From Inside the Box

And then there were two on 'Hell's Kitchen'

By Daniel Fienberg

   |  

July 30, 2007 10:36 PM

Bonnie_hellskitchen_240Does anybody want to put forward an  acceptable scenario in which Bonnie wins on next week's finale of Hell's Kitchen?

I'm sure there's a plausible answer.

Perhaps Chef Ramsay decides to put extra weight on which contestant does the best job of decorating their side of the restaurant and Bonnie's half is all chic and modern and Rock's half is decked in deer trophies and faux leather? Maybe it's too close to call right to the very end and Chef Ramsay decides to have them go palate-a-palate, letting Bonnie show off her vaunted tastebuds? Conceivably after picking departed contestants to be their staff, Rock manages to get stuck with Aaron and Josh and can't overcome that handicap?

Otherwise, the finale seems like a bit of a mismatch.

Jen_hellskitchen_s3_240On Monday (July 30) night's episode, Chef Ramsay narrowed the field to two, basing his choice -- from what I gather -- on not wanting to ever see Jen cry with happiness ever again. Yes, Jen showed leadership and cooking ability at various times, but I'm not sorry to say good-bye to her lantern-jawed pout.

Truthfully, Chef Ramsay's last elimination appeared to be based on which of the contestants did the best Chef Ramsay impressions when they were asked to be assertive and authoritative. Rock looked stern and threatening. Bonnie, really an actress-in-waiting, spit out foul language that did Ramsay proud. And Jen? She made her Jen Face and "sounded like a drunk country-western singer." In order to make Jen come alive in their training exercise, Chef Ramsay had to concoct some horrible scenario involving putting her golden retriever in the microwave. No, I didn't get it either.

Plus, Jen was the only one of the top three to blow Chef Ramsay's Quality Control Test. Chef asked sous chefs Scott and Mary Ann to botch a part of their service to test the players when they were working the pass. Bonnie caught that the pigeon wasn't crispy enough. Rock caught that the monkfish didn't have ham. But Jen? She was ready to send her spaghetti-with-crab out without crab. Perish the thought.

Elimination aside, it wasn't a bad episode for Jen overall. She won the first challenge, the old "do homemade favorites with a gourmet twist" task that Top Chef does far better. With that victory she not only got lunch with her mum, Chef and Chef's Mum, but she also got $1000 to play with at a fancy kitchen supply store, which seemed to make her happy ("Whoa! Holy cake pans!" "Copper pots!").

Meanwhile, I still don't understand how Bonnie made it to the final. Is her palate really that superb?

Other thoughts on this week's episode:

  • With her note-perfect Ramsay impression and solid final service, Bonnie salvaged what could have been a spectacularly annoying episode. Her incredulity over drawing franks & beans for the home cooking challenge was so irksome ("That's not an American classic. It's a British classic.") that even Jen told her to get over it, while her behavior with Rock during their dorm cleaning punishment was just a bit childlike ("Rock?" "What?" "Rock?" "What?!?" "Rock, I'm hungry").
  • Favorite sight gag of the episode: That all of the constestants' mothers looked like they were exiles for 1970s sitcoms, like they walked in off the set of The Jeffersons or Maude.
  • Favorite line of the episode: When Rock asked "Does anybody have the thyme?" and everybody told him there were three minutes left. That was just funny.
  • Second favorite line[s] of the episode: After the field was cut to two, Bonnie's parents and Rock's wife appeared. Her first words to her guests ("I don't think I'm gonna be a teacher anymore, Dad.") were very different from his ("You think they'll give me a conjugal?").

    So who are you rooting for next week? Who do you think will win?


  • 14 Comments

    I was rooting for Julia to go all the way with the game. I think personally she would have done well. But looking at Rock and Bonnie I would have to say Rock hands down. I do not like Bonnie at all she annoys the hell out of me.


    Thank goodness Jen is gone! If I had to watch her squat down to the floor yet again in: happiness, sadness, surprise, glee, or anything, I was going to puke! Could she have cried over seeing her mother anymore? Seriously, it is not like she has been at war for years, she has been on a reality show for weeks. Get over it. No more seeing her cry her little eyes out. It would be different if it was a few glistening tears but no, it was a wide mouth, drooling, cry. GROSS. Besides Chef couldn't let the trash girl win it.

