TV

“Top Chef” Recaps: Episode 4.13 “Puerto Rico”

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Antonia: The challenges have gotten progressively so much harder. I mean, when we first got to Chicago we were making pizza, and now we’ve got an entire pig. Deep dish is looking real good right now.

With a job this big, Tom tells the chefs they’ll need a little help. So out come the last four eliminated chefs: Spike, Dale, Andrew and Nikki. They will serve as the final four’s sous chefs.

Lisa looks at her options and realizes they are limited. She doesn’t want to work with Dale (“He and I don’t get along. We never have and we just never will.”) or Andrew (“Andrew felt that I threw him under the bus”). Well, I’d say go with the guy who doesn’t look like a reject from a Will Smith video circa his “Parents Just Don’t Understand” era.

But it turns out Lisa doesn’t have to worry about who to pick. As the winner of the Quickfire, Stephanie gets to assign the sous chefs.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Tom: In Puerto Rico, it’s just not a party without a pig.

That’s right, they each get a whole freaking pig. They will need to make at least two dishes from different parts of the pig. Oh man, I’m having total fetal pig dissection flashbacks from my high school science class days.

From the looks of things, so is Antonia.

Antonia: The challenges have gotten progressively so much harder. I mean, when we first got to Chicago we were making pizza, and now we’ve got an entire pig. Deep dish is looking real good right now.

With a job this big, Tom tells the chefs they’ll need a little help. So out come the last four eliminated chefs: Spike, Dale, Andrew and Nikki. They will serve as the final four’s sous chefs.

Lisa looks at her options and realizes they are limited. She doesn’t want to work with Dale (“He and I don’t get along. We never have and we just never will.”) or Andrew (“Andrew felt that I threw him under the bus”). Well, I’d say go with the guy who doesn’t look like a reject from a Will Smith video circa his “Parents Just Don’t Understand” era.

But it turns out Lisa doesn’t have to worry about who to pick. As the winner of the Quickfire, Stephanie gets to assign the sous chefs.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Richard: You smell my eyebrows?

Possibly horrifically scarring kitchen accidents averted, the chefs plate their frituras as the clock ticks to zero.

Cholesterol, what cholesterol? – Padma and Wilo toast with their nice cold ones and prepare for their artery-clogging fried feast.

First up is Stephanie. She serves tostones with seared tuna and pork and shrimp fritters. Padma licks her fingers afterward. That is always a good sign, not to mention just good – period.

Antonia is next. Her dishes are crispy oysters with cilantro plantain jam, and fried plantain with spicy slaw. No finger licking, bummer. Come on people, serve up tastier food. I want finger licking!

Lisa serves up tostones with pan-roasted duck and plantain, onion and chorizo fritter with a spicy chutney slaw. I guess it was really spicy.Just look at Padma chug.

Finally, Richard comes out with his fried concoctions. He has pork meatballs with plantain sauce and green plantain chips with ripe plantain salsa. His ripe plantains are raw in the salsa, which raises an eyebrow from guest judge Wilo.

So, how did Wilo rate their deep-fried goodies? He says they all did fantastic and he loved all their neat little relishes, sauces and chutneys. But, of course, he loved some more than others.

The worst: Antonia (unintegrated slaw and slimy jam) and Richard (raw plantains and dry meatballs). The best: Stephanie (well-balanced and nicely portioned) and Lisa (nice tostones and well-executed).

And the winner: Stephanie. She is, as always, cute as a button as she tells the judges it is her first Quickfire win.

Party! Party! Party! – With immunity off the table, Padma tells her she will learn what her advantage is tomorrow. But first they are invited to a party in old San Juan with the traditional food and music of the island.

I worry it might be another Top Chef twist. It seems almost every time they’re told go have fun, they end up having to work instead. But once they arrive, the drums are thumping, the rum is flowing and the whole pig is roasting. A good time is had by all.

Well, almost all. As the chefs and judges eat and dance, Lisa goes up to onlooker Richard and tells him he needs to come dance with everyone. But it seems Richard forgot to pack his dancing shoes. He says he doesn’t want to dance with everyone.

