I’ve been watching a lot of Master Chef recently. I have no idea why. This morning, I woke up at 4:21am having to pee. I did that and couldn’t successfully go back to sleep, so I went and watched the most recent episode, which I hadn’t seen yet.
I’ve never watched a full season of Master Chef before — or any cooking show, for that matter — but for some reason, this Season 5 of Master Chef resonates with me. The first possibility is that I actually learned to cook only in the last 3-4 years, so maybe now that I have a few skills in the arsenal, I like to see other people try stuff out (that said, I’d fail at almost every single one of these challenges).
The other possibility for my connection with Season 5 — the more logical one — is the characters. Like I said, I haven’t seen U.S. seasons 1-4, so they could have been populated by dynamic characters as well, but Season 5 has some hella train wrecks.
First, you have Courtney Lapresi. She’s ostensibly one of the favorites; every time someone tries to challenge her or eff her over, she cooks better and continues to advance. She wears high heels and has a cloying smile and voice, and used to be “an aerial dancer” at The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City. Plus, it regularly appears that Gordon Ramsay wants to have sex with her, which makes the entire thing even more awful.
You’ve got this dude Cutter Brewer — a petroleum landman from Beaumont — on the show as well. You can see one of his classic “stand-up-for-myself-but-come-off-like-an-ass-in-the-process” moments at the very top of this post. He’s been in the bottom three (worst three dishes) five times in nine episodes, but hasn’t yet been eliminated; he basically keeps getting narrowly saved because someone else on that specific episode is just hideously incompetent. (Plus, I mean his feuding with the judges makes for good television.)
Here’s Cutter describing what’s ostensibly a large cracker as “an artisan pizza:”
Probably the third-most annoying person on Season 5 U.S. is this old dog, Leslie Gilliams, who seems to antagonize everyone around him for no real reason — then get flustered attempting to make diner eggs. Here’s a quote he gave a local publication in his home area (Malibu):
“I tried to be friendly, but I don’t think I was well-liked on set,” Gilliams said. “There was a big age difference between me and the rest of the chefs and I think they thought I was a silver-spooner.”
Indeed. You can see his stuff with the eggs here:
If you are watching this show and the above isn’t total Greek to you, my prediction would be that the final four is Christian, Courtney, Ahran and Elizabeth — but I could be utterly wrong on that (probably will be). Willie is kind of a great story too, so you could see him being around at the end, but his cooking seems to be better when the focus is Southern / Texan, and you know they’ve got a lot more Italian coming up (in fact, that’s the elimination test in two episodes).
I could see Cutter last 1-2 more close call shows just to keep people interested, then get violently bounced in an episode where his oven explodes or some such. Leslie will probably be there until the final six-eight, because he’s a good foil — especially for Ahran.
If Courtney wins the whole thing, though, I think I might swear off cooking shows for good after only truly following one of them ever.
I can ‘t stand Courtney! I mean I can’t STAND that nasty,conceited,self centered,obnoxious girl. You know the type I mean,the one who thinks she is better than everyone else, looks down her nose,elevates herself to a platform,and has a constant smirk of condensation towards every single one of her rivals. She is just plain evil. I keep hoping she will meet her down come but, so far, she has not. Yes, she can cook, but the attitude that she portrays is so awful.so degrading to the others it is embarrassing to watch. She means ill to all of the others. I realize that this is a contest and there has to be some elbow bumping but she is just plain nasty. I hope Leslie wins. Leslie or Elizabeth. Courtney hates the both of them,especially Elizabeth whom she is jealous of.
Totally agree!
Koutney looks like a witch
Really
I want Leslie to win, have hated Courtney since she helped Francis because she wants Leslie to go home
Let’s see how it shakes out, but I could see Leslie win it.
I don’t typically like women like Courtney, who seem to rely upon their looks for success. When I listened to her story about working 3 jobs to put herself through college then taking up “aerial dance” to support herself, I wondered if I judged too quickly. This woman is driven to succeed and really CAN cook. With proper editing anyone can be made to look like a villain or a saint.
Every stripper in the World will tell you this story….because there are chumps like you that believe them
Courtney is a disgrace to all women. Pole dancer
You Christy are a bully and just not a very nice person!!! Some people do whatever jobs they can get to survive. We all cannot be welfare cases like you!!!
