Caution: SPOILERS ahead for this episode of SBC!

Damn. This was a thrilling episode to watch, overall, but my feelings about it are so clouded by my disappointment at who went home, that I’m having a hard time finding something nice to say. So let’s just get right to it:

What happened! In the Preheat, my husband and I were excitedly talking about how talented Corey is and how, if not Lisa, he was sure to be the winner. His artistry and the way he thought about flavor combinations were quite unlike anyone else remaining in the competition. I love hearing, too, about how he made his own way in this field, making his childhood dream a reality through hard work and perseverance, and how he hopes to inspire other little boys like himself – he’s just such a cool guy! He really deserved the win.

I really got the impression that Corey was pissed AF when he walked off! Normally, the eliminated contestant will give a tearful little smile and “thank you” speech and/or hug all his fellow contestants, but Corey just kind of abruptly walked off! And the clip that they played of him afterwards, talking about how proud he was of what he’d accomplished thus far? That definitely seemed like it was filmed before his elimination, based on the way he said “I don’t want to go home.” Which makes me think he perhaps stormed off the set without giving an actual exit interview? So the creators had to splice in something from earlier? Could it be, or am I imagining it? I wouldn’t blame him, for being so disappointed, if this is the case.

But, I mean, to be fair: that cake did look rock-hard, unfortunately. And Duff said it wasn’t even cold, it was room temperature. It had become not a cake, but a “biscuit.” Yeah, Raveena’s had issues, too, like disappearing filling, but Corey’s had those same issues plus the rock hard biscuit cake. Devastating! As I keep saying, even the best of them have slip-ups, and I guess this one happened at a really inopportune moment. He was really a star of this season.

Corey won the Preheat. His floating meringue island (mandarin orange, coconut crème anglaise, vanilla pavlova, strawberry and kiwi!) was a masterpiece, it blew all the others out of the water! But, there was no advantage in the Preheat this episode. My husband raised the question: what does the Preheat even really matter, in this situation? It makes the show more fun to watch, sure, but someone could literally fail the Preheat miserably and then go on to win the Main Heat and become the winner. What do you all think? Is the Preheat just for show? I feel like maybe it ought to have more “stakes” attached to it…

And speaking of the Preheat: I knew Lisa was going to overcook that meringue. Whenever they show an interview clip of a contestant explaining their choices (“I really didn’t want to undercook the meringue and serve the judges raw eggs,” Lisa said), you just know that choice is going to come back and bite them in the butt. What a bummer!

But so let’s try to talk about some nice things that happened this episode.

Mary-Frances! She killed it in the Main Heat. Seriously, it’s like something happened to her about halfway through the show and she just came out of the woodwork and started winning. Talk about a dark horse. And now she’s in the final! Her cake bombe was gorgeous, truly one of the most beautiful desserts I’ve seen, with those white roses (tinged with glow-in-the-dark neon along the edges) sitting atop the white chocolate mirror glaze. I wouldn’t be too surprised if she ended up winning next week, at this point.

Lisa and Raveena also brought it back, in the Main Heat. It looked like they were both in bad shape, for a minute there, with the melting ice creams! But Lisa found a creative solution, installing that border for her filling, and I’m not sure what Raveena did but her finished cake bombe looked stunning, with that elegant bright orange décor.

And one other nice thing: thank God there was no stupid flavor “twist” in this Main Heat. There was enough going on with that challenge already, holy cow! A flambéed cocktail cake bombe with ice cream filling, that also glows in the dark, in two hours?! These challenges really are getting wild. I’m almost nervous to see what they’re going to have to do next week.

My high point: Lisa’s creative solution in the Main Heat! Crisis averted! I was worried, for a minute there, that she was going home, but her bananas foster cake bombe ended up being basically flawless.

My low point: Obviously, Corey leaving. What a classy guy. The way he hugged Raveena when she was so overwhelmed after the Main Heat bake… he deserves the world.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: It would have been Priya’s cherries jubilee cake bombe, but, I don’t do anything with liquor in it, so all the Main Heat desserts were a hard no from me. So, definitely Raveena’s white chocolate guava île flottante with coconut-macadamia streusel! Sounded dreamy! Duff complained that there was “not enough guava,” that the white chocolate overpowered, and that it was basically a “bowl of ganache.” Hell yeah, sounds perfect! I’ll take it!

My official prediction for the final: 4: Priya, 3: Mary-Frances, 2: Raveena, 1: Lisa.

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