Oh, Richard. Even if you have two left feet and are wearing cement shoes, what red-blooded American male (or lesbian) would pass up the chance to dance with this?

See, Lisa knows what to do. She’s thinking, if I can just dance close enough …

That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. – It’s the morning after the night before, and the chefs are all ready to cook. They are on the grounds of La Fortaleza, a 16th-century fort that is now the private residence of the Puerto Rican governor. Padma and Tom tell them that tomorrow night the site will host a garden party with 100 VIPs and chefs who want to taste what the Top Chefs can do. But what will they be making?

Tom: In Puerto Rico, it’s just not a party without a pig.

That’s right, they each get a whole freaking pig. They will need to make at least two dishes from different parts of the pig. Oh man, I’m having total fetal pig dissection flashbacks from my high school science class days.

From the looks of things, so is Antonia.

Antonia: The challenges have gotten progressively so much harder. I mean, when we first got to Chicago we were making pizza, and now we’ve got an entire pig. Deep dish is looking real good right now.

With a job this big, Tom tells the chefs they’ll need a little help. So out come the last four eliminated chefs: Spike, Dale, Andrew and Nikki. They will serve as the final four’s sous chefs.

Lisa looks at her options and realizes they are limited. She doesn’t want to work with Dale (“He and I don’t get along. We never have and we just never will.”) or Andrew (“Andrew felt that I threw him under the bus”). Well, I’d say go with the guy who doesn’t look like a reject from a Will Smith video circa his “Parents Just Don’t Understand” era.

But it turns out Lisa doesn’t have to worry about who to pick. As the winner of the Quickfire, Stephanie gets to assign the sous chefs.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Richard: It’s really good to see Stephanie and Antonia. The three of us have been the chefs from the beginning that most people said these are going to be in the finals. So I don’t think too many people expect Lisa to be here, for sure.

Well, that was blunt. True, but blunt.

Last chefbian standing Lisa arrives last and makes a grand entrance with her brand new totally lesbian haircut.

The other chefs take note. Is that a spark of jealousy I see in Richard’s eyes? Is he thinking, “Damn, now I don’t have the gayest haircut anymore?”

As their car (shockingly not a Toyota Highlander) takes them to their destination, the chefs soak in the sunny sights of beautiful Puerto Rico. But there’s no time for real sightseeing, because waiting for them is Padma and a guy who looks like the illegitimate love child of head judge Tom Colicchio and the Addams Family‘s Uncle Fester.

But he is neither mysterious nor spooky. Instead, he is celebrated Puerto Rican chef Wilo Benet, chef and owner of Pikayo restaurant in San Juan and the episode’s guest judge.

Soak up the sun – Padma tells the final four that this is the start of the “end game.” It sounds ominous, but coupled with the beautiful blue sky and the even more beautiful Padma, it sounds like a game I’d be more than happy to play. She tells them their Quickfire Challenge is to create frituras, a Puerto Rican fried snack that is best served with a “cold, cold beer.” Mmm, beer, mmm.

The chefs will have 40 minutes to create two different frituras using native plantains. Padma tells them they can use anything on the table brimming with plantains in front of them and anything they find in the small kitchen they will cook in behind them. As she gives the chefs the ready- set-go, Richard, Stephanie and Antonia run toward the plantains. Lisa, on the other hand, runs into the kitchen.

I have to say, smart move. Lisa says she wants to see what proteins are available and make sure everything is fresh first. She picks chorizo and duck before anyone else has even had a chance to peek into the pantry.

The chefs share cramped quarters in the tiny seaside shack of a kitchen. The facilities are a little rickety. The big red official timer wobbles as the chefs slice and dice on their unsteady stations. Then Richard goes to turn on the gas stove. See that fire? See that thing sticking out of the fire on the right? Yeah, that’s his arm.

Richard: You smell my eyebrows?

Possibly horrifically scarring kitchen accidents averted, the chefs plate their frituras as the clock ticks to zero.

Cholesterol, what cholesterol? – Padma and Wilo toast with their nice cold ones and prepare for their artery-clogging fried feast.

