Top Chef Texas -- Reunion

[Ruth Lafler]

Wow. Heather. Given a chance to apologize to Bev (which Sarah did), she instead went with "I'm not going to apologize because I was just saying what I felt was true at the time."

Newsflash, honey: the fact that you felt what you said was true doesn't make it any less hateful. Plus, you can still be sorry you hurt someone with your "truth"! But no, you couldn't even come up with the classic non-apology "I'm sorry if you were hurt by what I said."

Well, I truly feel you're a megabitch, and I'm not going to apologize!

Gail was clearly appalled. I haven't heard such disdain in the voice of a judge at a reunion show since Nina Garcia took down the designer who told one of the models he’d never hire a model with bad teeth and thick legs.

[marblebag]

Heather is a bully that advocates bullying because it made Ty-Lor a better man and chef?
Aren't we against bullying as a society? Is it acceptable in the restaurant world ?

[Phaedrus]

Acceptable in Heather World.

[huiray]

There is no such thing as "bullying" in HT World. That word has no meaning there. There is only "Being Herself".

[Phaedrus]

I stand corrected.

[huiray]

Heh. ;-)

[NellyNel]

In Heathers defense, Ty-lor worked for her, and he genuinely likes her.

I think because she is a bigger gal, and her voice is harsh - she comes across worse than she actually is...
I'm not saying she is sweet, but just not as bad as she seems to be perceived,

[FoodPopulist]

Maybe Heather is just that kind of woman who has a lot of gay male friends.

[seamunky]

they missed a good opportunity to share what the other contestants felt about Last Chance Kitchen...especially the Final Four's. The question was immediately addressed by Keith who of course liked it because he was the first eliminated. And Ed made it officially clear that he DIDN'T because he was the one eliminated from the Final Four. I wanted to hear from some of the others especially Lindsey, Nyesha, and Sarah.

Paul, yes he was "a lot nervous" , but he didn't speak at all!

[Phaedrus]

Anyone catch what Padma told Tom about the lamb in the outtakes part?

[mariacarmen]

YES!

[Phaedrus]

What did she say?

[NellyNel]

I missed it -
????

[mariacarmen]

she said it looked like labia.

there. i said it.

[Phaedrus]

Oh my. Thanks mariacarmen.

And then they chose to show the interplay between Padma and Charlize where the line:"You're blond where it counts." showed up.

[goodhealthgourmet]

and Charlize asking Tom repeatedly if he was touching his penis. that looked like a fun dinner :)

[mariacarmen]

totally.

[FattyDumplin]

for a guy like me, any dinner where Padma and Charlize are in attendence would be just fine!

[Phaedrus]

Not gonna, wouldn't be prudent....

[huiray]

I dare say there are lots of guys who are not like you. ;-)

[FattyDumplin]

True! And good! Otherwise, we'd all be fighting over the same things.

[NellyNel]

Oh, I forgot to mention -

Was anyone else surprised by Moto Chris' quirky personality and humor?

I, personally never caught that at all!

The clips they showed of him last night, acting a bit silly, and quriky, I found to be very charming and endearing, but throughtout the show, I kind of thought he had no personality at all!

(though, I did always say I liked his hair!! - still do!)

[jeanmarieok]

I thought Moto Chris seemed like he'd be funny, actually, all along. They just didn't shoot him that way.

[mariacarmen]

i'm sorry nellynell, i thought his hair on the reunion show was awful! prefer the baby samurai look.

[NellyNel]

Oh, I do too Mariacarmen, and actually, what I meant was that I still like the samurai look...though, I didnt think his hair looked bad at the reunion..

[Phaedrus]

Anyone else surprised at the vitriol that Heather got as a reaction to her portrayal on TC? I mean, that is a lot of hate and a lot of extra things to do just to "punish" her.

[d8200]

Yes and no. Jaime (aka Scallop Girl) apparently was teased relentlessly by customers and random phone calls at her restaurant after her season. But death threats to Heather? Those are totally uncalled for.

[chowser]

I got the feeling that people didn't care for her behavior and called her on it, more than trying to punish her.

[LindaWhit]

Especially with her defiant "No, I did nothing wrong" statement.

[Worldwide Diner]

The woman got death threats and you think that's just normal way of showing "care for her behavior"? She was called a racist, a bully, bitch, and other names too (and that's just on Chowhound). Just because you didn't call her names doesn't mean others didn't go psycho on her.

[Bellachefa]

With all due respect, I think when someone gets death threats, it is time to evaluate why. and do what must be done to fall back under the radar. More reason for self preservation to offer a bs apology

[BDMTHRFKR]

seemed to wear the death threats as a badge of honor. almost like "I am so true to myself I get death threats for it!"

[FattyDumplin]

Can't put a blanket statement on that... What about in sports, where players get death threats or hell, shot to death, because they fumble the ball or give up a goal? I think Heather was a total b--- on the show. In real life, maybe she is exactly what was portrayed on TV. But to imply that the death threats are somehow justifiable is ridiculous. Its a f------ TV show. You know who should re-examine themselves? The idiots who call in a death threat. Just one man's opinion.

[chowser]

I probably misread Phaedrus's post. I was thinking of Gail and the others calling her out for throwing Bev under the bus while at JT, not viewer perspective. I agree many of the things people called her were wrong. I don't see a problem w/ "bully" because she is one and the racist thing probably came about from her demeaning attitude about "cooking Asian food." She's not a nice person and she doesn't get that "that's just the way I am" is no excuse for behaving poorly. There's no room in her head for personal growth, unlike with Sarah and Lindsay. I don't think she cares how she was portrayed and has said it was accurate.

[tjinsf]

I think if she did get legit death threats that is extremely wrong and should be dealt with by the police but the only thing I saw and heard about was the tweets and emails and she seemed to engage with them and not seemed afraid but that could have just been bravado.

