Hell's Kitchen U.S. Season 2

[hungryCAT]

Well, I've been waiting for this. Season 2 starts tonight.

Should be quite a hoot, if last season was any indication

[Tweety69bird]

I'm totally looking forward to it!!!!

[tryska]

hee - everytime i see the commercial where Gordon says "i'm working with muppets!" i think of my job....

[Holly Moore]

Want to start a pool on how many cooks Ramsay has in tears by the end of tonight's 2 hour episode?

My first exposure to Ramsay was last year's Hell's Kitchen. I thought very little of him as a person - a bully who could only motivate through fear.

Of late I've been watching the latest BBC America episodes of Kitchen Nightmare (Wed 9PM ET). There's a whole different Ramsay there - one I like a lot. I get a feeling the real Ramsay comes through more here than on Hell's Kitchen.

I'll be watching Hell's Kitchen mostly to see if any of the apprentices has the balls to throw a plate of food back at Ramsay. Too bad the Irish lout eliminated from Top Chef didn't make it onto Hell's Kitchen. That would have been a show worth watching, though Ramsay would have ended up on top.

[BigboyDan]

Should be fun.

Edited June 12, 2006 by BigboyDan (log)

[hungryCAT]

I'll be watching Hell's Kitchen mostly to see if any of the apprentices has the balls to throw a plate of food back at Ramsay.  Too bad the Irish lout eliminated from Top Chef didn't make it onto Hell's Kitchen.  That would have been a show woth watching, though Ramsay would have ended up on top.

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Yes, that would be quite a showdown.

[tryska]

Want to start a pool on how many cooks Ramsay has in tears by the end of tonight's 2 hour episodes?

My first exposure to Ramsay was last year's Hell's Kitchen.  I thought very little of him as a person - a bully who could only motivate through fear.

Of late I've been watching the latest BBC America episodes of Kitchen Nightmare (Wed 9PM ET).  There's a whole different Ramsay there - one I like a lot.  I get a feeling the real Ramsay comes through more here than on Hell's Kitchen.

I'll be watching Hell's Kitchen mostly to see if any of the apprentices has the balls to throw a plate of food back at Ramsay.  Too bad the Irish lout eliminated from Top Chef didn't make it onto Hell's Kitchen.  That would have been a show woth watching, though Ramsay would have ended up on top.

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I thought Gordon showed his humanity in the last season of Hell's Kitchen - but it was primarily with the Latin housewife lady. When he had to stop her from crying i think was the first time i saw him being tender.

i too wish the Irish guy would come into Gordon's kitchen. that would be interesting.

Edited June 12, 2006 by tryska (log)

[tan319]

ready for this!!

[rlibkind]

I'll be watching Hell's Kitchen mostly to see if any of the apprentices has the balls to throw a plate of food back at Ramsay.  Too bad the Irish lout eliminated from Top Chef didn't make it onto Hell's Kitchen.  That would have been a show woth watching, though Ramsay would have ended up on top.

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Too bad the original UK version of Hell's Kitchen hasn't been shown here. One of the contestants was Edwinna Curry, a former Tory MP to whom the following remark was directed on the floor of the House during debate over a salmonella crisis by Sir Nicholas Fairbairn, a fellow Conservative, when Curry was Health Minister:

Does the Honorable Lady remember that she was an egg herself once: and very many members of all sides of this House regret that it was ever fertilised.

[tryska]

man i wish the US had a parliament.

[johnsmith45678]

Looks like almost all of the contestants work in the food industry, so they should be somewhat more clueful than many of last year's.

Yep - Kitchen Nightmares is GR at his best. OTOH, Boiling Point - and Beyond Boiling Point - is GR at his absolute meanest, cruelest, and most unlikeable. GR is like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde - and he's almost always Mr. Hyde in his own kitchens.

[Pam R]

I have recently re-discovered Kitchen Nightmares on FTVC. I enjoy watching it - and Ramsey seems to only have the restaurants' best interest at heart.

Hell's Kitchen I also enjoy - but for completely different reasons. It is so far fetched and nasty.. I love it.

Looking forward to the new season.

[cowpati]

I watched some of last season and decided to catch the first show tonight. The chef is just a little too over the top. I can imagine that anyone would deal with his attitude for long. (But, they are there to win, I guess.)

The guy that sweats...is he going to have a stroke or what? He needs to put a wet rag in the freezer for a while and tie it around his neck. ewww...

[handmc]

Is this the best they can come up with? Yikes.

Lots of pointless yelling, pointless because it seems like it is not getting through. I have seen farm animals more responsive.

Heather was pretty sharp keeping her head after burning her hand. She is the kind of contestants that would make this show a lot more interesting.

[Graphix]

so...who else thought this whole thing was alittle rediculous, my dad(whos a 5 star chef) and i were sitting watching, and we couldnt stop saying how it was too rediculous.

who can expect to take cafeteria chefs, fishmongers, stock brokers, and whoever else they had and expect to open a world class restaurant in 24 hours without ever teaching them anything.

why not take professional sous chefs and culinary students, i think it would be just as entertaining without the "wow this is a bit stupid" factor.

luckily the show still made me laugh and i loved when Ramsey actually seemed to breakdown from just angry to almost depressed and sad when they had gone almost 3 hours without servering entrees.

does anyone think that any of these people will really be ready to run a multi-million dollar restaurant at the end of this?

i also love the decor of the restaurant and the fire sign outside. the fire exit doors when chefs were kicked off were great too.

