Say It Ain't So, Padma!

A terrible reality show injustice has occurred. Slimy Spike and Prune-faced Lisa are still in the competion, and Dale, inarguably one of the top three chefs in the competition, is gone?

Now I give you that he had a bad night, but he's been one of the top, if not the top, winner of the challenges to date. Yes, he's volatile. Yes, he's passionate. Yes, he can be a self-described jerk. (Okay, he called himself worse, but this is a G-rated blog.) People complain that he doesn't work well with others. That's not true. He was great with Richard and Stephanie. He just can't work well with incompetant, arrogant people who make mistakes and shout sabotage. People who focus more on hurting their competitor than proving themselves capable. People who have no business being on that show still. I'd take Nikki over Spike and Lisa any day of the week.

Spike has hidden in the middle of the pack the entire competition. His only concern is covering his butt and not being held responsible for anything. Lisa has been on the bottom three for the last eight (correct me if I'm wrong) challenges. She is terrible. She also refuses to ever take responsibility for making a bad dish or a bad choice. It is always someone else's fault.

I do think that the judging should take into account their previous performances. If it ended up as a toss up between Lisa and Dale. Dale's successes (one just last week, and he came in 2nd in the quickfire) should have given him the edge. Lisa has had one success the entire competition and that was so long ago. Neither she nor Spike deserve to be in the final four. I think this came about because two of the regular judges were not there.

Good luck, Dale! You were robbed.

And on another reality show note, good for David C. Now, someone please do an intervention for David A. and let him have some normal kid time. Please?

Now for a more serious comment.

Deepest condolences to the Steven Curtis Chapman family whose 5-year-old daughter, Maria, was killed in a tragic accident. Maria was one of three children adopted from China by the Chapman family.