‘MasterChef’ season 6 finale review: Was Claudia or Derrick the winner?
Tonight, “MasterChef” season 6 brought things to a close, and it came with a bit of tradition. The final part is always a culinary showdown like no other, as the contestants work their butts off in order to create a three-course dinner to impress the judges. Things are almost always super-close here, or at least they have been in recent years.
After Stephen was eliminated, tonight it came down to Derrick versus Claudia, who were both really great almost from start to finish. Either one of them would be suitable as winners, so it was hard to leave tonight feeling particularly upset. Yes, this finale does still feel bloated, and we don’t see why the last two episodes cannot just be blended into one. Seriously.
So who did emerge tonight? It is none other than … Claudia! Seriously, an impressive performance from her tonight helped to seal the deal, and we do think that she will be a really great ambassador for the show. She’s likable, easy to relate to, and she also has the passion. Derrick of course has many of these as well, but we feel like he can still find a way to make the rock ‘n roll home cook into some sort of popular gimmick that sells. He’ll probably be just fine without the title.
With this, we conclude another season of writing about the show. We do wish that sooner or later someone would change up the format a little bit (the patterns are getting a little boring), but you still can’t help but get those butterflies right before the results are announced. Finale Grade: B.
Do you think that the right person won “MasterChef” this season? Let us know right away with a comment, and head over here if you want to get some other news related to the big episode tonight! Also, you can sign up here if you are interested in some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)
joe schmoe
October 7, 2015 @ 2:30 am
Since when are we supposed to celebrate and reward single parenthood? Since when are we supposed to celebrate and reward grotesque obesity? Since when are we supposed to celebrate and reward total lack of class, like the disgustingly red hair (though Derrick loses here, too, with his sleeveless outfits)? Since when are we supposed to celebrate staying within your comfort zone rather than testing yourself and pushing the boundaries? This result was nothing but ideological diversity pandering. Much as I like watching this show, I think I won’t watch it again, since it has proved to be complete B.S.
And by the way, what kind of moron is Christina Tosi, and mean besides?! Is it that hard to get a real chef to judge this show?! They’ve gone from grade A Bastianich to grade F Tosi. She proved again and again that she doesn’t have a clue, but only pretends to.
Milky
October 3, 2015 @ 4:38 am
Go to your nearest roach coach and that’s what won Master Chef for Claudia.
Milky
October 3, 2015 @ 4:35 am
The fix was in from day one. They had the single black mom they saved countless times in the beginning of the season only to have the ingle Mexican mom in the show. Ramsay and his producers can shove this show up their ass. I’m done and will encourage anybody and everybody to never watch this unreality tv show.
Extina
September 26, 2015 @ 2:13 am
No Derrick should of won and it was totally rigged bc of claudias story. Makes me never want to watch master chef anymore
Michael
September 22, 2015 @ 8:35 pm
Claudia should have never made it too the finale after episode 18, and in the finale she didn’t do better than Derrick…
I loved this show. I watched all of Season 5, and I DESPISED Courtney as a person. I wanted her to go home every episode, but she was just too good. Every shot fired at her she handled beautifully. The only help she received was when she had too little dough (was it dough? I cannot remember). However, she asked her competitors for the needed ingredients and one agreed. That’s fine! If the competition doesn’t want to take advantage of a blunder like that, that’s their decision.
But when a judge…A JUDGE saves Claudia like that on episode 18…that was going too far. The finale should have been Derrick vs Stephen, hands down. I rooted for Derrick the whole way, but if he were to lose, I wanted it to be to Stephen’s capable hands.
I really only have myself to blame for not telling myself that any reality show with celebrity judges will be rigged…but they made it quite clear this time of how rigged Master Chef is. I’m done watching this show.
Gypsysees
September 21, 2015 @ 12:27 am
Hethal
Gypsysees
September 21, 2015 @ 12:27 am
At least they didn’t let Hetalia win which is what I thought they were going to do about half way thru Either way Derrick was robbed twice first when he got stuck with Hetalia as a helper and of course most of all when Caudill won.
Jamie Bartnik
September 19, 2015 @ 12:25 am
I’m so tired of how rigged this show has become. Look at episode 18 – Christina Tosi all but takes the cakes out of the oven for Claudia. If not given the unfair assistance, she would have gone home in that episode.
Don’t get me wrong- I believe Claudia is a beautiful person AND a great cook. This opportunity is going to be amazing for her, but I don’t believe she should have won. Derrick was the clear winner.
I’m done with Masterchef. This is the last time I’m ever watching it.
