Food Network Star Finale

Even with episodes scheduled to continue into August, I have the results of this season right here:

Food Network Star is a failure.

It's just over. Giada is done with it. Alton has moved on. Bobby is...well Bobby is still being a team player but the show and the very concept is a dead horse.

Exhibit A: Four seasons ago was the last time a Food Network star (Jeff Mauro) actually went on to do anything. Justin Warner never got the show he was promised, he was given a Food Network blog. I could do that! And Damaris Phillips's greatest contribution is handling the leftovers from the subsequent season. The show is just not accomplishing anything. It's pointless.

Exhibit B: The contestants this season would never have lasted beyond a few weeks in any of the previous seasons. I've been told recently that the network no longer promises them a show for winning but instead rewards them with five free haircuts or something; the point is we're just pretending to do the show now. Maybe that didn't attract real contestants or maybe there just aren't any.

I used to watch this show because it was fun. I would find a handful of players that I would attach to based on a combination of talent and likability. I wanted them to win. I got mad when they didn't. I cared about them. Even villain-by-default Penny intrigued me on a certain level where I wanted to know who she was behind the competitive streak. Hell! Give me Danushka back with all of her 'I'm better than this' arrogance just so I can feel better about my lack of accomplishments when she gets crushed again on national television. See how bad this season is? It's making me miss Danushka!

So I tuned in this year ultimately to give Food Network Star a grace card to see if they could win me back after (what I still believe to be) a series of underhanded rigging from last year. This was the show's Star Salvation for me. And when it became evident in the opening episode that they weren't bringing it on the main program, I hung on because Chad was on the bench and I felt very strongly that the network owed him that chance that they took away from him. But they didn't give it to him.

So Food Network Star, I'm sending you home.