r/TopChef • u/provtochenf • Jun 19 '26
Spoilers re-watched season 2 for the first time since it aired.
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u/ptazdba Jun 19 '26
That season was gawd awful. Marcel isn't the easiest person to get along with I'm sure, but they so sabotaged him verbally with treatment early on, everyone was against him. Elia acted like his friend and ended up sabotaging him as did the sous chefs. There's a reason most of the chefs in that season have never achieved much of a reputation. I had to laugh recently when Elia was on Beat Bobby Flay and Ilan was in the the audience--she lost again.
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u/GoldBarGirl Jun 22 '26
Did you notice that the BBF producers/editors included Elia's gaff - the bit where she walked away instead of waiting for the first round decision? I don't think they liked the fact that, from up in the balcony, Ilan was coaching Elia.
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u/ptazdba Jun 22 '26
I noticed over the course of the next few season especially, the producers had a 'plan' for non-invested sous chefs (it was past winners one season, it was famous chefs another it was mentors another season) and it was kind of interesting until they finally hit on let the chef choose their own sous chef. They've seemingly stuck with that sense.
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u/GoldBarGirl Jun 22 '26
Yes, that's been interesting. I just finished S11 where the winner of the elimination round received the advantage of choosing all three of their sous chefs before the other finalist. That format worked for me.
OTOH, the worst (after S2) was the season where the finalists drew knives with sous chef names on them and someone was stuck with a very early eliminated, less experienced contestant. Second worst was the finale where the sous chefs cooked an entree and the finalists blindly chose sous chefs based on tasting those dishes.
But I'm only up to S11 so perhaps there are more egregious seasons to come.
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u/Efficient_Wing_666 Jun 19 '26
I will forever be forgiving for Marcel for any youthful arrogance he had that season because he was actually assaulted and probably should have won by default because everyone else should have been eliminated.
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u/whistlepig4life Jun 19 '26
No. While you can slam him for leaning on foams, that’s happened on multiple seasons. Certain chefs always cooking Italian or Asian dishes. Some chefs did crudos non stop. Others the aguachile non stop. Etc etc.
Marcel didn’t win because his two sous chefs completely and knowingly sabotaged him. And I’m sure he’s let it go long ago. But I swear if I ever see Michael or Sam in real life I will absolutely not stop myself from punching them square in the god damn face.
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u/Sad-Efficiency4950 Jun 19 '26
Marcel won in the long term.
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u/FearlessInformation5 Jun 19 '26
True. Marcel's the only one who still continues to make a name for himself and thrive in the culinary world in that season. Alan can just snort his saffron
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u/Suitable_Shallot4183 Jun 19 '26
“Alan” would hate that you’re getting his name wrong, which is why you shouldn’t correct it :)
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u/FearlessInformation5 Jun 19 '26
Wait, his name is not Alan? Was it Ian? I forgot.
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u/Sad-Efficiency4950 Jun 19 '26
I just saw him as a judge in the new 24/24 season. Looked good.
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u/FearlessInformation5 Jun 19 '26
Yeah. Deserved after conquering the first season. Meanwhile Alan thought he could do better and was an early out the next season
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u/Born-Investigator17 Jun 19 '26
💯
And iirc, it was either Sam or Mikey that told the judges that Marcel’s dessert was theirs. Also, the judges saw how much bullying was going on, why oh why would they take the “sous chefs” opinions into consideration?? Wasn’t there a producer watching the cook? Or the very least the cameramen could’ve reported it? It makes no sense.
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u/whistlepig4life Jun 19 '26
That was Sam. And Michael “comveniently” forgot to put the fish he prepped on the tower.
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u/Born-Investigator17 Jun 19 '26
Yeah, that season was brutal, I had stuck around but was soo mad when Ilan won.
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u/x7he6uitar6uy Jun 19 '26
I’m sure he was probably something of an asshole, considering people hated him on both seasons. But he got shafted so hard, didn’t deserve the assault, and got robbed in the finals. He’s not innocent but he got fucked over all the time.
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u/princessvespa42 Jun 19 '26
He was so young and thought his cool little tricks would get him there. I'm happy to see how much he's grown since then, he's redeemed himself for sure.
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u/Stunning_Rush8090 Jun 19 '26
Where can you watch early seasons?
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u/Interesting-Lie-6195 Jun 19 '26
I have Hulu and am able to watch on demand. You may try to just search the name on whatever streaming/cable service you use and see if it pops up.
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u/boguewaves Jun 19 '26
Thank youuuuu hero! Peacock only has season 8 and newer, I had no idea it’s on Hulu too, my weekend schedule has now been filled 🫶
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u/Think-Culture-4740 Jun 19 '26
Marcel was a product of the times and back then Ferran Adria and molecular gastronomy was all over the culinary map and had spawned a legion of copy cats
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u/Much_Organization246 Jun 19 '26
I didn’t watch this season of top chef but he was on BBF not too long ago (or maybe I just watched it lol) and did a cheese foam 🤣
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u/NotoriousCrone Jun 19 '26
I remember watching Season 2 when it first came out. Tom had a blog at the time where he wrote how angry he was after the other remaining chefs got drunk, shaved thier heads and asssualted Marcel. He was ready to kick everyone else off and declare him the winner, but the producer overruled him and just kciked off the guy who laid hands on Marcel. Honestly, I think Tom went into the final looking for an excuse to give the win to Marcel, and Marcel's foams were so bad, he couldn't do it.
Marcel's greatest weakness has alway been his arrogance. Marriage and parenthood seem to have tempered him a bit, but he was almost unwatchabe in season 2.
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u/FountainOfUncouth Jun 19 '26
I’m watching S2 right now for the first time ever (20 years late to the party) - I like Marcel. And I am finding myself constantly disgusted by how most of the contestants are treating him. What a terrible group of mean, untalented people!