Buddy Picks His Next Great Baker
Here's what you missed on the second season finale of the Cake Boss spin-off.
Finally, the finale of the Cake Boss contest spinoff show Next Great Baker! Thirteen baker wannabes whittled to three and now down to one rising star.
The surviving trio includes cocky Ryan, feisty Marissa and demure Nadine. “Nadine's great at piping and detail,” Marissa says. “Ryan's not that great of a baker. I can't even stand him. I don't want to look at him, I don't want to hear his voice.” Get those two lovebirds a room!
Buddy enters. He's confident his next great baker is in the kitchen. The winner will get to work with him at Carlo's, plus receive $100,000 and a four page spread in Brides magazine, which is how Buddy first got recognized.
For their baker's challenge the contestants have to break as many eggs as they can into a pitcher in one minute. Marissa says she's ready because she cracks eggs all the time.
Buddy demonstrates. He's Larry Bird in a shooting contest. He breaks a tray of thirty eggs in under thirty seconds. He deems egg cracking expert Marissa the winner.
“I don't know," Ryan says, "maybe she's up all night cracking eggs."
The contestants next have to manage the Carlo's counter by baking and selling their own goods. “They better live up to my standards,” Buddy says.
He lets Marissa pick her team of helpers from among several Carlo's workers, and she chooses Buddy's sister Lisa and Joey. Nadine next chooses Danny and Grace, leaving Ryan with Madeline and Cousin Anthony.
The contestants have to bake 400 cookies, 20 pies, 20 cakes and 100 pastries. Buddy is excited. He's been super excited this whole episode. He's more hopped than Howard Dean on Iowa caucus night.
Ryan's team is already falling apart. Madeline isn't a baker and doesn't really know what she's doing. Cousin Anthony, who is a baker, isn't following Ryan's recipes. Even the chocolate chip cookies are screwed up. Somehow Anthony ends up using Danny's cookie dough, and when this is discovered he has to throw everything away.
The buttercream is bad too. Anthony says Ryan's recipes are wrong. They start arguing. “If you don't like it you don't have to help me,” Ryan says.
When time expires Marissa has the most stuff to sell. The contestants take their goods to Carlo's where there's a long line of people waiting to shop. Buddy then says that whoever sells the least will be eliminated.
Nadine, who had persuasive Grace hawking for her, sells the most. Ryan loses. He sold barely half of what either Marissa or Nadine did. It was a downward spiral – losing the egg cracking contest led to him getting the worst team which led to him losing the sales contest and getting eliminated.
On his way to the box truck Ryan, cocksure as ever, says he's still a better baker than both Marissa and Nadine. He jabs Marissa a last time. “If Buddy really knew the true Marissa he wouldn't want to work with her,” he says.
Both Marissa and Nadine are happy to have made it to the end, and also that they're competing against each other. They both say the other is just as deserving of winning.
For the final challenge both have to bake one last cake. It's right after the late night customer challenge, 2:30 in the morning. Buddy gives them some help – Carlo's employees including Mauro, Frankie, Ralph and Juan. At that late hour let's hope they're getting overtime pay.
Their theme is to build a cake that realizes the American dream. Buddy talks about how his father came from Italy and became successful. “Show me what the American dream looks like in a cake,” he says. “Make it grand, patriotic, personal, where you were born, where you come from, where you aspire to be.”
Nadine is going to make a series of clouds, and on each cloud a scene from her life – her hometown in Minnesota, her move to New York, her dream of working at Carlo's.
Marissa wants to incorporate her Jersey roots. She's going to do a tier cake spiraling upwards and showing her climb in life.
Both bakers have been awake longer than a day and are exhausted. Nadine is struggling with her clouds. Mauro tries to help but she's too fatigue to understand his suggestions. Marissa's cake is further along. She was wise to pick Ralph for her team because he's giving her some great sculptures.
The time expires and the bakers deliver their cakes to the historic Loew's Jersey theater in Jersey City. Hundreds of people are in the audience, including all of the eliminated Next Great Baker contestants.
Buddy enters with his two co-judges, his sister Mary and stylist Randy from TLC's Say Yes to the Dress.
Buddy has both women explain why they want to win. Both get emotional, and Buddy says he's proud of them. Aw.
In the end Buddy declares Marissa the winner. She's ecstatic. “Being the next great baker is going to change my whole life,” she says.
Congratulations! She's overcome a lot of difficulty, not just in this competition, but in her life. Ryan said he doesn't think Marissa will cut it in Carlo's, but he's the one sent home while she gets to prove herself as the Next Great Baker.
Linda
6:31 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Was so disapointed in Buddy's choice. She was a witch the whole time.She played the poor me card to often. Won't watch again.
cheryl
12:09 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Linda I agree with you. She can't handle pressure, maybe she won't last as an employee for buddy. I think he picked her because she is a NJ girl.
P. S.
10:06 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
So disapointed that Marissa won. She didn't deserve it, she's not a team player. She's very insecure which causes her to loss her temper. I can't imagine anyone wanting to work side by side with her. Nadine was a true baker and lady throughout the whole competition, She should have won. Marissa only won because Buddy knew she couldn't handle losing.
Sara
11:29 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Yes, Marissa should not have won. I was also really disappointed in his choice. Buddy made a huge mistake and he is going to end up regretting it. He will probably end up firing her. I really thought Nadine was going to win. She has better skills and isn't mean and rude like Marissa is.It seems as though Buddy just favored Marissa over Nadine. The contestants were not as good as they were in the first season. Marissa doesn't even come close to last season's contestants. Plus, she has a horrible attitude. Why would anyone want to work with her? Very disappointed. I won't watch this show again.
