it's bake off time again
Sep. 28th, 2021 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kindkitThe good thing about being a week late watching the first episode of Bake Off is that you can watch the second one immediately afterwards.
I've seen others note that the challenges seem easier this year, especially the technical, and I think that's both true and good. Last year they were so hard, with so little time to complete them, that nobody really performed at their best and a lot of folks had complete disasters. I much prefer watching a more reasonable challenge, with more people doing well. It's still easy to see the different skill levels.
My early prediction for finalists is: Jurgen, Giuseppe, and either Chrystelle or Chigs. It's interesting that both Jurgen and Giuseppe have science/engineering backgrounds: baking is very much about precision and organization, and they're bringing those skills. Jurgen is my emotional favorite right now, too; I like his calm competence and I like how quietly pleased he is when he does well.
Some other faves: Maggie (she's sweet, and I like that she's a solid home baker rather than a superstar; I wish she had competed back in S1 or S2 when she might have stood a chance of winning); Lizzie (hopeless baker but she's adorable); Rochida (likely to go home in the next couple of weeks, but lovely; I was so relieved when she did well in the second showstopper).
On the other hand, Freya gets right up my nose. I am trying to remind myself that she's only 19, and it's not her fault that she has rich parents who can keep her in show horses. I'm also telling myself that women get judged much more harshly than men about their voices and speech mannerisms, and so the fact that every word out of her mouth annoys me is unfair. And that not all vegans are unbearable about it. We'll see how much I can learn to tolerate her. She's a pretty good baker, though, especially since she is starting from the disadvantage of baking vegan.
Also not loving Chigs, which again is probably unfair, but he comes across as too slick and too confident behind a veil of false modesty.
The one I really couldn't stand, Tom, is already gone. I don't entirely know why I disliked him so much. But I have suspicions--GBBO does have a tendency to make the person who goes home in week 1 quite unlikeable. Dunno if they deliberately pick someone with weak skills and low charisma to take the fall (because otherwise, wouldn't we all feel terrible for the first one to leave?), or if they do it with selective editing, or both. I just know I had a instant reaction of not liking him, and mentally assigning him to the Nice Guy category on no evidence whatsoever.
And finally: how depressing is it that this is the second year of pandemic!Bake Off? Last year at this time, it already felt like the pandemic had gone on forever. And now here we are.
I've seen others note that the challenges seem easier this year, especially the technical, and I think that's both true and good. Last year they were so hard, with so little time to complete them, that nobody really performed at their best and a lot of folks had complete disasters. I much prefer watching a more reasonable challenge, with more people doing well. It's still easy to see the different skill levels.
My early prediction for finalists is: Jurgen, Giuseppe, and either Chrystelle or Chigs. It's interesting that both Jurgen and Giuseppe have science/engineering backgrounds: baking is very much about precision and organization, and they're bringing those skills. Jurgen is my emotional favorite right now, too; I like his calm competence and I like how quietly pleased he is when he does well.
Some other faves: Maggie (she's sweet, and I like that she's a solid home baker rather than a superstar; I wish she had competed back in S1 or S2 when she might have stood a chance of winning); Lizzie (hopeless baker but she's adorable); Rochida (likely to go home in the next couple of weeks, but lovely; I was so relieved when she did well in the second showstopper).
On the other hand, Freya gets right up my nose. I am trying to remind myself that she's only 19, and it's not her fault that she has rich parents who can keep her in show horses. I'm also telling myself that women get judged much more harshly than men about their voices and speech mannerisms, and so the fact that every word out of her mouth annoys me is unfair. And that not all vegans are unbearable about it. We'll see how much I can learn to tolerate her. She's a pretty good baker, though, especially since she is starting from the disadvantage of baking vegan.
Also not loving Chigs, which again is probably unfair, but he comes across as too slick and too confident behind a veil of false modesty.
The one I really couldn't stand, Tom, is already gone. I don't entirely know why I disliked him so much. But I have suspicions--GBBO does have a tendency to make the person who goes home in week 1 quite unlikeable. Dunno if they deliberately pick someone with weak skills and low charisma to take the fall (because otherwise, wouldn't we all feel terrible for the first one to leave?), or if they do it with selective editing, or both. I just know I had a instant reaction of not liking him, and mentally assigning him to the Nice Guy category on no evidence whatsoever.
And finally: how depressing is it that this is the second year of pandemic!Bake Off? Last year at this time, it already felt like the pandemic had gone on forever. And now here we are.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-29 12:20 pm (UTC)Are we there yet?
no subject
Date: 2021-09-30 12:03 am (UTC)2020 and 2021 have felt a lot like that.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-30 07:30 pm (UTC)