Top Chef Las Vegas: Five Knives Trying to Stay Alive!
Commentary and Scoreboard by Joseph Braverman
November 16, 2009
What a roller coaster of a week it has been for the remaining chefs on Top Chef: Las Vegas.
After a decent competitor, Mike Isabella, was eliminated the week prior, it was really anyone up next on the chopping block. I mean, it’s a given that Robin will be in the bottom until the end of days, but the judges magically keep her around over someone who produced an even more disgusting dish.
Thank god this wasn’t a week of saving Robin. The chef who should have exited the week that Mattin was chopped off the show had finally been asked to pack her knives. Thank you cooking gods, wherever you may be eating! However, it seems that a former front runner, sour, dour, yet lovable Jen, is on a roll for consecutive appearances in the bottom three.
At this stage of the competition, shouldn’t there really only be a bottom two? Last week, I felt Brian made a lesser successful dish than Jen, yet she was penalized for her small portions. Um, don’t the judges notice that Michael V’s portions look as minuscule as cat food in every dish that he serves? I didn’t think it was fair for Jen to be in the bottom rung last week, nor did I think there needed to be a bottom three this week. Really, Robin and Eli should have been the only ones up for elimination. I have to wonder if the judges keep dragging Jen into the bottom to try to push her more as a chef since they feel she has great potential, or are they just capitalizing on a predictable final three of Kevin and the Voltaggios?
I have to say, if Jen doesn’t win, I feel Michael Voltaggio should. Yes, he is arrogant, crass, and blatantly rude at times but he does more than makes a great dish – he makes art right in front of diners. I think Kevin is a great chef, but his food doesn’t look very appetizing, and he doesn’t apply the extra aesthetic forms to truly cross over into sophisticated dining. As for Brian, Brian has never won a Quickfire Challenge, yet he is the only chef never to have brushed elimination. I think Brian is a great chef, but he is a boring one and he doesn’t take the risks necessary to create an outstanding dish.
As for Jen, boy my girl sure has had bad misfortunes as of late. That beef was definitely uninspired, but she still manages to cook with aplomb. Even though Eli won the Quickfire challenge and has been in the bottom fewer times than Jen has, he still has never won a single Elimination Challenge. That is crucial at this of the competition, and Eli’s dish was one of the most disgusting dishes to look at of the entire season. It literally looked as if a kindergartener had assembled his dish, Lucky Charms and all. He took the circus concept way too literally and it did not pay off. I think if Tom Collichio had not been behind Eli’s dish, Eli would have been the one going home this past week.
As it stands, there are five chefs left, and the judges seemed to have made up their minds on which the final three will be. Personally, anything could happen at this stage that could since one bad dish is grounds for instant elimination. Unfortunately, the numbers are not on Jen or Eli’s side.
Alright folks, here are the rankings for the final five contestants! Dig in:
Kevin Current Ranking: 1 Previous Ranking: 2
Even though Kevin did not win any challenge this week, he still came off strong after his victory the week prior. The judges seem to not stop giving adoration for Kevin, and he has also secured the most amounts of victories this season winning an impressive four Elimination challenges. Coupled with the knowledge that the majority of winners won their very first Elimination Challenge, Kevin seems almost a guaranteed bet to walk away with the title of Top Chef. His simplistic cooking has not turned the judges off, and even though Michael and I criticize this practice of cooking, his execution is consistently being praised. Kevin is still the chef to beat at this stage of the competition.
Michael V. Current Ranking: 2 Previous Ranking: 1
I know a lot of people dislike Michael and his attitude, but the dude has some serious skill. He should have won both last week and this week if it were up to me. He doesn’t just make food; he deconstructs it and puts out a plate that is parallel with great works of art. Michael is a terrific aesthetic chef, and it’s amazing time and again how his dishes taste as good as they look. I think in the end Michael V’s personality could cost him the title of Top Chef as compared to the good-natured Kevin.
Bryan Current Ranking: 3 Previous Ranking: 4
What can I say about Bryan other than he is boring. I mean, the producers showcased his kids to make us sympathizers and supports of him, but it felt more like a ploy to hunger the ultimate Voltaggio showdown in the finale. C’mon, you know it is going to happen! I think Bryan has more cooking experience than his brother, and he seems to know more about cooking than anyone in the competition, but the guy is far too safe, and sometimes even relying on safe doesn’t have its rewards. His dish was called unfavorable in the Quickfire Challenge, and he seemed to have the third best dish in the Elimination Challenge. I don’t know why the judges don’t call Bryan out on his “safeness” and reprimand him. Being a Top Chef means taking risks and making bold statements about you with a dish. Bryan does not do either, and even though the road for the finale has been set for him since birth, I don’t think he has a good chance at winning.
