On this page
01The take
Legends.
The legends format is a genuine idea — fifteen cooks trying to impress the people who defined American cooking.
02The shape of the season
A rhythm worth tracking.
MasterChef: Legends runs a guest-judge format unlike any prior season. Each week a culinary legend — Emeril Lagasse, Curtis Stone, Roy Choi, Nancy Silverton, and others, including a returning Graham Elliot — joins the permanent panel. Fifteen home cooks is the smallest cast in years, keeping the challenges focused. The pandemic halted filming mid-production; the season resumed and aired in 2021. The format concept holds through the disruption.
03Where it sits in the canon
The #08 slot.
Slot #08 of 16 in the MasterChef Editor's Canon. The seasons on either side show what I ranked it against.
No spoilers. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
06Also appears in