Masterchef

Masterchef US is probably the worst Masterchef series I have ever seen.As someone who has seen different versions of Masterchef series especially the Australian version I can without a doubt say that the difference between Masterchef US and Masterchef Australia is like day and night.The Masterchef series is about celebrating food,learning about various kinds of food and techniques involved...Also the journey the contestants make to the top to take the trophy.All of this is lost and washed out in Masterchef US.Though it's a cooking show Masterchef US is mainly and I think it's only goal is about DRAMA,DRAMA and MORE DRAMA.The contestants shouts and throw shade at each other and show no respect to each other.You also won't learn a lot about food or even cooking when compared to the Australian version.Each season I would hope that it will be different but NO.Masterchef US is a DRAMA show first "NOT" a COOKING show.If you want to know about food,learn about food and enjoy cooking food please avoid I mean really avoid Masterchef US and instead watch Masterchef Australia....and I bet that you will know and notice the difference immediately.In the Australian version the Judges,contestants and the challenges are complex and delightful where as in the Masterchef US is all just mediocre and frankly completely dull.Masterchef US is the "laughing stock" in the entire Masterchef series.I wholeheartedly hope that they stop airing Masterchef US and spare itself some embarrassment from other Masterchef series especially Masterchef Australia.I gave one star because I couldn't give less than one star to post this review.

First .. i thought i had written a review for this before .. but apparently not?

Masterchef as well as Hells Kitchen are TOTAL guilty pleasures for me. I am fully aware how terribly aweful they are .. and i mean really, REALLY aweful in terms of cringeworthy or just pitiful.

Then again, i kind of like 3 dudes shout at a "random" assortment of nobodies.

But lets get to the details...

Masterchef is - at its core - a VERY good concept .. but the network is too cowardly to really adhere to the idea and instead makes it a meaningless soap opera or worse .. a telenovela.

The idea of professional cooks to judge homecooks on increasingly higher stakes and more difficult "challenges" .. great .. i would call that a winner .. and NOT a guilty pleasure if they actually did that.

Sadly though the quality of the food and the skill of the contestants is obviously irrelevant compared to what can only be called "drama potential". That does not mean that the finalists are not good cooks ... but the judging becomes a fárce early on .. when it becomes just too blatant that they do not judge on the quality of the dish at all.

The selection of characters to compete is usually interesting enough .. but follows typical focus group results. You get a sassy black woman, a bossy white male, a shy woman, a tough guy/girl, a very young and innocent girl and of course someone who causes the maximum drama by being antisocial or just a loudmouth with no filter. Now it is not even clear that this is actually the case, cause the episodes are edited in such a narrative .. but it does become old quckly.

What is good about it?

Aside from watching food ... there is a certain narrative of character progression. I caught myself being quite invested in start to around the end of the 3rd forth .. and then not caring much who actually won.

The challenges are often quite nice .. but it would have been interesting to see how the contestants actually prepare for them, cause they certainly do not spontanously come up with their dishes .. so there must be a lot of learning in their spare time and interaction (something that might be interesting and that Hells Kitchen does show a little more of...)

Well, but why a 9/10? that is an awefully high score i hear you exclaim!

Yes, yes it is .. and it is also a totally biased one. I just have fun binge watching this garbage sometimes. I can switch my brain off and rant at the rediculous jingoism, the pitiful veneration of military and american values, the cartoonish drama and the godlike bossy chefs that hover over everything like saints, resolving everything with amazing authority and skill.

So, its just fun .. mindless, stupid fun.

Objectively it is terrible though ....

It seems like every single time an episode airs, the hosts try and outdo themselves in theatrics. When you watch the US version and then watch the UK cersion, it's night and day. Watching Gordon Ramsay throw a hysterical temper tantrum and literally throw food against a wall should shame him off of the show. Watching Joe treat a piece of undercooked meat like it's the end of the world is ridiculous. Arron Sanchez isn't bad - he doesn't pitch a fit. He's good and fair, but doesn't act like a petulant child. Ramsay and Bastianich could learn a thing or two from Sanchez.

The UK version is for adults - children left at the door.

Though I can watch this show and enjoy it a little bit. The fake Fox-Produced drama has worn thin. It has gotten worse each season of this American version. I get sick of the contestants always degrading and yelling at each other. Very disrespectful to each other. And there is no doubt in my mind that Fox producers pushes these contestants to be that way. There was probably 3 or 4 contestants out of all the seasons that I was actually rooting for.

I find the Australian Masterchef version to be superior in just about every way. 1. Many, many more episodes. A journey 2. Several more challenges. Including a multitude of top chefs to compete against to try to win an immunity pin. Pressure tests for another chance to survive. 3. Contestants that I actually care about and several each season that I root for to win. 4. Contestants that actually use teamwork and have respect and care for each other. 5. No fake-produced drama. Real emotion displayed by the contestants. 6. And several Mentor elite Chefs to help contestants learn.

I do like all the judges from both the U.S. version and Australian version. But the Fox version is a fake-drama filled 'Express' version of a reality show.(no big surprise there.) Masterchef Australia is an 'Epic Journey' to truly find a top amateur chef, with contestants to truly care and root for. I highly recommend watching the Australian version.

Like Hells Kitchen tis show is about a cooking contest and it's entertaining but also not very complex. It's a fun short bit of entertainment. Nothing less and nothing more.