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I am an Australian viewer and have watched every season of Top Chef since it aired here. I will keep it simple, for someone from outside of the U.S. it seemed completely biased in the last episode towards Hosea, not because he was better, but because Top Chef an American show couldnt bear to see a European chef beat them.
Tom C. was trying to pick and holes in Stefans dishes that he could, i mean.... The salmon overpowers the other fish in the carpaccio? What a ridiculous statement. I think that for the next season the bias towards international chefs needs to be addressed, otherwise you may as well call it American Top Chef.
I could go to over half of the restaurants in Australia and pick a better chef than Hosea, actually i think that it would not take much for me to pick a dozen better chefs from just Tasmania, the smallest state in Australia.

Hi Tom,

I read some of the comments and I thought about the President. He is in an awfully tough spot, one I am sure he didnt see coming and he is under the criticism of a lot of people now. I suppose you feel that way. No matter what someone, somewhere is going to criticize. They dont have to produce the show, conduct the competition, judge. And of course most of us out here dont have the ability to do any of that professionally. I truly enjoy your program. I grew up in Galveston Texas and my father and uncle worked for the Maceos, the brothers that owned all the gambling clubs all of which had restaurants. They were not chefs, they were bouncers. But I as a child made friends with one of the old chefs who, believe it or not, fished through a hole in the floor of the restaurant , the Balinese Club, which was destroyed by hurrican Ike. It was a 600ft. pier over the Gulf of Mexico and Jaylo (originally from New Orleans) delighted in fishing through that hole. As a child I was fascinated with it and sometimes he would let me "tend the line" while he prepped food. The Balinese in its hey day served a lot of Hollywood people such as Frank Sinatra, Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Peggy Lee, and they always had the big bands of people like Phil Harris, Guy Lumbardo. It was an exciting place. But I dont think they had the quality food that your contestants produce. I truly enjoy your program and I appreciate your genuineness. You dont smile a lot but when you do, it is truly a gift to the veiwing audience. I just think you are great. I cant wait for another season.

sincerely Charlotte

The "winner" cheated with his competitors by hoarding food! He cheated on his girlfriend!
He was definitely not a team player and he cooked mediocre food. I would never go to a restaurant of his nor would I buy a cookbook of his, nor would I watch him on TV.

You've burned your bridge with this viewer.
I'm OVER Top Chef.

Stefan should have tied TOP CHEF. I hope Bravo would give him something being the runner up. This season is not the best and will go down as the worst boring one. Of all the atop CHEF's winner, Hosea is the least one. I still like the first few seasons. The winners deserved their title and by finale, it was expected based on past performances and winners. This season is a big surprise and maybe not so. It was a sabotage to make sure Hosea could win. They know he couldn't make a good dessert. Is that TOP CHEF? Stefan if thrown to anything can make anything. ALLIGATOR? to Hosea's surprised, Stefans' alli soup was superb. Bravo just lost a lot of viewers in this season. Soon if they continue to run a competition like that, they'll be history. Remember, in inorder for a show to last season after season, it's the viewer's. No enough vieweres, no show. Ba byeeeeeeeee.

The name in the above title is easily interchangeable with 'Tom'.

I love the show, but I hope that the rules for next season will be revamped. This seasons finale just didn't seem right or fair and was very disappointing. It feels like a medicore chef, that had a good night, won. Please rethink the rules so that a contestant that preforms consistently well can win the title they deserve.

Tom,
When starting the show next season, how about a contest within a contest where the previous runners up compete to get a wildcard into the Top Chef finale?

I'm surprised Hosea won and even made it this far. He should lost a long long time ago. It would have been a great finale if Fabio, Stephan, and Carla was the final 3. That would have been much more exciting.

I think the sous chef had way to much control this time around. So looking at everything objectively, Stefan should have been the true winner because he had control of his dishes as compared to the others. Isn't that what a Top Chef is all about!!!

Chef Tom, You robbed Stefan from the Top Chef title. What a pity. But for the fans (and the Top Chefs that you invited for the finale) there is only one winner: Stefan.

Normally I find it lame to comment regarding a TV show,however, of all the reality shows on TV I thought Top Chef is the one with most quality and sincerity until this season. Total DISAPPOINTMENT with the choice of Top Chef.

You lost a good percentage of viewer from the South Bay area of CA.

Tom,

It saddened me that you "submarined" Stefan for preparing a dessert in his final offering. It seems clear you let your emotions towards Stefan's arrogance and the fact he had done his "lollipops" before influence your judgement.

Stefan was consistently more innovative and technically superior than Hosea throughout the season. I wonder if the contestants had all had access to the same quantity / quality of ingredients and if there meals were tasted "blindly" if the results would have been the same.

