Hell's Kitchen Season 4

[Raiders Army]

It's back on tonight after American Idol. I can't wait since this is one of my favorite reality shows. Gordon rocks.

[MJ4H]

I enjoy Hell's Kitchen for the pure entertainment value of the show. There were a couple of teasers I've seen for the upcoming season that made me laugh out loud. Certainly the one where Gordon is ripping the guy for his chef's hat.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Much thanks for posting this. I'm excited to see how this season turns out.

[Arles]

Thanks for the reminder, set my DVR to be safe.

[PurdueBrad]

Is this similar to Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares? The wife and I have been watching a ton of these on BBC American and have become big fans. If it is similar, I'll have to watch.

[Alan T]

Is this similar to Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares? The wife and I have been watching a ton of these on BBC American and have become big fans. If it is similar, I'll have to watch.

I like the BBC version of Kitchen nightmares better than the American version of Kitchen nightmares.. I liked hells kitchen better than the American version of Kitchen nightmares but not as good as the BBC version... They really are different type of shows though.. One is more of a survivor/Big Brother type show, where the other is a stand alone each week visiting a different location. I could easily see how people could like one but not the other.

[timmynausea]

I like Top Chef, but I haven't watched any of the other cooking-based reality shows. I may have to check this out eventually.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I like Top Chef, but I haven't watched any of the other cooking-based reality shows. I may have to check this out eventually.

I think Hell's Kitchen is a better show than Top Chef. The main focus of Hell's Kitchen is that Ramsey is somewhat of a culinary drill instructor trying to stress the participants to the point of breaking to find out who can handle the stress of a high end restaurant. It's obvious that he's intentionally being an ass at some points, but it's marvelous entertainment.

[JeeberD]

After discovering Top Chef last year, Hell's Kitchen just wasn't the same. I doubt we'll be watching this season...

[Ksyrup]

HK is not really a cooking show so much as a personality/conflict-driven reality game show. The food is secondary, and you could take this show and translate it to a dozen other trades, and it would look the same. For cooking, Top Chef is where it's at. Maybe one of these people a season would make Top Chef as a contestant, and even that is probably being a bit gracious. But I also enjoy HK just for the pure entertainment of watching people who think they know what they're doing willingly get utterly embarrassed and ridiculed on national TV.

[DaddyTorgo]

HK is not really a cooking show so much as a personality/conflict-driven reality game show. The food is secondary, and you could take this show and translate it to a dozen other trades, and it would look the same. For cooking, Top Chef is where it's at. Maybe one of these people a season would make Top Chef as a contestant, and even that is probably being a bit gracious. But I also enjoy HK just for the pure entertainment of watching people who think they know what they're doing willingly get utterly embarrassed and ridiculed on national TV.


very true. that is the appeal. watching Ramsey open a can on them

[Cringer]

Didn't know this was starting tonight. Very nice.

[MJ4H]

I will miss the cute little blonde girl I forgot her name. Cue Pumpy with the animated gif though imo

[Ksyrup]

These?

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6650/398760ab2eb1bf1aa33eff3ca0.gif


http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3738/hk00fi2.gif

[Galaxy]

A funny-ass first half hour. Love him on the bus dress in a disguise (he look liked Weird Al meet Howard Stern).

As entertaining and high-drama as this show it, it has a lot of good lessons (business and cooking) that are sort of tucked away.

[Galaxy]

Anyone ever eaten at one of his restaurants?

[Ksyrup]

I am forbidden from watching this, since my wife is with the kids in Florida and her parents don't want to watch it, so I have to wait until we watch it together.

[Raiders Army]

I really missed Gordon berating people. There were some gems this episode, like calling the mohawk guy a scrub brush or something like that.

[MJ4H]

Yes what was the blonde girls name she turns me on??????

In the gif not the stupid girl on tonight's show who isn't nearly as pretty as gif girl.

[DaddyTorgo]

A funny-ass first half hour. Love him on the bus dress in a disguise (he look liked Weird Al meet Howard Stern).

As entertaining and high-drama as this show it, it has a lot of good lessons (business and cooking) that are sort of tucked away.

same reason I like kitchen nightmares. there's an element of "drama" and confrontation in it yes, but at heart he's trying to help the people

[Pumpy Tudors]

Yes what was the blonde girls name she turns me on??????

In the gif not the stupid girl on tonight's show who isn't nearly as pretty as gif girl.
Bonnie

[GrantDawg]

Yes what was the blonde girls name she turns me on??????

In the gif not the stupid girl on tonight's show who isn't nearly as pretty as gif girl.


This season is very disappointing in the, ah, "female talent" section.

[Schmidty]

I love the UK Kitchen Nightmares, but I just can't watch HK, because it's too contrived.

[JeeberD]

So my wife decided she wanted to watch last nights episode. Yeah, I still don't like it. WAY the hell over the top. I wanted to turn it off after the five minute "vomiting" scene...

[MJ4H]

Bonnie

Yeah I thought of it last night almost right after I posted. I like me some Bonnie.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Yeah I thought of it last night almost right after I posted. I like me some Bonnie.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/Lobelia/dointhis00.gif

[MJ4H]

So awesome.

[Cringer]

This season is very disappointing in the, ah, "female talent" section.

Yeah, but the one woman thinking she is good looking and Gordon taking a shot at all her makeup was one of my favorite parts.

I also enjoyed when Bobby? was removed from being captain and he told him to give the patch to "that little (fuck or shit) over there," refering to that tiny asian guy.

[MJ4H]

This thread is now about my infatuation with Bonnie.

She reminds me of Elisabeth from the second season of Survivor who I also fell in love with (not nearly as cool since she's married to some yahoo though).

[Cringer]

Do you mean that twat Elisabeth Hasselbeck who is on The View and is one dumb blonde?

[Ksyrup]

Did Bonnie win? I don't even remember another contestant from last season other than that black guy. Wait, maybe he won? Talk about mindless entertainment...just like AI, I can't remember anything from past seasons.

[Cringer]

I didn't see last season, can't help you there. I don't remember season 1 or 2 much either though.

[heybrad]

I love this show but the lack of actual cooking talent seems off the charts this season.

[JeeberD]

Yeah, it seems like they thought the Waffle House chick from last year went over really well, so they scrounged everywhere they could to find folks who aren't real chefs...

