Mike Morrison2013-05-22T11:44:01-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=mike-morrisonCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Mike MorrisonGood old fashioned elbow grease.Do the Live Feeds Ruin Big Brother Canada?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.29661822013-03-28T17:49:02-04:002013-03-28T17:49:30-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/mildly obsessed with the guilty pleasure that is Big Brother Canada knows that being a fan of the show comes with certain risks, none of which is more annoying than how easy it is to hear spoilers week in and week out.
The spoilers come from the show's free live feeds that expose the house guests' every move almost 24 hours a day. When the show premiered last month, I decided not to watch the feeds. I mean, really who has time to watch twelve strangers around the clock?
Well, as it turns out, a lot of people. Over the past couple of weeks, countless websites and Twitter accounts that document the feeds have popped up.
Meaning, if you're like me and want to wait and watch the show when it airs on Slice, the online world of Big Brother Canada becomes a landmine of spoilers, something that can quickly ruin your love of the reality show. Because competitions like HoH, PoV and the nominations usually happen three or four days before they actually air on Slice, simply Googling the show or one of its house guests can result in massive spoilers.
Of course, sites that have reality show spoilers are nothing new. Survivor Sucks and Reality Steve have been trying to spoil shows like Survivor and The Bachelor for years. But with those sites, you never really know if the information they have is accurate or not. But Big Brother Canada is different. That's because the spoilers are happening in real time. So although the producers block out the competitions until they air on Slice, you only have to watch to the feeds for a few moments to find out who wins what or who nominated whom.
LOOK: The cast of Big Brother Canada
Story continues after slideshow
"Because the live feeds are freely available to anyone, in reality your Aunt Joan could ruin it with a single Facebook post," she told me in an e-mail.
"If you really want to not have any kind of spoiler, I suggest you stay off the Internet."
Admittedly, sometimes it's my fault -- I have a hard time dealing with suspense. That's why I try to watch shows like Survivor or even The Walking Dead live. Because if I'm given the option, I'll always fast forward to find out what happens. Yes, I'm a very weak-willed man. If for some reason I miss one of my favourite shows, I know to stay off Twitter for a few hours, or at least until I get around to watching it. The Big Brother Canada experience is different because the spoilers are being posted days before the show even airs and there's practically no way to protect yourself from them.
Usually producers use ironclad contracts to protect the secrecy of their shows. Anyone who's ever been on or involved with a reality show, knows that the contract you have to sign is longer than a US Supreme Court hearing. Last summer, I taped something for a popular Canadian reality show and I've been sworn to secrecy until it airs this June. It is literally the longest secret I've ever kept in my life (Well, second longest). Since these BBCan fans don't have to sign a contract, it only takes one person to post the results online and ruin the show for the rest of us.
So far, the live feeds don't seem to be affecting the ratings of Big Brother Canada. After a record-breaking debut, the show regularly pulls in more than 350,000 viewers -- an impressive number, especially considering the show is on a specialty network. Actually, assuming Big Brother Canada will be renewed, I wonder if the execs are Shaw have already started wondering if the second season should air on Global.
At this point, I've decided that the spoilers aren't enough to get me to stop watching Big Brother Canada; I mean, I don't think I could ever not watch the antics of Gary Glitter or AJ's eyebrows. But as we get closer to the finale and the house guests really start turning on each other, I might find myself turning into the live feeds, because as I've said before, I'm a very weak-willed man.
]]>Why Justin Bieber Is a Better Person Than Youtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12996022012-02-24T14:02:27-05:002012-04-25T05:12:01-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/
While I never particularly disliked Justin Bieber, I am neither a fan of his music (which is fine; it's not meant for me). Many people, myself included, dismissed him as a one-hit wonder, but surprisingly Justin has proven to be anything but. On top of showing that he's capable of releasing albums that continue to sell big, I've noticed lately that this 17-year-old continues to use his mega-power for the greater good.
He's more charitable than you:
The Justin Bieber seal of approval is now worth millions, and while he is the spokesman for big companies like Proactiv and G-Star Raw, he also devotes much of his pull to helping those less fortunate, particularly here in Canada. Recently, a series of his tweets about the importance of organ donations in Ontario saw the number of people who signed up to donate for the Trillium Gift of Life Network nearly quadruple. He also recently signed a car that was then auctioned off for $40,000 -- funds that will go to restore a skate park in his hometown.
