Yay, Stephanie! Bravo had me really freaked out, there. I felt badly for Richard because he seemed so sad. But he really fell apart there in the last challenge. And he appears to be an amazing chef, so I've no doubt he'll do well.

Are they just not doing a reunion show or did I miss it?

Anyone want to lay bets on the sadistic editing elves at Bravo for editing the comments to make it look like Lisa would win? Because there was a moment there when I was absolutely sure she would.

yes, they were bastards. I actually was afraid for a minute. I clapped when they announced Stephanie. She was my favorite, and not because of the name.

SYTYCD -

I didn't see any huge missteps tonight. I loved Katee and Joshua, and Twitch and his partner. I think that Comfort and her partner will get by because people like her. I, of course, hated the contemporary routine (though I love Mia), and I wasn't crazy about the disco or the tango.

did you all see the poll on TC:

"who will win 'Top Chef?'"

60% Stephanie 36% Richard 4% Lisa

Damn.

91% felt she should be eliminated last week, and only 4% thought she should win this week. The audience are not fans of Lisa.

Are they just not doing a reunion show or did I miss it?

I guess they aren't doing one. I wonder why not.

And I don't fault the editing for building up the drama -- I noticed when they were going through course by course, in one of them they didn't even talk about Stephanie's so I assume hers was their favorite on that one, too. Not that I remember which course it was. But anyway, it's TV! There should be some drama.

I clapped when they announced Stephanie.

So did I. And gave a "Whoooooo!" I would have scared the cat if I had one.

They're doing a reunion show next week. . . which is probably when they announce the fan favorite.

Huh -- I don't know why I haven't noticed any ads for it.

This is my first season watching SYTYCD nad I know virtually nothing about dance so the techniques are lost on me, but still fun. Mary kills me with her crazy Osmand teeth and abrupt ending to comments. Nigel spends too much time talking about how beautiful the girls are, seriously.

I liked the second hip hop best. Liked the contemporary, but think her costume kept us from seeing what see was doing. Kinda hated that the tango dancers were so smiley through their routine. Didn't like disco. The rest were good.

How does it work once people are knocked off, so the two new solo people get matched up as a pair or do all the pairs get mixed up?

From Ted's blog:

But here’s a reality-show check. At the beginning of the finale, Padma told the chefs they were about to cook “the most important meal of your life.” Well, yeah, Top Chef producers would naturally take that position, at least publicly. And at the time, I’m sure it seemed that important to the chefs, too. But of course, it wasn’t then, and it isn’t now. There will be many, many more-important meals in Stephanie Izard’s life, and in Richard Blais’s, too. Take, for example, the first one he serves his new daughter, Riley Maddox Blais, born two weeks ago in Atlanta. Seven pounds, nine ounces.

He’ll probably do sous-vide pureed peas, and apple-juice “caviar.”

Awwww.

I know! So cute.

And what he said earlier - that the biggest surprise was how poorly Richard did, makes me think that had Richard been on form - Stephanie wouldn't have won.