MasterChef – It’s down to five

Usually, the overall M.O. of David is this: He does craptastic at team challenges, terrifical at individual ones. He almost stuck with that M.O. this time around, but it was the garlic that threw him for a loop.

At Hatfield’s, he was flubbing up … admittedly. He said he was a bundle of nerves, claimed he was over his head, he even put a plastic squeeze bottle on a hot stove with calculated results on what would happen to the bottle.

Switch to the Pressure Test and Elimination: He was measured, confident and ready to rock ‘n’ roll. His rare steak lost by a hair and his medium rare steak garnered a win on seasoning alone. On the well done side, it appeared both steaks from he and Josh were equally cooked (neither of them being well done), but it was his aggressive, over-garlickiness on that final filet the point that lost him the challenge and an invitation out the door. Had there been no pink in his steak, he would have walked away with it leaving Josh in his dust, regardless of the fact his was over-seasoned. And that’s a fact, Jack.

I’m going to miss the guy on several levels. He came up with some killer concoctions, his Spot Prawn Ceviche being one of them. He had a few others that were out-of-the-park fantastic, too. What I won’t miss is some of his attitude and the finger pointing when things didn’t go his way.

He’s left, but he received a kickin’ consolation prize: A job waiting for him in one of Graham Elliot’s joints in Chicago. That’s nothing to sneeze at for this southside poor boy.

Notes:

• My jaw didn’t drop when Joe Bastianich called out Christine as being a liability on Becky’s team during the Hatfield’s challenge; it dropped when he stated she should be in the coat check room, not on the line. That’s the kind of thing said in confidence with The Boys, not on camera. Nice to see he redeemed himself a bit with the apology, but he didn’t go that extra step and state exactly what he said.
• At this stage of the game, I wouldn’t have blamed Frank had he out and out claimed he should be the one saved from the Pressure Test. You’ve got to use those advantages strategically to advance. We all know he can whip up something good, so it wouldn’t be as if he’s using the advantage to save his ass because he’s a lesser cook. But … when you “dance” like he did, having stated Josh should be the one saved, then pull the rug out from under him and leave him gawking from the Indian giver offer, that’s just not cool. That was a “Ryan Umane” kind of move.
• Regarding Joe’s claim mentioned about Christine being a liability on the line, I happen to agree with him. I’m surprised and pleased for her she’s made it this far in the competition, but I’m equally amazed at that fact as well.
• I called out Frank as the winner of the competition. I haven’t changed my mind.

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Aug 15, 2012 @ 09:48 EST5EDT