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

Robin goes next and she exults the inspiration she drew from Chihuly's sculpture. She admits that she had never tried coloring sugar before and maybe that hurt her. "But you had never done a panna cotta before either, had you?" asks Tom sharply. Nigella says that panna cotta lacked a "quiver." Tom further asks if Robin is being influenced by her fellow chefs, trying to match their level of creativity and prowess. Robin admits to being envious and inspired by her competitors. Finally, Toby says that he applauds her ambition but says that she failed.

Finally, we have Eli's train wreck of a dish. Nigella says that there was too much going on and that the textures didn't work. Tom liked the idea of the dome but said he didn't see it, also agreeing with Nigella on the texture issue. Padma says she would personally never want to eat that again, ever. Ouch.

The three chefs head back into the Stew Room, their heads down in shame. I think to myself, "It's gotta be Eli going home, right? Right?"

The four judges go over the cases against each chef. For Jennifer, Toby was disappointed in the sauce, calling it "more of a smear." Nigella felt that she was hostile to the meat. Tom says that she started strong but has failed on the last three challenges. "She's hit a wall," he concludes. I agree.

Back in the Stew Room, Jennifer says, "I'm ready to go home."

For Robin, Toby says that she was trying to do things beyond her ability, but Tom counters that a panna cotta is a simple dish. "It's child's play," Nigella agrees. Padma says that the flavor was nonexistent. Tom further says that he never saw Chihuly's sculpture in the dish.

Back in the Stew Room, Robin laments the fact that she's trying to use the types of tricks and tools that her fellow chefs are using. "I want to wow the judges, too," she says sadly.

As for Eli, Nigella calls his dish a total fiasco. "I would rather eat sawdust," she proclaims. Tom says that Eli had a bad texture in the soup and then added more bad texture with the popcorn, calling it terrible. Toby said it looked unappetizing. Nigella finishes by saying that she had to utilize every bit of her upbringing not to spit her mouthful of food back into the cup.

I think to myself, "It's gotta be Eli going home, right? Right?"

The three chefs come back out to hear the final judgment. They were supposed to visit a casino and find inspiration either in theme or design. This challenge separated the talented from the top chefs. Eli had a mess of a dish, Jennifer had a boring dish and Robin didn't deliver the sculpture.

"It's gotta be Eli going home, right?"

Padma: "Robin, please pack your knives and go."

I am floored. Absolutely floored. Robin tears up, manages a smile, and then goes up to each judge to thank them for allowing her to be on the show. In her final confessional, she admits that she was trying to impress people with skills that she hadn't yet mastered, and that she had forgotten to stay true to the food that she likes to cook.

I spent a few minutes after the show trying to rationalize why the judges sent Robin home for an unimpressive dish instead of sending Eli home for a disgusting dish. The only idea I could come up with was that Robin's dish was so elementary, so easy, that to fail in its execution displayed a total lack of abilities worthy of a Top Chef.

I also checked Tom Colicchio's blog and he had this to say: "Panna cotta is basic, simple fare, but Robin's wasn't well done; the texture was wrong. And the sauce was terrible. What can I say? At the end of the day, every element of her dish failed. Eli's dish was less bad. And so it was Robin's turn to go."

Well, it sure didn't seem like that based on the way the show was edited, but oh well. Robin probably should have gone home a long time ago, and she definitely didn't deserve to be in the finale.

And speaking of which, the next episode will be one helluva doozy. Kevin, Michael and Bryan are so far ahead of Jennifer and Eli at this point that it's not even funny. Those three might as well book their airfare and hotel room at the finale cause there's no way one of them won't be going. The question is whether Jennifer steps up or Eli wins by default.

I think you know which one I'm rooting for.


LEADERS AFTER 10 EPISODES:

Kevin: Seven times in the top of the Elimination Challenge, four Elimination wins, three Quickfire Wins
Michael: Nine times in the top of the Elimination Challenge, three Elimination wins, one Quickfire Win
Bryan: Seven times in the top of the Elimination Challenge, three Elimination wins
Jennifer: Five times in the top of the Elimination Challenge, one Elimination win, two Quickfire Wins
Eli: Four times in the top of the Elimination Challenge, two Quickfire Wins

Continued:       1       2       3       4