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Top Chef S17 Power Rankings (Top 11)

Apr 16, 2020 by PowerRankings101

In a Trolls inspired quick fire, we saw Gregory win (his second of the season), and then in the Elimination challenge, we saw Malarkey and Lee Anne going head to head, with Lisa getting eliminated for her inconsistent brussels sprouts. It was quite the episode, with some of the most beautiful quick fire dishes I’ve ever seen, and a stunning elimination challenge menu from the blue team. Let’s see where these contestants rank.

11. Lee Anne Wong- Lee Anne was guilty by association with Malarkey for cooking a dish too similar to the first course. Lee Anne’s cooking wasn’t even terrible, but didn’t mesh well with the menu. I noticed that Lee Anne really doesn’t play as well in teams, and I hope an individual challenge is on the horizon so Lee Anne can show people what she’s got. But right now, there’s just nobody else that could possibly take the bottom spot right now. She’s been on the bottom of almost every challenge. I just can’t ignore that.

10. Brian Malarkey- Brian made burrata with tomato….it’s a pretty simple dish, and it seems like the judges knocked the simplicity of it too. I can’t tell if we’re set for a Malarkey downfall soon, or if Brian will continue to be the season’s big villain all season (considering the other contestants don’t speak villain to me at all). I’m gonna assume they’ll keep around Brian until he royally screws up, which is a bummer, but you need someone to root against in Top Chef. He’s not a bad guy, but he is definitely bursting with ego, and it isn’t meshing well with the rest of the cast.

9. Jennifer Carroll- Jen seemed to be a bit frazzled in the kitchen, and her dish wasn’t very refined. I was worried we were going to see the “All-Stars NY Jen” in the kitchen, and was incredibly scared for it. But we didn’t. I think Jen has matured, and while her dishes aren’t the prettiest or don’t stand out the most, I think she’s nailing the flavors. I still put her lower just because she seemed to struggle a bit this week, but I don’t think she’s in too much danger as long as Malarkey and Lee Anne are still there.

8. Karen Akunowicz- Karen got back in the game this week, putting up a really delicious pasta dish with vibrant colors. I am only *slightly* worried, because we got lots of personal content for Karen with her partner and her Kelly Clarkson attachment. I’m hoping it was only because Kelly Clarkson was there, and this doesn’t mean she’ll be going home soon. We saw with Angelo that he got tons of personal content and went home the next episode, whereas Kevin got a bunch of personal content and managed to win the next challenge. So it’s a toss up. But I think Karen is okay.

7. Nini Nguyen- Nini nailed the dessert, as she did plenty of times on her past season. She always balances simplicity and elegance perfectly, and I think she’s really emerging as an underdog contender. She was one of the better dishes on the losing team, and definitely ended the rough red team’s meal on a high note. I subtract some points for her pretty rough gnocchi in the quick fire.

6. Bryan Voltaggio- Bryan’s beet dish was another standout on a losing team. He seems to be doing really well, but isn’t getting the plethora of screen time I expected from him. I think he’s still cruising his way to the finale unless he royally messes up. Another slight subtraction for the quick fire ceviche.

5. Stephanie Cmar- Stephanie had the misfortune of being the best on the worst team. Her dish was absolutely flawless, and the judges even acknowledged how good it was. She was just on a bad team that was a sinking ship from the beginning, and like Bryan and Nini, she doesn’t deserve any slack for Lisa, Malarkey, and Lee Anne’s poor performance in the challenge. I think she’s definitely improving since her Indian nacho misfire, and she’s on her way to bouncing back and finally putting out some win-worthy food. And also like Bryan and Nini, a slight demotion from the top of the rankings because of her quick fire dish that was simply too sweet.

4. Kevin Gillespie- Kevin was back on the positive train this week, neither winning nor being singled out as the “glad you had immunity, cause you would have went home” guy. Kevin did well this week, and while I think there are some cooks outshining him a bit in this early stage, I still think he’ll go deep.

3. Eric Adjepong- Eric’s dessert was refined and complex. I think Eric always pushes the envelope and produces some really fascinating, never-before-seen techniques in his cooking. Definitely one of the top dogs to beat, right there with Gregory and Melissa.

2. Gregory Gordet- Gregory can really do no wrong right now. He won the quick fire, and continues to get nothing but praise for his elimination dishes. I do not think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Melissa King- Melissa won her second elimination challenge in a row! She is absolutely dominating the competition right now. Sure, Gregory and Kevin have won a bunch too, but Melissa won two of the elimination challenges, which are significantly more difficult than the quick fires. Melissa is the one to beat right now. Who would’ve thought?

By statistics this season, it seems that Melissa, Gregory, and Kevin have won the most challenges, and should be the contenders. I also put Eric in there because he has put forward two amazing dishes in these past elimination challenges. As for the rest, we have people like Stephanie, Bryan, and Nini, who I think are solid contenders, but were on the losing team. And then we have people like Karen and Jen who were on the WINNING team, but have had some warning signs in their edits. I still think the two obvious people on the bottom are Lee Anne and Malarkey, and one of them should be going home this week. I’d hope for Malarkey, but for the sake of shaking things up on this ranking, I’d like Lee Anne to go so someone else can take the bottom spot.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Lee Anne Wong

#casting

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Stats:

1. Melissa —
2. Gregory (+2)
3. Eric (-1)
4. Kevin (+4)
5. Stephanie (+2)
6. Bryan (-3)
7. Nini (-1)
8. Karen (+2)
9. Jennifer —
10. Brian (-5)
11. Lee Anne (+1)

Biggest Rise: Kevin (+4)
Biggest Drop: Brian (-5)

Sent by PowerRankings101,Apr 16, 2020

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Top Chef S17 Power Rankings (Top 11)

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