‘Top Chef: California’ episode 4 review: Grayson’s big swing
We’re a little bit late in getting this “Top Chef” review online, but in this case, there’s still a lot of great stuff in here to digest before we get to the next all-new episode of the show on January 7.
For one, we have to talk about the elimination, which may be one of the most unfair from this vantage point we’ve seen in some time. It’s not as egregious as Kenny from season 7, but losing Grayson here felt … odd. Sure, she never seemed to find much favor with the judges this season, but she was eliminated in a team challenge after trying to improve something that did not work the first time she and Angelina presented it to the judges on the golf course. She took a big swing, but didn’t quite nail it to use the worst golfing analogy possible. Was she at fault for some of the issues? Sure, but she was also the more proactive of the two. She’s someone who at least has a better shot of sticking around late in the competition.
Maybe Grayson is held to a slightly higher standard because she was the one returning chef this season; or, maybe we’re just upset because she was great television and didn’t bow to the feet of the judges. Angelina’s an underdog and inherently likable, but we can’t imagine her sticking around longer than another week or two, and when she is eliminated, it’s probably going to make for a boring, predictable episode.
We did like having the show move to Palm Springs this week, given that it gave us a chance to see a different landscape where the chefs used everything from solar-powered cookware in the Quickfire (which Wesley won, redeeming himself following a near-elimination) to the Elimination Challenge on the golf course. This is one that cemented Jeremy as the real front-runner in the competition, and one of the few people who seemed to actually understand the concept of keeping food cold in blazing hot conditions.
We’re still loving this season for the most part, even this controversial ending aside. At least we have a number of likable contestants left (Kwame’s still our personal fave) and there is more of this great state to check out. Episode Grade: B.
Want to get some other “Top Chef” news? Then be sure to head over to the link here now! Also, you can sign up over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Bravo.)