And so did I, in my last post: Mike’s intense in the way some punk rockers are, Bryan’s intense in the way people who are INTENSE are. I was going to say I hope I get the names straight by the end of the show, but one of my mother’s best friends has twins and I’ve been mixing their names up for years, so I guess I’m just bad with twins.
With all due respect, I have no idea what you’re trying to say. First, they’re not twins. Bryan is 3 years older than Mike. Second, Mike was the one being the asshole with the saran wrap (“Shut the fuck up, Bryan”) while Bryan was just kind of like “Whatever.” Third, Bryan was the one who seems to lack a sense of humor, though he does have hilarious moments. Like when Mike I was explaining that he didn’t know what Eggs Florentine was, as Bryan looked at the camera like “Can you believe this douchebag?” Or in this last episode, when he said that Mike thinks that one chef didn’t like him and added, completely deadpan, “It’s funny.” Neither one of them laugh or smile or joke much, but they do occasionally show flashes of something besides SERIOUS BIZNESS, like when they were teasing Mike I.
I don’t think Mike V is a jerk, and I can’t understand what people in this thread have against him (or Bryan, for that matter). They’re both obviously very driven, very focused, and pretty fussy. But I think they’re probably good guys (unlike say Mike I or Hosea from last season).
Seems I’m so bad with twins I’ll mix them up even when they’re not twins. :smack: The truth is that I’m bad with names, but I don’t like to admit that.
Watching Bryan (I think it was him) eating breakfast, I said to Mr. singular “He eats like he was in prison!”, which got an enthused “on the nose” signal from him. Hunched over, one arm curled protectively around the dish as he shovels in food - this is not the posture of a happy family sharing a meal. If not a military family, some sort of strict discipline or competition was evident.
One of the things that I think goes on in these shows is that people posture for air time. Coming across as arrogant, making nasty remarks about other contestants… the editors love that sort of thing. It might not reflect who the person is really, but getting air-time is considered a major plus. You get remembered, which is viewed as career-building. And the assumption is that people won’t recollect the details – that is, you won’t be remembered as being a first-class jerk, you’ll just be remembered as a contestant on the show.
Some of the folks of the show, who showed little or no personality, I’ve forgot 'em already, even when I see their names and faces in the opening sequence. So, showing strong personality helps get recognition.
Yeah, I wonder why the brothers come across as so dull personality-wise… or, at least, very unhappy individuals.
On Robin and her diarrhea of the mouth: Oh, Lordy, that SO makes me cringe. I have the awful misfortune to know three different women like that, in social situations where there’s no way I can tell them to shut the fuck up for a few minutes. One is my mother-in-law, 89. A few years ago, we took them to a restaurant, and I was able to surreptitiously look at my watch to time her: during the meal, there wasn’t a period of more than 30 seconds when she wasn’t talking! It’s nerve wracking to be near such people. Brrrrrr.
Just started watching this particular season (the last two specifically). I must admit that I look for the chef with the biggest love affair with food and seems removed from the “drama”. Of course the drama is what keeps us all tuned in since we can’t actually taste the mouth watering food being prepared.
Have to agree with most of your comments about the final four and the worst of those left. Very impressed that Kevin won the quick fire challenge with Asian cuisine when he had never cooked Asian before. He’s so quietly confident and seems truly to enjoy each challenge. I thought he got extremely lucky to get teamed with Jennifer for the homestyle dinner. They worked well together and each contributed well to the dish.
Eli is just too young and cocky. He needs to have several years under the tutilage of a hard-nosed chef to mature in his style and technique and develop his innate talent. Whether that happens I think will make the difference between making him a decent chef and a whiny, “it could’ve been me” short order cook.
Agree about Robin’s annoying “blah, blah, blah…” but her cooking just is not up to the standards of those around her. And the other girl who gets hardly any airtime, I can’t even remember her name or anything about her dishes.
Leaving the brothers. They are awfully cute and quite talented. Michael seems not as confident as Bryan, but both seen to be serious minded and have a tremendous talent for flavor and creativity. Mike V. is such an arrogant ahole that I just cannot take anything he cooks seriously. His dissing of Robin during their team effort was disgusting, he could probably have done much better if he had asked her for suggestions as she had some experience with those ingredients and cuisine.
Poor Mike V, the contestant everyone has an opinion about, but no one can correctly identify. 
(That was Mike I. who was paired with Robin in the challenge.)
Yeah, no one deserves to get mixed up with Mike I. Padma should have forced one of them to change his name to avoid confusion, like Tyra does on Top Model. I propose we call Mike I. “douchemaster” and Mike V. “VOLTRON.”
I thought that there was a good chance for romance between Jennifer and one of the brothers, they would make a cute couple. Then I realized that there isn’t an ounce of human emotion between the three of them.
They remind me of a couple of triathletes I know - they sacrifice everything for their pursuit of a few seconds. They never eat lunch with a group because they’re running or cycling. They head home at the earliest moment possible so they can train some more. They have few conversations with other people unless it is about triathlons. They aren’t up to speed on other sports or politics or current events. Jen and the brothers are like that.