MASTERCHEF “Top 16 Compete” Review

MASTERCHEF “Top 16 Compete” Season 2, Episode 6 – Tonight’s episode of MasterChef had the home cooks working the cafeteria at the Los Angeles Times building and serving dinner for over 300 hungry employees during the lunch rush. The top two contenders from the previous episode, Max and Derek, headed up the teams that would all be cooking in a setting that was completely unlike the comfort of their home kitchens.

Max started out with a strong air of leadership as he quickly assigned tasks to the members of his team but as the pressure rose, he crumbled beneath it. Before the challenge was underway, I was feeling sympathetic towards Max because it seemed like all the other competitors were still viewing him as an annoying 18 year old kid instead of as a serious competitor. My empathetic feelings quickly changed, however, as he recounted the events in the kitchen. He described his actions with a smug smirk while describing his teammates with disdain. He blamed the others on his team for the loss despite Tony winning his round even after votes were lost due to Max’s damaged burger patties. I wouldn’t be surprised if Max’s failure to work well with others will become his Achilles’ heel in future rounds of the MasterChef competition.

The Pressure Test challenged the contestants’ technical abilities with pasta by requiring that they all prepare a ravioli from scratch with the same basic spinach ricotta filling and butter sauce. I really liked Tony’s generally calm demeanor in the kitchen so I was sad to see him go this week. I think based on the dishes that were presented tonight it was probably the right decision. He put forth a good effort but ultimately ravioli making was not one of his strengths. I truly hope he follows through with his dream to open up a sandwich board restaurant with his wife, because based on the few dishes that he presented during his run on MasterChef (and the way most of the judges raved about them) I’d be excited to try his food for myself.

One of my favorite aspects of tonight’s episode of MasterChef was the use of cutaway shots to the peanut gallery’s reactions. I could not get enough of the looks on their faces as they watched from above while their competition scrambled around the MasterChef kitchen and took a critical beating from the judges. Although I think these cuts were intended for dramatic effect, what actually resulted was a bit of needed levity. Ben, Suzy and Esther have particularly melodramatic expressions which absolutely crack me up and I love them more for it because, as ridiculous as their reactions are, they seem so wonderfully sincere.

From the previews for next week’s episode, it looks like the MasterChef home cooks won’t have a moment to relax as they try their hands at sweet treats. I’m expecting we’ll see how difficult the science of baking can be for even the most talented chefs but yesterday’s episode presented a couple successful pastries so there are bound to be some mouthwatering desserts in the mix. I’m looking forward to it!