Among many reasons, Top Chef owes its success to the drama that unfolds outside the kitchen. This crazy chef is going to kill anyone who touches his butter; these two are dating; those two used to date and are back together but about to break up again; that one's just flat-out nuts. Fun, unless these bits negatively impact the integrity of the show—the idea that the top chef should win. Does this explain the disclaimer that rolls at the end of every episode, noting that the producers and judges confab on all decisions? We asked head judge Tom Colicchio to sort us out.
