Hell's Kitchen, U.S. Season 1

[BryanZ]

Jessica's chicken dish sounded so gross. A steam roulade with goat cheese? Somehow, that doesn't seem that apealing.

[Busboy]

I like the Stockhold Syndrome aspect of the show -- all the people booted off now leave with a big hug for GR and their former co-competitors, and a little speech about how much they learned and how much they respect everybody. And GR's even being nice, in return.

Of course, American males who grew up in the great heyday of black and white war movies on TV recognize this as the plot of every boot camp movie ever made. Nonetheless, despite my best efforts, I've become hooked to the damn show, even if there doesn't seem to be enough screaming any more. Maybe we should have a party for the 2-hour Grand Finale.

On a related note, is it me, or is the Bourdain thing not being broadcast in the DC area? (Maybe I can have my son find a bootleg on the 'net and we can pirate it.)

[Holly Moore]

The thing is, no surprise. Disappointing.

Other than the executive chef, who didn't come across as hands on and was a dead man walking from the first day in the kitchen, the two most skilled and experienced professional cooks won. Logical and expected, as professional kitchen skills aren't usually learned over a few days of taping, but a boring result.

[coquus]

Well who wins this thing, Snaky Micheal, or Hothead Ralph? Predictions? We finally see a few chinks in Micheal this week, Tuna? Nah, even in LA, Raw Fish is not going to outsell Filet. Got to like him for trying it though. Prediction, Ralph kills Dewberry for wrecking his chances for his own two million dollar restaurant, while Jeff sabotages the whole works by cooking duck in the salamander causing a massive grease fire which sucks everyone into hell where they are forced to endure Ramsey's torture over and over, while Ramsey himself is forced to eat six Chicken McNugs with Ketchup for every time he tries to take the soft way out.

[Rachel Perlow]

Each week's promo said there was to be a big surprise the following week. Standard promo stuff. The surprise this time was for the contestants not us, as they were genuinely surprised by their relative's visit -- even if we weren't.

[Mallet]

Jessica's chicken dish sounded so gross.  A steam roulade with goat cheese?  Somehow, that doesn't seem that apealing.

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I missed the episode so I can't directly comment on it, but the Hell's Kitchen website seems to be featuring a similar dish in their "Dish of the Week" section. Doesn't sound so bad...

[SKinCA]

I didn't much like Jessica (pouty and snippy - too right!), but I also find myself liking Michael and Ralph less and less each week for their nasty backbiting, boys club attitude.

I can't wait for those two to go at each other and stop pretending they are friends.

Whoo-boy and they say that women are backbiters!

As a side note, was anyone else weirded out that every single one of the contestants was a smoker? I mean, how likely is it that 12 random people would all smoke?

I'm picking Ralph to win, as I did way back in week one, but that being said, his food doesn't really ever seem that appealing to me. It's pretty tough to ruin filet mignon, but I thought Michael's plate looked much more attractive.

[BCinBC]

Well I have to give it to Fox, they have once again put me in the can't-wait-till-next-week mode (a la 24). Should I pat my own back at guessing that they would bring back all the contestants as line cooks for the two finalists to chef over, or was that too obvious? After all, how could they not bring back Dewberry? That lovable oaf... Or does that title belong to Jimmy?

Coquus: just a point that Ralph had already chosen the beef, and Michael was picking second. I thought it was daring to take the tuna, because I would have thought chicken would be more versatile and thus allow more creativity. Plus Michael was cranking out both the tunas and chickens anyway... (and the apps, and some desserts).

SKinCA: I have no scientific backup for this, but maybe cooks are more prone to smoking than other professions. I think a couple of them did not smoke, but let's say even if 10 of them did, that's 83% - which is very high if you pick a cross-section of the general population, but perhaps it's not so among cooks. Another high-smoking profession is construction workers.

Anyway, Michael is still my pick, even though this last episode he was actually a little bit nice - trying to wake up the other two instead of leaving for the kitchen without them, not giving up Jessica for sleeping instead of making bread (I'm sure Ramsay knew this already), helping Jessica with the chicken (what if he actually got kicked off if the people liked the chicken better - he cooked it fercrissake). Plus of Lola (Michael's wife) and Buffy (Ralph's fiancee), I would rather date Lola - in the theoretical sense of course. Ralph seems to be GR's pick when he needs help at the pass, but Michael has better skills I think.