[d8200]

As someone who has worked in the industry, for and alongside people like Heather and Bev, I think a lot of the negativity toward Bev was the fact that she constantly displayed "non-chef" attributes, which made her an easy target for her peers. A functioning kitchen is a lot like the military (I'm also a vet, so I feel that I can comment on that) and you need a leader who is firm with a clear sense of direction...qualities that Bev seemed to lack. In the end her food was probably great, but all of the prep and behind the scenes work to get to that point are what counts, and to work alongside her would have frustrated the hell out of me. In situations like that a lot of "groupthink" sets in and someone who is mentally outside of that box can throw off the performance of the team.

Yes, Heather should have apologized and admitted that at the time she was harsh, but I don't agree with the idea that Bev was blameless or did no wrong.

[huiray]

I don't have the sense that anyone - repeat, *anyone* - on the board has held the position that Beverly Kim was utterly blameless or did no wrong.

[d8200]

True, but Bev herself always seemed to have a "why me?" reaction to all the criticism. Sarah and Lindsey realized that chef qualities aside Bev is a nice person, Heather blew her chance to admit that as well. What I was getting at is that in a work environment if someone can't perform it immediately sours me to their whole personality. Outside of work they may be cool, fun, whatever, but if you can't get it done when it counts then I wouldn't want to be around you. I'm sure every CH'er here can think of someone like that in their workplace.

[huiray]

"...in a work environment if someone can't perform..."
---------
According to your own, personal ideas. ;-)

[LindaWhit]

And as I noted below, Bev always got her plates and prep work done on time.

[d8200]

Well...I guess you can say that, but in this group there where 17 (I think) other chefs that cringed every time they had to work with her. Some took it in stride, others chose to go on the offensive. If you were a restaurant owner who was thinking of hiring her, you have to consider how well she performs in a team. Good for Bev for keeping her head up, I just think that it would help her career in the long run if she worked on some of those issues.

[tjinsf]

"seemed to have a "why me?"
Did we watch the same show? If anything Bev was totally upfront and took responsibility for her actions. As a chef I think she was fine, it was her mostly passive non responsive manner that seemed to bother people. Bev did perform immediately, she did get her work done.

[Bellachefa]

The one right thing she did in the kitchen, was to not sink to the mean girls level. I find that to be a part of her scatterbrained charm. Not once did she engage, as far as I know. Instead she dismissed their behavior and moved on. She forgave before the apology and kept a sense of humor.

[chowser]

I actually got the feeling that she tucked her tail between her legs rather than the dismissing the behavior. You know Grayson wouldn't have been so passive.

[LindaWhit]

And perhaps her past came into play in that tucking her tail between her legs. She knew it was better to just put her head down and work to prove herself vs. arguing back.

[chowser]

I was thinking that about her past abusive relationship, too. Just keep your head down and pretend nothing is happening or you'll aggravate it more.

[LindaWhit]

Exactly. Anyone who's been in any type of an abusive relationship like that knows why she didn't react and get all up in Heather's face.

[The Dairy Queen]

Actually, once she did stoop to that level of nastiness, and that was towards her friend and ally Grayson in Last Chance Kitchen.

~TDQ

[Bellachefa]

I missed the part that she was a survivor of abuse.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, she mentioned that in one of her confessionals, I think. That's a very sad part of Bev's past. It sounds like she's moved on from that bad situation, which, of course, is good news.

~TDQ

[tjinsf]

it was in one the earlier episodes where she talks about how she was in an abusive relationship, physically and mentally and one day while he was at work, she just packed up her clothes and left everything. She talked about in the context that if she was strong enough to do that, she could do this and about how much better and healthier her life is now.

[FoodPopulist]

OK, I'll bite. I don't think Beverly shoulders any blame for any mistreatment that she may have suffered. If you think she brought it on herself, that's like saying a woman was raped because she dressed too much like a "slut".

Usually, the chef who gets portrayed as an object of derision on the show is being criticized by chefs who are clearly better. This season, it felt like Bev was being looked down upon by chefs who were inferior or, at best, her equals.

[The Dairy Queen]

Of course, no one deserves to be bullied. But Bev did in engage in a lot of elbowing and running into people and invading other people's workstations that did merit some kind of response from her fellow cheftestants. Some of the other folks, like Paul and Ed, did try to point some of these things out to Bev, but it didn't appear to result in an improvement in her behavior. But, then again, neither did being mean to her.

~TDQ

[debbiel]

No, it is not saying anything of the sort; your rape analogy is just way off the charts wrong. Being yelled at in the kitchen is not akin to rape.

[FoodPopulist]

You're completely missing the point. I'm not saying A is as bad as B. I'm saying that both situations involve an unfair "blame the victim" mentality.

[LindaWhit]

Thanks for your comments d8200. But I'm not sure the majority (or anyone) think that Bev was blameless.

While not having been in the service or worked in a kitchen, I totally understand the regimentedness needed to keep things moving smoothly and get plates out the door to the diners. Bev's mannerisms could definitely throw off a well-oiled machine. However, she *always* got done what needed to be done to get her plates finished on time.

ETA: For most of the show, there wasn't always "someone in charge" - although often someone took the lead - but there wasn't an EC and everyone else had to follow orders from that one person. So these were situations in which everyone had to work *with* each other - not *direct* the others in the manner in which they wanted things done. And there were several who, essentially, "didn't play well with others." And that includes Beverly. :-)

[John E.]

I seem to recall that Beverly did not finish plating during at least one (more:than one?) QF.

[The Dairy Queen]

I have to say, if I had to work alongside Bev, I might get a little mean, too. Just watching her drove me nuts.

~TDQ

[Ruth Lafler]

What seemed unreasonable to me is that they faulted her for asking questions, but then they also faulted her for not being a team player. I think to Bev, being a team player means talking to your team mates and not just steam rolling over them or ignoring their ideas. If you're working with someone on a dish, why wouldn't you ask them questions/get their input on it?

