Given how enamored Hollywood and American TV are of reality TV and all its 'drama,' be it real or fake (and there's a lot of fake), shows like Top Chef and Project Runway are really about their subject matter -- food for Top Chef, clothes for Runway. The subject matter is the be-all and end-all for everyone involved, and it never pays to get distracted by the rest, as a few candidates learned to their dismay last night.
Unfortunately, not everyone learned. I, too, dislike Robin for her busybody tendencies and useless talkiness (compare that to Jen, who only talks when there's something relevant to say, then lets her exquisite food do the talking for her the rest of the time); but Robin's irritating qualities pale next to the fact that most of the time, her food on Top Chef isn't very good. Similarly, just because Ash is a nice guy doesn't mean he can cook, and Mike Isabella isn't a better cook just because he has a bigger ego and mouth than almost anyone else competing. All three have an exaggerated estimate of their own skills and knowledge, therefore all have struggled.
This episode confirmed what is by now a clear pattern: the chefs who win most often, for good reason, are the Voltaggio brothers, Jennifer Carroll, and Kevin Gillespie. My prediction: they'll be the ones still standing when everyone else is gone. Even Michael Voltaggio's cheap shot trying to shake up his older brother Brian failed last night, and deservedly so. In the end, the judges focus on the quality and execution of the dishes -- and so should we, the viewers, lest we miss something important. My only complaint is that I don't get to taste any of this great stuff -- !