Masterchef Canada Recap, episode 8: “I’m not sure if this is Masterchef Canada or Top Gun

Masterchef Canada Recap, episode 8: “I’m not sure if this is Masterchef Canada or Top Gun

Masterchef-Canada-Contestants-8Last night’s episode was excellent for two main reasons: (1) inter-contestant sparring was an an all-time high; and (2) the usually impeccably groomed Michael Bonacini spent half the show sauntering around in a giant army-green onesie. Here, three takeaways from episode eight.

Lesson #1: Don’t underfeed the troops
The episode was military themed, and from the moment the judges traipsed out of the belly of an army jet in full camo gear, it became obvious that it was going to be awesome. It didn’t disappoint. Some contestants adapted to army life better than others. Kaila’s command strategy had her kowtowing to group consensus one minute and making questionable executive decisions the next, all while shrieking things like “IT’S FOR THE TROOPS!” at no one in particular. Unfortunately, she wasn’t left with much time to think about how much food it takes to feed 151 people, which meant that the last soldier in line ended up with a single hunk of beef for dinner.

Lesson #2: The friend of your enemy is your enemy
Up till now, Julie’s been the mousy background girl who keeps getting criticized for turning everything into a fritter. This episode, she flaunted a new persona: Kaila Hater #249. Julie’s antipathy toward the most unpopular woman on Food TV was darker than most: “Kaila’s now dead to me,” she said, “and there’s no coming back from it.” It became clear during the salmon-Wellington elimination round that Julie and Eric—a.k.a Kaila Hater #1—are pretty tight. Thanks to Eric’s culinary guidance, Julie ended up with a decent-looking salmon-stuffed pastry, while the other contestants’ creations variously resembled a peeling sunburn (Dale) and “a big sauce-turd” (Kaila, in her own words).

Lesson #3: The enemy of every other contestant is your friend
Or rather, Dale’s friend. After all the back-and-forth bitchiness between Dale and Kaila, Dale’s parting words were somewhat unexpected: “Kaila’s gonn kill ’em all. She’s gonna come back and win it.” Aw, surprise besties!

Images courtesy of Bell Media