⁠Top Chef Season 22 Episode 9 recap: A stunt driven elimination challenge forces chefs to face their fears 

In this week's episode of Top Chef: Destination Canada, contestants faced two challenging tasks that tested their culinary creativity and personal courage. The episode featured a movie tie-in with Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, pushing chefs to create dishes with impressive "stunts" that would impress not only the judges but also special guest Greg Tarzan Davis from the film.

Before the main challenge, competitors had to brave the heights of Toronto's CN Tower for potential advantages: an extra $75 for walking its perimeter and 30 additional cooking minutes for those willing to lean over the edge. While most chefs embraced their fear of heights, Lana and Massimo declined the lean, starting their challenge at a time disadvantage.

This episode of Top Chef highlighted how corporate sponsorships, while sometimes awkward, help sustain the long-running culinary competition while still allowing chefs room to showcase genuine talent.

What happened in this episode of Top Chef Season 22?

The episode began with chefs climbing Toronto's iconic CN Tower. While everyone completed the walk, only some dared to lean over the edge Titanic-style.

Massimo admitted to being uncomfortable with heights, joining Lana in declining the extra 30 minutes for their final cook.

With advantages secured or declined, chefs interpreted the "stunt" theme in wildly different ways. Bailey created an optical illusion with a savory lasagna designed to look like dessert. Though not entirely convincing as tiramisu, her creativity earned praise from the judges and a top spot in the challenge.

César attempted another unusual flavor pairing with sweet salmon mousse, but unlike his previous successful experiments, this one fell flat. Vinny's elaborate concept involving "laser" breadsticks and smoke effects backfired when the dry ice he used froze his tartare solid.

The standout performance in this episode of Top Chef came from Massimo, who took a different approach to the stunt theme. Rather than creating visual tricks, he demonstrated technical mastery by preparing a trout en croûte in just two hours – a dish that typically requires much longer.

Rapidly speeding up the creation of a difficult dish to meet a time restriction is almost always a bad strategy that results in a chef's quick dismissal. Yet Massimo succeeded brilliantly, turning his time disadvantage into the very essence of his stunt.

Who all were eliminated in this episode?

This season of Top Chef has brought changes to the Quickfire round, with all three permanent judges now evaluating these preliminary challenges. Lana won this segment with her creative transformation of Prince Edward Island mussels into an Italian sub-inspired bite, offsetting her disappointing performance in the main challenge.

Despite Vinny's disastrous frozen tartare, César's poor showing in both challenges sealed his fate. His improvisational style, usually an asset, failed him twice in one episode.

César accepted the decision graciously, vowing to fight his way back through Last Chance Kitchen. He smiled as Kristen instructed him to gather his knives and leave, showing the sportsmanship that has made him a fan favorite throughout the competition.

As Top Chef: Destination Canada heats up, the competition is clearly reaching new heights—literally and figuratively. This week’s episode not only pushed chefs to test their culinary limits but also their nerve, proving that bold risks—whether taken at the edge of the CN Tower or at the cutting board—can lead to unforgettable moments.

While César’s departure was bittersweet, his exit underscored how quickly fortunes can change in this high-stakes kitchen. With Massimo on a comeback arc, Lana recovering from an early misstep, and Vinny narrowly avoiding elimination, the pressure is only intensifying. And with Last Chance Kitchen still in play, even those who've fallen short might not be out for good.

As we look ahead, one thing’s for sure: the road to the Top Chef title will be anything but easy, and that's exactly what keeps us watching.

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You can watch Top Chef Season 22: Destination Canada live on Bravo every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with new episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.

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