[tjinsf]

I agree that working a line with her may be hard but then again she did deliver and that's what matters, no? more importantly Bev did work WITH people where as Heather was never able to step back down to the line and always acted like she was the ex. chef.

Actually considering how much abuse and crap does happen in kitchen, the end result is what matters, that's why ex that deliver can do whatever they want.

[soupkitten]

sorry, can you explain what you mean by 2nd paragraph: abuse and crap, and executives doing whatever they want?

[tjinsf]

I mean that in some kitchens especially in Europe executive chefs can and have been pretty abusive, verbally and in other ways. Not to mention the chefs that like the drugs and drink a bit too much but are still functioning are kept on by owners and management. At least that is what I have witnessed in the past ( I am not a chef) from watching it from the investor/owners side of it.

A kitchen is not often a democracy, more like a theocracy with the exec as the king (queen). At least that's what I've seen. I like that more chefs are taking more laid back approaches.

[Ruth Lafler]

The problem is that Top Chef isn't a monarchy (not a theocracy, which means ruled by religion). These chefs are competitors and peers. If you go into it with the mindset that you're the king (or queen) you're going to be way out of line. The situation is exacerbated by the fact they these chefs are competing, which makes them reluctant to fully cooperate with each other to the extent they should as a group of peers. There's this constant tension between the fact that in a team challenge someone needs to take charge, or at least make sure roles are assigned and fulfilled, and the fact that people want to focus on making their own dishes shine.

[Phaedrus]

Ruth hit is on the head. Throughout the history of TC, and this line of recaps, people with restaurant kitchen backgrounds keep referring to the status quo in the kitchen, and it is both relevant and irrelevant. It is relevant because this is how you are going to get things done and irrelevant because the pecking order changes constantly so you reap what you sow very quickly.

[Ruth Lafler]

You hit it on the head much better than I did: someone needs to copy and paste "Top Chef is not a restaurant kitchen" in a reply to everyone who says "well I work in a restaurant and ...."

[soupkitten]

the thing that is extremely relevant is that people's training doesn't go out the window, nor does the across-the-board general etiquette of the restaurant kitchen. the more experience a person has with this stuff actually **increases their ability to adapt** when working with others. in real life, chefs will work under an exec who owns several restaurants while running a place as chef de cuisine, or they will go for a stage at a friend or colleague's restaurant in their off time and not be top dog in that system.... there will be hybrid kitchens put together from several different restaurants in order to pull off a major event or a benefit... the training protocols and etiquette make it work, just as a soldier at fort bragg can get transferred to another base anywhere in the world and quickly fall into the correct role because s/he knows the structure.

the folks who did well and came across as easy to work with are the ones who had excellent foundational training and fluid, ingrained professional etiquette-- this is like good table manners. a person with good table manners does not think about their own manners at all, but s/he can go to any restaurant in the world and have a fluid and stress-free experience. someone who has less experience will encounter friction and uncertainty and make gaffes, which can be extremely costly in a competition setting. another problem occurs when folks have come to believe they are above the rules and etiquette for whatever reason, which led to the biggest interpersonal fireworks this season, from my perspective.

many people have commented that it was pointlessly mean to bring in someone like tyler stone into the finale because of his lack of ability and experience. mean perhaps, but not pointless, imo, because his lack of these qualities would seem to illustrate the value of the restaurant training and experience the others do possess. if folks think restaurant experience is irrelevant, consider tyler stone. his lack of training and understanding of restaurant protocols made him a much less valuable team player--i even feel comfortable saying this without having watched the finale--and folks who did watch it might even add that he was an impediment to those around him.

[d8200]

True, but when you work in a high stress environment (like a kitchen) day in and day out, then all of a sudden you're thrown in a similar environment, you're probably going to mentally revert back to what you are used to. Some are able to take it in stride, some understand the dynamics of being on camera and use that to their advantage, and some have flashbacks to their day-to-day work life and behave accordingly.

[tjinsf]

I agree with your Ruth and I think it's the biggest reason why some chefs who are excellent off the show don't succeed on it or can't step it down and be team players when they need to be.

I am aware of what a theocracy and used it on purpose because as well as being king of kitchen, a chef is also a God as he or she is the creator).

[JuniorBalloon]

It's true that what gets delivered is what's important to each individual, but there were a lot of group challenges. In watching Bev work she would make me crazy. I am not a "lets get it done at the last minute" kind of guy, and will admit it would make me grunpy and terse if I had to wait for someone else in a time crunch situation. I may even have said some mean things or at least though them.

jb

[d8200]

Exactly what I was trying to say. A lot of posters responded with "well, Bev always got it done at the end..." Think of what her teammates or coworkers must think as the clock is winding down: Bev's area is a mess, there's a sheetpan of stuff dropped on the floor, a pot is about to boil over, and Bev is over in the pantry looking for the Chinese Five Spice that she forgot that she left on her station.

[Ruth Lafler]

There's absolutely no evidence that is a true representation of what happened. The only person who complained about her work ethic was Heather, who wasn't even on her team for that challenge. There's no evidence that, for example, in the challenge where she actually worked with Heather there were any problems with Bev's work style (as opposed to her "always cooking Asian"). People have taken a couple of incidents and created a scenario where that was the situation all the time. Because no one else has ever had trouble meeting the deadline or had accidents in the Top Chef kitchen. Nope no one.

In addition, people have extrapolated that because Bev became flustered working in unfamiliar kitchens in abnormal circumstances that she's like that in her restaurant. Again, no reason to believe the situations are in any way related.

[d8200]

My statement was hypothetical, but please consider the numerous instances throughout the season where several contestants said in no uncertain terms that they did not want to be on a team with Bev. Also, remember the scene where the final four had just found out about Last Chance Kitchen? They were sitting around smoking and joking about how they did not want Bev to come back. Also, in the LCK episode where Bev dethroned Nyesha, the looks on everyone's faces when the judgement was made? You could tell that every one of them thought Nyesha was robbed.

