PowerRankings101's blog

The PowerRankings101's blog

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Hell's Kitchen S21 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 16) Sep 29, 2022: A new season of Hell’s Kitchen is amongst us, and since I wasn’t able to much (if any) research ahead of time, here are my thoughts on the chefs AFTER the signature dish challenge. I paused it directly after signature dishes, so these rankings will be based off first impressions from that.

18. Nicole Gomez- Nicole has first boot written all over her. The playboy mansion stuff doesn’t necessarily work against her, but the edit clearly made it out to be a joke, and her using pre-made pasta and canned tomatoes was the nail in the coffin. An awful dish that signifies that she is clearly the blue team’s weak link.

17. Ileana D’Silva- Her risotto was bad, but still scored a 2 not a 1, so I don’t know if that’s enough for me to feel the least bit confident in her. Unfortunately, I’m not that confident regardless because she was clearly a mess throughout the challenge and even came across as one of the most inexperienced in the small comments she made before they even started cooking. If there’s gonna be a first boot for the young squad, it’ll likely be her.

16. Sommer Sellers- Sommer had the weakest dish of the day next to Nicole, but still had a good enough winning presence to put her above someone like Ileana who just seems out of her element. I still have little faith in Sommer though. She talks about Atlantic City being close to home, but that is no indication of anything other than convenience.

15. Alyssa Osinga- Alyssa and Vlad are already butting heads from the opening challenge. Not a good sign, especially when she was clearly the weaker chef of the two.

14. Abe Sanchez- Abe’s dish wasn’t awful, but not great either. He was also shown in the preview arguing with someone on the OTHER team, which can’t bode well for his leadership chances. I just don’t feel too confident with Abe. He may survive a few weeks, but after that, I’m not so sure.

13. Billy Trudsoe- Billy has been shown in a lot of the preview, probably because of his personality. But I don’t know how much to read into that. This could mean he’s here for a while. Or, he’s a huge character for the small amount he IS there. I’m leaning toward the latter.

12. Alejandro Najar- Like Billy, Alejandro was on the preview a lot. But I don’t necessarily get any sort of strong vibes from him either way as a contender in this competition.

11. Brett Binniger-Schwartz- Brett didn’t blow me away, but he also didn’t disappoint. Of all his team members, he seems to stand out the least. All I remember about him is that he has pink hair. That doesn’t necessarily fare great on these rankings because I’m sure if he was the winner, he’d have a more impactful start.

10. Cheyenne Nichols- Cheyenne seemed to be an early contender until her dish was actually presented and seemed a bit lackluster. But in terms of teamwork and communication, I have a lot more faith in Cheyenne than a lot of other people on her team, so that’s the reason why I think she’ll make it a good portion of the way through the competition.

9. O’Shay Lolley- I didn’t know if the orange soda collard greens would be a hit or a miss. Clearly, it ended up scoring him lower. But his dish itself was good enough to still inspire enough confidence in me to put him higher up than some of his other team members.

8. Tara Ciannella- Tara has a great story and clearly knows how to cook. My only worry for her is how she’ll be when put into the high pressure kitchen environment. If she can ace that, she’ll be much higher on the list next week.

7. Charlene Sherman- We didn’t see nearly enough of Charlene, but from what I saw, I liked her energy. Her dish got a big ol’ 4, which is a good sign. One of the strongest blue team members.

6. Mindy Livengood- Mindy, like Charlene, wasn’t a huge focus, but put up a good dish. So she remains right about in the same spot.

5. Vlad Brianstev- Vlad is a team player, but may just be a tad TOO eager to the point where he’s already getting on people’s nerves. But the kid can cook, and that’s why I think he’ll be here pretty deep into the season, even if he ends up being a villain figure.

