Hell's Kitchen - 7/1

[StGermain]

Tonight's the finale Part one. Spoiler pause here.

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[StGermain]

Christina's whle attitude about her dining room decor is abysmal. Petrozza remains upbeat. Jen is delusional. I'd hate to be those last two being picked - shades of the elementary school playground.

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[Ferret Herder]

Halfway through reviewing the recording: anyone else get the feeling that Jean-Phillippe was rolling his eyes at Christina's waitstaff outfit likes and dislikes? He also seemed very pleased with Petrozza's.

[Ferret Herder]

I didn't like how Ramsay told the third chef that Petrozza would win on the spot if his dish was chosen. It seemed like pressure to extend the competition.

[Wile E]

Well, it never fails. I try to watch at work and we can be slow as molasses until 9pm and then everyone has to come in or call. I saw bits and pieces up until Petrozza and Christina made their signature dish for Ramsay's executive chefs and Petrozza was ahead 2 to 1. Anyone want to fill me in on what happened afterwards?

[pepperlandgirl]

The taste test was tied 2 to 2, but the final judge chose Petrozza's dish, and thus, Petrozza finally won a challenge. As a result, he got first pick for sous chef. They returned to Hell's Kitchen where the dining room renovations were nearly complete, and Christina flipped out because her dining room was covered in "ugly stripes." She insisted she didn't want stripes, but the camera never lies, and there's a flashback to her explicitly choosing stripes. The decorator guy clearly thought she was a nutball, but agreed to paint over the wall paper to fix the problem.

After that was settled, the sous chefs arrived. Bobby, Ben, Corey, Matt, Louross and Jen. Petrozza chose Bobby first, and Christina went for Corey. Then Petrozza took Ben and Christina chose Louross. The cliffhanger for the episode was who was going to get stuck with Matt, and who's getting stuck with Jen.

[singular1]

The irony is that the whole time Christina was bitching about the ugly stripes, she was wearing............stripes.
I'd love for both of them to just say, "Y'know what? I'm good with just these two." and skip all the drama.
Are we finally going to see what Christina lied about? I remember previews with her in tears while Corey and Petrozza accuse her of lying. That was two weeks ago, and nothing. Is this another case of promo monkeys on crack, like when they showed Corey and LouRoss cuddling and it never happened?
Head in a Pumpkin for the WIN!

[Dung Beetle]

I didn't like how Ramsay told the third chef that Petrozza would win on the spot if his dish was chosen. It seemed like pressure to extend the competition.
I rolled my eyes and said, "Three people left, so the next two choose Christina and the last one chooses Petrozza." That happened, and then there was another cliffhanger moment and I chirped, "Commercial!" As the commercial started, my stepson turned to me wide-eyed and said, "Did you write this?"

Between Jen and Matt, I'd let my competitor have them both, plus his choice of anyone else on my team. That's how much I don't want them.

[StGermain]

You can be sure that Matty will have a breakdown and jen will try to sabotage everything.

The tie-breaker was so telegraphed (and pre-staged, I'm sure) that it was almost laughable. In the end, it didn't matter who won that challange, because they were both going to pick the same people anyway. But I thought "Your signature dish is a NY strip and succotash? that hardly seems...signature." Cooking a steak shouldn't be all that hard. And Petrozza needs to cut back on his artistic side.

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[gotpasswords]

But I thought "Your signature dish is a NY strip and succotash? that hardly seems...signature." Cooking a steak shouldn't be all that hard. And Petrozza needs to cut back on his artistic side.
Succotash? Sucky-tash is cafeteria food. I'd be seriously put off by seeing it at a hign-end restaurant.

Christina's restaurant looks like a late night TV talk show set. I half expect to hear a smash sound if diners lob breadsticks at the faux windows.

[Sage Rat]

Meh, bland episode. Not deserving of being split into two parts. Better to start the season with two extra players and have two people dropped in the first episode or something.

Ramsey sitting there in his kitchen at the London, with his head chef right next to him, telling them that one of them was going to be executive chef in a kitchen like that made me :dubious: by quite a bit. None of the previous seasons ended up giving the winner the position promised, and this year's contestants both seem worse than any of the winners of those.

I imagine that he's going to keep grinning and bearing it through to the end and then stick the winner in some small roll in his restaurant, but I really sort of hope that he'll declare there to be no winner for the year.

[Frosted Glass]

Ramsey sitting there in his kitchen at the London, with his head chef right next to him, telling them that one of them was going to be executive chef in a kitchen like that made me :dubious: by quite a bit. None of the previous seasons ended up giving the winner the position promised, and this year's contestants both seem worse than any of the winners of those.

Well he did say that his executive chef at The London New York was going to be supervising the winner at his new London West Hollywood.