Jennifer C. Current Ranking: 4 Previous Ranking: 3
I know Jen has a very good shot at winning the fan favorite poll, but I want her to excel at the competition! Two weeks ago, I thought she deserved to be in the bottom rung, but the past two weeks I thought she was decent enough to stray away from elimination, but the judges wouldn’t have it. Are they setting us up for her imminent comeback, or is this the end for the great Jennifer as we know it? I for one want Jen to come back with a vengeance. I love her awkwardness and nervousness. It makes her so much more human and entertaining. I would like to see her rear her bitchiness back into the kitchen like she did in the beginning. Jen cannot give up, because not only do I think she can beat Eli…with maybe a little bit of hope and amazing cooking, she could possibly squeeze past Kevin into the predetermined Voltaggio finale. Not likely since Kevin has been the best chef all season, but a guy can dream!
Eli Current Ranking: 5 Previous Ranking: 6
Oh Eli, your breakfast was good but thank god they don’t pay you well enough to cook dinner. That circus dish of his was atrocious! Popcorn and peanut butter soup? I think his dish was the scariest thing to come out of the circus since clowns. Man, that dish was a nightmare. His only saving grace was that Tom Collichio was kidnapped by aliens who implanted a taste-bud that could handle atrocious meals and turn them into tasty ones. How Collichio liked Eli’s dish when the other judges despised it was beyond me. I think Eli would have gone if his competition wasn’t Robin, and if Tom hadn’t had fought so hard to support Eli’s dish. Eli’s goose is cooked next time! The guy is an amateur who has made decent food throughout the competition at best. Eli is my prediction for the next chef to be chopped off the competition.
Robin Eliminated
Robin joins the ranks of Sanjaya and Cloris Leachman in reality television for those who have lasted far longer on their respective competitive programs than should have been allowed. Robin should have gone weeks ago and yet for some reason she skated by, never growing or improving as a chef. Even her best dish she made was deconstructed and made even more brilliant by Michael Voltaggio! Robin may be the most unlikeable underdog in reality television history, and even though she wasn’t mean or insipid, I still am in shock that she was about to go such a long way. Now, Robin can finally fly away home.
Michael I. Eliminated
Laurine Eliminated
It is fitting how the most invisible contestant of the competition who is derived of a personality was eliminated because of these qualities. Laurine seemed to want to hide more than direct as the maitre de, and she never inspired the judges to even care about the food being served, because she did not even bother to explain what the dishes were! Laurine provided little to zero communication in the kitchen, causing Kevin to cook rare meat and Jennifer to cook her mussels on order. Laurine seemed to have zero drive, and looked relieved when she was finally given the boot. I have been predicting Laurine would be booted eventually, and finally the week occurred!
Ash Eliminated
Even though it was clear Ash should have left the week prior, I thought perhaps Ash may last an additional week, but it seemed the judges, especially Padma, was fed up his excuses and bad cooking. The fact that Ash could not even cook a style he was most comfortable with was an embarrassment, especially after he professed this fact to skeptical Tom Collichio. Although Ash started out fairly strong in the competition, he got worse as the weeks went on, and all the mistakes made counted too much against him, that it was impossible for the judges to cut any other chef.
Ashley Eliminated
After criticizing Ashley for the first part of the season, I have to say I am completely outraged that she was eliminated in the last episode. For three weeks now, she has improved tenfold, producing successful dish after successful dish. Even in the Quickfire this episode, her dish was one of the ones that stood out the most. Sure, her undercooking of the shrimp and over-salting of the gnocchi was a huge no-no, but at least she knew her mistakes. Eli seemed totally unaware of the dish’s failure, and Ash seemed to just throw in the towel. Ashley should not have packed her knives, and despite her inconsistency and mangled hair, I still felt she could have been a dark horse if she had stayed just a bit longer.
