When you look at it from different perspectives, you can see how either of the two remaining home cooks on the last MasterChef of the season could win it all.
On the one hand, Joshua Marks came roaring back after getting eliminated in episode 12. In so doing, he certainly plated some bold choices for Gordon, Graham and Joe to judge. And one of the boldest of all was blending a lobster — shell and all — to make stock for his final appetizer, a glorified lobster and grits dish. Add to that the fact he showcased talent many of his competitors didn’t come close to possessing in the end. Lastly, for him to shine in some of the challenges in time frames that were seemingly impossible made some of his feats all the more amazing. There. You have solid, concrete reasons why Josh should win MasterChef.
On the other hand, you have Christine Ha — a legally blind home cook — who has relied on taste and memory multiple times in cooking her dishes. It was said in an earlier episode by Joe Bastianich a good cook who can do just that is a chef indeed. And it’s been a winning combination that’s worked for her throughout the competition. None of the other contestants could come close to what Christine accomplished with this unique ability. A pretty impressive item to have on your resume and reason enough why she should win MasterChef.
But, as it’s been drilled into us over the last two shows: “There can only be one MasterChef.” And that person turned out to be Christine.
Was it her final entrée of pork belly that did it? It certainly wasn’t her coconut lime sorbet or simple crab salad that won the competition because Josh’s lamb and superb vanilla bean ice cream definitely won out over them. Could it really have been his slightly undercooked lobster that took points away? Everything else was masterfully prepared … and surprisingly so per the three judges. But that might have been the deciding factor. Plus the fact Christine has been a truly amazing performer throughout.
I wasn’t necessarily pulling for Josh to win, but neither was I whooping it up for Christine to take it either. I figured it could go either way based on their final preparations.
I believed Josh’s won out handily over Christine’s … but in the end that wasn’t the case.
Christine? Congratulations on a job well done. You deserve the win, the title and all that come with it.
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Sep 11, 2012 @ 01:58 EST5EDT
I wasn’t necessarily rooting for either contestant either, but I noticed something interesting about the winners. I never thought that the young one (sorry, can’t remember her name) would win the first season on chicken, grits and collards, or whatever Southern food this Yankee doesn’t understand. But she had a definite niche, just like Christine did with her traditional Vietnamese dishes. Perhaps that’s just what the judges value, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I would have loved to taste Christine’s dishes, but I would have ordered Josh’s in a restaurant.
I was rooting for Christine. I would have been pissed had Josh won with under-cooked lobster, an offense that would send anyone else home during the competition. Besides that, his pecan tart crust was oily from the bacon, so there were two strikes against him (and I don’t think Gordon got over his “four seasons” main dish). Plus, while he really tried to wow the judges with his technical skills, Christine’s food was a thought out meal from beginning to end and I think that’s what really pushed her over the top. So congrats to Christine!
Eliminated players should NEVER be brought back into an elimination competition. If TPTB want them back so badly, then they should wait until the start of the next season.
If I were Frank or Becky, I would have been totally pissed. Either one of them should have been a finalist.