Here we go for the second week of "Top Chef: Just Desserts," the cooking challenge show that features St. Croix native Orlando Santos. In last week's opening episode, Santos and competitor Chris looked like the class of the show, Chris winning the first channel by a nose.

And now we're here for the second episode. As in last week's running blog, I will post observations four or five times during the course of the hour show.

10 p.m.

Rebecca starts the show with her left arm in a cast. But she's not giving up.

Master cake decroator Margaret Braun is giving them 45 minutes to reveal "the secret of the lemon." The chefs are off, mixing lemons with hazelnuts, custards, and everything you can imagine.

Great, Orlando is allergic to lemons. How can an island boy be allergic to lemon? That just seems weird. Orlando's looks so cool. It's actually three different desserts, that all looked great.

We keep hearing words we have no idea what they mean. Comfit? Pavlova?

The moment of truth –

Least favorite - Nelson's mango and lemon. Oooh, and again Orlando is in the bottom. And he has an attitude about it. She didn't like lemon and chocolate, and he had some comments on that. Personally I agree with him – chocolate and lemon are great together. But it doesn't matter. For the second week in a row, Orlando is in the bottom of the quickfire challenge.

Our man has some 'tude!

 10:15

Another team chalenge. Orlando is a captain and doesn't choose Melissa because he felt she threw her teammate under the bus last week. But that means he is stuck with either Craig – who is bizarre, to say the least – or Rebecca, who has a cast. So he takes Craig. Strange, strange, Craig.

The team challenges seem to annoy the contestants, but it's easier for the show because they've got all these people they have to get through. And it's a way to see how they work together.

They're making cakes for a Disney music event. And chocolate is flying. Literally.

They're all doing different tiers of the cakes, and Rebecca is trying to explain the dfference between two devils food cakes – "Hers is buttermilk and oil, and mine is milk and oil." The judge just stared at her.

They're not focusing as much this week on Orlando. "More 'Lando! We want more 'Lando," the Caribbean fans cry!

10:25

They're finally letting strange Craig talk a little. It doesn't help. He's explaining that he was picked on as a kid, and how he wants people to see him on the show and think he's a winner. Sorry, Craig. Not working.

Meanwhile, Craig's finishing a cake, but taking so long he's sending Orlando's blood pressure through the roof.

One woman just described her cake as a Star Trek entrant, because it's so big and heavy. I don't get it, but my son thought it was cool.

Now they're assembling the pieces on site, and wow - problems abound. Orlando's team is using a level to get it just right, but they're all fighting the heat. Cake frosting is melting. Decorative pieces are falling off. They're using sugar in hot glue guns!

They show their cakes to the judges – then they RIP IT UP! Because you have to eat it, after all.

A piece of Orlando's cake broke off, but they like the way it tastes. It's a so-so review and Orlando is already thinking about who gets to take a walk if they lose. Not surprisingly, Craig features in his thoughts. If worst comes to worst, we know who's going under the bus. But I think he'll be safe. One of the other cakes was just ugly. The brown thing with the instruments. Ugly.

 10:42

Judging is brutal. Orlando's team is one of the bottom two, and judge Johnny is really on him for the broken piece. "Your cakes were a disappointment," they are told, and all six chefs hang their heads in shame. It's a cake!

 In the judges' conversation Johnny is still going on about the broken piece. But the question is, would you rather have a broken cake or butt ugly one that doesn't taste good?

 10:58

Whew! Veneran is the loser and he's going home. The judging for both was rough, but really rough on him. And just a few minutes earlier he'd been talking about how his parents fled a Cambodia prison camp and he became a baker to help them feel like this was their country. Wow. Welcome to America.

Two final thoughts -

1 – Two episodes, and they were essentially the same show. team challenges wth a show piece. I know the producers don't want to have to deal with a dozen different desserts in one show, but they've got to let the chefs stand on their own for a change.

2 - Orlando dodged a bullet this week and Chris won another round. So if the show really is shaping up to be a showdown between the two, Chris is way out in front right now. He's got to step it up!