Review: Sugar Rush, season 3, Extra Sweet
The super sweet Netflix baking competition is as colourful and adventurous as it gets. Here is all you need to know about why you should watch it
Sugar Rush has run into its third season on Netflix and has had a number of occasion and speciality based spin offs, so it's clearly popular! So what's all the fuss about?
Presenters and judges
The show is hosted by Hunter March who you may know from a million other programs in the states, such as Emogenius. He is most well known for having more teeth than you have ever seen in a human head but wearing them devastatingly well!
The resident judges are Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo. Candace is America's Cupcake Queen! A pastry chef, she opened the world's first purpose built cupcake bakery in 2005 and has since taken over, with 31 stores nationwide, and plans to go even further. She is also resident judge on Cupcake Wars - understandably!
Zumbo is known as the King of Macarons, which he has earned the right to call Zumbarons! Another pastry chef, he is known for making some of the most elaborate and challenging desserts you will ever see. He has his own Netflix show called Zumbo's Just Desserts, which I strongly recommend you check out.
L-R: Hunter, Candace, and Zumbo [Image: @thesweetassasin]
Every week there is a different guest judge who, more often than not, is in no way connected to baking. There are actors, musicians, fashion icons, magicians, and the odd member of baking royalty, for good measure. They theme of the week tends to be related to what the guest judge does eg magic when Justin Willman joined them. Their vote is weighted equally to the resident judges, in all 3 rounds.
The premise
4 teams of bakers and confectioners come together to compete over 3 themed rounds of dessert creating. In first round, contestants are challenged to create themed cupcakes against the clock. There are 2 hours to do this, but this time is carried over to the next round so speed is key. At the end of round 1, there is a winner who has the opportunity to take $1500 or carry an extra 15 mins of time into the final round - if they get there! The team with the judges least favourite cupcakes is sent home.
Round 2 sees the teams making confection, in keeping with the theme, in the time they have remaining from round 1. Their creations are judged and, like in the first round, there is a cash or time prize for the judges favourite, and the least favourite are shown the door. Any of the 2 hours they have remaining from the first 2 rounds is carried into the final.
2 teams make it to the final round where they are tasked with making an elaborate, cake based, creation, in keeping with the theme. There is often a specific element that needs to be included, eg a water feature, or a levitating part with magnets etc. Contestants are given 3 hours on top of the time they have carried over from rounds 1 and 2 and any time they have won during those rounds.
The final creations are judged based on creativity, execution, incorporation of any required elements, and quality and flavour of the cake itself. Winner gets a cool $10K!
So, how is it
It's the most sickly sweet, american, reality/talent show you'll come across - in the best possible way!
If you're used to watching things like Masterchef, or even Bake Off, you'll be surprised at how kind the judges are and you will no doubt be able to pick holes in the creations you see, while they avoid being too harsh. That said, there is a great deal of talent and some of the things the contestants come up with in the given time are incredible.
Hunter is a brilliant host. He points the show in the right direction and is witty and cute but knows that the judges words are the ones we are waiting to hear, so steps aside to let that happen. The judges themselves are a little tepid when it comes to actually judging but have great chemistry and are entertaining enough.
The guest judges can seem like odd choices but it always seem to work. Don't expect them to be showcasing what they do though, if you're a fan of theirs, it's all about the bakes!
I would also question some of what they call confection, they do seem to take the definition of that extremely loosely and that is a round where anything seems to go. I would like it to be a more strict confection round but some of the creations really are exceptional and it's great seeing what they come up with.
This is the third season of the show and it still feels fresh, fun, and really well put together. Absolutely binge worthy, fully recommend!
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Comments (2)
Special mention has to be made of Hunter's excellent suit.
He is always very dapper