I was thoroughly disgusted by all the chefs but Marcel. Ilan and Elia's last ditch effort to get rid of Marcel was just so EMBARASSING. If I were Marcel, I'd be flattered by their immaturity. Obviously there's no fault in his cooking so they have to resort to unsubstantiated claims to try to get at him.

I don't even think it's Marcel's attitude or social ineptness that annoys them, but the fact that he won't let them get to him. They've done everything they possibly can to hurt or anger him and he doesn't feed into it. It's not about the cooking or his respect, it's the fact that they're the mean bullies, he's the scared dork and he should be afraid of them. If he had caved and cried and they apologized and everything was good, none of this would be happening, but their poor little egos cant accept the fact that they couldn't break Marcel down.

I don't watch this show, but the Eve story caught my eye. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks.

the thriller monkeys..hilarious.
However, your anecdotes or metaphorical / symbolic pre-ambles remind me of Marcels foams or tear drops..interesting, but not relevant. Then again, like Marcel's, they are an artistic flourish. anyway..I agree that the further attempts to dethrone Marcel were embarassing...for me because i was actually watching this crap and not flipping to something else. But thanks to this show, it has demystified the whole allure of trendy chef worship. Now that I've seen ilan's behavior, I won't ponder the thought that because he's a hipster dude who cooks in a restaurant he must get laid often..by females. Marcel will forever annoy me. one of those NeoCons in training with a Napoleon complex and a copy of "The Fountain Head" on his night table.

Flipit - TVgasm has cubicles like a real office office? Somehow I pictured more of a frat house kind of environment. Empty bottles of Bawls, old wasabi tubes, leftover takeout cartons from Geisha House...
This season of Top Chef is an embarrassment to Bravo. ( and let's not forget that this is the same network that brought us "Being Bobby Brown")
Chef Tom telling the Fab Four that they were being judged on their food and not their behavior in the kitchen was laughable. Does anyone believe that? Bleech. Sam the eternal wuss-out once again wussed out. Ilan the prodder prodded Elia. Elia the tattle tale tattle told.
And dredge (hey) - thank you for finally giving me the perfect analogy for Foam Boy. Howard Roark is spot on and I could totally hear Marcel saying
"My work done my way. A private, personal, selfish, egotistical motivation. That's the only way I function. That's all I am."
Maybe the finale will include Marcel winning and then destroying his own food. Ha!

hb

I love the number of screencaps! Really drives the point home. Especially about how much I'm going to miss Sam's headband....

I was a little thrown by Ilan's accusations at the end. She really should have worked on her position before she tried to bring it up. She just didn't make too much sense. That's a shame that was our last impression of her because she really seemed like a cool girl and was one of Marcel's only "friends"!

And side note to Marcel...ENOUGH WITH THE FOAM!!!

I like to analogize Marcel to crazy Angela from Project Runway 3. The monkey spit foams are the fleurchons/rosettes and the stupid hair is like Angela's ridiculous bubble skirts. I'm not sure what that idiotic, inexplicable Marcel facial hair compares to, though. I'd rather not think about that weird little crop of hair. Gives me nightmares.

I really wanted to see sexy Sam and sweet Elia in the finale, but now I really don't even care to watch. I can't bear another hour of Mr. Molecular Gastronomy's condescending interviews or his "bras" and "it's kinda like" and his nasty chemicals. And I can't deal with another hour of Ilan bitching about the monkey. I want Ilan to win just because I can't stand Marcel's ego, but then again, I could care less. They both suck.

BTW, LOVED the thriller monkey clip!

ummm so this finale blows, im not even going to watch, if they could have picked ANYONE other than these 2 i would have watched or even kinda wanted to watch....damn bravo could've atleast edited these two to make them more likable (my spelling sucks..i know) its a shame hopefully it could be a big suprise and them bring back sam or elia competing for the second time for the 2nd spot in the top 2...if only...ohhh well nice recap, hopefully flipit you make it REALLY entertaining for me to even want to read a recap

Am I the only one rooting for Marcel? Somehow, I just haven't been that turned off my him this season. His comment about Ilan's fire, for example, was funny- and don't tell me that any of the snarky TVgasm readers can't appreciate a good sarcastic comment now and then. I think the other chefs are just too sensitive for their own good and are letting a competitor get to them.

