I dunno, really...

In related Top Chef news, when Colicchio started describing how each of the final two had opposite faults, I was just waiting for him to break out, "Who goes home?" like Tyra would. But no.

Also, I'm excited for my boyfriend Eric Ripert in Aspen!!

In related Top Chef news, when Colicchio started describing how each of the final two had opposite faults, I was just waiting for him to break out, "Who goes home?" like Tyra would. But no.

Oh, that would've been genius! I am sad to see Sara go. [So many Sara/Sarah people on reality TV and I can never keep it straight] But she's been hanging on by her fingernails for a while now. Isn't this the second time she's served undercooked/almost raw food? Not good.

I know he is a pompous ass, but I still love Hung. I figure it's gotta be the monkey thing.

1. I didn't think I'd last the hour of Kid Nation but I kind of switched between that and Good Eats and wound up sticking with it. I was very glad that the tiny 8 year old decided to go home. I cannot believe that any sane parent let a child that young try this. He was a baby! Also - when the kids were all sad and homesick: it made me sad. But then they started doing the kid thing and thinking up kid ideas and that was kind of fun.

2. So relieved that Dale is going on. I mean, it would have been cool to have two women cheftestants in at the end but DALE. Plus, raw chicken is nobody's friend.

And I second the enthusiasm for Eric Ripert. What a good sport to come back after last year's fiasco. I only hope that no one feeds him chocolate covered liver this year.

Bourdain's blog is up:

Let's start this off by telling you where I'm coming from: As far as I'm concerned, when Andre Soltner evaluates someone's performance in the kitchen, he's speaking from the mountain top. There was, to my mind, no higher authority, no person closer to God, who one might have looked to for judgment on this particular challenge.

I sort of think Casey got the shaft tonight, even though her pronunciation of coq au vin was killing me. And I think Bourdain senses other people will think so too by his repeated defense of the judges.

Viewers were saved from having to discuss, debate or even think about the answer to that question. Just ask Sirio. Because he, better than any person alive, was qualified to tell you.

Except didn't he say when he tasted Casey's that it was the best so far? And Hung wins because he's the one Soltner would hire ? Color me shocked that an old-school French chef would hire the man over the woman.

Color me shocked that an old-school French chef would hire the man over the woman.

Not to mention the only classically trained chef remaining. yeah.

Re: Kid Nation. I liked this show a lot more than I thought I would. Jimmy, the 8 year old who should have been allowed to leave 3 days before, was really kind of pitiful. It was clear to me he absolutely wanted to go home and nothing was going to change his mind. The 10-year-old beauty queen cracks my shit up. I hope her parents reflect on the kinds of things they've been teaching her so she isn't again caught saying "I'm not going to dishes because beauty queens don't do dishes."

Kid Nation. I liked this show a lot more than I thought I would.

Me too! I mean, there's a large part of me still going "Ack! Ack! Babies! Alone in the desert! Not cool!" but the whole Survivor with preteens thing is embarrassingly compelling to watch.

I wonder how many of the kids actually buy the "abandoned mining town" backstory and how many are aware that they're on a movie set playing Color War.

One question I have about the gold stars -- does being "worth their weight in gold" (because...they're made of gold...) mean that the kids have to exchange them for cash if they want to actually have $20k at the end of the show? 'Cause it would kind of suck if they had to choose between winning the money and keeping the trophy. If I were ten years old, I'd want the star. A ten-year-old's parent, on the other hand...

Except didn't he say when he tasted Casey's that it was the best so far? And Hung wins because he's the one Soltner would hire ? Color me shocked that an old-school French chef would hire the man over the woman.

God that was infuriating. I could just see her dying a little inside when he said something like "Since I'm a man I want to pick Casey because he is so attractive." fucker. (Even though it did sound like Hung did a great job with the dish at least.)

At least it was obvious what was going on -- in both cases, they both cooked really well, but the old-school chef peferred the male, classically-trained, male, chef.

If it comes down to Casey v. Hung in the final, what a great match-up. Mr. Training and Technique v. Ms. Worked Her Way Up.

If it comes down to Casey v. Hung in the final, what a great match-up. Mr. Training and Technique v. Ms. Worked Her Way Up.

They are totally my vote for the finale now.