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When the All-Stars return to the waiting area, the editing reveals that Tom didn’t like the salt of one of Carla’s dishes on its own while acknowledging that it was not intended to be eaten alone. He also states that Tiffany had “a Coco Chanel moment” with one of her dishes, needing to lose some accessories. The choice seems to come down to one of these women. My best guess is that Carla offered the least great dish of the evening, which is like comparing the distance of home runs since they’re all fantastic. I think that Tiffany goes home if body of work is a factor as she has been solid throughout the season without being spectacular.

The debate about who will win includes the other three contestants. I had expected Richard to win followed by Antonia and Mike. To my complete shock, Antonia is the victor while Cousin Mike is almost immediately informed that he will be joining her in the finale. Then, the judges demonstrate a (cruel) sense of humor when Padma says, “Richard, please pack your knives. You’re going to the Bahamas!” Richard loses his composure for the briefest of instances as he starts to lash out, but he quickly bites his tongue. I think Richard’s heart stopped beating for a moment, maybe longer. If you freeze frame his reaction (yes, I did this), you’ll see my point. Dan Barber was almost bad luck for him yet again.

The real surprise is yet to be revealed, though. Tiffany and Carla’s fates hang in the balance, but we know something they don’t know. When Padma stated earlier that they had made their decision, the other judges did not look troubled by their choice. Given the sublime quality of the dishes, anyone being eliminated tonight would be a miscarriage of justice. There should be guilt over such an action. Instead, guest judge Dan Barber cannot hold his grin. I had strongly suspected that the producers of Top Chef were about to reward the contestants for an amazing dinner and they do.

Tiffany and Carla are informed that they too will be going to the Bahamas. For the first time in the show’s history, five players have earned a spot in the finale. I have no idea if this means three players will be voted out next week, but this is one of the best decisions in reality television history. All five players delivered and deserved to be rewarded. Top Chef All-Stars has been on fire since the moment the Muppets arrived.

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