Next time
September 18, 2015 @ 11:46 pm
Absolutely heartbroken that derrick was robbed on this one. I’m guessing both of their dishes were equal in terms of taste but derrick’s visual presentation was so much better and he stepped out of his comfort zone not just on the finale but throughout the whole competition. His idea to make those sponge cake using less time was brilliant although he did struggle initially but at the end he nailed it. I cannot understand how Claudia won it. Don’t get me wrong, she’s fantastic but she played it safe and I thought Masterchef would always look for more than just playing it safe.
Really?
September 18, 2015 @ 11:37 pm
I thought masterchef was all about getting out of your comfort zone and still succeed. Claudia was excellent with her dishes but for me, derick was at another level. Not only does his dish succeed in terms of taste but also in presentation. It looked as if Christina was always going for Claudia for some bizarre reason. Ramsey seemed angry at Derrick for wasting time on his sponge cake using that device but at the end it worked, right? The judges clearly favored Claudia. Claudia deserved to be in the finale but derrick deserved to win the finale.
Kathy Edwards
September 18, 2015 @ 5:54 pm
I knew it was going to be Claudia when Christina helped her against Nick. If Christina has not gone over to Claudia and TOLD her to get her cakes out of the oven, nick would have won that challenge!
EB57
September 18, 2015 @ 5:10 pm
Derrick should have won hands down. He was the most creative by far all through the season. Just wrong.
jhouser
September 18, 2015 @ 7:13 am
No.. Derrick is the clear winner and the end shocked me so much that I don’t care to ever invest my time in watching it again. She made so many mistakes for a “finale.”
T2TheB
September 17, 2015 @ 10:47 pm
This is my first season watching MC, so I don’t know if there is a trend of the contestant who seems (from the viewer’s perspective) to be the better cook losing.
I think Claudia cooks very well and that her food was excellent. It’s just that I saw from Derrick, both throughout the season as well as in the finale, not only excellent food, but a much wider array of techniques and an overall broader skill set.
Personally, I think the “sympathy factor” carried the day for Claudia because I feel (obviously, I didn’t taste it, so just going on the judges’ comments during the episode) her food and Derick’s were probably equally good on the palate. Perhaps the judges felt that Derrick is going to be a “star” chef regardless of whether he won, whereas Claudia “needs” the win since her food, being Mexican, isn’t what is commonly looked to as haute cuisine. Maybe she’ll find herself one day being Rick Bayless’ “heir” in that regard, but I think the Mexican line is a hard one to toe on the path to culinary greatness.
I will not go so far as to say the “Latina living sleeping in the same bed as her kid” aspect played a role. Clearly it could have, but then it’s not as though I think a musician is someone who’s not also struggling. In fact, I didn’t care one bit for the non-food/cooking related human interest elements that were presented all season long. I think that sort of thing is best left to the post season so that it doesn’t factor into popular opinion. After all, when I interview people for jobs, I don’t make employment offers based on what their personal story is; I give offers based on what I perceive to be their actual qualifications for the job I want them to fill. (If two candidates are indistinguishable on merit, I’ll make an offer first to the one who I think will accept the lower salary. Obviously, that factor isn’t in play on MC.)
So, Claudia, I congratulate you for there’s no doubt you performed well all season. I don’t think anything was just out of hand given to you; you cooked your ass off (figuratively) all season, and for that your win is well earned.
Derrick, you were my favorite all season. From where I sat watching the show, I thought you should have won. I wish you much success in your career, be it music or cooking.
All the best.
viking116
September 17, 2015 @ 6:13 pm
Just like last year, when Courtney won for some unknown reason (yuck! yuck!), the sob story beat technique and creativity. Is anyone even buying Courtney’s cookbook? To sell, it should have been titled “The Ugly Stripper’s Cookbook.” And this year, Claudia wins for slight elevation of what I can get in a hundred restaurants in the Bay Area. Hetal’s food was all Indian, Claudia’s food all Mexican. How does that show technique and knowledge?
Delia Diaz
October 10, 2015 @ 8:15 pm
Hater gonna hate! LOL Claudia can cook everything ,she just chooses to embrace her heritage,which is awesome, shes an inspiration for all women!
viking116
October 12, 2015 @ 3:01 pm
I have nothing against Mexican food but the winner should have shown some breadth of knowledge and skill at other cuisines, not just say, “This is what my mother made me EVERY Sunday.” You just wanted her to win ’cause you’re a racist. All women, my behind. You’re a La Raza member, right?
YardSale2
September 17, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
Want to be a future Masterchef? Get knocked up, cry poverty, and shove your ethnic make-up in anybody’s face (Ramsay’s) who criticizes you for making EVERY dish Mexican.