First up is Stephanie. She serves tostones with seared tuna and pork and shrimp fritters. Padma licks her fingers afterward. That is always a good sign, not to mention just good – period.

Antonia is next. Her dishes are crispy oysters with cilantro plantain jam, and fried plantain with spicy slaw. No finger licking, bummer. Come on people, serve up tastier food. I want finger licking!

Lisa serves up tostones with pan-roasted duck and plantain, onion and chorizo fritter with a spicy chutney slaw. I guess it was really spicy.Just look at Padma chug.

Finally, Richard comes out with his fried concoctions. He has pork meatballs with plantain sauce and green plantain chips with ripe plantain salsa. His ripe plantains are raw in the salsa, which raises an eyebrow from guest judge Wilo.

So, how did Wilo rate their deep-fried goodies? He says they all did fantastic and he loved all their neat little relishes, sauces and chutneys. But, of course, he loved some more than others.

The worst: Antonia (unintegrated slaw and slimy jam) and Richard (raw plantains and dry meatballs). The best: Stephanie (well-balanced and nicely portioned) and Lisa (nice tostones and well-executed).

And the winner: Stephanie. She is, as always, cute as a button as she tells the judges it is her first Quickfire win.

Party! Party! Party! – With immunity off the table, Padma tells her she will learn what her advantage is tomorrow. But first they are invited to a party in old San Juan with the traditional food and music of the island.

I worry it might be another Top Chef twist. It seems almost every time they’re told go have fun, they end up having to work instead. But once they arrive, the drums are thumping, the rum is flowing and the whole pig is roasting. A good time is had by all.

Well, almost all. As the chefs and judges eat and dance, Lisa goes up to onlooker Richard and tells him he needs to come dance with everyone. But it seems Richard forgot to pack his dancing shoes. He says he doesn’t want to dance with everyone.

Oh, Richard. Even if you have two left feet and are wearing cement shoes, what red-blooded American male (or lesbian) would pass up the chance to dance with this?

See, Lisa knows what to do. She’s thinking, if I can just dance close enough …

That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. – It’s the morning after the night before, and the chefs are all ready to cook. They are on the grounds of La Fortaleza, a 16th-century fort that is now the private residence of the Puerto Rican governor. Padma and Tom tell them that tomorrow night the site will host a garden party with 100 VIPs and chefs who want to taste what the Top Chefs can do. But what will they be making?

Tom: In Puerto Rico, it’s just not a party without a pig.

That’s right, they each get a whole freaking pig. They will need to make at least two dishes from different parts of the pig. Oh man, I’m having total fetal pig dissection flashbacks from my high school science class days.

From the looks of things, so is Antonia.

Antonia: The challenges have gotten progressively so much harder. I mean, when we first got to Chicago we were making pizza, and now we’ve got an entire pig. Deep dish is looking real good right now.

With a job this big, Tom tells the chefs they’ll need a little help. So out come the last four eliminated chefs: Spike, Dale, Andrew and Nikki. They will serve as the final four’s sous chefs.

Lisa looks at her options and realizes they are limited. She doesn’t want to work with Dale (“He and I don’t get along. We never have and we just never will.”) or Andrew (“Andrew felt that I threw him under the bus”). Well, I’d say go with the guy who doesn’t look like a reject from a Will Smith video circa his “Parents Just Don’t Understand” era.

But it turns out Lisa doesn’t have to worry about who to pick. As the winner of the Quickfire, Stephanie gets to assign the sous chefs.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

Quickfire: You want fries with that? Elimination: What a pig. Padmaism: “What exactly is a mojo?”

I like the city of San Juan – It’s been six months since we’ve last seen our cheftestants. Well, that’s not true. It’s been a week since we’ve last seen our cheftestants, but it’s been six months since they’ve last seen each other. Their reunion comes in the San Juan airport in Puerto Rico.

We first see Stephanie. She has spent the time traveling though Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. She says she has been “enjoying life a little bit.” Does that mean she’s been enjoying Tahoe boys? Sigh. I guess the honorary part of her chefbian status really is honorary.

