In the night I am real

Our Bakers Are: Papa Nihil, Sister Imperator, Marika Psaltarian, Mr. Psaltarian, Primo, Secondo, Terzo, Cardi, Perpetua, and Judith, bringing us to a total of 10 characters getting us to the lowest number ever to appear on a GBBO season and don't have to start adding in like Ghouls or dragging poor Bishop Necropolitus out of his hole in Krakow.

I am going to share in order of elimination.

Primo: Is eliminated first, and they consider cutting him for continuity but there's too few contestants this season so they have to leave him in. He brings ingredients from home and manages to straight up make a poisonous tart. They don't know what he put in it, but Paul and Prue are given first aid as a response. That said, it was very tasty and well structured and he would have won his episode on those merits until the problems Manifested themselves. He had excellent banter with Noel throughout his baking time though.

Nihil: Is out next. Every season of GBBO has two kinds of old people: the endearing one with Lots of Staying Power who makes people cry when they either win or are finally eliminated, and the affable fuckup who sticks to the classics and is eliminated fairly early over either small mistakes or a lack of creative vision. Nihil is the latter in this campaign. He manages a gorgeous showstopper, managing something like the 7 Inches cover in fondant, but he absolutely bombed his technical challenge

Judith: the Earnest Young Person contestant who Doesn't Make It, Judith works very, very hard but is quickly outclassed by the others at in the tent as the competition heats up. She's very technically proficient, it isn't that she's a bad baker, but it's one of those episodes where everyone else just did Better, even a few of the other weaker participants. She goes home smiling through tears and you see her in the season finale party cheering on the finalists without a grudge. Got star baker the episode before she was sent home.

Secondo: Every season has that One Baker who adds alcohol to Every Single Thing, and Secondo is that baker. The thing is alcohol is delicious so it gets him way further than anyone expects. He's finally eliminated in an episode where it just doesn't work as a combination with the week's theme and his flavors are too overpowering. A bit weak on the technical challenges but did a slam dunk performance the week Judith got eliminated. Seems deeply Unbothered by losing. Hasn't been star baker but was in the running in the first episode.

Mr. Psaltarian: A workmanlike, steady baker, who is never poor in quality, but is outshone creatively by the other bakers as the season goes on. His stuff is never bad, he's been star baker at least once, Grumpy about this but he's also been the guy to help other bakers when they are having Minor Catastrophes throughout the season and everyone is sad to see him go. Paul still remembers his American style pies fondly - he got the Handshake for it

Terzo: Every season there's a competitor who Paul Hollywood declares is too 'style over substance'. This is Terzo, and Paul simply does not see his vision. Terzo's style has been So Damn Good though that it has gotten him this far. His showstoppers are things of legend. He has bombed at least two technical challenges where the bake was something he hadn't heard of before. His final showstopper is the city of Meliora painstakingly made as a gingerbread construction and it collapsed because he went too Big with his design and it couldn't support its own weight after the frosting also went on. Barely interacted with his fellow contestants but flirted relentlessly with Prue.

Perpetua: This is the semi final and it is TENSE, and Cardi makes it past Perpetua by the absolute skin of his teeth. The two of them have a friendly but entirely one sided (fucking V flavored) rivalry throughout the season. Perpetua is the Young(er) Earnest Person who Does Make It Far in contrast to Judith, everyone has nothing but nice things to say about him and there's not a dry eye in the tent when he gets eliminated. The creative side of his bakes have an edge of gothic whimsy, which Prue and Paul condescendingly call his "unique style". He is eliminated in an episode where the showstopper was a wedding cake - his flavors were lacking, and like Terzo's Meliora cookies he has structural problems - the tiers are literally 2 Big to Rig.

OUR FINALISTS ARE: Sister Imperator, Cardi, and Marika

Cardi: "Grrrrr" about V behind his back, though they have banter. Always one step away from a menty B at all times, and all of the Disasters seem to happen to him, ovens not turning on all the way, having to restart, etc. However he is a hard worker and his creative side (often with pop cultural tributes, he did an excellent gingerbread Death Star) is strong enough to see him through. He's the audience favorite because of the hapless kicked puppy energy he radiates alongside his competitive competence. He is also kind to his fellows - he is the first to comfort Judith after her elimination (like he did in canon over the Portrait). His Arc is the one the episodes have been edited around, clearly. He gets a Hollywood handshake over an absolutely breaktakingly complex bread bake shaped like a rat king with the joined tails as a braided loaf - it's also perfectly proved and the flavors are great. However, he is not the best baker in the tent and frankly his squeaking by over Perpetua in the last episode was an upset, so he's not winning

Sister Imperator: The most ruthlessly competitive baker in the tent, to the point that she should probably be on an American reality show instead. Insufferably smug when Terzo and Secondo get eliminated. But demonstrates a softer side when Cardi starts spiraling, she tends to be the one to take him aside and talk him calmly through his panic with a "back to work, Boyo" at the end. She and Marika have very playful banter as well and viewers ship them a bit. Her bakes are always challenging, both in terms of skill required and flavors - she puts together combinations you don't expect to work, but they do. However she's outdone by...