‘MasterChef Junior’ review: Is Alexander already a lock for finale?
The second episode of “MasterChef Junior” arrived on Thursday night with quite a bit of hype, and also some hope that this stage of the competition really could live up to what is a pretty strong standard that Fox has established for the franchise. Even if every mystery box and elimination challenge is somewhat similar, they have come up with ways to keep it exciting thanks to the editing and some of the characters.
Luckily, the show is pulling this off with a great deal of creativity tonight, and also kid characters that are starting to come out of their shell. For one, Alexander is a complete beast already. This is a kid that is 13, and probably has the edge on everyone else just because of his age alone. Then, you add to that the simple fact that he already looks and feels a little bit like a childhood prodigy: He know food well enough to be a chef, and while he could loosen up and have a little bit more fun, he’s got to be the favorite right now to win after nailing the burger-based elimination challenge.
Another favorite? Jack, who managed to pull through the mystery box challenge with a win simply for his ability to cook shrimp. Giving the contestants an opportunity to Skype with family and friends was a simple reminder that these are kids and need help at times, but still have the talent to take on these difficult challenges.
The standout burgers tonight were Gavin, Alexander, and Kaylin, and this brought us to the bottom three (which was handled with about as much sensitivity as possible): Jewels, Tommy, and Molly were all in danger for a variety of reasons. Jewels did just enough to stay safe, and we said goodbye this week to Tommy and Molly. The former learned in here that using American cheese is never a good idea for a cooking show, though we’re sure that Walter White Jr from “Breaking Bad” would have loved his breakfast-themed burger. Meanwhile, Molly simply bit off way more than she could chew in swinging for the fences early with a Korean burger. The effort was rewarded, but the burger was too much of a mess.
What did you think about this episode overall, and do you think that the right mini-chefs ended up going home? Share your thoughts below! Also, click here if you want to read some more news related to the show.
Photo: Fox