New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

As expected, Fabio ends up on the bottom (Stephen Starr "didn't get it"), surprisingly along with Jeff, whose salmon was "unimpressive."

On top we have Radhika (as expected) with Starr's favorite dish and the most unique flavors. Joining her as the top is Leah (god, I hate her) with a tempura poussin with dashi. As co-winners, they take turns choosing their restaurant teams. I have no doubt that Stefan will be the last chef picked.

Radhika goes with Jaime, Carla and Jeff while Leah goes with Hosea (big surprise there), Fabio and Stefan, who is indeed, the last one picked. I wouldn't mind seeing that entire team go home.

Radhika's team (with a restaurant dubbed Sahana) and Leah's team (dubbed Sunset Lounge, though that sounds incredibly Studio 54 to me) head to buy decor and accoutrements for their restaurants. This part is relatively uninteresting save for a moronic attempt by Stefan to buy all of the un-scented candles so that Radhika's team has none.

Back at the loft, the teams start to plan their menu and assign roles. On the Sahana team, Carla has smartly been assigned to cook dessert. Jaime wants to cook and despite Jeff's charm and admittedly handsome features, he has requested to cook as well. Now, despite the fact that Radhika knows this cuisine the best and has won challenges cooking Indian food, she acquises to Jeff's request, allowing him to work in the kitchen and volunteering to serve as front of the house.

This is a dangerous, dangerous move. I understand her rationale that since it's her restaurant, she should serve as the figurehead but she's clearly not excited, not enthused and not looking forward to being front of the house. This is not the right mix for a winning team so far. I'm worried.

On the other side, things seem even more dire. Stefan seems hellbent on exercising every pompous, stubborn bone in his body - not listening to anyone else's ideas and loudly (and arrogantly) voicing his own. It is finally decided that Fabio will be front of the house(smart decision), Hosea and Leah will cook (together) and Stefan will do two desserts, although he refuses to tell his team what he's going to cook. I wish that Leah would just put her foot down as the team's leader, but of course, she's too much of a wimp to do anything butlook at Hosea for support.

And support, she gets. Top Chef perplexingly has seemed to turn into The Young and the Restless as Leah snuggles with Hosea on the Top Chef couch, sluttily saying things like, "I wanna sleep here tonight, it's comfy," in the most lascivious, seductive manner possible as she runs her (pointed) fingernails along his chest. We thankfully only see this (disgusting) scene from far way, but even the distance cannot save us from the unmistakable smacking sounds that comes when Leah and Hosea start making out.

The next morning, they both profess shame for what happened last night. Hosea claims that he still loves his girlfriend (yeah, right) and Leah says that she's worried about what happened because she still has a boyfriend at home that she'd like to be with him after the show ends...though she at least has the foresight to posit that they'll probably break up after this episode airs (ya think?). Stefan says that the tension is palpable between the two of them and Fabio says that both Leah and Hosea seem to be in bad moods.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5