Two chefs exit 'Hell's Kitchen'
Every week it becomes more and more ridiculous to me that somebody is going to win Hell's Kitchen this season and that Chef Gordon Ramsay is going to let that person run one of his kitchens.
[Spoilers, ahoy!]
Hell's Kitchen began Monday (July 23) night's episode with only five remaining chefs and over the course of an hour, each of them displayed faulty leadership, questionable cooking skills and general incompetence.
I'm beginning to understand why I never watched this show before this season: If Chef Ramsay's swearing and bellowing were making these people demonstrably better in the kitchen, preparing them for the real world, then Hell's Kitchen would make for good TV. But can anybody actually say that Rock, Bonnie, Jen and Josh seemed any better tonight than they were when they started? Ironically, the only person to show marked improvement since the season began, Waffle House veteran Julia, was the one to go home (along with Josh, whose mid-service booting was good for a modicum of drama at least).
What's the point?
Even as he eliminated Julia, Chef Ramsay seemed to sense how horrid his options have been this season. He apologized repeatedly, told Julia he'd personally send her to culinary school and told her to come back to win the show outright. Chef Ramsay made the only choice he could make, a choice I've been predicting for weeks. It would have been suicide to put Julia in charge of a fine dining restaurant, but that doesn't mean that she didn't far outstrip her competition in attitude, spirit and, periodically, aptitude. Winning this show has nothing to do with how well you play the game. It's what you came in with that counts.
That's why Rock still has to win, even after his immature and sexist hostility toward Bonnie and Jen led to a blunder-filled dinner service. Every week he explodes or behaves like a baby and every week he expresses embarrassment and remorse to the camera. This was also the first week where the editing suggested flaws in his technical gifts. He still can't lose, because who can else can win?
Garbage Girl Jen? It doesn't matter that her leadership is sometimes impressive or that she may be a good chef. If Ramsay hires her, he hires the Garbage Girl. You think he makes money that way?
Nanny Bonnie? Well, Bonnie was at the FOX party I was at tonight (the only representative for Hell's Kitchen, take that as you will) and lemme tell you that she looked fantastic. So far as I could tell, she didn't start crying once the entire gala, unlike each and every episode this season. How would she respond to running a restaurant seven nights a week? She'd be curled in the corner in no time.
Quick thoughts on this week's episode:
Any thoughts? Comments? Concerns?
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Julia shouldn't have to go home! Chef Ramsey could have trained her to run the restaurant in the back of the house. So many more needto go home instead. Jen picking food out of the garbage an Bonnie is just eye candy for the show. Rock thinks he is the best, well he ain't that great. I have seen first year culinary students that could beat him!
What? No Comments on how Bonnie the nanny doesn't do any laundry or anything besides cooking for the family?
Honestly, I feel bad for Chef Ramsey. He should have kept Brad in. No way is Rock fit to run a restaurant. He's every bit as much of an arrogant **** as you seem to think Josh is.
I think it was great that he did offer to send Julia to culinary school. If she hadn't started off as someone from Waffle House, she'd be the clear winner of this season, even with her off performance last night. It sort of makes me feel vindicated for watching this show.
Well Dan, I'm glad you told us at the end that you were at a party. With the spelling and grammar errors throughout the article, your only legit excuse would be that you were drunk.
Must be nice to write for an internet TV guide page for a living.
kim-
"Throughout the article"? That seems a little harsh, eh? But there were a couple typos, sure. In my defense, I wasn't even slightly drunk. I was, however, rushing the post up so that I could get back to reading Harry Potter...
I cleared up a couple mis-writes. Hope it better meets your standards.
-Daniel
Daniel,
Stop making excuses, just learn to write (which includes editing).
What's with the hostility towards the author of this column?
The internet may give you faceless anonymity, but it doesn't exempt you from common courtesy.
If you don't like his column; don't read it. There's no need to be nasty.
I must agree with Daniel and John. There are many, many poor writers on this and similar websites. If anything, Daniel stands out for his literate, thoughtful, and (nearly always) well-written articles.
At the risk of being labeled a cretin or worse, I do not see why Jen's pulling the pasta out of the garbage is SO bad. Believe me, far worse goes on in most restaurants every day. At least it got a cleansing in boiling water afterwards. AND, didn't the two coaches/sous chefs last night "rescue" the tossed monkfish from the trash?
Give me the wonderful creative insights over typos any day! Keep up the great work.
Tom,
The monkfish that was pulled out of the trash was done to show Bonnie that it wasn't bad. Is she the one who brags on her pallet?
Also Julia had to go because you can't teach in such a short time the finer parts of being a Chef for running a restaurant. But she is and was the only likable or person worth routing for.
I think Garbage Jen walks away with this. She let it slip she has more experience than just pastries. Bonnie is eye candy, which is the only reason she is there. (Also she is stupid because she should have put Jen up against Rock to eliminate 1 of her 2 toughest competitors) Rock hasn't led once and next week is about leadership as they all lead the kitchen.
CTD