[Ksyrup]

That's disappointing to hear. So there are probably 2-3 decent cooks, one of whom is going to win, and the rest are essentially ringers to amp up the comic relief and give Ramsey reasons to scream and throw f-bombs?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Did Bonnie win? I don't even remember another contestant from last season other than that black guy. Wait, maybe he won? Talk about mindless entertainment...just like AI, I can't remember anything from past seasons.
Bonnie was in second place. The black guy, Rock, won.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I remember him now! The only scene that stands out for me from last season was when Gordon brought him from trash pick-up duty to the girls' photo shoot...and handed him the trash can to take back with him. Holy crap was that funny!

[MJ4H]

Do you mean that twat Elisabeth Hasselbeck who is on The View and is one dumb blonde?

No, I mean the goddess Elisabeth Filarski who is not blonde and gorgeous. Once she got married, meh.

[DaddyTorgo]

That's disappointing to hear. So there are probably 2-3 decent cooks, one of whom is going to win, and the rest are essentially ringers to amp up the comic relief and give Ramsey reasons to scream and throw f-bombs?

yes

[DaddyTorgo]

dola

IMO Kitchen Nightmares is a FARRRRR superior show (along with BBC's new "Last Restaurant Standing") because at heart, although Ramsey may throw F-bombs around and call people stinking shits and insult their cooking and their management skills and what-not, at heart he is trying to HELP them save their business, and I think you can definately see that there is an element of CARING there. It's like watching "Extreme Home Makeover" in a restaurant if Ty Pennington was Bob Villa.

[heybrad]

IMO Kitchen Nightmares is a FARRRRR superior show (along with BBC's new "Last Restaurant Standing")...
True, but those shows can't give you hen in a pumpkin, toilet brush head, a guy with a giant chefs hat or the black Gordon Ramsey.

[MJ4H]

or Bonnie.

[Galaxy]

I love all three Ramsay's shows (BBC NK is better then the US one). Each one has a different focus. In HK's, it's about teamwork, leading and understanding what you need to get done.

Are the three winners (and that one chef who Ramsay offered to pay for culinary training) really working with his restaurants?

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I'd like to see a "where are they now?" segment on the past winners and a few of the also-rans.

[Pumpy Tudors]

From what I had read, Season 1 winner Michael declined Ramsay's offer to work for him. He ended up starting his own restaurant. I don't know how successful it turned out to be. Season 2 winner Heather did end up working for Ramsay, but she was not the "executive chef" as she was supposed to be. I don't remember her title, but I think it was "lead chef" or something like that. I have no idea what's happened with Rock since he won. Just from his reaction to everything, I would imagine that he would be working for Ramsay, too. He just seemed like it would be a dream come true to do the job that Ramsay was offering. Maybe I'm wrong, but that was my impression.

[Ksyrup]

Should have known to check Wiki:


Season 1:

Winner Michael Wray's original plan was go to the UK to learn under Ramsay, but as a newlywed, he did not go in deference to his wife's wishes.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-10>[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen_%28U.S._season_1%29#cite_note-10)</SUP> After the show was over, he said that he hoped to eventually open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas%2C_Nevada) at either the The Palms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Palms) or the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Rock_Hotel_and_Casino_%28Las_Vegas%29), although it was more work than he expected. In the meantime, he has started a custom chef's knives company, Skull and Cleavers. He claims that he received "a chunk of cash and US$75,000 in restaurant equipment" for winning. Wray has been cooking for the Los Angeles restaurant Tatou, and is expected to open the Las Vegas location.
Runner-up Ralph opened his own restaurant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant) in Sag Harbor, New York (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sag_Harbor%2C_New_York), called Fat Ralph's Deli. He also appeared as a challenger on Iron Chef America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Chef_America), competing and losing to Iron Chef Bobby Flay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Flay).<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-11>[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen_%28U.S._season_1%29#cite_note-11)</SUP>Season 2:

In September 2006, Heather was named senior chef (not executive chef, as was promised) of Terra Rossa at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Resort_Spa_and_Casino). As of September 18 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_18), 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007), West's name is no longer listed on the Terra Rossa website. A spokesperson for the resort stated that the prize was a one-year contract.<DL><DD><DL><DD>She made an appearance in the eighth episode of the third season, where she greeted challenge winner Julia and tag-along Jen at Terra Rossa. She also appeared in the third season finale where she, along with other cooks, judged the finalists' dishes. </DD></DL></DD></DL>
Rachel was found dead in her Texas home on May 9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_9), 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007).<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-10>[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen_%28U.S._season_2%29#cite_note-10)</SUP><SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-11>[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Kitchen_%28U.S._season_2%29#cite_note-11)</SUP>
Season 3:
Rock began working as the head chef of Green Valley Ranch's Terra Verde restaurant on September 10 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_10), 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007).

[Raiders Army]

Rock was the best of the winners, IMHO. He also talked in third person like The Rock.

[rkmsuf]

dola

IMO Kitchen Nightmares is a FARRRRR superior show (along with BBC's new "Last Restaurant Standing") because at heart, although Ramsey may throw F-bombs around and call people stinking shits and insult their cooking and their management skills and what-not, at heart he is trying to HELP them save their business, and I think you can definately see that there is an element of CARING there. It's like watching "Extreme Home Makeover" in a restaurant if Ty Pennington was Bob Villa.

see, I think that show is just a contrived as any of them out there

you really have to suspend much disbelief for any of it to jive.

I like the show though.

[Ksyrup]

The BBC Kitchen Nightmares comes off far more "real" than the US version. Not sure which one you're talking about rkmsuf. Not saying there isn't some setup to all of it, but the BBC one has the feel of a real storyline being filmed as it happens, as opposed to a pre-conceived storyline where they film/edit scenes to fit what they want to portray.

[rkmsuf]

The BBC Kitchen Nightmares comes off far more "real" than the US version. Not sure which one you're talking about rkmsuf. Not saying there isn't some setup to all of it, but the BBC one has the feel of a real storyline being filmed as it happens, as opposed to a pre-conceived storyline where they film/edit scenes to fit what they want to portray.

In the US version, the reactions and convienient "roles" of the people at the restaraunts is amazing. Maybe it's great editing but it seems hard to believe people would invite Ramsey in for a week, presumably on the brink of bankrupcy, and react consistently the way they do.

Perhaps they found situations in their wheelhouse though...dunno.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I've read that the US Kitchen Nightmares is completely re-edited for broadcast in the UK. They edit it in a way that makes it appear more like the UK Kitchen Nightmares. I'd actually like to see some of these re-edits just to get a feel for how differently Fox wants the show seen over there.

[MJ4H]

I'll bet they just get people that sound vaguely like the people that work at the restaurant and have them insert some "blimey," "bloody," and "bollocks" in to the dialogue. Quite unseamlessly, too, I'm sure.

