XML FeedsHell's Kitchen: 4 become 3...
By etee on Aug 3, 2010 | In TV Shows, Hells Kitchen
... or do they?
This week... in HELL'S KITCHEN:
...
We are getting close... 3 more episodes (including this one), and (hopefully) we will have a winner! The Final Four are certainly celebrating making it this far, though misogyny raises its ugly head as the two men scheme conspire plan talk about how they are going to eliminate the women.
Next morning, Ben, Jay, Holli, and Autumn face the Challenge: but first, Chef has a surprise for them, as he filets a monkfix, then prepares it pan-roasted. Their assignment: teach an extra "bachelor with no cooking experience" how to re-create the dish. Which immediately brings the following saying to mind:
After a fun-filled attempt (with varying degrees of success) at culinary teaching, each student/contestant pair present their dish to Chef. Autumn and her "bachelor" have an #EPICFAIL, as the fish didn't even make it on the plate. Ben is mortified, as his "bachelor" proceeds to throw him under the bus. Chef is more impressed, on the other hand, with the efforts of Team Jay and Team Holli. In the end, there can be only one winner: and this time, the winner is... Jay.
Jay gets to pick another contestant to share in the Reward; he picks Holli (so much for "guy solidarity".) Ben and Autumn, for their Punishment, have to perform handyman duties, as well as sweep the parking lot. In addition, there is an additional punishment awaiting Ben:
Jay and Holli, meanwhile, take a ride to a local field, where they find a blimp waiting for them. They hop on board, and the blimp takes off.
Cue the "mile-high club" jokes in 3... 2... 1...
Well, if they did manage to consummate fulfill the requirements for membership, the producers mercifully refrained from showing us the gory details proof. What we did get to see, though, was the blimp sailing over HELL'S KITCHEN, just as Ben and Autumn are busily working away in the parking lot. To twist the knife in a bit further, the blimp has a "special message" for them, prominently featuring the word "LOSER".
After the lovebirds winner and his escort arrive back in the kitchen, Chef throws a mild curveball their way, offering them the chance to choose their station. This proves to be not much of an issue, however, as they split up the stations amicably, with Holli on fish, Jay on appetizers, Ben on meat, and Autumn on the contestant-eating garnish station. Then, it is time for Service to begin.
One would expect that, given the prize on the line (a head chef job with Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant at the Savoy in London), the remaining contestants would display a high level of competence, and we would see few, if any, train wrecks. I am certain that Chef Ramsay was hoping for this.
Alas, 'twas not to be. At least, not in the beginning, as the contestants started out by failing to communicate. Things got worse almost immediately, as Autumn sent up some RAW FISH for Holli. Holli then recovered by sending up perfectly-cooked scallops, but then un-recovered by sending up more RAW FISH. Jay sends up bland risotto, then sends up perfect food - just not what is on the ticket. The garnish station bit Autumn, as she forgot how to re-heat food and sent up cold spinach.
Ben, however, had the worst evening. From RAW WELLINGTON to a complete failure to even acknowledge his fellow contestants, Ben was tighter than a clam. So tight, in fact, that Chef warned him that "his time was running out". Chef also let his frustration show as he barked out an order:
Eventually, folks got the message, and when communications started flowing inside the kitchen, food started flying out. And, because this is the first service where no food came back, Chef is actually pleased with the outcome.
However, he is only looking for 1 head chef: so he asks Jay, as the "leader", to come up with 2 nominees. First up: Autumn. On account of she is the runt of the litter had some problems in the past, and "doesn't belong there." The second: Ben, on account of Holli being his main squeeze not having had a bad service (except for this one, that is.) Both are called up to explain why they should remain.
After hearing them out, Chef decides that the one to go home is... no one! Instead, he will take a mulligan on this evening, and allow all of them to remain. Of course, next week, 2 contestants will be sent packing. But, in the meantime, the contestants have some special visitors: friends and family that they haven't seen since the season started.
Interesting... a reality-TV plot line (the "reset and try again") has now migrated from American Idol (where it is called the "Judges Save") to SYTYCD, and now to HELL'S KITCHEN. It is a convenient, and if I may say so myself, a lazy technique, showing a certain lack of spinal fortitude on the part of the Chooser of the Slain. However, next week the spiky gods will be given 2 jackets to sate their appetite, as we head toward the finale. Who will it be? Will Autumn continue to defy the odds? Will Ben's walk equal his talk? Or will it be the two lovebirds Holli and Jay in it to the end? To find out, you will have to tune in, when the lineup for the finale will be decided, next week... in HELL'S KITCHEN.
(Note: I will not be able to live-Tweet the semi-finale, due to a previous commitment. However, I will be watching the episode after-the-fact, and you will find the usual lack of quality commentary you have come to expect, right here, when I get around to it before the finale airs.)
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