This episode had me as nutted up as Richard seems to be. I was so hoping to see he and Antonia in the finale, Mike really did his best to insure that she had the most difficult quickfire and elimination, he's a toad and I'm praying that Richard wins...not only to beat Malicious Mike but to get his stress level back down before he has the big one.

BTW...Bravo, please tell me why the first three seasons are NOT available on DVD!!

This episode had me as nutted up as Richard seems to be. I was so hoping to see he and Antonia in the finale, Mike really did his best to insure that she had the most difficult quickfire and elimination, he's a toad and I'm praying that Richard wins...not only to beat Malicious Mike but to get his stress level back down before he has the big one.

BTW...Bravo, please tell me why the first three seasons are NOT available on DVD!!

I am sooo disappointed with the judges decision to let Antonia go. I am also very upset at some of the comments of the male chefs. As a woman, it is hard to see amazingly talented women not get the chance, and hear male chefs talk about how "they are the best." So many industries are MALE dominated and the sad thing is that even women are more supportive and less critical of men than other women. We should be creating more opportunities for other women in this field. We should give opportunities to foster role models. I am very disappointed, Antonia deserved to be in the finale.

Maybe I didn't understand the Quickfire, but how can Mike have salad with his one-pot wonder?

Gail-I really love your thoughtful commentary throughout all the Top Chef series....after seeing Carla on Watch What Happens Live, I felt she said what so many women are thinking. The Top Chef series seems like a bit of a boys' club. We've been watching and pretty much predicted the outcome. Seeing Mike go to the final feels like a travesty, but watching the last 3-4 episodes it was a foregone (predictable) conclusion. (Perhaps his obnoxious demeanor makes it more difficult.) The challenges tonight were classified as "twists", perhaps to add drama to what seemed to be an already decided outcome, but Antonia seemed at a distinct disadvantage throughout with the most difficult "last supper" to execute in a way to please her most difficult master chef (the legendary and unintelligible Morimoto), her rotten hamachi, etcetera. I also agree with a previous comment from your previous blog entry...I love Tom C. but all of us watching knew from the moment he said he thought Antonia's flavors were too strong in the final bite that it wouldn't matter what anyone else thought-his opinion always seems to carry the day. Well, here's to Richard-we're all rooting for him to win-especially since Mike might have been eliminated long before this if he hadn't stolen Richard's dish in an earlier challenge.

Tonight's episode was a big disappointment to me and I am finally "over" the TC franchise.

What bothered me most was that the episode was unfair. Rather than focus on cooking, it was all about gaming. Who can stick whom, with what hinderance. Sadly, the biggest offense wasn't Mike, it was Chef Morimoto. Here's why. How can his choice of raw fish and rice, truly go up against cooked food? Especially when one of the fish made available to the chef is near rancid.

At this stage of the game, the tests should be equal. If only TC had embraced what Tom said in his blog: season 2, finale part one. "Four chefs, it's finally about the food." Instead we have conch diving, bad kitchens 3 times (at the fort, the fryer fire, and on the beach), threatening weather, unequal quick fires, and a skewed final elimination. If you want to repeat a quick fire let Mike pick one challenge that they all had to tackle.

Good luck next week to both men. Overall I prefer Richard, he was nicer throughout the season. Mike's attitude was a problem during Las Vegas and he has not improved his behavior coming back. If any thing he's worse for stealing Richard's idea.

When TC began it was a joyous fun to embrace the challenges with the chefs. Now it has descended into typical reality show plotting, gimmicky twists, with questionable editing. Best of luck to Antonia, she comported her self beautifully throughout the game.

How come every time the judges swear that they have a hard decision to make between a male and female contestant the edge goes to the male? How do you have 3 women and 2 men in the final 5 and end up with two guys, one who is always obnoxious and hateful (MIKE)! Top Chef , whatever, more like what gets us top ratings! Second time in a row that I could care less about who wins the final two! Antonia you were robbed girl!

Well, you stuck it to Antonia again. You say she mucked up her fish, but she was the only Chef who could not use the ingredient of her choice. No shopping was shown so the assumption is the producers supplied the groceries and Antonia wanted to use Hamachi and was given fish that was bad. So she had to change her plan, to a fish that had a milder flavor she obviously tried to punch up. She was also a victim in the quickfire with past Top Chef winners when her burners would not stay lit. That one cost her 10,000 dollars. Come on guys, the contests MUST be an even playing field. Your favoritism is showing. Shame on you.

