Top Chef - S5E9 Power Rankings

Abbreviated edition!

The good news is that I'm hanging out in San Francisco and having some great eats (no camera on hand, but a REALLY good meal at Laiola last night... check it out). The bad news is that it was a last minute thing, I've been trying to carve out some time for the Power Rankings, and it just wasn't happening. I don't even have access to the episode. So for this week, Power Rankings lite!

Let's skip past the quickfire and get straight to Restaurant Wars. First off, I've heard a lot of complaints that this year's Restaurant Wars was yet more evidence of this year's substandard cast. I have to ask, have we been watching the same show for the last four seasons? Blais, Stephanie and Antonia rocked last season. Other than that, when has a Restaurant Wars restaurant been a success? It's an impossible mission, and that's part of its charm. While this year's restaurants had their problems -- significant ones at that -- I actually came away impressed that they both seemed relatively functional, as opposed to some of the total train wrecks of previous seasons.

There's also some grumbling that too much emphasis was placed on non-food issues. But if not for the non-food issues, what's the point of even doing Restaurant Wars? I'm a fan of keeping it simple and keeping the focus on the food, but historically speaking what has made Restaurant Wars fun was the opportunity to widen the focus a bit -- just for one show -- in a manner that's still highly relevant for a collection of chefs, most of whom run or aspire to run restaurants.

What seems puzzling to many, and what the commenters here have mostly sorted out at this point, is that Sahana appeared to have the better food of the evening, so it seemed surprising that there was enough of a difference in service to push Sunset Lounge over the top. In something of an unusual twist for the Top Chef editors, if Lee Anne's blog is to be believed (and I see no reason why it shouldn't), they may have actually undersold Sahana's problems on that front. Sahana inexplicably bunched a ton of reservations at 11:00, and had Lee Anne's friends waiting until 11:40 to be seated. What's more, upon doing so, Radhika "rudely" informed them they'd have just 20 minutes to eat, and complained about how difficult it is to be on the show. In short, yeah, you want to focus on the food. But when the accompanying front of house experience makes it impossible to enjoy said food, you've got a problem -- even on Top Chef.

Not a whole lot of movement this week. We're mostly settled in and waiting to see if there are any surprise eliminations in the next three weeks. And for those who haven't been paying attention, we're three eliminations from the finals. Which means at least one out of Leah, Hosea, Fabio and Carla will make it... and quite possibly more of them.

The power rankings are not purely a prediction of who is most likely to win, or an assessment of last episode's dishes, or a reflection of the contestants' historical performance, but rather a nebulous amalgam of all three, combined with a little bit of gut feeling, to provide a relative measure of current awesomeness.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Stefan Quickfires 2 4 1 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 3 5 0 Stefan only solidifies his grip on the top spot this week, coming through as one of Sunset Lounge's saviors and the guy Radhika may be kicking herself for not picking. His desserts were exactly what I hope to see from Top Chef contestants. He worked in some nice little creative touches that made them stand out and complemented the restaurant's theme perfectly. His orange chocolate rice parfait was an unusual little frozen combination of egg yolks, sugar, chocolate, coconut milk, coconut rum and Arborio rice, with some pineapple garnish. The panna cotta was topped with a ginger honey and seasoned with ginger, lemongrass and, most interesting to me, turmeric. The mango lollipops were a bit of a throwaway - mango, chocolate, mint and mint oil -- but it was a great little thought and the amuse was beautifully received. More importantly, the contrast with Carla was a study in the importance of staying cool and thinking on your feet. While Carla was flitting about the kitchen, freaking out and attempting to substitute love for flavor, Stefan shrugged, made a few adjustments, and banged out some mean desserts. Some can't stand his attitude. Personally, I like the guy. There's a playfulness that we don't usually get with the recipient of the jerk edit, and sometimes the difference between being a jerk and being strong-willed is being right. And as forcefully as Stefan makes his opinions known, for the most part he's been right. Whether or not his fellow contestants consider him difficult to work with, they'd do well to listen to him.

2 Jamie Quickfires 0 4 2 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 2 5 2 Jamie also puts in a strong performance, further separates herself from the pack and probably would have walked away with the win if Sahana had edged Sunset Lounge and not the other way around. She took charge when Radhika abdicated, and looks to have been the driving force behind Sahana's menu. She also turned out a decent soup (not her best, from blog accounts) and a lamb shank that was excellent, if not straight-up Middle Eastern. So we see some solid leadership, one good and one excellent dish, and the fact that she took lamb shanks from ice cubes to tender perfection in six hours puts to bed the question of whether she can handle other proteins. Did you get the jibblies when she chose a frozen protein? Me too. But she had it under control.

