Top Chef Power Rankings

By David Mumpower

November 20, 2013

I'm dating which season 5 contestant? Please be Fabio. Please be Fabio.

New at BOP:
Share & Save
Digg Button  
Print this column
9) Brian
I am conflicted about where to rank Brian. Yes, he “won” last week but he only crafted 25% of the dish. Also, he worked at the end, which is like vulturing a TD from the one-yard line. All he had to do was scoop and plate. Meanwhile, a dish that finished on the bottom last week was one that he basically passed on improving. His group also finished on the bottom during the Elimination challenge. Brian was artificially rewarded for not only a lousy performance but even worse effort. Still, he did win and that is all the judges will remember. How much does that perception enhance Brian’s profile? Well, it’s just a Quickfire so it only matters if Brian starts to differentiate himself more from the rest of the competition.

10) Travis
The final two spots are virtually a tie in my estimation. Travis is obviously a talented chef. The primary factors preventing him from being a serious threat this season are maturity and insecurity. The maturity issues stem from his self-centered nature. They bleed into the insecurity issues. Travis simply cannot accept criticism, and that limits his ability to improve on the fly. The judges, particularly Tom Colicchio, are trying to tell Travis what he needs to do to excel. He. Just. Doesn’t. Listen. Travis is convinced of his competence in a way that is not belief but rather desperation. It’s a cliché about cocky people that underneath the façade is naked fear. Travis’s behavior identifies that the philosophy is based in fact. I suspect that if Travis returns to the show in five seasons, he will be a much stronger competitor. Right now, he reminds me of Marcel, which is a statement that I hate to inflict about people since NOBODY wants to be like Marcel.




Advertisement



11) Louis
In my estimation, Louis falls into the same category as Bene and Patty. Nobody will ever assail their skill in the kitchen. These are all badass chefs. An engaging aspect of Top Chef is the novel nature of the challenges. Anyone who has ever watched Top Chef Masters knows that even the greatest chefs of our generation do not always mesh well with the complexity of the format. I strongly suspect that Louis is in the conversation for most talented chef this season or at least second after Nina. Why is she first while he is last? Her skill set translates to the show format. Louis has the respect of his peers yet he has struggled to make a mark in challenges. Maybe he just needs to find his confidence but that is the same hope that Patty and Bene had. They’re out of the running for Top Chef now. I fear that the same fate awaits Louis soon.

12) Janine
Last season, I celebrated C.J.’s run of half a dozen consecutive wins in Last Chance Kitchen. In the process, he eliminated seven chefs. While Janine has “only” won four consecutive challenges, she has matched C.J.’s memorable performance by beating seven other opponents. In case you were wondering, Kristen’s run was five wins over seven opponents. Janine is poised to become the most successful player in the (brief) history of Last Chance Kitchen if she wins again this week. That statement alone speaks volumes about the injustice of her being voted out of the game instead of Travis a few weeks ago. Travis has done nothing to distinguish himself in the winner’s bracket while Janine has established her reputation through Last Chance Kitchen dominance.


Continued:       1       2       3

     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.