This is not a typical post from me. I can’t even be bothered to find images to accompany this one. I almost never post about reality tv shows, though I am a fan of many of them. I detest anything with singing or dancing, but throw a bunch of people into a house and/or creative competition and I am almost certainly there.

Top Chef has remained one of the best produced, most interesting, and creative shows in this genre. All of that changed last night. This episode was, by far, the worst of the series (and that’s saying something since Hosea was once named the winner…). Washington DC is, of course, a political town. Top Chef, however, did not have to “go there” with the whole school lunch thing. If anyone, First Lady included, thinks they can abolish childhood obesity in a generation (or twelve), they are delusional. For Top Chef to pay such respect to such bull truly diminished the spirit of the show. When the cheftestants of the first season were charged with creating lunch for children using monkfish, they had FUN. The teams were still able to cook healthy food, but without the OMG!NO MONEY FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES pity party hanging over their heads. Even the kids in this episode seemed bored.

This season is off to a very slow start overall. I spent the first episode thinking, “Shut up, Tim, you big baby,” only to have him redeem himself (at least temporarily) in this episode. Maybe I just hated everything else so much that even Tim didn’t bother me. I don’t know. I’ve never turned against a show so quickly (not even Lost), and I am hoping that this isn’t the end for this fandom. Get back to doing what you do right, show!