I just want to say how much I dislike have “teams” this year. I hate that they are eliminating people in such a way as to keep the teams fairly even. I hope they don’t do it again.
Down to the second-to-last episode!
So they did short promos for their shows, and then they eliminated one from each team, with the remaining competitors making and showing short “pilots” for their eventual show. It was sad to see Martie and Justin turn into apparent BFFs and have to deal with that. Alton was even teary-eyed.
[spoiler]So it came down to Michelle, Yvan, and Justin. And Martie! Psych, made you cry!
Sadly, I think Martie and Justin just didn’t come through in their pilots. Martie was still a little awkward. Justin’s “let’s watch Alton talk about Caesar salads” start was also awkward after the first cut or two and could have used some editing, and his face really looked heavily made up. Like, blush and more lip color than it usually looks like, to the point of being distracting. Plus I went “ick” at the aspic concept, “oo, OK” when he said it would turn into dressing on grilled lettuce, and then “ick” again when it only melted a little before the tasting.
I want Yvan’s mac-n-cheese recipe, but Michelle shocked me with how natural and fun she appeared onscreen - and my husband desperately wants her recipe![/spoiler]
They claim that they will choose based on audience voting, so vote before sometime on Tuesday (I missed the time) if you want to help your favorite candidate win!
Well, it’s through airing on the West Coast, so no spoilers needed now, right?
Ugh! I was so annoyed by the choices. I would be either bored or annoyed by any of the programs.
Justin annoys me to look at and gelatinous Caesar salad does not sound appealing at all. I think Ivan is a great guy, but do we really need another show on how to cook for your family? I don’t eat seafood at all and I’m not interested in watching Michelle truck around New England. I think of those chosen, Marti’s is the only one I might watch.
I would have loved a show on Hawaiian cooking and food. I think I would have even enjoyed the grill girl’s show if she grilled foods other than just meat.
I really hope they don’t do teams next time. I preferred the old format.
Aspic being the new century? It is 1930’-1960’s at best.
To be honest, I’m not voting for anyone because there’s no one’s show I really want to see. Our picks are:
Guy Fieri with boobs that don’t come from being overweight.
Paula Deen light with an Ina Gartin POV.
Watching my family. There’s a reason I’m 3 states away from them.
I’m such a rebel that I make food you will never cook or eat.
The aspic did surprise me; I thought Retro Girl was back and doing drag, hence the weird makeup look. :eek: That doesn’t sound like a Justin dish at all.
Yeah, I think there’s enough “cooking for your family” out there… but I still want the mac-n-cheese! (Post that recipe, Food Network!) And I didn’t think I’d like Michelle’s show either, but that pilot really connected with my husband and I. I wish Martie’s pilot had looked stronger; I find her a lot more charming and “real” when she’s just talking with people on the show, but when she knows she’s filming a promo, pilot, etc., it looks like she loses a lot of her sparkle.
See, now I really like Justin and thought his aspic idea was really cool. Martie is sweet, but she’s just another Paula Deen. Yvan bores me silly. Michelle is okay, but her point of view is too narrow for my taste.
Ippy was the only one who’s show I’d have watched (and maybe Malcolm because I thought he was a hottie) so I’m firmly in the “meh” camp.
I like New England but I’m not a seafood eater, Marti annoys me (she talks too much and doesn’t explain enough), Yvan’s cute but I don’t see where he brings anything new, and I can’t look at Justin without thinking of Taco, the guy who did the really gloomy version of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” back in the 80s.
Justin has always been pushed as the second coming of Alton, but basing your show entirely on another show seems… odd? Maybe it could work if they did it Mystery Science Theater-style for a bunch of Food Network shows, instead of the ultra-corny “This ain’t your daddy’s caesar salad!”
I don’t know if I’m imagining it but Justin’s speech patterns also seemed to emulate Alton a heck of a lot during his pilot, with awkward pauses and “hmms” in the middle of a sentence, something I never noticed before last night.
Awesome! That’s it - he does look like Taco!
I think this season ran out of steam a little while ago, so I felt this was pretty anticlimactic as finales go. I figured that Ippy would not make it - he might be good as an ensemble but I can’t see him carrying a show solo. (I had that idea a few years back - have 3-4 finalists as an ensemble, with each bringing their - gasp - POV to their parts. I think someone from ABC has electrodes on my brain, because that’s more or less what The Chew is.)
Grill Girl never really captured my attention. I think grilling is pretty much saturated by the FN, so no real need for her show.
The demos were alternately better than I thought, but also a little dull. I guess it’s pretty hard to pull off a show in 5 minutes. I thought Yvan was very appealing. Not sure what’s novel about a show about cooking for family, but he was personable and that mac and cheese did look excellent. Michelle also came across really well on camera, but I am just not that interested in NE food. Hell, I lived there for almost a decade and after chowder and lobster and fishcakes, there isn’t that much distinctive (IMO) to warrant a show. I mean, the other NE food seems to be more ethnicity based (Portuguese, Italian, Irish).
Justin - I guess I wouldn’t turn it off because of the weirdness aspect. Aspic? I thought he was going to give the link to the Gallery of Regrettable Food at the end. Grilling the lettuce was interesting. It was a pretty slick move to sort of position him as the heir apparent to Alton and Good Eats - no other show really linked to another FN personality quite as blatantly.
Martie is a little more appealing on camera, but I don’t think I would eat her dish. It did seem a little Ina-ish.
I think all of the finalists are serviceable FN hosts. I wasn’t blown away or convinced that I’d need to change any of my viewing habits based on what I saw. But they all seem to be nice enough people and I’d be happy for whomever wins.
Nope, I noticed it too.
Their latest recipes are up on the website. Mm, Mac-n-cheese tonight.
Yeah! I’m so happy with who won. Can’t wait to watch the show they create.
I’m happy for Justin. There simply aren’t enough food nerds.
I SURE hope he demonstrates that beef stroganoff dish!
~VOW
So happy this season resulted in a show I’ll watch. I can’t wait to see what Justin comes up with.
It’s fine Justin won but that has to go down as the most BORING finale ever. I literally fast forwarded through the last 30 minutes and wish I could get the first 30 minutes back.
If they do this viewer vote format again, may not tune in at all next year.
Heck, I KNEW they were going to drag out the announcement for the whole hour, so I watched something else and just tuned in to the last five minutes.
Oh, the draggy-outie stuff was a BIG BIG BORE.
I played on the laptop and only caught the very end.
~VOW
DVR’d it and fast forwarded to the end once I saw how drawn-out it was.
I hope they offer positions to some of the others as well - a lot of times, the “Star’s” show gets cancelled after a season or two, but you’ll see other former contestants turn up here and there.
Made yvan’s mac and cheese…YUMMO!
Did not like the finale. Sorta knew Justin would win, but looking for shows from the remaining 3.
Glad that Bobby may offer Eric a job in one of his restaurants.
Was Malcolm a complete tard or what? A Food Network VP says you need a POV. He says “no POV is my POV”. Susie shoots him a look and groans.
Translation: We might have been able to work with you, but you are an arrogant bastard. Hasta La Vista!
That’s exactly what I did too.
Good for Justin, I wish him luck in the show I won’t be watching.