Ron Eliminated
Ron knew enough about deconstruction as he did about producing a successful dish – in other words, he knew absolutely nothing. He stumbled along week after week on the hope that his Caribbean roots would help him establish some authentic and unique dishes, but each week he just kept getting worse. He had no clue about the challenge, and I am so glad I predicted his demise, because otherwise it just would have seemed cruel to keep him any longer. Despite a strong dish in the first episode, Ron failed to ignite the judge’s interests in both him and his dishes.
Mattin Eliminated
I’m very embarrassed I ranked Mattin in third place after episode one. I thought he would be an excellent European chef that would take the competition by storm, but week after week he disappointed severely. I knew he wouldn’t win after failing to make edible French food, but I still suspected somehow he would pull himself out of the rut and stay for awhile longer. It turns out, Mattin was far too overconfident with his dishes, that even the terrible ones he would not admit were inedible and horrid. His refusal of acknowledging his mistakes in the kitchen is ultimately what did him in. I liked Mattin, but he was an embarrassment to European cooks everywhere, especially French chefs.
Hector Eliminated
This elimination was definitely a shock from the outset. I predicted that a male would finally be kicked off during the Elimination Challenge this week, but I thought it would have been the dull Ron, and now Hector who seemed to be making great strides in the show ever since his week one disaster. However, Hector’s biggest weakness throughout the entire competition was overestimating himself and thinking he knew more than the judges or other chefs did, and that is ultimately what bit him in the butt. He thought he could easily handle the time crunch of searing and cooking the steak, but it turns out he definitely could not handle it and was sent packing as a result. I think post dishes being served, Hector was the logical choice to be cut, but before the episode began I never would have imagined Hector, who seemed like a consistent chef so far, would have been eliminated. Color me shocked, Top Chef: Las Vegas!
Jesse Eliminated
I guess Jesse’s nine lives had finally run out, and producers must have felt they were giving this non-culinary school attendee too many chances. I thought since Jesse did so well in the first Quickfire Challenge that she may have a chance to make it through the week, but I was dead wrong. Everything about that girl reeked of low confidence, and that is something a competitor absolutely must not have in this competition if they are ever going to be considered a winner. It was Jesse’s time, and even though she had one of the best personalities in the bunch, there is no excusing personality as a means of staying when the talent is so consistently bad.
Preeti Eliminated
Who didn’t see Preeti’s elimination from a mile away? She was unmemorable in her cooking and dishes throughout her entire time on the show, and she never seemed to get any stronger during the challenges. In the end, the judges were forced to cut her when she seemed not to understand how uncreative, bland, and third-rate her vegetarian pasta salad was. I am glad Preeti is gone, because I was starting to feel sorry for the small ounces of hope she was establishing for herself in the competition. I do respect that Padma pronounced Preeti’s name correctly. In fact, this was probably my favorite Padma showing yet! She rocks when angry!
Eve Eliminated
Wow, my elimination prediction was correct! Although to be fair, I don’t think anyone would say Eve’s elimination was a surprise. No matter what Eve did, her cooking sucked, and even though she defended herself by saying that her style of cooking is incomprehensible to the judges, at the end of the day you are trying to impress them and make food everyone, not just yourself, can love and enjoy. Eve may be all smiles, and she seems like a nice lady, but I am glad the judges decided not to string her along and just give the woman a boot. Eve took it with class, but I am not sorry she left. She was the worst of the worst – not being able to deliver a single good dish is no excuse after two episodes and four challenges.
Jennifer "JZ" Z. Eliminated
So JZ is eliminated, which is awesome because I won’t have to differentiate the Jennifer’s anymore, especially since Jennifer C. is my favorite contestant this season! JZ just had a horrific dish more suited to the devil than top chef judges, and it is no wonder why they sent over-ballsy JZ home. I think she could have done better than Eve overall in the competition, but serving a dish so horrific it makes the judges consider never coming over for a simple home-cooked meal, you know your goose is cooked.
Well those are my rankings for the eleventh episode of Top Chef: Las Vegas. Comment away and enjoy! Feel free to email me. I got a lot of emails during my last articles on DWTS and SYTYCD!!
Joseph Braverman is a 20 year old film student at the University of Santa Cruz,
California. Aside from being a reality tv junky, he loves reading, watching
films, and spending time with friends and family. You can contact him at
jbravj@gmail.com.
All articles are the intellectual property of and copyrighted by the individual authors.
By submitting an article to Reality TV Calendar you are granting Reality TV Calendar
permission to display the article in perpetuity.
