The Great British Bake Off: The Final
November 26, 2024 1:47 PM - Season 15, Episode 10 - Subscribe
The finalists go all out with Signature scones, afternoon tea and tiered celebration cakes. Whose chance of winning has come and scone? And who'll be shedding tiers of joy?
I did not, in fact, call it. Dylan had his worst week at the absolute worst time and it very clearly cost him the win, what a shame. I really think on average he was the best baker throughout, but there was simply no way to give him the award after coming in last on every bake this week. Snagging that job in a Michelin-starred restaurant though, excellent!
Putting that behind us, I’m really happy for Georgie! She deserved it after a strong finish with that hanging cake. My one kid was thrilled because she predicted Georgie would win after the first episode. The other child struggled to understand the concept of elimination and was cheering for Nelly even though she was confused why Nelly was not competing (they’re both five, btw.)
posted by potent_cyprus at 7:42 AM on November 27 [9 favorites]
Putting that behind us, I’m really happy for Georgie! She deserved it after a strong finish with that hanging cake. My one kid was thrilled because she predicted Georgie would win after the first episode. The other child struggled to understand the concept of elimination and was cheering for Nelly even though she was confused why Nelly was not competing (they’re both five, btw.)
posted by potent_cyprus at 7:42 AM on November 27 [9 favorites]
I was gutted for Dylan, he had a shocker of a time.
posted by ellieBOA at 11:11 AM on November 27 [3 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 11:11 AM on November 27 [3 favorites]
The ghost of James Morton got him... but at least he recognised he was out of the running in the clip before the award presentation and so could relax for that. Very hard to come back from a bad day one in the final—he would have needed both of the others to fall short with their showstoppers and for his to be perfect.
Felt sorry for Christiaan when his day one was so strong and his showstopper seemed to be really something, but you could tell from Prue's and Paul's reaction to Georgie's showstopper that she'd clinched it. Fair play to her, though they were all clearly excellent bakers and any of them would have deserved to win.
And yes, great to see that Dylan has snared a top restaurant job! Will he be back for Bake Off: The Professionals one day?
posted by rory at 12:23 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
Felt sorry for Christiaan when his day one was so strong and his showstopper seemed to be really something, but you could tell from Prue's and Paul's reaction to Georgie's showstopper that she'd clinched it. Fair play to her, though they were all clearly excellent bakers and any of them would have deserved to win.
And yes, great to see that Dylan has snared a top restaurant job! Will he be back for Bake Off: The Professionals one day?
posted by rory at 12:23 PM on November 27 [3 favorites]
(That reference to the GBBO spinoff might be lost on non-UK people, as I'm not sure it's travelled... it's okay, but no GBBO. More like Masterchef with cakes.)
posted by rory at 12:29 PM on November 27
posted by rory at 12:29 PM on November 27
ellieBOA, the "previously" link here goes right back to episode 2, and looking into why that might be the case I've realised that most of this season's episodes have been listed as Season 16 rather than the correct Season 15. The switch started with episode 3. Any way of fixing that from your end, or does it need a mod to help?
posted by rory at 1:34 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
posted by rory at 1:34 AM on November 28 [1 favorite]
A few are fixed now, but we seem to have a couple of episodes still showing as Season 16 (4, 7)—and this one has now become 16 rather than 15 as well... oops.
posted by rory at 9:53 AM on November 28
posted by rory at 9:53 AM on November 28
Ok, I sent a contact form so when they reply I will get them all correct!
The Great British Baking Show Needs a[nother] New Judge [Vulture / Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 10:21 AM on November 28 [5 favorites]
The Great British Baking Show Needs a[nother] New Judge [Vulture / Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 10:21 AM on November 28 [5 favorites]
I wondered if Dylan's oven was malfunctioning, his baking luck was so consistently bad this episode. (Faulty seal? Temperature control issues?)
Because we know the guy can bake. He might mix one bad batch, but that many in a row suggests he's not the one at fault.
I even wondered (paranoidly) if someone had knowingly assigned him the station with the dodgy oven, or messed with it somehow, to prevent him winning.
ellieBOA, I agree strongly with that Vulture piece-- thanks for the Archive link.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:07 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
Because we know the guy can bake. He might mix one bad batch, but that many in a row suggests he's not the one at fault.