Would people stop blaming Casey for suggesting to Carla to make the cheese souffle. My goodness - it was Carla's decision whether or not to do it. Casey was acting like a good sous chef and made some suggestions. Why wouldn't she? She is there to help Carla. Casey, as seen in her Season of Top Chef, is the nicest person on the planet and would never do anything to jeopordize Carla's chances. Give the girl a break!

Tom, if personality played no part in your decision, why did you talk to Stefan about his attitude? Also, I don't know who thought up the part about the fish, alligator and crab but leaving anything to "luck of the draw" for the final episode has nothing to do with being top chef. For the most part I enjoy top chef but I don't think it worked out well this season.

I don't think viewers remember the rules of the game. The person who makes the best meal AT THAT CHALLENGE, wins that challenge, and ultimately that was Hosea. He just lucked out that it happened to be the finale. I don't think Tom not caring for Stefan, which I don't believe, made his ultimate decision on that but I do feel that the format of the show should change. I mean, come on. Stefan won the most challenges, he proved he is a great cook, and Hosea took home $100,000! See what I mean judges/producers! I feel that this Season will be looked at closely and next Season it will change. Otherwise, you will have lots of angry fans out there! How about this: The top contenders should be the 3 chefs that won the most challenges (including quick fires) and they should face off. I think that's fair. That way everyone knows the top three deserve to be there. What do you think?

I can't get behind this decision at all. Hosea seemed like the "real" villain of the season, despite the attempts by the editors to portray Stefan as one. Sure, he may be confident and a little cocky, but he has the skills to back it up. Unlike Hosea who came across as petty, insecure, and a cheat to boot! I'm not talking only about the Leah indiscretion (yuck!) but how he handled himself in the finale by hogging ingredients and generally being a schmuck. Those of us with half a brain could see right through the editing antics - sorry editors, but the "evil euro" spin didn't work. Nor did the rehabilitation of Hosea with that half-a**ed "apology" and the attempt at a positive spin on him in the interviews. If that's the best they could come up with in trying to portray him in a positive light, then wow! This is indeed Top Schmuck.

No, Hosea may have the title but Stefan is Top Chef in my opinion. Poor choice there, on the parts of both the judges and the powers that be at Bravo. I certainly wouldn't want Hosea representing me, my taste buds, or my judgment in any way.

Hosea is the biggest chump. Nevermind the fact that he can't cook, it seems his motivation (and obsession) by the end of the show was beating Stefan (agreed, could've been worse in that the judges could've awarded the title to an even bigger dip-stick but I thought this was supposed to be about the food...in which case Jamie and Fabio should have been in the finale). Carla could have served cornflakes and probably won. Thanks, Casey, for reminding us once again why you definitely are not a Top Chef. Love you Carla; next time, cook who you are, not who losers tell you to be!!

SHAME! Your obvious bias against Stefan was more than evident in the finale. To say that Hosea, who was middle of the road all season long, is Top Chef is a a sad joke. Throughout this season he was out shone and out cooked by Stefan. Stefan go ALLIGATOR for crying out loud and STILL put out a decent dish. You KNOW Hosea could not have done that. Tom, your arrogance is only too obvious on the show. It was clear you didn't like Stefan and so there was no way you would elect him TC....he wouldn't run around and bow down to you like past winners. My guess is that he can out cook you any day of the week, and you were threatened. Think about it.

I understand that this is a cooking competition. However, nothing exists in a vacuum.
To not foresee in the rules that a blatant cheat like Hosea can win is just silly. It would have shortened your season (and revenues), but Hosea and Leah should have been sent home with Ariane. Nor should Hosea have been allowed to 'hog' ingredients during the finale.
I found Stefan arrogant, but he is the one who, in the premier, told the culinary student that the fellow from Long Island had lowered the temperature in his oven. Stefan, and the others, stepped in when the refrigerators of Hosea and Radikha failed. And Stefan, not Hosea, tried to comfort Carla both at judges table and in the hotel suite.
While this is not a criterion for judging a cooking competition, Stefan's conduct is more in keeping with the sort of behavior I want my children to emulate.
This is why my family and I have vowed to break our Top Chef habit. Sorry, but you just lost five viewers.
Bring back (or allow to be shown on another network) Project Runway: the competition is fierce, but at least no one wins by sabotaging someone else's project.

I can't help but feel that you had a personal bias against Stefan because you didn't like his attitude.

This season made me question the format more and more. Watching clearly more talented chefs get eliminated week after week while mediocre non-entities skated by was just painful. Hosea winning was a culmination of that.

Did anyone read Stefan's interview, he said he was BORED with Top Chef by the final episode. Does that sound like the makings of a Top Chef to you??

