Top Chef: Texas Recap

By David Mumpower

December 14, 2011

She's a sad panda.

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Before the announcement is made at Judges Table this week, Heather takes this opportunity to deride Beverly once more. She points out that she and Lindsay and assumed control of the meals and that Beverly’s mistakes cost others. Ignoring the fact Lindsay is the culprit for the steak disaster from the third course, there is still a frustration with this turn of events. Obviously, I am not a fan of Beverly’s me-first attitude. Still, this is exactly the same behavior that Sarah and Lindsay demonstrated against Keith during the first elimination challenge. And as Beverly correctly points out, neither her shrimp nor her selfishness in any way impacted the problems with the ribeyes. In fact, if Top Chef used instant replay, I am confident that Lindsay would be the one going home tonight but since they don’t, Ty remains the most likely victim of her mistake.

The judges quickly determine that the best of the (middling) bunch tonight are Heather, Moto Chris and Nyesha. The two women were expected choices. Moto Chris is something of a surprise since he wasn’t singled out for excellence during his round other than stating that the steak was cooked well. Nyesha’s compound butter decision almost saved some otherwise ruined ribeyes. But the choice is clearly Heather, who has lavish praise heaped upon her. Given the obnoxious behavior Heather has demonstrated throughout the episode as well as the fact that she has made this cake before this season, this is an infuriating result.




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Whitney, Edward and Ty are selected for the bottom at Judges Table. Edward is the surprise here although the discussion is indicative of the fact that only two people here are in real danger. He is just the third name and could have easily been replaced by others. The tone of the conversation is awkward because Whitney reveals that Hugh Acheson is her mentor. Knowing that she has disappointed him hurts her more than her failure in the competition.

Ty, on the other hand, steps up huge. He makes no excuses for his performance, acknowledging culpability for all the steaks. He has the exhaustion, the stitches and the fact that the actual mistakes were made in the kitchen as reasons why it wasn’t his fault yet he doesn’t use any of them. Ty accepts full responsibility and for that act alone, he earns my full respect. This is also why I am relieved when the judges announce that Whitney is the person eliminated this week. She had no excuses yet still threw under Ty and fully deserves to be removed from the competition. People have been killed for less than lousy gratin at Southfork Ranch.


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