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RSS'Hell's Kitchen': Another dinner service elimination
There's always that one contestant on "Hell's Kitchen" who overstays their welcome. This season, it's been Lacey. Honestly, how long did Ramsay think that Lacey could stick around? If all the other chefs have been beef, Lacey has been tuna masquerading as beef. If all the other chefs have been scallops, Lacey has been sea bass masquerading as scallops.
Tonight we got the usual chef taste test challenge, and after Ramsay fooled the chefs by making scallop tartar using sea bass (not scallops) and beef tartar with tuna (not beef), he really made them look bad. Now, I'm not suggesting that I would be phenomenal with the yearly blind taste test, but Giovanni didn't get any right. Any. In last week's poll most readers of this column chose Giovanni as the most likely to win the whole shebang this year. Hmmmm...
You know who didn't garner a lot of votes in last week's poll? That's right, Lacey. Lacey didn't come in last, but she was a mere two votes away from last place (as of this writing anyway). She ran into the exact same problem this week during prep as she did last week -- a complete lack of desire to work. Okay, maybe that was the problem of the entire blue kitchen and not just Lacey, because they had to poke her and prod her and it slowed all of them.
It only went downhill during service (I'm sure that's not surprising). Lacey, it seems, has tended to find the meat station really hard. Tonight, she was totally unable to keep track of which wellington was well done and which wasn't, she had no idea what her orders were, and she was practically in tears. Ramsay ended up taking her out back and having a few words with her, but he didn't send her home. I guess he didn't want to repeat what he did with J last week, Lacey certainly deserved to be booted though.
In the end, Ramsay had no choice. The woman practically lost her mind when Ben was told to go back to his station and stop helping her out. After she brought some embarrassing lamb to the pass, Lacey was sent packing for good.
Finally! That was one of those eliminations we all knew was coming and whose time actually came long, long ago. Not only will I not miss her, but the rest of the blue kitchen certainly won't either. They managed to not only complete their service without Lacey, they did it before the red side could finish theirs.
The issue over on red appeared to be the usual -- Carol and Andrea bickering. Carol refused to give a time for a dish despite Andrea's repeatedly asking. Carol then opted to just bring the food up to the pass without warning Andrea, whose food by then was terribly overdone. Obviously these things can be changed in editing, but the way I saw it, the way I think the show wanted us to see it, is that Carol torpedoed Andrea on purpose.
Between those two and LA sleepwalking (again) through service, Ramsay actually shut their kitchen down before they finished their entrees. They ended up having to nominate folks for elimination, and there too they had problems.
Carol was clearly getting nominated, but the group was split between LA and Andrea for the second slot. In the end, while LA was nominated, Andrea had to step forward also. She kept her jacket though. Ramsay did a second elimination this week, but it was LA who was number two. Ramsay dismissed her because she "lacks leadership and creativity." I'll buy that.
Odds and ends:
- Oddly, Robert Patrick and Eric McCormack were both present in the dining room during service tonight. They weren't sitting together, but they were both there. I wonder if they get paid for the appearance
- Endly, tell me truly, did you think that Ramsay was going to send a second person home tonight? I figured that he couldn't let them off easy like he did with J last week, but still wasn't initially convinced that he would fire a second chef.
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The final four will definitely be Giovanni (who I predicted would be the winner before the season began), Robert, Ben and Danny (who is turning into a pretty decent Chef). I don't think any of them have the experience to really run a restaurant, but it is just the Borgata (most of the patrons will be drunk off their *** or not care how good the meal is because they won some money!)
TG, Lacey is finally gone!!!
Lacey was no surprise, but LA was a bit of a shocker. I think the real reason why she was fired was not just her lack in leadership and in creativity, but it was her lip ring. LA's lip ring is distracting and this is what makes her look unprofessional in my opinion. Body piercings on the nose, lip, tounge, and eyebrow are fine for a tatoo parlor, but in the vast majority of the culinary field it's not acceptable for anyone to show off these types body piercings. If LA had a second chance she would have to give up her lip ring.
Lacey said she made enemies and she did that because she wouldn't carry her share of the work (like dodging punishments). I wonder what she was thinking when she applied for the show.
LA seemed to be competent but I have to think it was a fatal mistake to volunteer out of the taste-test. That is an important test for Gordon.
Andrew, what it last season or a few winners back had tattoos on his neck?
I swear, if they say the feud between Andrea and Carol is going to boil over/come to a head/whatever next week AGAIN, I'm gonna laugh. Just let one of them punch the other one already and be done with it if it's that bad. Gio is right when he says they're bringing the whole team down.
(Also, I think Robert Patrick and Eric McCormack's appearance - while welcome, as I'm a huge fan of the former - might have something to do with their new movie coming out on April 3rd. Not that they mentioned it or anything, which I thought they might do if it was a promotional appearance.)
I think the problem LA had was that she was a great follower in the kitchen (when not zoning out) but had shown the least amount of initiative and leadership on the show. Even lacey had a couple of services where she was calling out orders and trying to organize the team. LA never did that.
Okay, I get it that some contestants are chosen for drama/comedic effect, but none of these people this season inspire confidence that they could run a Mr. Softee much less a casino restaurant.
I get it too that the anarchy, back-stabbing, screaming, swearing, etc are all for entertaining the audience, but GR bullying everyone during service only makes them more nervous. It's counterproductive for him if he really wants to make a reasonable choice of a head chef, and frankly it's getting old for the audience.
The basic setup may be amusing for the viewer but absurd as a screening process; they're *all* sabotaged from the beginning because of the format. The kitchens are chaos because nobody's in charge. Doesn't GR watch Apprentice? He needs to appoint a head chef each week, rotating amongst all the contestants, if he wants to see how they will act in that position for real. (And to see how the rest of them respond to being in a subordinate position.)
I realize there are viewers who like to see this kind of nonsense, but I'd rather see a reasonably competent group of contestants with a reasonable chance of winning on their merits via a realistic format. Then the screaming and other nonsense would at least be tolerable.
Unless something changes drastically, the winner will definitely be one of the men, although probably not Ben.
For the women, I'm also relieved that whiney, lazy Lacey is gone. Won't miss LA either -- I agree about the lip ring and have walked out of restaurants when kitchen or wait staff have facial rings of any kind. Yuck!
Next one I'd like to see leave: Carol. Her ineptness and constant snipes at Andrea are also getting old. I missed whatever set them off originally, but Carol is clearly the bad guy of this duo.
We started watching HK because we enjoyed GR's show about rescuing restaurants that are in trouble. Unfortunately HK doesn't measure up to that show, and I wish they'd bring it back in HK's place.
BTW, how are past HK winners doing? Did they competently fill their respective chef positions at GR restaurants?
Here is my reply to Danielle:
I have no problem with tattoos. Wearing body piercings on your face can reduce professionalism depending on what type of job your looking for. The most acceptable body piercings in the professional world are earrings. When it comes to the nose, lips, and eyebrows are more disrtacting and less professional.
Lacey: "I don't know how to cook meat!"
By all means, then be on a cooking challenge show. What did she expect, just her making salads?