Top Judge Tom,

I can't believe how strongly I disagree with you. You were so heavy handed in NOT wanting Stephan to win that it seemed you were ready to club the other judges to death to get your way. You do tend to seem more comfortable with chefs that are more like yourself. I really think you could see yourself more in HosEah than in Stephan. Stephan was clearly the Top Chef. You were so heavy handed in your insistence that HosEah's venison was a win versus everything Stephan did. Did you note that even Keller disagreed with you? No one could get through to you. Should we reduce the judges to you and one model type female who is easily influenced? Toby, who we were all prepared to hate, was far more reasonable than you.

You more than anyone else have made top chef this thing of beauty. Your guidance and influence have helped keep this show focused on the food. You need to take a break and dive into a huge heapin helpin of humble pie and get back on track. You are not The King of TC.

Tom, how come last season Lisa had a better meal and Stephanie won the title? I mean, I agree that Lisa shouldn't have won... she should've gone home before Dale, but I don't know why the rules were violated for that one episode? One or the other... judge on the current meal or judge on past performance. Be consistent.

Awesome show, though. I learn so much and I really love watching. I wish that it was a longer season because I really look forward to it. I will probably watch all episodes in re-runs again and then get burnt out and find something else to watch for the next 9 months. Thanks!

I'm truly disappointed with the regular judges this year! I'm glad Toby was on this season, he was a breath of fresh air. I believe that the rules were changed this year in the finale to help Hosea to win. I have watched top chef every season and the regular judges should be ashamed of themselves..it's suppose to be Top Chef not Let me play it Safe and manipulate my way to stay Mediocre Chef! HOSEA IS MEDIOCRE AT BEST. I BELIEVE THAT RIGHT IS RIGHT and Stefan did consistently better than Hosea the whole season and it always mattered in the past seasons when it came to break a tie for the title of top chef but was totally disregarded in this one. I WILL NOT WATCH ANOTHER SEASON of Top Chef, it's not based on how well the chefs cook it's based on how well they can kiss butt. Hosea did all he could with his sidekick Leah (the worst chef) to stay alive! It was disgusting to watch, I mean really alot of better chefs were sent home while he remained. Whereas Stefan was a bit arrogant at times but he was a darn good chef and friend to many on the show. I thought this competition was based on the chefs ability to cook not on their personalities. I believe Tom Colicchio didn't like Stefan and exercised his persuasive power on the other regular judges to vote against him. In addition Tom made good on his threat to Stefan(at the judges table in finale part 1), when he told him "you come in here confident almost cocky and with that attitude you better be able to deliver!" by holding Stefan to a higher standard than everybody else. By the way, I wouldn't be surprised to find the recipes of the food Hosea cooked in the Finale in the cook books of the Best chefs of New Orleans (he has no originality)!!!

I think the villain in this Top Chef season was actually you, Tom. Who knew?

Hey Tom,

Get out your DVD player and re-watch the season 3 finale when you defended Hung's mediocre chocolate cake as being something the meal needed...

Tom - do you SERIOUSLY believe that Hosea was the Top Chef. I think in your heart you know it was Stefan. What held you back from making the best choice???

Hosea = worst top chef ever. What a farce. The producers needed a bad guy this season and made Stefan it. Look at the true Stefan, comforting Carla at the judges table, while Hosea looked on with his usual dumb expression on his face.

Stefan - sorry to see you lose - but know that you are the best Season 5 had to offer.

This final show has probably made me never view any future series of this show. It is really bad when a qualified chef like Stefan is overlooked to win by an inferior chef like Hosea.

Take the instance of the quickfire with the fish. Hosea had no idea what to do with the eal he was handed. He began to work on it completely wrong and then Stefan started by hammering the eal to the board and going on to do a perfect job. Right there, Hosea showed that his technical skills were not up to par and his ability to cook with all materials handed to him was not possible.

Then look at Hosea handing the crocodile (or alligator not sure which) to Stefan. Stefan took that material and made a soup out of it that every judge was more than happy with. Again, technical skill and ability in Stefan that NEVER was shown by Hosea.

Tom is your going to bust a guy for being to cocky; look in the damn mirror. Everything you dislike in Stefan is everything you have shown as a judge. Let's see you turn eel and crocodile into an edible meal let alone a great dish you arrogant bas----.

horrible finale.

Tom,

You are crazy!
Stefan should not only teach you how to cook but teach you how to make decisions!
Hosea you are terrible! your cooking skills are not even as good as our New York deli stores...

Stephan bonne chance frero, you rock!

Carla helped get the woman of Indian descent (whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment)off the show by sending out "bad food with love". So now that it is her "proverbial" on the line, she decides to not send out bad food! I don't feel sorry for her.... what goes around, comes around!