4. Alex Belew- Alex started with a strong 5 for his salmon dish. Alex seems like a super humble guy, and very likable. My heart broke when he talked about losing his restaurant due to covid, and I do see that being a big storyline for him this season. I’m confident right now that he’ll be an early frontrunner, and may be there for black jackets (though it’s a tad too early to fully tell if he’s got that killer instinct)

3. Sakari Smithwick- Sakari clearly stood out as the favorite after this first challenge, since his dish got his team the win. That being said, the frontrunner sometimes loses steam as the season goes on, which is why I keep him just short of the final two. He’s still super promising, though.

2. Dafne Mejia- Dafne is a sleeper to win. She was a huge focus on the cooking side of things, impressing Chef Christina with her Italian roots, and getting a bunch of confessionals speaking to the camera. But when it came to tasting her dish, her signature dish segment was brushed through a bit quickly, making me a little less confident in her WINNING chances. But for all the red team members, she definitely screamed “front runner” for me. She’d be my winner pick had she had more of a focus when actually presenting her dish to Chef Ramsay.

1. Zeus Gordiany- Zeus is immediately a favorite of mine. He came out the gate strong with a great comment about being “young at heart.” As an executive chef, he’s clearly got more experience than mostly anyone, and his dish proved to be strong. Serving Chef Ramsay Bangers & Mash is a risk, and he pulled it off. I have no idea if old or young will prevail, but the guy who claims he’s an old guy with a young soul may just have the balance to win it all.

It’s WAY too early to get a full grasp on any of this. But I do think, judging by these signature dishes, I am super confident in my top 5 to do well. As for a winner pick, I’m going with the person who has the spark AND the experience.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Nicole Gomez; Points: 11 0 comments
The Amazing Race S34 Power Rankings (Top 11) Sep 28, 2022: I will catch up on these rankings soon, but here is my ranking before episode 2

11th Rich and Dom (Motivational Speakers)
10th Aubrey and David (Ballroom Dancers)
9th- Tim and Rex (Golf Buddies)
8th- Marcus and Michael (Military Brothers)
7th- Abby and Will (Childhood Sweethearts)
6th- Luis and Michelle (Married)
5th- Linton and Sharik (Father and Daughter)
4th Emily and Molly (long Lost twins)
3rd Glenda and Lumumba (Newlyweds)
2nd Quinton and Mattie (Former NFL Cheerleaders)
1st Derek and Claire (Dating); Points: 0 0 comments
Survivor S43 Power Rankings (Top 17) Sep 28, 2022: I will post full rankings later. This is in order of how safe they are going into THIS episode

17th- Jeanine
16th- Dwight
15th- Geo
14th- Justine
13th- Noelle
12th- Cody
11th- Sami
10th- Owen
9th- Nneka
8th- James
7th- Ryan
6th- Cassidy
5th- Lindsay
4th- Elie
3rd- Jesse
2nd- Karla
1st- Gabler

For a breakdown of these rankings, check out my show RECIPE FOR REALITY (and please subscribe to help it grow!); Points: 0 0 comments
Dancing With The Stars S31 Power Rankings (Round 1) Sep 26, 2022: I’m so excited that Dancing is back AND without commercials. I’m hype. Let’s rank these first performances from an incredibly talented bunch of stars. A reminder, I will be giving my own personal score, but my dance training is strictly in musical theatre and not ballroom, so I can’t say that I’m 100% an expert. But alas, here we go.

16. Jason Lewis and Peta Murgatroyd- Oh this was bad. Rarely do America get it right on the first go, but they definitely chose the right bottom 2 (resulting in the right elimination on the judges part). The worst part of this dance wasn’t even the lack of technique or missed steps…it was the lack of any enthusiasm whatsoever. Vinny getting the worst score for having a BLAST when this guy walked around like a zombie just wasn’t the right call. I like the guy, but he ain’t a dancer, and unfortunately, we won’t get to see any sort of potential there may have been. My Score: 3

15. Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov- Poor Pasha was the second boot two seasons in a row (Carole Baskin, then Christine Chiu. I hope the same doesn’t happen here, but honestly…it may be likely. She clearly tried her best, but it definitely felt VERY disoriented and way too simple. Please give Pasha a great partner next year, please! My Score: 4

14. Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki- I’ll admit, I may have blinders on because I grew up with Jersey Shore (both the show and the place), but this was NOT the worst of the night. Sure, it lacked some technique and there were moments Vinny seemingly forgot what he was doing. BUT, you could tell he definitely had a presence and was clearly having a good time. For the first week of dancing, this is about what I expected for Vinny. I hope he improves, because his fan base should keep him around for at least a few weeks. My Score: 4

13. Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvinstev- I don’t know much about the D’Amelio sisters, but I certainly don’t know anything about their mom. Heidi did a fine job, hitting most of the steps and showing a good confidence. But everything felt just a bit tame and restrained. Maybe it was the tempo of the song, but I just felt like it lacked some oomph. My Score: 5

12. Cheryl Laad and Louis Van Amstel- Not gonna lie, it made me emotional to see Louis back. Cheryl is 71, but you’d NEVER know. She moves so well, and way better than even some of the younger competitors in this competition. It was pretty slow, but given her age and her experience, she hit a lot of the technique with some great precision and gave one of the cleanest cha-cha-chas of the night. How she’ll do with a faster dance, I’m not so sure, but this is a much better start than I expected. My Score: 5

11. Jessie James Decker and Alan Bersten- I don’t know much about Jessie’s work, but I do think she’s already poised to do well given the appeal to Southern voters and country fans (something we’ve seen in recent years of American Idol as well, country stars go a long way). Whereas I thought Heidi’s and Cheryl’s songs seemed a tad under tempo, this one seemed way too fast, so her technique went out the window often. But I thought she did a good job performance wise. Nothing spectacular, but she clearly shows sparks of something promising. She needs a bit more restraint and she could be a real contender. My Score: 5

10. Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke- I immediately pegged this guy for the first boot of the season just looking at the cast announcement. And I’m happy to say I was wrong, because Sam is a delight. The steps weren’t all there (the arms even more so), but the pure joy and grace on the dance floor was so pleasant to see. I expected stormy weather, but instead, I got a soft breeze on a sunny day. My Score: 5 5 10

9. Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater- Given how freaking terrified this guy was, I was happy to say that he did a fairly good job! The quickstep is not a dance anyone should get on the first night, and he actually kept up really well. Did he need some refinement and a little less terror on his face? Yes. But this was technically one of the hardest dances of the night, and I think he brought his best self to it. My Score: 6

8. Joseph Baena and Daniella Karagach- “You may also know my father Arnold Schwarzenegger” LOL, hmm I may have heard of him. If anyone can transform Joseph into a ballroom dancer, it’s Daniella. Her track record is amazing, with Nelly making the finals and Iman winning it all. This wasn’t the BEST first dance as it was a tad too heavy (expected given his muscle mass), but I think she could really transform him if given the time and imagination (and votes), because the actual pacing and energy is there. My Score: 6

7. Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong- I am so excited to see Jordin dance, since her season of American Idol was the first I had ever watched! There was a little bit of flow missing between steps here, but ultimately, I really enjoyed Jordin’s first dance. She had a great confidence on the dance floor, and the actual cha cha steps were very clean and noticeable. A solid start, despite not being completely wowed. My Score: 6 8 14

6. Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart- I am blown away. Sure, some of the moves were a little choppy (the Frankenstein I call it), but given his deafness and this being the first dance…I am blown away. I cannot wait to see him grow. This starting score may be low, but that just shows how much room he has to grow (which is so exciting). My Score: 6

5. Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy- Aw this was sweet. I love Gabby and I’m glad to see her have some fun after two very stressful seasons of Bachelor and Bachelorette. I love her technique, but I do think for the jive specifically, she needed a tad more bounce as this was surprisingly a tad too grounded. But that’s just a nitpick. As for precision, this was as precise as it came and left me beaming the entire time. My Score: 7