3 Jeff Quickfires 0 4 1 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 0 2 1 After a little break, we get to Jeff, who was a little hit and miss this week, but still looks like one of the stronger contestants. I was relieved to find that the scallop dish was his and not Jamie's, not because I wanted to see him put out a good dish (I did), but because I dreaded the comments if Jamie's contributions had been soup and scallops. In any case, Jeff's Restaurant Wars recipes are completely absent from the Bravo site this week, so all I have to go on are the comments of the judges. But while his snapper had problems (sounds like uberlight spa cuisine, which hardcore food nerds rarely appreciate), his scallops over chickpea cake were both highly creative and well-received. I like his style, I like his creativity, and I like the fact that despite being the pretty boy, he puts his head down and works. He'll probably make the finals, and I hope he does -- they'll be more interesting with him around.

4 Hosea Quickfires 1 5 0 Last Week: 6 Eliminations 1 2 2 I'd like to see somebody stronger this high, but I kind of have to put Hosea here by default. That said, I don't think it's fair to consider him a non-factor. He's quietly been one of the more consistent contestants, avoiding the bottom for his food since episode two (not counting, of course, his bottom appearance for failing to rescue Ariane). He hasn't capitalized on some early promise and some of his dishes still seem unnecessarily heavy handed to me (shrimp with potato puree and Madeira mushroom cream to impress Stephen Starr?), but he's making decent food with his own personal style. He's not going to win, but I think you have to consider him the favorite for the fourth spot at this point, and he won't embarrass himself in the finals if he makes it.

5 Fabio Quickfires 0 2 3 Last Week: 7 Eliminations 1 4 0 Similarly, I don't like putting Fabio this high, but Carla's presence and Leah's recent performance has kind of handcuffed me. If he was going to get a bump, I suppose getting a bump for the episode when he could use his charm (which is apparently starting to wear thin on some) to full effect. But to dismiss his contribution as a cute accent simply isn't fair. Front of house isn't about simply being charming. It's about being aware and communicating, ensuring that everything is running smoothly, stepping into situations that aren't to ensure they're defused without ruffled feathers, and making sure the front and back are working with each other instead of against each other. Unlike Radhika, who is buried in the kitchen in Chicago, Fabio is reportedly a very visible presence in his joint, and it showed this week. What he did was not easy, and he deserves full credit for it. That said, I don't expect it will have any bearing whatsoever on the rest of the competition. So, good show, Fabio. Now bring the food or get kicked right back down to the bottom.

6 Leah Quickfires 3 4 2 Last Week: 6 Eliminations 0 2 1 People are going to howl that Leah is above Carla. Yes, I know, we love Carla and Leah has been making a total ass of herself. But again, I'm trying ot take a dispassionate view here. They've both been in a lot of trouble lately, but as inconsistently as she's done so, there's no getting around the fact that Leah has delivered multiple example of finals worthy food while Carla's delivered great tart crust. Heck, I'm starting to get the sense that all Leah needs to sew this thing up is lie down for a nap when the elimination challenge starts, and set her alarm for 20 minutes before food has to be on the table. She looks burned out and she's obviously in danger. But what keeps her out of the basement is that she could easily rocket back to the top if she gets her head on straight, and if she hangs on to make the finals and gets a little rest and motivation, she won't just compete -- she'll have a real shot at winning.

7 Carla Quickfires 0 2 1 Last Week: 8 Eliminations 1 2 3 Carla, on the other hand, much as I love her, just isn't Top Chef finals material. She fell down where she's previously been strong. She let technical issues throw her off her game. And perhaps most importantly, I think her sunshine and happiness approach is starting to wear thin at Judges' Table. We appreciate that you put love into your food, Carla, but that isn't a substitute for actual flavor. And while some have said that "love" is common chefly shorthand for layers of flavors, I don't think that's what she means. She's attempting to operate on the metaphysical plane, here. In any case, she narrowly escaped this week, and her days are numbered.