B

[misstenacity]

I love the smackdown given by Ramsay picking his own person to eliminate.

And Heather is just so damned GOOD.... I'm biting my nails wondering when/if she'll have a meltdown. But how could you not be rooting for her at this point? She's so focused, talented, and collected it's practically shameful.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[KatieLoeb]

does anyone think that any of these people will really be ready to run a multi-million dollar restaurant at the end of this?

In a word - NO!!!

I wonder if it's written into the winner's contract that they can still be fired when it's revealed that they suck at kitchen management, haven't a clue about food and labor cost control and have no leadership skills because they've never had to work or play with others, in any industry.

At least on Top Chef most of the contestants had a clue because they were at least peripherally in the industry. This is just cruel and unusual.

Why don't we have a new reality show where we take a housewife, a cab driver, a stock broker, an attorney, an assembly line worker, a radio producer, a public relations executive, a waitress, an actuary, a short order cook, a bartender and a journalist and see if we can train them to do brain surgery in a few weeks time. We can get a real pompous ass of a surgeon who really does think he's God to verbally beat them into submission. They can start with simple biology class type dissections and work their way up to more complex neurosurgery. Final challenge is to remove a tumor on live TV.

Sounds like it would sell in Hollywood...

[iharrison]

Heather was the best of the worst but the show just plain blows.

I had to watch an episode of Kitchen Nightmares right after in order to cleanse my palate and get off, as it were.

Gotta love those pitchfork graphics though ... brilliant. Give whoever does those an Emmy.

[BryanZ]

Obviously, this is not the best they could do in terms of culinary talent, but perhaps the best in terms of reality TV. This is FOX afer all.

Still, I <3 GR. I recall him saying something about how women can't cook. Interesting...

Seriously, Heather actually impressed me. Her movements are very precise and appealing from a efficiency perspective. Stupid move on trying to grab the hot pan without the side towel, but I'm naturally gravitating toward her. Everyone else is a total disaster. Pretty much all of the food looked terrible; the Dinner thread puts that to shame.

I miss Stephen. I would love to see him try to tell GR that his dish was "flawlessly executed" and "completely innovative." Good times.

Edited June 13, 2006 by BryanZ (log)

[johnsmith45678]

The contestants on HK aren't much different than people actually working in real kitchens found in KN ;P. Just go watch the Bonapartes episode to see truly horrifying and comical incompetance.

[Daniel]

Still, I <3 GR.  I recall him saying something about how women can't cook.  Interesting...

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Julia Child,Alice Waters,Paula Wolfert, or even my Mom, would have to disagree.. GR is a prick, or a sell out.. Either way, his character cant be taken seriously.. Cooking, chess, soccer or boxing, I can watch anyone do it..

[Sugarella]

Ah, Sir Screamy McBastardson at his finest.

My first intro to Ramsey was last year's Hell's Kitchen too, then after that I did see several episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. Wow what a difference in this guy!

I won't be watching to see which "chef" (and I use that term loosely of course) wins their own restaurant, I'll be watching (again) because I admire Ramsey's unabashed perfectionism, and his demand for perfectionism in everyone around him. No, I don't think one has to be abusive to achieve it, but it's still interesting to watch, just because the guy is the way he is.

[Joisey]

You'd have to go to a Drugstore to find a bigger collection of d**chebags than the men's team on that show. Heather at least has some chops and looks like she's been there before. Personally I'm rooting for more hot tub scenes with Virginia. I think Ramsay is brilliant, though I wish the show was on HBO so we could get it uncensored. The "Apprentice" style elimination segment is beyond tiresome, but it's fun seeing the challenges and watching a kitchen in the shits.

[NYC Mike]

Personally I'm rooting for more hot tub scenes with Virginia.

hehe, you might get them since she "can't wait to get to know chef on another level". Seems Virginia has taken right to hollywood.

I think he is entertaining, in a truck driver brawl kind of way. I wonder how many of his real life former employees have taken swings at him on the way out though.

My $ is on Heather after day 1.

[Abette]

Why don't we have a new reality show where we take a housewife, a cab driver, a stock broker, an attorney, an assembly line worker, a radio producer, a public relations executive, a waitress, an actuary, a short order cook, a bartender and a journalist and see if we can train them to do brain surgery in a few weeks time. We can get a real pompous ass of a surgeon who really does think he's God to verbally beat them into submission. They can start with simple biology class type dissections and work their way up to more complex neurosurgery. Final challenge is to remove a tumor on live TV.

Someone provided an interesting comment: most people don't do brain surgery or try law cases, however, just about everyone has cooked a meal or has had a party at some point in their life.

As such, the skills needed to successfully develop and maintain a professional 'vocational' business in a commercial/industrial/agricultural/etc. setting on a large scale seems to be dismissed.

As a caterer, people say to me all the time "I love to cook"; my response is, that's a small part, very small. Do you like to clean, load, unload, inventory, manage, keep after clients to get paid, etc. and all the other stuff that goes with running a business.

Watching this show, as well as Top Chef, FN show (contest to have your your own show; FN catering wedding ( what type of cake can you make a week in advance, fly to the location (not refrigerated), assemble and have the taste/texture be palatable), Whose wedding, behind the bash, etc. I'm reminded of how tough it is to pull everything together and be consistent. I could do without all the profanity, old school, I guess.

Heather is a trouper; you only need to grab a hot handle once. Afterward, you pick up everything with a dry towel.

If this is the second season, what happened to the winner of last season's show? Do they have a restaurant?