I even wondered (paranoidly) if someone had knowingly assigned him the station with the dodgy oven, or messed with it somehow, to prevent him winning.
ellieBOA, I agree strongly with that Vulture piece-- thanks for the Archive link.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:07 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
Thanks for the link to the Vulture piece - I went on to read their other GBBO coverage, and it’s really good.
posted by Phanx at 2:10 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Phanx at 2:10 PM on November 28 [1 favorite]
That Vulture piece reads very much like Metro USA complaining that non-Metro Britain isn't sufficiently Metro USA.
Yes, some people in the UK will have heard of gochujang, but most won't have—the Korean population here is a fraction of that of the US (tens of thousands compared with millions), and you don't see Korean restaurants here often. Even the katsuification of Britain has been mostly an urban phenomenon. The comment about Paul doing exposition for the audience seems believable and fair.
If GBBO is anything, it's a TV version of the baking competitions in English country fairs. It should have recognisable touchstones like Bakewells, and you'd expect its more challenging fare to be something the audience can relate to. In the UK that means stuff they might have encountered on trips to the continent, stuff that large immigrant populations have brought to the UK, and beyond that it tails off quickly... which makes the judges' unfamiliarity with some flavours a reasonable proxy for a lot of the target viewers.
I don't imagine Prue and Paul will be the judges forever, but for now it feels okay to me. The past couple of series it's felt like they've taken on board some of the criticisms around GBBO and solved some of its problems—the time allowances feel more reasonable when bakers have time to remake things in an emergency, for example.
posted by rory at 3:48 AM on November 29 [4 favorites]
Yes, some people in the UK will have heard of gochujang, but most won't have—the Korean population here is a fraction of that of the US (tens of thousands compared with millions), and you don't see Korean restaurants here often. Even the katsuification of Britain has been mostly an urban phenomenon. The comment about Paul doing exposition for the audience seems believable and fair.
If GBBO is anything, it's a TV version of the baking competitions in English country fairs. It should have recognisable touchstones like Bakewells, and you'd expect its more challenging fare to be something the audience can relate to. In the UK that means stuff they might have encountered on trips to the continent, stuff that large immigrant populations have brought to the UK, and beyond that it tails off quickly... which makes the judges' unfamiliarity with some flavours a reasonable proxy for a lot of the target viewers.
I don't imagine Prue and Paul will be the judges forever, but for now it feels okay to me. The past couple of series it's felt like they've taken on board some of the criticisms around GBBO and solved some of its problems—the time allowances feel more reasonable when bakers have time to remake things in an emergency, for example.
posted by rory at 3:48 AM on November 29 [4 favorites]
I enjoyed the final but omg those hanging cakes were ugly has hell. I mean, Georgie did make hers beautiful but the entire concept was so stupid. Her cake would have been just as pretty stacked on a platter.
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:38 PM on November 29 [5 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:38 PM on November 29 [5 favorites]
It's possible Dylan had oven issues or got sabotaged, but I tend to think it's just that he got frustrated. No matter how excellent you are, it's easy to let a single small mistake throw you off your game so much that you make more, larger mistakes. Especially for somebody as young as Dylan.
posted by Jeanne at 2:15 PM on November 29 [4 favorites]
posted by Jeanne at 2:15 PM on November 29 [4 favorites]
Georgie's dress is so beautiful. That pattern is stunning, congrats to her but man I'd love to get a shirt in that pattern.
posted by Carillon at 9:02 PM on November 29
posted by Carillon at 9:02 PM on November 29
Yay Cymru! It was great to see the Welsh person win, I'm very happy for Georgie. I really felt for poor Dylan, he does seem to get troubled by something and kind of spiral down. Christiaan seemed like he might be the winner for a bit there, but those (ridiculous) hanging cakes got the better of both him and Dylan.