This past Valentine's Day, instead of spending the day with his movie star girlfriend, Selena Gomez, Justin spent it with a six-year-old fan who is battling cancer. It was a selfless gesture that Avalanna Routh and other fans will never forget. In a world of publicist-enforced staged appearances, Justin seems to devote as much time to giving back to his fans and charitable organizations as he does to driving his luxury cars.
He loves Canadian music more than you:
For a few years, former Canadian Idol contestant Carly Rae Jepsen has been making the best of being a singer-songwriter. She has a small (but loyal) fan base. She has one full album under her belt, a Juno nomination, and a few bumps on the music charts. All of that was before Justin Bieber got hold of her.
While visiting his family over the Christmas break, he heard her single "Call Me Maybe" and tweeted that it was the "catchiest song ever." With that single tweet, he likely changed Carly Rae Jepsen's life. Within a matter of days, the single was topping the iTunes singles chart, where it remained for weeks, only to be dethroned by the one and only Madonna. So far, "Call Me Maybe" has gone double-platinum and, fittingly, it's the first song by a Canadian artist to reach the top of the Nielsen SoundScan Digital Tracks chart since Justin Bieber's "Baby" in January 2010. (And only the eleventh song by a Canadian artist ever to do so.)
And that was before the biggest news of all: last week, Justin Bieber announced that Carly Rae had been signed to Scooter Braun's label -- the very label that helped turn Justin into a worldwide superstar. News that Bieber had welcomed to Jepsen into the fold, or family if you will, took the Internet by storm. She quickly picked up more than 120,000 new Twitter followers, propelling her single to double-platinum sales and garnering millions of views for her "Call Me Maybe" video. A remake of the video that features Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and a slew of other young celebrities has already picked up more than 5.8 million views.
He's keeping young girls out of trouble more than you:
I can't imagine anything more terrifying than having a "tween" for a daughter right now. Technology has made keeping track of what they are up to practically impossible. That said, if my kid was spending hours tweeting about Justin Bieber, reading blogs about his latest haircut and talking to fellow fans all around the world about his latest album, I think I'd be OK with it. It's better than having them wandering the streets and getting into trouble with boys who aren't pop stars.
And something else I've noticed is that Justin actually writes his fans back, likely making them feel pretty darn good about themselves. If I know anything about teenagers nowadays, it's that they need attention -- even if it is from the superstar musician they'll never meet.
Even more encouraging is the fact that when girls do get a tweet from Justin, his other fans are unabashedly positive about it, congratulating the lucky recipient of the personal tweet from their idol. Imagine that: girls being supportive of each other. The women of The Bachelor could learn a lot from these tweens.
Living in a time when we've lost Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson to probable substance abuse, it's refreshing to have our kids worshiping someone who is worthy of their praise and, yes, money. As someone who lives in constant fear of teenagers, I'm in awe of the fact that the boy from Stratford, Ont. has turned out to be one of the most well-adjusted kids out there. Regardless of what you think of his songs, you have to admit, we could all be a little more like Justin Bieber.
Mike Morrison writes daily at Mike's Bloggity Blog, a site devoted to Canadian entertainment. Look for his bald head on Twitter or just go to @mikesbloggity.]]>Helping Portlandia Find a Home on Netflix Canadatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.11989612012-01-11T10:02:13-05:002012-03-12T05:12:01-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/Portlandia, a small show that features Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and has a loyal and devoted online following. I'd heard it was funny, but otherwise knew very little about it -- so my friend and I decided to watch an episode. We were immediately hooked. The show, which features a ton of Portland-based hipster-skewing sketches, was funny, biting, witty, and original. We instantly devoured the entire six-episode first season. The show's second season debuted this past weekend on IFC.