Clearly Bev's food was good, but there has to be a reason why nearly all of the other chefs were put off by the prospect of working with her, and I believe it has to do with her work style. I won't use the term "work ethic" as Heather did, as that implies laziness or complacence. Bev obviously tried her hardest every time, but her seemingly scatterbrained ways of going about things might not be the most effective method as a member of a team. During individual challenges she always did really well, which shows that she can clearly rise to the occasion when not burdened by conforming to the standards or attitudes of a group. Bottom line: Bev is a great chef, but she follows the beat of a different drummer.

[bobbert]

I happened to like Beverly and thought she was unfairly singled out by the "mean" girls but I have to say that your analysis of her during the season and her working with the other chefs sums it up very nicely. Well said.

[Ruth Lafler]

Well, I think even Bev would admit (has admitted) that she marches to the beat of a different drummer.

[jcattles]

I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Someone tell me, did they throw in a surprise challenge where Paul & Sarah go double or nothing? Of course I'm just joking but at this point would any of us be surprised?

[BDMTHRFKR]

Seems like the judges are quite aware of fans reactions to the show--here's hoping they and the producers take to heart the overwhelming negative reactions to some of the challenges and guests.

LOVED the PeeWee "jumped the shark episode" quip!

[secondbecky]

That was the highlight of the show for sure.

Grayson is the coolest no doubt. Sarah redeemed herself (although I definitely warned up to her in the last few episodes) and I'm glad Lindsay did too. I understand tthe pressure though, having been the manager of a restaurant where my chef told me to fuck off a few times! I'm sure I wouldn't react much better in that type of "pressure cooker" lol.

[FattyDumplin]

Sarah grew on me. I hated her throughout the show and her food didn't seem all that great. By the finale though, I thought her last meal looked amazing. And this is from someone who really wanted Paul to win because of how his food looks and the person he is (love the humility).

[huiray]

That comment from PWH was interesting - it seemed to suggest that even a guest judge was aware of the downward spiral the show was taking!

[JAB]

By having him as a guest judge.

[huiray]

I think that would have formed part (but not the whole) of his "perception" of the direction the show was taking. :-) Even if he might have been speaking tongue-in-cheek.

[BDMTHRFKR]

Anyone know when the next TC show will be starting (specifically Masters or JD)?

[BDMTHRFKR]

that's right, I had forgotten about that one! thanks!

[The Chowhound Team]

We've split off some of the discussion of Around The World in Eight Plates to a new thread, here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/838746 .

[LindaWhit]

Thank you, Mods! :-)

[NellyNel]

I enjoyed the show.

I did cringe a bit with all the Beverly stuff but I loved"Mediocre Chef" segment- I thought that was pretty funny.

I also loved how Ed admitted he was a dick at the bbq challenge.

[momjamin]

I had seen the Mediocre Chef segment on bravotv.com some weeks ago, but it's still good stuff ;-) I had a hard time watching the cringing, whether it was Bev vs mean girls, Malibu's body talk, or even the crying clip reel. However, I did enjoy the fun-with-editing bits like Mediocre Chef (why did that not earn Ed fan fave?) and The Real Gail Simmons ;-)

[The Dairy Queen]

I loved how Ed came clean.

~TDQ

[Phaedrus]

Ditto that!

[KailuaGirl]

Me, too!

[jamieeats]

the mediocre chef segment was great - 'this is a huge mountain of... mediocre food" made me laugh out loud.

i also liked watching them go on the road trips. it's more fun to watch to good times, rather than the blaming and politics.

[LindaWhit]

Yeah, it was pretty evident that the judges ALL felt that Heather was completely in the wrong. Tom's expressions (Yes, I *know* it could have been editing!) were pretty incredulous.

[tjinsf]

I liked that we found out the reason Ty-Lor was so supportive of Heather and her behavior is because he is a former employee of hers. Sarah seemed to be trying to hard to prove she isn't a bully or a bad person and very defensive about telling a judge to f-u after the finale. I could have done with out the joke videos and more about them talking about the challenges and cooking all the texas themed crap.

It might be an old horse but all the bullying issues would be over in a second if Heather had been able to even admit to what she did. I feel sorry for everyone in her kitchen if she rules by fear and considering the only time I've eaten at sable there was indeed yelling I don't think she is likely to change. Even a fake apology like Sarah's would have put it to rest.

[Phaedrus]

About the F U. I missed it but did Sarah say F U to Emeril? They kind of had a make up love fest going on there.

[The Dairy Queen]

I wondered that too!

~TDQ

[Manassas64]

They have a million cameras and they didn't have a camera or sound on this? I find that odd. If this happened during the crowd rush after the winner was announced, there were so many people crushing them and talking, how does anyone know (a) she is the one who said it and (b) that it was said to Emeril?

[LindaWhit]

Based on how Sarah acted last night on the reunion show ("I never said that - and if I did, I didn't mean it - I love Emeril!"), AND various reactions around her (perhaps from those who did hear her say it), AND how Emeril was extremely nice to her about her chef capabilities without calling her out (seeming to try and put Sarah at ease), I'd wager that she did say it.

In what context is what I'd like to know. Did Emeril come up to her to comfort her in her loss and she told him to F off? Don't know.

[tjinsf]

It was never directly said which judge. the question directed at her was "we have a staffer who heard you (sarah) say FU to one of the judges right after you didn't win". Then Sarah claims she never said that and she loves Emeril. My opinion is he probably came up to tell her how good she was and she was probably pissed in general and said it in general and didn't mean it personal. but then again no one was there.