A “bully”? Why? … Cuz she tells the truth? and what/who are YOU to assume Christy’s a welfare case? Seems to me that you’re not a very nice person, either.
Did I say “bully?”
This girl Courtney does NOT deserve to win. Shallow fake bitch.
But I think she will
She s good at it but I really really hope she will not win
If she wins I will will feel cheated
wasted my time followingbthe whole season
Courtney can cook that is a fact. The problem is her better than everyone attitude. Don’t care for her at all. But if I could give her one piece of advice it would be : go to the bathroom before the show starts your legs crossed like that all the time is unnatural and makes you look like you are desperately in need of a toilet. That being said I have watched every season of this show and never have I disliked anyone as much as I have disliked her. Everything she says and does is so contrived feeling. She looks like she just stepped out of a 50s sitcom. Hope anyone else wins.
I think she is hands down the best cook on the show this season. I thought it was Christian for a while, but he folded. Elizabeth is the best overall contestant, but … she has been frazzled a few times. Courtney takes every dish/challenge and is basically like, “I got this.” She’s had maybe 2 mis-steps in 20 weeks. But, her attitude comes off as terrible.
Courtney said she could not pay her rent and yet she is wearing shoes that cost the earth, any thing that went wrong in the team events she put the blame on other people. She is a phony of the first order..
Thanks, I’ve read a lot about poor Courtney, but those designer shoes are upwards of $1,000. She played those judges (men) just like she works the men in those clubs. High heel shoes, batting her eyes and talking softly “yes chef’s” I laughed when the pressure cook was “baked deserts”, what a surprise, Courtney’s specialty!!!! FAKE, FAKE, FAKE all the way to the winners circle.
Not bothering to watch the finale……can’t stand Courtney and don’t want to waste anymore time seeing Ramsey looking at her adoringly. Get a room for Chrissakes.
I just watched that arrogant Courtney win tonight. I am so dismayed with this show, I will never watch it again. Last season was so good, but this season has shown that MC is not about talent. Courtney should never have won. Leslie, Elisabeth, Ahran, and others were far superior cooks. After tonight, I am done with this show – will not waste my time ever watching it again.
Saw the arrogant Courtney win last night and was horrified. I knew from the first day she would win the whole show, but I was hoping Elizabeth, Leslie, or Ahran would at least knock her off her high horse for a change.
But that didn’t happen. I think Courtney only won because of how well she did previously, though I do think when it comes to her being Team Captain, she just overall sucks and cracks under the pressure.
And I hate the way she looks her nose down at the other contestants. Yes, it’s a competition where people fight to win, but acting so arrogant and having that fake smile all the time is just plain nasty.
I understand she’s a stripper and an aerial dancer. I understand she works at a GentleMen’s Club because she needs more money to support herself through college and pay her rent..
But-
How on earth does she afford all that makeup, lipstick, and those colored high-heels that probably cost the earth?
I AM NO LONGER A FAN OF MASTER CHEF. I AM DONE WATCHING IT – THIS SEASON THEIR TRUE COLORS CAME OUT. WHAT A FARCE!
I feel you, Gail — it had some rough spots this season.
I have TOO many thoughts about this season, & most are unprintable. Here are 2, though:
1) Our name for Courtney takes out the “o” and “r” & puts an “n” before the “t”. What a horrid, smarmy, phony * she is.
2) We think the challenge between Leslie & C_y (see point 2) was fixed, & that the judges had already decided to put her in the final 2. A baking challenge? REALLY?? How slanted can you get? & Leslie actually unknowingly put salt instead of sugar? Really?
You make some legit points, “Former Fan.”
that was totally…. stupid. maybe leslie was offered money or whatever idk. i mean, he, leslie, of all people would mistakenly put salt instead of sugar? at least alexander sugar and flour mistake is more believeable… i love alexander and it’s too obvious that he’s a way better cook than most of the kids, so i’d understand if producer tried to add spin to the show… well, of course seeing him cried in that eps made me believe it at some degree, but it’s a show biz and since he’s winning anyway (and deserves to) i have no complain.
Leslie was kind of a wreck to watch.
Courtney only won cause she gave 2 of the judges a blowjob…
alexander and dara of junior masterchef are even better than most of the contestant of season 5, never mind luca. what a disappointing season, it’s like watching soap opera instead of cooking show. last year was the best season for both adult and junior.
Hahahhahaa.
She’s a disgrace to chefs and strippers and pole dancers everywhere