[Ksyrup]

The US version has one storyline every week - restaurant is going under, and it's primarily the fault of 1 person, who is either lazy, arrogant, or incompetent, or a combination of all of the above. Usually that person is the owner. And after 55 minutes of being the biggest asshole on the face of the planet, they have a "come to Jesus" moment and miraculously do an about-face and are a model worker. Every time. The BBC version is far more complicated than that, and doesn't seem to follow a pattern. Obviously, there are similarities among a number of restaurants as to what has gotten them in trouble, but the situations are varied. It's just a better show, period.

[Ksyrup]

I've read that the US Kitchen Nightmares is completely re-edited for broadcast in the UK. They edit it in a way that makes it appear more like the UK Kitchen Nightmares. I'd actually like to see some of these re-edits just to get a feel for how differently Fox wants the show seen over there.

Yes, that would be interesting to see. I wonder if they'll broadcast some of the re-edits on the BBCA channel? Or maybe they do. I'll admit that I don't watch that channel all that often.

[rkmsuf]

The US version has one storyline every week - restaurant is going under, and it's primarily the fault of 1 person, who is either lazy, arrogant, or incompetent, or a combination of all of the above. Usually that person is the owner. And after 55 minutes of being the biggest asshole on the face of the planet, they have a "come to Jesus" moment and miraculously do an about-face and are a model worker. Every time. The BBC version is far more complicated than that, and doesn't seem to follow a pattern. Obviously, there are similarities among a number of restaurants as to what has gotten them in trouble, but the situations are varied. It's just a better show, period.

that's the dumb part. presumably the going under people have agreed to ramsey's help. suddenly when he gets there they don't want it. *slaps forehead*.

suppose it wouldn't be much of a show if they embraced everything so there is the contrived part.

[Ksyrup]

For instance, one of the biggest differences I see is that in the BBC version, the "turnaround" happens by the 45 minute mark, and the last segment is Ramsey going back to see what's happened. And sometimes, it just hasn't worked out, and they show that. On the American version, that happens with a couple of minutes left, and if it didn't work out, they only tell you in a footnote on a black screen as the show ends (I'm thinking specifically of that bizarre one where the dad had died and the kid who couldn't handle it was left in charge - they ended up selling 6-9 months later).

[Raiders Army]

Not a bad episode tonight. The women's team is really falling apart and it was a stupid move by Corey to try to eliminate her competition at this point in the game. She just put a huge target on her back.

Also, hasn't anyone ever watched this show before? Gordon will pick whomever he wants to eliminate regardless of whom you nominate. At least be smart about it. I thought he was going to eliminate Corey for a second there.

[Ksyrup]

So, for the third time this season, the women decide to put up someone they don't like instead of the person who performed the worst. Amazing.

That Matt dude is one seriously weird, whiny, "leader with no followers" idiot. The minute he said he wanted to switch teams, I knew he was staying. This show is getting more ridiculous every week.

[thesloppy]

I've been meaning to comment on this show for weeks now.

Every person on this show is so goddamned retarded that it's impossible to think that they were casting based on anything other than freak factor. Matt is a relentless, unending train-wreck, and yet I'll miss him so much when he is finally, deservedly sent packing. Sushi pizza, on a tortilla? For real? Everything that dude touches makes me want to hurl. His facial expressions are amazing, he's like some kind of frowning, silent film villain.

But seriously, screw 'winning', who on that show is qualified to run a fine restaurant, or any kind of restaurant, on a daily basis? I'd trust that Bobby could cook me up a decent Grand Slam breakfast, but that's about it.

[DaddyTorgo]

this show really makes me laugh though, I gotta say

[Ksyrup]

His facial expressions are amazing, he's like some kind of frowning, silent film villain.


Ha! Awesome. Even my wife, who usually stays quiet while I rip on people, said she couldn't stand looking at his stupid facial expressions anymore. He looks like he's got a constant gas bubble trying to burst out of his ass at any second, and he's desperately trying to contain it.

[MizzouRah]

I've been meaning to comment on this show for weeks now.

Every person on this show is so goddamned retarded that it's impossible to think that they were casting based on anything other than freak factor. Matt is a relentless, unending train-wreck, and yet I'll miss him so much when he is finally, deservedly sent packing. Sushi pizza, on a tortilla? For real? Everything that dude touches makes me want to hurl. His facial expressions are amazing, he's like some kind of frowning, silent film villain.

But seriously, screw 'winning', who on that show is qualified to run a fine restaurant, or any kind of restaurant, on a daily basis? I'd trust that Bobby could cook me up a decent Grand Slam breakfast, but that's about it.

I'm with you. Where do they get these people? I can cook a freaking steak to order!

None of these people can cook, period. The show is great though.. and along with The Office re-runs on TBS, it's my most watched show on Tuesday nights.

[thesloppy]

I love it when the announcer busts out with something like "two and a half hours into service and the red team are finally starting to get their appetizers to the table." Come on. Two and a half hours? To cook a risotto and some mashed potatoes?

The show is just so absurd sometimes, like when that Vanessa chick decided she wanted to quit after being burned, so she went up to visit Ramsey in his 'office', which was like a bare desk, with a stock picture on the wall. Are we supposed to believe that Ramsey is spending 8 hours a day in the Hell's Kitchen office balancing the fictional books and ordering straws and napkins and shit? And speaking of that episode, how could those dolts NOT know that nobody else was going home that episode? I'm sure every viewer knew it as soon as Vanessa quit, yet all of those dorks immediately jumped at the chance to chuck eachother under the bus. Again.

Consider that we've already seen that Petrozza dude crack, mumbling "I'm done" over and over, unable to remember even a single entree on the menu, screwing up orders and on the edge of crumbling completely and utterly.....and yet, 6 people have been kicked off that show since, and there's still 4 or 5 people that need to go before you can even begin to talk about getting rid of Petrozza.

Shayna, who got kicked off this week, was like the invisible woman. I know a handful of people who watch the show, and for the first month I don't think anybody knew who she was. That weasely Craig guy, with the chef's hat, was just a wreck form the second you saw him. Jen just yells at the camera.

...and what was up with the birthday girl this week. Your 16, from California, and you've never had shrimp before? I'd imagine 4 out of 5 household pets in America are eating shrimp on a weekly basis, for Christ's sake. Such a goofy show, but God I love it.

[Raiders Army]

The show is just so absurd sometimes, like when that Vanessa chick decided she wanted to quit after being burned, so she went up to visit Ramsey in his 'office', which was like a bare desk, with a stock picture on the wall. Are we supposed to believe that Ramsey is spending 8 hours a day in the Hell's Kitchen office balancing the fictional books and ordering straws and napkins and shit?

