I will try to avoid obvious spoilers (i.e. I will withhold the name of the winner, but if you actually read this — and you’re a fan of the show — you’ll know of what and whom I speak). I finally watched the finale of this season’s Top Chef. And my reaction the news of the winner is … meh.

Of course, as a viewer you can never really second-guess the people who actually get to eat the food. But I can’t remember a time when the winner seemed less deserving. All season long the victor was told his food was under-seasoned. And yet despite being told “you’re food is under-seasoned” he kept under-seasoning his food. Moreover, of all the chefs in the Final Five or even final ten, he was the one you’d least like to cook for you.

If you pay attention to the judge’s table conversations, you can tell that Tom Collichio basically gets his way no matter what. He didn’t like your risotto? You’re going to be packing your knives and going home. You chose to cook a chicken breast? Well, Tom Collichio thinks that was stupid, so Buh-bye. The fact that your opponent served an undercooked catcher’s mitt? Doesn’t matter.

I understand he is first among equals, but it’s gotten to the point where it seems like he’s just bullying the chefs. The same seemed true about the finale. He felt one way, the others had a different opinion. Well that settles it, Collichio wins. Maybe that is at it should be, but given that the victor not only didn’t seem like the clear-cut winner in the final meal, but that the victor seemed like the inferior chef all season, it’s pretty annoying.

Clearly, our only recourse is to riot.