Top Chef Recap

Finale Part I

By David Mumpower

February 6, 2014

Be careful, Nina. Stephanie used to lean on him like this, too.

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The reason why I champion Top Chef so passionately is that this program is a meritocracy. The cream is intended to rise to the top. The best player each season generally wins. Sbraga is a rare exception in that he won only one challenge his entire season prior to the finale. Still, Sbraga is by all accounts a badass chef who has earned the respect of the Voltaggio Brothers. Nick is a hothead who was once the only person not re-hired when new ownership purchased his restaurant. How could this happen if Nick is a chef capable of reaching the Top Chef finale?

The answer lies in Nick’s personality. He is a “my way or the highway” kind of person. He also does not take criticism well, a key issue throughout this season. Nick has been told time and time again that his dishes have lacked seasoning. While I respect the fact that he chooses to present healthier versions of his dishes, he has never adapted to the requests of those critiquing his food. That decision is equal parts stubborn and stupid. In a nutshell, that is who Nick is. He marches to his own beat, for better and (oftentimes) for worse.

Reading the above, you should draw two conclusions. The first is that Nina’s quiet excellence is not great fodder for conversation. The second is that I have conflicted feelings about the idea of Nick as a Top Chef champion. There has been a situation such as this once before. During Top Chef All Stars, Richard Blais squared off against Mike Isabella in what appeared to be a huge mismatch on paper. Then, Mike created a pepperoni sauce that…did things to Gail Simmons. In the process, he almost achieved a massive upset, narrowly losing the title of Top Chef to Blais. Since we know from the previews that tonight’s episode features the closest finale ever, Nick is a coin flip to become the undeserving winner of Top Chef. You’ve been warned.




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After a couple of minutes spent recapping the season, tonight’s episode begins with the same quote from the ads. The show fractures time for the first time ever (eat your heart out, Steven Soderbergh!), starting with Judges Table. Padma states, “This is the closest finale I’ve ever experienced.” She adds that Nina’s ragout dish was the best of the night. Gail counters by saying that Nick’s duck dish was “fantastic” while Emeril counters that he could not finish said duck because it was so undercooked. A frustrated Hugh Acheson queries Tom, “What happens now because we’re in a tie?” Tom wants Hugh to calm. The. F. Down. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Are we in a tie?” Gail adds that they could debate for 16 more hours without a decision being made. Obviously, there is a lot of suspense on Top Chef tonight.

Moments after the previous episode’s eliminations, Tom and Padma speak directly to Nick and Nina. The terms of the final Elimination challenge are clearly defined. “You will each be taking over a restaurant and making it your own for the night. Create a four-course menu that shows us without question which one of you deserves the title of Top Chef.”


Continued:       1       2       3       4

     


 
 

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