You're absolutely right. We love this show just because of the trainwrecks and yelling as well.

[Ksyrup]

Shayna, who got kicked off this week, was like the invisible woman. I know a handful of people who watch the show, and for the first month I don't think anybody knew who she was.

Yep. I was surprised that she went home, because as little as they were focusing on her, I thought maybe she was the ringer. A couple of weeks ago, we watched the intro and I saw her and said to my wife, "I don't remember her, when did she get kicked off?" I guess she was just boring as hell, AND not that great of a cook. She wasn't going to win, and she wasn't bringing the entertainment value up, so she was worthless as a contestant.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Maybe this is my favorite "reality" show because it's so unrealistic. The stuff like Ramsay's "office" just crack me up. The editing is great, too. Are we to believe that Petrozza really said "I'm done" a dozen times? He probably just said it 2 or 3 times and they just cut that line in again and again. Great stuff.

I am happy to let all that shit slide, but you know what really got me this week? The Sweet 16 "party planner." Could that dude be any more fake? I mean, I'm not complaining. He was so over-the-top that I couldn't stop laughing. It's like the producers don't even try to hide how fabricated everything is, and I love them for it.

I've gotta admit that I have my doubts about the entire Sweet 16 party, too. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was an actor. No problem for me. Anything that can crank up the drama in this show makes me happy.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, that guy was so stereotypical that I thought he was modeled after the interior designer from Anna Nicole Smith's reality show (who I recall reading was real).

[Pumpy Tudors]

You know what makes me laugh? Louross. Not the person. The name.

Louross.

[sachmo71]

Pah-tro-zah

[Ksyrup]

I still keep waiting for Ben to do something. Compared to the others, I haven't seen him screw up nearly as much, yet Ramsay has lit into him several times. Maybe we're not seeing everything.

I still like Top Chef way more. The other night, when the two guys went at it in front of the judges, was pretty good. A decent dose of shit talking most episodes, but still mostly focused on food. I mean, how can you not like a show where one of the contestants says he got a "culinary boner" over one of the challenges?

[Pumpy Tudors]

I still keep waiting for Ben to do something. Compared to the others, I haven't seen him screw up nearly as much, yet Ramsay has lit into him several times. Maybe we're not seeing everything.

I still like Top Chef way more. The other night, when the two guys went at it in front of the judges, was pretty good. A decent dose of shit talking most episodes, but still mostly focused on food. I mean, how can you not like a show where one of the contestants says he got a "culinary boner" over one of the challenges?
I don't know why Ramsay is all over Ben. It's been going on since the beginning. I'm not sure exactly how competent Ben is, but he seems like he could be a real leader (unlike "4-star general" Bobby whose idea of leading is "let me do it"). I agree that we are possibly not seeing everything.

I've never seen Top Chef. Perhaps I'll try it someday, although I understand that it's not really the same kind of show. It probably won't work as well for me because I don't really have much interest in what the people are cooking. I just want some comedy out of the deal. I might watch it once anyway, though, just to see what a "real" cooking competition is like.

[heybrad]

Yeah, that guy was so stereotypical that I thought he was modeled after the interior designer from Anna Nicole Smith's reality show (who I recall reading was real).
I give you.... Bobby Trendy!!!

http://images.zap2it.com/20050526/bobbytrendy_ai4finale.jpg

[Ksyrup]

YES!!!

[thesloppy]

I don't know why Ramsay is all over Ben. It's been going on since the beginning. I'm not sure exactly how competent Ben is, but he seems like he could be a real leader (unlike "4-star general" Bobby whose idea of leading is "let me do it"). I agree that we are possibly not seeing everything.

I can only assume that Ben is getting the business from Ramsey now, because Ramsey actually DOES think he's the best chef, but he needs somebody to 'push', so that in the end he can talk about how he drove him to dig down and discover his true potential.

[thesloppy]

I still like Top Chef way more. The other night, when the two guys went at it in front of the judges, was pretty good. A decent dose of shit talking most episodes, but still mostly focused on food. I mean, how can you not like a show where one of the contestants says he got a "culinary boner" over one of the challenges?

I love Top Chef as well, but this season seems to have the same fatal flaw as last season, which is that there is one dude (Richard) who sticks out as clearly a level above the rest of the cast, and I would be pretty surprised if he didn't end up winning in the end.

[Ksyrup]

I can only assume that Ben is getting the business from Ramsey now, because Ramsey actually DOES think he's the best chef, but he needs somebody to 'push', so that in the end he can talk about how he drove him to dig down and discover his true potential.


Yeah, I think that might be the faux storyline they've concocted - "Look how far Ben has come from his bumbling idiot beginnings."

[Ksyrup]

I love Top Chef as well, but this season seems to have the same fatal flaw as last season, which is that there is one dude (Richard) who sticks out as clearly a level above the rest of the cast, and I would be pretty surprised if he didn't end up winning in the end.

Absolutely. Richard is far and away the superior chef. I think Dale is turning into the Marcel/Hung "asshole no one likes" competition for him, but there's no way Richard doesn't win.

[rkmsuf]

I always find it fascinating we are supposed to believe people wait 2.5 hours for their food and just sit there. Or that they actually try to get it right in the kitchen for that long.

Oh and Gordon called Louross a smurf. lol.

[thesloppy]

Gordon's insults are awesome, because he'll sit there swearing like a sailor for 2 hours, but if he wants to get personal he'll call you "Big Boy", "Donkey" or "Donut".

[thesloppy]

I think Dale is turning into the Marcel/Hung "asshole no one likes" competition for him, but there's no way Richard doesn't win.

Hung was an unbearable asshole, but much like Richard, you only had to see him with a knife in his hands for ten seconds to realize that dude was a MONSTER in the kitchen. Dale....not so much.

[MJ4H]

When Gordon calls someone a donut it is straight to tears of laughter for me. Do not pass go.

[thesloppy]

Matty went straight Deer Hunter tonight. I'm going to miss that guy.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare10/the%20deer%20hunter/04.jpg

I got a migraine!

[Izulde]

Matty was hilarious!

I'll be pissed if Jen wins the whole shebang. I hate her worse than I did Michael in Season 1.

[DaddyTorgo]

Matty was hilarious!

I'll be pissed if Jen wins the whole shebang. I hate her worse than I did Michael in Season 1.

Matty was good comic relief.

You know I actually think Bobby has a decent shot to win it all.

[Izulde]

Matty was good comic relief.

