to it, which he did, and it was something that even Marcel acknowledged at the judges table.

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.

[littlechick]

Originally Posted by Wiest

I am just wondering... did this guy smile ONCE the whole season? I haven't seen any episode before Mike's elimination but every time I've seen Sam he has a pinched and pissed expression on his face. I liked him a lot but if he approached me in person I'd be afraid.

LOL! Yes, he did smile occasionally [just during the personal interviews, I think].
Smiley or not, he is still one of my favs

[midnightsky]

Originally Posted by Pookipichu

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.

Sam's good looks would only get him so far; if he was a bad chef or had zero leadership skills he never would have won the favorite chef poll or gotten as far on the show as he did. I never found Sam to be that good looking, but liked what he prepared for most of the challenges. I am not going to condemn the man because some people thought he was handsome, as you seem to be doing.

As I have said before Sam did not force Frank to threaten Marcel. Frank made the decision to confront Marcel all on his own. I did not see Sam holding a gun to Frank's head. None of us know what Sam was thinking while talking to Frank. Did he think this is a good opportunity to cause conflict, or was he just expressing his opinion to Frank. As far as the "people are cheating" incident, wouldn't you protect yourself if you were in danger of being sent home, especially knowing that some of the other chefs cheated. I actually admire Sam for not saying anything earlier about the cheaters, and still refusing to single the cheaters out at the judge’s table.

If you look at one of the interviews with Sam, he states that the incident where he blew up at Marcel in the store occurred because Marcel accused him of cheating. That is part that the viewers did not get to see, and explained why he yelled at Marcel.

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.