Monday, November 09, 2009


Clearly, it's been far too long since I posted.

I can't help it though, I feel the need to end the streak to post yet again about Top Chef.

The show is addictive, there's really no other way to describe it. I don't want reality TV, I tell myself - I watch scripted shows, yet perhaps no other show immediately makes me want to have the next episode right there more than Top Chef. This of course, as a general rule, depends every season on the contestants, and Top Chef season 6 has the great fortune of my favorite chefs pretty much being the best contestants which makes it all the more easier to enjoy - Top Chef is perhaps like sports in the way that I am much more interested in watching when my favorite players are still in the competition.

This season is a little bit unusual to me in that the top four chefs have been crystal clear from almost week 1, just a clear, clear cut above every other chef there. Michael and Brian Voltaggio, the pair of brothers who were broad aboard this year, Kevin and Jennifer C are far and away the best chefs out there. The four of them have combined to win every elimination challenge, and have been in the top 3 or 4 more times between the four of them well more than for every other chef combined.

All of them are likeable, and I would be very disappointed if they weren't the final four. Each of the past two weeks, when Jennifer has been struggled I've been nervous for her and outraged when the judges call her out. Sure, she's had her issues, but really is there even a chance she'd be considered worse than Robin? Come on! You know she cooks a better game than that.

Also, what other show could have the season's villain be a cancer patient?

Robin, whose big story in the show is that shes a cancer patient/so far survivor (I meant that to be descriptive and not callous - I'm not exactly sure of her current status), is clearly the villain and it's not even close - she's the oldest contestant left by far, and none of the other contestants can stand her - she's the Sanjaya of Top Chef (please let me know if this comparison is not apt fans of both American Idol and Top Chef) - she someone continues to stay in the competition no matter how bad she is week in and week out.

Every week in Top Chef, about two thirds of the way through the show, there's about a 30 second segment between commercials showing some random personal story, and about half of them involve people getting into fights with Robin, or people complaining that she talks too much and what shut up. At least one interview segment per episode involves a contestant alluding to the fact that Robin shouldn't be here, and any time there are teams she invariably gets picked last - she's both terrible and despised, a worthless combination. At first, I felt a little guilty - she's been through a lot of obstacles, she's earned a little benefit of the doubt. But not anymore - I revel in my utter hatred for her - her fellow contestants have shown me the way.

I look forward to what the rest of the season has to offer, unless Robin wins.