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6) Justin
Justin is dropped this week solely because of the elimination challenge. Everyone did well, but he was deemed as one of the weakest three. I actually think Justin caught a break in that Louis was judged a bit for his body of work (no matter what the judges say). All that Justin has to show for an episode wherein he started and nurtured a fiery grill and cooked some delicious looking pork is a string of insults from Nina.

7) Stephanie
After a huge win in the prior episode, Stephanie spent a little too much time worrying about alligators rather than foods. The end result was a finish in the bottom group. On the plus side, Dr. John likes her hot sauce if you know what I mean and I think you do. Stephanie is probably my favorite player this season, but she needs to demonstrate more consistency to have a chance to win the title of Top Chef.

8) Sara
What we learned about Sara last week: she doesn’t like to be in the middle and she hates to be on the bottom. You’re going to have to rip out about 70% of the Kama Sutra if you want to date her. With regards to Top Chef, Sara is undeniably stuck in the middle right now as she finished there in both challenges in the most recent episode. Something’s gotta give as the numbers dwindle.

9) Brian
I feel like Brian is worthy of upward movement after his hot sauce victory last week. The problem is that I honestly do not believe he is a better contestant than Sara based on what I have seen thus far. As such, I have to run the risk of offending Dr. John by leaving Brian near the bottom of the power rankings. On the plus side, he had a very strong episode so he is upwardly mobile.

10) Travis
Travis also had a stronger than normal episode last week even though he finished in the middle grouping in both challenges. For once, he didn’t seem unduly confident or in over his head. I still think he is the least mature player remaining in the competition, though. With all of the casting misfits eliminated, Travis strikes me as the most vulnerable contestant. On the plus side, Tom does seem to like his cooking a great deal, which helps.

11) Louis
Louis may have been eliminated in the last challenge, but he did usurp Janine. He has been crowned the reigning champion of Last Chance Kitchen. He also possesses a skill set that may fit better in that format. In a large group of people, Louis seemed to feel comfortable blending in anonymously. In a one on one setting, his natural talent and the confidence that comes from winning could be enough to sustain him for a while. Louis is a really nice guy who I will remember fondly after the season ends.

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