But yay for Dylan getting a spot in a Michelin-starred restaurant!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 9:47 PM on November 29 [1 favorite]
But yay for Dylan getting a spot in a Michelin-starred restaurant!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 9:47 PM on November 29 [1 favorite]
Aw, this is sweet - Dylan apparently got the restaurant job just a few weeks after GBBO filming wrapped, but before it aired. And he mentioned being on GBBO during his job interview but didn't say how far he'd gone with it - I'm assuming because of some kind of TV nondisclosure thing - so his bosses were watching along with everyone else and are marveling that "he was a finalist? Holy crap."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:32 AM on November 30 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:32 AM on November 30 [2 favorites]
The Great British Baking Show Season-Finale Recap: Hangin’ Tough [Vulture / Archive]
Anatomy of a Great British Baking Show Flameout [Vulture / Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 6:14 AM on November 30
Anatomy of a Great British Baking Show Flameout [Vulture / Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 6:14 AM on November 30
This finale was excellent, marred only by Noel's atrocious sweater.
I had a feeling Christiaan wouldn't win when his first day went just a little too well, but he was clearly having such a good time. Intrigued by the raspberry licorice jam.
Loved Georgie in the edit for the showstopper bake, forgetting why she'd gone to the back counter and then swigging from her champagne bottle.
Happy for Dylan that he snagged his restaurant job, of course, but my main takeaway from the "since the bake off" montage is that a beach trip with Andy and Nellie would be the best thing ever.
This was a really strong season, probably my favorite since Mel/Sue/Mary left.
posted by the primroses were over at 10:01 AM on November 30 [2 favorites]
I had a feeling Christiaan wouldn't win when his first day went just a little too well, but he was clearly having such a good time. Intrigued by the raspberry licorice jam.
Loved Georgie in the edit for the showstopper bake, forgetting why she'd gone to the back counter and then swigging from her champagne bottle.
Happy for Dylan that he snagged his restaurant job, of course, but my main takeaway from the "since the bake off" montage is that a beach trip with Andy and Nellie would be the best thing ever.
This was a really strong season, probably my favorite since Mel/Sue/Mary left.
posted by the primroses were over at 10:01 AM on November 30 [2 favorites]
This finale was excellent, marred only by Noel's atrocious sweater.
That one was especially awful, even for Noel.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:47 AM on November 30 [4 favorites]
That one was especially awful, even for Noel.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:47 AM on November 30 [4 favorites]
This finale was excellent, marred only by Noel's atrocious sweater.
That one was especially awful, even for Noel
So bad!!!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:40 AM on November 30
That one was especially awful, even for Noel
So bad!!!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:40 AM on November 30
If I were feeling surly, I would say that Dylan is just Ruby all over again, gender swapped and getting creeped on by creepy old grabby-hands Hollywood. The truth is probably that Dylan was very very good, and just had an off weekend. Anyway, I was happy Georgie won. She was consistently good from the start.
posted by surlyben at 6:32 PM on November 30 [1 favorite]
posted by surlyben at 6:32 PM on November 30 [1 favorite]
Eh, I don’t think there’s any similarity there between Dylan and Ruby. I just think, as self-absorbed and/or smarmy as Paul can be, he can definitely recognize a pro-level talent, saw exactly that in Dylan, and responded excitedly. Deep down, I suspect it killed him to watch Dylan fall apart over the last two weeks of competition (as it did all of us.)
Happy Georgie won, though. She was the “everyperson” baker left at the end, which always makes for a good end.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:18 AM on December 1 [1 favorite]
Happy Georgie won, though. She was the “everyperson” baker left at the end, which always makes for a good end.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:18 AM on December 1 [1 favorite]
This finale was excellent, marred only by Noel's atrocious sweater.
That one was especially awful, even for Noel
So bad!!!
I felt rage literally every time it was on screen.
Other than that, and the fact that I felt so very bad for Dylan for choking, it was a nice final! Georgie's showstopper was stunning, and as always, so very great to see all the other contestants.
posted by velvet_n_purrs at 12:15 PM on December 1 [2 favorites]
That one was especially awful, even for Noel
So bad!!!
I felt rage literally every time it was on screen.
Other than that, and the fact that I felt so very bad for Dylan for choking, it was a nice final! Georgie's showstopper was stunning, and as always, so very great to see all the other contestants.
posted by velvet_n_purrs at 12:15 PM on December 1 [2 favorites]
Well, I for one felt joy every time I saw Noel's sweater on screen.
