# Hell's Kitchen - March 5th **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498 "2009-03-06T06:18:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/1 "2009-03-06T06:18:49Z")
OK, just finished watching via my DVR and it stopped recording the episode just before Ramsey made his choice of who he was booting. (AI ran over again - asshats) Anyway, J & Andrea were on the chopping block… Lil Help! Each episode this season is like a phucking train wreck… ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/2 "2009-03-06T06:51:36Z")
I’ve never understood how a) any of these people can have a job cooking, and b) how Ramsay can let them into an establishment associated with his name. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/3 "2009-03-06T07:30:02Z")
[QUOTE=flickster] Anyway, J & Andrea were on the chopping block… [/QUOTE] He sent them both back into line and then yanked Colleen. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/4 "2009-03-06T11:49:36Z")
I wanted to slap Lacey silly at the start. How freaking **negative** can one human be? My recording cut off immediately after he said “back in line!” What was his reasoning for his next decision? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/5 "2009-03-06T13:25:58Z")
I never understand his reasoning. I think he makes the wrong choice nearly every time. Of course, with this show, there aren’t any _right_ choices, just the lesser of two evils. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/6 "2009-03-06T13:28:28Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > My recording cut off immediately after he said “back in line!” What was his reasoning for his next decision? I assume he does this kind of stuff to show all the peons who’s boss. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/7 "2009-03-06T13:44:41Z")
His reasoning was that although she was not up for elimination, Colleen had had 5 services in a row with absolute nothing positive to say about them. He did compliment her on her tenacity and her “strength”. But gave his usual “can’t cook” pot shot on her way out. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/8 "2009-03-06T14:25:11Z")
I swear that Ramsay is tipped off when chefs decide to hide ruined food or throw things away. He always seems to know, no matter how well hidden or how far he has to dig. Two chef’s last night got busted for this, and I know it’s happened a couple other times in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/9 "2009-03-06T15:01:49Z")
> [@Smokinjbc](#): > > His reasoning was that although she was not up for elimination, Colleen had had 5 services in a row with absolute nothing positive to say about them. Huh. Here I wondered if he’d seen footage showing that Colleen did leave the oven open (more than once maybe) and that led to the burnt-on-the-bottom-only food issues and such. However, I can kind of get behind the idea. Too many times on Top Chef I’ve seen a contestant skating by on being “OK enough” to not screw up but almost never stand out either. IIRC Andrea had some standout work and then bam, a real off service. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/10 "2009-03-06T15:04:18Z")
I’ll give credit to Giovanni too, for not putting Lacey up and admitting she did help the team. I hate Lacey but she might have some skill under the huge chip on her shoulder. She reminds me alot of (last season’s?) Jen, although Jen seemed to be more confident and talented. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/11 "2009-03-06T15:37:44Z")
> [@Smokinjbc](#): > > I’ll give credit to Giovanni too, for not putting Lacey up and admitting she did help the team. I hate Lacey but she might have some skill under the huge chip on her shoulder. She reminds me alot of (last season’s?) Jen, although Jen seemed to be more confident and talented. Yes, I’m really glad that the blue team was able to bond during the origami session. Lacey really stepped it up, but I have a feeling one big screwup, and she’s gone. ETA: Had she been on the meat station and had the night J. had, SEE YA! ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/12 "2009-03-06T17:32:30Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > I swear that Ramsay is tipped off when chefs decide to hide ruined food or throw things away. He always seems to know, no matter how well hidden or how far he has to dig. Two chef’s last night got busted for this, and I know it’s happened a couple other times in the past. It could be that he’s getting tipped off by the cameramen going in for closeups under the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/13 "2009-03-06T18:16:09Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I never understand his reasoning. I think he makes the wrong choice nearly every time. He has a few factors he seems to consider: 1. Can the person actually cook? 2. Will the person serve as a test for the others? Their performace that night really doesn’t much matter to him. If they’re good generally, he’ll ignore that they had one bad night. If they were pretty mediocre and they get put up on the block he’ll take them out. But, where possible, he does try to keep one or two trouble-personalities, because he’s looking for leadership. If the cooks can’t handle someone with an attitude, they’re not going to be a leader. If they can bring that person around or even improve them, then that’s entirely a good thing. He really does seem to be looking for the best. But just because he keeps someone on doesn’t mean that he does so because he expects they’ll improve. And remember that even though it seems like they’re all screwing up left and right, they’re feeding like a hundred people. Assuming three courses, that’s 300 hundred dishes split between two kitchens. Usually, there’s somewhere between 3-5 mistakes. That’s really not bad. He shuts down the kitchen if they’re too slow or if the mistakes are starting to snowball. Also, I think that the people are all only given like five hours of sleep a day. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/14 "2009-03-06T18:19:53Z")
You can watch it on Hulu too, although I don’t know if the newest episode is up yet. (I’m still getting through season 4.) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/15 "2009-03-06T20:16:32Z")
What the hell is the point of nominating people if Ramsey’s just gonna over rule it anyway. Ruins the show. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/16 "2009-03-06T20:21:16Z")
99% of the time he does eliminate one of the ones the teams nominate. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/17 "2009-03-06T20:36:14Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > 99% of the time he does eliminate one of the ones the teams nominate. Plus it makes for “good TV”. I.e. it stirs up dissension and drama among the cooks. Otherwise they could mostly ignore each other and just do their own thing cooking and let Ramsay weed people out. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/18 "2009-03-06T21:29:36Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Also, I think that the people are all only given like five hours of sleep a day. I recall reading that they keep the contestants sleep deprived to ramp up the conflict and they’ve certainly made overt references to that on the show. I’m always impressed by the people who obviously lost quite a while ago and keep sticking around because there’s someone worse on hand at the moment. They apparently think that Ramsey has the memory of a goldfish and once the episode break occurs he won’t remember a thing about how they acted before. They seem to think the game is “Survivor” rather than “Impress the Judge”. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/19 "2009-03-07T07:25:58Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > What the hell is the point of nominating people if Ramsey’s just gonna over rule it anyway. Ruins the show. Considering that the idea of the game is (supposedly) to come up with someone who is actually good enough to be executive chef at a big restaurant, Ramsay would have to be an idiot to just blindly take whoever is offered to him. That’s why it is so stupid when, as has happened several times in the past, one of the contestants puts the person who is generally the best one on the team on the chopping block and and then says – in front of RAMSAY, no less – that they are only doing it to eliminate competition. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498/20 "2009-03-07T14:30:47Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Also, I think that the people are all only given like five hours of sleep a day. Well, damn me. Now it all becomes clear. I’ve been living my entire life in a state of sleep deprivation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-march-5th/488498.md?page=2)