I agree that Sam is a lot like Harold...but Marcel's 'likeability' factor by the other contestants is a lot like Tiffani's from last season. Remember--no one liked to work with her in the kitchen.

I thought it was interesting that Tom Colicchio said that it was about the food and not about one's behavior in the kitchen--since that's the #1 reason Tiffani didn't win last season--they said that being Top Chef was the whole package--you cook good food and people like to work with you and you can manage people. I wonder why he did a complete 180 on that. Maybe Tiffani threw a stink that the competition should've been about food or something.

I do agree that I would've loved Sam to be in the finale or even Elia over Marchel--but now I'm rooting for Ilan even harder.

He's said that he doesn't get the "pile on Marcel" thing that the other contestants were doing. The "it's about the food" thing was more related to the accusation of cheating with no back up. It was clear that they just didn't like him, and that wasn't a good enough reason for him to go. *shrug*

It's funny, the other forums I'm on are way more pro-Marcel :p

I don't consider foams and using chemicals to create a paste "cooking"--I know there is a place for it, but I just was not impressed with all Marcel's "Chemical Ali" tricks. I think the other chefs sensed that he was a one trick pony too, throughout the season, and the fact that he wasn't getting called it may have led to them not liking him, in addition to his attitude.

I was surpsised, too, when Tom Coliccio (sp?) said that he wasn't judging behavior in the kitchen, because last season they harped so much about how being a good chef involved being a leader and being someone that people would respect in the kitchen. Even if Marcel didn't do anything, its obvious people don't respect him, so I don't think he should be in the finals.

I probably won't watch this week now.

I laughed my butt off when he went on and on about Xanthan gum like it's this big discovery. So did my mum. As a celiac, my mother has to use these 'tricks' in order to bake and keep her pastry from crumbling. We have a big ole tub of xanthan gum in the cooking cupboard right now.
You are absolutely correct about last season-it was part of the reason the show did so well. But also remember that Tiffani took a huge risk putting out 10 dishes rather than 5 and she was judged every single one and couldn't come up with the goods. I'm hoping Marcel will do something similar this time.
I don't get why they cut Sam-they loved his food and complained a lot about Ilan's interpretation of Ha'waiian food. Sam should have been in the top two.
I tried to log on for that live stream with Tom after the show on Wednesday but I couldn't get it to work.

cosign.

http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=01262007

Making fun of Marcel, awww yeah!

lol

Did you see the Iron Chef where the gastronomy types won? They did some cool funky things! Maybe I'm just too much of a nerd. You and I need to make some sort of bet about the winner of TC.

I was really suprised they kept Ilan after mentioning over and over the itching in the back of the throat thing from the poi. I was really hoping for Sam to be in the finals. Marcel seems to be very conceited and has from the very beginning. His little behaviors are what annoys me, like throwing his roomies stuff on the floor during the Thanksgiving challenge and taking credit for everything during team wins and blaming everyone else during team losses.

I'm really suprised that so many people are pro-Marcel. I read a magazine article and it was all about how Marcel was amazing and how the rest of the chefs were horrible people. I don't get it.

See, my take on the Thanksgiving thing was that the stuff was in the kitchen, where they were cooking. If you're having a challenge in the kitchen, you have to move stuff. Sam kinda instigated that by saying Frank's toothbrush was thrown on the floor, but the camera shot shows it in the toiletry bag... Seriously though, would you threaten to pound the kid's face in for it?

We only see what the producers and editors want us to see. There has to be a lot more to make everyone else hate Marcel as much as they do. No one generates that kind of animosity for no reason. I think there's a lot we didn't see.

Especially since Elia always stood up for him in the beginning and now even she had some not so nice things to say. I don't know, he just comes off as cocky and arrogant in everything he says, maybe it's his tone I don't know.

And the whole "I'll beat your face in" thing, Frank was really scary in my opinion. That I really didn't get but I still think he should have asked them to move their stuff.

AAAAAAAAAAH


I JUST GOT SPOILED!

Ok, I clicked knowingly, but apparently Food and Wine slipped up and posted the interview w/ the winner (or a portion of it) on their site.

So, who wants to know?

I can't find it! I found the Top Chef page but not the leaked interview...

It's gone now... You'll have to go through ME!

Or I can point you to it, PM me if you want the spoiler :D

Ok, I finally got to see last weeks episode and I have to comment.

First of all I am soooo sad that Sam is gone!! He was such a good cook and not to bad to look at either. I am glad he got the $10,000 for being the fan favorite. :) :p

Second, I really hated Marcel at the beginning with his cocky attitude and everything, but now I just kind of feel sorry for him. #1: If someone is going to be that cocky and say certain things like that to build their self esteem, it must have been low in the first place. #2: Everyone knows why he says that stuff, to get people's goat. Betty, Frank, Ilan, Cliff and this was so sad, at some point Sam fell for it too. The whole time Elia didn't fall for it and brushed it off (she even said she was Marcel's only friend at one point in the last show), but the last show it finally got to her and what happened, she cracked and lost. I think that is his whole angle, to get people pissed at him and be less concentrated on their dishes. If they really wanted to annoy him back they just would ignored him and stopped antagonizing him, but sometimes thats hard to do. I know Ilan cracked and that doesn't back up my theory, but the judges were totally clear that Marcel was going to the finals and they had to chose someone else, so it was Ilan.

In the end, I really don't care who wins because Sam is gone. I would have even liked to see Elia win then these two!!

I know who wiiiiins. I know who wiiiiins.

Ok i'm done. I have class tonight anyway and won't get to see the finale or the premiere of Top Design :( (what can I say, I'm a sucker for Bravo's reality shows)

ETA: Ok so here's what happened, (NOT A SPOILER) Food and Wine posted a feature on the "winner" of TC. They now have posted BOTH of the features, one for Ilan and one for Marcel. They're both written as if it were about the winner. So here's a link and it's possible my spoiler was unspoiled after all! Darn my mocking you all. :p

http://www.foodandwine.com/topchef/

Hahaha, nice one! I'm so anxious for tonight. I really hope Ilan steps up and blows Marcel out of the water. If they pick Marcel I will be emailing Tom Colicchio and pointing out that Tiffany didn't win last season because of her attitude, so what the hell?

Apparently if you read both of them carefully you can figure out which one was posted early and which one was allegedly cobbled together at the last minute.

Booyeah, who called it?! Marcel is such an obnoxious little prick/sore loser. This was awesome!

lol

And the spoiler was right. I saw several claims that the Marcel interview was quickly cobbled together to cover F&W's ass.