Just when you think your capacity for reality show antics has topped off, another Friday rolls around to deliver an all-new episode of Hell’s Kitchen. Chef Gordon Ramsay continues his search for the next leader of his new Las Vegas restaurant with the infamous Blind Taste Test and a five-course meal dinner service.
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The teams meet Chef Ramsay and a camel, a real camel, in the dining room where they learn about today’s challenge. It’s an oldie, but with some new twists.
Challenge: Blind Taste Test
While one all-star will be blindfolded and headphones to cover their ears to rely only on their taste buds when fed different herbs and spices, their teammates will take turns, praying that the wrong answers won’t mean an explosion of mashed potatoes and gravy to the face.
Thanks to Dana, teammate Michelle is the first victim covered in food. Robyn kicks the Blue Team off to a strong start. The Red Team has not gotten one right answer from Dana or from next contestant Jennifer and if they keep this up, no one would feel bad in asking how did any of these chefs find their way to a kitchen? Thankfully, Barbie earns her team’s first points, but the men (and Robyn) continue to rack them up. Half the Red Team stands covered in mashed potatoes and gravy and Elise’s turn is not helping them one bit. If Milly answers correctly, the women will be left in the dust.
Results: Blue Team wins!
The Blue Team get to enjoy Roy Yamaguchi’s signature Hawaiian restaurant, Roy’s where they each find a Vitamix culinary blender to take home. The losing Red Team are left to separate, wait for it, pepper corn. Once they are separated, they have to be ground… by hand. Hopefully they can think about their sorry palettes while whining over pepper corn.
As the men (and Robyn) enjoy their reward, the women are crumbling and fast. Michelle doesn’t trust Barbie. Barbie doesn’t trust Michelle. Barbie also thinks that Dana doesn’t believe in herself to make it through a successful dinner service. Dana believes Barbie is putting words in her mouth. Jennifer knows everyone needs to trust everyone else in order to make it through the night. Sous Chef Christina looks on, probably wondering what she signed up for.
Dinner Service
There are two tables of twelve with representatives of two charities, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for which the Red Team will be serving, and Shane’s Inspiration, served by the Blue Team. It’s a five-course meal with each team member responsible for leading the kitchens course by course and each dish must leave the kitchens at the same time. The courses will go as follows. The pan seared scallops will be led by Michelle and Nick, lobster spaghetti by Jennifer and Robyn, striped bass by Elise and Milly, beef fillet Rossini by Barbie and Benjamin and because the Blue Team only has four members, Nick will also head the passion fruit soufflé desert against Dana.
The actors are on parade tonight during service. Mindy Sterling, David Koechner, Tyler Posey, Jill Wagner and Scott Williams have all come out to support their charities.
Service kicks off with Michelle and Nick who each run into minor hurdles. Someone left three scallops off of a Red plate while Blue scallops got progressively darker and crispier. Both corrected their mistakes.
Jennifer and the Red Team continue with a lead as Robyn has a setback with her lobster spaghetti portions. From here, Elise and Milly are up with their striped bass. Michelle prepares a bland sauce which is followed by burnt fish. Elise calls it “sabotage” while Ramsay just wants perfect dishes delivered in a timely manner on such a special night. Milly executes his striped bass perfectly and the Blue Team sends their dishes out with the Red Team pretty far behind. The Shane’s Inspiration table begins chanting “Blue Team, Blue Team” as Elise scurries to make up for lost time.
Hot Potato, Hot Potato
Barbie and Benjamin are up next with their beef dishes. Michelle tries to weasel her way out of helping Barbie with garnish to assist Dana with prep for her dessert, but Barbie wins the fight and puts her in her place. It’s all for not when Ramsay has the women bite into burnt beef. He takes it even farther to play a game of catch with Marino, tossing the meat up in the air as Marino grabs them, giggling. I’ll tell you who’s not playing around though, Barbie. She gets this horrifying look on her face as her eye bulge from their sockets. Her finger points forward and she yells, “how ’bout I get that spinach, Michelle!” Could we just crown the entire Blue Team the winners of season 17 now?
Ramsay has sunken to the floor in a corner of the Red Kitchen, rubbing his temples and repeating the words, “Oh, my God!” Barbie continues to yell and complain about her teammates attempts to cook. It is a train wreck and yet both tables have enjoyed every dish. Somehow both teams make it through service, but the Red Team, and rightfully so, find themselves in the bottom. They must now name two individuals to go up for elimination.
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Here goes the cackling. We quickly go from Elise and Michelle arguing over Elise’s course to Barbie jumping in and making the conversation about her and her course. From here, Michelle re-enters the argument when she denies having told Barbie that she couldn’t help with garnish because she was helping Dana. Elise leaves the room still heated and mouthing off to the Blue Team. Jennifer has had enough and follows her. Now she and Elise are cackling in front of everyone. Honestly, how many more episodes of this can we take?
It’s finally time for elimination and Jennifer presents Barbie and Elise for Ramsay. Barbie mouths off about Michelle while Elise states why she deserves to stay. Ramsay is more shocked about how “fragmented” the team is. So, who is the worst piece of this ridiculous puzzle?
Going home tonight is… Barbie
“Red Team, get it together,” Ramsay says after turning to the Blue Team and saying that one of them just might be the next winner of Hell’s Kitchen. I have to agree with him. Do you?
Hell’s Kitchen airs Fridays at 8/7c on FOX. Want more? Like our Hell’s Kitchen Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
