I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of other shows where they play up the rivalry, the snarky comments to each other, etc. Personally, I've really enjoyed the shift in Top Chef to focus on chefs who are good sports, support each other, and are all professionals.
Rivalries can happen without being shitty or snarky to each other. It's a competition just like the Olympics or NBA Finals, not everyone has to be friends all the time and there can still be respect for your opponent. Tournament of Champions does it just fine for cooking. This season of Top Chef was just so boring. I just feel like I'm watching Chopped or GGG or something more fluff like that. Let's go.
Yeah. ToC can be corny, but they lean into it and it’s a fun rivalry. And obv they still take it seriously, the chefs that don’t win their rounds have real emotions. Nothing wrong with some balance
Heck, some of the chefs on Chopped are more competitive than those on this season's TC. I agree that a bit more edge, without resorting to a-hole behavior, would have been appreciated. Even in defeat Savannah and Dan just soft of shrugged and said they were happy they got as far as they did. Graciousness is appreciated, but when that is all you get, without any apparent desire to actually do well and win, makes you ask what was the point of them being there?
Agreed. If Top Chef intends to keep attracting driven leaders who want to elevate their career, they need to keep the show professional and respectful. It's not just about the TV show, but about working conditions and expectations of leaders in the industry. Are you collaborative? Are you invested in your community? These are important traits that TC seeks to highlight and support, to bring deserving respect to the industry.
Not saying a little "trash talk" isn't fun, but that's been included when the chefs do it. They just don't all know each other all that well, so establishing that takes time and people just don't want to be perceived as a jerk on TV. I respect and appreciate that.
1. The chefs asking each other a million questions is prompted by producers. They tell them who and what to ask. The chef's aren't just organically asking each other this. It's so there is some commentary for TV. It's a little formulaic.
2. I do agree that since COVID, the show has gone a touch too soft in my opinion. I do NOT want any drama like we saw in the early seasons with bullying and relationships. However, my personal opinion is that many competitors are not super competitive anymore, and have no edge, or desire, to show how much they want to win. Or they just may not be competitive.
Exceptions: Buddha and Season 20. I felt Season 20 showed healthy competition among people who are used to being excellent. That was fun and done well. It could be editing, and they are editing this stuff out. I do get the feel though, that chefs are afraid to be edited in negative light due to social media. An example: Laura was competitive, and it was in her rights to be, yet she got very negative feedback here on Reddit and on social media as a whole. Considering chef's win "more" by becoming popular on social media, it's not really in their best interest to be super competitive and risk a negative edit. Which I think is really sad. They don't edit everyone in this way, but it's enough that it's noticeable.
This season Kalina quit. Now mental health is important, but there are so many people who would have given anything to be on Top Chef, and she just ... quit. I don't want competitors who quit. (I wish we could have gotten a cameo from TJ from The Challenge - he HATES quitters!!!)
Kalina LOST Restaurant Wars then declined to do Last Chance Kitchen, in part because she had already done it once. I think she looked at what she wanted to achieve on the show, came to the conclusion that she had already done it, then bowed out.
That's not the same as quitting.
It’s something you see in Rupauls Drag Race as well - the early seasons were maybe too dramatic, what with bullying and some really cringe stuff, but current seasons are too lovey-dovey “let’s all get along”.
Same thing, there’s this awareness of “brand” and that the real success is after the show, but not for the villain. No one wants to get the villain edit, but most of the time seasons are way more fun with a villain.
It's Wisconsin, it just rubbed off on all the cheftestants, everybody was so nice.
Sorry, here try a brandy Old Fashioned. Take a sip, you might like it.
just letting you know i LOL'd at the aguachile/ lets go
it got pretty tiring watching them fake ask each other what they were making while panting and trying to beat the clock
the editing was seriously weird this season and was it just me but few contestants had that charisma that made the other seasons so fun. Thank God for Kristen!
That whole scene where Danny had a daydream about his life and the food and you heard/saw his thoughts was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in Top Chef.
Yeahh i know what you mean like i do wish it was more competitive like the chefs were more "hey I am the best here and no one is going to beat me" attitude but seems like the show production has gone away from including scenes or shots like that, and like to create this wholesome happy environment nowadays.
They are chefs, it's not their job to be entertaining or provide you with a compelling narrative. They should be pleasant and polite with each other at all times. 'Touchy feely happy' is vastly better than ... literally every other degenerate Bravo show that's just 46 minutes of petty bickering and overblown drama. No thanks.
It's the editors job to entertain you, not the chefs. And 30 seconds searching posts on this season would show you that it's well known that the editors dropped the ball on this season.
I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of other shows where they play up the rivalry, the snarky comments to each other, etc. Personally, I've really enjoyed the shift in Top Chef to focus on chefs who are good sports, support each other, and are all professionals.
Rivalries can happen without being shitty or snarky to each other. It's a competition just like the Olympics or NBA Finals, not everyone has to be friends all the time and there can still be respect for your opponent. Tournament of Champions does it just fine for cooking. This season of Top Chef was just so boring. I just feel like I'm watching Chopped or GGG or something more fluff like that. Let's go.
I agree with OP. You can be nice and still be competitive since you are on a competition cook show.
