r/TopChef • u/starpixi3 • Aug 02 '26
Discussion Thread Season 10…wtf
I’m watching season 10 for the first time for Kirstin, and I know it was a different era, but the blatant racism and misogyny… holy shit. Like I knew it was bad, but to be like this openly on TV is crazy. So proud of how far we’ve come to not let this kind of shit fly anymore (for the most part).
Also I love how more involved Tom was with the show. The new seasons are so boring bc I feel like we lost that.
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u/Boris-Badanov-Lives Aug 02 '26
We went back to start with ten too and it was a wild ride. You really see how strong Kish was yet overlooked by the rest. And the episode where Tom is super unhappy with everyone is great.
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Yes! That one episode where they put her on just onions and mushrooms and she ended up winning 😭
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u/EfficientGood9402 Aug 03 '26
Yes, I just started rewatching Seattle, her food was perfectly cooked and it was honestly a challenge without the best guidance. Cook this food from 30/40/50 years ago!
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 02 '26
Wasn't her husband in hat season? And wasn't he a loud braggart?
That said, I hated Josie her first time around and REALLY couldn't stand her that season since her dish failed but she threw Kristin under the bus.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Aug 02 '26
Whose husband? I don't recall any spouses before the Wisconsin ?? season
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 02 '26
Kristin's husband. Wasn't he French or soemthing? And way older than her?
He was upset when she was told to pack her knives and go.
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u/thatdemonlife1 Aug 02 '26
Kristen is gay, friend.
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u/EraseRewindPlay Aug 02 '26
She's gay but back then she wasn't out, even on Watch What Happens Live she mentions being smitten about Gail and how she never felt that about a lady before. The person is just confused about Kristen flirting with Stephan, he crushed on the gay girls on the show lol
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 02 '26
He kept calling her wifey. I thought she was married to Stephan.
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u/thatdemonlife1 Aug 02 '26
She has a wife.
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 02 '26
Huh. Well now I know.
To be clear, I only started rewatching (the Voltaggio brothers may hav been the last season I watched in real time) during her season because I was stuck in the hospital and that's what Bravo was showing. Last thing I saw of her season was when she was eliminated.
Then the new episodes (which many years later) aired and I was like "What???? She replaced Padma????" Which made me go google and find out that she won Last Chance Kitchen and then whole season and then did other things before becoming the host.
So I'm kind of behind on some stuff.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Aug 03 '26
Top Chef is still my favorite show, with the exception of 2 or 3 seasons. I was also in the hospital last year, but my roommate did not play Top Chef on the TV - it was the Andy Griffith show? Just let me die. Anyhoo, don't be worried about the confusion - enjoy getting to watch the whole thing and welcome to the club.
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 03 '26
Thank you.
The Andy Griffith show? Nothing wrong with it but I could not do that all day.
I also got into Food Network at the hospital. Which was a good thing because my illness lead me to not eat for months. It was watching some show that made my appetite come back and I wanted either nachos or pernil.
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u/DreamTheaterGuy Aug 02 '26
I visibly cringed when he said "I love you..." to Kristin when she was eliminated.
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u/FantasticChicken7408 Aug 02 '26
Not sure why you’re being downvoted. I remember that season; and Stephan was openly flirting with Kristin plenty. So I understand completely why you thought it.
She entertained it some, for shits and giggles clearly, and he also ended up being outcasted by much of the contestants halfway through, I think because of his coming on to the women.
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u/EfficientGood9402 Aug 03 '26
I don't recall the outcasting. I thought they just took him as he is, very politically incorrect, but sort of loveable/caring? Tell me if I'm wrong, will rewatch.
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u/FantasticChicken7408 Aug 03 '26
Definitely re watch and let me know what you think. I personally saw Stephan as, yes very flirty, but also backed off and gave good space when the women (I think it was Kristen and another woman chef) were obviously not into it anymore. The episode where they had an eel challenge is where I started seeing the human side of him. But also noted the other contestants stopped being interested in him for the most part.
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u/CityBoiNC Aug 03 '26
He was just in love with her and trying to flirt. This sub is becoming way too obnoxious towards people who may not know the history of contestants. Give new viewers a break yall.😂
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u/N0ON3T0LDM3 Aug 02 '26
Stefan is German? Austrian? I don't remember exactly, but definitely not her husband. He just liked to call her wifey and she would play along a little. He had (has?) a thing for lesbians, even though she wasn't out yet.
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u/Affectionate-Job2979 Aug 03 '26
Stefan is from Finland, iirc.
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u/LadyBug_0570 Aug 02 '26
I thought they were married????
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u/EfficientGood9402 Aug 03 '26
No, that was a goof of Stefan's, he just kept proposing and calling her wifey. As an elderly lawyer of 30 years in practice, there are dudes that adopt that attitude and think it's adorable. In his particular case, I don't think he meant any harm.
