May 14, 2008
According to Chef Gordon Ramsay, the rivalry between Matt and Ben is the sort of thing that legends are made of. The two Hell's Kitchen contestants repeatedly butted heads during the competition, and as the show went on it became a race to see which of them would be sent packing first. Though things were looking rather dire for Matt in last week's episode, he actually stepped up his game last night, presenting Ramsay with a risotto that was one of the best he had tasted. Ben, however, didn't fare so well. Ramsay finally sent the chef home after he struggled on the meat station all evening, leaving Matt to smirk with delight.
Today we had a chance to sit down with Ben to discuss the rivalry with his fellow chef, what it was like to work with Ramsay, and who deserves to win the competition. Read on for the mp3 and complete transcript of the interview.
May 14, 2008
This week on Hell's Kitchen, the mini-alliance of Ben and Bobby was broken up as Ben was sent home for being unable to get it together. I had had early hopes for Ben due to the fact that he didn't seem to be a total idiot (which is saying a lot sometimes on Hell's Kitchen) and because he was pretty, but the pretty ones always disappoint, do they not?
The diners sure were disappointed during service as after some success over recent episodes the kitchens were once again forced to shut down after Ramsay had had enough. So which chefs still managed to succeed despite the night's challenges?
May 13, 2008
During last week's sparklicious episode of Hell's Kitchen, the chefs whipped up a variety of entrées for a Sweet 16 party. The dinner service was successful, but Matt, Rosann, and Shayna were considered the weakest links. Despite the fact that Matt and Rosann had been bumbling around and screwing things up for weeks, Chef Gordon Ramsay decided to send Shayna home for being too slow. To shake things up a bit, he also forced Matt to join the women's team, where he'll either stand out or fail miserably.
Tonight, Ramsay blindfolds the contestants and conducts a taste test challenge, while the ladies adjust to Matt's presence in the kitchen.
May 12, 2008
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Last week on Hell's Kitchen 4, Gordon Ramsay opted to send home Shayna for her slower-poke pace rather than Rosann (who had trouble on the meat station) or Matt (who couldn't get no respect).
While this was a little bit unexpected since Shayna – other than being slow – had seemed pretty competent and level-headed, it does make a kind of sense, both for Ramsay and in the reality show world.
For one thing, Ramsay has never hesitated to throw off the person he really wants off (or at least knows is never going to win), whether or not it's the most obvious failure of that particular episode. And, while this is sometimes frustrating when the viewers were expecting something else, not meeting expectations is necessary for a reality show to actually build suspense.
May 10, 2008
Last week's Hell's Kitchen 4 episode had the chefs taking on a Top Chef-style task where the chef's were allowed to get creative with a pizza. This week, the tables were turned as the Top Chef 4 cheftestants had the Mise en Place Relay Race. Rather than creative concepts, this challenge gave us the chance to see how well one of those chefs would do in some of the Hell's Kitchen type of competitions.
Of course, Tom Colicchio standing over you with a whistle is nowhere near as nerve-rattling as Gordom Ramsay standing over you with a quiver full of rage. That said, I think some of the Top Chef chefs showed that – as some have wondered – they might actually have the potential to do well in the more rough-and-tumble world of Hell's Kitchen.
May 7, 2008
Last night's episode of Hell's Kitchen featured an elimination that I never saw coming. Despite the fact that Rosann and Matt failed miserably during the dinner service, Chef Gordon Ramsay decided that Shayna should go home. He felt that the caterer's heart simply wasn't in the competition, and he was also concerned with how slowly she moved in the kitchen. These things hardly seemed worthy of elimination, but on Hell's Kitchen, Ramsay is the boss.
Today we had the opportunity to sit down with Shayna to discuss her future plans, Matt's chances on the women's team, and why some of her competitors may regret their nasty on-air attitudes.
May 7, 2008
Memo to Hell’s Kitchen producers: if you’re going to use a wildly over-the-top stereotype of a gay man for something like your party planner, at least put him in a suit that said stereotypical gay man would actually wear. I guess I shouldn’t expect more from this show. Sometimes it’s like Hell’s Kitchen was shot in 1954; women are called “girls” and the idea of them in the workplace is shocking! What’s next? Ladies wearing pants?
Anyway, this week’s episode featured a Sweet Sixteen party, which, come to think of it, made me want to go back to 1954 for at least one thing: teaching young people to stand up straight. The birthday girl was pretty but strapless dress + bad posture = bad idea.
Somehow, though, she and her fellow guests seemed pleased enough by what the Hell’s Kitchen chefs produced and both teams ended the night with success. Of course, though, there were some low points and so we’ll take a look at the best (Dine) and worst (Dash) performances of the evening.
May 6, 2008
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Last week on Hell's Kitchen, both teams shocked the world by actually completing a successful dinner service. Yet instead of leading to tearful hugs and joyous celebration, this culinary triumph caused the chefs to turn on one another. The women's team put Christina up for elimination because she's too condescending, and the men's team nominated Louross for having a lackluster week. In the end, Chef Gordon Ramsay decided not to send either of them home. Maybe he was feeling nice, or maybe the producers needed everyone to stay after Vanessa quit the competition due to her hand injury.
Tonight, the 10 remaining contestants whip up tasty delights for a Sweet 16 party. I hope that the girl being honored takes a cue from South Park and demands someone bake her an Acura cake.