Top Chef // The Hunger Games

Wow, I am loving this Top Chef Season 8 with all my fav (and not so fav but interesting) chefs back.
They are all either fantastic top notch chefs or they are incredibly ... spicy.  Basically, bland chefs (Voltaggio brother that lost) need not apply.

Anyway, my normal commentary.
SAD about a few things so far.
Sad that Jen cracked and got eliminated so early.
Also sad about how Elia got kicked off first - she looked so beautiful now too.

ANYWAY though, Top Chef is like the Hunger Game Reruns.. when all the previous champions come back.  You get the overt strategies and then you catch a glimpse of the sneaky, underlying strategies.

You also see how so many people aged (some not so gracefully).

Marcel came back a lot more.. palatable (but still cocky and annoying.. just more quiet).
Jamie... wow, she was one of my favs, but she is just.. being .. awful lately.  She's kind of a baby.  Kind of a wimp.  Kind of pretentious.  Kind of sucky.  This ain't gonna do NOTHING for your PR.  She has no balls anymore. NONE.
Mike Isabella:  Annoying the first time around, but now that he's back, it's like that general congeniality you feel for that token annoying family uncle.  He's great.
GOTTA LOVE CARLA.  Nothing's changed.  She just got better.  LOVE HER.
Same for Tiffany.  She's just straight up. and awesome.
I NEVER KNEW YOU BEFORE TRE!  So yeah, Tre is my new top chef love.
speaking of which, my old one, Spike... he .. is one of those dudes that DIDN'T age gracefully.  I mean he's still... i don't know.  Just.. older.. still jaunty, still cool (from the previous season he was in).. but he's definitely just.. i don't know.  Lost his charm, kept his sneakiness.  But his guile is pretty.. standard/on the surface.  So it was sad that he got outmaneuvered by...

ANGELO.. who is HECKA SNEAKY. .. angelo will always be angelo.  a devil in chef's clothing.

I think Casey is good but not great.  she hurt Carla's dish before.. even if it was an accident. and i don't really care for her.




But seriously, Jamie why do you suck?  and Tre, why didn't you speak up when they knocked you for your overcooked fish.. when...... ANGELO "volunteered" to cook it for you?



last thought:  poor Stephen.  it was like watching an old dog trying to keep up with the yearlings.  It's just not meant to be, my friend, not meant to be.


But yeah, they definitely brought back the talented and the characters.  I wish we didn't have Antonia and had Sam instead.  (remember from Season 2?  he looks kinda like Jim from the office, but better and he can cook).


Oh and Fabio... is just annoying now.  He's not even that great of a chef i think.  They should've brought back the German dude... just so he could poke at Jamie some more.  hah.   and Dale's just the token little asian dude.. who gets a little too overheated.. ALL.. THE...TIME!


But yeah, i'm glad ANTHONY BOURDAIN is a semi-regular judge!!!

AND the challenges have all been really fun this time.  (Season 7 felt reallllly old...)


PS: I guess i should've watched Season 3.. to understand Casey's appeal.  and then I could've met Tre earlier.  he has the best laugh. and he's just so nice.  I really dislike sneaky conniving chefs..

looking back, (thru wiki), i guess my fav episodes were Season 5 and Season 2).  I guess kiiinda season 6 but season 6 was sort of waaay over the top .. in terms of they got chefs that were super technical the whole way thru.  it was sort of like yawn boring bam bam bam where they got all the drama from the brother rivalry (that sorta didn't exist).  AND season 5 was annoying because of the stupid leah and hosea thing and then hosea actually won. -_-

you know, a lot of the top chef winners (like season 7's) were not.. that.. great..

okay, i definitely get very involved in this show..