8 Radhika Quickfires 3 3 2 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 0 3 1 I'm sad to see Radhika go. She would have been an interesting presence in the finals. But it's clear that she was just done. For those who aren't aware, Top Chef is grueling. We watch it over the span of many months, but the main shoot takes place over the course of a few weeks. These challenges -- with all of their brutally long days, sleepless nights, endless stew room stays and judges wandering in to wake you up at all kinds of weird hours -- are all crammed into a few weeks. It not just sadism on the producers' part. When you're shooting a show, time is money. Long shoot = expensive shoot. Getting everything done as quickly as possible is simply a matter of economy. But in this case, we're getting close to the finish line and these guys are dragging. Radhika just looked like she had nothing left, and nothing is exactly what she did. Despite winning team leader, she completely abdicated. What did she do? She didn't cook. She didn't oversee the menu (Jamie seemed to have overtaken that responsibility), she didn't steer the ship, she didn't manage the reservations book, and she didn't communicate with the kitchen during service. She named the restaurant and treated her guests rather brusquely and walked around in a daze. It's sweet that she named her restaurant after her niece. Too bad it couldn't have been a better tribute. There's no question that she deserved to go.

No spoilers today! Mostly because I haven't been able to check the website video (running late for work as it is!). Sorry for phoning it in this week, folks. I won't be able to see tonight's show until I get home late Friday, but it looks like a friend of mine will be running the postmortem, so check back to discuss. And I look forward to getting back on the horse next week as we move into the finals.

Discuss!

Comments

[Bart]

All of this sounds about right. I don't think you'll see too many people arguing your rankings this week.

[Naomi]

Bless you, Dom! I was starting to get them shakes ;-)

[Cici]

Dom, you consider this an abbreviated power ranking? I think it's as thoughtful as always; and as always, the amount of time and effort you put into enhancing our enjoyment of Top Chef is deeply appreciated.

I wish the episode had shown a little more of how Jamie and Jeff worked together; I would have loved to see how conscious the choice was for Jamie to step away from the scallop dish and show some more range. Also, since Jeff found the lamb at the store and reassured the team that the meat would thaw in time, I wonder how much he did to help make that happen. Overall, I feel as if Sahana's entrees might have been more collaborative between Jeff and Jamie than individual efforts. Add that to how Jeff seems to be a victim of diners'/judges' personal taste with some of his offerings, and that puts Jeff and Jamie tied for second in my mind.

[David]

Thanks Dom. Like others, I found myself checking the site about once an hour to see if the rankings were up.

Maybe I just have a crush on Carla, but I still feel that she is this season surprise. (Most have seen the comment made about one of the finalists being a surprise.)

I've said for several weeks that I think Jeff is just one multi-task away from hearing PPYKAG. As for Leah, it's just a matter of time time. Shs'e checked out of TC. This week or next, she's got to go.

After reading a little more, and seeing the teasers for this week, I'm going to revise my rankings just a bit.

Stefan
Jamie
______________

Hosea
______________

Fabio/Carla

______________

Leah/Jeff

[DaveP]

Good stuff as always, Dom. Can't really argue with any of your rankings, esp considering 4-6 is for all intents & purposes tied for the middle. Having said that, if Leah somehow lucks her way to the finals, they will all get a much needed break and she could come back as an absolute force. I'm convinced that her skills are top notch, and as much as I detest her at the moment, I'd also sorta like to see her at the top of her game vs. Stefan, Jamie & Jeff (my, and prolly most ppl's pick for the top 3).

--
Dave

[anon man]

Yup, pretty easy. Although, and I hate to admit it as Fabio fan, he might be too high (by one). He made one thing, an egg roll, which sucked (although by his own admission he idn't real familiar with Asian cuisine). All his charms aren't real helpful when it just on food.

The possibly deceptive teaser on the Bravo site (and running in a loop on the channel) appears to have Fabio in a real spat over his cooking at JT.

[Weirdsmobile]

Dom, even though I mostly agree with you about viewers' (myself included) short memories in comparing the present season with past seasons (young people these days!), I have a different take when it comes to Restaurant Wars.

Restaurant Wars is, I think, unique among the TC elimination challenges in that (1) everyone knows it's coming, and (2) it's usually pretty straightforward and similar from season to season. So at this point, any new crop of cheftestants comes in knowing about it.

