Top Chef Finale - I demand a recount

Did you watch the second part of Top Chef Season 5's finale last night? Were you as stunned and shocked as we were? Do you think the producers fixed this season to generate controversy? I know so many questions and so few answers.

I have watched every single episode of Top Chef since Season 1 Episode 1 and just like my former love of that other Magical Elves' production, Project Runway, I'm starting to think that Top Chef has finally run its course (no pun intended). This season just seemed so drawn out to me: far too many contestants this year, lackluster challenges, asinine decisions on who won challenges and a plethora of product placement each episode that seemed to borrow a cue from The Biggest Loser, but the pinnacle of all the disappointment had to be last night's crowning of Hosea as the ultimate Top Chef.

I get the fact that they base the winner of each challenge on that specific meal but in this instance, they should have really looked at how the final three performed throughout the show. Sure, Carla was the dark horse who escaped the cutting block for many weeks and then out of nowhere started showing Tom, Padma and Gail that she really did know a thing or two about cooking. Sure, she resembles a lemur with her kooky eyes but the girl has hutspah. Did she totally screw up her last meal? ABSOLUTELY! Why she ever listened to sous chef, Casey, whom I have never liked, is beyond me. Did she gracefully accept the fact that she lost? A resounding yes. Did I think she might just beat Stefan for the title even with her souffle-less dessert? Yes, because as Tom Colicchio said she cooked with soul but, alas, it was not meant to be.

As to Stefan, yes, I agree he was an arrogant ass most of the time, but the guy kicked some major foodie butt this season. Challenge after challenge, he slaughtered the others. His freezer breaks, what does he do, create his own. But my main issue with Stefan was that he let his ego outshine his talent. He got lazy and a little too comfortable and that was part of his downfall. Was his final meal a prime example of what he's capable of? Yes and no. I agree that it did illustrate perfectly the type of chef he is, but at the same time it wasn't a wow meal. Don't get me wrong, I thought his alligator soup was genius and just showed everyone that even when faced with a nightmare new ingredient, he can still create a delicious dish. Put that in your chef's hat and smoke it, Hosea. Should he have won the show? HELL YES!

But no, Hosea, somehow, was crowned winner. Here's a guy, who I didn't care for from the beginning of the season. A man who should have been eliminated a lot earlier in the competition. A man who works in a seafood restaurant, yet, lost his fair share of challenges that were seafood related. Do I think the producers kept him and that idiot, Leah, in the competition so long because they were trying to create a shomance? ABSOLUTELY! Was it a complete cop out for him to not make a dessert for the final challenge? HELL YEAH! As one of the guests said, a chef should be able to make a dessert especially at this level and he was 100% correct as was Toby Young when he said that a proper meal has a beginning, middle and an end and Hosea's meal did not follow that simple formula. Which leads me to think that this wasn't an unanimous decision by the judges. If you noticed Tom's simple shrug when he was asked if they reached their final decision, it seemed to appear that he wasn't overjoyed with the result.

Will I still watch next season, yes. Top Chef didn't break my heart like Project Runway did. With any luck, it will be a better season. So will you be watching the next installment? Do you agree that Stefan and Carla were robbed? Weigh in with your thoughts, down in our comment section. We would love to hear from you.

This just in, Casey aka the saboteur has spoken out about what really supposedly happened at the finale with Carla's dishes. You be the judge if she's trying to take credit or is trying to ruin Carla's good name. Follow the link and remember to leave us a comment on what you think about it all.