Hell's Kitchen U.S. Season 2

[tan319]

too much like the first season , just different players.

Heather was good though, really good.

The pizza dude is too.

Don't know if I'll be tuning in much for this though.

All of his UK shows are much better.

[hungryCAT]

Wow. What a bunch of losers this season. The only one I see going all the way is

Heather. She's the only one who seems to have her head on straight. Giacomo

might last a while, too. Although, like someone said earlier, what do you expect

having no restaurant experience, then being thrown into the fire, so to speak.

It was amusing at the start of the show how everyone was so cocky and sure of

themselves, then . . . ! Too funny.

[cocoagirl]

I did not watch last year. Who are the people that eat in this restuarant? Hungry actors? What benefit do they receive- the one guy who wanted pumpkin- just was a jackass. It seemed so fake.

I liked so many parts of Top Chef better. At least there was a little character developemt.

Ramsey- no nuances- but maybe that is the point.

[tryska]

i too am disappointed with this years "talent".

it seemed liek last year they did have a few sous chefs and culinary students.

this year they are all craptastic. Heather and Giacomo were the ONLY ones who could put out somewhat decent food, to begin with.

Top Chef had a better average.

Who the hell did the casting?

[Jean Blanchard]

I'm afraid I look at this like most "reality" shows. Not much reality going on. Ramsey is being super mean for the camera effect and the guy that needed more pumpkin just wanted his 15 minutes. I looked at it as theatre so that I could actually enjoy some of it.

Edited June 13, 2006 by Jean Blanchard (log)

[Pam R]

I'm not disappointed. I don't really expect much out of the contestants on this show. This isn't Cooking Under Fire.

I like it because it's so ridiculous.

"I'd like more pumpkin"

"Get security!!"

If I was watching it to learn something, or because I thought that this show had some value to it, I'd stop watching. I watch it because I get a kick out of it.

[jesteinf]

This show is as much about cooking as "The Apprentice" is about running a business. I just look at it as pure entertainment, nothing more.

If I remember correctly, at least in terms of background, the group this year actually has WAY more related experience than last year's group. I think last year's final two were the only contestants who had any culinary experience whatsoever.

[Joisey]

I went on the show's website and read that Sweaty Tom is actually a French Culinary Institute graduate. Either he should get his money back or that school needs to look at its admission standards.

[Jean Blanchard]

I went on the show's website and read that Sweaty Tom is actually a French Culinary Institute graduate.  Either he should get his money back or that school needs to look at its admission standards.

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Whoa! That's scary!

jb

[SiseFromm]

Last night's premier of Hell's Kitchen was the same as it ever was. It's impossible to expect a bunch of total rookies (a marketing exec., a prison chef, or a 'caterer'?) to run a restaurant with a brand new menu. The entire show concept, by comparison to Top Chef, just falls apart. I'm surprised they didn't do anything different. The stupid LA actor patrons are back, the plate tossing is back, the gratuitous humiliation is back, and the predictability of the finalists is back. The contestants they chose look like they were poured into those chef's coats. Oh well, I'll still watch it. I'll still armchair-quarterback, and I'll still enjoy it. But Top Chef Season 2, where are you?

[johnsmith45678]

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

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Nope, see here.

As for the show, yep, Heather's probably the strongest candidate. She seems to know what it takes to work in a kitchen. Except she's too much of a cry baby. She grabbed a hot pan for an instant and had to go to the hospital? Jeez, I've been burned worse and never had to go to the hospital, kept on working, and don't have any resulting scars.

It's really hard to imagine how people can't get a single appetizer out in less than an hour and a half.

And Larry getting in the hot tub to hit on the ladies...ha ha!

[Eilen]

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

Just to clarify, he actually made that statement in response to a (highly scientific, I'm sure) survey done on a television program in which 75% of the women who participated claimed they couldn't cook. Of course, someone (Ramsay's PR people?) spun it in true sensationalist fashion.

As far as the show, well, it's already been pointed out that this is Fox. I'll add it to my short list of guilty TV pleasures since it's on Mondays when we allow ourselves to eat in front of the box, not each other.

[aunteejoy]

anyone notice that Virginia looks alot like Candace from Top Chef?

[zilla369]

I guess it can't hurt to tell now - I made it through three rounds of interviews for this season of Hell's Kitchen. Why they discarded me in the end, I'm not sure (they sure didn't tell me).