Diana
6:37 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Very disappointed, Marissa wasn't a team player. Already last night, I saw her in Buddy's show and you could see she didn't have the skills, she wasn't giving the best. Inclusive Buddy had to call her attention. Bad decision.
PD a note for Buddy when you make another contest please, learn and teach your employee the desert of other countries before you used them to evaluate a contestant's desert. (Didn't like the evaluation of the employee on the "Arroz con Dulce" this is a typical desert of Puerto Rico and is very good.
Kayla Dawn Shortridge
12:06 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I've been rooting for Marissa during the entire competition and I knew she could do it. I believe that her temper and attitude comes from her determination. She has the drive and the will to get to where she is now. I'm very pleased with Buddy's choice. I don't believe that he'll regret it. (:
Boo Marissa
2:02 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
My daughter and I watched this from the first episode. We both knew early on that Buddy wanted Marissa to win. She's from New Jersey and he likes the ones who bitch and fight.
Nadine beat Marissa head to head at the shop with the sales. What's the point of even having that competition? I mean, isn't it a sign that someone is better by what the customers buy?
Hang in there, Nadine. You are more talented and a much better person.
Cali Girl
4:01 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I am disappointed that Marissa won but really happy Ryan did not!! I believe that Nadine is better than Marissa, she has had a great attitude through the whole competition and I think she does a better job. Marissa has a bad attitude as if everyone owes her something, she just seems generally unhappy in life and all. Ryan is an Asshole and has NO talent at all. I laughed when the y said that his cookies and all SUCKED!!! He has to blame everyone else for HIS mistakes and short-comings, such a cocky jerk. Even driving away still spouting his mouth off!!
Armaan Atwal
11:16 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012
I cannot believe this! How the hell did marisaa win?? He doesn't have half the talent Nadine has. She bitches about everything to everyone and she's so insecure. She cannot do anything on her own she has to be told what to do. Sooo disappointed in Buddy's decision. He probably only picked her because shes a 'jersey girl' I mean you could tell from the beginning her favored her, for some strange reason...
Armaan Atwal
11:17 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012
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Armaan Atwal
11:16 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012
I cannot believe this! How the hell did marissa win?? She doesn't have half the talent Nadine has. She bitches about everything to everyone and she's so insecure. She cannot do anything on her own she has to be told what to do. Sooo disappointed in Buddy's decision. He probably only picked her because shes a 'jersey girl' I mean you could tell from the beginning her favored her, for some strange reason...
Barbara Thompson
5:46 pm on Friday, February 3, 2012
Very disappointed that Nadine didn't win. What a bitch Marissa is! Think Buddy will
be sorry he chose that one.
Debra Gibbons
8:09 am on Saturday, February 4, 2012
Nadine was the real winner. Buddy just picked the one who made him look smart! Marissa filled that bill. Is she related to him? Nadine when you open your own shop I want to be your first customer! I have a large family and we would love your cakes and goodies!
Jerri Gardner
10:49 pm on Saturday, February 4, 2012
Was so disappointed in Buddy's choice. She was not a team player at any time. She wanted everybody to do it for her. Hope your team is ready to take up her slack . Marissa has no passion except to delegate the work to someone else. She played the poor pitiful me card to all the time.
Nadine when you open your own shop I want to be your first customer! I have a large family and we would love your cakes and goodies!Please make sure that you let everybody know where you are. Buddy you made a big mistake hiring Marrissa she will just be an "extra bag of flour" your staff will have to move everytime they want something done. You have really disappointed me and I never miss your your shows I DVR so I can watch later and get ideas and see what ya'll need. But I hope a lot of people will follow and quit watching anything to do with Carlos Bakery and any show that you may be on (Rachel Ray) I watched this week won't watch again. I hope Nadine opens her own bakery and blows you out of the water because all she needs is the right staff the girl has vision which Marissa would not know it hit her in the face. I will encourage everyone I know to try and get Nadine to do an online bakery and we will all by from. If she wants to come to Alabama I will work with her for the first year free and I can make some amazing cakes, cookies and pastries
M
11:08 am on Sunday, February 5, 2012
I don't think Marissa should have won. She complained all the time and was always like " poor me".She was mean to Ryan and a bunch of other people on the show and I have no idea why Buddy picked her. I think he will regret that later. Ryan was right if Buddy knew the real her he wouldn't want to work with him. Nadine was a great baker and she defenitly should have won. Nadine has way more talent than Marissa and I feel she should be the next great baker. I will continue watching the show to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again. Nadine you are the Next Great Baker to me.
cheryl
12:14 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I sure hope Buddy see's these comments... not too many happy people about his choice. Won't bother watching next season IF there is one.
HobokenOwl
12:41 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
How about being outraged about the fact that someone killed himself over the competition and the show continued anyway? I'm not watching anything Buddy related or buying his goods. The fact that others are disgusts me.
Adam
3:24 pm on Monday, February 27, 2012
It seems buddy had a crush on marissa cuzz everytime she won a competition he would squeeze in a tight hug. First rule of a real businessman buddy, never mix business with pleasure. You failed and everyone saw right through it. Hence why marissa won. Not watching your show anymore. I mean seriously what the heck does being able to quickly sell your products have to do with being a great baker?? Jeez no talent