Whichever it is, he hasn't really brought it until this episode. Before last night's Quickfire, he's been a lot of talk and not much to back it up.

True, but he was also the only one on the Red team last week who didn't strike me as an overtly condescending douche (but with Spike and Andrew shouting, maybe I just couldn't hear him) or an insufferable whiner ("Don't WANNA to make Pasta Salad! DON'T! WANNA!" *stamps foot* )

Richard and Dale are actually growing on me. They seem at least, for now, to be pretty levelheaded. Zoe, on the other hand, made me furious last night. Whiny. Sore. Loser.

I still can't take Andrew, though. Oompa Loompas? Seriously? And what's with Markwise's partner, who proposed Dumb and Dumber as a film inspiration? At a dinner party for a film critic? Seriously? Not to mention this gem: "He's from New Zealand, or New England, or ... where is he from?"

New England? SERIOUSLY?

And what's with Markwise's partner, who proposed Dumb and Dumber as a film inspiration? At a dinner party for a film critic?

Eh, considering we're talking about Richard Roper here, maybe not such a bad idea.

Tell me how you really feel about Roper, Jess! Heh.

Jess, suh-nerk!

Their Christmas Story dish was actually pretty cool though. From the comments during the dinner I thought it was going to do better than it did (i.e. top two).

I hate him SO MUCH and want his stupid face to stop being on TV forever.

Well, I have to say that Spike can't be long for the show - and Manuel really hadn't done anything to distinguish himself so I wasn't too sorry to see him go.

I think that Nikki has got to go soon.

Stephanie, Richard, Andrew - seem to be at the top now.

Mark, Dale - next tier.

And then a bunch of people I'm just not sure about.

And while I feel bad for Whitney as the plus-sized girl, it's not like she didn't know that would happen at the go-sees

Yeah, but she was right. In the real world her agency would never have sent her to that place that didn't hire "plus size" models in the first place. And she recovered from her snit pretty fast. Her hair is still terrible though.

I was kind of sad to see Claire go because she's the most interesting looking to me. but she was also getting on my nerves. I think they just kept Lauren because they still hoped to make her that Biggest Transformation girl and I just don't see her being able to stop lurching without, as you said, a year of dance classes or similar.

Did you get a load of Granma Dominique's missing tooth???

Top Chef:

Zoi's comments were ridiculous. I mean you can say that you think that that taste combination may not work but it didn't sound like she'd actually tasted it!

And I thought freakin' Ryan was going to bring the Hobbit down with his ignorance. I was shocked that they ended up making a dish that actually worked.

That beef dish sounded divinely yum.

Well, Markwise had a few favorite films that I have NEVER heard of. . .

I have to say that I love that they wound up making a dish based on "A Christmas Story" and that one of the other top dishes was inspired by "Top Secret."

Zoi was out of line. I got the feeling that she didn't taste the dish so couldn't possibly know.