Sure, Restaurant Wars were a mess during earlier seasons. Season 1, no one expected it. Season 2, you couldn't know that it would be repeated. By Season 4, I would have expected the chefs to know they would have to do a Restaurant Wars challenge, and to be prepared for it. And sure enough, that season's challenge went off pretty well.

That's why I'm personally less forgiving with this season's chefs, because, even though objectively speaking previous chefs have done worse, in practical terms each succeeding round of cheftestants comes in armed with the benefit of earlier teams' mistakes and successes, and ample time to have thought through what they'd do if they were leading a Restaurant Wars team. So the bar is simply a lot higher this season than in the past, and stupid/sloppy decisions less tolerable. That Season Five cheftestants came in with so many past lessons to learn from, and still did so poorly, makes them far less impressive than previous seasons' chefs, even if they didn't screw up as badly as some. IMHO.

[Chris]

Spectacular rankings as always Dom. Impossible to imagine Top Chef without them. And as mentioned already, this is the most comprehensive "abbreviated" anything I've ever seen.

Thanks!

[babyarm]

I am coming around on the season not being all that weak. Top 3 are as solid as any top three to date. Was sort of reviewing last few seasons and I think an overall TC power rankings from me probably will still settle out like this when all said and done.

1. Blais 4
2. Hung 3
3. Tre 3
4. Stefanie 4
5. Stefan 5

I don't really see any S5 guys upsetting the apple cart in any meaningful way. That being said they are showing they are certainly not out of tricks at this point. If there was a week that one of the top 3 might get upset it will be this one I'd think.

[David]

Let me add that I've also said that Jamie is vulnerable IMHO. Maybe I see different things in these chefs than others, but considering we are down to 7, or up to (depending on how you see things) anyone is vulnerable. Can anyone in this group really "luck up" if they advance? Honestly. If we look at the remaining seven chefs, I feel they are probably more evenly matched than seemingly everyone else thinks. Sure is Stefan is doing well, but let's look at the challenge for tonight's episode. It's Superbowl. I have flashbacks to Stefan and his "World Dog" concoction. I'm not knocking the man's skills or compentency. I'm merely suggesting that anyone can have an off night. (See Carla last week.)

Let me back up for a second to address something Dom said in his assessment of Stefan. I didn't see Carla "flitting about the kitchen." I've had enough of this disparity of Stefan "Mr. Fix it," Carla, hapless failure. Their desserts were different and required different remedies to be successful.

Again, I can't help be think perception feeds people's opinions. What I did see, if you look closely, was Carla prepping food that was not dessert. Perhaps she got stretched to thin helping out others, and we just weren't privy to that information because of the edits. I also noticed the discussion between Jamie and Jeff about the cake and yogurts, which leads me to believe that Carla didn't conceive those dishes. She was responsible for execution. By no means is that an excuse for poor execution. I just think there's a back story to those desserts than what we saw.

Nevertheless, I clearly have a different take on some of these chefs than does Dom and many of you. I'm more than willing to be wrong, but so far I think I've been pretty accurate with my picks. It goes without saying, we will all just have to wait and see.

[canasian]

Episode 10 spoilers ahead!!
---------------------------------------------------------------

This week's quickfire is brough to you by Quaker oats. The chefs are randomly drawing knives labeled fruit, vegetables, meat, protein, nuts and grains, seafood, and dairy. Blatant product placement aside, it sound like a fun quickfire, if a little unbalanced (fruit and oats vs. meat and oats? And nuts and grains is a little hard outside of making a rice pilaf or a chewy bar). The elimination is a little hard to get a handle on. It would seem they're making snack foods appropriate for the Super Bowl, but why bring back Top Chef alumni. Maybe they're going to do head-to-heads. But why? Anyone who beats their opponent is up for the win and anyone weaker than their opponent is up for elimination? But that introduces even mor if's. I don't know. At any rate, I'm happy to see Andrew, Camille, and Miguel. Less happy to see Spike and Josie. Either don't know or don't remember who the other two are.

At any rate, the chefs who are having fun and enjoy making comfort food should do fine. By this, I'd assume the top was Fabio, Carla, And Stefan or Hosea, but one of them (don't want to give away too much) is shown getting very snippy with the judges in the ever-misleading preview, so that theory is blown. Pretty much anyone in this group could screw up, though, so I can pretty much anyone could go home now and it wouldn't shock me, save maybe for Stefan. No matter what, it should be an interesting episode, if not exactly the most high-end type of challenge for the final seven.

