Just when fans thought Top Chef couldn’t get more intense, Episode 13 of Season 22 brought one of the most frustrating eliminations of the season. The final four chefs were just one challenge away from heading to the grand finale in Milan, but not everyone made it.
That’s right – in a twist that left quite literally everyone confused, the judges threw in a gimmicky elimination round that felt more like a reality show stunt than a serious culinary test. As emotions ran high in the kitchen, it was an unlucky day for one chef who had to pack his knives and leave the competition. Let’s dive deeper to find out what went down in Top Chef Season 22, Episode 13.
Top Chef Episode 13 leaves fans frustrated with a gimmicky elimination before Milan
Episode 13 of Top Chef Season 22 was supposed to be exciting, as the final four chefs were heading to Milan, Italy. So, evidently, because of this, fans were expecting some serious cooking. However, instead of a solid challenge to decide the finalists, the show gave us one of the most confusing and gimmicky elimination rounds ever. That’s right – it felt less like a professional competition and more like a chaotic reality show twist.
If we talk about the episode, then it started off with a classic Top Chef favorite – risotto. But somehow, two chefs, namely César and Shuai, didn’t even cook actual risotto. They bent the rules and served dishes that left the judges puzzled and unimpressed. Meanwhile, Bailey played it safe, and Tristen stood out with his dish inspired by jollof rice.
Thus, he won the Quickfire Challenge and also a $15,000 cash prize. Till here, everything was still going nicely, but what happened after this left fans scratching their heads. Instead of a fair elimination challenge, Top Chef introduced a head-to-head cooking tournament. Here, each round had the chefs using ingredients like polenta, beets, and gorgonzola, while Olympic athletes (yes, actual Olympians) joined in as judges.
Now, this was messy and felt more like an awkward sponsorship plug than a serious culinary test. Moreover, the chefs even had to shop for ingredients with these athletes, who then voted for the people they had just met. It just didn’t feel right for a challenge that was supposed to decide who gets to compete in the finale.
Despite all the chaos, Tristen and Shuai secured their spots with strong dishes. Even Bailey, who was under pressure, managed to win the final round with a gorgonzola brulée.
Sadly, it was César who was sent home after taking a risk that didn’t pay off. Final thoughts here would be that Episode 13 had all the right ingredients for a great pre-finale showdown, but the unnecessary Olympic tie-in and clunky format took away from the food.
It’s an emotional farewell for César Murillo
The first part of the two-part finale of Season 22 of Top Chef aired on June 5, and it was quite emotional, to say the least. While fans were still reeling over Massimo, the show delivered another solid punch when César Murillo was eliminated in Episode 13. Here, he made a butternut squash casserole with gorgonzola and sage pesto in the final elimination challenge.
While his dish had good flavors, the judges felt it didn’t highlight the ingredient enough. That small detail ended up making a big difference in the competition. In the end, it was Kristen Kish who announced that it was César who had to pack his knives and go.
After his elimination, César shared how proud he felt about his journey. Well, fans think so as well, given that he was eliminated in Episode 9 of the show but fought his way back after defeating Katianna Hong in the Last Chance Kitchen. César added in the episode:
I got to see myself grow as a person and as a chef. The part that I’m bummed out about, I was just one more away from, like, the final cook. I just wanted that one more.
After his elimination, the final three chefs – namely Bailey, Shuai, and Tristen- are moving ahead. Now, we need to watch out for June 12 to see who the ultimate winner of Top Chef Season 22 will be.
Finale Part 2 of Top Chef Season 22 is set to premiere on June 12 on Bravo TV (USA).
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