Time sure flies. I was intending to blog about Masterchef as it happened but as always, the blogs got fewer and further apart as I never find time to blog. From where we left off in my last post, Tom had just been eliminated in the Top 10. From that point, more contestants left, and then came back, in a reality TV twist that we've come to expect.
Tom, Poh and Justine were lucky enough to come back. I must say that Justine's exits (both times) were a huge shock. The beauty (and drawback) of the show is that each pressure test is judged on that test alone. Past performances did not count. That led to the demise of contestants like Justine, Julie and Chris, some of the strongest consistent performers in the show. However, it also shows that you have to be at the top of your game every time and they failed to do so.
The celebrity cook-offs have been very interesting, seeing how the pros deal with the pressure. The masterclasses have been amazing. I've learnt so much from them and can see how much more food knowledge Gary and George have compared to the contestants and myself. The week in Hong Kong has been some of my favourite episodes in the whole season. Just seeing them in a different environment and having to do unfamiliar things was great.
While the pace of the show was a bit slow in the audition and Top 50 stage, it has picked up more and more. I still hate the endless recaps but the rest of the show makes up for it. They eventually phased out the part of the show where the contestants voted each other out and I loved that. Each person stayed on their own merit in th end. The lack of nastiness and constant bitching has also been a massive drawcard of the show that has seen the whole family enjoy it each night.
I still haven't warmed to host Sarah Wilson, but have grown to really like Gary and George as a combo, and in particular Matt Preston. Somebody give that man his own shows. His descriptions of food have been both insightful and hilarious at the same time. "This isn't wind, this is dragon's breath...Today we are those pirate kings and you are our pirates. We're sending you out there into the dragon's den." He has so much personality that there are Youtube videos devoted to how he eats. And lets not forget "The Cravats".
From the last post, I had picked that Poh would be a dark horse. She has made the final and relished her second chance. I would never have picked Julie would make it in a million years but she's shown herself to be a fighter. Whoever wins, I think they would both be deserving. For the record, I think that if Poh can control her mind and not get all scatter-brained, her inventiveness should see her win.
For the funniest wrap up of the show so far, go and read Helen's post.
