on Aug 23rd, 2007Get ON with it, Bravo
If I didn’t know Bravo’s got its ducks in a row for Season 4, I’d think this season of Top Chef is never going to end. After interrupting the season not even half way through for that silly “reunion” and after stretching the restaurant war to two episodes, there is no episode again next week. In its place? Yet another showing of the competition between contestants from Seasons 1 and 2.
Does someone at Bravo have a professional death wish by dragging this out? Yes, Season 3 is better than Season 2, but that’s faint praise; Season 2 was unwatchable. This season has been marred by clumsy editing and heavy-handed foreshadowing. For example, just in this week’s episode, as soon as Tre mentioned the school of hard knocks and said he was there to win, I knew he was a goner; the moment the word “sommelier” left Chef Colicchio’s lips I knew we’d see Stephen from Season 1. After the emphasis on the food-related quotation to be stenciled onto one of the restaurant’s walls, why didn’t they bother to pan the interior and show us the darn quote in its entirety?
With Tre, a skilled chef and a fan favorite, gone and the Perspiration Twins still in the game, this season is fast losing its appeal. And OMG there are still seven contestants left.
Reportedly, at least some of the finale has been filmed — halleluejah — and Season 4 will shoot in Chicago and they expect to be done before winter weather sets in. Please, Bravo, re-watch Season 1. Take a lesson.
I don’t know if I will be watching next week–I didn’t know Tre was a fan favorite, but he was my favorite, and his sacking made no sense. He should have at least made it to the top three; even one of the judges said, “I like Tre.” Why get rid of one of the strongest chefs and a fan favorite. They are not interested in airing next year?
No one who remains reminds me anything of a Top Chef. With the possible exception of Howie, whose performances are not as strong as Tre’s were.
The scholl of hard knocks graduate had real potential–I am not seeing it in any of these others, and none are personally compelling or even that likable.
RIP, Tre.
It was nice having you while we could.
Tre was certainly a fan favorite but so was Sam in S2 and they got rid of him, but not till near the end. The “smackdown” ep next week is worth watching once, if you haven’t, to see why the S1 final group was so good and why the S2 contestants were (and are) so lame.
Bourdain’s take on last night’s ep is interesting, as always. As for Casey, love his line that she has the knife skills of Barney Rubble. Even mine are better, and I’m no whiz. (And was that a BREAD knife she was using to chop onions?)
Anyway, Bourdain’s latest blog entry is here:
http://www.bravotv.com/blog/anthonybourdain/2007/08/train_in_vain.php
Thanks for the link.
Enjoyed it a great deal, especially his summary on all the contestants, including Hung and Dale. May just watch next week.