4. Wayne Brady and Witney Carson- Wayne was my pre-season winner pick, and yep, I’m pretty happy with that. Wayne killed this first dance. His Broadway experience may be the reason he’s such a natural, but the theatre world is certainly a big difference from ballroom. Luckily, Wayne is already showing glimpses of brilliance in transition. I’d probably give this an 8 as an overall dance, but the actual cha-cha content was a tad hidden by some other moments. My Score: 7

3. Shangela and Gleb Savchenko- I thought this was an INCREDIBLE start for Shangela. Bravo for Gleb for making history here on the ballroom again. This had precision, oomph, power, and TECHNIQUE! But ultimately, it also never lost sight of entertainment. I honestly don’t have many complaints aside from the fact that it needed a tad more refinement despite nailing a lot of the sequencing and showomanship. My Score: 8

2. Selma Blair and Sasha Farber- I was a weepy mess after this dance. Week one, and Selma is already delivering SO much grace and dignity. The footwork was great, the extensions in both arms and legs so beautiful. She is a true fighting spirit, and proves that ANYONE can dance at any point in their life in any way, shape, or form. That final move on the floor was the best of the night, wow. It was a truly special moment, and I cannot applaud her enough. My Score: 8

1. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas- I do think I’m going to be a bit harder on Charli this season because she has built her fame on dancing (TikTok is different than ballroom, but still…). That being said, even with the expectations, she STILL blew me away. She not only showed great charisma and power, but from the very first moment and that turn, she showed she had actual technical ability that exceeded the TikTok stratosphere. I am so excited to see how she evolves, though this is a VERY high starting point. Easily the best dance of the night from a sheer technical standpoint, and I can’t help but put it at the top. My Score: 8

This was tough to rank considering how many promising dancers we have, but it seems that my top 5 is lock step with the judges with Charli, Selma, Wayne, Gabby, and Shangela at the top. Right behind are Jordin and Daniel. I think any of those 7 have the potential to take it all, but as last season proved, there are definitely dark horses that could come through and surprise. As for who goes home next, the obvious pick is Teresa given she was in the bottom again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a faster dance style puts someone like Sam or Cheryl in the bottom as well. I still lean Teresa.

MY PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov; Points: 8 0 comments
The Amazing Race S34 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 12) Sep 21, 2022: I will catch up on these rankings soon, but here is my ranking before the season begins

12th Linton and Sharik (Father and Daughter)
11th Tim and Rex (Golf Buddies)
10th Rich and Dom (Motivational Speakers)
9th Marcus and Michael (Military Brothers)
8th Emily and Molly (long Lost twins)
7th Aastha and Nina (Engaged)
6th Aubrey and David (Ballroom Dancers)
5th Glenda and Lumumba (Newlyweds)
4th Abby and Will (Childhood Sweethearts)
3rd Luis and Michelle (Married)
2nd Quinton and Mattie (Former NFL Cheerleaders)
1st Derek and Claire (Dating); Points: 16 0 comments
Survivor S43 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 18) Sep 21, 2022: I have LOTS to catch up on, but I wanted to drop these rankings before the season begins. I will post full rankings later

18th- Lindsay
17th- Sami
16th- Morriah
15th- Nneka
14th- Jeanine
13th- James
12th- Noelle
11th- Cody
10th- Gabler
9th- Ryan
8th- Justine
7th- Elie
6th- Dwight
5th- Geo
4th- Jesse
3rd- Cassidy
2nd- Karla
1st- Owen

For a breakdown of these rankings, check out my show RECIPE FOR REALITY (and please subscribe to help it grow!); Points: 27 0 comments

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PowerRankings101's blog

The PowerRankings101's blog

1234...160 Posts 960 posts

1 2 3 4...160
Posts 960 posts