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Top Chef Power Rankings

1) Paul - Hey, Paul won money last week! What a shocking turn of events. The difference between Paul and the rest of the chefs is the difference in traffic/valuation between Facebook and MySpace.

2) Edward - We keep saying that Edward’s plating is indicative of a chef who can create a meal worthy of winning Top Chef. We believe this yet we also must note that Edward hasn’t won a single individual challenge this season. He’s had a team victory and he’s won with since eliminated Ty. The lack of solo victories is troublesome at this stage of the competition.

3) Grayson - Yes, she technically finished on the bottom last week but her dish was inventive enough to build an entire theme restaurant chain around its concept. We would love to eat at Grayson’s Gothic Horror Haunted House.

4) Lindsay
5) Sarah - There isn’t a lot of difference between the chefs in fourth and fifth place. Paul and Edward have both complimented Sarah on her flavors and she has won some challenges, but she was also close to elimination last week. Lindsay was in the top group in the elimination challenge last week and won the Quickfire challenge. Also, she seems slightly less likely to implode than Sarah. Both of them are hoping that this season of Top Chef plays out like season 7 wherein Kevin won only once during the season but wound up being the champion. Lindsay has won twice in Quickfire challenges while Sarah has won one elimination challenge.

6) Chris
The fact that Chris has reached this point in the competition is surprising in and of itself. We have said since the season premiere that he seems like a very kind young man who works too hard to prove himself. This gets him in trouble as he tries to create unconventional dishes with high levels of difficulty rather than pulling a Carla Hall, making simple dishes imbued with delicious flavors. Chris has not won anything this season and the time is growing late for him. He is clearly the worst remaining contestant based on performance this season…and the gap between fifth and sixth place is unfortunately every bit as dramatic as the one between first and second place.

Previously on Top Chef, Beverly was Rice Krispies away from immunity. Alas, a miscalculation of a few seconds worth of plating time cost her victory in the Quickfire Challenge and thereby immunity from elimination. Later that day, she presented a majestic dish that the judges loved for its delicious flavor…and she finished in last place for it. Unquestionably, this is the best single day performance ever by a chef eliminated from the competition. As we proceed, however, the how and why of Beverly’s removal is irrelevant. All that matters is that in her absence, only half a dozen chefs remain in the competition.

Tonight’s episode begins with Charlize Theron making another appearance. After becoming unquestionably the kindest guest judge they have ever had on the show last week, she takes this opportunity to again thank the chefs for seven course masterpiece. Charlize is apparently confused about the fact that as an A-list Academy Award winning actress she is not supposed to be warm and approachable. She is supposed to pay people to do that for her. Ms. Theron is winning this season of Top Chef almost as much as Paul is.

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