Jumping right into a Mystery Box challenge on MasterChef, we have the contestants putting together dishes based on three kinds of ground meats: Suzy and Ben doing a Shepherd’s Pie, a trio of meatballs from Adrien, chili from Christian, and a meatloaf from Jennifer.
Now, Ben and Suzy aren’t exactly thrilled with the fact that both of them are making Shepherd’s Pies. Ben has been champing at the bit since the beginning of the season to do just this very thing for Gordon … and now he’s gotten his chance.
It comes down to Jennifer’s chili and Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie. (Both Christian’s and Suzy’s dishes weren’t even considered by the three judges for a taste test.) Regardless of the fact that Joe mentioned to Jennifer that she could quite possibly win it, Ben pulls out his first Mystery Box challenge.
His reward for doing so is getting to pick a dish Gordon himself has cooked to represent the next Pressure Test. The dish is a roasted loin of venison of which Ben gets to ask Gordon three questions. Nice little “leg up” on the others in the challenge, but he wastes one question right off the bat. Still, he’s got a pretty hefty edge with what he knows from the information he’s gleaned. The others get to sample the dish, but that’s the extent of what they’re able to extract about it.
And with a mere 90 minutes prep and cook time, the scramble is on.
Most interesting about this particular challenge is Suzy’s admission that she’s never done venison before. She’s understandably concerned … but in the end pulls out the best tasting dish. Cocky-boy Christian is the only one of the five who thinks he’s got his venison pinned down, but his hopes are dashed when it turns out his — as well as Jennifer’s — dish is below par. A bit amusing that the two of them are sent back together to await the final outcome of the challenge; both had words at and about each others’ skills and attitudes.
It’s Adrien and Ben who end up in the bottom two of the challenge. Ben muffed it big time, a long fall from grace in light of him winning not only the Mystery Box challenge but getting a clear (but wasted) advantage in this contest. And doubly so when it is he who is cut from the competition.
I’ve liked Ben throughout the competition, so it was momentarily difficult to watch as he got ousted. Regardless, I’ve never seen a more upbeat elimination on MasterChef. The dude was actually giddy about his time on the show, and hugged the judges (even Joe!) warmly in appreciation upon the announcement that he was leaving. Most surprising was the peck on the cheek Gordon gave him in salute of his efforts. How could you not have smiled at that?
Lastly, Gordon puts Ben on the spot before he leaves: “Who will win MasterChef?” he asks. Ben points to Adrien and demands of him he take it all.
The look on Christian’s face when this happened was damn near classic.
Quotes:
“It’s like going to a prom and another girl is wearing the same dress I am. I don’t think Ben is going to look prettier than me.” – Suzy, regarding her Shepherd’s Pie over Ben’s
“I’m from Texas! I can’t screw up venison! They’ll throw me out of Texas!” – Ben
“If you could put the type of bravado that spews out of your mouth on your plate, you could be a top contender.” – Joe Bastianich to Christian
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Aug 10, 2011 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