Next comes Antonia. Stephanie hugs her like old friends. She says she has spent the time off opening her restaurant (that would be Foxtail in Los Angeles, in case anyone gets the sudden urge to nosh). She has been cooking 100 hours a week and her daughter is getting used to mommy not being home six or seven nights a week. Guess that means if she wins Top Chef and gets the $100,000, it’s all going to the babysitter.

Then Richard and his faux-hawk return to “get the game started.” He’s in no mood to enjoy the tropical locale. He says there’s a time to play and time to work. This is not playtime.

Richard: It’s really good to see Stephanie and Antonia. The three of us have been the chefs from the beginning that most people said these are going to be in the finals. So I don’t think too many people expect Lisa to be here, for sure.

Well, that was blunt. True, but blunt.

Last chefbian standing Lisa arrives last and makes a grand entrance with her brand new totally lesbian haircut.

The other chefs take note. Is that a spark of jealousy I see in Richard’s eyes? Is he thinking, “Damn, now I don’t have the gayest haircut anymore?”

As their car (shockingly not a Toyota Highlander) takes them to their destination, the chefs soak in the sunny sights of beautiful Puerto Rico. But there’s no time for real sightseeing, because waiting for them is Padma and a guy who looks like the illegitimate love child of head judge Tom Colicchio and the Addams Family‘s Uncle Fester.

But he is neither mysterious nor spooky. Instead, he is celebrated Puerto Rican chef Wilo Benet, chef and owner of Pikayo restaurant in San Juan and the episode’s guest judge.

Soak up the sun – Padma tells the final four that this is the start of the “end game.” It sounds ominous, but coupled with the beautiful blue sky and the even more beautiful Padma, it sounds like a game I’d be more than happy to play. She tells them their Quickfire Challenge is to create frituras, a Puerto Rican fried snack that is best served with a “cold, cold beer.” Mmm, beer, mmm.

The chefs will have 40 minutes to create two different frituras using native plantains. Padma tells them they can use anything on the table brimming with plantains in front of them and anything they find in the small kitchen they will cook in behind them. As she gives the chefs the ready- set-go, Richard, Stephanie and Antonia run toward the plantains. Lisa, on the other hand, runs into the kitchen.

I have to say, smart move. Lisa says she wants to see what proteins are available and make sure everything is fresh first. She picks chorizo and duck before anyone else has even had a chance to peek into the pantry.

The chefs share cramped quarters in the tiny seaside shack of a kitchen. The facilities are a little rickety. The big red official timer wobbles as the chefs slice and dice on their unsteady stations. Then Richard goes to turn on the gas stove. See that fire? See that thing sticking out of the fire on the right? Yeah, that’s his arm.

Richard: You smell my eyebrows?

Possibly horrifically scarring kitchen accidents averted, the chefs plate their frituras as the clock ticks to zero.

Cholesterol, what cholesterol? – Padma and Wilo toast with their nice cold ones and prepare for their artery-clogging fried feast.

First up is Stephanie. She serves tostones with seared tuna and pork and shrimp fritters. Padma licks her fingers afterward. That is always a good sign, not to mention just good – period.

Antonia is next. Her dishes are crispy oysters with cilantro plantain jam, and fried plantain with spicy slaw. No finger licking, bummer. Come on people, serve up tastier food. I want finger licking!

Lisa serves up tostones with pan-roasted duck and plantain, onion and chorizo fritter with a spicy chutney slaw. I guess it was really spicy.Just look at Padma chug.

Finally, Richard comes out with his fried concoctions. He has pork meatballs with plantain sauce and green plantain chips with ripe plantain salsa. His ripe plantains are raw in the salsa, which raises an eyebrow from guest judge Wilo.

So, how did Wilo rate their deep-fried goodies? He says they all did fantastic and he loved all their neat little relishes, sauces and chutneys. But, of course, he loved some more than others.

The worst: Antonia (unintegrated slaw and slimy jam) and Richard (raw plantains and dry meatballs). The best: Stephanie (well-balanced and nicely portioned) and Lisa (nice tostones and well-executed).

