This week, the three remaining chefs on Hell's Kitchen fight to make it to the final two. I have the task of trying to figure out who it could be heading home, a task I must carry out with the demoralizing knowledge that I will probably be, yet again, outsmarted by the show itself.

So let's just cover all the bases and talk about why each chef might and might not make it into the final three.


Petrozza didn't exactly get the smoothest of starts on Hell's Kitchen – his Hen in Pumpkin dish didn't go over very well with Gordon Ramsay – but since then he's won Ramsay's respect. He hasn't been flawless in execution but he has put together some tasty dishes and demonstrated the kind of quality of character that can make for a good leader. This week's episode has Ramsay sabotaging service to see how the chefs handle adversity. Petrozza seems like he might have the maturity to manage this better than others.

What, then, could be his downfall? Like every single chef on Hell's Kitchen, he hasn't been able to perform consistently in the kitchen, and if Corey and Christina could pull off a strong service while he has an off night, that might be enough to send him home. Additionally, his tendency towards messiness in the kitchen has been getting on Ramsay's nerves.

Corey has also had her ups and downs, but she's been able to impress Ramsay at times too. She and Christina have also worked well together, showing she can be a team player. However, she's shown some tendency lately towards being a little more emotionally volatile when encountering roadblocks in the kitchen, and if Ramsay is specifically going to be pushing their boundaries on this episode, based on part performance, she seems likeliest to crack.

Christina, like Petrozza, seemed to win Ramsay's respect early on Hell's Kitchen, but lately she has had some struggles. Ramsay has pointed out her overall lack of experience, and he might be likely to be more critical of someone green, knowing their few years in the kitchen could be a liability. If she pulls off a flawless service, she might be able to make him forget her short culinary career, but if not, he might send her home to get more seasoning.

We'll find out which way things go on this week's episode of Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday at 9pm Eastern.

- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of Fox)