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'Hell's Kitchen': Sparkalicious!
Last week marked the first time this season that both teams on Hell's Kitchen finished their dinner service. It was a feat that would be repeated this week, probably not because the teams did a good job, but instead because the dinner service was a girl's sweet sixteen birthday party and Ramsay was never going shut the kitchen down and ruin the girl's party. Let's look at how it all unfolded.
After the usual post-elimination discussions, early the next morning the chefs found themselves at the Farmer's Market. For their challenge this week, they had to plan a menu for the aforementioned sweet sixteen party. The women decided early on that they were going to do three glamorous dishes from three glamorous cities. Whether their ideas were good or not, they at least had a plan. The men did not.
Matt wanted to do a sushi pizza, but the rest of the men thought it a crazy idea. The team had no idea what they were going to make, but Matt was insistent they would find their ingredients at a little supermarket and kept saying so over and over and over again. He may have been right, but saying that he was and that his team didn't listen to him in front of Ramsay after their dishes were cooked but not yet tasted didn't win him any friends.
All the dishes were sampled by the soon-to-be sixteen year old, Melissa, who, her mom said, liked simple food. Melissa had never tasted shrimp before and balked on the women's appetizer and the men's first entrée, both of which had shrimp. The men's second entrée also had shrimp, but the women's had pomegranate seeds, which the girl thought looked like jewelry and not food. Melissa ended up choosing the men's second entrée, giving them two dishes to the women's one and winning the men the challenge.
The men got to go off and have some fun with go karts and a delicious dessert, while the women were forced to decorate the restaurant for the sweet sixteen party. Francisco, the party planner, explained to the women that they had to make everything "sparkalicious," an idea not all the women truly embraced.
During service, there were a few brief missteps with the appetizers before things really hit the fan. Neither the birthday girl nor her mother were happy with their entrees. Both women ended up sending them back and it didn't amuse Ramsay one bit. The mom's fish was overcooked and Melissa's steak, undercooked. Matt was left to fix the fish on his own, whereas for the steak, Ramsay booted Rosann from her station and did it himself.
Melissa liked the new steak, but Ramsay wasn't going to send out Matt's new fish, which Matt had "fixed" by leaving the new piece raw. Bobby took over the section and the fish went out, but he then got yelled at for booting Matt from his spot. In my opinion though, the important thing was that the fish went out.
Following the service, Ramsay informed the teams that 98 percent of the men's customers said they would return and 99 percent of the women's customers said the same. So again, rather than choosing a losing team, he had both sides nominate one person for elimination. The men, put up Matt, who never seems anything but bewildered and befuddled. The women nominated Shayna (who took four hours to put together salsa for one of the entrees). When asked directly by Ramsay, Christina said that given her druthers she would have nominated Rosann.
In total agreement with Christina, Ramsay heard arguments from Matt, Shayna, and Rosann as to why they should be allowed to stay. No one argued eloquently and yet again Matt seemed on the edge of tears. He did however make a plea to be allowed to cook with the women and thereby prove that he's competent and that his team has been trying to make him look bad. Ramsay bought the argument (and will probably find out next week how wrong he was), switched Matt's team, and booted Shayna tonight.
Based upon what we saw, I have to say that Ramsay wasn't wrong in getting rid of Shayna, but it's not like Rosann and Matt could possibly win this thing either. It appears to me as though Ramsay has a bunch of bad choices ahead of him.
Other bits, pieces, and questions:
- Corey sort of, almost, somehow, tried to seduce Louross. She, for some reason, thought it would make Louross an easy target. I still don't understand that tactic, why would Louross finding her attractive make him an easy target?
- Was a music performance really necessary on tonight's show? Was a sweet sixteen party really necessary? Was the party planner really necessary? It all seemed just a bit too gimmicky.
- And, the real question of the week: is it just me or is this the worst bunch of chefs we've seen any season on this show? I don't think Ramsay would have been wrong sending all three of the folks who were on the chopping block tonight home. Presumably, Matt and Rosann will both find their way out the door in the near future.
Maybe they'll get lucky though and upon exiting Hell's Kitchen will find their way over to The TV and Film Guy's Reviews.
Theah's a Supamaahket ova theah! Let's go to the Supamaahket! Supamaahket! Supamaaaahket!!
The sooner Burt & Ernie's love child is off this show, the sooner it can be taken slightly more seriously.
Frank Rook | May 6, 2008 11:15:21 PM | #This group is atrocious, but what happened to the mystery chef shown in the promo last week that never appeared?
How bad is this group? Two chefs that stayed served raw fish and raw steak. Nice job. At least Shayna didn't serve raw food.
And someone tell Corey she's not Jennifer Aniston.
Belmont | May 7, 2008 12:32:54 AM | #Forgot to add wasn't the party planner the same guy from last season who was the wedding planner?
Belmont | May 7, 2008 12:35:01 AM | #Belmont-The wedding planner was much less of a cliche than tonight's party planner.
Did anybody else hate the mother's guts the moment she opened her mouth?
Mikey | May 7, 2008 3:38:46 AM | #I wonder what Corey's boyfriend thought about the episode. After all she did say it was ok Lou didn't take the bait because she has a boyfriend.
