The Golden Spoon

Bread is the first task of Bake Week’s first day of filming. As she embarks on her first time sharing hosting and judging duties, Betsy feels particularly resentful of Archie. However, her resentment, even to herself, takes the form of concern for the contestants. On his own competition show, Archie is known for being a harsh judge, whereas Betsy has always adopted a gentler approach. The only reason she had agreed to let Archie join the show, she reminds herself, is that she relies on Bake Week to fund the expensive maintenance of the house. As they prepare to begin filming, Betsy notices the show coordinator Melanie’s harsh attitude toward the crew.

Hannah rushes to begin the first baking challenge. Aware of the cameras, Hannah adjusts her reactions and attempts to “laugh to cover [her] embarrassment as the cameras rush to film [her] first mishap” (44). She assesses the other contestants and notices Stella and Lottie struggling with their dough. Though her first impulse is to help, she reminds herself that this is a competition and that she needs to focus on her own entry and not go out of her way to help others.