No lack of crimp hre! GBBO 2020 thread 2

[lettingthedaysgoby]

Time for a new thread

So gutted for Hermine - all of hers had issues. The only time Laura was worse was technical.

End of the day, taste is the most important thing.

I've just watched it as I forgot yesterday.

I still think of Wednesday as 'Bake Off day', so I've missed a few episodes since it moved to Channel 4. Thank goodness Extra Slice is still on Fridays.

I really think Laura should have been the one to go this week. I know they are judged on the strength of that individual week, but she's been on the bottom pile for weeks now unfortunately.

I've not seen the comments on Twitter, but trolling her is not on. The judges decision is nothing to do with her.

Disagree with the decision by all means, but the nastiness towards Laura is awful and undeserved.

[quote HotSince63]Laura had to make an attempt to tidy up after herself last night, her mirror glaze was literally dripping off the counter, she scraped it into a receptacle which she then left on the worktop.

And when she was whining to Matt about the technical she wiped her face, ran her fingers through her hair, wiped her nose (all with her hands, not a tissue) and then continued to try and piece together her cornucopia without even washing her hands

It was a close call this week, but Hermine's bakes have never massively appealed to me, whereas the flavours Laura chooses are more my thing.

Peter was brilliant AS ALWAYS #superfan

Dave was ok. I'd have choked down a few of those chocolate cake things if someone held a gun to my head...

I don't have social media so don't know what has been said but dickheads and trolling put me off ever applying to do anything like GBBO. Also can't bake for shit but that's a minor issue.

But they don’t just base it on that week. Didn’t they keep Rahul in a few years back when he had an absolutely appalling week, based on how well he’d done previously?

I also think the producers have to take some credit/blame because they select what they show and emphasise and also what the voice overs are. With hindsight, I've probably been equating the sloppiness and mess with poor baking which seem to be a disservice to Laura now I'm thinking about it.

@AngeloMysterioso

But they don’t just base it on that week. Didn’t they keep Rahul in a few years back when he had an absolutely appalling week, based on how well he’d done previously?

Excellent point!

People are just being plain nasty to troll Laura though, poor woman.

@AngeloMysterioso

But they don’t just base it on that week. Didn’t they keep Rahul in a few years back when he had an absolutely appalling week, based on how well he’d done previously?

Wasn't that the week Manon didn't follow the brief? Rahul was bad but followed the rules.

If the two worst contestants in a round are equally bad, it would be fair enough for the judges to take previous weeks into consideration when deciding who goes. But that wasn’t the case here. Messy though they were, Laura’s bakes were clearly head and shoulders above Hermine’s. I felt really sorry for Hermine but she completely messed up her signature and show stopper.

I remember the Rahul scenario and the reason he stayed was that Manon (who went) didn’t fulfil the brief. I think it was Danish pastries and she just made something different! However good a baker is, it would hardly be fair to let them through when they haven’t fulfilled the task set.

I was so rooting for Hermine and I felt sorry for her but The judges make it clear that (apart from the couple of unusual circumstances I’ve just described) they will judge each round in its own right.
If this week had been the first round, nobody would have batted an eyelid at Hermine going as she was clearly the worst. So going by the judges’ criteria of taking each round as a separate entity - she had to go.
It might seem harsh, particularly in the final but the judges really are upfront about it.

Perfect Peter is by far the most consistently good baker but if he messes up in the final I can quite believe he won’t be crowned the winner

Palaver over a 'shock boot'. Twas always thus in Strictly
Supposed to be about who was best in the dance off but often bias wrt series overall used to come into play (saving Peter Andre over Jamelia springs to mind). It often still does.
Bake Off has always seemed more consistent in that way - you have a bad week, there's the door. We saw that with Sura. I was surprised that Hermine cocked it up but there's having a bad week and something being inedible.
As it is, you have 'perfect Peter', who has only had two dodgy weeks, 'rough diamond' Laura, who has only had two great weeks, 'J word' Dave, who has probably made the most progress overall.
Looking forward to the final.
Dave Friday (what a great name) as an armoured security guard makes me smile. I just looked up all their jobs again. Marc as a bronze resin sculptor - no wonder he was disappointed with the Bowie piece. I think my favourite this series was Linda. She was just so cheery.

@AngeloMysterioso

But they don’t just base it on that week. Didn’t they keep Rahul in a few years back when he had an absolutely appalling week, based on how well he’d done previously?

Yes, they did.