[Anne]

I'd really appreciate it if we could keep this spoiler-free as Don instructs. I haven't seen any comments about the make-up of the final contestants and don't want to, even if they are very vague.

Thanks, Dom. Am totally addicted to these rankings.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Great analysis as always.

I do agree with DaveP - Leah is my number 4. If she gets motivated, she should be in the final four.

[Danika]

Since you are in SF, you should check out Absinthe, where Jaime cooks at. I went a few weeks ago and was very delighted b absolutely every item we ordered (my date and I PIGGED out!). I only wish I was not vegetarian, because the sous-vide chicken entree my date had looked spectacular! Def get the chickpea 'snack'... OMG...

Date doesnt dig lamb, even against my urging to try the dish that was straight off of the Top Chef episode where she teams up with Rad and Arianne: the lamb with carrot puree... MMM!

[Doug]

Either Dom is getting extra convincing or things really are settling into place now, because for the second week in a row - and unlike all the previous weeks - I'd rank them all exactly like Dom has.

I really don't see Carla making it to the finals. But I could see any of the others there.

[canasian]

Sorry, Anne. I don't think I've given away anything Dom wouldn't, and to be honest I'm not spoiled either, so it might be hard to give say something I don't know. All that is said is essentially a summary of the online previews. There's actually more there than what I said (quick aside, anyone who doesn't want to know the quickfire winner for the fourth week in a row shouldn't go to the Bravo previews).

[Anne]

It's okay. Well, really, it's not a surprise. The finals are rarely all the best chefs.

(Have they ever been? Harold and Tiffany, probably yes, but not the top four that season. I'm convinced they moved to putting three chefs in the finals after season 2....)

Where is the preview for the next week on the website? All I can ever find are complete scenes.

[wolfefan]

Hi all -

Thanks, Dom for your work on this blog. May I go off topic for a moment? I've become a fan of "Last Restaurant Standing" on BBC America. Kinda like Restaurant Wars every week. Is anyone aware of a good blog on that show? Dom sets a high bar here, and the blogs I've found so far for LRS don't meet his standard.

Also slightly off topic - Dom, have you ever come down to see us in DC and try Spike's place? If so, did you cover it in the blog?

Thanks to all of you for your interesting comments.

[paula]

Personally, I try to avoid the previews on Bravo (and the teasers on Bravotv.com) because the less I know going into each show, the better. So I too would prefer nothing too "spoilery" on this board. It's totally cool if you label it as "spoiler alert" before posting, and I can skip it, but the problem is that later posters might say something in relation to the spoiler post without a label. (You follow?)

But hell, it's not my blog, so who am I to judge?

[Charles]

I'm not saying this would happen, I don't think this season is the worst group - I think that honor goes to Season 2 - but it's definitely not the strongest. We're just one surprise elimination of one of the top three away from a pretty watered down final.

Here's the question:

If the food were really bad in the finals, would the judges say so or would they sugar coat it to save face for the show?

[Anne]

Oh, canasian, I didn't actually mean you. You marked your spoilers and they're just from the previews. Someone above said a characteristic of the contests in the finale, that's what I meant.

Charles, yeah. I mean if Jamie or Stefan isn't in the finale it's going to really be a bummer. There was a little more wiggle room before Leah started sucking up the place. That said, sometimes the finalists who don't seem to belong really pull it out--Lisa and Dale almost won the thing.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Wolfefan - love Last Restaurant Standing too. No good blogs found yet and I have looked at a lot.

Nothing compares with this site. Dom's comments and rankings coupled with the other fine discussion are tops.

[canasian]

I'm sorry, can someone point to where I gave any indication that I know anything about the finals? I'm sorry if anyone is offended that I talked about the quickfire, but is it any different than Dom telling us who the Bridal Shower teams were? I look forward to Dom's little "spoilers" every week, and when I found out I wasn't getting them, I went to find out for myself and then came back here to share with others who might also enjoy Dom's little preview.

Going back and rereading this, I sound a little angry. I'm not. I enjoy this blog and all the great people here and am truly sorry that anyone felt that I ruined their viewing experience.

[David]

Canasian, I think Anne's referring to my post. Apologies to if my comments somehow crossed the line into spoiler territory. I merely mentioned something that, I believe, is pretty common knowledge. It's information drawn from an interview with Tom Colicchio that is available for public consumption. It's not insider trader or speculation. If that is considered a spoiler, than I'll refrain from such references in the time left for the show.