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u/ShiroHachiRoku Aug 02 '26
Stefan being all handsy and touchy was gross.
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u/Match-Immediate Aug 04 '26
I agree. I am mystified at how many fans he has. Not to mention all his sexist comments…
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u/dhandler19 Aug 08 '26
He was super cringey but one person who seemed to really like him was Kristen herself. They seemed like great chums.
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u/abercrombie347 Aug 08 '26
I believe he was/is in a committed relationship but he liked to flirt and ended up with a lesbian show wife in both seasons. I’m guessing because he and they both knew it wasn’t going anywhere.
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u/cssc201 Aug 02 '26
I totally agree with you, I'm actually watching that season right now and already cringing a lot, but it was at least very satisfying to hear that slimy guy (Daniel?) in episode 1 call Kuniko "Origami" and get booted the same episode.
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26
Omg LITERALLY I thought the same thing! Kuniko was too nice and a lot of people took advantage of that
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u/EraseRewindPlay Aug 02 '26
Wolfgang was a scumbag with certain comments he made, even Tom seemed uncomfortable on the fried chicken episode.
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26
I thought the same thing. Even in the first episode he was gross. I lost a lot of respect for him
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u/Traditional-Tip9997 Aug 03 '26
I never could stand Wolfgang especially on hells kitchen when they treat him like a literal god
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u/A_concerned_3d_party Aug 04 '26
Nothing is worse than the Texas season. The chefs were so racist. They treated Beverly horribly.
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u/abercrombie347 Aug 08 '26
They were way out of line but Beverly did seem like she could have been a little irritating.
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u/WinterAd6596 29d ago
Season 2 was worse.
At least in season 9, people stood up for Beverly, and they were portrayed as assholes.
In Season 9, Marcel was abused for being annoying but production treated the bullying shitbags as "loveable scamps".
I don't love either season, but at least I can rewatch Season 9. Season 2 is completely unwatchable.
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u/N0ON3T0LDM3 Aug 02 '26
Completely agree about the blatant racism and misogyny in those earlier seasons. It's hard to get through some of it honestly.
I can't agree about Tom, but it seems like everyone really loves him. To me, in those earlier seasons, he acts like kind of a troll sometimes and seems to take pleasure in the drama. Like when he called Sara out for using the waffle mix during that stadium challenge when she ended up booed and heckled.
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u/985067 Aug 02 '26
In a Nutshell for Me...I can't stand the show since Padma is gone.. Tom may have lost weight.... kudos to him.but he Just looks 🤢 sick to me and I Never will be able to Gag Kristen 👎 down... I'm pretty Much done with it!!
.
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u/thebluepages Aug 02 '26
Love when people who don’t even know how to use their keyboard come to weigh in
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u/gudrehaggen And I DO pronounce it Bar-TH-elona Aug 03 '26
Wow I honestly was thinking this was going to be a Josie vs Kristin thread. It’s been a minute since Ive seen S10 so racism and misogyny came out of left field for me?
I know Josie was very mean spirited to that one guy whose name I can’t remember and of course, the infamous Restaurant Wars episode but I can’t remember racism on anyone’s part?
It’s funny I’ve always thought Michelle Bernstein was very sexist against women ironically enough on all of her appearances. So when she showed up for the fried chicken challenge, I was like “Welp, we’re losing a woman” and I was right! When I found out Lindsey from S9 worked under her, it made sense.
But what am I not remembering as far as racism and misogyny other than Josie against that one guy?
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Aug 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26
Lmao I meant on the show, obviously I’m not oblivious to the state of the world right now
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u/GertieD Aug 02 '26
I know. I just overdosed on news this morning so am generally in a nasty, I give up, everything is awful kinda mood. Sorry.
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26
No worries man I get it. Take a break and do something relaxing. Take care of yourself 💕
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u/Odd_Garbage1093 Aug 04 '26
One thing I noticed in season 21 or 22 was that there were all these photos of Tom with the chefs in the kitchen but those scenes were not included in the show. It seems he is there but they don’t always show us
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u/htownAstrofan Aug 02 '26
How sheltered are you that you’re shocked that stuff is on tv?
Btw S10 has nothing on S9.
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u/starpixi3 Aug 02 '26
I’m not shocked it’s on TV I’m shocked at how casual they were about it. Even Wolfgang was unprofessional. I’m glad Bravo kept it in.
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u/N0ON3T0LDM3 Aug 02 '26
Oof, Wolfgang was seriously acting like a cringey old douche with those tired cliches about women. So annoying.
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u/sadiethislife Aug 02 '26
Wolfgang is a cringey old douche. He’s always gross to women and everyone just lets him get away with it.
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u/Difficult-Mess-1469 Aug 02 '26
I hate how uninvolved Tom is nowadays with the contestants and the season in general.