It was so nice to see Gail! She looked gorgeous. I think marriage agrees with her.

I wondered, too, if Carla was worried about affecting the texture/taste of the oysters by steaming them open. I love that she fried the beignets to order, as well. She made me so happy last night. She seemed so in her element.

She seemed so in her element.

Tom C said one the greatest things was not only that she did stuff to order, but that she was smiling all night and having a great time. I'm pulling for her almost as hard as I was pulling for Stephanie by the end of last season.

She has calmed down. She was the whackaloon in the beginning, and a little irritating, but she's chilled out and now is charmingly eccentric.

I wondered, too, if Carla was worried about affecting the texture/taste of the oysters by steaming them open.

She couldn't have poached them to order if she'd pre-steamed them, that's for sure.

I have to wonder how much of Carla's personality evolution is genuine and how much of it is editing. When you have a contestant who was doing poorly in the beginning but who you know will be in the finals, it's no big stretch to give them an arc for the audience to follow.

She was the whackaloon in the beginning, and a little irritating, but she's chilled out and now is charmingly eccentric.

I'm beginning to wonder if that was due to the editing. Granted, that can't account for the mind-boggling "made with love" defense she gave at one point, but I wonder if everyone thought she'd be sent home before now and so they tried to get maximum impact from her quotes.

Interesting that she seems to be doing better on her own than when she's worked with teams.

Heh, x-post with Jess.

Granted, that can't account for the mind-boggling "made with love" defense she gave at one point, but I wonder if everyone thought she'd be sent home before now and so they tried to get maximum impact from her quotes.

I think so.

Interesting that she seems to be doing better on her own than when she's worked with teams.

she doesn't assert herself well when she works with teams, to her detriment.

I wonder if everyone thought she'd be sent home before now and so they tried to get maximum impact from her quotes.

The editors know in advance who's going home when up through the finals (because the show is filmed up to that point months in advance). So they can pretty easily give Carla the Crazy Edit in the beginning and gradually transition into the Pulling Herself Together edit over time.

The editors know in advance who's going home when up through the finals

Ah. I wasn't sure how far ahead they were. I know there's a break before the finals, but I wasn't sure how long.

I also love that Carla's "made with love" stuff that got tempered down as she went actually turned up in results at the judging table. They commented on the care she put into her food, as well as on "soul" both of which are the ineffable elements that come up about this time in the season.

And it's something that Stefan lacks. So I really hope that Carla can pull it out in the end.

And I know, right, about Gail? I was grinning and waving at Gail on my teevee just about the same way Carla was grinning and waving at her in realtime.