You know I actually think Bobby has a decent shot to win it all.

Yeah, he's been flying pretty under the radar, even though he comes off as a dick a lot of times, too.

I'd like Corey or Christina to win, personally.

[Ksyrup]

Matt was one of the greatest reality characters of all-time. Seriously, that guy had to be an actor. How do you come across like that on TV and then think you've got a good career ahead of you? I know he didn't get to see himself until now, but who would hire him as anything but a freak show attraction?

After last night's episode, we were flipping around to other channels and came across a show of some sort where someone said, in response to another person's comment, "That's crazy!" And I looked at my wife and said, "Crazy? You wanna see crazy? THIS is crazy!" And I started slapping myself on the face/head. We LOLed for a good while.

RIP Matty.

[thesloppy]

I absolutely loved when he was talking shit about seeing Christine 'on the street'.

That chick is like 14 years old, and 3' 2".

[Raiders Army]

Bobby or Corey for teh win.

Matt was seriously delusional or he had to know that the cameras were on him and he was a great actor like you guys said. Anyhow, I wish there was a morning show where the kicked off players show up. I'd have liked to see him now.

[Ksyrup]

I'm sure Matt's doctors would advise against him being on a morning show at this point.

[Ksyrup]

That chick is like 14 years old, and 3' 2".

You must have Christine mixed up with LouRoss.

[MJ4H]

:spit-take:

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm sure Matt's doctors would advise against him being on a morning show at this point.

he'd probably beg off citing migranes or something

[MizzouRah]

Good bye Matty.. guy was a trip though..

[JeeberD]

I'm not sure which I hate more, the ultra-cocky Jen, or the crying Jen...

[Axxon]

Matty was good comic relief.

You know I actually think Bobby has a decent shot to win it all.

That's pretty much my take. Bobby isn't my favorite character but I can't see any reason he's not the favorite to win right now.

[rjolley]

I'm not sure which I hate more, the ultra-cocky Jen, or the crying Jen...Crying Jen, definitely. The crying on reality shows annoys me to no end, mainly because it seems like it's all done to provide "drama"...kinda like the stupid delays in game shows and on Your House is Worth What? on HGTV.

"After all my work, your house is worth.....(cut to owners)...(cut to realtor)...(cut to owners)....(cut to host)...(cut to realtor)..." TELL ME ALREADY!!!

[JeeberD]

Hah! It's sad that I know exactly what you're talking about there. The wife and her damn HGTV, I swear...

[Ksyrup]

I don't think I've ever watched a single minute of HGTV (and neither has my wife). I guess I shouldn't be shocked that even they have game shows/reality shows, though.

[DaddyTorgo]

That's pretty much my take. Bobby isn't my favorite character but I can't see any reason he's not the favorite to win right now.

Exactly. He may not be wow-ing Gordon with any particular dishes during service, but he is consistently communicating and leading - and Gordon liked his menu and his individual dish, so he has talent.

he also hasn't ever been screamed at individually and told to go up to the dorm (that we have seen at least).

everyone else left has broken down at least once, but bobby's always "yes chef! yes chef!" -- except for his one thing last night where he almost messed up the # of things he was cooking, but that was just miscommunication and he didn't keep ramsey waiting

[rjolley]

I don't think I've ever watched a single minute of HGTV (and neither has my wife). I guess I shouldn't be shocked that even they have game shows/reality shows, though.Your House is Worth What? takes you to different markets where they ask the owner how much they think their house it worth, tour the house with a realtor, then the realtor tells the owner how much they would put the house on the market for.

Before the market went south, most owners got more than they expected. Now, it seems to be the opposite.

[Raiders Army]

I wish Jen would've been bumped, but I think Ramsay believed he couldn't give the win to back-to-back black guy contestants.

[Ksyrup]

I think last night basically meant that neither Bobby nore Jen are going to win, and when it doesn't matter which order they go in, leave the controversial one on the show.

Bobby's departure was a lot like Ben's - both of them skated by for most of the season until the episode they were let go. I never understood why Ramsay yelled at Ben so much - must have been bad editing because until the end, they never really showed him screwing up as much as some others. Same with Bobby.

It has to be Christine or Corey now. No way Jen wins, and he can't give the job to someone who he repeatedly calls dirty (Petrozza). Just like last season - no way the chick who took food out of the garbage ever had a chance in hell of winning.

[Raiders Army]

Jen didn't take food out of the garbage to serve. She ate food before it went into the garbage. Her problem is that she doesn't listen and has an attitude (and cries). At least that's what the editing is saying.

[Ksyrup]

No, early on last season, a chick (who I think was coincidentally named Jen) took food she had thrown away and tried to serve it. I think it was pasta. She stayed on the show until the final 3, but there's no way she was ever going to win.

I just meant that this year, no way Jen wins because she has no leadership skills and that's been obvious from the beginning. Comparing her to last year's Jen, I was referring to the fact that neither of them can win, even though they both lasted so long.

[Raiders Army]

Yeah, I remember that. Both Jens last season and this season sort of have the same edit. They look like they can win it all, but ultimately can't.

[DaddyTorgo]

awww man bobby goes (just watching now)

that bites. I guess it's gotta be corey or christina

not sure which of the two is the better choice IMO

[MizzouRah]

I was shocked to see Bobby go..

[Ksyrup]

I think Corey wins. Christine is just a culinary student right now and seems too young/immature. Or, maybe he'l make her "head chef" instead of "executive chef" like he did with one of the previous winners.

This show is all about watching people get humiliated. Even the top prize is somewhat bogus.

[thesloppy]

For a while I've been on the Christina bandwagon....not that I like her, but I think she looks to have the best chance. And now it seems that everybody agrees it's going to be Corey or Christina....


...but all of a sudden I'm starting to think Petrozza's got a real shot. Although he hasn't won anything, has he been up for elimination even once? And as much as Ramsey hates his habits, he's rarely complaining about his food, or his communication. I can remember Petrozza having one bad service, but everybody else has seemingly had 3-4 bad services by now.

[Ksyrup]

The reason I don't see Petrozza winning is because all we really know about him from Ramsay is (a) he's the most mature, less self-serving of the contestants, and (b) he is dirty and a horribly messy/unorganized cook. As many times as Ramsay has called him out for being dirty, I can't see him handing him a restaurant.

[thesloppy]

This show is all about watching people get humiliated. Even the top prize is somewhat bogus.

