Hells Kitchen - 5/13/08

[VegasVic]

Ben sure ticks off Gordon, I'm not sure why. He probably deserved to go this week though. First time I've seen Matt smile. Still hate him.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Ben was all talk, all the time, couldn't back it up.
Jen can't handle any criticism, what a shocker.
Maybe Matt can turn things around on the new team.
Rosann still can't do anything right.
Everyone else just seems to be there as background noise.

Ben's an idiot for thinking that the rest of them nominating (however you spell) Petrozza would have made a difference.

[pmyers]

I'm still not a fan of Matt.....and he didn't really win the reward challange for them, he just didn't lose it for them. He only had to get 1 correct because the girls had already given him a huge lead.

[bqmeister]

I can't stand Matt.

[jlb]

Funny......When Matt frowns, he really looks like that muppet. When he smiles, he looks like a totally different person.

[rich]

I noticed that the voiceover now says that the winner will "get a chance to cook at Chef Ramsay's new restaurant". Earlier didn't it say that the winner would be "running" the new restaurant?

[Jesda]

Gordon was on his period.

[Gunnyman]

I seriously can't see ANY of these people having a real job in a Ramsay owned restaurant.

[unicorngoddess]

So I'm thinking Corey should be the one to go over to the men's team. She doesn't like any of the girls anyway, Luross is her BFF and she could probably cook circles around the guys that are left.

[Jesda]

So I'm thinking Corey should be the one to go over to the men's team. She doesn't like any of the girls anyway, Luross is her BFF and she could probably cook circles around the guys that are left.

Or Corey will implode from having to work with the guys.

[jsmeeker]

Matt still sucks. But I did like how they setup a final battle duel between Matty and Ben in the tasting challenge, on the off chance Matt would totally blow it, giving Ben the chance to steal the win for the guys and prove he was right about Matt.

[VegasVic]

I thought the voice over said the winner would "work" in Ramsey's L.A. restaurant but I might not be remembering it correctly.

Regardless, whoever does win this thing isn't going to get much responsibility in the restaurant other than cleaning.

[writdenied]

So I'm thinking Corey should be the one to go over to the men's team.

Fair enough, Vic.

If you FF during the previews of next week, you can see that it's Jen who joins the men.

[VegasVic]

Please use spoilers when discussing previews. Not all of us want to know what's going to happen. :down:

[terpfan1980]

No preview information has been used for the following, and apologies if this would upset someone, but my own look into the future for the contestants on the current season says they all suck and none deserve to be working in any high end restaurant.

I had more respect for Jen before this week. I understand her point/comment in saying that if you back talk it gets you more trouble but you've gotta do better than sulking over getting corrected/yelled at. Answer with an enthusiastic "Yes, chef!" or "NO, chef!" and move on. Answer questions directly but don't ramble on and don't talk about other issues, or give excuses, etc. I know there is a fine line between cocky/confident and back talking, etc., but she was so far removed from back talking that she looked like a badly wounded animal off licking their wounds.

Matt looked much happier on the gal's team and actually did kick in and help. I'm surprised they didn't tank the night to get him booted really. Credit to the gals for trying to focus on the service and ignore what could have been a sore point for them all.

Props to Petruzzo for nominating himself, but then again I'd have sent him packing just for that move. Yeah it was stand up move, but at the same time if you don't have the guts to really tell the truth about where the weak link was this week than you are probably right that it is YOU and therefore you should be sent home.

Clearly there was no communication between the men, and yet... Ben was trying to play leader for the team and he set himself up to be the man that would get sent home if his team failed. Ramsay gave him plenty of chances to elevate his game and improve as a leader and he just went off making more mistakes and not asking for help or getting others to work as a team.

In the end I think that is the thing that Ramsay is, or at least should be, looking for -- someone that can lead in the kitchen. Not necessarily the best cook, but the best leader and the person that can deliver the highest productivity in the kitchen. Yes they need to cook, but they don't need to be the best on the team. They need a good palette, they need to be able to tell when something is garbage, or raw, undercooked, overcooked, poorly flavored, etc., but they don't necessarily have to be the one that makes the perfect dish.

[anom]

I seriously can't see ANY of these people having a real job in a Ramsay owned restaurant.

What, they don't need people to unload trucks and clean toilets at Ramsey's restaurants?

[anom]

Matt still sucks. But I did like how they setup a final battle duel between Matty and Ben in the tasting challenge, on the off chance Matt would totally blow it, giving Ben the chance to steal the win for the guys and prove he was right about Matt.
It wasn't much of a challenge, though. It's New England Clam Chowder. Even if they told them what it was without letting them taste it, how hard would it be to rattle off 6-8 ingredients?