I thought the judges made the right decision. I would have chosen to eat Hosea's meal over Stefan's. Although that alligator soup sounded amazing and ranks up there with some of the most memorable dishes in Top Chef history - like Dave's truffle mac & cheese and Marcel's sea urchin gelee and, oddly enough for me, Sam's popcorn. And Stefan is actually a sweet guy - comforting Carla like he did - and who can forget the sweater he made for Jaime's teddy? But Hosea's meal is the one I would most like to eat.

I LOVED everything about the Mardi Gras episode. Perfection. But in future finals, please make it clear that they should either make a dessert or not -- too much drama around something that shouldn't be this deterministic.

Love the show - always. Casey, you blew it.

Carla's bonus for winning last week's challenge wasn't even a bonus. If she had first pick of the sous chefs, rather first pick at the knife, she would have received a real advantage. Instead, she got a big ole goose egg by getting stuck with Casey.

This was the most unsatisfying Top Chef finale ever.

You should change the name from TOP CHEF to TOP JOKE. Hosea, Top Chef?!? Are you kidding me????

Tom, it's time for you to retire from Top Chef. It's time to get some new blood. Anthony Bourdain, where are you!?

To "disqualify" Carla on account of her leaving off a part of her 3rd entree, well, that is wrong, wrong, wrong. I am sorry but you guys keep flip flopping back and forth on your judging. That is just like having a bad entree which the other two did have. I am really disappointed on this show and at you. You are the head judge and you must have some pull with the producers, never mind the other judges, as far as being consistent with your judging. I don't know about this show anymore. I am disappointed at Hosea winning because of what happened with him and Leah. I didn't like him after that and I think he is a mediocre chef. That's my opinion......

TC 5 finale was a HUGE JOKE announcing Hosea Top Chef. LOL

I turned off the tv as soon as Padma said Hosea. Are you kidding me??? Did he EVER win a challenge? Was he ever even in the top 3? Even Leah and Jaime are more deserving than Hosea.

And poor Carla! Casey single-handedly destroyed any chance she had.

Tom, you could be blind and see that you had a personal problem with stefan being so cool about everything. in the beginning i thought you was great, cuz you are straight forward and objective. But now you showed this is not the case. You went on a primitive level and let your imotions do the talking. Thats just something we did not expect from you. your pathetic.

Tom and Bravo,
How is Stephan the "villain"!?!?
I don't get it, you guys tried so hard to convince people Stephan is this cocky villain who is "un-American" that we should all hate, but from what I've seen all over the internet (blogs and message boards), Hosea IS the true "villain" of this season among us audiences! He came off whiny, petty, unhelpful, stab people in the back (remember Arianne), pathetic whenever he mention beating the "euros" and a freaking cheater! And during the finale he was incredibly selfish, hoard all the good ingredients and just came off so unlikable!

You guys really drop the ball this time when most of your audience rather have this "intent-villain" Stephan to be the winner (and he deserves it anyways) instead.

Chef Colicchio!

I have been checking the website for your Finale: Part 2 post every hour since last night! Looking forward to your thoughts.

I don't even care so much who won, even though I don't think Hosea was as talented as Fabio, Jeff, Jamie, Carla or Stefan, my biggest problem was that the show was just awful. The editing was terrible, the food seemed unoriginal and the judges seemed bored. There was no excitement or energy...it was the worst produced, edited and presented show of the season. The Finale is supposed to have some excitement.

LAME!

Would you want to be operated on by a surgeon who got an A in his last course at medical school but Bs and Cs in the others? Or a surgeon who got A-minus in his last course and an A in the others.

The judging on this show needs to be revamped. If a chef who wins numerous challenges throughout the season can lose because of one mistake in one meal, the result will be "winners" who are, overall, second or third best. Would Stefan now be Top Chef if he hadn't succumbed to the perfectly normal desire to have dessert instead of two main courses? (Ask most people whether they'd rather have venison or ice cream to conclude a heavy meal. And why WASN'T dessert required?)

It's hard to second-guess the judges on the final meal since we can't taste the food, but it's really bad when the judges' own judging all season long seems to indicate that the winning chef was not the strongest. Some sort of score needs to be kept all season long -- an accumulation of points for each win or something, perhaps different levels of points for different challenges -- that can be used to counterbalance one or two fatal mistakes down the road.

Until then, it's purely entertainment, another reality show -- not a true competition for best chef.

and wtf! All he could ever talk about was how he hated Stefan and wanted to be Stefan. He didn't care about winning, he just wanted to beat stefan because he's an insecure, stupid, person who can't cook decent food and won on technicality and ugliness. This is the worst decision since you guys chose Ilan and I hate that you're defending it

stefan is top chef. (well at least for me)

Hey Tom, nice job! I think you pushed for the right decision. Although it appears that Stephan might have been the emotional first choice this is about quality, not emotion. It was another very enjoyable season!

Tom, I think you didn't like Stefan. How can you pick Hosea as Top Chef? Stefan deserved to win.

