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| Photo - Food Network |
Here was the order of eliminations for each of the first four episodes:
- Episode 1 (Professional Chefs) - Fatima Ali (appetizer), Lauren Kyles (entree), Tom McKenna (dessert) - Winner - Giorgio Rapicavoli
- Episode 2 (Amateurs) - Marisa Biaggi (appetizer), Dinah Surh (entree), Elda Bielanski (dessert), Winner - Keith Young
- Episode 3 (Heroes) - Richard Fields (appetizer), Paul Rut (entree), Robbie Myers (dessert) - Winner - Diana Sabater
- Episode 4 (Celebrities) - Gillian Vigman (appetizer), Brandi Chastain (entree), Carnie Wilson (dessert) - Winner - Laila Ali
With Giorgio being the only professional chef in the finale, he should be the clear favorite, but you know how the judges can be won over by a feel good story. There is a fan vote on the Food Network site, and as of writing this, Keith has about 80% of the people rooting for him to win. So everyone is probably pulling for the underdogs (amateur/hero) to win over the professional with an advantage and a celebrity who probably doesn't need the prize.
I will update this post with the winner after the episode airs. (Spoiler after the break)
UPDATE: The first contestant eliminated in the finale was Keith Young, followed by Laila Ali. This put Diana Sabater vs. Giorgio Rapicavoli in the dessert round for the $50,000 prize and a car. Being a professional chef against a bunch of amateurs was a great advantage to Giorgio, however Diana somehow won the Chopped Ultimate Champions Tournament.
Agreed. Sean and Amber were more consistent. Gib seemed nice, but seriously, what is the point of the first 5 weeks?
ReplyDeleteThey were! And it's freshing to see people on a competitive show being nice to one another too.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but Jack didn't win season 1, though I wish he had. I loved that kid!
ReplyDeleteWell I'll give you that. I still have a hard time believing the contract isn't meticulously skewed in their favor. I'm sure they have an entire legal department at their disposal.
ReplyDeleteHow they missed Lenny's antics before he got selected, who knows.
Dean's particular cooking and Palin's particular politics? I am pretty certain they are pretty much the same demographic.
ReplyDeleteLet us know what you get there EF.
ReplyDeleteI would bet tons of people would watch that. But then again, triple D reruns at this point are all paid for, so any veiwership gained is free.
ReplyDeleteI missed that. I thought last season was the first.
ReplyDeleteThey probably don't have an investigator checking contestants out OR they figured the public would never find his stuff and so they weren't worried.
ReplyDeleteFood and politics are similar? Interesting concept.
ReplyDeleteIf they didn't think they had enough viewers interested to make it worthwhile, they never would do it. They had to market test this idea all over before sinking their money into their own networks.
No one else has commented on this, but I think it's wrong to use an online fundraising site to raise funds to improve your restaurant. Maybe it's just me, but like homeowners usually do, you add on or improve when the funds are available. If you save them or you take a loan from a back, either way, it's the owner's responsibility to pay for such improvements. I find asking people to donate so you can improve a restaurant very tacky and incredibly ballsy.
ReplyDeleteTheres been many times less liked contestants win so its not like judges favor those with sob stories or those with genuinely good personalities...
ReplyDeleteThis is an odd one because it was an extreme mix of amateurs, heroes, professionals, and celebrities...
Its easy to like and respect Keith because of his story of his wife passing. I found it ironic that Keith was the only guy in his round and won and Diana was the only woman and beat out three guys. Also its ironic because both Keith and Diane could have switched positions because they were both part of an amateur round (Fathers and Mothers special respectively) but both could be considered heroes since Keith worked in the Fire Rescue Department and Diana being a cop. I can see why Keith is a favorite but Diana shouldnt be underestimated either. Shes also aiming to become a working class chef and i believe shes trying to open a resteraunt or is it a food cart? Either way shes the amateur that has dreams of cooking as her career so I admire that of her.
Although Georgio is going to be a tough one to beat.. i do love his creativity and innovation and even if this was a bunch of professionals like it usually is, hed probably be a favorite to win it all still.