Alex
September 17, 2015 @ 7:04 am
Honestly? All of Claudia’s dishes looked stunning and top-restaurant quality. Of course, Derrick’s dishes were more visually stunning -except for the dessert, Claudia’s was more elegant- but the reviews from the chef’s seemed equal to both competitors. Derrick won the initial challenge and that gave him an advantage: his dishes were tried first every time. Every time it was Claudia trying to top-off Derrick’s dishes, it was Claudia’s dish being compared to Derrick’s and the reviews to her in front of them two never felt short. When the three judges were left alone, they said it was a tie and at the end Gordon said it would come down to little things. All throughout the competition they’ve harped a lot about how to handle mistakes and they were clearly disappointed in how Derrick handled his mistake, on the other hand they praised Claudia for starting again and moving from it. Also, Ramsay didn’t look happy at all that part of Derrick’s dessert was coming out of a microwave and it amplified with him claiming it was a lack of time and then wasting all that time with that thick green-paste thing he was making. And, Claudia’s dessert was more stunning in everything, even visually. To me the pears looked like they required more technique than Derrick’s dessert. Quite honestly, except for the appetizer, Claudia’s dishes looked like they required more technique than Derrick’s dishes when it came to the cooking.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve rooted for Derrick all along. He is truly a food artist, every episode his dishes looked absolutely stunning and the finale was no exception. Derrick sold me the entire season, you just knew he will be in the finals from day one. Claudia was an underdog, she grew as a chef as the show went along and her food always got praises. Based on tonight, her dishes were elegant and the flavor seemed to be there according to the judges. This was true for both of them, albeit Derrick’s dishes being always this piece of art. However, while we do eat with our eyes, ultimately we taste with our mouths and Claudia’a dishes never lacked in that department. It came down to little things and Claudia seemed to have executed the competion’s final better than Derrick, especially at the end with the dessert.
I think it was fair for Claudia to take it. No doubt Derrick is excellent, extremely gifted food decorator and chef but his dishes always seemed to lack personality. They were beautiful, but they lack the piece of him in it. Throughout the competition, the judges always looked for this because it’s something you can taste. When people cook with their hearts, you can literally taste it with your mouths and Claudia delivered her signature in every dish, it was her in each of them. She was a very skillful chef, and she put her heart in it more than Derrick and ultimately I believed that tipped the scale.
Abbie Estrella
September 17, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
just because Claudia cooked Mexican dish every single episode does not reflect her personality on the food rather reflects her limited palette. admit it, it was rigged!
Jamie Bartnik
September 19, 2015 @ 1:27 am
I agree that Claudia really did well. I have two issues:
1.) She cooked Mexican Cuisine the entire season.
2.) Episode 18. During the pressure test against Nick, Christina Tosi intervened and prevented Claudia from over-baking her cake. If she had over-baked her cake, than she would have gone home and it would have been Nick in the final 3.
I still think that Claudia is an amazing individual and a beautiful person. Do I think she deserved the win? No. Not at all. This win was definitely handed to her on a golden platter. Do I think she will do more and needed the money more? Yes. Does that mean she deserved it? No.
Cathy
September 17, 2015 @ 6:23 am
Derrick was robbed! He was so much more creative than Claudia who can only cook Mexican food! I am NEVER watching this rediculous show again!,
bebe
September 17, 2015 @ 5:20 am
What the!! They were amazed Derick’s every single dish and they criticized Claudia’s dishes on it needs a little more acidity so how could have Claudia won? It’s so stupppppiiddd!!!! Just becuase she’s single mom and living same bed as her daughter doesn’t give her more reason to win. It should be based only on the dishes. Definitely not buying her recipe book. so let down for not being fair.
maggie
September 17, 2015 @ 3:48 am
Omg i so agree derrick was a lot better like really a dam tamale as an appetizer we all know your mexican and how many single moms are there in the world
liu
September 17, 2015 @ 2:49 am
that’s right they just gave her the price cause she sold herself as a single mother sleeping in the same bed with her daughter, i thought the show was about cooking, not about charity. what a shame.
disqus_A1kCMEbu4k
September 17, 2015 @ 2:16 am
What a joke! You give this win to a single Hispanic who was no where near the talent as Derrick just so you have that feel good story! I’m sorry but I’m done with masterchef this is the 4th season that the wrong person won. I can’t support his show anymore it’s a shame pick the real winner the one who cooks the best is that not the whole purpose of the show! Do we really need another Mexican cook book? How long before it ends up in the dollar store?
Delia Diaz
October 10, 2015 @ 8:15 pm
Stop hating and accept it, mexicans are some of the best chefs in the world ! Real talk! Almost every restaurant ive gone to american,asian ,italian… Theres always mexicans cooking in the kitchen! You and other haters are a bunch of hyprocites because most of you love our food, its full of flavor and character! But a guess haters gonna be haters lol