Premieres tonight at 9. Post your thoughts here.
Man, some of these folks have a terrible TV presence. Juba, I’m looking at you.
Dunno…I’m kinda over it.
Juba needs to go home soon.
I like the chubby Asian chick. I can’t even remember who went home. He must have really made an impression on me!
It was the radio dj guy, believe his name was Howie.
I did find it kind of ironic though when one of the guest judges (don’t remember which one) criticized Penny for her revealing clothes and putting too much emphasis on her “sexiness,” with Giada sitting right across the table.
This episode earned a giant “meh” from me. None of the contestants really appeal to me, but tons of them work my nerves: “perky” Whitney, “sexy” Penny, and “simple” Juba. I am also tiring of the NFNS challenge format - it doesn’t connect in any way to the ultimate goal of the show, which is making a watchable show on the network. So the promo part makes sense but cooking with limited ingredients under the clock, not so much.
I didn’t catch an “accent” from the Missouri gal. What were they going on about? They made it sound as if it was like nails on a chalkboard.
Justin the fishmonger, while seemingly with impressive credentials, has zero screen presence. He would be okay with a co-host but not by himself.
I think the producers love chubby Asian women - there was one last season, as well as Aarti who ultimately won. But I’ve heard the Asian fusion with southern style… from the one last year! (Was her name Debbie?)
Penny can’t get off my screen soon enough. For all of her talk of sexiness, she looked like Paul Stanley, only less pretty. She was trying way too hard to be sexy and came across as a prime grade ass.
I have no idea how Howie made it on the show. I was glad he was there, because I feared that the Vegas chef would get the boot, when I actually find him one of the more intriguing castmembers at this point.
I like the pierced tatooed Vegas guy, too.
That Asian girl Debbie from last year was a primo BITCH and I had really wanted to like her in the beginning. I like this one much better. 
They kept harping about it being a “valley girl” accent. And while certainly discernible, it didn’t really strike me as that unusual either, and if they hadn’t said anything about it, I probably wouldn’t even have noticed it.
I think the problem the Food Network has is the reality show and the prize will sometimes have cross purposes. To make the Reality show interesting they have to cast some nasty and/or douche-y people but then if one of those people happens to win, they get a show on their Network.
For example, if Penny should win, even if her show was called “Let’s cook stuff Quimby loves!” I wouldn’t watch it because she is a horrible self centered bully.
As far as Concepts go, I think I would watch a show about Sandwiches, plus Jeff (i think that was his name) seems nice enough so I guess I am rooting for him.
That may have happen on a program where the viewers vote, but that’s not the case here.
My feeling is that they have a good idea early on the type of person they’re looking for and once they see the competitors in action, a good idea of who’s going to end up in the top two or three. Yeah, the judges may let the douche get far in the competition, just to generate drama, but they’re not going to give that person a show, at least not unless they think said douche can generate ratings.
That’s been my main beef with the show, too, but I see signs that FN at least realizes this enough to account for it in the evaluations - at least off camera. If you went strictly by presentation and the food presented, Vic or Jyll would’ve got the axe for failure to get food on the plate (cook 'em and toss 'em Vic) or bad promo performance (one-take Jyll). Fortunately, the judges don’t seem to be as focused on single task elimination or as unaware of behind the scenes action as they’re portrayed to be.
I know they play up the drama, but I’m hoping they start de-emphasizing the improv cooking and the unrealistic time constraints.
My take on the contestants after Episode 1:
Alicia – If she has a signature dish, I bet it’s “fruitcake”. May have the legs to get through a modelling session, but won’t get through the first half of the season. Judges will keep her until the drama is no longer entertaining.
Chris – Hope his cooking isn’t as obnoxious as his personality. Poor judgement on the shopping (wanted to go with cheap chocolate to buy beer he wouldn’t cook with) and in the kitchen (wanted to ditch Susie’s spicy sauce because it was… spicy). dumb + unlikeable = gone by episode 5
Howie – Good riddance. May indicate that the judges’ discussions for the camera are 95% pretend, and maybe the FN guys know what they’re doing.
Jeff – I’d watch a Sandwich King show. Jeff has the on screen presence and charm for the job, but needs to demonstrate subject matter authority. Can’t make another bread mistake.
Juba – Might cook like a culinary genius, but seems to suffer from on screen derangement syndrome. Why should the rest of us suffer with him?
Justin B. – Please judges, don’t give this guy any sharp instruments. Unless they’re tattoo needles. May be gone before Chris unless he can fight the camera lens zombification factor.
Justin D. – This season’s bland journeyman with a clothing affectation (bow ties this time instead of hats). Will go to the final 5 searching for his “unique p.o.v.” Since he doesn’t really have one, will choose something lame and unconvincing.
Jyll – Needs to learn from the Howie experience and put herself out there. May have staying power, since she shows qualities the judges will reward if they believe she can carry a show.
Katy – “Food and fitness life coach”ing isn’t my cup of tea, but people pay for this, ah… service, so maybe she can overcome the lack of originality or interesting presentation.
Mary Beth – Flay called it right. So did Sturgeon’s Law. Won’t screw up badly, so she’ll be the last mediocrity to go.
Orchid – May have the chops; I’m sure she can smoke ‘em and grill ‘em, any way. Natural screen presence. If she can show culinary range, she’s in the final three.