[DeVeaux]

Maybe Michael will take a bath if he wins. I have never seen such a greasy looking chef. He looks like a walking health violation.

[coquus]

Yeah I tuned in a bit late, I must have missed that part as well as the whole staying up all night making bread thing they had going on. I'm with you on chosing Michael, he is a bit stronger in the taste department I think, if I am seeing the taste right, and he definately wants it. So I guess I dislike him less at the end of the day. Ralph, he's too volatile, and bossy. I couldn't see myself going to work for him.

[Siren]

The only thing appealing about Jessica was her redheaded gf... other than that, I'm very glad she's gone as she definately came off as more someone trying to stay out of the fire, rather than jumping into it.

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I started watching the show a few episodes into its run, and was curious ... was her homosexuality discussed earlier in the series? Or was it mentioned for the first time last night?

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last night was the first mention of it... but the gaydar was going crazy everytime she came on screen.

[PDC]

Next week should be hysterical -"Don't die on me now Dewberry" in the preview had me rolling.....

[BCinBC]

A further note on the smoking thing, in Making of a Chef Michael (Ruhlman not HK Michael) makes a comment about non-smokers being the exception at the CIA.

[SusieQ]

The tv listings show that GR will be on the Leno show tonight, for any who are interested.

[jhlurie]

I'm bumping this as a reminder that the 2 hour finale is airing tonight. Starting right now, in fact, on the east coast.

[Holly Moore]

1/3 into the finale and I'm guessing that unless one of the two really screws up Ramsay will pick the cook that most duplicates Gordon Ramsay's kitchen personality. In other words, the cook who gets the "best" out of his staff by most berating them. If nothing else I am the master of the obvious.

[Varmint]

1/3 into the finale and I'm guessing that unless one of the two really screws up Ramsay will pick the cook that most duplicates Gordon Ramsay's kitchen personality.  In other words, the cook who gets the "best" out of his staff by most berating them.  If nothing else I am the master of the obvious.

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And you were wrong!!

Having seen only the last 2 episodes, there was no contest who fit Ramsay's style -- that being his cooking style. That's why Michael and his tattoos won.

[Siren]

kudos to michael...

[Busboy]

I predicted that they'd find a way to choose Michael unless his team totally fucked up -- just a more likeable guy and gave the show a happier ending.

I'm trying to figure out if the "come back to England" moment was utterly pre-scripted or not. I assume that you couldn't pay Ramsey enough to drag deadwood back to his own restaurant, so maybe not. It was heartening to see Michael answer "yes;" makes me think that he may actually be a real chef, and a real good chef, some day. I think Ralph "woulda' took da restaurant and run."

[Holly Moore]

1/3 into the finale and I'm guessing that unless one of the two really screws up Ramsay will pick the cook that most duplicates Gordon Ramsay's kitchen personality.  In other words, the cook who gets the "best" out of his staff by most berating them.  If nothing else I am the master of the obvious.

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And you were wrong!!

Having seen only the last 2 episodes, there was no contest who fit Ramsay's style -- that being his cooking style. That's why Michael and his tattoos won.

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Just as in the law where one isn't innocent, rather one is simply not guilty, at worse I was not wrong, just not right.

But I might actually be right. My case goes like this. Ralph started out with Gordon Ramsay-like tendencies. Michael started out like Clark Kent and halfway through turn-out found his inner Gordon Ramsay. Which would Gordon Ramsay pick - someone who was like Ramsay already or someone who valued Gordon Ramsay so much that he tried to adapt his persona to match Ramsay's?

On another topic there were two winners tonight. Michael who won Hell's Kitchen and the production company/Fox who didn't have to shell out a few hundred thousand dollars to put Michael into a Hell's Kitchen-like restaurant. I wonder if that was ever going to really happen.

Double kudos to Michael. First for winning. Second for realizing that a few contrived days on a reality tv show did not qualify him to open a restaurant.