And it was wrong to do so - but if they do it conceit sets a precedent, and they should have done it again.

Laura was no better than Hermine this week. They were both weak, but Hermine on the whole is more consistent and a better baker.

I think my favourite this series was Linda. She was just so cheery.

She was, wasn't she? Not the best baker, but a lovely lady.

Glad Paul defended Laura (or the judging, to be more accurate,).

I enjoyed Noel previously, but I haven't liked some of his jokes this year. Is he getting bored? Did he rein himself in around Sandy in a way he doesn't around Matt? I'm okay with innuendo, but not around an uncomfortable amateur who is just trying to get in with their bake.

@murmurgam

Yes, surprised to see Laura stay. Her technical was awful whilst Hermine came second. I think they were fairly even across all 3 challenges yesterday so past performance should come into play and then there's no contest.

I don't think they were even across all 3 challenges. Hermine's rum babas were the wrong consistency and underbaked although they looked good. Laura's looked good, were the right consistency and tasted good.

On the show stopper Laura had a problem with the chocolate coating but the judges said they tasted lovely. Hermine's looked no better than Laura's and the judges said they did not taste good. They looked liked they would be chewy and with all the gelatine she used I bet they were

Did I imagine it or did they used to rank the technical?

Not sure if they’ve always ranked it, but certainly in recent years they have.

Agree 100% lynsey. Some people are clearly very upset on Hermine’s behalf (and I was sorry to see her go) but her rum babas and showstopper were dreadful. What would have been ridiculous would have been letting her through just because she’s been good in other rounds... Going by that process, why bother having rounds focusing on different skills- they might as well just see who looks good two or three rounds in and crown them there and then!

The Rahul situation has been discussed at length. He wasn’t saved over Manon unfairly. She made something different to the brief. Admittedly his Danish pastries weren’t great- but he made what they were asked to produce. Is anyone seriously suggesting that if the brief is to bake a Danish pastry and one person bakes something else which they know they’re good at (and which tastes nice) they should be saved over someone who doesn’t produce such a good result but has actually done the correct task?! I mean, you might as well not test specific skills- just have a free for all if you’re going down that route!

Meant to say signature challenge not technical

I dont remember the signature challenge being ranked?

@augustusglupe

ILoveYou3000 Yes The whole spirit of bake off has been ruined by some fools getting in a tis because their favourite has gone. How old are they? I feel so sorry for Laura. I see #BeKind lasted all of 2 minutes

Exactly.

It's a bit weird that one of the reasons people love Bake Off is because it's nice and cuddly, yet every year there's at least one person that some viewers hate on for the that series. Looks like Dave and Laura drew the short straw this year. It's disgusting that Laura is being trolled and I bet there's an element of fattism in there.

Hermine was not robbed. She failed really badly on the week that it mattered and when she had been built up as a strong contender. Laura's weren't great, but they were leaps ahead of Hermine. Did you not see the bounce on those showstopper cakes? Maybe it was nerves, but Laura held her nerve better than Laura did and Laura deserves some respect for that.

I should also say that I really wanted Hermine to win and thought she had a good chance. I said as much to a group I belong to about 2 hours before this week aired. Having to eat my words now, but that's ok.

I enjoyed Noel previously, but I haven't liked some of his jokes this year. Is he getting bored? Did he rein himself in around Sandy in a way he doesn't around Matt?

They're friends IRL and I think this has been more of a minus than a plus for their TV relationship. Things that are appropriate and funny between mates don't necessarily translate.

Caught up last night. Hermine, loved her, amazed at her jelly art work, wanted her to win, but she really messed up last night.

I find Noel and Matt ok, but my issue with them is that I get a sense they don't particularly like the food being produced- Noel particularly. Sometimes he even seems digusted by it. I might be being nostalgic, and I didn't think them infallible, but I'm sure Mel and Sue used to grab samples and seemed genuinely keen on the baking. I think Noel can't talk about food affectionately, so he distracts the bakers with random jokes. But surely the majority of the audience love baking? It makes some of their presenting inauthentic.
Remember when Mel used to go and delve into food history? She seemed genuinely interested.

And reading about Laura's treatment on twitter. I'm so angry about it. It's like people think these are cartoon characters. I watch very little entertainment TV, but Bake Off is safe escapism. For people to apply vicious Trumpian rhetoric to it...it's so depressing.

I thought after the Boris sketch than Matt would be hilarious, but he's been a bit disappointing.