S19.E13: It's Time!

[jewel21]

The remaining cooks celebrate their success of making it to the final five. Cody and Mary Lou, who have a budding romance, decide to take their celebration to the hot tub.

Airdate: 04/01/2021

[mojoween]

What an absolute shock Amber first blamed the entire blue team for her loss.  Stunning.

Thing is, she appears to be a good chef. On her own.  Cooking with no pressure.  But she is not ready to run anything or anyone.

[xcrayon2215x]

It was time for Amber to go. I think they have the right final 4 now, I think Kori comes across as more professional though. I don't see anyone who doesn't deserve to be there but nobody that stands ahead of the others by a lot.

[Eolivet]

Did people catch the way Ramsay said "getting a little too mate-y, a little too friendly?" Neither Cody nor Mary Lou is going to win. I'm not sure the showmance is the only thing to sink them, but it certainly isn't helping. Though it's interesting Mary Lou wanted Kori with her on the reward, not Cody. And it's Kori she was hanging on after elimination, not Cody. Maybe she's just not that into him.

Amber going home was the only option.

[NJRadioGuy]

57 minutes ago, mojoween said:

What an absolute shock Amber first blamed the entire blue team for her loss.  Stunning.

Thing is, she appears to be a good chef. On her own.  Cooking with no pressure.  But she is not ready to run anything or anyone.

Amber and Nikki are running an amazing restaurant in Montclair, NJ, about 5 miles from me. Stunning food according to friends who've been there. We're planning to go in a few weeks once the show is over and the Hells Kitchen curious have stopped going. Plus Amber's résumé is impressive as hell. she's worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Article on Amber and Nikki at the MC Hotel.

There's another restaurant in Montclair that a Chopped winner opened a few years ago as well (Michael Carrino)

[tinkerbell]

declan is such a jerk.  Calling Amber a "hot mess, you're not hot, but you're a mess".   What?  He can talk about someone else's looks?  Does he own a mirror? 

[jewel21]

Amber has been annoying me for awhile now so I'm glad she's gone. 

She blames the switch over to the blue team for her downfall, but Ramsey is known for doing this in the past to other contestants. If she can't go with the flow and learn to adapt, that she has no right to run a kitchen. 

[mertensia]

I'm so glad Amber went. She annoyed me as much as everyone annoyed her.

Mary Lou's wig has got to go. It's taken over her. Every time she's onscreen I just stare at the nasty thing. 

[seacliffsal]

Amber just can't face the fact that she was not the best in this competition.  She blamed being sent to the Blue Team for her problems, but I really recall that Red Team members didn't like her while she was on that team.  She also thought Cody and Declan were aligned against her when, in reality, she kept making mistakes.  Amber always seemed surprised when Gordon didn't pick her for the best in every single competition.  Even in this episode she blamed too many people working in her station and not supporting her when SHE asked them to come and help her.  Then she complained that one can't win when their team doesn't support them.  WHAT??????

Kori is a secret snake.  She egged on Amber and her paranoia, but always in private.  She also made negative comments in her "I just don't know, but..." manner during the lunch.  

Cody must have cut his hand at one point (I don't recall if it was shown) as he is being very careful with it.  Kudos for him for still cooking on point even with an injury.  Maybe Amber tried to stab him in the back while he slept and he fended it off...

[HurricaneVal]

I think the right decision was made last night, and I also think that Gordon clearly knows who he will take in the end, and is manipulating the competition to get there.  In other news: water is wet.

But that scene in the hot tub?  Ew, ew, ew.....yuck.  I'm sure Cody thinks of Amber as a big cockblocker, but see Amber as a big damn hero for saving my eyes, my eyes, my eyes....

[Chicago Redshirt]

15 hours ago, Eolivet said:

 Neither Cody nor Mary Lou is going to win. I'm not sure the showmance is the only thing to sink them, but it certainly isn't helping.

It might be wishful thinking, but I'm actually of the mindset that Mary Lou is the most likely to win. She gets the most/best talking heads, she's attractive, and she has generally done well in challenges and in regular services. The show blurs together, of course, but I can't remember any times when she was put up or when she screwed up. Cody and Declan have been I think both put up a few times. Kori hasn't but she hasn't really been given a narrative arc and seems boring AF. 

Forgot that this season has apparently aired and that the winner is known. My comments were made out of pure speculation. 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

It was time for Amber to go. She's one of those people who takes credit for every win, and blames those around her for every loss.