Laila really doesnt need the prize but shes been pretty strong every time too. Its ironic shes the only celeb that didnt partake in the Celebrity Tournament but she was part of an All-Stars round and went pretty far in that (eliminated in the Entree of the finale). I cant remember if she did say she would be playing for a charity too but i know many fans that dont want to see her win money and a car for herself...
I personally dont care who wins because they all have reasons and skillsets to win.
You're right, but Brandon won last season. I think Jack came in third or fourth place.
ReplyDeleteI was rooting for anybody but Chef Giorgio. He came off a bit too cocky off the bat. I thought Diana showed a lot of talent, and I'm glad she won.
ReplyDeleteI never saw In Food Today. What was that show like?
ReplyDeleteThey felt bad because he got bullied for being gay....
ReplyDeleteSob stories are looking to be the next big FN thing (see: tonight's Chopped finale). Look for the pro-cheftestants to start using them.
ReplyDeleteChopped has always been big on sob stories.
ReplyDeleteHelen is total badass, she cut her finger to the bone and didn;t even complain. I would have been screaming....
ReplyDeleteHow was he cocky? He was the only professional chef left. He was expected to win. What was he supposed to say? "Oh I hope I'm good enough to win?" He'd be fake if he said stuff like that. Not once did he say anything bad about the other chefs.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why the judges should be prohibited from asking contestants why they want to win. It's also a good argument for blind tastings and the judges not being able to see the action in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteFirst time I'm ever going to disagree with you autumndandelion. I thought he was very gracious, even saying he was happy that Diana won. He also complimented all of the other chefs, saying how great they all were. I was impressed with all four of the contestants because of their great attitudes and was so happy Diana won.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you're getting something back for you donation to a for-profit business, I don't see a problem with it. For example, singers, Kenny Loggins being one, are crowd-funding their CD projects as are movie makers and their movies. Eventually, crowd-funding will tap out and something else will come along to replace it.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason you have it in for Lenny is because his comments were offensive to women. I have no doubt had a female won the show and had a history of making sexist comments about men you wouldn't say a word about her show being canceled.
ReplyDeleteGordan Ramsay has said/did worst things(DUI arrest, sued over wages and overtime violations, cheating on wife, charged with indecency, failed to pay $2million in taxes, got sued over skipping a $41,000 wine bill and they have more but you get the idea) then Lenny , yet I don't see people trying to crucify him and ruin his career.
ReplyDeleteFunny considering they are both more successful and relevant then you'll ever be.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty huge assumption; you literally have no idea why I feel the way I do about anything.
ReplyDeleteHowever, no the comments about Ree didn't bother me. I didn't like him from day one on the show way before any of the stuff came out. But what really showed me he had real class what that video of him eating the advent calendar while taking a dump.
Wow, this is really only the first time you've disagreed with me? LOL! It wasn't what he said but the way he said it that just rubbed me the wrong way. I was really happy Diana won too.
ReplyDeleteI wish they would make this change!
ReplyDeleteHelen was my favourite.
ReplyDeleteHere's the FN description: "In Food Today is a magazine show for people who are passionate about food, cooking and living well. Every day, the world's top chefs drop by to share their secrets, while we share ideas for better eating and better living in a fast-paced life". If you look at the site, it looks like you can see episodes but there's no video on the page.
ReplyDeleteRosengarten cohosted with the soon to be ex Mrs. Rudy Giuliani (Donna Hanover), I believe right in the middle of their messy personal issues. But Rosengarten knows his food and was a calm and thoughtful adult. Obviously not really a good fit in FN these days.
All the same I for one hope he keeps his show and not because I like or care about Lenny, but because it would be just.
ReplyDeleteIf Sharon Osborne and the women of The Talk can go on live TV and joke about an actual male victim of domestic abuse(he was genitally mutilated by his wife and she got life in prison for her actions) and not one of them was fired or the the show canceled.
Imagine the outrage if a male talk show joked about a female victim...we both know the answer..they would be fired, the show canceled and they would be blacklisted from working in the media again.