Petrozza was presented as much more cooperative and realistic about the design aspect of the challenge. Christina was a little over the top but its a lot of pressure so I can understand her issues. Menu-wise I am excited to see the final results of each side and how they turn out.

The big question now is who gets Matt "the Eagle" (http://www.ianmacallen.com/photos/20080502/helleagle.jpg) and who gets Jen.

[butler1850]

The big question now is who gets Matt "the Eagle"

I always saw him as Matt "holding in a shit"... or a retarded Romulan.

[flickster]

I think Petrozza may have made a poor choice in not choosing Cory first. She may have been a poor exec chef, but has consistently been a pretty damn good cook. On the other hand, Petrozza's choices of Bobby, consistently average, and Ben, inconsistent / average at best, may come back to haunt him no matter who the final selection is.

[Saint Cad]

I think Petrozza may have made a poor choice in not choosing Cory first. She may have been a poor exec chef, but has consistently been a pretty damn good cook. On the other hand, Petrozza's choices of Bobby, consistently average, and Ben, inconsistent / average at best, may come back to haunt him no matter who the final selection is.


Plus it puts Christina at a disadvantage since Corey constantly is saving her.

I still think it should have been Corey v Petrozza

[Boozahol Squid, P.I.]

I think Petrozza may have made a poor choice in not choosing Cory first. She may have been a poor exec chef, but has consistently been a pretty damn good cook. On the other hand, Petrozza's choices of Bobby, consistently average, and Ben, inconsistent / average at best, may come back to haunt him no matter who the final selection is.

While Corey was probably a better choice, you've got to remember that Petrozza developed really good chemistry with Bobby. During the entire time the men went through losing streaks, it always seemed that Bobby and Petrozza were hanging out, with Bobby helping P pick the nominees.
Ben, when he was on, was an excellent cook: with the exception of the episode where he was eliminated, he seemed to have his station down pat. Honestly, I would have picked either him or Louross above Bobby, if I was selecting based on 'guy who can man a station' (rather than potential head chef).

Petrozza's gotta pick Matt for his last pick. While Matt sucks, sending Jenn back to work with Corey and Christina has to be worth whatever damage Matt might cause in the kitchen.
How'd they get Jenn to come back for the last episode, anyways? The whole spiel about proving herself to Ramsey is obvious bullshit, and I can't believe she'd be swayed by whatever crap parting gifts they're giving to each of the retread chefs for being on this episode.

[Hugh Jass]

I always saw him as Matt "holding in a shit"... or a retarded Romulan.


Both of these are just brilliant. I've been trying to figure out how to describe Matt, though I might combine the two to say he looks like a retarded Romulan holding in a shit... who makes consistently poor food choices.

[Turek]

How'd they get Jenn to come back for the last episode, anyways? The whole spiel about proving herself to Ramsey is obvious bullshit, and I can't believe she'd be swayed by whatever crap parting gifts they're giving to each of the retread chefs for being on this episode.

Probably a simple case of:

Here's the contract you signed that said you must be in any episode we care to put you in. Be on stage at x o'clock, or you'll be hearing from our lawyers and you'll never be paid.

[flickster]

While Corey was probably a better choice, you've got to remember that Petrozza developed really good chemistry with Bobby. During the entire time the men went through losing streaks, it always seemed that Bobby and Petrozza were hanging out, with Bobby helping P pick the nominees.
Ben, when he was on, was an excellent cook: with the exception of the episode where he was eliminated, he seemed to have his station down pat. Honestly, I would have picked either him or Louross above Bobby, if I was selecting based on 'guy who can man a station' (rather than potential head chef).

Petrozza's gotta pick Matt for his last pick. While Matt sucks, sending Jenn back to work with Corey and Christina has to be worth whatever damage Matt might cause in the kitchen.
How'd they get Jenn to come back for the last episode, anyways? The whole spiel about proving herself to Ramsey is obvious bullshit, and I can't believe she'd be swayed by whatever crap parting gifts they're giving to each of the retread chefs for being on this episode.

I just think at this point Petrozza needed to think like a businessman and select the best possible talent available, which was Corey. She also has a personality that would still have blended well with whoever else he picked from there.

I'm also just glad I don't have to pick between Jen & Matt. You're screwed no matter which one you take and Jen with her personality you know has already gotten pissed that she was left till the end instead of being the first selection. It's not going to be pretty.

[Frosted Glass]

I would've gone with Corey as the first pick then Louross/Bobby/Ben. I honestly think that Matt/Jen are going to be the biggest difference makers. Everyone else is fairly capable of banging out a solid service with very few personal issues coming into play. Louross had the incident with Ben but really its not nearly as bad as everyone else vs. Matt/Jen. He has to go with Matt.

