Season 3 of the Next Food Network Star

This will be a season of Next food Network Star (NFNS) recaplets because my god is this series getting to be blecherous. You remember in the first two seasons where this seemed to be an actual job interview to become the host of a Food Network show? So the challenges seem to relate to creating interesting recipes, developing show concepts, and appearing in front of the camera? While none of the personalities of either season seemed to be memorable (either in the charming Nigella way or the horrifying Sandra Lee way), the process seemed to make a modicum of sense.

This season, the NFNS producers decided to put on a bastardized Top Chef complete with a bullshit catering challenge. Not only that, they've appeared to ratchet up the drama so that anyone personality that might be likable is now subjected to Top Chef style backstabbing and bus throwing. How are we as the audience supposed to get behind ANYONE as a host after they are all bitchy with each other?

Here's my thoughts on the contestants:

The Frontrunners

Amy - the mom. Fairly even keeled personality who knows when not to go overboard. Witness her understated, chandelier themed wedding cake. Witness her brilliance at choosing ALL the caterers for the team challenge.

Michael - As long as he stops with the Salmon, as in the fish, schtick, he's a front runner. He seems fairly personable and with his culinary experience, he has the chops. But yet another white dude wining NFNS?

Adrien - hosts his own cooking show. Has a fairly easy charm that harks to Tyler Florence. I would say that he really let the stress of the catering challenge get to him.

On the Fence

Nikki - A caterer to the stars? Sounds like the second coming of Deborah. She broke the rule of reality shows when she denigrated her own dessert during the catering challenge. Another one who is way too intense.

Paul - Wasn't irritating until chicken-broth-gate when he crowed about the other team screwing up their vegetarian polenta by adding chicken broth. Even worse, he crowed about it during judging. It made him look petty and mean. And really, he was doing fairly well up until then.

Rory - Who? Nuff said. Except that awful Texas sunset cake.

Blech!

Colombe - Does it seem like every season has a dishy blonde that is essentially roadkill? She seemed to make every wrong decision possible on the catering challenge.

Tom - Knowing the Food Network, this guy is gonna win. Totally over the top personality complete with ever-present stogie. Unfortunately the Food Network execs seem to eat that crap up. I hated his behavior on the catering challenge. He never owned up to his own incompetence.

Josh (aka JAG) - The judges were right, this guy's TV personality is MEAN. I liked his ability to improvise on the catering challenge but I so don't want to watch him week after week telling me how to cook.

Roadkill

Vivian - Enough with the salads!

Patrick - It felt like he was on Top Chef than NFNS. Still nowhere near as mean as JAG

This will be a hard season to slog through. I don't have the stomach for full recaps but definitely will want to sound off on what will be a trainwreck of a season.