Wednesday’s season finale of Top Chef saw Ed, Angelo and Kevin – the final three cheftestants – battle it out in Singapore. The episode did manage to muster up some drama: Would Angelo be too sick to cook? Could Ilan Hall make an obedient sous chef for Ed? Would they bring back the creepy guy with the googly eyes who got kicked off in the first episode?  But, overall, the rest of this season has been just a little too formulaic.

With that in mind, we’ve come up with some tips for the next season of Top Chef. Have your own thoughts about the DC outing? Let us know in the comments.

Top Chef isn’t Iron Chef: Almost without exception, this season’s cheftestants seemed more accomplished coming in than any who came before them. But people with awards from the James Beard Foundation and Bocuse d’Or just don’t makes for a dramatic season of Top Chef. Whatever happened to contestants like Michael Midgley, the line cook who surprised everyone?

No more imitation haterade: It was only a few minutes into the season when we were asked to believe that Kenny and Angelo had become arch nemeses. But their competitiveness  never materialized into the unadulterated loathing of the classic Marcel-Ilan beefs. When Kenny was booted well before the finale, we were mostly just happy to be done with the tepid rivalry.

We get it, they’re in Washington!: It’s nice that Top Chef always pays tribute to its host city, but it was awkward (and a bit boring) seeing all those public officials on a reality television show. Really, CIA director Leon Panetta, you made time to talk cheese tortelloni with Padma and Tom?

Enough with the waiter bashing: What was with the cheftestants yelling at those Singaporean teenagers in part one of the finale? Just a few weeks after Alex made everyone uncomfortable with his rude treatment of the “Restaurant Wars” staff, the final four chefs sacrificed likability with their lack of tolerance for waiters who (shock!) didn’t know much English.

Prosecute crimes: Practically the whole season takes place within miles of the Justice Department, yet Alex (accused of stealing the infamous pea purée) never gets a trial before a jury of his peers. It was hinted the answer would be revealed during the reunion show next week, but we’re not holding our breath. The world will likely never know the truth, and he’ll just have to settle for conviction by video-editing inference.

– Graham Kates