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ekka8
Reviews
The Final Table (2018)
Literally what was that ending?!
The show itself, I felt as though they were trying to achieve a 'VIP, different cooking show that is actually professional and serious but also fun, entertaining and diverse' vibe. It was entertaining for sure! It reals you in and I couldn't stop watching it but after a few episodes it was just something I'd put on in the background and only pay attention when the dishes were cooked and being judged.
Also, although there was some cultural diversity amongst the contestants and the countries that were picked to be represented, I'm not sure if the selection of countries were in fact as diverse as they could have been. First, Mexico then Spain, UK, Brazil etc. Yes, these are different cultures and different countries with different foods and traditions but as a viewer I saw myself being a little disappointed and bored of the selection or at least the order of the selection; maybe that's just me.
In terms of filming, directing etc. I'm not a professional but I'll say that it's not that it was done badly, just not greatly either. I felt as though they were trying too hard to be something that they didn't get entirely right (just like some of the dishes in the competition!). p.s. is the presenter a littttle bit annoying or is that just me also, I think it's the voice?
Moving on to the finalists of the competition. The chef's are incredibly talented, both the finalists and the non-finalists. But clearly I'm not the only one who is surprised by the results of the competition. It was very clear from beginning that Mark Best was indeed THE BEST. Especially through his final dish, he showed the world how clever and talented he truly is. His dish conveyed uniqueness, finesse, creativity, incredible level of skill, emotion, insane talent, his personality...I could go on and on.
Let's note that the winner, Timothy Hollingsworth is also very talented but chose to cook a dish from his own restaurant menu. Is that a bad thing? Of course not. However, Hollingsworth's dish although incredible, has been cooked by him a million and one times and is possibly not entirely his own development (meaning most of the time head chef's do not come up with a menu-worthy dish entirely on their own but with the help of the other chefs in the kitchen). Again, is this a bad thing that should cost him his earned win? No, until you consider this: what if Mark Best and the other two finalists (Shane Osborn and Darren Maclean) also had cooked their dishes a million times before, and therefore none of the final dishes in the competition had any issues whatsoever? Would the winner still be Hollingsworth? Not so sure.
Truth is, all chef's were challenged to show the epitome of their true selves through their dishes. So, surely, the judges realised how much skill and talent and thought and creativity went into Mark Best's dish and how much that reflects him as a chef and as a person. To me (a food lover but not a chef) I would 100% choose to dine at a restaurant that showcased those skills in their food rather than in one where the chef was too scared to take a risk, too scared to showcase his skill and creative thinking, too scared to test himself in case he messed up. And if I were a world-class chef judging which other chef will join the 'league' of top 50 chefs, I would definitely look for Mark's qualities and prefer them over a chef who cannot make risks and cannot get creative with food in case he messes up (which means he doesn't possess as much culinary skill perhaps).
Mark Best knew that he was taking a huge risk, but he also knew that he would execute all elements of his dish excellently, and he did. Hollingsworth on the other hand, he seemed so afraid to risk anything at all, as if he didn't have any faith in his culinary skills, or in himself. To me that shows a hint of weakness, a hint of unclarity, almost as if he wanted to 'cheat' a little because he was too scared of the other contestants who maybe he thought were better chef's than he was, so he went with the safest option that he could and tried to sell the dish as it being the epitome of who he was.
Furthermore, in a real life scenario, if a chef came across a customer who asked for something off the menu, something different, something inspirational, would Hollingsworth be able to pull together a dish of such deep meaning and finesse like the one Best made in TWO HOURS? Not so sure, because that isn't what he portrayed to us in the finale, nor throughout the competition, where it seemed that in many cases his partner Darren Maclean had the more refined ideas for their creations. Plus, this was a CHALLENGE where the chef's had two hours to showcase every little detail of their skills and culinary expertise, the point of the challenge is to literally feel and be CHALLENGED and create something exceptional under the pressure. Are you really challenged and are you showing how well you can manage and tackle a challenge that is presented to you at any time (considering this could happen out of the competition) if you cook something that you've cooked before for years and years? I would say no. It's a no from me Mr Hollingsworth.
To close, I think it's fair to say that the chefs' decision for the seat at the final table was weird, disappointing and unexpected by many viewers. It's a joke how unfair and a little stupid that decision was. Again, this does not mean that Hollingsworth isn't a great chef and doesn't deserve it, but the other three chef's that he was up against, especially Mark Best, showed exceptional creativity in dishes that were so new and unique, something that i believe Hollingsworth did not. Perhaps the judges see something in the winner that we viewers cannot. Whatever their reasons were, there were a lot of moments in this show that were a little odd and unfair (like when chef's Chin Takagi and his partner Ronald Hsu were let go instead of Graham Campbell and Aaron Bludorn). Maybe this is also only my own personal opinion but as a viewer it makes me question the integrity that the show is trying to convey.
All in all, I would definitely want more seasons to air, just with better execution.