[JAB]

Wasn't there a reaction shot of Tom directly following that but, they then implied that it was Emeril.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yep - Tom raised his eyebrow and sort of smirked in silent acknowledgment that she had said it...or at least that's how *i* interpreted his reaction.

[KailuaGirl]

I got the same impression.

[Bellachefa]

I just watched the clip on Bravo. She denied it and said it was really shitty to bring up and then she started babbling about Emeril. Now if she didn't say it, then how did she know that Emeril was the judge that she didn't say it to? The best thing that ever happened to her was not winning. She started out as an emotionally stunted bratty mean girl. She is leaving with greater maturity and self awareness.

[BDMTHRFKR]

I really thought that after she denied it they would roll a clip with her saying whatever it was she said...

[chowser]

Even if they had, in the heat of the moment, we all say things we regret and might forget. But, she acted contrite after and said she didn't remember saying it but apologized in case she did. I think in this case, it's all water under the bridge.

[Manassas64]

That segment was heavily edited and I don't trust the reaction shots, etc.

Without film or sound, to me, it's just one "production staffer"'s word against hers.

Obviously she was told of this incident at some point and that she directed it at Emeril even though it wasn't said on the show. She wasn't blindsided by the comment on the show, she had heard about it.

With all of the complaining about editing and Magical Elves all during the season, you all really thing what we saw last night was minute-to-minute and real time reactions?

[LurkerDan]

It's also possible that she said "F" without the "U" as Emeril approached her. Ie, it wasn't directed at him at all, but she knew and understood that it might have been perceived that way. I just can't imagine she would say that to him.

[chowser]

<<Sigh>> No, I do realize it's as close to scripted as it can be w/out actually being. And, we could argue nonstop about what might have happened, what ended up on the cutting room floor, etc. We don't even know if a staffer heard it said, when you come down to it. But, we're only privy to what we see so that's what I'm basing it on. I don't know why it's obvious to you that it's been brought up before to her. In the end, she seemed mortified that it might have happened and she apologized. And, again, I realize that they could have put together footage to make her seem mortified and apologized when she could be as defiant as Heather (and we could add on that maybe Heather was contrite and seemed defiant and the magic elves showed her not to be) but that leads to one long speculative post that says nothing.

[Phaedrus]

>>but that leads to one long speculative post that says nothing.<<

If you are looking to prevent this, I am afraid its too late.

[chowser]

Nope, just proving my point. But, you didn't see all the editing and magic elves that took an even longer post and produced what you actually read.

[Phaedrus]

I was being facetious.

[chowser]

See, this is why I took part in the Site Talk thread about the importance of LOL. It's bad enough sometimes for me in person, let alone when I can't see an expression.

[tjinsf]

I was willing to give Heather the benefit of the doubt but now she has said in multiple interviews that how she was portrayed was exactly how she is and that she doesn't think did anything wrong with her actions, words or behavior. As much we had the bloody elves editing, I think in this case (heather) it had nothing to do with editing.

[chowser]

I was glad Heather said that, but I never bought it was all editing before either.

[chicgail]

This is such a Rorchach test. If you hate Sarah, you are sure she told Emeril to F off. If you like her, you are sure it was a misunderstanding. We may never know what happened.

[souvenir]

There is another alternative, and that is to simply to have a hard time believing production staff "reports."

I don't always watch reunion shows. Is this common for them to report that someone on the production staff heard something, but not offer any audio evidence? If it happened when the other judges were right there, why didn't one of them speak up and say they heard it?

They had just spent the lead-off segment showing how deserving Paul was. They already had plenty of mean girl audio and video; why go the extra distance to stick this in?

[tjinsf]

I don't think so, I like her food, I didn't like some of her behavior on the show. I think she may have said it not because I dislike her but because it's a very stressful situation and people have potty mouths. So if she did or didn't do it doesn't really matter. Clearly the production thought she should apologize to Emeril for it or they just wanted to get some more drama both which is likely.

[LindaWhit]

I don't think Sarah's apology on the reunion show was fake. I think she was truly horrified at seeing herself on screen and realized she had stepped out of bounds at times. Same with Lindsay. She seemed most embarrassed.

Heather, on the other hand, was defiantly adamant that she did little or *no* wrong. She said "this is me. Take it or leave it."

[Phaedrus]

From the clips that we have been shown, Heather is a very black of white person, not much shades of gray are tolerated in her world. I have known and worked with those people, it is rarely pleasant, especially if you try to convince them to look at the world differently. So I keep my mouth shut and try to get out of that situation as quickly as possible. I think eventually Heather will either understand the detriment that it is causing her in the long run or she will die thinking that she is always right and the rest of the world will adjust to her because: "This is her. Take it or leave it." This is certainly not something a reality show would solve, much like Bev's quirks.

Now the interesting juxtaposition is Keith's comment about the shrimp. They asked him if the shrimp was the reason why he got knocked out and his response involved a very create quip about flatulence and how the reality is that he got sent home because of his dish and not the shrimp. Kudos to him, because he blamed the team for letting him down when he left, so he has come a full 180.

I want to do jager shots with Grayson. Amongst other things.

[LindaWhit]

LOVED the "fart in the kitchen and you're constantly trying to move around to get away from it" comment from Keith! LOL

And Grayson just proved yet again that she would be a FUN person to hang with.

HEY! Just realized (I didn't stay up to watch the late night Andy Show) - did Crary win the damn Fan Favorite when Grayson SHOULD have won? http://www.bravotv.com/live-vote/top-... Looks like he was 11,000 points ahead of Grayson in the online voting, but there's nothing as to who won.

[momjamin]

There's a "Winner" banner on Malibu's picture now, so I guess it's official: http://www.bravotv.com/live-vote/top-...

I threw in a bunch of votes for Grayson yesterday, since she was the only one in position to take it from Malibu, but I would have happily done the same for Paul, Ed, Keith, or one or two others ;-)

[jcattles]

I wonder if Malibu's stalker won the foodie trip to Texas?