I detested Hosea - would never eat at a restaurant where he cooked. He reminds me of immature Elan (or Ilan). What a complete letdown.

Stefan was robbed.

Stefan, who was clearly the most talented contestant throughout the season, should have been Top Chef.

Very disappointed in outcome. Hosea doesn't deserve it.

It's official Top Chef is bullsh*t!!! I can't believe you gave the prize to that hack from Colorado. Did he ever even win a challenge? You should have given it to the guy who won all season, Stefan. That would have been the right thing to do. You have lost me as a viewer.

Shame on you, Tom. I'm joining the throngs of people departing the Top Chef fan base. Poorly done.

I'm sorry, but last night's finale was the biggest disappointment since season 2. Nothing during the season, at least based on what was shown, leads me to believe that Hosea deserved the Top Chef honor. I think Hosea played it very safe - he got to choose Richard (whose influence I could see in some of his dishes), took the easiest appetizer ingredient, and then cooked what he knew for the final course. He stayed in his comfort zone the whole time, and I'm sorry, to me that's not what a Top Chef should be. Maybe Jeff was right, the competition is really about just cooking easy food. Sure, it has to taste good, but I think there is something to be said for someone who tries to push beyond their own boundaries.

Stefan was consistent and while I think he could have put out a better dessert, I think he was robbed. I think the last meal looked like a tie, and for whatever reason you went with Hosea. Which is odd, because you seemed to love Stefan until New Orleans. While Stefan suffers from a bit of overconfidence, I loved the respect he had for his fellow chefs. I've watched these shows over and over this season, and I'm amazed how many times I find Stefan in the background helping someone out, supporting them, etc.

And poor Carla. The moment she started listening to Casey I knew she was doomed. I wish Carla had the confidence to shut out Casey's suggestions, as it could have changed the final outcome.

And is it just me, but did the editing last night feel really off? It seemed choppy, too short, and it just didn't feel like a normal Top Chef finale. It hardly showed the cooking process like they have in previous seasons, I didn't like having the sous chefs there, and then with that disappointing end result...I will have a hard time convincing myself to watch next season.

Boo!

I'm sure the judges did the best they could. But really, this was the worst-ever season of Top Chef. It wasn't great along the way, but to have Hosea win it was so incredibly disappointing. Yes, Carla erred in listening to pushy Casey. Yes, Stefan relaxed his intensity at the end of the season. But I'll wager that most audience members, if given the opportunity to eat a meal prepared by only one of these chefs, would choose Stefan first. I would choose Carla second, myself. This was more like Top Meal than Top Chef. (Yes, I know these "Top Whatever" comments are getting tired.)

Hosea isn't awful, but he came across as mediocre across the season.

Can Top Chef be completely over now? As in, no more of it; as in, jumped the shark. I paid 1.99 per episode on iTunes to watch this uninspiring season. Not worth it.

Tom, I used to be a big fan of the show but you really really really blew it this season. I'd have to reconsider investing all this time into another season just to have you pick someone like Hosea. PATHETIC!

To all the people who base their decisions on personality. GET OVER IT! This is a cooking competition. Gordon Ramsey? Bobby Flay is very cocky. Please. Hosea did not deserve to win. Stefan was clearly the better chef, and even Hosea was aware of how talented Stefan was...I mean you had to pull him out of Stefan's butt.

HOSEA IS THE WORST TOP CHEF!!!!!!!!!
YOU GUYS ROBBED STEFAN!!!
THANK YOU FOR WASTING MY TIME TO WATCH THE TOP WHINER WIN TOP CHEF. A TITLE THAT STEFAN DESERVED BASED ON HIS COOKING SKILLS.

A Chef can make anything out of alligator. Hosea should have been eliminated a long time ago with that illiterate Leah.

BIG MISTAKE Mr. Colicchio,,,,you did not even considered the other judges comments...in the end you still have the final say!!!! Stefan should have been Top Chef,,,,,, if it was just for your ratings...bring Fabio back...he was fun to watch!!!!! what a major dissapointment!!!!

Tom C...good catch. The bias...wow.

"But I think also the villains stand out, like the Stefans and like the Tiffanis."

If hoarding food and sticking it to your other competitors (e.g., Ariane and Stefan) isn't "villainous" then what is?

Mr. Colicchio,
Would you and Bravo TV consider waiting another year before cast a new Top Chef season? It seems that Top Chef has gone down hill from Season 3 which was very exciting because of the skill level and the character of each contestant. Season 4 was a lot less exciting, and this season is really really lame. If Hosea is to open a restaurant, I'll have no desire to go.

I think this was an amazingly disappointing final season.

If the producers continue to make these poor choices, Top Chef will fail to be the staple it once was.

What a mistake you made.

