I am watching and agree about Chef Mehta. He is just too cocky. I was pretty certain they were going to pick a woman last year, and they didn't. So I think it will be a woman winner this time. I am rooting for Chef Guarnaschelli.
So am I - I really like Alex. I think the fact that Alex was Zakarian's sous chef indicates that they are grooming her for Iron Chef. It's different than Anne Burrell's situation - she became a Food Network star
after being Batali's sous chef. Alex is already a Food Network star, and didn't become a sous chef until last year.
Neither Spike nor Marcel have any business being on this show. They are young and untested, and have lost
every competition they've been in.

And Marcel isn't seeking "redemption"; he's new!
What Mehta and Appleman and some of the others seem to forget is that this is not a straight cooking show like
Top Chef. It's also an audition for a TELEVISION show. They have to select someone that people will
watch. They made that mistake one year when they selected Marc Forgione; his ratings are low. They're not going to choose Mehta, no matter how well he cooks, because he's not watchable.
(Of course, last year I thought Alex or another woman would win - I was convinced it would be Falkner over Zacharian - so that shows you how much my opinion is worth!

)