Rant: Dear Bravo, Please Stop The Obvious Editing on Top Chef

Gee, I wonder who was going to pack their knives last night?

Honestly, I was going to do a Top Chef culinary recap today, but I'm just not feeling it, especially after last night's episode ("Capitol Grill") fell into the same trap that recent episodes of Top Chef have (which I bemoaned last week at length).

I understand that we're in the early rounds right now and there are still a lot of contestants to cover but I've officially had it with the editing on Top Chef this season as within five minutes of each episode beginning, it's painfully obvious to anyone who has ever watched a reality competition series just who will be getting eliminated that week.

Is Top Chef about more than just who packs their knives and who walks away the winner that week? Sure. It's a culinary-themed competition and as a voracious foodie, I love watching the chefs at work. But it also can't lose sight of the fact that it's also a reality competition series and that much of tension derived from such a format emanates from the fact that someone will be going home that week.

To erase that possibility by cheating attention to the eliminated party and focusing on them throughout the episode denies the viewer that hook. I'll still be watching Top Chef and likely writing about it but this week the continued trend just irked me to such a degree that I can't bring myself to actually discuss the, you know, food.

Magical Elves and Top Chef editors: please get it together and stop tipping your hand at the top of every installment. I'm begging you.

Next week on Top Chef ("Room Service"), the chefs are tasked with creating baby food for Padma's newborn baby; later, the chefs are tested on their hospitality service.