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TNFNS Week 6? (spoilers)

Okay, who is happy that Debbie got to stay? I for one am not. Since the beginning she has been out for herself - with that personality, I would not want to invite her into my home each week. What are your thoughts?

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  1. Did anyone else notice Ralph Pagano was one of the party goers? He had a quick line on camera about the party. I guess that guy has a knack for finding a camera.

    2 Replies
    1. re: Shane Greenwood

      Did Ralph really parlay his appearance on Hell's Kitchen into a career on TV? He's aggravating (almost as bad as Guy Fieri).

      1. re: Ericandblueboy

        He was a contestant on ICA and had a cooking show called "Pressure Cook" on some small time channel called MOJO TV, but I think that's been cancelled. Gotta give the guy credit for not giving up. But I guess he's reduced to the role of one-liner party goer now.

    2. Michael is a good chef, looks a little like Ernie from Sesame Street, but still a good chef. This is a difficult group to choose from this season. I say Melissa looks the best and the most comfortable and natural behind the camera. Debbie's daikon went over well this week and that earned her more time around. She's a good chef too but a tad selfish if you ask me.

      3 Replies
      1. re: Cheese Boy

        I don't think Debbie is "a tad selfish." She has evidenced that she will say anything whether or not it has any basis in reality to cover her tracks if she thinks she is in trouble. How come she isn't smart enough to know she is being videotaped and that any lies she tells get shown for what they are.

        Her "good" food this week may have saved her, but I can't imagine how she can keep getting away with it. The judges have to have seen what we have seen.

        I, for one, would be horrified if she won, especially over Melissa or Jeffrey.

        1. re: chicgail

          One thought I had (and was surprised none of the judges mentioned it), was that perhaps her dishes were the best because she got to spend so much extra time on them?

          1. re: jgg13

            i totally agree. i can't imagine that they never discussed it - it was likely just edited out. i initially thought it *should* have been addressed in the part that viewers get to see, but then i realized it would look bad for TVFN if they acknowledged it AND kept Debbie on after the crap she pulled. it seemed like they were really downplaying just how selfish her behavior was, and how completely she dropped the ball. she was the expediter, for pete's sake! the woman didn't expedite a darn thing except her own dishes.

      2. I finally watched this week for the first time.

        Is Debbie the long lost foodie cousin of Margaret Cho?

        4 Replies
        1. re: ipsedixit

          been thinking that since Day One...though i find Margaret Cho to be far more entertaining ;)

          1. re: goodhealthgourmet

            Are you(s) implying fat Korean women all look the same? (okay, they do somewhat)

            1. re: Ericandblueboy

              LOL! you know that's not what we're saying :) you don't see the resemblance? seriously, the first time i saw Debbie i said she & Margaret Cho could easily be sisters.

              1. re: goodhealthgourmet

                The first time I saw Debbie I thought that she *was* Margaret Cho.

        2. I have thought from the beginning that Debbie has been pre-picked as the winner. She seems to be a good cook but her actions have been less than honorable. The panel does everything possible to keep her.
          My pick is Melissa. She has the personality and potential to be a great TV star, but I wonder if the FN is looking for someone of a different ethnic background

          1. I'm sure that Debbie is being kept on as the villain. But the judges do come across as quite stupid in doing so. It certainly looks like Debbie is getting a free pass through most of this. Where other get chastised or thrown off Debbie get lot of praise and a pat on the back.

            Even Fn excs can't possibly be that thickheaded to give her her own show...can they?

            8 Replies
            1. re: Withnail42

              Well, I think she is skating by because they can only kick off one person per show. Also, they look for growth and she seemed to be developing for a few episodes, plus they love her food. I can't think of any episodes where she deserved to be kicked off more than the person who was. But the judges clearly said in the beginning that integrity is vital. And now she has been caught twice in lies. She'll be gone very soon.

              1. re: Shane Greenwood

                I think that it's inevitable that Debbie is eliminated for all the reasons stated. I do think that the network picked her to be the villain, but not to win the whole thing. She creates the tension needed to keep people tuning in and rooting for and against. It's just TV production trickery.

                  1. re: araknd

                    That makes sense. So do you think the entire show is orchestrated? Or did Debbie just hand them an opportunity?

                    1. re: h2Bn

                      I don't think that the whole show is orchestrated in favor of one contestant, but I think they probably look at the early "challenges" and reactions and see how they can edit the tape to create the tension to keep viewers coming back. The "story" evolves along with the eliminations. They do have a network and a show franchise that they need to support and they still need to pick the right "personality" to promote and to pitch to advertisers.

                      1. re: h2Bn

                        I think ALL of these reality shows with contestants are contrived in that the actual events have taken place quite a while before we actually get to see them. I'd like to believe that the outcome of each "test" is honest -- or at least as true to the concept of the show as the judges can make it. I have no illusions, however, about how the audience is manipulated by the producers by the way in which they choose to portray the events. How many times have we seen one contestant appear either inept at the beginning, or at the very least quiet -- only to come on strong at the end? It's all in the editing.

                        1. re: PattiCakes

                          We are in complete agreement, PC. The tapings are usually done months in advance, the contestants are legally bound by NDA and cannot talk about any of the details until airing. That gives the producers plenty of time to shape the story lines and make it somewhat entertaining. I know that this is a rather cynical viewpoint, but we are talking about American TV and their goal is to attract as many viewers as possible for the sponsors of this show and the potential advertisers of the "winner's" show. It is all business and entertainment.
                          I do hereby admit that I am a fan of this show because I enjoy watching people cook and be as creative as they can be under the stress.

                          1. re: araknd

                            In literary terms, I think it's called "the willing suspension of disbelief". We all KNOW that what we are seeing is contrived, but we choose to go along for the ride anyway in the interests on entertainment.