Anyway, I was worried Dylan might choke from nerves and it was sad to see him have an off-week, but I'd say getting hired into a fancy kitchen is more meaningful long-term than who wins what ultimately is a somewhat arbitrary TV show. Plus, being a fan favorite has often proved more enduring. Speaking of, I enjoyed some of the A+ B-roll of Nelly - especially her delight in tasting Christiaan's poppyseed cake. All and all, I agree it was one of the better finals - all three bakers seem like lovely and kind people and it was nice getting to see a bit of their lives. Even though Dylan had a bad week it wasn't an utter disaster (here I'm thinking of the season with Steph), and none of the challenges were too ridiculous (like that season where they made them grill flatbread outside).
posted by coffeecat at 7:49 AM on December 2
Anyway, I was worried Dylan might choke from nerves and it was sad to see him have an off-week, but I'd say getting hired into a fancy kitchen is more meaningful long-term than who wins what ultimately is a somewhat arbitrary TV show. Plus, being a fan favorite has often proved more enduring. Speaking of, I enjoyed some of the A+ B-roll of Nelly - especially her delight in tasting Christiaan's poppyseed cake. All and all, I agree it was one of the better finals - all three bakers seem like lovely and kind people and it was nice getting to see a bit of their lives. Even though Dylan had a bad week it wasn't an utter disaster (here I'm thinking of the season with Steph), and none of the challenges were too ridiculous (like that season where they made them grill flatbread outside).
posted by coffeecat at 7:49 AM on December 2
Noel's sweater made me recoil in horror.
I was so bummed for Dylan -- I really thought he was going to win it. What a bad time to have the off week strike!
posted by maryellenreads at 8:27 AM on December 2
I was so bummed for Dylan -- I really thought he was going to win it. What a bad time to have the off week strike!
posted by maryellenreads at 8:27 AM on December 2
I keep reading that Prue won’t be back next series, but then the stories seem to go on to say she’s only out of the professionals version, then no not that one, etc. etc. British press is so unhinged from reality sometimes.
Someone at a get-together over the weekend said both hosts were out, too, but I’ve not seen anything about that.
Anyone know what the real story is?
posted by Thorzdad at 1:11 PM on December 2
Someone at a get-together over the weekend said both hosts were out, too, but I’ve not seen anything about that.
Anyone know what the real story is?
posted by Thorzdad at 1:11 PM on December 2
The past couple of series it's felt like they've taken on board some of the criticisms around GBBO and solved some of its problems—the time allowances feel more reasonable when bakers have time to remake things in an emergency, for example.
Agreed, I noticed that, too. Overall, a very good season, and I'm happy that Georgie won, though sad that "Pirate Lad," as we call him in our house, had such a rough week.
posted by chaiminda at 4:14 PM on December 2 [1 favorite]
Agreed, I noticed that, too. Overall, a very good season, and I'm happy that Georgie won, though sad that "Pirate Lad," as we call him in our house, had such a rough week.
posted by chaiminda at 4:14 PM on December 2 [1 favorite]
I wondered if Dylan's oven was malfunctioning, his baking luck was so consistently bad this episode.
It wasn't the oven that made him choose a genoise for a gravity-defying cake, and it wasn't the oven that made him rush the mixing of it so that there were lumps of flour remaining in the finished cake. He just stressed himself out and made some costly mistakes. It happened the week before as well. For a 20 year old, he was generally pretty cool under pressure until the stakes got very high.
Anyone know what the real story is?
Prue is not going to be doing the celebrity specials any more. She'll still do the regular series.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:00 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
It wasn't the oven that made him choose a genoise for a gravity-defying cake, and it wasn't the oven that made him rush the mixing of it so that there were lumps of flour remaining in the finished cake. He just stressed himself out and made some costly mistakes. It happened the week before as well. For a 20 year old, he was generally pretty cool under pressure until the stakes got very high.
Anyone know what the real story is?
Prue is not going to be doing the celebrity specials any more. She'll still do the regular series.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:00 PM on December 6 [1 favorite]
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Georgie did it! I would have been happy with any of them winning but I’m so pleased for her!
posted by ellieBOA at 1:48 PM on November 26 [4 favorites]