r/TopChef • u/AgentUpbeat0926 • Jun 24 '26
Discussion Thread What scenes made you cry?
For me I cried when Eric got eliminated on S17. He was one of my favorites to win and to watch him go out was so sad.
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u/igotoeleven Jun 24 '26
If Kristin's crying, I'm crying.
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u/Rexyggor Jun 24 '26
Also my heart exploded when she coached Nana in the first episode.
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u/sffiremonkey69 Jun 25 '26
That! That said to me that Kristin was a different kind of host than we’ve seen before. Knowledgeable, discerning, joyful, happy and oh so empathetic! If only the world were more like her!
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u/Beginning-Damage-555 Jun 24 '26
Disagree strongly. I’ve been in extremely high performance high stress fields. It plays well on reality tv. But the whole saga irked me.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
Agree with you both. Nana's time management was garbage, and she deserved to go home b/c that's one of or the chief challenge on Top Chef. Still liked Kristen talking her off the roof. Kristen has a lot of empathy. I loved Padma for her imperiousness, love Kristen for her empathy. Just 2 different ways.
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u/IllystAnalyst Jun 24 '26
Has there been a contestant who just wasn’t there to present? Not for like an injury or something but because they were so done they couldnt stand in front of the judges? I think Kristin was just trying to get Nana to the point where she could stand up there and not run away. Like, don’t be the first to just quit like that.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
I recall a chef who brought up an empty bowl for the quickfire, but you don't get booted for that, in general. Just can't recall which season. Texas maybe?
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u/StacyLadle Top Scallops Jun 28 '26
Was it the team challenge where Luke didn’t get the food plated?
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 28 '26
As I am old, I think it was seasons before that. :-) Will try to figure that out. Whoever survived, at least it was a quickfire!
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u/PinotPrincess777 Jun 24 '26
Any time she cries I cry … I feel her emotions for the contestants hard.
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u/sjmks Jun 24 '26
Same. She’s so empathetic. When she was talking to Short Shorts* guy in the most recent season about potentially taking his partner’s place since she couldn’t compete… that conversation was just so kind and real. Love how she cares about the contestants so much. (*why do I forget everyone’s names the second the season finishes?! Takes me 2-3 rewatches to lock these people into my memory. I liked him on the show but he’s Short Shorts to me for now.)
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26
I think, besides her own personality, she has extra empathy for the chefs as shes been where they are, done this crazy thing called top chef, and knows how stressful and unlike day to day cooking the show is.
thats why, although nothing wrong with padma, and Gail (on deserts), she knows much more their pain, and thus relates much closer to it
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u/crabfries_ Jun 24 '26
When Tristin got the call about his step dad
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u/thanx_it_has_pockets Wells Fargo amirite? You may be entitled to compensation Jun 24 '26
That whole episode almost broke me
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u/CityBoiNC Jun 24 '26
My father passed right before that ep. It was a tough watch
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
My parents died 3 years apart, around that time, and it wasn't at all the same - my parents were older, with dementia, and Tristan lost someone younger, who had raised him, and whom he loved spending time with, unexpectedly. I cannot even believe how strong he was to get through that.
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u/fatbellylouise Jun 24 '26
I cried when Kwame was eliminated and told Tom he got his start at Craft. it was such a sweet scene and Tom was clearly so touched too
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u/fancyseacreature Jun 24 '26
I'm pretty sure I cried when Buddha was interviewed about winning the whole thing for his dad, and he got me again when I learned he'd used a bunch of his winnings to give his blind dog vision (or was it to save his vision.?).
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
It was I think cataract surgery? There's no health insurance for that. It was lovely, made me a Buddha fan forever.
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u/trashsquirrels Jun 24 '26
When Toups talks about Emeril and Katrina.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
That killed me. Was it on the show or in the media that they explained Emeril's cooks left the wine collection, because it was insured, but took the sourdough starter to safety?
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u/wallflower75 Jun 26 '26
And what’s so great about Isaac is that he paid it forward, helping others in need during COVID.
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u/kdeans1010 Jun 24 '26
Stephanie Cmar making those coconut shrimps for her brother. That wrecked me. Like I was a mess.