Hope you enjoyed sending Antonia home for a bland piece of tartar that you said you despised.

Btw, an amuse bouche comes before the meal not after, so there is nothing wrong with Antonia's "bite" being "powerful" in flavor. Seems like you, and Bravo, have been hand feeding Mike I. wins; even having Tom defend his outright theft of Richards dish.

I swear if Mike I., that disgusting, oafish, childish, egotistical loud mouth wins the title of Top Chef All Star I will forever ban the viewing of Top Chef, Bravo, or any affiliated networks in my household. Permanently.

The Last Supper was a good challenge!

"It was ridiculous" you say, Gail, referring to the absurd handicaps of the Quickfire of this challenge. Does this show esteem and honor the competing chefs or not? "Humiliating" is a term that comes to my mind in connection with the situation in the kitchen.

I'm aware that you judges have certain criteria when tasting and delivering a verdict on the food that's put in front of you. The enormous difference in the level of challenge between Mike I (fried chicken & biscuits) and Antonio (a meal from Maestro Morimoto's childhood) must have escaped y'all's attention there. Mike got easy street, Antonia got a raw deal.

And then you send them back to the kitchen yet again. Antonia manages to make a supremely palatable bite out of a humble piece of humble fish. Mike I on the other hand has to resort to such glamor ingredients as steak and lobster to make his bite, admittedly swished in savory sauces, come out the winner.

If I were you guys I'd feel a bit uncomfortable for a couple of reasons.

I know the next episode is long in the can as they say, but I'm rootin' for Richard all the way!

Women chefs shouldn't bother to enter. Only one woman throughout the seasons has ever won. Antonia had more votes at the table for the "last bite". I knew she'd lose, the shows' overall historical statistics have pre-determined that no woman will ever win top chef unless there is a complete change up among the judges: younger, more ethnically diverse, chefs who aren't marquee stars with books, magazines, restaurants and tv shows to sell must replace this old guard's Aspen food and wine flavor aesthetic. Believe me, this program has become sheer torture for the female demographic to watch season after season.

I'm happy Richard made it to the final two. What I can't understand though, is why Mike made it through; he promised 'bold' flavors and won with 'subtle' ones. Did the judges take the Last Supper challange into account?

This has been a great season of Top Chef. Just love all the challenges. I can't get past one thing about last night though. If Mike was suppose to cook in one pot in the quickfire, then why did he use two pots? He used the pressure cooker AND a pot. He should have been disqualified. That was also a very important win for the game because the chefs knew that Japanese food would be the most difficult to cook for those three chefs. Does anyone else see that he should have been disqualified from that quickfire?

Mike's dish reminded me of the old country club fav, (way back in the day); stk & lobster, boring; granted I didn't taste either dish but it seemed so uninspired.

Richard always is stretching, creative; unlike Mike, in particular.

Oh how I wish the tie-breaker challenge had been for Antonia to do the chicken and biscuits and Mike to do the sushi/miso. I think there might have been a different winner.

Thanks, Gail, for your in depth analysis. From your comments, and what was shown, Mike's fried chicken failed. Seriously. The crust fell off the dry bird. That's the most important aspect of fried chicken, right? In addition, his amuse sounded like too many components made into a hodge-podge. I'm very disappointed to see that season long, lack luster cook make to the very end. Aside from his snarky 'tude, he only got his game going during the finale format (because he was able to practice during the hiatus). Any other discarded chef could have achieved the same result if allowed to slip through the cracks as he did.

I cried for Antonia. What a great job she did. I hope Richard wins. I think Mike has shown how competent he is, but I'm still holding a grudge against him for "borrowing" Richard's "chicken oyster" recipe without asking first. Boo to Mike. Go, Richard!

I just read that Puck changed his vote from Antonio to Mike after talking with Tom C during a filming break. Figures! Mike is not nearly as good as Antonia. He may have had a good streak at the end, but where was he prior.

4 for Antonia and 3 for Mike and Mike wins that makes a lot of sense to WHO, why do you have guest judges if they don't have any say, this seems like it was a fix all along for Mike to be in the finally against Richard who I hope wins big, Mike cheated when he used Richards receipe and should have been thrown off then, then he gives Antoinia canned goods and he gets a pot, then he gets Fried chicken and she gets a full Japanese meal and Richard Goulash and streudsel sure this was fair Mike sure is top chef material if you want to lower your standards.

