‘MasterChef’ season 5, episode 16 preview: Brains, hearts, and family visits

Next week, “MasterChef” will be shaking things up in a very big way courtesy of a two-hour episode. Not only that, but there will be quite a few events that unfold over the course of these 120 minutes, as well, starting with the arrival of some contestants’ families!

Leslie, Courtney, Elizabeth, Christian, and Cutter will be visiting by their loved ones, and be asked to cook some of their favorite food. In theory, this seems like something that they would all be very good at, mostly because they’ve done this so many times in their lives already. (Then again, tonight’s episode proved that experience doesn’t always get you everywhere.)

In addition to that, there’s also going to be one of the grossest, but also most interesting, tasks of the entire season as we watch the remaining home cooks all try their best to figure out how to cook something out of brains, a heart, or some other body parts. This is something that is actually important in some food cultures to not be wasteful, and there are many interesting dishes that can be made from them. The issue is just knowing how to do it properly, and having the confidence then to pull that off.

At this point, we still feel like Cutter is on the outside looking in at the top 4, but anything can still happen … sort of. If there is a final two that is not Courtney and Elizabeth, we will be shocked and surprised beyond words. They have dominated most of the season, and not only that, but neither has shown any serious sign of struggle.

What do you think will be coming up on “MasterChef” next week? Share your thoughts and predictions now, and head over here to get some further TV updates courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: Fox