"The American Barbecue Showdown": quick review

Ah, Netflix. I just binge-watched Season 1 of "The American Barbecue Showdown" (aired in 2020, and so far the only season, but a Season 2 is in the works). It's been a while since I watched a reality-TV series of any sort, and this one is modeled after other one-loser-per-episode shows like "Top Shot" or "The Next Iron Chef." It's got the same style of editing that plays with your sense of time, sequence, and tension; the same manufactured suspense... and despite my ability to see the marionette strings manipulating us emotionally, I was sucked in, probably because each episode featured some good-looking food, including the weird stuff (e.g., raccoon, alligator, iguana, beaver, etc.). So that's my primary takeaway from this show: I'm now hungry for some good, rib-sticking barbecue.

The show features a bit of international flavor, mainly in the person of big, muscular Rasheed, originally from Jamaica. Rasheed brings a somewhat different sensibility to the contest (and he makes it to the final round; I ended up rooting for him), with his knowledge of Jamaican jerk flavors and Argentinian cuisine (he visits Argentina several times a year). Otherwise, the show is a huge dose of Deep South country twang, especially from one of two judges: the appropriately surnamed Melissa Cookston, a Mississippi-born terror who is a world-champion pitmaster in an arena normally dominated by men. Melissa's got that stereotypical smoker's voice that I associate with a lot of older country women (whether she actually smokes, I don't know). Judging alongside Melissa is the physically imposing Kevin Bludso, himself a champion pitmaster. Kevin is much more laid back than Melissa is, but his opinions are just as direct as his partner's are. With the two judges are the show's two hosts: Rutledge Wood and Lyric Lewis (who appeared to be pregnant during filming). The hosts don't offer much meaningful commentary; they're there as emcees and to provide a bit of humor.

The competitions in each episode were stressful enough that there was almost none of the usual interpersonal bullshit you often see on reality shows. People didn't trash-talk each other or try to psych each other out, although one contestant jokingly accused Rasheed of being a hustler, always sounding humble about his abilities but consistently producing amazing food despite never having competed before. If anything, instead of fighting, the contestants often went out of their way to help each other out whenever one of them was in a spot of trouble. One moment in particular stands out—when one of the guys experiences failure after failure and is ready to throw in the towel and walk off the contest, all the other contestants yell encouragement to him to fight on. It was a refreshingly humanity-affirming moment instead of the usual vicious, let's-drag-each-other-down fare. Overall, the mutual supportiveness of the contestants reminded me a lot of the collegiality in Season 2 of "Top Shot."

If you've got Netflix, and you're looking for light, fluffy, mouth-watering entertainment, you could do worse than to sit down and watch "The American Barbecue Showdown." At the very least, you'll come away hungry for some smoked hog, brisket, and some tasty side dishes.