I think the challenges were lopsided... for example the main challenge was not balanced in fairness. A totally Japanese dinner vs fried chicken is NOT in the same level of competition..especially when none of these chef could do a technical Japanese meal. The Puck dinner was somewhere in the middle but leaning on the technical side like the Japanese. There should not be at this stage of the competition, the right given to the winner of the challenge to set up the other two - that is not fair. Use the knives as the determining what is cooked factor, that hasn't been used for several episodes. Isabella should have been kicked off for stealing Richard's idea, especially when he admitted that he did it. Glad Richard is in...which Carla, Texas Tiffany, Tre or Fabio were with him.

I, too, was very disappointed in Antonia's elimination - she got screwed! I can understand Richard being in the finale, but MIKE? GIVE ME A BREAK! Something stinks here and it's NOT the food! I don't care about what anyone says about Mike's stealing Richard's recipe being Richard's fault. That may very well be to a certain extent, but come on! Anyone with any integrity would have walked by and not read the recipe. So, I am extremely disappointed that Top Chef would stand for this, let alone reward someone with no integrity by sending him to the finale! To bad Top Chef lost it's integrity, too! I will definitely NOT watch the finale!

top chef is a man's club and a television production, with producers, writers, directors and management all deciding who goes and who stays! not really a cooking show! just another tv reality show that is gimmick cooking. with judges who have lost their reality in the limelight of stardome! antonia should be in the final. a real iron-chef like morimoto voted for antonia and said mike's dish was bland! guess we get a bland finale! once AGAIN!

Well, Gail, you and the other judges certainly have a “type.” Take a look at all the past season winners (with the exception of Stephanie) and what do they have in common? They are complete and utter douchbags. (OK, Michael Voltaggio is tremendously talented, but he's the only one I would say that about. But still pretty unlikeable.)

And I am so sick of Richard’s entitled attitude. I believe Stephanie won just (or very close to) as many QFs and ECs as he did. Plus, she got fan favorite. How soon we forget. He’s done quite a good job at promoting his “unjust” PR campaign.

My husband and I are done with Top Chef for now. We’ll only watch again if they can get some judges who can judge consistently and fairly or change the model all together (i.e., tasting the food without knowing who cooked it.).

Antonia got screwed royally last night. She's a much better, classier chef than Mike ever thought about being. Anyone who steals another's recipe in a cooking competetion has no class or integrity, and to me, the cheftestant named as Top Chef should have integrity as well as the ability to cook. Mike should definitely not have made it to the finale, and I will definitely NOT watch the final episode which is sad, because I've hung in there the entire season. YOU GO, ANTONIA!

I noticed that Mike referred to Michelle Bernstein as one of the best WOMEN chefs in the country. He just can't help himself.

I pray for Blais!

I am so sad that Antonia did not make it to the finale. But, as soon as it was unveiled what the challenge would be, I thought that, with Dale gone, whoever of this final 3 got Morimoto-dono would definitely not make it. Japanese food is an art, and to "get" requires a certain level of understanding for the culture which, out of all this season's contestants, Dale would come the closest to being able to pull it off.

The die has been cast. I just hope Isabella's luck has run out with those previous quick-fire and challenge wins in succession.

Gambatte, Richard-san!

Judges Why weren't the chefs given the opporunity to defend their dishes at judges table. Gail Throughout the season you say you love spicey foods. Yet Antonia makes a spicey dish and you vote for Mikey's dull dish. I just don't get it, I won't be watching the finale because both Mikey and Richard have been soar losers when they didn't win a quickfire or elimination challange. In my opinion Antonia is top Chef

I don't understand why the chefs didn't get the opporunity to defend their dishes at judges table. I also don't get how Gail could vote for Mikey's dull dish when throughout the season Gail talks about how she likes spicey foods. Antonia makes a spicey dish and Gail votes for Mikey's boring dish I don't get it. Now we are left with 2 soarr losers for the finale Both Richard and Mikey would soak when they lost a quickfire and/or elimination challange. Therefore I won't be watching the finale. In my opinion Antonia is TOP CHEF

"I know! Come on, Mike, it's getting rude already!" Are you serious? If any of the final four, besides that idea thieving blow hard, had made a run at the finals, it may have been a concern for many of us viewers. But the thought of this creature using his fellow chefs to get to the finals is an outright insult.