[LindaWhit]

Whoever Skid888 is, they were the highest scoring fan:

Skid888
420,570 points

[goodhealthgourmet]

Keith's fart comment was the best moment of the reunion show...i also enjoyed the evil Gail Simmons mash-up.

other than that, zzzzzzzz.

[jamieeats]

hahaha yes that was the best comment! i keep waiting for a time when i can fit it into one of my conversations...

[ChefJune]

Malibu Chris did win fan favorite, but not without Andy commenting that he had waged quite a campaign for the title.

I also would have preferred Grayson.

[LurkerDan]

"Heather is a very black of white person, not much shades of gray are tolerated in her world. I have known and worked with those people, it is rarely pleasant, especially if you try to convince them to look at the world differently."
*************************
This would also explain why she has had employees working for her for so long (assuming she isn't lying ;-). Black and white people can actually be great bosses if you're not the type to try and rock the boat. You know where you stand with them, you know what they expect of you, and if you live by their rules they are happy with you. The worst bosses I have had are the ones whose expectations change from day to day, thus making it hard to keep them happy.

[The Dairy Queen]

I agree with you that Sarah's apology was sincere, but she also had a bit of a deer in the headlights look as if she knows she crossed some lines and regrets having done so, but isn't 100% sure which things were over the line and how to change.

~TDQ

[LindaWhit]

Yeah, her crossing the line was telling Emeril to F off after Paul was given the win. I want to know more about THAT situation! I hadn't read anything about that online prior to last night's reunion show!

Emeril was incredibly gracious to Sarah in speaking to her about how impressed he was with her food.

[The Dairy Queen]

I thought Emeril was gracious, too. OMG she must be SO embarrassed. We all do things we aren't proud of under pressure, but that is a pretty big blunder.

~TDQ

[Phaedrus]

Emeril has always been very gracious. As tired as I was of some of his schtick on Emeril Live, I much preferred him in his new role visiting the classic restaurants, I was never short on respect for the man.

he even had the good graces of hosting Bourdain after Bourdain called him the troll for such a long time.

[Bart Hound]

I think it was a "hairy ewok" (from star wars)!

But he later came around and realized he was a great cook and businessman

[tjinsf]

yes this is what I mean, I think Sarah is sorry for how she was portrayed and maybe even for what she did but I don't know if she got why the actions were wrong and frankly it doesn't really matter. I think just saying I am sorry to Bev publicly was all that was needed.

[KailuaGirl]

I found it interesting that neither Lindsay nor Sarah chose to sit next to Heather. It was also nice to see Lindsay sitting next to Bev and being supportive of her (stroking Bev's arm). I like both Sarah and Lindsay better than I did and dislike Heather even more. I think their behavior was very telling of the types of people they are. As others have said, both Sarah and Lindsay seemed embarrassed by the clips they saw of themselves. Sarah telling Emeril to F Off was definitely a low point, but so it goes. Good for both of them for being adults at the Reunion (other than the Emeril/Sarah thing)

[John E.]

I highly doubt any of the contestants chose where they sat for the reunion.

[Phaedrus]

Paul, Sarah, Lindsay, Bev, and Ed in the front row. Certainly made sense to me. Last contestants. I think Tyler Stone's seat was on the off ramp to the studio.

[ChefJune]

heeheeheeheehee

[JAB]

To me, Sarah allegedly telling a Judge, Emeril?, to F off was the most interesting and revealing part of the Reunion Show. Her response was essentially; I didn't say that but, if I did, I didn't mean it. LOL!

[Starfire]

Nyesha called Bev "Sabotage", Ed was irritated to see her back in the contest,and Paul tried to tell her how to behave (not jump in front of people, etc.) It seems that Bev may have to do some apologizing herself! There wasn't alot of warmth thrown in her direction, was there?

[Ruth Lafler]

Why should Bev apologize for being back in the contest? There was a secret Last Chance Kitchen. She didn't have any control over that except to cook well enough to win.

[dmjordan]

I missed the sabotage comment. What was Nyesha referring to?

[John E.]

There were so many more interesting parts of this reunion show that did not involve the beating of a dead horse.

[Ruth Lafler]

I guess my feeling is that the point of the reunion show is to see how the chefs feel about their experience on the show and what they came away with -- otherwise, if they just want to show behind the scenes stuff, they can have a clip show.. It's also an opportunity for them to address what they might feel was a misrepresentation through editing and rehabilitate their image. That Heather didn't choose to do so says to me that not only is she a bitch, she's a dumb bitch. You have absolutely nothing to gain, and everything to lose, by not apologizing -- even if it's a fake apology! How stupid do you have to be to sit there with colleagues, influential people in your field, and millions of potential customers and not take advantage of that opportunity to help your reputation?

[John E.]

I agree with you, there were so many more interesting parts of this reunion show that did not involve the beating of a dead horse.

[Ruth Lafler]

What I'm saying is, this was a new horse. It wasn't the "Did Heather bully Bev" horse. It's the "Heather is an idiot completely lacking in self-awareness" horse.

[John E.]

And I am saying there was a lot more interesting things brought up on the reunion show that did not involve the issues of how badly Heather treated Beverly or of how Heather is so amazing that she would not apologize to Beverly on national TV.

[FoodPopulist]

I think it's pretty clear that seeing the responses to questions about the treatment of Beverly was the thing that almost everyone wanted to see. Did they say that 90% of the fan questions dealt with the topic? It was certainly the first televised reaction from the various chefs.

If you think there were more interesting parts of the reunion show, then bring them up and we'll see if people are as interested in discussing those parts.

[linus]

i would be hard pressed to think of anything interesting brought up on the reunion show.

[lbs]

Well I'm kind of glad I missed it now. I had no idea that Bravo was showing it at 8 instead of 9 like they did for the regular show. Oh well...