When Bobby mentioned how he had lost every challenge, I realized how much 'Hell's Kitchen' sucks as far as 15 minutes of fame go.....spend weeks holed up with a bunch of retards and then, when your lucky, your doing the equivalent of your job, on television, while some overbearing British guy yells at you constantly...when you're not lucky you're doing the laundry, delivering pizza, cleaning out the grease trap, doing 12 hours of prep, etc. etc. If you're REALLY lucky you get to watch Ramsey rassle around with Jean Baptiste at some nearby location. Who wouldn't want to toss away their life for that?

[Raiders Army]

The reason I don't see Petrozza winning is because all we really know about him from Ramsay is (a) he's the most mature, less self-serving of the contestants, and (b) he is dirty and a horribly messy/unorganized cook. As many times as Ramsay has called him out for being dirty, I can't see him handing him a restaurant.

I dunno. Ramsay also said that he made good food. It's easier to clean someone up than teach them skill. :)

But I agree with you nonetheless.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah but good food or not, no one wants to eat food made by a dirty chef.

[Raiders Army]

Depends on how hot she is.

[Ksyrup]

Petrozza is HOT!

[thesloppy]

See, I agree that Ramsey probably thinks being dirty is a mortal sin in the kitchen...but the level of the competition, and the show format, makes it a pretty minor sin in Hell's Kitchen. All 3 of the others have proven that, despite making it this far, they are more than capable of screwing up in service, and a bad service will always trump 'dirty', both in the eyes of your fellow chefs, and Ramsey.

Everybody else is going to have to have a good service, both in terms of communication and cooking, before Petrozza can be booted off for being dirty....and I think those are pretty good odds, considering who's left. I would imagine the chefs still partially control at least one elimination, and those girls all hate eachother, and are prone to drama, so Petrozza could easily fly under the radar again, and if he makes it to the final challenge, he'll be judged mostly on customer reaction and running a team, which will take his personal cleanliness almost entirely out of the picture.

[Izulde]

I can't believe Jen's still on the show, though I agree there's no way in hell she makes it.

Honestly, I'd give the nod to either Christina or Petrozza right now. Sure Petrozza's a bit of a pig, but he's a decent cook and he's displayed considerable leadership qualities. Remember, a lot of the early-mid period elimination sendups were put on Petrozza's shoulders.

Christina has been improving considerably as the show's worn on IMO, whereas Corey seems to be much more erratic.

Fantastic episode this week, though. :) Just got the chance to watch it tonight because I was on the road when it aired Tuesday.

[JeeberD]

I called the finalists. My wife didn't think that there was any chance that "dirty" Petroza would get past this week, but I told her that he and Christina would be the finalists.

Corey wasn;t anything but a dirty skank ho, and I'm glad she's gone...

[thesloppy]

I am reading the show's recent vibe as a win for Christina, but I still think it needs to be noted how well Petrozza made his way through HK. Never won a single challenge, subsequently spent the entire show cleaning the kitchen, and yet wasn't even eligible for elimination a single time.

p.s. Major props to the HK production team for once again flawlessly sucking any mystery or tension out of the elimination by telegraphing the ending in last week's previews.

[thesloppy]

I called the finalists. My wife didn't think that there was any chance that "dirty" Petroza would get past this week, but I told her that he and Christina would be the finalists.

I think his level of dirtiness has been played up, and probably speaks to how well he handles the services, if that's all they've been able to come up with. I figure if Ramsey's just kind of chuckling "gosh, you're dirty!", that it can't be that bad, or at least doesn't effect anybody else in the kitchen. If his cleanliness were to the level that it were intrusive, inefficient, or unsanitary I'msure Ramsey would've been much more effusive in his displeasure, and some of the other contestants would've made more note of it.

[Raiders Army]

Petrozza could drink beer before Corey and Christina were born. With the six players coming back (Bobby, Jen, Matt, Corey, Ben, can't remember the other one?) if I were Petrozza I'd pick Jen. She's obviously a good cook and getting the old crew back together (Bobby and Ben) won't bode well for winning since the guys lost most of the challenges. Jen would also be motivated to beat Christina.

[JeeberD]

I feel sorry for whoever gets stuck with Matt...

[JeeberD]

Dola-

LouRoss (or however you spell it) is the sixth person...

[MizzouRah]

YES!!! I was thinking he would pick Christina over Cory. I think Christina will win it all. Petrozza is too sloppy and Christina would be someone that could be groomed by Chef Ramsey.

[Bisbo]

I'm for Christina, but if the elimination decision was based solely on last night's service, she would be gone. Corey got screwed by the "I'm going to base this on the entire season's performance" standard announced by Ramsey right before his decision, but if I were he, that's what I would want to base it on. Can't really see Corey as an Exec Chef at this stage of her career.

[JeeberD]

Seriously, they're splitting the finale up so that it goes two weeks? Fuck that bullshti...

[Izulde]

I'd be happy with either one of these two winning, though Petrozza is hilarious and Christinia's getting a little too arrogant, so I'm rooting more for him.

[JeeberD]

As soon as Christina was talking about how it was in the bag, I knew Petrozza was going to win the challenge. The writers are getting a bit stale in that department, imo...

[Axxon]

I've been rooting for him for a couple of weeks and last week I really can see where Chef Ramsey is in his corner. Just IMHO but this one is his to lose.

[Izulde]

I've been rooting for him for a couple of weeks and last week I really can see where Chef Ramsey is in his corner. Just IMHO but this one is his to lose.

I'd agree with that assessment. Petrozza's got serious leadership qualities and is pretty consistently good in the kitchen. He's a pig, but that can definitely be worked on.

I had a feeling he had a good shot fairly early on when Ramsey was putting the pressure of putting people up for elimination on Petrozza's shoulders for quite a few weeks there.

[MJ4H]

sory i still root for the cute girl

[Axxon]

sory i still root for the cute girl

Yeah, but which of these two contestants do you root for?

[MJ4H]

corey looked kinda hot in normal clothes and makeup tonight too

[JeeberD]

Yeah, I agree with that. Sadly...

[Izulde]

Agreed. Corey cleans up really nicely.

[Ksyrup]

As soon as Christina was talking about how it was in the bag, I knew Petrozza was going to win the challenge. The writers are getting a bit stale in that department, imo...

What was even worse was the voting for the challenge. That was so scripted, it was almost insulting.

[Alan T]

What was even worse was the voting for the challenge. That was so scripted, it was almost insulting.


No joke.. after the first vote, my wife and I called what each of the judges were going to vote before they even went up to taste the food. It was a little obvious :)

[Pumpy Tudors]

The writing and editing of this show are ridiculous, and I absolutely love it. As far as last night's challenge, somebody has to win it 3-2, because Gordon needs to announce all of his executive chefs. If the first three all pick the same person, the other two chefs don't get introduced. Yeah, once the first two picked Petrozza, you knew the next two would pick Christina. So obvious.