[Lamar Mundane]

I would've gone with Corey as the first pick then Louross/Bobby/Ben. I honestly think that Matt/Jen are going to be the biggest difference makers. Everyone else is fairly capable of banging out a solid service with very few personal issues coming into play. Louross had the incident with Ben but really its not nearly as bad as everyone else vs. Matt/Jen. He has to go with Matt.
I would have to go with Jen. She is at least competent. How much damage could she do in one serving, especially with the guys, with whom she has little history? Matt on the other hand hates the guys, and is so delusional you'd have no idea if his dish was awesome or shit. Everything he does is awesome to him. Also, getting picked last would set him into full out crazy mode.

[pepperlandgirl]

On the other hand, if he's not picked last, he'll probably be beaming, excited, convinced that Petrozza is his best friend and they're going to be great together. He can turn on a dime, and it really doesn't take much encouragement to send him either way. So he's either going to do a great job for whoever picked him, or he's going to be a complete and utter disaster. i doubt there's going to be a middle ground with him.

[StGermain]

Bump for the finale!

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[StGermain]

Well, that didn't go as I'd hoped. No spoilers until after the West Coast has seen the ep.

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[Ferret Herder]

Well, that didn't go as I'd hoped. No spoilers until after the West Coast has seen the ep.

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Same here. Understandable choice but I was rooting the other direction.

I still think making Jen and Matt sit in the corner would have been preferable.

[Wile E]

Well, I kind of figured if all things ended up equal in the finale he'd probably go for the younger one. Still I thought she played it safe with her dishes and Petrozza made more of an effort and therefore took the bigger risk.

[Saint Cad]

The way he's been treating Christina the last few weeks, I kinda figured she was a shoo-in. I suspect she's cooking more than food in Ramsey's kitchen (at least he's hoping that someday . . .)

[Ferret Herder]

Well, I kind of figured if all things ended up equal in the finale he'd probably go for the younger one. Still I thought she played it safe with her dishes and Petrozza made more of an effort and therefore took the bigger risk.
True enough. Petrozza's 47, which may not be the potential for long-term work that Ramsay might like. Hopefully Petrozza got a good opportunity out of this exposure.

[Harborwolf]

Well, I kind of figured if all things ended up equal in the finale he'd probably go for the younger one. Still I thought she played it safe with her dishes and Petrozza made more of an effort and therefore took the bigger risk.I think Petrozza lost when he ran out of ingredients for two out of three appetizers. All other things being equal, the lack of preparedness on what should be his biggest night is a lot of points off.

[Ferret Herder]

I think Petrozza lost when he ran out of ingredients for two out of three appetizers. All other things being equal, the lack of preparedness on what should be his biggest night is a lot of points off.
Good point. I thought he recovered really well from that, but was left puzzled as to what happened, if it was poor planning or what. I guess it must have been.

[StGermain]

Petrozza running out of aps was a bad move, and Bobby did step right up and help, coming up with the risotto. Petrozza (is that his first name?) was losing it and could come up with a solution until Bobby was called on. I wonder, though, if Bobby on aps made the portions too big. Petrozza should've caught that, though. I think Petrozza should've taken it because his menu was more challenging, and he did, to a great extent, pull it off. I don't think anything made it out the pass the the customers weren't satisfied with, where Christina had dishes come back and Matt gave her the raw monkfish.

Speaking of Matt and Jen, I think both Christina and Petrozza would've moved themselves up a notch in Ramsey's favor if they'd kicked out their poor performers. Jen's asking for a reference during servie was priceless, as was her assertion that she was picked last because everyone was afraid she'd show them up in the kitchen. Poor delusional Jen. At least she doesn't lack for self-esteem. And Matt got more unstable was the show progressed. I almost wonder if he was instructed to be that way by the producers.

I think in the end, Ramsey likes young talent. I've seen him take in young chefs on Kitchen Nightmares and give them extra training. That (besides being a sort of cute blonde girl) may be what gave Christina the win.

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[kiz]

True enough. Petrozza's 47, which may not be the potential for long-term work that Ramsay might like. Hopefully Petrozza got a good opportunity out of this exposure.


I really wanted Petrozza to win, but I also figured that Christina would probably win just by virtue of this.

47 is "old" in chef terms.

There's a reason why youth is revered in the field.

[StarvingButStrong]

I really wanted Petrozza to win, but I also figured that Christina would probably win just by virtue of this.




I think Ramsey may have told the exact truth about his choice: the two of them were pretty much evenly matched in cooking skills, ability to handle their 'staff', supervising the hot table, etc, and so he didn't have a clear cut choice on that basis.

OTOH, Petrozza is 47, and therefore is likely 'mature' as far as his skills go. If Christina, 25, has already acquired basically the same level of skills in much less time AND is young enough to hopefully continue to improve quite a bit more.

Ramsey went for potential.