Good catch!! Absolutely, Mike should have been out of there.

I did no notice but you are right....he did use two pots. It's interesting that was not brought up because through the seasons many people have been called out for not following the rules of the challenge.

I agree with the comment made that in the quick fire Mike was supposed to use one pot and he used two. Technically a pressure cooker is a pot. I am surprised he was not called out on this as the judges have traditionally been very strict about following the quick fire rules.

Having Morimoto on the show guaranteed that someone was going to get screwed, and unfortunately, it was Antonia. Japanese cuisine isn't like any other in the world. You can't fake it by having some familiarity with its flavor profiles, unlike many others featured in this challenge and others ("American," Austrian, Italian, Mexican, etc.). As Tom said, it's about subtlety and precision, and unless you are, in fact, Japanese or Japanese-trained, it's not going to be acceptable to Morimoto, an undisputed expert on Japanese cuisine. When he deemed it "interesting," that was the nail in the coffin - that's the polite Japanese euphemism for hating something. Why on earth would you bring Morimoto on for this particular challenge? It's just plain cruel.

I'm not going to bother bringing up the outrageous sexism displayed yet again, since plenty of other commenters have done a commendable job. Sorry, Antonia. You deserved better.

As far as I am concerned, Antonia was robbed. Sushi? If one had to do it the others should too. But chances are that the men would have fresh fish to work with whille Antuonia would need a face mask to work with hers. That was dishonorable.

So very very disappointed with last night's episode. I am in total agreement with everyone that says Antonia was robbed. She has more heart than the two remaining chefs put together. From the beginning the night was skewed against her. Given the importance of the challenges at this point, no one contestant should have that much power over another. However, in my opinion Richard is just as bad as Mike. His "I am great, I make crap" crap is so infuriating. His dismissal of all the other chefs is insulting. At least Mike is upfront with his crassness. At this point I have no interest in who wins. The integrety of this show has long been lost.

After the amuse bouche, everyone at the table voted. After six diners, it was tied...3 for Mike, 3 for Antonia. Wolfgang Puck was the tie-breaking vote......and he voted for ANTONIA! I may be a simple girl, but that makes the win for Antonia. Mike should have gone home, in fact he should have gone home a long time ago. I have read many judge's blogs over the years about the food, and how the viewer gets to see more-or sometimes less-than what the judges see (Pea puree, Mike STEALING Richard's dish). We saw the vote. We can count. Antonia should be in the final with Richard, period. She won fair and square, according to the vote at the table. Since this is not a live show, and since they had clearly decided to give Mike another PASS.....why even broadcast the vote if you weren't going to stick to it? One can only hope that the judges can locate a calculator when it is time to decide the true winner-Richard.

I totally agree! I acknowledge that Mike is a great chef but he cheated, simple as that! Rules are rules...why for some chefs is it overlooked?? Love the show and always have but that was not right!

The televised vote DID go to Antonia....apparently the "judges" decided against using the "vote" that was televised and GIVE the win to Mike. Pathetic.

How exactly was mikes "slaw" made in the pressure cooker (his "one" pot).

Gail, I'm so tired of hearing you comment on how spicy the food is. Ever notice that none of the other judges chime in about the spice level? I have no faith in your palate or your ability to handle any kind of spicy/ ethnic food. If you can't take the heat...leave the judges' table!

I loved Padma's yellow dress in this episode. Can you tell us more about the designer?

It wasn't clear why Antonia lost because Wolfgang Puck seemed to choose Antonia and stated that... He must have changed his mind at the last moment. Right? My prediction is that Richard will win. All that pouting and worrying and grimness...Good editing. I am sure there is some truth in his posing as a doom and gloom person, but I suspect some of that is done for drama. Richard is the best cook and he seems to have settled down a bit. Also, his win in the elimination challenge must give him a boost. I am voting for him. I think he is talented and smart and witty, too. I PREDICT RICHARD.

What a bunch of sour pusses we have commenting. It always has to be either a sexist thing, or something's not fair. WAH! GET OVER IT. The judges liked Mike's dish better. So what. He cooked better. None of you were there.

Cry me a freakin' river. Oh & yes I'm a woman by the way - and NO, I'm not offended that a male got picked over a female. WHO CARES.