Yes two wrongs would totally make it right. And "just".
ReplyDeleteRemember Jag? He got caught in a big fat lie.
ReplyDeleteHe did. You'd think that would have prompted FN to vet people a little more thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteI think most people would have an issue with a female winner making sexist comments also. I hated when Demaris (sp?) got drunk during the one challenge and acted so trashy. I thought that should have been enough to get her eliminated.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree. Why they want to end shouldn't enter into it, period. I'm a little surprised they haven't gone to blind tastings already. Maybe someday?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it was a good show, thanks for the description. Maybe the episodes are out there somewhere to view. I'm going to check into that!
ReplyDeleteWell some of their judging is based on their techniques too. Also, I saw one time where they wouldn't even touch a contestant's food because he had a cut and bled all over it. They wouldn't have known that if they hadn't watched him cook.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Beat Bobby Flay show is judged blindly.
I watched the episode again, and he didn't seem cocky after all. I don't know what about his attitude gave me that impression the first time.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Sounds like an interesting show, but I agree that it doesn't seem to fit the network's brand nowadays.
ReplyDeleteIf they had eliminated Damaris over that drunken, trashy behaviour, they'd have to do something about Giada and her stunt on Thanksgiving Live last year. That was much worse! And you know they're not going to drop her anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteTrue. There was also the one where the guy dropped his food on the floor and served it anyway.
ReplyDeleteHaha, it happens. TV execs like to trick you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's blame it on them. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI kind of feel sorry for the dude who lost - being an experienced professional chef, and losing to an amateur must really sting. I'm betting his co-workers are going to give him shit about it for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteI miss David Rosengarten!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a bogus win. The judges voted for the story - not the food. "Let's give the up and coming former welfare mom a break so she can open her food truck." Chef Giorgio clearly won but since he's already successful he was held to a higher standard and denied the win. Total B.S.
ReplyDeleteHe was not cocky. Don't know what you were watching.
ReplyDeleteThey can't help themselves. The party of hate...........
ReplyDeleteKickstarter - internet panhandling for hipsters..............
ReplyDeleteGuy vs Racheal was lame because unlike Racheal Guy told the kids exactly what to make and did not let them use many of their own ideas at all.
ReplyDeleteGuy Ferry the greasy HRTA grad does not even know how to cook himself very well.
Diana won because Giorgio overcooked his ramps and wildly undercooked his pasta. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad somebody else saw the same thing I did. And, I wouldn't credit the "sob story" necessarily, as much as the fact that the overwhelming majority of Chopped viewers are home cooks, who want to think that the meatloaf they make once a week that their family really likes can compete with classically trained chefs who cook 60 hours a week for decades. The judgment was not based on the chefs' performances, but giving the viewer what they want to see; that is being more of a reality show than a game show. How many times did Zakarian refer to Giorgio's food as "perfect"? I didn't think Diana deserved to win the Grand finale, I didn't think she deserved to win the Heroes round, and I didn't think she deserved to win the first episode she was in, against other moms. I don't know why they keep giving her the win, but it clearly has nothing to do with her cooking ability, which is mediocre at best.
ReplyDeleteI dont think it was credited to a sob story. This is about creativity in a short amount of time and Diana knocked it out of the park! She worked as a Professional chef in NYC, so obviously, more then her friends and family enjoyed her food! Giorgio is NOT a classically trained chef. You need to do your research. He even said in an interview that he dropped out of culinary school. And for someone to start working as a Chef in NYC, the Food Mecca, with no formal training, says a lot about her talents. And if you bothered to do more research Giorgio had to shut down one of his restaurants because its concept failed. Maybe he needs to focus more on his food rather then being in food competitions. His food was not "perfect" Scott said his risotto was like wall paste and Zakarian said his pasta was undercooked! What show were you all watching???? YOu all sound like a bunch of racist who are mad tat a Latina won! Why wouldnt she deserve to win...she got herself off of welfare, went through college and is now pursuing her dreams. Maybe you're mad because you all are too insecure to follow your dreams! Haters
ReplyDelete