Here is what I like about this show:
I like to see the established Food Network stars and the executives behind the scenes in their role as judges. I like to see their empathy; I like it when they display tough love. For example, sometimes I was surprised by how no nonsense Alton can be. But if I look at the situation, it's generally a moment when someone needs to step up and be professional, and Alton doesn't seem to have much tolerance for those who descend into a pit of silliness or despair or ineptitude at those times.
I also was a little taken aback by Anne Burrell's directness as a judge. I wondered if it would hurt her chances in the Next Iron Chef competition. Would people see her as abrasive or as someone who takes the role of Food Network Star very seriously and, as a result, gives stern feedback? I believe the latter to be true, but I wondered how others viewed her.
In terms of the competition so far, after watching two episodes, my vote would go to either Jyll or Mary Beth. Both of them seem to me to be grounded individuals. They seem like decent human beings. Jyll actually almost was eliminated, because she couldn't bear to let down one of her teammates. I like the fact that Mary Beth is a writer. They seem like interesting people to me. They don't seem starstruck or Machievellian. They seem to genuinely want to do this work.
In this type of programming, I do wonder about the editing. It does seem that they emphasize certain things. Here is Alicia crying again. Does Penny fully understand how nasty she seems? Is it something that the producers cook up and she agrees to do or is she that oblivious of the impact of her actions? It's interesting to try to figure it all out.
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