And so we come (almost) to the end. This episode began with four chefs left standing, any of whom could do justice to a spot in next week's finals. But as the events of this week's episode unfolded — and particularly when it came time to eat and judge the contestants' food — it became clear that it was time for Naomi to leave us.

Naomi is a terrific chef, one who makes really gutsy, earthy, soulful food. Unlike some of her competitors, she doesn't cook cerebrally, and her style isn't about displaying great technique. That's not to say her cooking isn't built on a solid technical foundation, it's just that Naomi's priority in feeding people is evoking something deep, emotional — almost primal. This is one of the highest compliments I can think of: She cooks really extraordinary mom food, designed to nourish on all levels. But she's also a very focused, very serious chef, and she delivered a narrative lineup of really strong dishes over the course of this season. From her steak sandwich in the fast-food episode to the grasshopper pie she knocked out of the park on the '60s appetizer episode, she's been one to beat every step of the way.

It's a shame, then, that her impressive run had to end on such a not-so-great note. Tasked with cooking a Hawaiian feast — and never, by her own admission, having worked with those flavors and techniques before — we saw the limit of Naomi's considerable culinary talent. (For now, at least: She seems like the type of chef who will go home and pour herself into mastering Hawaiian cuisine as a matter of principle.)

What sealed it, for me, was the pork shoulder: Beautifully flavored with a sweet-savory balance, it was a textural mess of dry, limp meat in a soggy sauce. In her shrimp and rice salad — essentially a cold fried rice — there were so many competing elements, not one of which worked in harmony with another. The poke was also a disappointment, particularly because I'd eaten a marvelous poke just a few weeks earlier at a restaurant in Las Vegas, and Naomi's somewhat bland version was competing against a very fresh and very wonderful memory. Her panna cotta was tasty, but it wasn't enough to save an overall underwhelming demonstration, one out of character with Naomi's usually spot-on cooking. I was sad to see her go.