And the winner: Stephanie. She is, as always, cute as a button as she tells the judges it is her first Quickfire win.

Party! Party! Party! – With immunity off the table, Padma tells her she will learn what her advantage is tomorrow. But first they are invited to a party in old San Juan with the traditional food and music of the island.

I worry it might be another Top Chef twist. It seems almost every time they’re told go have fun, they end up having to work instead. But once they arrive, the drums are thumping, the rum is flowing and the whole pig is roasting. A good time is had by all.

Well, almost all. As the chefs and judges eat and dance, Lisa goes up to onlooker Richard and tells him he needs to come dance with everyone. But it seems Richard forgot to pack his dancing shoes. He says he doesn’t want to dance with everyone.

Oh, Richard. Even if you have two left feet and are wearing cement shoes, what red-blooded American male (or lesbian) would pass up the chance to dance with this?

See, Lisa knows what to do. She’s thinking, if I can just dance close enough …

That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. – It’s the morning after the night before, and the chefs are all ready to cook. They are on the grounds of La Fortaleza, a 16th-century fort that is now the private residence of the Puerto Rican governor. Padma and Tom tell them that tomorrow night the site will host a garden party with 100 VIPs and chefs who want to taste what the Top Chefs can do. But what will they be making?

Tom: In Puerto Rico, it’s just not a party without a pig.

That’s right, they each get a whole freaking pig. They will need to make at least two dishes from different parts of the pig. Oh man, I’m having total fetal pig dissection flashbacks from my high school science class days.

From the looks of things, so is Antonia.

Antonia: The challenges have gotten progressively so much harder. I mean, when we first got to Chicago we were making pizza, and now we’ve got an entire pig. Deep dish is looking real good right now.

With a job this big, Tom tells the chefs they’ll need a little help. So out come the last four eliminated chefs: Spike, Dale, Andrew and Nikki. They will serve as the final four’s sous chefs.

Lisa looks at her options and realizes they are limited. She doesn’t want to work with Dale (“He and I don’t get along. We never have and we just never will.”) or Andrew (“Andrew felt that I threw him under the bus”). Well, I’d say go with the guy who doesn’t look like a reject from a Will Smith video circa his “Parents Just Don’t Understand” era.

But it turns out Lisa doesn’t have to worry about who to pick. As the winner of the Quickfire, Stephanie gets to assign the sous chefs.

Stephanie: I am just going to try to put people together that will actually work well together, just because I’d rather have everybody in the kitchen getting along than having people screaming.

It’s a classy move as well as a nice bit of self-preservation. No one needs a repeat of the Dale/Lisa “Restaurant Wars” kitchen eruption.

This little piggy went to market – Stephanie picks Dale for herself (they’ve apparently known each other for 10 years). Then she pairs Richard with Spike, Antonia with Nikki, and Lisa with Andrew. For his part, Andrew says he’ll play nice.

Andrew: Never have I thrown someone under a bus. I play with honor. I’m her sous chef; I am going to try to help her win the best I can.

The chefs will have 30 minutes to plan their menus and check out the facilities. Then they will send their sous chefs to the market to pick up ingredients while they stay and butcher their pigs.

They head into the kitchen and they each find their own “Wilbur” waiting for them. Aww, Stephanie made a Charlotte’s Web joke. I’d say it was adorable, but I’m too busy staring at a pig carcass’s head to think cute thoughts. I will spare you that accompanying screencap.

As each plans out her (or his) menu, they have different approaches. Stephanie and Richard want to showcase their strengths. Antonia and Lisa want to go more traditional, with Lisa going full-on Puerto Rican. Richard thinks it’s a bad idea. Is it just me or does Richard have more critiques than usual this episode?

Richard: I don’t think it’s a good idea to do Puerto Rican food. That’s like playing someone else’s game, you know. Play your game.

The sous chefs are sent off to the market, but Whole Foods this is not. Instead they’re confronted with an exotic array of food and more than a little language barrier.