This season has rapidly gone downhill, but Flipit, you make it worth watching.

Why no reunion?! This would be so drama-laden and interesting. Conspiracy theorists, your take please?

The term "molecular gastronomy" makes me want to hurl and/or punch whoever came up with it. Using chemicals and lasers and liquid nitrogen (saw it on Iron Chef, no kidding) is gimmicky. There is certainly science in food (which Alton Brown has made a business of explaining) but when you artificially inject science into food, it's just reeking of effort.

I agree MissK. A good dish looks effortless. if you have to do all this wizbang shit, especially upfront in your explanation, it's way overdone. Just caught a clip this morning of leDivorce. A crap movie but they had a restaurant scene in paris that clearly advertised minimal haute cuisine. Sculptural but tasty looking. A sunnyside egg in an asparagus sunflower creation is not enticing. it makes a nice Surrealist art piece but is not food.

Now if TopChef wanted to surprise us, they should use the old stan-by of bringing back a contestant to compete. it's the only thing that will be interesting here. I say bring back Suyai for some fun..or Betty!

Great recap as usual Flipit. I find that Bravo reality shows really underwhelm in the finale department. Top Chef is no exception.
While I hated Marcel all season, I hope the monkey pulls it off and wins. Ilan has beome a whiny Jew (save your Mel Gibson comments for my email) and I don't want to see hime win. Also Flipit, stop ragging on Padma! We had that JoelBot last season and I think that Padma is aMUCH better host.

Thanks guys, you make Mondays worth it.

No reunion show. SUX. I am sure we can all imagine why. Monkey rape trial.

Making fun of Padma is my favorite thing in the world, the girl's just too easy. But I do love her 100 x more than BJ's child bride. Image Google Ms. Lakshmi and if you still don't think she needs to be ragged on, I'll send you a Tootsie Pop.

Last week Newsgasm had a Top Chef report that Guest Judge Wong said someone would be let go for dishonesty and someone else for unprofessional behavior. Don't remember those reasons being used this week so I am curious to see if there is some kind of twist coming our way, or if that was just a plant to keep us interested. HMMMMMM......

Petty detail, but there's petroglyphic evidence that Spaniards landed in the Hawaiian Islands years before Captain Cook did. They just didn't colonize it then steal it in an unauthorized military coup...

PS- Hawaiian food is AMAZING. And not that hard to make (If I can cook it, anyone can...trust me), so it was interesting to see the gourmet spin on it.

I usually only read B-Side's recaps (personal bias) but I got sucked into this one, and I must say I was impressed! I long ago gave up watching this show, but at least now I can read a far more entertaining version of it. Good job, Flipit!

Flipit, great job on the recaps, & I personally enjoy your lead-ins. It's slightly reminiscint of Sophia from "Golden Girls," just add a "Picture it, Applebee's, 1992..."

I would have wanted Ilan to win up until a few weeks ago. I mean let's show some maturity here people-Marcel played them all beautifully. I literally held my hand over my eyes when the painful scene began with Elia tattling to the judges. Ilan egged her on but didn't back her up, & Sam said nothing-smartly. How embarassing for Tom & Gail to have this happen in front of a guest judge-it's like the class behaving badly when the principal sits in to observe.

Go Monkey!

I can no longer read these Top Chef recaps. The memory lane strolls are torture.

Don't worry Flipit. Your recaps made me not only WANT and GET cable, but I am now nearing the end of the Top Chef marathon and ready for the finale!

Smooches! :)

I too am glad this season is about to end so I won't have to skim through the gimmicky prologues to get to the real recap.

Did anyone else think Padma was drunk when the judges were discussing the last elimination? She was slurring her words and speaking way to loudly. I think that's why Tom rolled his eyes and acted so impatient.

Sam was my favorite all season. Marcel and Ilan? We won't be bothering with the finale.

I don't get why some readers have such a problem with Flipit's preambles at the beginning; it's good reading.

And even if you think it isn't good reading, then simply skip it if you don't care for it, sheesh. Picky, picky.

Well, they can't let Ilan win, not after that shocking lack of maturity in ClipperGate, so I guess it's going to be Marcel for the Win.

