'Top Chef: Seattle': Where did it go wrong?

Have you been watching this season of Top Chef?

Even though I've seen every episode, I think the Seattle eps have been the series' weakest. Like last season, the competition began with too many subpar contestants, forcing us to wait several weeks until the judges eliminated the dead weight. (I mean, come on: Did anyone expect crazy Carla to take it all?)

More than anything, though, the long-running...