Going whole hog – Back in Slaughterhouse Top Chef, it’s time to get busy butchering – or, as Lisa calls it, “happy hogging.” If you belong to PETA, best to look away now.

The chefs sharpen their knives and get busy. Lisa and Richard have some technical difficulties as the heads of their mallets fly off mid-pound. She jokes that it is because she is Jewish. I would imagine dismembering a whole hog would be a little strange for someone who proudly wears a T-shirt that reads this:

While he is sawing away, Richard remembers a Haitian friend from his childhood who used to drink this soda called Malta. He calls Spike in the market and asks him to pick up the drink so he can glaze his pork ribs with it.

As the sous chefs return, Andrew walks in first and is greeted by a pigeon who has found its way into the kitchen. Andrew then declares it “Pigeon Wars.” Snicker. He is crazy, but at least he is entertaining.

As they prep their purchases, Richard reveals his secret OCD. He has brought along green masking tape and a Sharpie and is labeling all of his ingredients. He calls it one of his “secret ingredients” and grimaces when Antonia asks to borrow a piece of tape.

Lisa, in the meantime, is commanding her kitchen and letting some F-bombs fly. Andrew calls her a strong personality. Richard is less charitable.

Richard: Lisa is sometimes a bit much for me. She’s just got a bad attitude. She is like a gray cloud in the kitchen, to be quite honest.

Gee, Rich, tell us how you really feel.

Their two hours of prep ends, and everyone gets their food put away. Stephanie says she feels “really organized” and “ready to go.” And then the camera pans to her pork belly still sitting out unrefrigerated. Noooooooo!

Refrigerate after opening – The next morning the chefs stream back into the kitchen and greet their sous chefs. Dale says he came in and immediately saw the pork he forgot to put away. He smells it to see if it’s still OK, but Stephanie says they’re simply not using it.

Stephanie: I really don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to make a bunch of people sick at a cocktail party. So we’re losing a whole dish and that probably could really hurt my chances of winning.

Dale apologizes profusely and Stephanie tells him it is OK. Wow, she’s a good boss. No yelling. No cursing. Just focusing on how to fix the problem. That dude from Hell’s Kitchen could learn a thing or two from her. Guilt works better anyway.

Dale: If I get her sent home I swear to God I will never forgive myself. It’s like someone pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it.

See.

The other white meat – Richard and Spike are working on their dishes. Spike says he always learns something from Richard’s cooking. Apparently today he is learning how to blow torch pig’s feet. Still despite his love for gadgetry, Richard says his goal is to keep it simple and not bite off more than he can chew.

Each chef lays out his/her menu. Richard is serving barbecue pork shoulder, pork belly with pickled watermelon, ham and beans, and Malta-glazed ribs. Antonia has crispy pork belly with sweet peppers, pork sausage with pigeon peas and rice, and curried pork.

But as she works on her dishes, Antonia is having Lisa-like rice issues. It’s burned on the bottom and undercooked on top, so they throw the whole batch out.

Nikki: I feel like Antonia is not as strong as she normally is and something is off. So I feel like I need to really stay focused.

With that Lisa warns Antonia that the food in one of her pots is burning on the side. Antonia admits that she needs to stop thinking about her newly opened restaurant and focus entirely on the task at hand. Yeah, because that babysitter is going to want a really big tip.

Lisa is preparing a yucca and pork rellena, citrus-glazed pork belly, and adobo roasted pork tostone. That means if Stephanie’s pork belly hadn’t been left out overnight, all the chefs would have a pork belly dish. But instead she and Dale are scrambling to think of a third dish. While the judges only require two, she thinks if she only makes two she is going home.

Dale comes up with the idea of a chicharrone (crispy pork skin) salad, and Stephanie agrees. She will also serve coconut pork with plantain pancakes and pork satay on sugar cane. They high five on their menu. Whew, I think they just might pull this one out after all.

Time to pig out – The chefs have 30 minutes to prepare their tables and finish cooking outside. Stephanie starts making her plantain blini and is having problems. She says she thinks the blini may have been a bad idea.

Seems she forgot how it was bad blini that got her then-teammate Valerie sent home in the second episode.

