"Blond" (for he is not a lady). And he doesn't have Don Draper's charm, either. But he is my fave, nonetheless.
I'm watching the final ep. right now. Twists abound. And this time I'll remember to keep an eye open for Gail's cleavage.
...
Okay. That's done.
* First things first: Gail's garb was unusually modest. Maybe she decided it was pointless trying to compete with Padma's pregnancy-engorged fruit basket.
* I was at first amused by the twist relating to the sous chefs, but I quickly changed my mind. It hardly seems fair that at that point in the competition a finalist faced the possibility of being sabotaged by having an incompetent sous cheft foisted upon him.
* Sidenote: Borderline personality Jesse became a blonde! And I believe she removed many of her piercings for the occasion.
* The mothers' surprise visit reeked of Hell's Kitchen. Between this and the sous chef nonsense, Bravo really seemed to be desperate to inject drama into the proceedings. Add to that the "mystery basket" course (shades of Chopped), the requirement to make a dessert, and the childhood memory course, this was a far cry from the "cook the best meal in your life" command of previous seasons. I guess they figured the three finalists were all so accomplished that something had to be done to jazz things up, but I really would happily have exchanged all the folderol for an hour devoted entirely to following the three as they prepared exactly what they wanted.
* Sidenote 1: When Tom (or Padma--I don't remember) said, "I hope you had a nice time visiting your mothers," I amused myself imagining a follow-up of "Because if you don't do well, it'll be the last visit you'll ever have."
* Sidenote 2: 'Twas cruel to have the mothers at the final table. Not so much on the contestants' behalf, but because the mamas risked hearing some painfully honest comments from the other diners and because it probably made those diners feel awkward about being honest. Another gimmick, and as pointless as Michael's faux mushroom.
* It was clear pretty early on that Kevin wasn't going to win. And, when Michael did, after a momentary pang, I was happy enough. Kevin and Bryan both have restaurants; Michael does not. And regardless of his personality he is unquestionably a good, imaginative chef. Sure, I'd probably prefer Kevin or Bryan's food, but what the hell. (Actually, I think if Michael and Bryan were merged into one, the result might be the perfect chef.)
Exciting reunion show next week. I'm sure there will be shocking revelations galore.