While I can understand judging the individual challenges throughout the show based on their own merit only and not taking into account past performances, it seems to me that the criteria for judging the finale should be different. How can you NOT judge the contestants on ALL of their work? It makes no sense to me for the final decision to be based on that one performance. That's the point in the competition where you really must view each contestant's history - not merely what was just served to you.

If that approach had been taken, the outcome would have been much different.

Carla Eff'd Up, Stefan Got Screwed -- that's my headline.

pretty clear to me that Bravo mgmt stacked the deck for a Hosea win of "NY Top Chef". dessert NOT required in the finale -- what's up with that? choosing a top chef who is woefully inadequate in a major category of cooking?

it was clear to me that the continental judges recognized this (thanks Toby) but the Euros were doomed to lose -- ratings and 'the home town call' won out over skill.

oh well, that's TV for ya.

Josea sucks. He is good at copying dishes. Even though I didn't like Stephan, he was clearly a better chef. Makes me want to never watch this show again. Bleh Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Then there's Padma, she repeats everyone else's comments incorrectly. Pretty but that's pretty much it. Lucky she was born with looks.

Stefan should be top chef!!! Josea?! Are you kidding me?

Tom,

Hosea? Hosea?!! Even you looked pained. That was, by far, the least feel-good, most anti-climactic Top Chef ever. My friends and I feel like we've been watching all season just to look at each other and go, "WTF?" Ugh. Please consider the food from the entire season not just the last show. After all, we've been investing our time watching week after week, and not just so some out of nowhere bore can snap up the win.

The verdict is in: We loved Season Five! Last year's and Season 3's contestants were so strong and entertaining it was hard to look at this year's large crop of newcomers and believe they had the same stuff, but in the end we became true believers.

Our household favorite by far was Carla. She has a positive vibe that draws you in for sure, but toward the end she also showed off amazing skills as a chef. Definitely the highlight of TC5.

Thanks, Tom, for another great season of Top Chef!

Glad Hosea won. Really upset that Fabio was eliminated instead of Stefan to go on to the Finale. I think Fabio would have won. I was really cheering on Carla but you could tell that her nerves got the best of her. Tom was right. She should have stuck to her original menu than changing it because of suggestions from her sous-chef.

I know Stefan comes off VERY rude, cocky and arrogant. I guess a little self-confidence(in his case a lot) helps and also I have to think he was pulling a Muhammad Ali. Mind games DO work to kill the opponent.

Also want to add: Tom Colicchio! I love you! Your the MAIN reason why I have been watching all these years.

I think the decision that day was justified. Stop whining over Fabio; he was a great TV character, but his food was lacking! Stefan has proved much stronger in the past, and while he does have a cocky ass attitude, his culinary skills far surpass that of Fabio's. However, the elimination rule and bringing Jeff back altogether was very amateur and unprofessional of the show. I mean, he HAS to win to qualify? Might as well just have left him out; the competition was mean enough. Poor Jeff has to go through all of that for no outcome. His dishes that day and his cucumber mojito were definitely better than Fabio's or Stefan's meals.

Show is all about ratings, not about cooking any more. Stefan lost only because of his arrogant attitude. He was clearly head and shoulders above the rest, Hosea should have been eliminated loooonnnng ago. Tom and Gail clearly found his arrogance to be more than they could handle, so they chose Hosea. Way to be unbiased judges!!!!!!

OMG, you so made the right pick for Top Chef!!!!

I can't wait to work for someone that will try and do me, ignore me afterwards when I just kiss them, rant ON AND ON about a chef that's better than they are, say the female chefs are crap and then give me and all the finger because they are so cool!!!!!!

You are SUCH an expert Tom!!!!!

This is the second season in the row that there has been a clearly superior chef who doesn't win. Maybe it's time to change the name of the show. Or the judges.

Tonight's episode was just biggest judging mistake in a season filled with them

Are you kidding? Stefan clearly won the most challenges in the entire show, Carla was on fire at the second half of the show and Hosea didn't do well at all throughout the season. All people remember about Hosea is how he keeps talking about Stefan. That's not even a true sign of a champion when you can't even focus on what you're doing but rather envious of your competitor. Tom comes off as not liking Stefan because he may seem overconfident or "cocky." Tom, you need to put your ego aside and judge the contestants on their abilities! Stefan made the absolute best dish of the finale and Tom just brushes it off and doesn't even show sincere appreciation for it. I have been a fan of Top Chef for quite some time, however, the show is losing it's credibility and it needs to look at itself after this season! There were well respected guest judges that were on Stefan's side of making a complete meal and also that the first dish was good, however Tom completely has something against it. It would be nice to have a show that is judged fairly so that the viewers can enjoy the contest as well. Why don't we just rename the show to "Whatever Tom feels like doing and whoever his favorite is!" I'm so so disappointed and so are a majority of the viewers. Nobody thought Hosea deserved to win except Tom. Look at all the polls Tom, and look at the entire season all over again. Did you really make the best choice? Please take a look at yourself and make the show enjoyable again. We watch all season long and you take things into your own hands.