Can't wait for The Reunion, not the finale because Mike is such a jerk. But I am interested to hear what the chefs have to say about this season. If Mike wins, then Top Chef is a a joke!

To paraphrase Anthony Bourdain, "Why Morimoto? Why now?"

Antonia totally got screwed this week. And I'm not just talking about the bad Hamachi, which was itself inexcusible considering what was on the line here. I'm talking about the fact that the whole thing was skewed such that the person who got Morimoto was likely to lose. Why? Because the rest of the the judges were all Euro-American white people with a much different pallet, as were the contestants.

I'm just so disappointed that In the penultimate challenge it came down to comfort food yet again with the ingredients pretty much dictated to them. Using those criteria, what are most of the judges going to choose: the beef stew, the fried chicken...or the raw fish? I don't think anybody - including Richard - would have won with Morimoto.

I love Morimoto (and I love sashimi), but he was totally the wrong person in that situation. They should have thought of this in advance and levelled the playing field. Might have been a great time to bring back Bourdain or Ripert...or Wylie frickin' Dufresne, or any number of people in the same ballpark as the rest of the judges.

I still think Richard is and always was the best of the lot. But I really wish Antonia had a chance to get past Mikey, with with the lot that was handed to her, she had no chance out of the gate. Disappointing.

I was very disappointed in this episode. Unfortunately, Antonia forgot Tom's antipathy to strongly flavored curry dishes (remember how Dale lost because of his curry dish?). Just from the description I'd order her dish any day over Mike's. From the (admittedly edited) comments at judges' table it appeared that Wolfgang Puck actually preferred Antonia's dish. But then it turns out to be his fault that Mike won. I agree with those posters who noted Mike's misogyny. His smack talking and behavior has made him one of my all-time least favorite reality tv characters. And if he thinks he's such a great chef then why does he feel compelled to game play and try to get inside the heads of his competitors? On a slightly different angle, has Michelle Bernstein ever favored a female chef on this show? Perhaps I'm just not remembering correctly, but she doesn't seem to like other females operating in her arena.

Here is what I think happened.... Before Judges Table, it appeared that more of the diners liked Antonia's food. But I think that during deliberations there was an argument made that the initial judgements were made on tasting the "Bite" in bits and pieces. The diners/judges tasted the dish element by elment instead of in ONE bite as it was intended to be eaten. Before judgement, when it looked like Antonia had more votes, Tom was trying to say that it was meant to be a "Composed" bite.( If you watch this episode again, you can see that he gets frustrated trying to make this point.) I would guess that he made that argument at Judges Table. "Amuse Bouche" means to Amuse the Mouth. In culinary terms it means to Amuse the Mouth in one bite, served as a first "Course". In restaurants it is served while you are looking at the menu. It is "Compliments of the House". It is supposed to be eaten in one bite and to be a portend of wonderful food to come. Not picked apart. Judged on this criteria, Mike came out the winner. i"m just sayin.

I am a woman and don't see the show as sexist. I think it was very poor judging when Jennifer and Casey were eliminated but I don't believe Antonio was the strongest female chef. The problem was not with Mike- he did play the game- it was the producers choosing Morimoto. Japanese food was outside the boundaries of what was fair. I did though have a problem with the food- the chefs should have only the best quality ingredients for the entire finale. That was not the case in the Junkanoo challenge or this challenge.

Probably not going to watch the finale, This episode was so unfair! Mike can't even cook fried chicken right and Antonia cooks a meal with like a thousand components and did a decent job with a difficult menu (especially after being given "rancid" fish!!!) then saving the dish with tuna, probably exhausted and then they had to have a tie breaker??? FOR WHAT????

I always loved the way this show seemed like it was fair and one bad dish would send even the best home. The TV audience obviously can't appreciate what you as judges go through as we can't taste the food, however it seemed like you were trying to send Antonia home on this show. That girl has so much class and so much reserve, what a sweetheart. I think she was the only one who won an elimination challenge and the show didn't even give her a prize. ( The Mussels w/ Fennel win that the "guys" in the show were shocked that she won ) Sorry the loud mouth guys ...ahem Fabio, Marcel & Mike might make for good TV, but they are classless dopes.

Mike may be a nice guy "somewhere" but he is portrayed as a rude, crude thug who "cheapens" the profession of Chef, let alone "TOP CHEF"! Absolutely disgusted with this All Star show after last nights episode.