Timmy | May 7, 2008 4:27:13 AM | #Last week they finished a full dinner service. This was not the first week. Check the last recap. Then the week before they both finished dinner service too but Jen went and helped the guys.
Hello? | May 7, 2008 4:45:55 AM | #Two words about this week's: Central Casting.
| May 7, 2008 5:06:58 AM | #I would say Corey was more Jenna Elfman then Jennifer Annistan.
What struck me as odd was why were the girls making the guys dish and the guys making the girls dish (at least for the guests of honor). Seems like setting the cooks up for failure (possibly intentionally) to me.
Also, why not allow the chefs to at least get a hint - the girl likes simple dishes, has never tried shrimp - rather then expect them to compose a defacto dish with no other info. I mean I would have gone with shrimp as the appetizer and the one the woman made certainly did look pretty tasty. I also noticed it seemed that not many people ordered the men's appetizer when put up against Mr. Ramsey's infomous risotto (in particular the girl who chose it).
sac | May 7, 2008 6:06:13 AM | #Ramsey=Hypocrite...Ramsey chides Ben for kicking the incompetent Matt off his station then proceeds to kick Rosann off of her station IN THE EXACT SAME MANNER!
Brian of the North | May 7, 2008 6:43:42 AM | #I agree that this group appears to be totally incompetent. They seemed to gloss over their background in the initial episodes and I wonder if any of it is even true. How do you serve raw meat/fish? Any experienced cook (they don't even have to be a "chef") can tell when it's done. During the selection process, anyone with the least bit of real experienced is probably not selected, looking at this year's group.
John F. | May 7, 2008 6:46:02 AM | #I think if you'll look at the recaps from last year, whoever was writing them wondered how any of them could ever be the winner too. We only see as much as the editors let us see. If a chef cooks 100 pieces of whatever, and gets one of them sent back, that might not be a bad record. I can't say for sure, I'm no chef.
I do think that this group has a better collection of resumes than in past years though. Almost everyone has some sort of fancy experience, as opposed to last year.
And, again, I can't wait for Matt to go home. What a crybaby.
Louross all the way!
Brian | May 7, 2008 7:24:17 AM | #I have a friend who graduated from culinary school, but is no longer working in resturants who was told when he applied for "Hell's Kitchen" that he had too much experience to be on the show.
Don | May 7, 2008 10:21:50 AM | #i agree that there should have been some information about the girl's food preference before shopping. who plans a party and doesnt discuss likes and dislikes prior to selecting the menu? what if there had been food allergies?
s | May 7, 2008 11:26:30 AM | #I just wish the show were less Jerry Springer in its inspiration. It's obvious that the show is loaded with delusional, talentless contestants for "entertainment" purposes. And the only reason Matt was kept around was because he makes for "good" television. This shtick is really tired. I just fast-forward through most of the show.
And yes Belmont that was the same actor playing the party planner.
Is it some sorta requirement that all of the contestants need to be smokers? Maybe if they had a clean palate, they could cook better food?
Do all chefs smoke? Seem kinda disgusting to me
MarcInNH | May 7, 2008 12:24:45 PM | #no not all chefs smoke, just all the ones on this show. Hells kitchen provides the contestants with free booze, and cigs along with everything else.
Chef Scott | May 7, 2008 12:46:01 PM | #what happened to the muppet babies comparison about the guys? that is dead on.
honest joe | May 7, 2008 12:47:01 PM | #How did they get 98 and 99%? Mathmatically, that means there were at least 200 people in that dining room. No way.
Bryan | May 7, 2008 2:27:17 PM | #I agree about Corey. I have no idea how seducing the men (she's not tha cute anyway...) would have anything to do with them losing. If her argument is that she is distracting them...that's silly. She's wasting more time trying to seduce them then they are wasting paying attention to her.
And I love that she was like "Well I have a boyfriend anyway." I'm sure he's gonna be happy she is trying to seduce other men then...
Julie | May 7, 2008 2:56:17 PM | #Wa it my imagination or just those wacky FOX promos but wasn't there supposed to be a "returning chef" last night?
josie | May 7, 2008 5:37:16 PM | #I hate hate hate the sound of Rosann's voice. Hearing her speak just makes me want to punch someone in the face.
Matt is just a strange-looking, annoying waste of space. He doesn't take responsibility for himself and is content to blame the rest of his team for his being an incompetent loser.
That sweet 16 girl's mother was an annoying wench, and why the frig is the age of 16 supposed to be something special for a girl anyway? The whole premise for tonight's service was lame, as was that awful band performance.
I agree though about Corey's trying to seduce Louross (or anyone else for that matter).....what the heck is that going to do to better HER chances of winning?
Alex | May 8, 2008 5:30:40 AM | #What is up with Matt's mouth when he talks? Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how weird his mouth looks as he's speaking? It's like both sounds of his mouth are going in opposite directions. It just doesn't look normal. It freaks me out!
Amber | May 8, 2008 5:32:45 AM | #@ Amber - LOl! I've noticed that too.
Catering Bay Area | Feb 24, 2009 5:07:22 AM | #
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