Penny – Must have been turned down by Real Housewives of Los Angeles: “Candidate ‘P’ has the vindictive, bitchy quality we’re looking for but just isn’t believable as a real character…” Might have outstanding warrants under another name somewhere. Hopefully, FC judges are working with the authorities.
Susie – Probably has a culinary p.o.v. worth demonstrating. Probably won’t do that. May be a sleeper, but I won’t be surprised to see her cut about midway through.
Vic – If he can actually get food in front of the judges, and they like it, he could do well. Good concept, and there’s more to his personality than first appearances suggest. I’d keep an eye on Mr. Vegas.
Whitney – Camera ready and has a unique engineering-consultant-to-chef bio. Doesn’t seem to have much substance though. If she can juxtapose a geeky food tech perspective with a ‘girl next door’ presence, she might have a hook. If not, she’s got nothing but overly obvious ambition and local tv news good looks.
There’s something a bit odd in the way she talks. But then, this is a network where Bobby Flay is inexplicably a huge star and whatever she’s doing is way, way, way less annoying than his “accent.” So, if she can cook, I don’t think it should be an issue.
No one’s standing out yet (of course, this is episode 1, so I don’t expect anyone to.)
I hate the “you must cook your ethnicity” rule for any contestant that isn’t white. I don’t know for sure whether Susie actually likes and enjoys cooking Mexican food. I do know that the judges pushed her into saying that she did.
The difference is Giada is BEAUTIFUL.
Wow, Penny really brought her claws out, didn’t she.
Anyway, in the pizza challenge did they use a premade dough? Because when I make pizza at home from scratch, I always give the dough a minimum of an hour to rise. It didn’t seem like they really had that luxury here.
Crap, my DVR didn’t record. I just started watching it at 9:00. I’ll watch the whole thing later.
They changed the name.
The timer I had in the DVR from last season was for “The Next Food Network Star.” Now, it’s just “Food Network Star.”
No real surprises on the cuts. The producers seem to be setting up a two or three episode arc with Penny before they get rid of the psycho harridan.
The rundown so far:
Alicia – Continues with the drama, but, like that wild girl you dated before you realized crazy stops being sexy real damned quick, she’s still showing enough sparkle for the judges to keep her another week.
Chris – “I’m gonna show my cooking show chops with some competition juggling and an unnecessary flambe. They’ll luv me!” Still dumb, still unlikeable (although Flay seems to find the frat boy crap appealing, who knew?) I’m revising my exit estimate for this cretin to episode 4.
Jeff – Not showing expertise in his self professed wheel house. Better shape up the cooking or the charm won’t carry him past episode 7.
Justin B. – HGTV is looking for a host for their new paint drying commentary show. Maybe Justin B. can go cook some great food for that guy. …If he develops enough personality before they inevitably can him from NFNS.
Justin D. – Maybe he can do whimsey. I like him. Hope I was wrong about the “bland journeyman” assessment.
Jyll – They seem to like her, but they’re not showing alot of her interaction with the judges. They seem to have done the same with some of the previous finalists. I predict final four for Jyll.
Mary Beth – I was wrong about which side of Sturgeon’s Law MB falls on. I actually liked her in this episode and hope she continues to do well.
Orchid – I think she’ll sink or swim on how closely she can stick to what she knows well. I don’t know if FN needs an Orchid show now, but she might be better entertainment than some of their current stars. (psst, FN producers, that Outrageous Food show is lame, hint hint…)
Penny – I still think this might be part of an FBI sting operation. We’ll see the takedown by episode 5.
Susie – I’d like to try that stew she made. She doesn’t have a chance of winning, but she might do well enough to be seen on FN again.
Vic – The only advantage Vic has left is that the judges like his food and like his personality and really want him to succeed. He’ll last through two or three more bad performances, max.
Whitney – She was advised to play up her “passion for food”, but I still think she needs to go full on food geek next door. If she talks about why, what and how and gets excited about that, she could be a killer. (I believe she won’t do this, though.)
Honestly, I like Justin B. It’d be nice to have someone on Food Network who looks like a guy that I might hang out with–and not, you know, either a bit of a douchebag or a overly sunny woman. And these cutesy, home-spun stories? They fucking put me to sleep. I’d watch pretty much anything he did, because he reminds me of my friends, and clearly knows his shit. I hope he steps up his presentation, though, because he needs to convince the damn judges of that.
If that doesn’t happen, I guess I’d take the other Justin or Jeff. But, Jesus, it’d be nice to have someone who’s confident and doesn’t feel the need to tell a fake-ass story every time they crack an egg.
Also, I want Penny gone. I don’t think I could watch a show starring here without thinking of her scheming. Thing is, I bet the judges know that. There are TV execs there, after all.
Watching Whitney, my first thought was “Doesn’t Rachel Ray already work for Food Network?”
Penny really needs someone to show her a dictionary open to the word ‘sexy’. She keeps on using that word. I do not think it means what she thinks it means.
Alicia has some cooking skills but the crying will not get her far.
I have seen Vic Vegas on a Food Network Challenge, so I am leaning toward him, if he ever gets to serve food.
The rest have been pretty forgetable for me so far.
ETA: if I remember right Vic was in a challange with his dad as his partner and his dad gave out food to the audience so he was missing stuff on the plate in that one too.