Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend - Season 1
netflixWhen it comes to the vast world of cooking competitions, no franchise stands out quite as much like that of Iron Chef. Originating in Japan as Iron Chef before finding massive success across the ocean with Iron Chef America and launching an even wider global identity with various spin-offs and sequels, the Iron Chef franchise has largely stood at the top of televised cooking contests. In America, since the iconic Iron Chef America went off the air in 2014, multiple sequels and spinoffs have tried to capture the magic of the series to limited success. Debuting on Netflix, the newest of these attempts comes in the form of Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Introducing 5 brand new Iron Chefs to test the limits of a series of challengers who are all battling for a spot in the grand finale where they have the chance to gain not just the title of "Iron Legend" but also the legendary Golden Knife. While it is hard to argue that Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend lives up fully to its predecessors, the show is a strong attempt at breathing new life into the franchise.
As with any cooking competition, of course, plenty of the magic comes from the food itself. With the cooking genre of television having decades of attention and examples, it sometimes can feel hard for shows to truly capture a wow factor when it comes to their featured courses. Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend stuns in this sense with its delivery especially providing a modern and exciting twist to the formula that is sure to have audiences drooling. Finding some of the most exciting chefs working throughout America, nearly every episode has at least one dish that truly feels like something fresh, even for those who have spent years watching similar cooking shows. From dishes being served on mini trains to edible plates, the wow factor is absolutely there and is only enhanced by the respect and love given by the humans involved.
For as strong as the cooking has been on Iron Chef, it was always the personalities that really helped the show stand out. Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend takes what works from Iron Chef America and enhances it with fresh additions to help the series stand out in the larger franchise it belongs to. While The Chairman (Mark Dacascos) still yells out the episode's secret ingredient and Alton Brown still gives delightful play-by-play, it is refreshing to give Brown newcomer Kristen Kish to bounce off of and freshen up the banter one would expect. The formula of having a rotating third seat on the judge's table to join Andrew Zimmern and Nilou Motamed also works to keep each of the season's 8-episodes feeling fresh. The challengers are all fun and diverse, as are the 5-new Iron Chefs. Having massive shoes to fill after the legends who came before them, it is hard to say any of the chef's personalities live up to the highs of Bobby Flay or Mario Batali, but they still have a fun diversity of personalities and specialties that help each standout and the panel is wide enough for audiences to have their own favorites and become invested as the season plays on.
The formula of the season is also rather refreshing. Using the final challenge to create a stronger connective tissue throughout the entire season, there are more stakes present as the challenger to get the highest winning score will be the one to advance to the finals. Depending on who the audience decides to root for, this can create legitimate drama as your favorite is threatened or it seems like someone you dislike might finally get knocked off the leaderboard. The scoring all feels rather fair and without giving spoilers, it does feel like the right individual made it to the finals leading to a worthwhile conclusion to the season. There is also something meaningful found within the love the series has for the franchise it belongs to. Never before has the mythology of Kitchen Stadium felt so meaningful with those who literally grew up with the series being able to compete on a show they loved. The legacy and history of Iron Chef are like none other, and the show knows just when to push this and use this to add weight and gravitas to an emotional moment.
While Netflix has historically been quick to butcher and disappoint legacy content, Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend is a real treat for anyone who was a fan of the Iron Chef franchise to this point. While maybe not perfect, the show pays respect to what made the series special to begin with, while also finding room for evolution.
