Lessons learned from this week's Top Chef: "Less is more" and "It's only cheating if you get caught."

So, quickly, so we can get to the good stuff. What could top last week's weird proteins quickfire? Hors d'oeuvres! Uh. Sure, ok. On with it, then. Winner gets $20,000 plus immunity. Elbows are thrown in the scramble for proteins and amid little bits of lamb, pork and kebab, Angelo emerges as the winner. People clap politely for him (even Kenny) but you know they don't mean it. Angelo has the grace to look pleased and surprised. (Look at us! We're going sweet on Angelo, who doesn't deserve our affection. But we're a bit hard up for someone to root for this season, so it might as well be the cute one.)

With that out of the way, this week's elimination challenge was not restaurant wars, as I had guessed, but a power lunch with some political TV types, include Luke Russert,Joe Scarborough, and Mika Brzezinski.

On to the Case of Missing Pea Puree. Of all the things that happened last night, the storyline that really mattered had to do with peas. Yes, peas. The night before the challenge, Alex is all, IDK what to do. Maybe peas? Kenny and Andrea (who's a total gossip over Tiffany and Ed's hangouts and needs to just mind her own business) tell Alex that Ed is working with peas, too. Oh, Alex says, his brown eyes inscrutable.

The next day, amid the scramble for lunch service, Ed goes looking for his peas but can't find them in any cooler. (This entire time I thought they each got a cooler to themselves, go figure.) Cut to Alex, looking a little lost, carrying a suspiciously pea-colored sauce around. Ed hunts and can't find any peas so he uses some of Tiffany's broccolini instead.

Lo, Tiffany, Alex and Ed are hauled before the judges and... they got the best scores! Guess what's called out during judging? Peas! Meanwhile, in the backroom and in the kitchen after service, a whisper campaign has started. When Alex is eventually named the winner, he enters the room to cheers, which instantly go silent when he says it was because of the puree.

But let's hold the editing accountable. Tom Colicchio points out that Ed never asked Alex if he stole the peas, and it is possible that Alex either made his own puree or accidentally took Ed's dish. It is entirely possible that Alex, rather than trying to be Machiavellian, is continuing an established pattern of hitting dumb luck amid clumsy kitchen techniques.

Does this mean we don't have to feel conflicted about Angelo, because there's a new villain? More on this in future episodes, I'm sure.

As for the losers, Kelly is chastised over using too much salt (which she splashed so she wouldn't have to share with dippy Amanda). Andrea makes a weak excuse about not liking to eat swordfish, which no one buys. Kevin's lamb wasn't cooked properly and suggested an overall carelessness. Kevin and Kelly are spared but gossipy Andrea is sent home.

Next week: Serving ambassadors, with a cameo from Marcus Samuelsson.