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Great British Bake-off: The Final

512 replies

StrangerintheNight · 10/10/2012 14:47

Just typed out a very excitable post only to find the previous thread, on which I was an avid lurker, had exceeded it's capacity. So if you don't mind, I'll start the overflow thread in the lead up to the Grand Final.

OP posts:
drjohnsonscat · 17/10/2012 12:11

Gosh I thought Brendan created some amazing, beautiful things. That gingerbread house... I don't know how James got away with making his a derelict barn! And anyway, John should have won that week for the coliseum.

I liked John the best but I really thought Brendan should have won for most consistency and making the most beautiful things every week. I also didn't like the choux bicycle that James made. But somehow he seemed to get extra points for slightly duffed up creations.

Agree about "the journey" element to it. Did it really sway Mary and Paul that John had the most heartstrings-plucking back story? Hope not but it seemed that way.

BTW I am obsessed with Mary and Paul's blue eyes. Are they wearing contacts or is there a special filter on the camera? One week everyone (inc Danny) seemed to have amazing blue eyes.

Loved this programme - so much more interesting than masterchef. Better, more interesting judges. More ability for the viewer to judge (by the look) who is really skilled and who isn't . Also I love cakes - much more than pan-fried scallops with a samphire puree.

marshmallowpies · 17/10/2012 12:12

I'm feeling a bit guilty about being anti-Brendan now, when you bear in mind his apparent 'arrogance' and keenness to win were perhaps all down to the way it was edited. Hmm.

And yes, James's choux bike was a mess. It may have been skilfully made but it didn't look like it would be nice to eat.

Just realised the bus I'm on is taking me past Patisserie Valerie. Damn you, GBBO.

squoosh · 17/10/2012 12:14

Oh and I'm so glad Brendan has a lovely partner. Thought he was quite dry and funny, and good looking! I wonder if he has to make the tea and biscuits for when all the Buddhists come around for a chant.

Jins · 17/10/2012 12:15

There's only so much you can do with editing. He did actually say those things.

They all must have been keen to win

Tailtwister · 17/10/2012 12:18

I did feel that Brendan should have won. He was far more consistent and produced a lovely chiffon cake at the end. I do wonder if they considered the long term impact for the winner. John wanted to make a career of it and winning could really give him an advantage. The same cannot be said for James and Brendan.

I was surprised John won, but glad James didn't.

squoosh · 17/10/2012 12:20

He did actually say those things

And why wouldn't he, he was confident in his abilities. False modesty is what makes me gag.

hiviolet · 17/10/2012 12:27

Don't see what the big deal is about Brendan being honest. He knew his creations were good, he wanted to win and he said so. He strikes me as a straightforward kind of man.

I far prefer that to Cathryn's "oh I'm so rubbish I'm so rubbish... what do you MEAN you don't like it?" fake insecurity. I did warm to her eventually but I HATE people who fish for compliments like that.

Jins · 17/10/2012 12:32

He was honest insofar as he saw things, yes. MB said he'd burnt his pithivier. I could see he'd burnt his pithivier.

What did he give himself? 10/10 Grin

Anyway I'm happy - he didn't win

flippinada · 17/10/2012 12:35

Really interesting reading what everyone thinks about this!

Obviously the one thing we can't do is 'taste' the stuff they make so maybe John's had the edge taste wise although personally, I'm not keen on over-rich chocolatey stuff so would have preferred Brendan's. It's not down to me though - obviously :).

hiviolet - agree with the false modesty thing from Cathryn. Producing stuff that was obviously good and then flapping about how ooh isn't this awful, I've messed it up etc.

And the arguing.... I read something written by Edd Kimber and one of his top tips was don't argue with Paul. Remember when he didn't like her sponge puddings and she argued back and gave him such an evil look?

janesnowdon1 · 17/10/2012 12:37

Hiviolent - I agree. I watched the series with my 3 teenage dd's and they all recognised the Catherine type and did not warm to her. They also thought she would be a scary mum if you displeased her.

We were all rooting for Brendan - he was so small and self contained and sweet. He just wanted to do really well - as they all did. We were shocked at John winning as others have said either he or Sarah Jane was going the week he fortuitously sliced his hand - I thought he was was uber competitive and that James "oh no.. I've just made it up"" was very false.

My DD's felt it was the same as school - the good looking popular kid triumphs over the consistent, hard worker when the teacher is judging.

John was on for (and got) a first in law- I don't see what is so sad about his backstory (that must have made his mum proud)

Gutted

squoosh · 17/10/2012 12:39

I suppose John was lucky he was such a consistent performer . . . . oh, no, actually . . . . . . .

Jins · 17/10/2012 12:44

Look at the previous winners. Neither of them were consistent. What they showed was flair, talent and originality.

Brendan has none of those. He's a very good baker. I'm sure we'd all be delighted to eat anything he made. Would we buy his books? Probably not. Marguerite Patten's done it all already.