The producers of this show lead the viewers on in the most ridiculous ways, and they don't even try to hide it. I'm listing these from memory, so maybe I've forgotten something, but in this season alone:

- They suggested that a chef from the past was going to come back. Didn't happen.
- They made it look like a piece of Matt's finger was possibly being served to customers. I don't think they ever found the fingertip, but there was zero chance that it left the kitchen.
- They led us to believe that Corey and Louross were going to get involved, but it turns out that they were obviously just friends all along.
- In the preview for last week's episode, they pasted old sound bites together for the elimination segment. They made it look like Corey said "Christina lied to us" and Petrozza said "Christina should go home" to Chef Ramsay. Hmm. Funny how the word "Christina" sounded tacked on to both of those lines, though, especially if you recall that Corey and Petrozza had earlier said those things about Jen and Louross. Nope, neither one made those comments about Christina at elimination.

They'll show you one thing in the preview and do something completely different in the actual show. It's amazing that they do this stuff practically every week, and people know they're doing it, yet millions of people continue to watch (including me). I love it.

[rkmsuf]

I like the subtle quick shots of Christina's bra or Corey's underwear when they are getting up or going to bed. Top notch.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I like the subtle quick shots of Christina's bra or Corey's underwear when they are getting up or going to bed. Top notch.
Yeah, I think I let out an audible "daaaaamn" at one point last night because of Christina's bra. That was followed by an audible scream as my wife started hitting me with rolls of quarters.

[DaddyTorgo]

Yeah, I think I let out an audible "daaaaamn" at one point last night because of Christina's bra. That was followed by an audible scream as my wife started hitting me with rolls of quarters.

what??? i missed that!! and i deleted it off my dvr already!!! damnit!!!

foxnetworks.com here i come!!!

[rkmsuf]

what??? i missed that!! and i deleted it off my dvr already!!! damnit!!!

foxnetworks.com here i come!!!

since when does fox film in pumpy's house?

[thesloppy]

I was overjoyed by the return of "Gordon's office"! At one point when the chefs were invited to go see Ramsey in his office, Petrozza response was "upstairs??!?"...as if "why the hell would I go up there, there's nothing up there......oh right, Gordon's 'office'."

[Bisbo]

I like the subtle quick shots of Christina's bra or Corey's underwear when they are getting up or going to bed. Top notch.

Agreed, but the subtle, quick shots of Matt's bra are too much.

[MizzouRah]

Agreed, but the subtle, quick shots of Matt's bra are too much.

:lol:

I cringed when I saw him come back last night.. a Taco Bell manager would fire him for his crappy cooking.

One more show? How dare they!!! :banghead:

[Izulde]

I'd rather have Matty on the team than Jen.

In fact my dad said if it looked like he got stuck with Jen, he'd tell Chef Ramsey he'd run one short. :D

[Ksyrup]

From the previews, it looks like Petrozza took Jen. She was wearing his color.

[MJ4H]

From the previews, it looks like Petrozza took Jen. She was wearing his color.

My wife and I rewound this a couple of times and it appears that they blacked out the colors on Jen so that you couldn't tell whether she was wearing red or blue. On first pass, we both thought it was blue, but we rewound it to see if we were nuts thinking that the editors made that obvious a mistake.

[thesloppy]

My wife and I rewound this a couple of times and it appears that they blacked out the colors on Jen so that you couldn't tell whether she was wearing red or blue. On first pass, we both thought it was blue, but we rewound it to see if we were nuts thinking that the editors made that obvious a mistake.

I did the same thing, and she was wearing a black jacket.

[Ksyrup]

You guys are hardcore.

[Ksyrup]

No reaction to the finale? I was kinda surprised, but in the end it makes sense. She's much more likely to have a longer career with Ramsay than Petrozza, and she could still turn into more than just a decent chef. Petrozza's old and is what he is already. I thought he won based on the way service went, though. And Matt should open a restaurant with LouRoss handling the front end and do a show about it. I would watch. On the flipside, I can't stomach listening to another thing come out of Jen's mouth - or even look at her anymore. What a selfish, disgusting bitch she is, with an attitude from hell.

[rkmsuf]

While I like the show I found it to be an underwhelming finale. Nothing really stuck out to me.

It was nice to see a winner after following the season but I didn't really care either way. Not sure what that means. I guess it means I like Kitchen Nightmares better.

[Ksyrup]

I didn't really care either, but only because I thought they were both decent people and couldn't root against either of them. I liked Petrozza better. After 4 seasons, the show can only grow by making the contestants more outrageous, which they seem to have taken to heart this year. I think that's the only place they can go - clearly, they lose if they try to make a "real" cooking show, because Top Chef would kick their ass. And of course, Ramsay wouldn't have as much face time. Hard to see how they top Matty after this. The facial expressions are beyond belief. It's like he's got someone else controlling his face.

[rkmsuf]

Part of it is that I don't believe for a second that Ramsey believes in or intends either one of them to run his restaurant.

The most fascinating part of this would be a show about them trying to be executive chef for a year.

[Ksyrup]

I think the chick who won in season 2 was essentially "demoted" from executive chef while still retaining the title (and the money, of course). I think the prize is basically, you got $250K and a chance to work for a year in one of Ramsay's restaurants. Depending on how good you are, you might get more or less responsibility than other winners.

So far, none of them have stayed. Rock is in PR and Heather, the one I mentioned above, was named "senior chef," and Rock was "head chef." Is there a difference between those titles and executive chef?


Season 1: 2005



<DL><DD>The first season premiered on May 30 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_30), 2005 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005) and concluded on August 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_1), 2005 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005). The winner was Michael Wray; he accepted an offer to work with Ramsay in London, but later chose not to go. Wray was formerly the head chef at Tatou in Los Angeles.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-0>[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell's_Kitchen_(TV_series)#cite_note-0)</SUP></DD></DL>
Season 2: 2006

The second season premiered on June 12 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_12), 2006 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006) and concluded on August 14 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_14), 2006 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006). Beginning this season, the teams were divided by gender. The winner was Heather West (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_West); she was named senior chef of Terra Rossa at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Resort_Spa_and_Casino). Her contract has currently expired and she is now a chef at the Broadway Grill in Seattle, Washington.

