‘Just Desserts’ recap: Ice cream, you scream. Contestants scream, ‘Get me out of here!’

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

What happened to the cast of ‘Just Desserts’ last night? At this rate, Bravo is going to have to bring in the cast of the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ to finish out the season, because everyone is leaving.

First came Seth, whose anxiety attack left him unfit to compete. Then came Malika, who offered to bow out at the judges table regardless of the fact that Gail Simmons said this was her best dessert yet.

Seth did throw up a few red flags in previous episodes: his manic reactions to stressors; his frantic running around the kitchen; and his instability in the stressful environment. Time and again, he caved like an improperly baked souffle, buckling under pressure and taking the fun out of the competition for the other contestants. When he left, you could see from the disguised smiles that everyone felt a cloud had been lifted. It was a bit sad because obviously the guy was struggling with some issues.

Maybe it was the same duress that fellow contestant Malika felt when she decided to make her exit. Throughout the past few episodes, she had emphasized that the competitive nature of the show had taken the joy out of cooking for her.

It seems as if the exacting, meditative craft of a pastry chef is a far cry from the frenetic pace of ‘Top Chef’ production, and the contestants are showing it.

Even Heather C., who was brought back to even out the teams of three for the elimination challenge, couldn’t wipe the sour look off her face despite being around such an abundance of dessert. She said she couldn’t handle being judged again, and I don’t blame her -- especially after she made that hideous pineapple and chocolate dessert.

Heather H., on the other hand, seemed to have had enough of all the emo attitude. She demonstrated her ability in contributing to the team’s grandiose showpiece, as well as putting together a plated chai-chocolate cake. But that dish fell short of Morgan’s mango panna cotta, perhaps because she’d overextended herself for the sake of the team.

At the judges table, Heather H. kept her lips sealed when Morgan -- who had won the ice cream sundae quickfire with an Oreo-mint-chocolate-chip sandwich and chocolate milk -- was announced as the winner.

But in the stew room it was a different story. Instead of acting like a cream puff, Heather sucked it up and told the other contestants that she refused to take one for the team again. Maybe the rest will follow suit.

-- Krista Simmons