Mary Beth’s elimination was tough. I liked her so much! Her food may have been unremarkable (and I do understand that’s kind of the point), but her personality was sparkly. I think I was most taken with her genuineness — every word out of her mouth was honest and authentic. Even her parting words to the judges were endearing. Mary Beth can leave this competition with her head held high. As a side note, her line of having to work with Penny again was amazing: “Like a horror movie villain who you think is gone, she comes back.” Loved that.

I’m sort of stunned that Vic has made it to the finale. Yes, it’s impossible to dislike the guy, but he has had some memorable fumbles throughout this competition. But hey, how you recover from your fumbles is what people respect. My hat goes off to the “Mama’s Boy.”

Susie has a smile that lights up a room. Apparently her food is pleasing too, but that smile is unforgettable. As for Jeff, he’s a powerhouse and has been on a strong roll. The judges love his sandwiches, his personality and the guy even won over Alton — if he does nothing else, that alone is out-of-this-world impressive.