Stephanie: There is absolutely no room for mistakes right now. I think the one who makes the little error is the one who is going to go home.

And then the timer beeps and it’s time to feed 100 hungry people including Luisa Acevedo Vilá, the first lady of Puerto Rico. So, you know, no pressure.

Lisa: [She is] very sweet, very welcoming. It’s very awesome that we get the privilege to cook for her and a lot of her friends and a lot of important people.

The judges make their rounds as well. Joining Padma, Tom and Wilo is Gail Simmons. First they taste Stephanie’s food. Upon tasting her pork satay Padma makes a this-makes-my-mouth-happy face. Again, that’s a good sign.

So is Gail calling her salad “very refreshing” and Wilo calling her pancake “very inventive.”

They stop at Richard’s table next. He tells them he hopes to redeem himself from the Quickfire. He tells each dish’s story because, as he says later, “it’s more than just food.” Tom gives him a “nice job” for the food. No word on his grade for storytime yet.

Lisa and Antonia are the last to feed the judges. They both get asked a few questions with minimal feedback. As they pan through their requisite montage of partygoers eating and commenting on the food, I notice that Antonia’s table looks suspiciously empty. Ruh-roh.

Sit and stew – With service over, the chefs enter their new, Puerto Rican Stew Room. Seriously, Bravo can’t afford anything better than folding chairs?

At Judges’ Table, the panel confers. Guest judge Wilo says he saw originality and well-executed classics. Tom says Richard’s pork belly and Stephanie’s salad were the highlights. He says Antonia and Lisa had some dishes that weren’t as strong as their competitors.

Back in the waiting area, Lisa asks how everyone feels. Richard says there were no fatal flaws.

Antonia: No, my peas were … Richard: Your peas were undercooked.

Well, a fine lot of good it does telling her that after the fact, buddy.

Padma appears at the doorway like a Greek goddess. No, really, she is wearing an off-the-shoulder goddess gown. Let’s all take a moment, shall we.

She asks for Richard and Stephanie. Antonia and Lisa know what that means.

Richard and Stephanie are the judges’ favorite. Tom praises Richard’s self-editing in his dishes. Wilo says he loved the flavor of Stephanie’s satays. She makes no mention of her near-disastrous spoiled pork debacle. It’s another classy move. Maybe nice gals don’t have to finish last.

Wilo gets to announce the winner. He said it was a unanimous decision as well as the crowd’s favorite. And the winner is … Richard. Tell him what he’s won, Padma. It’s a brand new car!

It’s a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla, to be exact. Product placement accomplished.

Richard’s response is “holy smokes” and “wow.” I half expect a “golly gee willikers” to follow. Did he win his car on Leave It to Beaver?

Two become one – Then it’s Antonia and Lisa’s turn to face the music. Padma asks Lisa if she is surprised to be there. She says she thought her dishes were strong, but she tasted Stephanie and Richard’s dishes and they were strong, too.

Tom says he is surprised she chose to go with Latin food when she is known for her Asian food. She says she lived in South Florida for six years and is familiar with those flavors.

Gail has her own issue with the food. She thought her dishes focused more on the garnishes than on the pig itself. And guest judge Wilo said he thought the tostone was unbalanced. She takes their criticism without argument.

Then they turn their attention to Antonia. They ask her how it went and she says she thought her pigeon peas could have been cooked longer. Tom says the judges won’t argue her on that point.

She tells them when she first took them off, they seemed soft. But that she enjoys her peas “more on the al dente side.” Al dente beans? Is there even such a thing? Tom’s face says “no.”

Padma wants to know why she decided to make three dishes and serve them on the same plate. Antonia says she didn’t want her presentation to be so refined. Tom calls it an “interesting choice.” Substitute “bad” for “interesting” and I think we can easily decipher what Tom is really saying.

Lisa and Antonia are sent back to stew a little longer while the judges confer. Gail said there were small elements about each of Lisa’s dishes she didn’t like. In the waiting room, Lisa seems to sense their disgruntlement as she commiserates with Antonia.