After emerging from my Christmas slumber, I couldn't stop talking about Portlandia whether on Twitter, on Facebook, or to unsuspecting strangers on the street. The problem? No sooner had the show appeared on Netflix Canada then it was gone. Had I somehow just imagined watching a brilliant show that managed to capture just how pretentious and annoying hipsters can actually be? Maybe. I did some Vernoica Mars-esque investigating and discovered that Netflix Canada had, in fact, posted the show and taken it down almost right away. On Jan. 3, the NetflixHelps Twitter account revealed that the show was added in "error." The whole saga was so upsetting that I felt like squeezing on my skinny jeans, listening to the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack and weeping silently into my craft beer.
Look: I don't get how contracts work or how someone goes about securing rights to a TV show, but it can't be that hard. The first season of Portlandia is only six episodes, each 22 minutes long. These six episodes are good... like, really good. And in case you haven't visited Netflix Canada lately, it's seriously lacking in quality content. (I'm assuming that we all agree that the only season of Jenna Elfman's Accidentally on Purpose is not quality television.)
If you've never seen Portlandia, you won't be seeing it on Netflix Canada -- at least not yet. So in the interim, I suggest you catch up on it through their countless sketches posted to YouTube. "Put A Bird On It" is definitely one of my favourites. And once you fall in love with it -- because I know you will -- send Netflix Canada a note. If enough people do, we'll do something the Occupy movement failed to achieve: we'll make a difference.
Mike Morrison is based in Calgary and writes Mike's Bloggity Blog. You can follow him on Twitter at @mikesbloggity.
]]>The Timelessness of A Christmas Caroltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.11547242011-12-21T14:50:22-05:002012-02-20T05:12:01-05:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/A Christmas Carol is a long-standing holiday tradition in Calgary. In fact, with this year's Theatre Calgary's production, it's been staged now for 25 straight years. And, thanks to a hearty $1 million donation from a local family, the show still breathes life as fresh as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
During the show's premiere I was struck by how A Christmas Carol is as relevant and poignant as it's been now for 168 years. In fact, regardless of where in Canada you see a production of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale, few plays possess limitless joy and encourage self-reflection like A Christmas Carol.
Like Scrooge himself, I need to go back in time in order to understand my appreciation of the story. Long before cell phones, Buffy and fully receded hairlines, I once played Tiny Tim in a touring production of the show with Theatre New Brunswick. I had zero acting experience and only got the part when director Michael Shamata noticed me in the audience of another play. Ignoring the fact that "looking like Tiny Tim" essentially meant "looking sickly, verging on death," I was excited by the idea of getting paid to miss school. As a child actor, unless you're Dakota Fanning, this is surely your number one priority.
My clearest memory is of my first rehearsal. Not even really knowing what a rehearsal was, I was intimidated when I first met Douglas Campbell who, of course, was playing Scrooge (it wasn't until years later that I realized I'd been working with a Canadian acting legend). Scrooge's first scene with me involved him yelling; this is fairly typical of A Christmas Carol, actually. Not really understanding what acting was, I assumed he was yelling at me personally, and so I literally ran out of the rehearsal hall in tears. In that moment I can only imagine what Campbell was thinking about me. The next three months were a blur of shows, touring around New Brunswick, and visiting what I considered to be major metropolises like Moncton, St. John and Bathurst. I was also afforded the opportunity of hanging out with people who were way older than me, listening as they talked about things that, even to this day, I'm not sure I understand. (As a kid I took things very literally, so you can imagine my confusion when I'd spend hours listening to the actors and the crew talking about very adult things.) After the final curtain fell on the production A Christmas Carol remained part of my life. I've received the book as a gift on numerous occasions, accumulated countless Charles Dickens themed ornaments and, yes, A Muppet's Christmas Carol remains one of my favourite holiday offerings.
Years later, seeing A Christmas Carol triggered long-forgotten memories. Good theatre should make you smile -- and Theatre Calgary's production of A Christmas Carol did just that, especially as I watched the kids walk on stage for the first time and look into the audience and realize the importance of their roles. I smiled as the precocious Aidan Hamilton, who played Tiny Tim, walked off stage forgetting to use his crutch, and the merriment and joy of the Fezziwig party was such that it was all I could do not to get on stage and join in. I also smiled looking at the other audience members doing the exact same thing, whether it was the normally snarky theatre critic sitting in front of me or the little kid next to me whose eyes were wide with wonder the entire night, no doubt amazed by the real-life movie unfolding before him.