-Hoping the show will take a look at itself and straighten itself out!

-A long time viewer and fan of the show-

Groan! At our house we all groaned the second we heard Casey open her mouth and say "Sous Vide" - especially for beef!!! Wish the sous chef would have kept her mouth shut and did the sous job and let the chef cook without adding her two cents unless specifically asked. That "two cents" cost Carla $100K! Especially not a good idea to take direction from someone who lost her own Top Chef round. Eeeeek. Casey is nice, but come on!!!! Double the groan to a wail once Casey strongly suggested the souffle ... holy sabotage moley! Carla, Carla, Carla! Carla was being a "team" with her sous chef when instead she should have taken the reins and just said "No" to Casey, this was no time to experiment. Sigh. Poor Carla!! We still believe Carla was the Chef with the real "Soul" of this series and really did show her "Love" for cooking. She'll be Top Chef in our book. Hosea is okay, but we think Jeff McInnis was far better. Stefan was brass, but he still delivered more often than not. And, it goes without saying that when it comes to soul, second in that department was Fabio, so we guess Fabio and Jeff would be our tie for number two.

Tom,
Your show was my favorite until tonight. I think I have understood and or agreed with you about every decision you have made. Try to be honest with yourself you made the decision that Stefan should not be top chef two shows ago. When you decided that Stefan did not deserve to be Top Chef because he did not want it enough. I am a school counselor and sometimes there is a moment when a student makes a decision and that student"s thought processes can almost be seen or as I like to call it "wheels turning". There was a point when you said to your self this is my show. Have you seen Slum Dog Millionaire? You became the game host.The power has gone to your head. I know that you will justify your decision and the way that you have of getting your way at the judges table. You judged Stefan and found him lacking not as a chef. Your ego made the decision. Hosea did not deserve to win. You usually do the judging by course and by my count it was 2 to 2 with Stefan making the best dish of the night. Look over your show, Hosea was willing to let others go home and cook average food. Most viewers thought he did not deserve to be in top 4. All the other Top Chefs were first class. In season 2 you said that Illan was the best chef now. Do you believe that Hosea is a better chef than Stefan? It is just that now, I will not be able to watch your show anymore just like I stopped watching American Idol when Jennifer Hudson was sent home. I could not handle the unfairness of it all. I was right about Jennifer and I am sure I am right about Stefan. He will prove you wrong and then you will take the credit for it because you will think you taught him a lesson and he learned from losing Top Chef. It is your show right?

Sabrina

I can't believe you voted for Hosea to win! I have zero respect for this show now! Please, scallops and foie gras? Venison with blackberry jus? I have had this exact meal 5 times over all around the world. I would expect creativity and innovation to have weight in your judgments. Incredibly disappointed you thought Hosea's dishes illustrated this. And, finally (I realize this is a bit of a rant!) I think the show needs to re-think this whole rule that you don't judge on the chef's overall performance and solely on the meal of that challenge - especially in the finale! It's illogical not to! In theory, someone could be marginally above average throughout and then win the finale? That does not define a Top Chef to me.

What a joke!

I have never missed an episode of Top Chef and while I have witnessed a fair share of travesties, this one tops them all. Stefan has been the most superior chef the show has ever seen and you give the title of Top Chef to a guy that hardly one a single challenge. As soon as the words came out of Padma's mouth I turned my television off and will never watch another episode as long as I live.

I repeat: What a Joke!

Worst season ever!!!! Please get new judges

STEPHAN WAS ROBBED. Tom Colicchio showed an obvious personal bias against Stephan. Hosea is spineless. He is a back-stabber. His food is uninspired. He is not a well-rounded chef. He was clearly sent to the final in order to have the two "rival" chefs Stephan and Hosea competing in the final. Hosea was in the final in order to create ratings, not based upon his abilities as a chef. Stephan's food was consistently better than the other contestants. Stephan is the chef that deserved to win. I will not be watching bravo in the future.

Now that Hosea won Top Chef I can honestly say I may never watch Top Chef again. Truly Disgusted. I thought Stefan and Carla won more challenges and I don't recall Hosea win ANY of the challenges? Did he?
It appears that the judges had already decided who they wanted as the winner. And, I don't think they even took into consideration what Toby, Hubert Keller or Rocco had to say.

Horrible choice! Hosea, is petty and childish.

