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At this point, Tom says aloud what any savvy viewer is wondering. “So, Matthew and Jazmin, I have a question for you. Three really great dishes. Are you feeling some pressure right now?” The spouses of Richard and Carla acknowledge the elephant at the table, noting that they are all too well aware of their situation. Three meals have been served and each has been impeccable. Antonia’s mother asks the question they are all secretly hoping could happen, “Have you ever had a final five?” Hey, it worked for Battlestar Galactica.

Richard is the next to present. His meal is absolutely gorgeous with Padma instantly commenting, “This looks like Richard’s.” It’s a tremendous sign of respect when the judges know your style of plating. Richard states that as an Irish descendant, he has chosen to go with the steak and potatoes theme, but in a way that identifies the meal as his creation. The dish is short ribs, potatoes, fried bone marrow, corn puree & pickled glasswort. I don’t know about you, but I had to google the word glasswort. Tom proceeds to give Jazmin Blais a heart attack when he says, “It’s all right.” He notes her look of abject terror and tries to clarify his homophone. “I mean, not all right. It’s *ALL* right.” Her beaming smile expresses her reassurance. Hopefully, Tom means this and isn’t just being polite to cover his mistake. Everyone else seems deeply impressed with the meal, their first sampling of the legendary cuisine of Richard Blais.

Before Carla unveils her dish, her husband describes the details of their meeting on an online dating site. I am wildly amused at the thought of a former Parisian model writing her profile on Match.com. When Carla delivers her meal, she becomes the fifth consecutive chef to braise something. What a strange coincidence. Her entrée is braised pork shoulder with fried grits, corn & sweet potato hash & cheddar biscuits. Mental note: buy cheddar biscuits next time I’m at the store. The diners agree with me on the point. A fight develops over the cheddar biscuits while Jazmin Blais correctly points out that the passing around of biscuits is perfectly atmospheric for a family meal setting such as this. The grits, a food Mike’s mother has never done before, are a huge hit as well. Carla too has delivered a marvelous meal, one her husband describes as a food memory.

Tom laments how difficult Judges Table will be.

He is absolutely correct if we take everything they said about the meals at face value. The family members are given an opportunity after the meal to reassure their loved ones, all of them have tasted the other dishes and realize their perilous position. When all five of them are called to Judges Table, a celebration ensues as all involved bask in the afterglow of the triumphant evening. All of the contestants are paranoid about even the smallest criticism of their dishes, but even the “harshest” comments are nitpicky at best.

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