    That said, I don't think Bonnie has what it takes to win this thing. She has messed up so many deliveries, and is virtually clueless. Plus is she a nanny or a personal chef? She keeps saying a personal chef who occasionally watches the kids. Do the parents of these kids know this? Not someone who I would want watching my kids.

    Rock on the other hand is a jerk. Of course he is mean and rude and then cries in private over it. Maybe he is true chef material...

    The only way Bonnie will win this is if Rock totally loses it in the kitchen and punches someone. I have been waiting for that.


    Maybe its because I like rooting for the underdog. But I hope Bonnie wins.

    Although a little ditzy, Bonnie feels like she is able to pull her team together and come up with some appealing dishes.

    Rock looks like he has Anger Management Issues. Why else would he try to beat someone one minute and than break down the next.

    Yes I know the Nanny defeating the Executive Chef is unlikely, but Rock's character is so much in question.

    Besides Bonnie is much better looking.


    We don't actually know what the food tastes like. It could look good, but the taste trumps all.


    These contestants are amongst the most stupid I have ever seen: they thing winning a round is the greatest thing in the world, spending time with Chef Ramsey, spending money on kitchen supplies, traveling to Vegas; yet, they are the ones who are usually eliminated in that episode. It is as though they are given a nice prize so they don't feel too bad when they are eliminated. If I won a challenge then I'd be S&%ting bricks that it was my time to go.

    This year was the worst round of contestants. So far, Season One had genuine cooks. This year was freaks n' geeks for the sake of freaks n' geeks.


    The only contestant I liked this year is Julia. How sad it is that she was unable to win. Hope they have some interesting and knowledgable people next year. Why is it that when it comes to the end the contestants are able to cook well and feed everyone without having to listen to Chef Ramsey rant and rave? Why do I watch these reality shows when I know that they have to be scripted?


    Yeah, the only way Rock can loss this now is that he gets stucked with a crappy team in the final service. That was exactly how Virginia lost last season, when she stupidly picked two guys who can't cooked and one guy (Kieth) who doesn't like her and will only cook for her if she gives him money.

    This should've been a Rock vs. Julia or Rock vs. Brad finale. I don't know who Jen and Bonnie got farther than them. Nevetheless, Rock's should still win this easily. He's the better cook and when it comes to service, he has showed he can put his emotion aside and get the job done. Bonnie is gonna break down if something freakish happens.


    The winner will be the one that can form a team of chefs from the castoffs to cook a single meal. Neither Bonnie nor Rock have demonstrated any leadership capability and, by the nature of the competition, none of the rejects will really regard either of them as "Chef". All of the losers are thinking "yeah, you're the last two in the kitchen but I got hosed". Consequently, the competition will come down to likeability and, as far as I can tell, none of them really likes Rock. Most, on the other spatula, seem to like Bonnie OK.

    Advantage Bonnie.


    Once again, I'm glad I watched this episode from tape instead of real time. I was surprised to see Jen eliminated. After all, she won the challenge with all 3 moms voting for her beans and franks. Between Bonnie and Rock, I prefer Bonnie, simply for personality reasons. Both, as a matter of fact, ALL, seem to be barely competent but that impression could simply be because of the selective editing they have done each week. It seems to me all unscripted reality TV suffers from the same flaw, the editing to develop drama and story lines which may not really exist.


    We all knew that spaghetti was going to get Jen in the end. First she picks it out of the trash... then she tries to send some out without the key ingredient. Jen may have been talented, but she was a wannabe, willing to just say/do what she throught Chef Ramsay wanted her to. I'm glad she's gone.

    Now we're left with immature, emotionally inept and communications-challenged Rock, and disgustingly-spoiled bratty, little Bonnie. My money's on Rock, but honestly... I don't give a f**k who wins. This has been the saddest group of riff raff to ever grace a reality TV show.

    What the hell happened with Melissa??? I could've sworn she was going to go all the way when this mess started.

    BLAH


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