Joel McHale and ‘Crime Scene Kitchen’ Team Promise Season 3 Contestants Aren’t Less Skilled — the Game Has Just Gotten Much Harder

As a seasoned movie buff and arm-chair baking detective with decades of experience, I must say that watching “Crime Scene Kitchen” is always an entertaining rollercoaster ride! The third season seems to have taken the competition to a whole new level, with contestants stumbling more than their predecessors in the Season 2 group. It’s almost as if we viewers at home are the ones baking and yelling out directions to the bakers!


Viewers at home might have let out some frustrated “Come on!” exclamations while tuning into the third season opener of Fox’s crime-themed baking contest, “Crime Scene Kitchen.

Instead of overlooking subtle hints beneath sinks and in garbage cans or failing to follow clear guidelines while cooking dishes that disregarded specific ingredients, the contestants new to Season 3 on the Sept. 26 episode seemed to struggle more than those who competed in Season 2 did.

To those of us cozily watching from home, we have the luxury of being armchair detectives in baking mysteries, confidently offering advice to the contestants navigating the “Crime Scene Kitchen” on the show hosted by Joel McHale.

Joel McHale and ‘Crime Scene Kitchen’ Team Promise Season 3 Contestants Aren’t Less Skilled — the Game Has Just Gotten Much Harder

McHale explained to EbMaster that since the show is well-known now, people are aware of the various tricks involved. Moreover, he stressed the significant difference between observing a crime scene from home and being present at one. When watching from home, one might effortlessly answer questions like “What’s Alex Trebek’s profession?” or “Who sang ‘Hello’?”, but when you’re on set, the experience is quite different with lights, cameras, travel, early mornings, and high pressure. The game becomes tougher because people know what to anticipate, and the producers had to make it more challenging. McHale also praised the test bakers who need to recreate complex dishes like a crepe cake, walking a fine line between making it too difficult or too simple.

As you tune in for this Thursday’s episode, introducing the second group of bakers for Season 3 – they are the “friends” as opposed to last week’s “family” duos – remember to look out for any forgotten aprons that might contain a clue, just in case someone overlooks them.

In this year’s edition of “Crime Scene Kitchen,” judges Yolanda Gampp and Curtis Stone have noted that the “friends-and-family” format will add an extra layer of challenge. The intensity in the kitchen has risen significantly due to the personal pairings, as opposed to Season 2 which pitted home bakers against professional ones. However, they hold differing opinions on who faces a tougher time: are the friends or the relatives finding it more difficult? They disagree on this point.

Stone mentioned that Yolanda and she have differing perspectives, having discussed this extensively while working on set for several months. She shared an example from her personal life: she and her brother co-own a restaurant. Though he resides in Australia, they were closely involved in the business for about three years. He managed the front of the house, while she handled the back. As with any business partnership, disagreements occur, but they are able to communicate openly because they are family. This can sometimes lead to heated arguments, but since it’s a family member, there’s a sense of permanence and understanding.

Joel McHale and ‘Crime Scene Kitchen’ Team Promise Season 3 Contestants Aren’t Less Skilled — the Game Has Just Gotten Much Harder

Gampp responded: “I’m not sure, as the dynamics between teams like mother-daughter duos differ greatly from those of siblings like Curtis and his brothers or sisters. To be clear, I would never criticize my mother, even if I felt like doing so, especially in a public setting such as on camera.

As the third season of “Crime Scene Kitchen” unfolds, its showrunner, Conrad Green, hints at numerous innovative methods that he and the production team, along with the test bakers, have devised to up the ante for the contestants, making their journey even more challenging.

Green explained, “We’ve experimented with savory elements, but we primarily focus on sweet challenges. Adding a touch of the unexpected can make things more intriguing. For instance, in an upcoming episode, when contestants search the kitchen, they might find an edible flowers packet, but some petals will be missing. Midway through baking, we’ll show them a picture of the complete package. The competitors then need to recall the colors in the package to identify which ones were used. We enjoy incorporating additional clues throughout the bake process. It’s tricky to do this without overwhelming the contestants or providing too much information at the wrong time. Timing is crucial in how we design these challenges.

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2024-10-03 22:16