I was honestly impressed when Matt guessed thyme correctly, though, although he was an idiot to take a chance with that before going with more obvious choices like celery or carrot. I've joked about him being retarded, but the more I see of him, the more I think he may actually meet the clinical definition. He was like a six year old when Ramsey praised his risotto and when Ben was struggling.

[4inziksych]

People have probably discussed this already (I just started watching the show recently), but can the diners hear Ramsey yelling at the cooks? THey're all right there, right? It especially seemed like that last week because they seemed to be reacting to him.

So are the guests just actors portraying diners? No real restaurant could stay open with a head chef cursing and abusing the staff while people eat their meals, could it?

[WhiskeyTango]

They are actors. I'm not sure if they're hired or if HK just has like a casting call and mostly actors show up to get on TV.

[nataylor]

They may be actors, but I don't they're given a "script" per se. I think they just put out a casting call for some decent looking, well-dressed people to show up and they all happen to be wanna-be actors who want a free meal.

[jsmeeker]

They may be actors, but I don't they're given a "script" per se. I think they just put out a casting call for some decent looking, well-dressed people to show up and they all happen to be wanna-be actors who want a free meal.

That describes half the population of Los Angeles. :)

[logicman1]

Matt: "For a second I thought it was cat 'cause it's stringy... not that I ever ate cat before."

What a moron. As if Chef Ramsay is going to serve cat. And I'm not convinced Matt has never eaten cat. ;)

[Combat Medic]

He was like a six year old when Ramsey praised his risotto and when Ben was struggling.

It was even better when Matt was thanking everybody in his life like he was awarded the Academy Award or something.

[pmyers]

It wasn't much of a challenge, though. It's New England Clam Chowder. Even if they told them what it was without letting them taste it, how hard would it be to rattle off 6-8 ingredients?...

I said the same thing to the wife. I think the challange would have been better if it wasn't a "off the shelf" dish where they had to pick out ingredients. Perhaps even put incorrect ingredients in.

Once you figured out it was a clam chowder you can easily just start rattling off ingredients even if you can't taste them.

[newsposter]

donkey...not once this ep..is gordon slipping?

While the guys deserved to lose, you have to wonder if GR doesnt have a plan in all this. Change a guy to the girls...lower the number of guys 2x then have to put a girl on the guys to make it 'equal'.

the thing i have a hard time wrapping my head around is that we started off with 6 or 7? people in the kitchen??? But it seems like even with just 4 in you are running around with heads cut off. shouldnt 6-7 people get stuff out easier than just 4

I think he made it obvious if he you are his target, you could hand him 10000000 dollars and he's still find a fault in it. Not accepting thank you is kind of insulting, just say YW and keep doing it. He was just trying to trip up jen/ben.

I know he hates smiling and someone did do it before but i always wanted to go on the show and just smile at him while doing a good job. Not let him rattle me.

[pmyers]

True...the "Donkeys" were lacking in this episode, but as long as I get a "2 seconds, yes" I'm happy ;)

I'm still trying to figuren out what it was that he said to JP to open Hell's Kitchen. I think it was something about getting off a day bed or something.

[frankmint]

True...the "Donkeys" were lacking in this episode, but as long as I get a "2 seconds, yes" I'm happy ;)

I'm still trying to figuren out what it was that he said to JP to open Hell's Kitchen. I think it was something about getting off a day bed or something.

I think it was tanning bed.

[JaneiR36]

aww! My theory is that you folks still don't like Matt because he's not a cutie like Ben :) not only was he right about Ben being toxic to him, and being a mediocre cook who hid behind others (what was that about telling everyone to nominate themselves, and them turning around and plotting and backbiting to pick off Louross??) he actually went on to send out the best risoto ever to leave HK?? To me it just seems like such a great story, he hated his employment conditions, worked to change them and now he's happy and smiling all the time and actually performing excellently as a chef. I'd like to see him win this thing :)

I also remember Ben calling Louross a bitch and generally giving him a hard time for sniffling and almost sorta caving under the stress. Ben's just not a good person sometimes. When Petrozza almost lost it, he got way more support from Bobby.

What's this about Corey and Louross being BFF's? I thought she tried to seduce him and he turned her down. Wasn't that the extent of their relationship?? I'm obviously missing something ;)

[4inziksych]

It was even better when Matt was thanking everybody in his life like he was awarded the Academy Award or something.

Didn't he actually say, "I'd like to thank my wife....and......and"? That was hysterical. I had to rewind to the part before that to make sure I hadn't missed something, like maybe he'd won an excellence award when I wasn't looking.