On the last episode of Top Chef 5, Christmas came early to the chefs. Though the episode was probably taped in August, the judges chose not to eliminate anyone in the spirit of holiday giving.

But now the holidays are over. So we're done with good cheer, and grumpy from being bloated due to holiday excess. It's time for some heads to roll, and this week on Top Chef 5, they're going to roll in tandem: two chefs are going home.

The way I see it, there are two possible scenarios for the chefs this week when it comes to elimination. The first possibility is we will continue to whittle down and get rid of the more obvious chefs early.

In this case, I think it would have to be Melissa Harrison and Eugene Villiatora. Melissa started out not really distinguishing herself and then slipped down to the bottom. She could be safe if another chef who's performed better makes a major misstep; otherwise, it's hard to imagine her sticking around much longer.

As to Eugene Villiatora, it seems like his decision to “stand by his dish” no matter what came across to the judges as stubborn ignorance. If he pulls off a good dish, he could redeem himself, but if he makes another mistake, I think the judges are going to be pretty harsh on someone they perceive as not taking criticism.

The other scenario that could play out is for one of the stronger chef's with an Achilles' heel to be felled by his or her own weakness. For example, Jeff McInnis has shown a strong palate, but his tendency to make complicated and ambitious dishes could work against him at some point. Jamie Lauren's confidence is a great help most of the time. But she's also been in the bottom and one wonder if her unshakeable belief in herself could create a blind spot that would be her downfall.

Of course, they are all vulnerable, especially after the universally lackluster showing last episode. And new judge Toby Young is joining the panel, so he will be looking at all of the chefs anew, without any baggage from their previous performances. We'll see who survives this double elimination on Wednesday's episode of Top Chef 5.

- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist.  See what I'm cooking this week on Three-Bowls.com!

(Image courtesy of BravoTV)