I had thought it was because I had to truthfully answer that I had once been arrested (long story, missed traffic court because of my mom's funeral, picked up on a bench warrant sweep). At least I know now that that wasn't the reason (in light of Mr. Bad Check Prison Chef).

I'm starting to think that they discarded me because - even if I had been totally BY MYSELF in one of those kitchens last night - I would certainly have served somebody an entree before 3 hours had passed.

[misstenacity]

I guess it can't hurt to tell now - I made it through three rounds of interviews for this season of Hell's Kitchen.  Why they discarded me in the end, I'm not sure (they sure didn't tell me).

I had thought it was because I had to truthfully answer that I had once been arrested (long story, missed traffic court because of my mom's funeral, picked up on a bench warrant sweep).  At least I know now that that wasn't the reason (in light of Mr. Bad Check Prison Chef).

I'm starting to think that they discarded me because - even if I had been totally BY MYSELF in one of those kitchens last night - I would certainly have served somebody an entree before 3 hours had passed.

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Yeah, that prison cook guy..... what do they serve in prison, chicken a la king and spaghetti 7 nights a week? Just not sure that would be a good preparation for a Ramsay-level restaurant.

Congrats on making it that far, in any case....

Andrea

in Albuquerque

[ryangary]

So the first season winner chose to work with Ramsay over winning his own restaurant then did neither, whatever.

[SheenaGreena]

isn't the first season winner supposed to compete on Iron chef america? I would much rather see him than the runner up.

[Fai Jackson]

I really disliked this version. No one can cook and GR is just going through the same old act. When he takes the women out for dinner he is Mr. Charm. I'll still watch--train wreck thing.

Edited for redundancy

Edited June 14, 2006 by Fai Jackson (log)

[NYC Mike]

So the first season winner chose to work with Ramsay over winning his own restaurant then did neither, whatever.

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My thoughts exactly. "Ahoy Matey" he says, what an idiot.

[Nancy HM]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence? I don't.

My 13 year old son and I watch this together for the sheer horror of it. I have to admit, sometimes I want to clap my hands over his eyes.

[Holly Moore]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence?  I don't.

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Most every military drill instructor up unitl the new Army.

What Ramsay's doing is akin to the first third of old military basic training, back when there was a draft. Taking a group with all sorts of diversity and skill levels and breaking them so that he can rebuild them in his image. Yelling, sleep dep, manhandling. All part of the breaking down and weeding out process. Not that it's necessary. But that's the best comparison I've come up with.

[Pam R]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence?  I don't.

My 13 year old son and I watch this together for the sheer horror of it.  I have to admit, sometimes I want to clap my hands over his eyes.

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Umm.. I find that when it's the 'busy season' at work, my swearing goes up considerably. Stress and pressure has a direct effect on my swearing - and the kitchen offers lots of stress and pressure. I wouldn't say every sentence...

[johnsmith45678]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence?  I don't.

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Most every military drill instructor up unitl the new Army.

What Ramsay's doing is akin to the first third of old military basic training, back when there was a draft. Taking a group with all sorts of diversity and skill levels and breaking them so that he can rebuild them in his image. Yelling, sleep dep, manhandling. All part of the breaking down and weeding out process. Not that it's necessary. But that's the best comparison I've come up with.

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No doubt. Bourdain talks in Kitchen Confidential about how kitchens are usually run akin to the military. It's the most effective way when you have to get a lot of things done as fast as possible, and the stress is high. But in a recent interview, GR stated that he's only a mean SOB when things are going "pear-shaped" - if everything's running smoothly, he's fine. In my experience in kitchens, the ranting and raving occurs when bozos are screwing things up. In a well-oiled kitchen of professionals when the heat is on, talk is pretty minimal, unless they just feel like blowing off steam and talk shit (often directed at the wait staff ). Taking abuse (hazing, really) is an unwritten part of the job description in kitchens, primarily for the the rookies (it rolls off the back of the seasoned). But you're always just one screw-up away from having to wash dishes or some other humbling shit job (like being "donkey") .

Edited June 14, 2006 by johnsmith45678 (log)

[NYC Mike]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence?

Yea, my uncle Joe, ex Seal. HE is fun when the kids are around.

That bit makes me wish HK was on HBO. He is almost as bad as Ozzie was on MTV.

[Pam R]

Does FTV in the US run his shows? And do they bleep them?

I never watched Hell's Kitchen when it aired on FTV Canada - because watching it once was enough - and I don't know if they aired it un-bleeped. But Kitchen Nightmares is shown with all the swearing left in.