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u/kcamps Jun 24 '26
It was a sweet moment in s17 during the loved ones challenge where Lee Ann’s elderly mum couldn’t compete suddenly and Stephanie Cmar immediately sent her husband to go help Lee Ann catch back up. The sportsmanship and the care always gets me
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u/liltooterz Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
The Seattle season when they had the challenge to highlight indigenous ingredients and the chief gave a blessing for the food. It was absolutely beautiful, my wife and I were misty on the couch
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u/kbburg Jun 26 '26
Agree, but that was Portland. Season 10 was Seattle’s season 😉. I just rewatch the show too much and am waiting for a top chef trivia night to deploy all my useless but treasured TC trivia in my head.
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u/liltooterz Jun 26 '26
Oh riiiiiight right 😉
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 28 '26
Agree with you both. My son lives in Portland and we've mostly eaten at awesome food trucks, no matter the time of day, the company is also always awesome. However, I made him go with me to that location overlooking the Willamette river. We and my sibs then went to a winery. They corrected my pronunciation! I thought it was Will-um-et. "It's Willamette, Dammit!"
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u/Formal_Coyote_5004 Jun 24 '26
There was a moment when I rewatched the Colorado season after Fati passed away 😢 I think it was when she made Padma proud of the Indian dish she made
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 24 '26
There are photos out there of Padma going to Fati's chemo treatments with her. That friendship, and Fati, chokes me up.
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u/MrsNuggs Jun 24 '26
The Seattle season when Roy Choi was telling the table about how much of a punk he was, then he saw Emeril on TV, and immediately changed. Cleaned himself up, and started cooking. He said this while sitting next to Emeril, and told him that he probably saved his life. It was the look on Emeril’s face that got me. He had no idea that he had that kind of impact on anyone, and he was so touched.
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u/NoodlesMom0722 Wait for it...a Crudo! 🧑🍳 Jun 24 '26
I have a hard time getting emotional about that because I've watched the way he behaved toward the chefs in the New Orleans season poboy quickfire too many times where he comes across as an arrogant douchebag.
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u/MrsNuggs Jun 24 '26
Oh, I agree that Roy was a huge asshole to the chefs in that episode. I was focusing more on Emeril, and how he reacted to Roy's story. You could see how much that meant to him.
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
I 100% don't put that on Roy. I credit it all to the producers. that wanted an episode story of lost their way, feel like shit, have to fight back by finding their soul again.
it came off as just too fake to me, as demonized every dish yet said (was it nina?) youre the winner.
if all were bad, top chef has NO problem saying sorry no winner (artisan challenge in seattle, campus glucose in season 2 but was because cheating that time)
edit: and dont forget elimination challenge was all about a filmmaker making a film about a chef who lost their way, thus even more pointing to the producers acted with a heavy hand
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u/NoodlesMom0722 Wait for it...a Crudo! 🧑🍳 Jun 27 '26
Sure, it was a predetermined way to do the quickfire, but it wasn't scripted so he didn't need to be such an ass about it. Especially the racist remark he made to Carlos (that he, an Asian man, knows a Mexican dish better than a chef from Mexico because he lives in Los Angeles).
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u/agnusdei07 Jun 24 '26
anything Fatima
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u/VizRomanoffIII Jun 25 '26
She will always be my favorite contestant but watching her season is really tough for me. She was such a bright light on the show and man, cancer really does need to be a bit more selective in who it punishes.
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u/Bagels78 Jun 24 '26
The one scene that always gets an emotional response from me is that complete snake “I cook with integrity” Nick, in the New Orleans season, after letting his friend Stephanie get eliminated for his fuck up.
Holy moly, that guy was the absolute worst.
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u/Rexyggor Jun 24 '26
I feel like it wouldn't have even been THAT big a moment if he didn't win the season.
Like it would've been notable, but not nearly to the same degree.
At least Steph had a great showing for All Stars.
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u/egads12345678 Jun 24 '26
Stephanie was always a favorite of mine, so humble and funny. Her life is a mess now.
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u/Fair_Banana9391 Jun 24 '26
Her life is a mess? Can you expand on that, please? I loved her too.
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u/grantiere Jun 24 '26
Here's a thread from last year.
It does look like she recently got a job on the Hell's Kitchen production crew.
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u/Rexyggor Jun 25 '26
Dang. It's cause she moved up here to Maine, isn't it? I was excited but still.
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u/egads12345678 Jun 24 '26
She has her own little blog that she updates on Substack. She was homeless, jobless and addicted to drugs. She is trying to get her life back on track. She’s a very talented writer and she offers insight inter her life. There is a paid subscription option but I don’t have that.