Who certainly seems to bring out the worst in almost everyone, very odd. Allergic to foam, perhaps? Gotta say, I'm sick of his foam too, god. Stop with the damn foam already, jesus. If he ever opens a restaurant, I'm sure it'll be called "FOAMYS".

"Chef Marcel at FOAMYS! You'll come for the food, but you'll stay for the foam." Blech. I hope I NEVER see foam on my plate. Double Ick

Thank you, Eyepoke, ^^^^ I agree. Last year, we didn't even have a recapper for Top Chef! Now we do (& it's someone whom WE the readers voted for) so if there's a part that of the recap you don't care for, then just skip it. simple!

The last minutes of this episode were painful to watch. I rooted for Elia all along & I liked Ilan back when he had nothing to say, but this was pitiful. Pathetic. I, too, think that Marcel will be the winner. As annoying as he may be (& believe me, I haven't & still don't, like him), he does exhibit the most range & creativity in what he does. Ilan cooks what he knows & that's the extent of it. What's worse, he seems so obsessed with hating on Marcel, he's losing focus on his game. can't wait til new season starts. bummer.

Dear Flipit,
There is no reason for these writer wannabes to knock your exceptional ability to entertain your reader as well as inform then to the goings on in our idiot boxes. You have become the standard many TVGasm future re cappers will be measured against. To put it more bluntly would be wasted on the inarticulate, unversed, unwashed few who find insulting your prose worth their time and one must consider the fault to lie in their limited reading skills, never mind hoping they could understand the point.

As to the show.... I am a bit surprised at the final too and have no doubt Marcel will win the day as well as the season. I hope Betty is reading these posts as I would love to tell her she could never have made it and was out shown, out cooked, and outclassed by this young man in the end.

No reunion show?? I guess it doesn't surprise me. I would not even be surprised of they filmed one and it ended in a brawl after they beat Marcel to a pulp. Or if they tried and no one but Otto showed up.

I'm with you Chloe, Marcel is who I have been championing even before the group attack. Elia made me disgusted with her lip curls and eye rolls from the get go. She obviously will look back on her behavior in time and understand why she is still working in a hotel room service position. Sam, well honestly I did believe he was the only one who could have challenged Marcel in the final, he wants to be an upstanding fellah, I can just feel it, but when he sits back and prods the weaker, less thans to attempt smack... he will never attain 'it' until he takes a look at his heart and becomes the leader he is capable of.

Ilan, eh, milk toast, that's about it......he is just the speed bump in the road to the final choosing of Top Chef.

Go Marcel..... you deserve it.

I believe that Ilan is the winner. If you notice in the preview Padma congratulates the winner and is looking to her left. Ilan is standing to her left. It could just be editing, but to me it looks like Ilan is the winner. Marcel is a douchebag and deserves to lose. I don't know who is worse him or Stephen from TC1.

Well, some of us need douche bags and some of us appreciate that there are douche bags......Who is this ? ? ? ?
Is air376 really Frank???????

GIFFORDSAZ, it's "milquetoast" and Marcel is the douchiest of douchebags.

I hate that guy.

I posted this in the Forums area and I don't see most of you there.. so I wanted to share.... love him or hate him did he deserve a fan attack?
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2007/01/18/feature2.html

This is a link to a Vegas paper that has conducted an interview with Marcel recently. I am sure at this point the outcome of the show is known to at least Marcel. The interview is the same questions we would ask and he does give some answers that are very candid, well such as his feeling that Ilan masturbated in the bathroom, a lot. What shocked me was the fact he was attacked in a night club resulting in 30 stitches.
He seems like a normal person....not what Betty chooses to believe, he does come out in the day light.

milquetoast
From Wiktionary
English
Etymology
From the title character of the Casper Milquetoast comic strip, created by Harold Webster and first published in 1924
Noun
Milquetoast--A person of meek or timid disposition

Thank you, you longhairedman-- I have used the term verbally in context but never written it... And never knew it came from a cartoon character.
My vision then was close... weak not meek, although after Elia spoke up he was pretty meek.. his skin tone also lead the milky part of it...(ramble ramble ramble)

This was a very unlikeable group of contestants with Betty being the worst of all. Not a single one of them was as good as the worst from season one. Harold deserved to win. This year's winner did not.