I finally got a chance to watch the Top Chef finale last night. I liked both Kristin and Brook, so I didn't really care who won, but I thought it was just plain silly that the show was trying to ratchet up the tension over who won the 4th course, when there so little time before end of the show that it was totally obvious that there wasn't going to be a fifth course.

Lee,

I am so irritated by the finale, I can barely talk about it. so much bullshit and improper time management and bad format.

Colicchio didn't like it, so.

Colicchio was on "Up With Chris" on MSNBC today (you can catch it on the Web site around now I think and he was on ostensibly to talk about his produced documentary about the hunger problem in the U.S.

Chris Hayes loves TC, so he took a bit of a detour to talk about the show and Colicchio talked mad shit about Marcel and how he didn't really know what he was doing when he first showed up on TC in Season 3. Admittedly, I don't remember the show well, but I didn't get the impression he didn't know what he was doing then.

Colicchio also said "thank God" that molecular gastronomy was falling a bit out of favor.

So, is the whole second half of The Amazing Race going to be digging ditches in Siberia, or what?

Seriously. These people are so lucky.

I can't believe the dad tore both muscle and Achilles tendon and managed to hobble over to his son last week. I give him a lot of credit for continuing, though.

I thought it was just plain silly that the show was trying to ratchet up the tension over who won the 4th course, when there so little time before end of the show that it was totally obvious that there wasn't going to be a fifth course.

We were watching a recording, and I wasn't paying attention to the time at all, so I didn't notice it. But looking back, I bet that's why they had all the filler stuff about the previous winners, etc.

I didn't hate the format -- I like a change now and then. It did seem like it led to a much less considered meal than finalists usually get to prepare, though.

I've been obsessively reading info about the HBO show, Enlightened, much of this afternoon, and was about to link to an interview with Mike White, the showrunner, for best use of The Amazing Race as metaphor in his exec. producer relationship with Laura Dern - then further digging uncovered that he is Mike from Mel and Mike, the father-son duo on TAR. !!! Wow!

Man, Cancer Dad is hard core. When I saw him limping through that stream with a plastic bag covering his cast, I had to take my hat off. They may not go another leg, but the fact that they pushed through this one was amazing, pun definitely intended.

In other news, evil couple is evil. I sure hope they go home soon.

Mike White may be the most-famous-in-his-own-nongameshow-right of the contestants so far.

Maybe second only to his father, if you follow gay Christian stuff.