Aug 05 2010
Hell’s Kitchen: Week 9
Tuesday’s episode of Hell’s Kitchen was by far, the best this season. It started out with Chef Ramsay telling the cooks, via Chef Andi, to dress in their best clothes and come to the kitchen. They did, with Jay stating that the nicest thing he had was jeans – which was of no surprise to anyone. Chef Ramsay then went on a bit of a tangent about the remodel that the Savoy is currently undergoing, blah blah blah. So, he can’t take them to the Savoy, but he can bring the Savoy to them. And out come four waiters, each carrying a plate of a menu dish that is offered at the London Savoy.
The cooks all looked thrilled as they sat there with Chef Ramsay, and listened to his thrilling tales on the history of the Savoy. While that was interesting and all, I couldn’t believe that all of the cooks – yes, all four of them – sat there, absentmindedly eating this dish that they have the potential of cooking about 200 times a week, and barely paying any attention to it. And, even if you’re not interested in the dish, and really do want to know more about the history of the building in which you’ll be working, you’ve gotta know this isn’t just a nice ol’ sit down with Chef Ramsay; an honest to goodness chance to just put your feet up and eat some good food. Nope, Chef has some tricks up his sleeve as he always does and even I know that it involves the dish that four cooks aren’t even looking at as they sit immersed in Chef’s storytelling.
Then he drops the bomb. Did the four cooks enjoy the dish? Good. Because they have 45 minutes to recreate it. Chef must have noticed that the lackluster four also didn’t pay much mind to the dish, because he presented them with a new one to rip apart, taste again, and analyze so they would be better prepared for cooking it. Because Lord knows they needed help. It came down to the “protein” as it kept being called (that’s meat for laymen like you and me), and the puree. Jay chose filet mignon for his protein, while everyone else chose venison. Jay also chose pear for his puree, while everyone else chose apple.
When it came down to all four cooks presenting their dishes to Chef, Ramsay was quick to point out that Jay had made two very different, and quite bold, choices. The drama grew as we all waited in anticipation wondering if Jay had made a vital mistake. I kind of expected him to get both things right because that would be the universe turning on me once again, and making Jay the winner of Hell’s Kitchen. Chef dramatically told us that the pear puree was correct. Unfortunately, the filet mignon was wrong, and the correct protein was venison. Not only did Chef point out Jay’s mistake, he blatantly mocked him, telling him that the difference was “fairly obvious.”
Holli won the challenge, of course, because Holli wins most of the challenges the cooks face. And while she got to go on a fabulous yacht and spend more time with her friend and “best friend” baby daddy, the other cooks got to lug around boxes that apparently were so heavy that they all had to wear back braces while they worked. But the work was too much for Ben who afterwards kept complaining about how much his back hurt and how he couldn’t even bend over. In far too much pain to move, Ben informed the other cooks that he wouldn’t be able to prep that day. Which meant 6 – 8 hours of work for them that Ben wouldn’t have to do.
Being quite pissy about it, (and quite reasonably so seeing as how they got completely screwed), the three remaining cooks prepped the kitchen while they complained about Ben. They shut up quick though after he walked through and went up to talk to Chef. Ben told him that his back was in far too much pain, that the medic and the chiropractor looked at it (and found nothing wrong), and that he just couldn’t possibly cook that night. Chef told him that he was throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime and told him to think about it. Maybe Chef Ramsay said more to good ol’ Ben up there in that office, but Ben came back saying that Chef “inspired him” to work through it and to go on and cook that night. Ben came back to the kitchen to tell the cooks that he was staying, and Holli and Jay pretty much planned out his death in Hell’s Kitchen from there on in.
The service went great because, well let’s face it, at this point it should, but Chef Ramsay dropped a bombshell at the end of service. Two people were going home. They went back to the dorms and all fought about how they were better than each other, and they all pretty much attacked Ben for giving up. Which they also had full right to do in my HBO.
When they came back to face Chef, he called Autumn up first. And we all knew that was coming too. He gave her his words of inspiration, and she was the first of two cooks to leave Hell’s Kitchen. Then, Chef announced one person that would be staying to fight until the end – Jay. No surprise there either. But, who will be going with him – Ben or Holli? The oversized picture behind Chef started to fade in and out and landed on Holli’s picture, declaring the lovebirds the final two competing in Hell’s Kitchen. As Ben gave Chef his jacket, Chef told him that he had something within in him. And to never, ever give up.
So now we have Jay and Holli in the Final Two of Hell’s Kitchen. Next week we’ll be treated to old cooks coming back and bugging the crap out of us again, while Holli and Jay try desperately to hang onto their cool, and their chance to cook at the Savoy in London. I don’t know if Fox is going to do a full two hour finale or break it up into two weeks. It’ll be very interesting to see how this one turns out in any case. I am seriously, seriously rooting for Holli, and have been for a very long time, but really feel as though Jay might take it. It’s really anyone’s kitchen at this point.
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