Edited August 2, 2005 by Holly Moore (log)

[jhlurie]

I predicted that they'd find a way to choose Michael unless his team totally fucked up -- just a more likeable guy and gave the show a happier ending.

I'm trying to figure out if the "come back to England" moment was utterly pre-scripted or not.  I assume that you couldn't pay Ramsey enough to drag deadwood back to his own restaurant, so maybe not.  It was heartening to see Michael answer "yes;" makes me think that he may actually be a real chef, and a real good chef, some day.  I think Ralph "woulda' took da restaurant and run."

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This maneuver is what is known in the Reality TV biz as a "Trump". Tuck the winner away somewhere out of sight and hope people forget about him or her. Trot them out when you need to promote the next edition of the show, but otherwise neutralize them.

Even if Michael IS really working at an important Ramsey restaurant, one must suppose he's not going to get near Ramsey personally all that often, no matter how much ass kissing he does in that kitchen. I suppose there's also a motive that they are praying he might actually become a bit closer to the "Master Class" chef they proclaimed the winner would be by the end of the show, which he probably is not.

By the way, apparently some propaganda supposedly written by Michael will be posted on the FOX Hell's Kitchen site after the show airs on the West coast. They had a notice up tonight that the winner would show up there.

Did you really see Michael as more likeable? I saw him as a huge weasel and ass kisser. I actually respect the first more than the second.

[Busboy]

I predicted that they'd find a way to choose Michael unless his team totally fucked up -- just a more likeable guy and gave the show a happier ending.

I'm trying to figure out if the "come back to England" moment was utterly pre-scripted or not.  I assume that you couldn't pay Ramsey enough to drag deadwood back to his own restaurant, so maybe not.  It was heartening to see Michael answer "yes;" makes me think that he may actually be a real chef, and a real good chef, some day.  I think Ralph "woulda' took da restaurant and run."

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This maneuver is what is known in the Reality TV biz as a "Trump". Tuck the winner away somewhere out of sight and hope people forget about him or her. Trot them out when you need to promote the next edition of the show, but otherwise neutralize them.

Even if Michael IS really working at an important Ramsey restaurant, one must suppose he's not going to get near Ramsey personally all that often, no matter how much ass kissing he does in that kitchen. I suppose there's also a motive that they are praying he might actually become a bit closer to the "Master Class" chef they proclaimed the winner would be by the end of the show, which he probably is not.

By the way, apparently some propaganda supposedly written by Michael will be posted on the FOX Hell's Kitchen site after the show airs on the West coast. They had a notice up tonight that the winner would show up there.

Did you really see Michael as more likeable? I saw him as a huge weasel and ass kisser. I actually respect the first more than the second.

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I thought is sounded a little suspicious. Whether Michael is near Ramsey or not, though, I suspect I'm sure a year in one of GR's kitchens will be good for him, and his eventual customers will eat better for Michael having done that.

And definitely more likeable -- Ralph was arrogant and bossy, and moronic motivational handbook did he get that seven steps to greatness (or whatever) chant he kept holding in front of his team? It was like a Dilbert cartoon adapted for the kitchen.

[simdelish]

I actually assumed they'd have to keep to their word and give away a restaurant as the prize. But my theory was that GR would say in the end that because it was so close, Ralph gets the restaurant, but because Micheal was also so good (and more trainable/younger), GR offers him a position at one of his restaurants as a second place.

Oh well, what do I know? jhlurie, you're right tho, about the trump card or last minute twist... that seems to be de riguer nowadays in reality tv.

[McDermitt]

New here but,

Chef Ramsey's offer to Michael may have been on the fly honesty and not staged by producers. During the tapings of Kitchen Nightmares Chef Ramsey was dissappointed in the chef of The Glass House. This did not stop him from discovering raw talent in two of the cooks in the kitchen and offer them learning positions in London. He even tried to make light of poaching cooks in his return visit.

Who knows...but I might be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[tan319]

I love that Michael won, and that he went for the Ramsey offer.

It can't hurt him, one would think.

Does anyone know if the show is going for a season 2?