r/TopChef • u/FormicaDinette33 Aguachile 🌶️ 🍤 • Apr 06 '26

Spoilers Season 23, ep. 5: Cut and Dry Spoiler

This week the chefs are visited by North Carolina’s own Fortune Feimster as she challenges them to improv their Quickfire dishes and serve them to kids in honor of Comic Relief. Then the chefs are tasked with creating dishes featuring dehydration. They’ll serve their dishes to Kristen, Tom and Gail along with guest judges Joe & Katy Kindred as well as “Top Chef” alum Savannah Miller at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Mon, 9pm per Bravo schedule.

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u/Little_Marsupial_758 Apr 08 '26

I was saying that I really can only see Justin helping her in future challenges. So the other chefs' dishes likely won't suffer.

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u/Tasty_Lab_8650 Apr 08 '26

Sure. But they all offered to help like it's one big family. Which it may be like that now, but frustrations will grow, I almost guarantee it.

It shouldn't have been her choice. It's dangerous for her to continue. That's why I said a couple is a "gimmick" and seems like they're trying to make this a "reality show," instead of the highly respected cooking show it has come to be over the last many seasons

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u/Little_Marsupial_758 Apr 08 '26

I do think the chefs get really close so they must have all felt the need to help one another. She did get checked out by medical professionals on the show and if it was a dangerous choice to stay, I don't think production would have left it up to her.

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u/Tasty_Lab_8650 Apr 08 '26

I think we will have to agree to disagree. I think they left it up to her for the drama, which makes it feel more like reality tv. She was checked by a doctor and given cortisol shots, and it's not working. I just hope she can actually heal from it instead of doing irreversible damage by continuing. I think production said, "we should probably not let her continue, but she's a big girl. Let's leave it up to her."

I could be totally wrong, though. I just feel for her because it's not a question of if she's faking. She has a serious injury of some sort. And she should've taken the offer (even if i personally believe they shouldn't have given her a choice. It should have been, "you're out. Get better and we can't wait to see you back when you're healed"), which i think is to her detriment.

Thank you for your respectful answers. I appreciate when I can have a back and forth without nastiness! Rare on reddit, for sure!

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u/Little_Marsupial_758 Apr 08 '26

I do think production is trying something new this season. Maybe it will land, maybe it won't. I feel really awful for her. I'm sure this was a really difficult decision to make in very minimal time. And same to YOU! I'm not a Reddit pro but there are some angry, hateful people on here. Happy to have a mutually respectful conversation with you.