This was posted Friday, June 23, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Checking in on the two metro Atlantans on season 13 of "Food Network Star" and so far, so good after three episodes.
From the moment both caterer Dave "Big Swole" Rose and Rusty Hamlin (Atkins Park, Zac Brown Band) showed up, their outgoing personalities stood out. Weaker contestants are being weeded out quickly.
This past Sunday, the teams faced off with "experiential" themes like the jungle and the beach. Hamlin offered a passionate presentation but his sweet potato gratin felt uninspired.
Rose pulled off a good video and the judges liked his dish. So far, Rose has been very consistent and finished in the top three last Sunday. Hamlin's food hasn't been as strong as his personality to date. He has remained in the middle of the pack every week.
Both appear like they will be around awhile.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
On Spike TV's 9th season of "Ink Master," after three episodes, the future of Bang and Danger Dave on Tri-Cities Tattoo of East Point is not bright. They have been in the bottom three three weeks in a row. On any measure, that means the judges have liked none of their tattoos to date.
The criticism so far has focused on execution and technical issues. This week, they had to tattoo a natural disaster and chose a twister. It looked very recognizable but the judges had quibbles over the details. Judge Oliver Peck wanted Tri Cities out. The other two judges chose a different team. Dave Navarro felt it was the clearest of the three tattoos.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Bang, so far, has been combative but not in a disrespectful way. She and Danger Dave have also clashed over ideas and who should take the lead.
ON TV
“Ink Master,” Tuesdays, 10 p.m., Spike TV
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So far, no Atlanta-based groups on NBC's 'World of Dance" or "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox. There are also no locals on the upcoming cast of CBS's "Big Brother" or the current seasons of Spike TV's "Face Off" and Fox's "Masterchef." ABC's "The Bachelorette" had zero metro Atlantans from the get go. NBC's "America's Got Talent" has had two locals (Puddles Pity Party and Angelica Hale) after four audition episodes but none this past Tuesday.
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