All right. There are six home cooks left on MasterChef and the competition is getting tight. Last week, we saw Big Willie go home, which I was really sad about, but now it’s time for the cooks to show off the cooking chops when they take over a fancy restaurant for their takeover. But for some, the pressure is just too much. Also, Joe isn’t there, so Gordon and Graham are the judges.
Restaurant Takeover
The final six walk into the Rock and Roll Sunset Marquis Hotel. They’re going to be working in the restaurant at the hotel for the night for the MasterChef restaurant takeover. They all seem just a tad overwhelmed. Jaimee and Leslie are the team captains because they were both on the winning teams. Leslie and Jamiee have both had bad experiences leading teams, and Jaimee’s not very excited to have to lead again because she’s so soft-spoken, but hopefully they can both step up. Jaimee picks Christian while Leslie chooses Elizabeth. Jamiee then chooses Courtney, which leaves Cutter for Leslie. He’s always picked last.
The cooks are introduced to chef Michael Schlow, who tells them about the dishes they’ll be making. It’s intense. They’re making mussels, gnocchi, sea bass and strip steak, and they have just minutes to learn how to make these dishes. “I know that we are about to get our asses handed to us, and I am terrified,” Elizabeth says. Gordon has one more surprise for the cooks. He’ll be expediting for the night.
The cooks run off to start their prep work, and of course Leslie and Cutter immediately start fighting. Leslie just cuts him off and takes charge. Jaimee, meanwhile, is just trying to suck it up. Gordon pulls her aside to give her a pep talk while she freaks out. I really want her to find her confidence and for this to work out for her this time.
Things get even worse for Cutter and Leslie as they start yelling at each other. Gordon actually has to step in. “This is embarrassing,” he says. It really is. The guests start coming in while things disintegrate in the kitchen. Gordon tells them to get in line and to shake hands. “He’s a loser and a sad excuse as a man,” Cutter tells the camera.
The cooks start getting their dishes ready as Gordon calls the orders out. This is such a fast-paced and overwhelming challenge and Jaimee’s team is really struggling to get their orders out. Courtney’s dish does not look good, and Jaimee freaks out. She gives Courtney the captain armband so she doesn’t sink their ship. I feel so bad for her. The red team, meanwhile, is working a lot better since Cutter and Leslie’s spat.
Gordon’s so upset with Courtney’s dish that he starts repeatedly banging his head. Now Christian’s the team captain. “Welcome to my world. Ladies, let’s go,” he says. They’re finally getting their dishes right now. The customers seem to like both of the teams’ dishes, but Gordon and Graham will make the final decision.
Now the teams are making their entrees. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Christian says. The blue team’s doing well, but the red team’s losing it again and Gordon has to intervene with Cutter and Leslie again. He shows them the people in the restaurant and says he doesn’t want them to hear them. He threatens to send them home and he’ll cook with Elizabeth. Then both the blue and red team start doing well together. The customers seem to have mixed reviews, though.
Gordon congratulates them on getting through it, then says that he and Graham decided that it was too close to call and they’ll let them know back at the kitchen. It’s really anybody’s game at this point. In the end, the winning team is the red team, and the blue team has to go to the dreaded pressure test. I did not see that coming.
Pressure Test
Jaimee, Christian and Courtney learn that they have to make a croquembouche. Christian has no idea what it is, but Graham says it’s just a cream puff tower. Gordon asks if they can do it, and while Jaimee and Courtney say absolutely, Christina looks so uncomfortable and just says, “I guess.” This is going to be tough for him.
The cooks rush to get started. Gordon talks to Jaimee and asks if she can bounce back. She says that she’s made about five of these before and that Christian’s pretty vulnerable. Cutter cheers him on from the balcony and Christian’s doing this for his son, so he’s going to work through this. Courtney’s aren’t too consistent, and she thinks she might go home. Christian’s falling behind, though. “He’s clearly out of his element,” Graham says.
Elimination
They all eventually start assembling. This looks so complicated. Everything needs to fit together, but Christian’s still having problems. Courtney’s looks beautiful, though. Finally, Gordon and Graham go to taste them. Courtney’s up first. She even has spun sugar and it tastes great. She says she was thinking of her mom when she made it.
Christian’s up next and his caramel is multicolored, and it’s not shaped correctly. Plus, it doesn’t have much cream in it, but it does taste good. Graham can’t get a single piece because of all the caramel, but it does taste good.
Finally, Jaimee’s up and too much of her sugar is seen. Gordon tells her to take one off for him and she can’t get it. She eventually gets one and seems absolutely devastated. It’s also undercooked. It doesn’t taste as good as it looks and Jaimee starts crying. Graham calls it bland and doughy.
In the end, Jaimee is sent home. These eliminations are getting more and more difficult. Gordon says that he thought that she was safe in the beginning of the pressure test. “I’m so sad,” she says as she hugs Gordon and Graham. Gordon even tells her that he can help her in New York. She ends by saying she’s proud that she made it to the top six on MasterChef.
MasterChef airs Mondays at 8pm in FOX.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
