This season of Food Network Star has been underwhelming because many of the contestants were boring and the format did not work. Other than the handful of finalists, I do not remember anyone’s name because most of the constants were instantly forgettable. As for the format, it managed to make Giada DeLaurentiis, Bobby Flay, and Alton Brown unlikable because they had just as much at stake as the contestants: they would produce the pilot of the winner, if the winner is on their team.

Last night’s episode of Food Network Star seemed rushed. It could have easily been extended to 90 minutes or split over 2 weeks because it contained to distinct situations. Each situation could have made a complete episode, but for some reason neither one got the time it deserved and both were compressed down to a half hour. The first 30 minutes saw the remaining 6 contestants shoot 30 second promos for their potential Food Network show.

Spoiler Alert

Of course, some of the promos were better than others. Team Alton dominated this challenge. If Justin wins the title of Food Network Star, he will definitely fill the void that was left when Good Eats ended. Martie was also excellent. While she is not my taste, I can see how people who love Paula Dean would love Martie. However, Martie really needs to stop saying “Martie with the Party” in every sentence. Her name is Martie. She likes parties. It rhymes. We get it. Now, please stop.

Giada’s team performed well, but paled in comparison. Ippy was one of my favorites, but he crashed and burned in his promo. Throughout the series, judges Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson have told Ippy to increase his energy on camera. Since he is a laid back Hawaiian, I did not find Ippy’s lack of energy to be a problem. Once Ippy says “I’m from Hawaii,” no one expects him to act like a New Yorker or a friendly southerner, which the network seems to prefer. However, Ippy’s promo was boring and almost put me to sleep. On the other hand, Yvan was warm and bubbly. You can tell he is really passionate about his family and family style food. I do not think Yvan will win the competition, but he definitely belongs on the show.

Team Bobby also produced good promos. Michele keeps reminding me of the singer P!nk, not that that is a bad thing. I like both. They are strong women who you do not want to mess with, yet can also seem like two of the nicest people ever. However, it really came across when Bobby told Michele that “You’re looking at the camera like it owes you money.” In her practice promos, Michele did have that expression on her face. Fortunately, the final promo was great. While I do not eat seafood, I would definitely like to see her get a show on the Food Network. The other member of Bobby’s team, Nikki, is still coming off as fake. Nikki’s overly polished. She is like a song run through auto-tune. It sounds good, but is completely artificial. Her time in the competition is definitely over.

The results of the first half of this episode were not surprising. Yvan and Michele were told they would be making pilots. However, Bob and Susie had a hard time choosing who would move go to the next round on Team Alton. The longer Susie waited to say the results, the more predictable they became. She was starting to cry and complain about how hard it was to choose between Martie and Justin. Finally, Susie announced Justin would get to make a pilot and then told Martie she would too. Bob and her just could not make a decision, so they left it to the viewers at home.

The last half of this episode of Food Network Star consisted entirely of the remaining four contestants’ pilots. While the pilots were good, they were also predictable. Justin is clearly Alton’s pet. He was allowed to use a clip of Good Eats in his pilot of Rebel with a Culinary Cause, which I thought was somewhat unfair, just to show he will break rules set by anyone, even his mentor. If the public does not get complacent and forget to vote for him because it thinks his win is a guarantee, Justin will probably win. Martie with the Party was a combination of Sandra Lee and Paula Dean. Martie’s good, but she brings nothing new to the table. Yvan’s pilot was Family Style. It was basically a male version of Martie with the Party. Like Marty, Yvan was surrounded by family and friends. Yes, it is very inviting, but it does not make for good television. Michele’s My New England provides a fun perspective on seafood because she goes out finds a popular version of a food and back to her kitchen to make her own version. While she has a winning personality, Michele’s show is a lot like Tyler’s Ultimate, which has not been seen on the Food Network in years. I like Michele and liked Tyler’s Ultimate, but there has to be a reason why no other show like it currently airs on the network.

Justin or Marty will probably win. Team Alton had some of the strongest contenders this year, but I really like Michele and hopes she gets a career in television after the season is over. Yvan seems like a nice guy, but I do not think he has what it takes to host a show and keep an audience.