In the aftermath of the latest Top Chef Masters, viewers were left with one lingering question: The really boring lady won? Suzanne Tracht, an extremely successful chef/owner of two restaurants in the Southern California area, definitely deserved to win, but it was at the expense of two other talented chefs - Wylie Dufresne and Graham Elliot Bowles - who bring a lot more to the table (pun intended) than incredible food.

Unfortunately, Tracht differs from her cuisine in that she's unbelievably bland. Outside of her painfully forced interview moments, Tracht probably uttered five words the entire episode. Compare and contrast her performance with Bowles and Dufresne, and the entertainment factor wasn't even in the same galaxy. Bowles and Dufresne were constantly talking, ribbing each other (and the other chefs), and moving around, which made for some great fun.

"Top Chef" and other reality TV connoisseurs know that shows aren't immune to what I call "producer's picks" - when a much more compelling person is picked over the more deserving person for the sake of sheer entertainment - and it seems like this episode would've been a perfect time for one. We all know that the contestants on "Top Chef Masters" can cook, that's obvious, so would it be that big of a deal to spice the Final 6 up a bit? In my humble opinion, no.

Pictured: (l-r) Suzanne Tracht, Elizabeth Falkner, Wylie Dufresne, Graham Elliot Bowles -- © Bravo Photo: Kelsey McNeal

Let's flash back to season 5 of "Top Chef" for a second so we can take a peek at one of the great producer's picks in the show's history. It was episode 10 and there were seven contestants left, including the two clear audience favorites (for very different reasons), Fabio and Stefan. Both chefs bombed in the Elimination Challenge, and they were relegated to the bottom three with Jeff, who was popular and talented in his own right.

Anyone who watched this episode will remember that Fabio had, by far, the worst performance in the Elimination Challenge, but the producers were faced with their worst-case scenario: getting rid of one of the most popular contestants with too many episodes remaining. Guess what happened? Jeff was sent home because the producers were up against the wall.

Fabio lasted three more episodes and Stefan lasted four more, and season 5 was all the better for it. Poor Jeff was a scapegoat, but hey, that's showbiz!

Who knows, maybe Suzanne Tracht was just nervous during her first "Top Chef Masters" appearance and she'll end up being really witty and appealing when the champions round rolls around. But if it were up to me, I would've rigged it so Dufresne or Bowles made it through. Then again, maybe not all reality shows are scripted.

Naaaaaaaah...


Story by Phil McRae

Starpulse contributing writer

*If you like what you just read, follow Phil on Twitter!