If Danny couldn't win I was happy with either James or John. On the night John demonstrated a number of skills that just weren't shown by the others. I'm happy with the result

flippinada · 17/10/2012 12:45

I was gutted for Brendan too.

I reckon John got it because of the media friendly thing too..(not that he isn't a very talented baker cos he wouldn't have won otherwise). He's good looking, engaging, also you can imagine him doing chat shows and promoting stuff and whatnot whereas Brendan probably wouldn't.

Also found myself being pleased James didn't win, which surprised me.

squoosh · 17/10/2012 12:56

Brendan was indeed royally robbed.

He just wasn't young or pretty enough. I would definitely buy his book if he got the chance to publish one.

DyeInTheEar · 17/10/2012 12:56

I really like Bredan

ppeatfruit · 17/10/2012 13:06

Agree with Jins.

VolumeOfACone · 17/10/2012 14:13

James clearly didn't care as much as the other two - a cake baked with love and passion is going to taste the best when you crank up the pressure. That's why John and Brendan had the edge in the final.
Really pleased - and surprised - John won though. I did feel sorry for Brendan, who I thought had it in the bag, but on the day I guess he was just pipped to the post.
John's pie thing had a better bake than Brendan's and his last cake was stunning. You have to judge it on the final, or what's the point having a final?!

Well done John!

LittleAbruzzenBear · 17/10/2012 14:14

Although I never warmed to Brendan, I do agree with the comments on Cathryn too, the whole 'little ole me', little voice type. I did like Danny and would have preferred to see her in the final than Brendan. I think sometimes John didn't have the confidence in himself, going back to his Mum thinking he should be a lawyer, not a baker, but when he was on it, he really was and was fab. I loved James and his experimentation, but John was better overall in the end. Brendan was good at baking like an old auntie who makes fab 70's cakes, but GBBO is more than that. We also have to remember that MB and PH are the experts and are going on taste and appearance, not 'stories'.

wintera · 17/10/2012 16:04

Did anyone see John on the north west news? He said it is purely based on that weekend's work, the only time they consider past work is when Paul and Mary are in a deadlock and can't decide between people. John just had a particularly good week when it counted the most. And James had a particularly awful week. Paul and Mary said it came down to the showstopper in the end and John's just edged it.

I don't know why everyone seems so surprised that they judge it on that weekend's work, its been like that all the way through. That's why Ryan got star baker that week he made the key lime pie, that's why Cathryn went when she had that really crap week. If you think of it, she'd been pretty good up till then.

I totally understand the Brendan fans being pissed off on here as his work was consistently good, if anyone was robbed it was him. But I liked John, and if it was down to that week then he deserved it. There's no possible way James was robbed as his work in the finale was shocking! The icing on that five cake showstopper was awful.

And I think some of you are being a bit off saying John had a sob story, if anything Brendan had a much better sob story so I don't think that had owt to do with it at all!

GwendolineScaryLacey · 17/10/2012 16:13

Is everyone mad? John's showstopper looked a sight. What the hell (no pun intended) was it meant to be? Anyone can stick a couple of cupcakes on top of a big cake. It showed no imagination at all. It must have tasted bloody wonderful, that's all because it looked shocking and he was nearly out on his ear a few times.

Brendan Woz Robbed!

bebumba · 17/10/2012 16:18

Really pleased that John won, I thought he had a great final. James obviously had a nightmare weekend and I thought that Brendans cake just looked messy. incidentally I loved Brendan until half way through the series when he just reminded me of Zippy from Rainbow ( older mners will know who I mean)and I couldn't get that image out of my head. Overall I thought it was a great series and can't wait for the next one.

wintera · 17/10/2012 16:23

Surely if you are going to use that rationale then Brendan's was just a cake on top of a cake with a few gingerbread men round the side?

Personally I loved both John's and Brendan's showstoppers and I thought both looked fantastic. Taste wise I would prefer John's as I love chocolate cake, I love lemon cake, and I also love coconut! Although I am aware that most people hate coconut with a passion. That's why I might have a crack at John's heaven and hell cake as its everything I love about cake in one cake basically.

GwendolineScaryLacey · 17/10/2012 16:26

But Brendan's cake looked nice, it was well presented. John's cake looked a bit of a mess and I couldn't get the concept.

coffeeinbed · 17/10/2012 16:29

I just don't see WTF anyone would stick gingerbread people on a cake.
In summer.
I get his story and family and whatnot, but it looked so wrong.
Mind you, cake looked lovely and utterly delicious once they sliced it.

squoosh · 17/10/2012 16:31

None of the cakes thrilled me and I did think 'showstoppers? really?'

John's was stylish looking but I don't think the two parts looked as though they fitted. The coconut things just looked liked they'd been accidentally plonked there.

Brendan's needed to be bigger and more 'wow' but the flavours appealed to me so much more. Also the thing he propped it on was too small.

James' cakes . . . . . well I don't what to say. The spec was to make 'a' cake, I know it went vvvvv wrong but I was annoyed tht he decided to cook 5 cakes in the first place.