SHAME ON YOU TOM!!!ALL YOUR SPECIAL INVITED CHEFS LOVED STEFAN AND HIS DESSERT,HOSEA THAT WHIMP DID NOT EVEN TRY TO MAKE DESSERT WHICH BELONGS TO A PERFECT MEAL,F...YOU COLICIO FOR TRYING TO MAKE HOSEA LOOK BETTER AND TAKING APART STEFAN JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID OF HIS TALENT

I'm glad that Carla won but I was rooting for Jeff if only because I wanted Stephan and Fabio to go. Carla is always second guessing her work and ends up shooting herself in the foot every episode. I respect the fact that she is humble enough to point out, at least what she believes to be, flaws but I believe it will keep her from winning in the end. Being a Top Chef requires a delicate balance of confidence and humbleness.

Tom, I have loved the intense competition and feel that you all have been immensely fair. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the judges' shoes on many occasions (with the exception of tasting those divine dishes). The character of all the competitors has been fun icing, but in the final analysis 'it's all about the food'; the viewers need to trust your extraordinary pallets and your years of experience. Having recently retired, I have fallen in love with the art and science of the Culinary Craft. Thank you for that. My hat is off to you and the show. Bon appétit!

Kept Carla, who's been flying under he radar the entire competition and has no presence and the charisma of a cucumber. Kept Hosea, a guy that transpires jealousy and has 0 culinary imagination.
Truth is, the german chef beats the crap out of everyone else with talent and skill. He's in a different league than the rest of the competitors. Hard to stomach for a US production have a german chef beat the crap out of the US born talent.
Kicked out the italian guy. Mediterranean cuisine expert, simple, tasty, perfect for everyday culinary efforts for the average joe/jane. I'm sure Fabio makes the viewing ratings skyrocket...i'd sit and watch a cooking show hosted by Fabio because even if the cooking was bad (and i'm not saying it is) i am guaranteed nice entertainment.
Could you say the same about Hosea the onion or Carla the cucumber?

Silv77, Bourdain isn't European. He was born in NY. Your whole ramble is off the wall. Nobody's treating Stephan badly. He's great overall but he's human too and the last couple of times he didn't do so well. How on earth is that a conspiracy to keep Europeans down? I don't see you throwing a fit when someone else gets told their dish wasn't perfect. Really, get ahold of that paranoia of yours.

The big point is we aren't there, we aren't tasting it, and we're only seeing bits and pieces where the goal isn't necessarily to inform us but to create at least some drama.

Stephan's comment at judges table was very rude, even he knew it, if you paid attention to the face he made. Unlike others, I don't think he meant it like that, but it sure came off that way. All in all, he's a big boy and he doesn't need you to create conspiracy theories to protect him.

Looks like Tom spoke to Time Magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1881588,00.html

I miss Fabio! He is fun to watch.
BTW, it was not fair to eliminate Ariane. Hosea and Leah threw her off the bus.

I love watching Top Chef, and I do have my favorites and get disappointed if they get eliminated too, but none of us know what their food tasted like. And even though Fabio has a much better personality than Stefan, doesn't necessarily mean he's not a Top Chef. Look at Chef Gordon Ramsey, he's got a winning personality right? Not really, but he's a very successful chef. I do not think he will become the next Top Chef, because his ego has been bringing him down lately and I think he will finish in 3rd place. I also look forward to Tom's foreshadowing about Fabio, I am eager to see what he has for us next. Now I must go, because I am wicked hungry.

Bring it Home Carla!

I hardly need to add my comment to this blog given how negative the responses are, especially relating to Stefan. However I felt I had to given how rude and arrogant he came off this whole season and especially this episode! I actually was starting to really like him the last few episodes then he pulled this crap!

How could he stand there and say such rude,jealous things about Hosea and then say "if it works out, it works out, if not oh well" when so much money and time are on the line? So many people would do anything for the opportunity he has been given, so many people are struggling to put food on the table, and as much as I hate to even bring it up Fabio is wanting to use the money for his dying mother? yet king Stefan stands there making the ugliest faces and shrugging his shoulders like he couldn't care less? Then Fabio pissed me off by saying Stefan would win hands down! I don't think so Fabio. I like you but you really angered ALOT of people with that comment. If I need to remind you, you and Stefan have been in the bottom quite a bit lately and Carla and Hosea are kicking your ass.

I can only hope Stefan carries his lack of skills and arrogant attitude to this weeks finale because he will get beaten-again. And Stefan- Jaime, Jeff and Leah all had were on top and had one bad day and lost so it can happen to you too.

I do take comfort from what Richard Blais said about the chefs attitudes on the show and how that helps them later on. I am pretty sure with the terrible attitude Stefan has shown, he won't be going far or getting many offers after this. Thank god!

first loved the diet coke commercial second stefan should have gone home hes cocky arrogant and so full of himself i hope carla or hosea wins but this is top chef anything can happen second why do the chefs smoke i thought to taste the food and get the flavors you couldnt smoke i know that if you become a food taster you one cant smoke and two no dentures

cathy
payette idaho