[huiray]

What were these more interesting things?

[Joanie]

I'm not sure there were that many more interesting parts. Chris Malibu likes how he looks, Paul is happy his parents are finally proud of him, Grayson said outrageous things, yawn.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm glad that they asked Sarah directly, "Do you think you were robbed" and she said "No." At least they were able to put that to rest, even if she doesn't believe it in her heart, I'm glad she was given the opportunity to be a good sport and she took it.

~TDQ

[chowser]

I think Sarah redeemed herself on the show. People do things in the heat of the moment and it's not always pretty. But, she saw how she came off and was embarrassed by it and said that's not the way she is. I give her and Lindsay a lot of credit for that.

[The Dairy Queen]

I completely agree. Lindsay looked most embarrassed of all because I think she comes from a place where grace and manners are very important and she prides herself on hers.

~TDQ

[chowser]

When she leaned over and rubbed Bev on the arms over the crying scenes, when Bev was getting choked up, I thought showed a lot about her. What an eye opener it must be for someone who is a nice person to see herself in those clips! I thought it was funny when, was it Sarah, talked about needing a drink on Wednesdays to get past the QF.

[The Dairy Queen]

Of course, people can be self-unaware and I'm sure seeing yourself on television can be incredibly enlightening. Lindsay seems truly embarrassed and is trying to amends in her own way. Sarah has apologized and seems sincerely trying to make amends. Grayson, who could have very easily joined the pack of mean girls managed to stay out of it altogether except for occasionally intervening on Bev's behalf, which I think is incredibly mature and courageous. Only Heather has dug in.

The truth is, I think Bev's behavior was often unconventional, at best. (For instance, see Starfire's comment below) http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8377... If the mean girls hadn't been mean, I think the focus wouldn't be on their behavior, but on Bev's. But because the other women picked on her, Bev is almost getting a free pass on some of her issues. Heather's kept the negative focus on herself. An apology would cost her nothing. I don't understand what she thinks she'g gaining by being so stubborn and I don't think it will benefit her in the long run.

~TDQ

[huiray]

Yes.

In the Chicago-chefs-only reunion article linked to below and in the TC Finale thread, the writer cited a (part) statement from Bravo relating to their position on the matter: " "Sometimes when people see themselves on camera, they can be surprised by themselves.”

As I wrote on the Finale thread folks may or may not agree with *that* statement depending on their own positions and/or perceptions.

I think the reactions of Sarah G. and Lindsay A. indicate that they did behave badly on the show and that their personae as shown were not "completely manufactured by the nefarious editors" as some would have us believe. :-) Ditto for Heather T., although she seems to believe she did nothing wrong, as others have commented on here.

[chowser]

Heather said she said all of the things shown and that that's who she is, unapologetic. No need for improvement, in her mind, sadly.

[debbiel]

Did she say no room for improvement? She said that's her. She said no one put words in her mouth. She said she said what she felt. I don't believe she said that she had no room to improve as a human being.

[chowser]

You're right. I read too much into it but I do think someone who doesn't think her behavior, as bad as it was shown on TV, is wrong because that's "her" isn't someone looking to better herself.

[Phaedrus]

I agree. In dealing with these kind of people, they are so self assured in their existing abilities that they are happy to live within what they already know and aren't really open to changing their view points. Heather, despite her protests, strikes me as someone who will take a million classes on classic French technique say, but won't walk across the street to Harold McGee because that is just not her.

[chowser]

I called Bev out for many of her actions and didn't care for her. I just didn't think it warranted being called out for her work ethic, in front of the judges, as Heather did; nor open ridicule as the others seemed to do (and are now embarrassed about). I wasn't a big fan of Grayson in the beginning but she earned my respect by standing up for the underdog, as did Dakota, when she was being berated. It takes a lot of self-confidence to stand up to a group like that.

[The Dairy Queen]

I completely agree.

Furthermore, assuming Bev's work ethic was a problem (and I'm not saying it is; I don't really remember or even know if I would be a good judge of it), that is something the judges are capable of ferreting out on their own. There was no need for Heather to call her out. The judges aren't dumb. They know how much time everyone has and if they think a chef hasn't been a team player, they have been known to ask the cheftestants what dishes they contributed to. I think the judges do take productivity into account, at least a little.

I didn't remember that Dakota stood up for the underdog, but I remember liking her early on. She seemed genuinely upset that her mistakes sent Nyesha home. (Thank goodness LCK gave Nyesha another several lives...).

~TDQ

[huiray]

Dakota Weiss (DW) stood up for Beverly Kim (BK) at Judges' Table in Episode 7 [Game On] when Heather Terhune (HT) was lambasting BK and dredging up her perception of BK's lack of work ethic when she was peeling shrimp etc in Episode 6 [Higher Steaks]. Amongst other things, DW said she disagreed with HT's characterization of how BK, her team-mate, was working in that previous challenge.

[LindaWhit]

It was Lindsay and Padma saying that Wednesdays were drinking nights. ;-)

[chowser]

Thanks, I knew someone would remember.

[chowser]

Not beating a dead horse--it's new because she Ruth hasn't talked about the bullying but the not being remorseful for being a jerk. Sarah and Lindsay saw themselves and were mortified and apologized. Heather is defiantly proud that she's offensive. If you want to get down to it, we've discussed the whole show ad infinitum over the past season--it's all beating a dead horse because...it's the RECAP show.

[huiray]

Well, here's the video of that bit for those who want to look at it again - and again... :-)
http://eater.com/archives/2012/03/08/...

[moto]

a Chicago paper had its own reunion of the contestants who work in the city (linked in the other thread about the final) that provides some context for Terhune's obliviousness. In a very prestige-conscious, hierarchical industry she's a big boss in a big name establishment. She was very quick in getting a character reference from an ex-employee, Ty-lor, and what else could he say as a former vassal who'd depended on her for references and still needs to protect his own rep ? She justified herself in the newspaper piece by explaining how many employees she has with almost no turnover. It's the 'power corrupts' cliche.

