I skipped out on Top Chef franchise overkill this year. Other than the odd episode here and there of Masters and Just Desserts (which to be fair, was much improved on the terrible first season), I haven't watched regularly since the all-star season. As Top Chef seasons go, it was excellent, but it was an anomaly given that all the contestants - even Mike Isabella! - were the real deal. It was all wheat and no chaff, as opposed to most seasons where the first five episodes (minimum) are devoted to eliminating the schmos. Compare All-Stars to the especially woeful DC season, with only two or three half-decent chefs and a total non-entity as champion and you'll see why I'm nervous about this season.
Even the producers knew they had to shake things up, so this season starts with a staggering 29 chefs, who are whittled down to 16 in a process reminiscent of the audition episodes of MasterChef. I'm not particularly a fan of the new gimmick - too many cooks spoil the broth, ho ho ho. And some chefs aren't even eliminated outright but rather live to cook another day for a final chance at a spot in the final (initial?) 16. But it does lead to satisfying moments like the world's smuggest babyfaced jerkwad being PYKAG'd by Tom before he even plates a dish. The rest of the preliminary eliminations, "preliminations" if you will, are more in line with your usual episode, but it's nice to see some spontaneity in a now-familiar format.
There's not much else to say about the episode, since it's largely a bunch of chefs we don't know and barely care about presenting one after another. New guest judge Emeril Lagasse adds some schlubby authority to the proceedings, whereas other new judge Hugh Acheson won't appear until the second episode. Given how sparingly Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain were used in previous seasons, though, they likely won't make much of an impression overall.
Of course, I'm pleased that Chicago is doing well; five chefs from the Windy City presented dishes this episode and all five advanced. Suck it, East/West Coast!
No power rankings yet, of course, and I'm hard pressed to even come up with an early favorite. It's good to see Top Chef back, but will the good vibes last once the new gimmickry is over?
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