Theatre Calgary's production will run until Dec. 24 and no doubt there's a version playing around the corner from where you live, too. Wherever it is, however big or small, A Christmas Carol is a story that will resonate no matter how old you feel you are.
Mike Morrison is based in Calgary and writes Mike's Bloggity Blog. You can follow him on Twitter.
]]>Done With DVRtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.10057172011-10-12T09:06:56-04:002011-12-12T05:12:02-05:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/
As life gets busier and busier, I find quality time with my friends and yes, my television becoming more and more rare, which is sad, because before Facebook, Twitter and even ICQ, some of my best friends could always be found on television. Nowadays, like in real life, when I do get time with my friends, I want it to be meaningful. I want to enjoy what they have to say and not feel rushed to get through their stories about bad dates or trips to the hospitals. (My friends are very accident-prone.)
With DVRs becoming a living room staple, I feel like it's changed the relationship I once had with my television shows, and not for the better. Now, if I'm finding a show boring, I can now simply fast forward through it. If a series has lot my interest, I can just delete it and if I'm not paying attention and I happen to miss a Nancy Grace nipple slip, I should be punished, not rewarded with the power of a rewind button. Since you can't do any of these things in real-life, why do we do it to our TV shows?
For the past few weeks, in an effort to repair my fractured relationship with TV, I've purposely been watching The Amazing Race live, commercials and all. And even though I've never missed an episode before, it's been years since I was this excited about the show. By watching it live, I've find that the roadblocks and eventual race to the finish line are much more exciting. Especially because you can't fast forward to see who gets eliminated. Even better, by watching it live, there's zero chance of people ruining the show by updating their Twitter or Facebook feeds with the results. Remember how shocking it was when they killed off Teri Bauer in the first season of 24? Nowadays, a shocking ending like that, would easily be spoiled by someone you went to science camp with.
Of course, one of the biggest arguments in support of DVRs is the machine's ability to skip commercials, and while I hate those Geico commercials as much as the next guy, we are also depriving the next generation of amazing commercials, like the iconic Heritage Canada spots. What Canadian doesn't hear the name Patrick and think "Patrick, Patrick O'Neil." Who doesn't smell burnt toast and immediately wonder if they are having a stroke, or see an Inukshuk and whisper to themselves, "Now the people will know we were here." Is it not upsetting to think that we wouldn't have had these memories if DVRs had existed in the '90s?
I've learned that watching live television also means that you never miss a second of the show you are watching. In our DVR culture, we've gotten used to the final few minutes of our favourite sitcoms or dramas getting cut off, meaning we often miss the funniest jokes, or twists in key plot lines. Case in point, I'm still emotionally reeling from missing Patricia Clarkson's first scene on Parks and Recreation a few weeks ago.
In a way, I feel like an old man defending driving without a seatbelt. After all, for years, we drove with out the safety device, and everyone was just fine, right? But if hipsters can bring back vinyl, then maybe I bring back sitting in on the couch and watching live television, even if it is Battle Of The Blades.
Mike Morrison is based in Calgary and writes Mike's Bloggity Blog. You can follow him on Twitter.
]]>Why is the Canadian Media Ruining TIFF?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.9585452011-09-12T12:43:25-04:002011-11-12T05:12:02-05:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/
It's not that that I don't think that TIFF is important. On the contrary, I can't think of a more influential festival in the entire country. (Sorry Bacon Fest.) But this time around, the original excitement of the festival definitely isn't translating across the country. Having grown up in New Brunswick, with a quick stop over in Toronto and now calling Calgary home, I can tell you that outside of the 416 and 647 area codes, people really aren't that interested in the world-renowned festival anymore.
And can you really blame them? Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, Canadians are now getting a second-by-second update by the festival. Sadly, it isn't about the movies, the directors or even the actors. Instead, social media has translated TIFF into a 10-day brag-fest. TV personalities, journalists and bloggers spend their days boasting about the cool celebrities that they are hanging out with, the pricey swag they got at parties, the open bars and sending out tweets about what kind of coffee Stacy Keibler just ordered. If your profession has afforded you these luxuries, chances are the average Canadian doesn't want to hear about it.