But the show's producers seemed eager to revel in Bev's humiliation, and apparently could not let any stone go unturned in trying to provoke shame in the contestants. Sarah seemed genuinely shocked that her vulnerability after losing was rendered into fodder and exploited for another chance to cast an uncomplimentary light on her. Ty-lor had to defend his photo portrait but did so with dignity and taste.

[mariacarmen]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/enterta...

very interesting stuff.

[Worldwide Diner]

"Q: Was Paul Qui winning a foregone conclusion? Farina: He's the hometown guy from Austin. He's very talented, he thinks about food in a very different way. He won for a reason. For me, I had an opportunity to eat at both restaurants on that last episode, (and) based purely on the dinners I ate, Sarah was robbed. I think there would have been a backlash if Paul didn't win. Sarah Grueneberg: A lot of the chefs told me the same thing."

Q: Who do you think should have won “Top Chef?”

Kim: Paul did great the whole season. Overall, for me, Paul deserved it.

Valencia: Paul.

Grueneberg: I think Paul should have won, absolutely.

Terhune: I love Paul but Sarah should have won.

Grueneberg: Thank you, Heather.

Jones: If we’re basing on the dish at hand, Sarah’s meal was better. But overall, Paul did better over the entire season.

***
That is so true. People on this board would've flipped!

[chowser]

TC has made many decisions that have made viewers flip, just watch the Hosea win. I don't think they're picking based on viewers input and whether people would have flipped. Sure viewers would have flipped if Paul lost, but it's never affected the results in the past. Why start now? Funny, in that list, the Chicago chefs picked the Chicago chef they knew before starting the show.

[Worldwide Diner]

I'm just saying that people on this board would've flipped if Sarah won. I don't know how many people stated this prior to the finale. As for who served a better finale dinner, I suppose everyone that tasted the food can have his/her own opinion. Neither served a flawless dinner and it's very subjective how one penalizes the flaws.

[chowser]

Sure, I would have flipped. I know the show is based on the idea that the last meal determines the winner, not the best chef. And, I know it's not about who's the nicest person. All that said, I was pulling big time for Paul and would have been very disappointed if he hadn't. But, unlike Richie seems to imply, they didn't give it to Paul because they were afraid of the uproar.

[tjinsf]

people would have flipped? so what? Ilan, Hosea, anyone? They have picked the unpopular chef before as the winner. No one is denying Sarah is a good chef but Paul through out the season and in the finale cooked better.

Also are we surprised that the person who has attacked "asian food" all season wouldn't pick a chef with did Japanese with South east Asian influences?

[LindaWhit]

Sarah would have been a better winner than Ilan or Hosea, if the three of them were in a finale. IMHO.

[d8200]

Who knows, Sarah may get her chance. Richard Blais didn't win his season, but he won on all-stars. They may end up doing an All-Stars 2 after a few more TC seasons.

[FattyDumplin]

Based on what I saw of Farina during the show, I would never take his opinion on who's food was better. Did he ever actually perform well or make anything the judges responded well to during his time on the show? I think it's lame that he diminished Paul's win by saying what he did. I think he could have made the same point about Sarah's meal being better without implying that Paul had the "hometown advantage". Total idiot. Which is what i thought of him during his time on the show as well.

[tjinsf]

very interesting. Didn't realize that Heather was the oldest and 40. Thought Ed was older. She's pretty much at the top of her career now baring opening a successful stand alone restaurant herself so maybe that's why she thinks so highly of herself. Also it's hard on women in the industry now but 20 years ago it was even harder.

[LindaWhit]

She and Keith were both 39 when the show was filmed.

[tjinsf]

so she even misrepresented that in the interview. Honestly doesn't seem to be a strong suit with her.

[lbs]

If you look at the Bravo site and the bios for the chefs - it clearly states that Heather is 40 and Keith is 39. So I guess she didn't mispresent herself at all.

[souvenir]

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/seaso...

Ed - 39
Keith - 39
Heather - 40

[huiray]

If that's the "top of her career"...
Let's just say that I think of Sable as serving decent but not earth-shattering bar food, an adjunct to the Bar part which serves all sorts of cocktails. Yes, I've eaten there. Yes, I've drunk there. I would mention that others besides myself think similarly too. (Some others think differently)

[moto]

Terhune doesn't seem to have much respect or understanding of Asian food and cooking, which is how 60-70% of the world eats, so my guess, not being interested in her stuff, she's good at tweaking comfort foods. her persona and appearance suggest she might be fond of drinking, and she seems desensitized to others except to how they affect her -- not the best material to excel as a chef.

[tjinsf]

Having eaten there I agree with you but still being the head of the kitchen if not the owner is as good as it gets for many chefs.

[chicgail]

Heather's restaurant is Sable, located in a Chicago hotel (does that make it a successful stand-alone?). It is popular, but truth be told it is a really great bar (the drink menu has chapters!) that serves very interesting bar food, some of which is really good and some of which is meh.

[Bellachefa]

Thanks for the link. As a person with my own weight issues, I really took offense to Sara spinning being portrayed as a mean girl because she's a fatty. Everytime I want to cut her some slack, and post something nice about her, she comes back to make me regret speaking kindly of her.

[mariacarmen]

well, you have to admit there were a lot of mean fat comments here, and i can only imagine what she was being exposed to on twitter or elsewhere. i'm not saying that makes her any nicer.

[mariacarmen]

i missed it - except for the last 5 minutes. it replays late tonight, so i'll watch it then. but, hence, my favorite moment, so far, was Pee Wee saying about his being on the show, "This is your jump-the-shark show, isn't it?"!!

close second - Charlize telling Tom to stop touching his penis.

p.s. i never expected anything better from Heather.