A good episode overall, I guess. I was completely shocked when Robert announced that he wasn’t coming back although I think that he had no chance of winning. If he hadn’t quit, I honestly believe that Gordon would have given Ben the ax. I assume that an unplanned losing of 2 people would have meant production changes and the producers could not have wanted that.
I noticed that they used a lot of weasel words when talking about the restaurant at the Borgota. “One of these chefs might” and stuff like that leads me to believe that none of them will have their own restaurant.
I was also surprised that Ramsey made Robert give his jacket back since he let Ji keep hers after she was injured.
Although I think that Danny is probably the best cook of the bunch left, the foreshadowing for the next episode does not bode well for him.
I was sorry to see Robert leave. While I don’t think he’d have won against Danny or Paula, I loved the dynamic he brought to the team, and he had a lot of heart. Too bad he also had a lot of pericardium.
I’m hoping the preview means Danny starts off badly next week and then rallies to impress Ramsay. I’d hate to see Ben or Andrea make the finals.
I agree about the couched terms from the resort tour. I didn’t like how they had a verbal asterisk after every good term, and I noticed they didn’t show any of the answer to Andrea’s questions about the support staff and chefs would be chosen for the new restaurant. I realize the chefs are given a one year contract at the winning restaurant, which may have a clause that it be paid out in full at the time of the victory, but that’s just gotta kill the winner, I would imagine.
Second question first - it was kind of a tease, he basically told them he was closing it down because they needed to get a perspective on what they could win, so he sent them to (Vegas? Wherever it is that the restaurant will open) so they could see the sights, tour the construction area, get an idea of what it’d be like.
During their wining-and-dining there, Robert stepped out because he was having chest pains. He called the group from the hospital, saying he had to be evaluated and he’d meet up with them. When he returned to Hell’s Kitchen (entering after they did, and seeing them for the first time since leaving them), he dropped the news that he has pericarditis - an inflammation of the sac around the heart - and he was dropping out to take care of his health. Lots of crying and hugging ensued.
To answer your second question first, the whole “closing” was just a misdirection. He “closed” it so that everyone could go to the Borgota. While they were there, Robert left the dinner that they were having with the bigwigs due to chest pains. They took him to the hospital where he was eventually diagnosed with Pericarditis. They did another misdirect when Ramsay gathered the chefs together and said “I’m not going to tell you how Robert is doing. I’m going to let him tell you.” Robert entered in his HK jacket and everyone seemed happy. When Ramsay asked him if he was going to continue, he said no. I was :eek:
Or, what Ferret Herder said. The Borgota is in Atlantic City.
Paula and Danny have been perfectly fine as cooks, but neither of them have done anything leaderish. Ben and Andrea tried to push to have their recipes be the ones that get nominated to be put in front of Gordon. Ben kept the kitchen running all through having Lacey there.
They might be a bit obnoxious, but that’s better than sitting quiet and letting people walk all over you. (And in real life, Ben and Andrea are probably way far from being obnoxious. They’re just being shown at their worst.)