If I had a friend who randomly ran into Ryan Gosling in the street and they ended up talking about The Red Green Show -- that is cool, they can tweet about that. But if you work for media outlet and you stood on the red carpet for three hours to talk to him for 30 seconds, because you were next in line, yeah, that's not cool, that's your job. It may seem like I'm grumpy (and a little jealous) but for the past few days, all I've read are tweets that start with, "I just chatted with to so and so." Like they've been friends for years, when what they really mean is, "Their publicist gave me the opportunity to ask three pre-approved questions." It just feels so inauthentic.
Judging from the amount of people I've had to unfollow this week, those attending TIFF have lost touch what initially made this festival so successful. For a while, it seemed like TIFF was a place for movies, big and small, to find a receptive and appreciative audience. Some would go on to win Oscars, others would develop a cult following. Either way, we were just happy to have them debut in our country. TIFF was a place where celebrities could feel welcome and a little adored. It was all very Canadian and I loved it. However with all this bragging and showboating, the Canadian festival, all of a sudden feels like anything but.
Mike Morrison is based in Calgary and writes Mike's Bloggity Blog. You can follow him on Twitter.
]]>My Tim Hortons Double-Double Happily Runneth Overtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.9416742011-08-30T09:41:11-04:002011-10-30T05:12:02-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/
Well fans of Tim Hortons will soon get exactly that. It's just been announced that some stores in Ontario will soon be testing a larger 24oz cup. Tim Hortons loyalists are already calling foul and I can practically see Morgan Spurlock smugly sitting in his New York apartment, working on his essay on why we don't need bigger portions, but like Spurlock took on the Big Mac, I'm all over it.
Look, we all know that the extra large at Tim Hortons, when compared to other coffee shops, was never really an extra large anyway, so why get your Timbits in a tumble for a new size that's still a lot cheaper than a venti at Starbucks?
If getting rid of that small sized cup really means some people will go elsewhere, then I'm okay with that. I mean really, why are you in line for three mouthfuls of coffee anyway? While the coffee giant is at it, I wish they would stop making mochas too. Seriously, if you can't handle a whole cup of fairly weak coffee, than you have no business drinking it in the first place.
I guess one of the reasons I'm so passionate about my morning cup of coffee is because, as a Maritimer, living in Alberta, I've had to fight a lot of prejudice in order to continue my love of Tim Hortons. Every morning, I always make sure to get my coffee in a reusable cup, not because of David Suziki's passive-aggressive tweets, but because I often feel judged for even holding a Tim Hortons cup in the first place. I live in a city where people regularly dress like cowboys and yet I get mocked for slowly sipping a double-double. These are indeed troubling times. Those in the prairies don't seem to get it, maybe it's because I grew up in a city with seven Tim Hortons on a single street. Or perhaps it's because, on cold days, the only way I could convince my mother to drive me to school was by bribing her with a bagel and a cup of Timmies, which was on the way to the school.
Now I'm not saying that Tim Hortons is perfect. I still yearn for their long-abandoned cakes and really wish they would get in the business of free refills, but I've grown up believing that Tim Hortons is as Canadian as Roots clothing, so really, who am I to argue with something that is so iconic?
]]>Almost 30 and Still Hooked on Degrassitag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.9232222011-08-10T11:13:51-04:002011-10-10T05:12:02-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/Degrassi and sometimes, I have to work even harder to not love them.
After watching nearly 11 seasons of the Canadian teen drama, I've decided to give up defending why I'm hooked, and instead I'm devoting my energy trying to figure out why you're not.
I can't emphasis enough how awesome this show continues to be. Almost halfway through its seven-week summer run, we've already seen a murder, cocaine use, a student stealing his teacher's underwear, liver failure, a stalker, bed bugs, secret adoptions and a transgendered student accidentally peeing on another kid at the urinals. Seriously folks, I couldn't make this stuff up... luckily the writers of Degrassi can.