Lisa: I’m telling you right now I’m going home … I’m not saying I did a horrible job, I’m just being realistic.

Moving onto Antonia’s dishes, Gail says she thought hers were the least sophisticated of the four. Tom thought putting the food on one plate made it blend together. And then Gail confirms my suspicion that there is no such thing as al dente beans. Antonia, meanwhile, states the obvious to Lisa.

Antonia: I don’t want to go home. I really, really, really don’t want to go home.

There’s no place like home – Back in front of the judges, Lisa and Antonia await their fate. Tom says instead of bringing their A game, they both brought their B+ game.

Tom tells Antonia her dishes were good, but questioned the decision to serve them all on one plate. And her “fatal flaw” was the undercooked pigeon peas. Oh dear, any criticism that includes the word “fatal” is, as a rule, not a good sign. He tells Lisa some of her dishes were memorable and some just “fell short of the mark.”

But, he said, the most telling thing was looking out over the garden and seeing which tables drew the most guests. One of them simply didn’t have a crowd. So, who had to pack her knives and go? Antonia.

In her shock, she skips Gail while shaking the judges hands before she leaves. And it is shocking. Even Lisa is shocked. Antonia was, let’s face it, a favorite from the start. Her dishes have been consistently strong. She is just, well, solid. Afterward she tearfully addresses the cameras.

Antonia: Coming all this way to make such a silly mistake is just sad … My entire heart was invested in it. My daughter is, honestly, the only person who could make me feel better. She means more to me than anything else.

The shock continues when Richard and Stephanie hear the news. Silent hugs go all around from Richard, Lisa and Stephanie. But for Stephanie she has a special message:

Right on, Team Stephanie!

After Antonia leaves, the room is filled with more stunned silence.

Lisa: I know you guys are upset that Antonia is leaving, but a congratulations would have been a little bit nice … It just makes me feel like you think the wrong person went home.

Well, clearly they do. As do a lot of folks watching at home, according to the Bravo poll shown during the commercial break that said 91 percent of people thought Lisa should be PYKAGed. Some meager congratulations are offered. And then a lot more is said later to the cameras.

Lisa: This isn’t a popularity contest. You can have your opinions but the bottom line is that people really enjoyed my dishes. Forget about the friendships right now. Being a fellow chef you should congratulate me on it.

Richard: What did she expect, I don’t understand that? You won the f—ing bronze medal, congratulations. There you go.

Um, wow. I mean, he’s probably right, but what’s that saying about how assuming makes an ass out of you and me?

Now, I know Lisa making it to the grand finale has caused a minor riot among fans. But, I have to say, I feel for her. Deserved or not, she is in the finals and it’s a pretty big deal. You could understand how the negative joy expressed by her fellow chefs could hurt a little. I would have expressed my disappointment privately, but there would still be disappointment.

If, as the judges purport, their decisions are based solely on the plates in front of them that day and not the cumulative quality of a contestant’s dishes over the season, then this makes sense. Antonia made a nervous error, and you simply can’t talk your way out of undercooked beans. It’s like the Olympics. The best athlete doesn’t always win the gold. Sometimes even the greats have a bad day.

Or if – as many people suspect and the on-screen disclaimer confirms – the producers have a say in who stays and who goes, you can see why they’d want to keep a “villain” for dramatic effect.

Antonia herself said in an interview with People.com that she thinks Lisa has a bad reputation on the show because of editing. And on his Bravo blog, regular guest judge Ted Allen wrote of Lisa this episode, “whaddya know, the editors allowed her a smile or two.” Gosh, editing the lesbian to look angry all the time? How original.

I actually don’t dislike Lisa. Many people are turned off by her gruff manner, but I think abrasive women always get judged more harshly than abrasive men.

I’m not the only one. Sure, I think she is extremely lucky to have made it as far as she has. Sure, I think more talented chefs left before her. Sure, she probably could have and should have been gone long ago. But sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

Next week on Top Chef: Lisa says she made it through by the skin of her teeth. Stephanie says she is expecting a curveball. Richard says he is the best chef there. But only one can be Top Chef.

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