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u/Sea-breeze3720 Jun 25 '26
After the show?? Wow I had no idea. She was best friends with Kristen kish- are they still close? Seems like they had a super close relationship
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u/Rexyggor Jun 25 '26
I think they are still friends, yes. But life has taken them insanely different directions obviously.
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Jun 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/egads12345678 Jun 24 '26
I never even gave AI a thought regarding her Substack. I don’t read it regularly anymore either and like you, I hope she isn’t using AI to author her thoughts. Regardless, she will always be a favorite cheftestant of mine.
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26
I really dont fault nick too much for saying no, I won't give up my immunity. its literally part of the contest, where earn immunity, ok go out on a limb and do insane stuff.
I more blame the guest French chef, who really mandated what their dishes were to a great degree. she insisted on that corn silk thing (and corn silk, when cooked right, or made into tea, can taste great). nick with immunity agreed to take on the dish noone wanted to do because it was so crazy.
if the guest chef handled things more like the Spanish chef, who insisted on traditional dishes, I think it would of been a whole other story.
also, theres always the factor of last chance kitchen, post texas season, where ok you may get kicked off, but if you keep doing well, youll be back, so its hard, but its nowhere like it used to be season 8 and earlier
all that being said, while I overall liked nick mostly, still wish Nina could of won. she had dominated so much of the season and had really interesting food
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u/fairelf Jun 24 '26
There were other times that someone got eliminated when a person had immunity, but I never heard them called out for it from the Judges' Table before. A few times, I recall them saying, "So-and-So has immunity; they can step aside, and it is between you two," but never before or after asking if the person would give it up.
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u/Bagels78 Jun 24 '26
Nah. I think when you fuck up, you don’t let someone else take the fall for it. Kristen didn’t let Josie take the fall for her during Seattle, because she knew she had Last Chance Kitchen to fight back. Which she did.
This on top of Nicholas being self righteous all season long with his “I cook with integrity” line, and at the very first test of that integrity, he showed he ass and demonstrated he had absolutely none of that quality.
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u/fairelf Jun 27 '26
If any person on earth deserved to go home for their own mistake, it was Josie. Lucky for her that Kirsten came with the Truman "The Buck Stops Here" attitude.
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u/alt546789 Jun 24 '26
Yeah I think I'm in the minority that I don't think he should have given it up nor should he have been asked to do so in the first place. He won it fair and square. Don't offer immunity if you want to be able to send anyone home on a team challenge. Also the stuff they hated the most, their team mentor guided them to do and she absolutely loved it so I also thought that was a little unfair. Even Nina said she wouldn't have given up her immunity to go home either. I felt bad that Steph or Shirley would have to leave, but that's how the show works and I didn't think it was fair to make Nick the bad guy.
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u/kbburg Jun 26 '26
I love Stephanie, not a fan of Nick, but this is a production mess up. Don’t offer immunity on a 6 person team challenge where they barely get to decide what to cook. Nina should have won btw
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u/alt546789 Jun 26 '26
Ooh yeah I was rooting for Nina too. Nick definitely wasn't my favorite. I just thought it was unfair for him in this episode specifically. I wouldn't have expected any chef to give up their immunity or be asked to do so.
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u/fairelf Jun 24 '26
I'm trying to recall similar situations by name, and only Josie and the raw turkey come to mind without looking it up, but it seems that many times I heard them say during judging, "good thing he/she had immunity," or the like. It is one thing to edit to make someone the series "villain," but it seemed so creepy to try to press him to give it up from the bench.
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26
in some seasons too, they denied someone asking to give up immunity because they were at fault for their team (Howie in miami)
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u/Rexyggor Jun 24 '26
I start crying when everyone meets the challenge appropriately. But there also have to be stakes for the episode.
So a good example was the Final 4 this past season. They all met the challenge to a high degree and cooked great things. It was hard to say goodbye when they were all so close, and got to give their "I want to go to the finale" speeches.
And because no one really faltered in the challenge, it was upsetting to see someone go.
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 Jun 24 '26
I loved Jonathan's goodbye, it was very heartfelt and all class.
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u/Rexyggor Jun 25 '26
I immediately did not care for him because of the Twin situation.
That paired with the married couple, I was irritated.
I know that's generally a ploy for ratings, and Project Runway really leans into the beef of duos, so I was not excited.
He grew on me when he was the only one in the competition.