The great thing about the show is that, while other teen dramas like Vampire Diaries wait three seasons for two of their characters to kiss, Degrassi moves at a Coronation Street-like speed, often starting and finishing story lines before you can say Joey Jeremiah. For example, at the beginning of a recent episode, Anya and Owen hated each other, the next scene they are sleeping together and by the end of the 30-minute show, they were already dealing with Facebook rumours about their now committed relationship. The long and drawn-out story lines of Gossip Girl should take note.
Another example this season was when Drew and Bianca killed a would be rapist, they literally glazed over it during the next episode with a blinked and you missed it comment, "Remember when we went to trial over spring break?" It was terrific and reminiscent of a forgotten murder story line during the second season of Friday Night Lights.
I'm also a fan of how this show gets rid of characters that they no longer have a need for, (or get jobs on American shows.) Love them or hate them, every character gets the same non-existent sendoff. Who cares if you've been on the show for seven years, unless your character dies, Degrassi simply doesn't have time for a cheesy montage. At first it's jarring to see your favourites just disappear, but at the same time it's exciting... and I bet it keeps the actors on their toes too!
So how realistic is the show? Well it's not a documentary. It's been a while since I've been to Toronto but I'm fairly certain it has more than two restaurants. And the show's writer in residence Eli can whip up a play in two days. It's a feat that any writer, no matter the age, would be jealous of. But why let the unrealism bother you, I choose to think it all adds to the show's charm.
Degrassi has turned itself into a solid series, while also being a breeding ground for the next generation of successful Canadian actors. What may have started out as a high school crush has now turned into something different. Simply put, it's the best show on television this summer.
Mike Morrison is based in Calgary and writes Mike's Bloggity Blog. You can follow him on Twitter.
]]>Top Chef Canada Finale: Too Close to Call?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.8898992011-07-04T16:14:26-04:002011-09-03T05:12:02-04:00Mike Morrisonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrison/
But then, after seeing months and months of promo, I put down my Kraft Dinner, turned on my TV and watched the first episode of Top Chef Canada. Having avoided all the previous American versions, my reality-obsessed mind was intrigued by a show that didn't feature singers or dancers influenced by unfortunately-shaped stage parents.
I was immediately hooked. Week after week, Top Chef Canada delivered top-notch challenges, twists, intelligent judging and Thea Andrews. Seriously, you can never go wrong with Thea Andrews.
So now, we are down to the final three. Calgary's Connie DeSousa, Vancouver's Dale MacKay and Toronto's Rob Rossi will all compete tonight to win the first season of what has become Canada's best reality show.
The obvious question going into the finale is this: Who is going to win and, more importantly, is "GE Monogram Kitchen" the most dangerous drinking game of all time?
MacKay has reluctantly become the villain of the show. But since this is Canada, the worst this villain has ever done is swear a lot and sweat profusely. Out of the three finalists, he is certainly the least likable, even if he does mention his son any chance he can get. But just because you're mean, it doesn't mean you can't be a successful chef -- just ask any struggling actor/server who has to deal with them every day. Technically, Dale has been really creative, but if he won it would probably leave a bad taste in Canada's mouth.
Connie DeSousa seems to be the judges' favourite, but she's also struggled the most to get to Monday night's finale. Sure she's had some highs, but when she crashes, she tumbles, falls and limps her way into the next round, usually only to bounce back better than ever. It's her roller coaster of emotions that has added some depth to Top Chef Canada and made Connie the most fun to watch and root for. In such a male-dominated industry, it would be very Canadian for Connie to win. Luckily, she'll have earned it.
Rob Rossi's approach has been silent and deadly -- not like listeria, but in his ability to win challenges and not make a big deal about it. The mere fact that I had to look up his first name to write this, shows how subtle his tenure on Top Chef has been. But he's also technically the best; he won the first challenge and has gone on to win more elimination challenges than anyone else. So, in a perfect world, Rossi is the odds-on favourite to win. But would the producers let such a forgettable chef take home the crown? No one wants another Ryan Malcolm situation on their hands, do they?
The preview for this week's finale teases that the final decision is almost too close to call, and I agree. But if I had to choose, I'd have to say that Connie will go home with the top prize, but just by a sliver.