Season 3: 2007

The third season premiered on June 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_4), 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007) and concluded on August 13 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_13), 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007). The winner of this season was Rahman "Rock" Harper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahman_%22Rock%22_Harper); he was named head chef of Green Valley Ranch's Terra Verde. Currently, he is no longer a day-to-day chef with the restaurant, and is instead handling public relations for Terra Verde and the Green Valley Ranch Resort.

[Ajaxab]

Is an executive chef position really about being a chef? If an executive chef is the person at the pass, it seems that they need to be more of an organizer and quality control person than a chef creating new things for people to eat. Petrozza, being the "dirty pig" that he is, just isn't that organizer. He might be able to come up with 'Hen in a Pumpkin', but attention to detail is not his forte.

So what really is Ramsey looking for? Does he want a kitchen manager/executive chef or does he want a creative chef more in the spirit of Top Chef? It seems like he wants the kitchen manager, but the challenges suggest he wants someone creative. I guess organization challenges just don't make for good tv.

[Arles]

You can't have great chefs on Hell's Kitchen. They first 6-7 episodes have to involve colossal failures at the dinner service. Ramsey wants people to "think" these chefs are getting better each week because of his guidance. IMO, they seriously sabotage in the first 4-5 episodes by doing things like rejecting food with no/few issues, giving spoiled materials, not giving enough materials and trying to rattle them by yelling when nothing is really wrong. Then, Ramsey will let more and more go by the end of the show (even if the quality isn't any better than in episode 1). It makes good TV at times, but it wouldn't work on a seasoned chef. They would come right in and be able to cook beef wellington and monk fish like a pro on day 1.

As to the choice of Christine, it makes complete sense. She was branded as inexperienced and had all kinds of leadership issues all the way until the last episode. Ramsey's thought process is that if she does develop into a great chef, he can get all the credit. If she flames out like Rock or Heather, no biggie as it will be old news by then and another season will have a new person. There was no upside with Petrozza. If he does well, that's because he showed himself as a good leader and solid cook on the show. If he struggles, then it makes Ramsey look like he made the wrong choice because he had limited upside.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I totally get that when he tastes something, it's entirely up to him as to how he reacts. The show is so canned that I have to put that out of my mind, or I can't enjoy it. Just like when he did the vomit thing with Matty in the first episode, I've seen that exact same "act" at least a dozen times on the US and UK Kitchen Nightmares shows.

[GrantDawg]

Yeah, I totally get that when he tastes something, it's entirely up to him as to how he reacts. The show is so canned that I have to put that out of my mind, or I can't enjoy it. Just like when he did the vomit thing with Matty in the first episode, I've seen that exact same "act" at least a dozen times on the US and UK Kitchen Nightmares shows.


No joke. The man has no power over his gag reflex.

[thesloppy]

At this point, what percentage of Hell's Kitchen 'customers' do you think are some flavor of actor/extra?

I'm leaning towards 2000%

[Ksyrup]

At this point, what percentage of Hell's Kitchen 'customers' do you think are some flavor of actor/extra?

I'm leaning towards 2000%

This question came up before, and I'm not sure we definitively answered it. I'm curious too - are these all actors (I know some, if not all, are), are at least some "real" customers, but just from a tightly-controlled group of people (similar to how American Idol stocked the "mosh pit" with local sororities)? I have no idea.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Several weeks ago, word got out that the winner of this season was not going to be "executive chef" at Ramsay's new restaurant. They decided to give the winner the title of "senior sous chef" or something along those lines. Of course, they had already taped the episodes, so we continued to hear Ramsay say "executive chef" on the show, but that turns out to not be the case. I wonder if the title change was made because Christina was the winner. I guess it would be a little weird for a (presumably) world-class restaurant to have a culinary school student be the executive chef.

I really thought Petrozza was going to win. He seemed to be a really great guy (yes, I know they could have just edited the program to present him that way), and he had seemed to be the most respected contestant. I nearly choked when I heard Ramsay say that he chose Christina because he had to think long-term for the restaurant. That's fine, but none of the previous winners even lasted a year at his restaurants. Who cares about long-term if your winner will probably be gone by next summer?

I have no complaints about Christina, though. Honestly, I thought she got more and more adorable as the season went on. I want my own Christina for my birthday this year.

[DaddyTorgo]

Honestly, I thought she got more and more adorable as the season went on. I want my own Christina for my birthday this year.

QFT

[Izulde]

I would've preferred Petrozza to win, but I can see why he chose Christina, simply because of the rapid acceleration she made from the beginning of the season to the end (Yes, call it edited to look that way, whatever. I'm just treating it based on the presentation).

[MizzouRah]

I figured it would be Christina.. she's younger and Chef Ramsey can mold her... but I'm not so sure he does much with his restaurants anymore as I assume he makes more cash doing these shows.

I'm sure he has his own entourage of executive chefs that open his restaurants for him and Christina will probably be one of the sous chefs to prove herself.

[Terps]

I wanted Petrozza to win. Christina isn't vocal enough to be a head chef.

[Ksyrup]

Which is OK, because apparently she won't be!

[GrantDawg]

I nearly choked when I heard Ramsay say that he chose Christina because he had to think long-term for the restaurant. That's fine, but none of the previous winners even lasted a year at his restaurants. Who cares about long-term if your winner will probably be gone by next summer?

Actually, this is the first time the winner is working at one of his restaurants. The two in Vegas were not his. I think he made the change to a) to get ppub for his new venture and b) hope to have a winner that might actually stay more than one year at the winning job.

[gstelmack]

http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=89242

No, I have nothing to do with this.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Actually, this is the first time the winner is working at one of his restaurants. The two in Vegas were not his. I think he made the change to a) to get ppub for his new venture and b) hope to have a winner that might actually stay more than one year at the winning job.
Whoops. Nice catch.

I mean, uh, I screwed that up on purpose because I really wanted a GrantDawg sighting around here. Yeah, that's the ticket.

http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=89242

No, I have nothing to do with this.
If this is the same as the PC game that just came out, don't bother. I downloaded a 1-hour trial from bigfishgames.com, and it's basically a "Diner Dash" clone. There are dozens of other games exactly like it out there. The only difference is that this one has Gordon Ramsay's voice, although it appears that he only had to record about 10 lines of speech for the thing.

[Galaxy]

Anyone watching Kitchen Nightmares?

I like the one that is on now. Gordon says to a group of waiting customers, "Sorry about the old bag." (referring to an 50-some old Italian woman who complain that food was terrible, but nothing was wrong with it).

[DaddyTorgo]

love kitchen nightmares!!!

[Galaxy]

Looks like Ramsay is getting a ton of press for several alleged affairs.

Of course, I think don't think they are legit.