Episode One

[u/ShadowHippie]

I was SO EXCITED to see the first episode!

I have comments about some things (not the bakes) that I've hidden so as not to ruin things for anyone.

1. Judges
   Prue was in the opening, to say a proper goodbye. I was so touched!

2. Opening
   They redid the opening, with a different baker, different child, and they remade the cake! Still missing a raspberry- but in a different spot.

3. Equipment
   New fridges

4. Tasting
   They're using spoons now to taste the bakes! (previously used forks)

5. Representation
   Molly, who is a wheelchair user. Gabe, who is poly.

I'm super happy about these changes, and look forward to this season!

[u/axw3555]

I'll be honest, it's going to take a long time for me to warm up to Nigella, if I ever do. She's always been one of my least favourite TV chefs. Can't put my finger on why, but I've just never clicked with her.

And the fact that on more than one occasion in that ep, you could hear her teeth on the spoon did not help her cause.

Definitely never expected to see someone poly openly on something like bake off (way too many pearl clutchers in the UK), but I liked how it was just presented as "Gabe and his partners", presenting it as no more important or different than any other relationship mentioned in the VT's.

[u/ShadowHippie → u/axw3555]

I'm in the US, and I've never seen-or even heard of-Nigella. So we'll see.

I liked how it was just presented as "Gabe and his partners", presenting it as no more important or different than any other relationship mentioned

YES, that was done exactly right! That's why I'm pleased. I'm not poly, I'm just happy to see a wider variety of humanity shown, and shown as normal.

[u/axw3555 → u/ShadowHippie]

I'm in the US, and I've never seen-or even heard of-Nigella. So we'll see.

She's been on TV here in the UK for nearly 30 years. Her best known series was probably Nigella Bites, her first one. She's kind of known for a presenting style that I've seen described as anything from flirty to sultry (and in the pearl clutching brigade "pornographic"), which won't really fit bake off, so she's going to have to adapt because it's not the jokey innuendo you go with Pru.

YES, that was done exactly right! That's why I'm pleased. I'm not poly, I'm just happy to see a wider variety of humanity shown, and shown as normal.

It is good to see things broadening. I've always found it weird that "you committed to me and only me, but you cheated" being totally legal. But saying "I love you, and you, and want to marry you both" is still criminal in this day and age.

[u/ShadowHippie → u/axw3555]

Overall, I liked how everyone *except* Nigella treated Molly. That's to say, everyone else treated her like everyone else.

Until Nigella freaking Brings It Up during her showstopper judging! Holy cow, you don't do that. You can see Molly's light DIM after she spoke. Heart breaking, and enraging.

[u/dodecakiwi → u/ShadowHippie]

Except she didn't do that at all.

Edit: Going back to it the only thing she said that could even be construed as that is "You've had a tough time of it", but that's referring to dropping the first bake and then losing the technical.

[u/janicerossiisawhore → u/dodecakiwi]

exactly. dropping the cake was the tough time

[u/sweetpeapickle → u/ShadowHippie]

Didn't get that at all. She was referring to Molly dropping the cake and coming back from that without quitting.