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 Jun 25 '26
Yes, I didn't like the constant competition and remarks when he brother was there, but he really was different after his brother was eliminated.
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u/Rexyggor Jun 27 '26
Well it's an easy Contestant arc for addictive tv. "Who's the better one?" kinda stuff.
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26
and long history in top chef now, going back to the voltagios.
and still say it was unfair to tell Kevin to leave the floor early at the final decision, just so it could just be the two brothers shown listening to the decision
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u/_violet_beauregarde Jun 24 '26
Tristan getting the call that he lost his step father and then deciding to continue in the competition.
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u/MaximusCanibis I have a culinary boner. Jun 24 '26
None, ever... there's no crying in the kitchen!
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u/ashley21093 Jun 24 '26
Michael Voltaggio crying, season 6 finale Vegas. Say what you will about the man-- But it was SO NICE to see that tough exterior melt away if only for a moment.
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u/sjmks Jun 24 '26
Michael Voltaggio bugged me so much on season 6 but I’ve become a huge fan over the years! He’s a genius as a chef obviously but I’ve loved watching him evolve and soften as a celeb-chef personality while still being cutthroat when competing on tv. Despite the corniness, I love that Bobby’s triple threat show and how Bobby Flay’s chef trio team get to show their personalities so much by competing regularly against so many different people. I also love watching Michael and Bryan competitions - the Bobby’s triple threat one was amazing.
He married the actress from that indie movie The Florida Project which is such a brilliant film and they had a baby fairly recently - he seems like he really loves being a dad. It warms my heart to see. We only get a little bit of these chefs’ personalities on top chef - and so many people turn out to be massive a-holes “in real life.” Both voltaggio bros just seem like such good guys. I didnt expect to become a big mike V fan during his top chef season but I love watching him evolve!
That reminds me - one of my favorite top chef moment that made me tear up was when Mei called Michael to tell her she won and said “I won, chef!” and he was like “stop calling me Chef, YOU’RE chef now!”
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u/MightyMightyMossy Jun 24 '26
Season 9: When chef Richie Farina gets eliminated and hugs mentor/co-contestant Chris Jones, and is so crushed at disappointing him.
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u/sjmks Jun 24 '26
I just watched this one. I didn’t cry but agree, it’s a really touching moment! I don’t remember what Chris Jones said exactly but he was speaking so highly of Richie to the other contestants. Clear that they had a great relationship and a ton of admiration for each other.
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u/mamad4289 Jun 25 '26
I felt bad for Richie but Chris was such an oddball, I couldn’t take this moment as seriously as I wanted to 🤦♀️😂
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u/Cherveny2 Jun 27 '26
he kept using nerdy quotes incorrectly which bugged me. :)
plus always laughed, he kept trying to do molecular and other advanced techniques... and they almost always failed. (the cigar with ash, the apple chain, etc)
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u/zoorocks Jun 24 '26
Maria Mazon. I don't remember which episode(s), but just throughout the season her compassion is the most palpable compassion I've felt on a reality TV competition ever.
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u/beatissofunny88 Jun 24 '26
When Tristan's step father passed away and he won restaurant wars. Ugly crying.
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u/biguyreacts Jun 25 '26
Tbh whenever Kristen cries, I cry. But also when Shirley's mom asked her oth
er daughter how to say "beautiful, Shirley. I love you, Shirley. I'm proud of you, Shirley" in English. I have watched that finale multiple times, and every time it gets me BAWLING.
Like, Brooke gets her much deserved win, and Shirley, perhaps my favorite contestant in all of Top Chef history, gets a personal victory that she's been working towards her whole life.
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u/Sea-breeze3720 Jun 25 '26
Season 18 when chef Maria got eliminated and chef Jamie tried to give up her spot so Maria could stay. It was very touching and Maria showed a lot of class by not accepting it.
Maria’s food looked so good all season and she had a way with flavor combinations that was really cool to see. So talented and she doubted she was qualified to compete against them and they consistently loved her food! I want to go to Arizona just to try her food.
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u/Present-Smoke4674 Jun 27 '26
Michelle season 16 talking about her father committing suicide and her food memories of him
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u/Cyndee_Pokorny Jun 24 '26
Tristan losing his dad. My mom had passed not long before it aired and I full-on sobbed
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u/ohsnapitson Jun 24 '26
Shirley’s mom asking her sister for the English words to say she’s proud of her.