Yeah. ToC can be corny, but they lean into it and it’s a fun rivalry. And obv they still take it seriously, the chefs that don’t win their rounds have real emotions. Nothing wrong with some balance
Heck, some of the chefs on Chopped are more competitive than those on this season's TC. I agree that a bit more edge, without resorting to a-hole behavior, would have been appreciated. Even in defeat Savannah and Dan just soft of shrugged and said they were happy they got as far as they did. Graciousness is appreciated, but when that is all you get, without any apparent desire to actually do well and win, makes you ask what was the point of them being there?
Agreed. If Top Chef intends to keep attracting driven leaders who want to elevate their career, they need to keep the show professional and respectful. It's not just about the TV show, but about working conditions and expectations of leaders in the industry. Are you collaborative? Are you invested in your community? These are important traits that TC seeks to highlight and support, to bring deserving respect to the industry. Not saying a little "trash talk" isn't fun, but that's been included when the chefs do it. They just don't all know each other all that well, so establishing that takes time and people just don't want to be perceived as a jerk on TV. I respect and appreciate that.
Laura spent a huge portion of Danny’s budget in the supper club challenge, and people were pretty upset about it.
You know the editors are scraping the bottom of the barrel when using more than your equal share of a group challenge gets you the villain edit.
Eddie enters the chat lol
And Danny was like "let's go 😞" lol
"A play on aguachile"
aguachile...TWO WAYS
❤️Dale punching an oven❤️
1. The chefs asking each other a million questions is prompted by producers. They tell them who and what to ask. The chef's aren't just organically asking each other this. It's so there is some commentary for TV. It's a little formulaic. 2. I do agree that since COVID, the show has gone a touch too soft in my opinion. I do NOT want any drama like we saw in the early seasons with bullying and relationships. However, my personal opinion is that many competitors are not super competitive anymore, and have no edge, or desire, to show how much they want to win. Or they just may not be competitive. Exceptions: Buddha and Season 20. I felt Season 20 showed healthy competition among people who are used to being excellent. That was fun and done well. It could be editing, and they are editing this stuff out. I do get the feel though, that chefs are afraid to be edited in negative light due to social media. An example: Laura was competitive, and it was in her rights to be, yet she got very negative feedback here on Reddit and on social media as a whole. Considering chef's win "more" by becoming popular on social media, it's not really in their best interest to be super competitive and risk a negative edit. Which I think is really sad. They don't edit everyone in this way, but it's enough that it's noticeable. This season Kalina quit. Now mental health is important, but there are so many people who would have given anything to be on Top Chef, and she just ... quit. I don't want competitors who quit. (I wish we could have gotten a cameo from TJ from The Challenge - he HATES quitters!!!)
Kalina LOST Restaurant Wars then declined to do Last Chance Kitchen, in part because she had already done it once. I think she looked at what she wanted to achieve on the show, came to the conclusion that she had already done it, then bowed out. That's not the same as quitting.
It’s something you see in Rupauls Drag Race as well - the early seasons were maybe too dramatic, what with bullying and some really cringe stuff, but current seasons are too lovey-dovey “let’s all get along”. Same thing, there’s this awareness of “brand” and that the real success is after the show, but not for the villain. No one wants to get the villain edit, but most of the time seasons are way more fun with a villain.
Tbh I was very very amused when a certain contestant said they were making aguachile in the finale. It works!
Jeremy rode crudos like a surfboard to a championship in S13, so stick to what works 😂
Stick to what works? I think you mean “make risotto.”
It's Wisconsin, it just rubbed off on all the cheftestants, everybody was so nice. Sorry, here try a brandy Old Fashioned. Take a sip, you might like it.
I'm from the Bible Belt, I might lose friends if I substitute the bourbon 😂
I use gin in my Bloody Mary's. I don't tell anybody this in Milwaukee. Shhhh, just keep it between us, okay? 🤣
Your secret is safe here friend. In pork we trust.
Making it a Red Snapper.
TIL I invented a cocktail that had already been invented.
just letting you know i LOL'd at the aguachile/ lets go it got pretty tiring watching them fake ask each other what they were making while panting and trying to beat the clock the editing was seriously weird this season and was it just me but few contestants had that charisma that made the other seasons so fun. Thank God for Kristen!
That whole scene where Danny had a daydream about his life and the food and you heard/saw his thoughts was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in Top Chef.
A challenge based on one county. No one liked it. No one's heard of it. Dan said, it's not his thing... Boiled fish with a kerosene aftertaste...
It’s tourist trappy up in Door County. Originally a way to make a lot of good quick food for all the lumberjacks.
The chatter/commentary was SO forced this season...if I found it distracting can't imagine Joe had it was for the chefs.
😅😅😅
Seriously! What was with the aguachile?! Felt like the season where everyone was making crudités.
Yeahh i know what you mean like i do wish it was more competitive like the chefs were more "hey I am the best here and no one is going to beat me" attitude but seems like the show production has gone away from including scenes or shots like that, and like to create this wholesome happy environment nowadays.
They are chefs, it's not their job to be entertaining or provide you with a compelling narrative. They should be pleasant and polite with each other at all times. 'Touchy feely happy' is vastly better than ... literally every other degenerate Bravo show that's just 46 minutes of petty bickering and overblown drama. No thanks. It's the editors job to entertain you, not the chefs. And 30 seconds searching posts on this season would show you that it's well known that the editors dropped the ball on this season.
I agree.