[canasian]

Oops, my mistake, Anne! I began writing that last post before your comment was up. Now I feel bad!

[babyarm]

" This isn't just for the readers, but for me, too -- I don't want to know what happens! As such, anything that's already been broadcast or has been posted on the official Bravo site is fair game for discussion"

Previews are on the official bravo site.

[Danny]

Dom, you have no idea how much you have added to my enjoyment of my beloved TC. I only wish that I had known about it before Ted Allen (stuck on that awful Chopped show when he should be back at judges' table) mentioned it on his Bravo blog.

My biggest disappointment has been Fabio. I have been fortunate enough to visit Italy many times and in many regions. You almost have to seek out bad food. One summer I and a group of my friends rented a villa at a grape orchard in the hillsides of the Tuscany Valley. The owner left us notes of where to go to eat. Most of the places were down dirt roads and in extremely obscure locations. We would drive up to what would look like a family farm home and then go to the backyard and see Ciangalle (boy did I mangle that spelling) on a spit, fresh pastas with unique sauces, roasted meats and, heck it was just heaven.

That being said, I was excited to see Fabio as one of the chefs. Oh the wonders of an accomplished Italian chef! And yet, he has been very disappointing. All of his dishes save one have been panned or received faint praise. He hasn't made the best dish (except for his one win on episode 2) and he hasn't made the worst. His typical meal seems to be like the bland and boring "rest home" fish at Gail's wedding shower (come back Gail, come back Gail). As a result, I would rank him at #6.

I love Carla and I get what she means about putting love in the food - I've been to restaurants that I love but go one night where the chef is in a foul mood and I can taste the difference from previous meals. Sadly, I would still have to put her at #7. I would love for her to turn things around.

Again, Dom, thank you for your time, energy and thoughtfullness. Bravo should put you on payroll because you are as indispensable to TC as Tom Callichio is.

[Anne]

Sorry everyone. I didn't mean to make trouble. It's just happened so many times in the second to last episode that you know who makes it because of some general thing, (Like if last year we knew there was a surprise, we would have known Lisa made the final group) but it doesn't matter. Everyone is wonderful. And Dom rules.

[wolfefan]

Thanks, Unhappy Gilmore.... I'll keep looking. Hey Dom - any chance we can turn you into a LRS fan?? :)

[kit]

"We appreciate that you put love into your food, Carla, but that isn't a substitute for actual flavor. And while some have said that "love" is common chefly shorthand for layers of flavors, I don't think that's what she means. She's attempting to operate on the metaphysical plane, here."

Carla has got me thinking about a conversation that I vaguely recall from Season 2 of Project Runway. I think Tim Gunn and Chloe Dao (eventual winner) were discussing Daniel Franco, someone who could make interesting clothes, but was always rushed for time and just generally not good at project management. They described him as more of an "artist," as opposed to a "designer."

For me, Carla may fall more towards the "artist" end of the spectrum when it comes to Chefery. Alot of artists are as concerned about "process" as they are about final results, and they view their creations as embodying not only some end product, but also whatever feelings, thoughts, experiences, etc. that occurred during the creative process that led to that end product. Carla's references to her zen, spirit guides, whether she can create given a certain atmosphere, and of course the "love" she is emoting at her dishes, all scream artist to me.

Of course, she can also turn around and do a technical breakdown of what she think went wrong with her dish (I thought doing a vegetarian dish would get me in trouble, so I threw in a scallop, but in hindsight the dish was great without a protein). So for awhile, I thought all of her spirit-talk was simply a reflection of her understanding where she needs to be emotionally/mentally in order to fully be creative. After all, how many people really understand where their creative ideas come from? But after this last judge's table, I no longer can tell if she can separate between "I'm being zen so that I can make choices that will be reflected in the end product" and "I'm being zen for the sake of being zen".

[Qbot]

20 minutes in and I have a baaaaaaaaaad, bad feeling.

[Jon Olsen]

BOOOOOO! Booooo! Booooooo!

(in the absence of an ep10 postmortem I offer this trenchant commentary)

BOOOOOOOOOOO

[Dave_P]

Wow... just wow. I'll post more in the postmortem, but for now... just, wow.

--
Dave

[Anne]

HOOTIE!