'Top Chef: Just Desserts': Seth crumbles like a French apple pie crust

Things started off hunky-dory in the "Top Chef" kitchen, the peppy pastry chefs and bakers prepping desserts fashioned from old school penny candy for the quickfire. Then the nitrogen ran out and Seth dropped the bomb. His passion fruit vanilla sorbet wouldn't freeze, and he completely lost it like a kid denied in a candy store. Granted, the guy's mom is going through some serious health issues, but it's a bit early in the competition to be totally worn down.

The contestants awkwardly mused at his breakdown until Citizen Cake's Elizabeth Falkner, who was on set as a guest judge, stepped in to calm him down with a pep talk. Seth had started out really strong with his Southeast Asian-inspired desserts in the first episode, but is buckling under the pressure.

Our local pastry chef Danielle Keene ended up winning the penny candy quickfire with one of my favorite childhood desserts, a dirt cup with gummy worms, closely trailed by Heather C's vanilla panna cotta with passion fruit candy gelée and Zach, who featured aniseed in both desserts of the night: the first a chocolate and sour cream Ho Ho with red hot cream cheese filling and a black licorice coulis made with Pernod, and for the elimination, a play on a Jägerbomb made with dark chocolate malt cake with Benedictine cremeux.

The contestants headed to Mark Peel's Tar Pit  for the elimination, where they were given the challenge of creating confections inspired by cocktails. This is where I almost had my own breakdown; between the dirt cups, margarita bombes, tuiles and tarts, my sweet tooth was going into overdrive! I couldn't decide what I wanted more -- a cocktail or a coulis. (Guess that's where Alie & Georgia come in handy, huh?)

Peel had the contestants pick coasters with numbers, assigning them an order to go behind the bar and pillage ingredients for their desserts. Seth's bum luck left him last, and what ensued was not pretty. The bar's well was absent of the grapefruit juice he needed for his dessert, and he freaked out, going off like a loose cannon. 

The rest of the contestants were flustered, and the situation became even worse when Seth knocked  Zach's chocolate squares off the tiered tray and onto the floor. He seemed to be turning himself into a bit of a basket case. Maybe he just needs to sit back and take a taste of Erika's winning tequila-filled margarita bombe, which embraced the challenge, using all the elements of the original cocktail, including the salt, in a beautiful half sphere. Or maybe a slice of Eric's drunken Bourbon pineapple upside-down cake would do the trick?

Regardless of Seth's poor performance, it was Tim who was kicked off for the melty, chunky soup he called a basil granita. But I'm curious what you think about Seth's future on the show. Is his talent enough to pull him through, or will he crumble like a French apple pie crust?

-- Krista Simmons

Follow me on Twitter @kristasimmons

Photo courtesy of NBC UMV

Comments

[Mary D]

I agree with Adam Williams’ comments – I will have to stop watching this show if Seth is not sent home soon. Unlike Adam, I am a fan of several reality TV shows. I watch Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Chopped, Biggest Loser and others – not all of them every week but I like these shows. People sometimes behave poorly and even sometimes “lose it” on these shows. But there is something so immature, so juvenile in Seth’s behavior that he seems mentally unstable (very literally) and it’s uncomfortable to watch. There is nothing “dramatic” about it for me because it’s so far outside of normal adult behavior.

[Jake Weinberg]

We laughed so hard when Seth had a breakdown and his other "hetero" buddy soothed him like the little B he is. So hilarious-we expected him to powder Seth's insane bottom and give him a bottle.

I think it is absurd that the other contestants are subjugated to this crazy hot mess Seth for the sake of ratings. Not fair to them at all.

[Adam Wiiliams]

I am not generally a fan of reality shows, but I really enjoy Top Chef because I love food, and because this show has usually concentrated mostly on the cuisine, and has stayed away from "drama." Last weeks episode was the opposite, and I thought the show greatly suffered for it. I found it almost unwatchable. I understand that the quality of food should be the most important , if not only, factor in deciding who is eliminated. That said, Seth is not only a self-absorbed jerk, he seems to be genuinely unstable. When he was unable to promise the judges that he wouldn't melt down again, I thought that would be it for him. If the producers kept him on the show in hopes of further confrontations/embarrassing scenes, I think this is a huge mistake and hopefully does not signal a new trend for the show (god forbid). If Seth's juvenile behavior continues, and he is not sent home soon, I will unfortunately have to stop watching one of my favorite series, and wait until next year.

[David in Colorado]

How do the other contestants deal with Seth? He's a huge pain in the arse. Why, would they even keep this "cancerous personality" on the show? If he continues, I'll not watch this show - his antics aren't worth my time. Great article by the way.

[Nancy]

I feel that Seth emotional state is so fragile that he should have been sent home. I hope they are not keeping him on the show just to boost ratings. He need professional help

[Gail]

I think that Seth's talented but after last night, he's got to get it together and at least be nicer to his fellow contestants. His mother's health problems are serious but if he really wants to win, he needs to step up to the plate and change his attitude. I thought he should have been sent home, both because of his horrible behavior and bad dessert. God help us if he keeps acting this way.

[Dave in NoHo]

First, I want to point out that the crybaby is not one of the gay men on the show, and that last week, the other "heterosexual man" Morgan acted like a five-year old during the judging. Seth, unfortunately, is way beyond the categories we have usually put Top Chef contestants in. His problems are in Real Housewife territory -- Kelly Bensimon crazy, for instance. At this point, I don't think Seth is there for his "talent" but for his meltdown potential, and I haven't decided whether this is a good thing for the show or an immense distraction for the usual plot arc.

If the judges have any sense, he'll be gone next week.

[Aaron]

Wow what cry babies these chefs are! I'll tell you two places where crying should be banned: the kitchen and in my food. Both happen in this show. Good article like always.