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

Several other contestants are shown entering their new home. A dude named Jason cannot wait to tell the Bravo viewers that he was voted Philadelphia’s Sexiest Chef. I guess he is expecting the Save a Chef popularity contest from last season to return. It is either that or he is impossibly self-absorbed. Based upon every Bravo reality program except for Top Chef, I presume it’s the latter. Prove me wrong, #PhillySexy.

Jason quickly bros it down with his buddy Nick, who also happens to be in the competition. In the most nasal, George Costanza-y voice possible, Nick notes that Jason “looks like [he] just got off a yacht.” Jason magnanimously acknowledges the compliment then provides the rejoinder that “You look like your wife picked out your clothes.” Point to Kid Ego. Jason’s camera conversation is deferential to the talent of Nick. Mr. My Wife Dresses Me (and I’m not one to talk on this subject) is less polite, stating confidently that he is the better chef.

A beautiful native of Perth, Australia named Janine Booth provides the next introduction. Like Jason, Janine has put a lot of thought into her apparel for the introductory phase of Top Chef. She settled upon a ripped pair of Daisy Dukes. And just like that, Sara Johannes can live or die for all I care. Kidding. I kid. I really do because Janine proceeds to debate the validity of the dumb blonde stereotype. Suffice to say that in trying to refute the thought process, she effectively perpetuates it. None of the dudes there seem to care, though. They stutter and stammer as if they have never spoken to such a gorgeous woman in their entire lives. And they probably haven’t. At a minimum, she has to be one of the most attractive James Beard Award nominees ever.

A recognizable face is the next person to enter the room. Benedetto Bartolotta participated in the Battle of the Sous Chefs online challenge during the most recent season of Top Chef Masters. Alas, his Top Chef Master was Odette Fada, who was eliminated in the third episode. So Bene is still largely an unknown. What did come across during Battle of the Sous Chefs is his affable nature. Dude smiles so much his dentist doesn’t need x-rays to know the composition of Bene’s eye teeth.

Friendly Bene butchers his first Top Chef interview. “I could be the first Top Gay Chef. That just didn’t come out right.” In only two sentences, Bene lays claim to ALL the euphemisms.

Enter Shirley Chung. The lady talks a lot. I do not want to undersell the point. Recall the most talkative person you have ever known. Now add 30%. Okay, that is about half of how much Chung chats during the episode. I suspect she may say more than the rest of the cast combined in this episode. Hopefully, Ms. Chung is simply nervous and channeling all of her energy through her mouth. If not, well, I am eternally grateful to the wonderful inventor who created the mute button.

One of the winners of Padma’s competition is revealed next. Justin Devillier is a two-time James Beard nominee, while Michael Sichel was apparently his partner during the final challenge. Or something like that. Those online videos are only like 10 minutes long so I really ought to watch them. I resent Bravo’s shameless attempts to drive traffic to their web site, though. Anyway, Michael gets very little screen time during the introduction while Justin gets to detail his resume, so I presume one is quite a bit better than the other.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6