[Eolivet]

4 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It might be wishful thinking, but I'm actually of the mindset that Mary Lou is the most likely to win.

You could be right. Cody's arc has shifted entirely to "get into Mary Lou's pants," while Mary Lou seems to have a pretty balanced one (and pointedly did not choose Cody for the reward). Is this (Blue) Jay and Holli Redux? Are we going to see Cody as Ramsay's sous chef on Hell's Kitchen 27?

[NJRadioGuy]

As much of a jerk as Declan can be, he has the ability to run a professional kitchen, and has the arrogance that's often needed to be head chef, along with the cooking talent and creativity. Whether he wins this contest or not, he's got a strong career waiting for him. I don't know whether he'd be good owning/running a restaurant, but he seems like he'd be at home running a brigade, and that's what Gordo's looking for.

Mary Lou is phenomenally talented in ways that are exactly the opposite of Declan. She leads with her culinary skill and from what we've seen on TV, her palate. I could see her owning and running a fine-dining restaurant, but maybe not running the back of house.

Edited April 2, 2021 by NJRadioGuy

[EllaWycliffe]

1 hour ago, NJRadioGuy said:

As much of a jerk as Declan can be, he has the ability to run a professional kitchen, and has the arrogance that's often needed to be head chef, along with the cooking talent and creativity. Whether he wins this contest or not, he's got a strong career waiting for him. I don't know whether he'd be good owning/running a restaurant, but he seems like he'd be at home running a brigade, and that's what Gordo's looking for.

I think he's too unpleasant to win. I agree he's a good chef but would you want to work for him? Point- I know the show encourages it but his attitude towards Amber bespoke issues with women.

 

1 hour ago, NJRadioGuy said:

Mary Lou is phenomenally talented in ways that are exactly the opposite of Declan. She leads with her culinary skill and from what we've seen on TV, her palate. I could see her owning and running a fine-dining restaurant, but maybe not running the back of house.

She's cute but probably too young. Honestly I have Kori pegged as the winner. She reminds me of Christine and love or hate Christine, she's the rare one who actually has kept a job with Gordan.

[mlp]

2 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Honestly I have Kori pegged as the winner.

I do too.  She's been so low key that I've barely noticed her which is probably a good thing because that means she hasn't been a problem.  I'd prefer Declan myself but Gordon never picks people who are that overweight and I think he prefers someone younger who isn't set in their ways.  Cory is cute but he seems a little immature.  Mary Lou seems to be a good cook but she looks cheap with that awful wig.  I doubt Gordon wants that image in his restaurant.

I was soooooooooooooo relieved when Amber left.  I was holding my breath after Gordon said "Amber" because I was afraid his next words were going to be "Back in line."  Based upon her resumé, she must be a good cook but she doesn't get along with anyone, male or female, and she doesn't take responsibility for anything.  I keep wondering if she's been watching the show and if she's learned anything from seeing how she comes across.  From what we've seen of her, I imagine she's blaming everything that appears negative on editing.

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Honestly I have Kori pegged as the winner. 

I said that last week.  She is like the "dark horse" of this race.  She hasn't had that many talking heads and unlike the others, she has never been shown in a bad light or saying anything negative about anyone.

[dosodog]

On 4/1/2021 at 7:13 PM, NJRadioGuy said:

Amber and Nikki are running an amazing restaurant in Montclair, NJ, about 5 miles from me. Stunning food according to friends who've been there. We're planning to go in a few weeks once the show is over and the Hells Kitchen curious have stopped going. Plus Amber's résumé is impressive as hell. she's worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Article on Amber and Nikki at the MC Hotel.

There's another restaurant in Montclair that a Chopped winner opened a few years ago as well (Michael Carrino)

A couple of weeks ago, I caught a Guys Grocery Games rerun and Amber was on.  It was a rematch (she won the first time) and she won the rematch.  All she made was roasted vegetables and she beat the other person, so I figure she must actually be a good chef.

But!  She had a chip on her shoulder the entire time about male chefs.

I think she's a good chef, but a miserable person.

Edited April 3, 2021 by dosodog

[seacliffsal]

I think when running a kitchen Amber probably is the best chef there.  It was being in a group of other good chefs that I think threw her off.  She continually insisted that she was the best there when she wasn't.

[AZChristian]

27 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I think when running a kitchen Amber probably is the best chef there.  It was being in a group of other good chefs that I think threw her off.  She continually insisted that she was the best there when she wasn't.

She might not have come off as being so obnoxious if she had recognized that some of the other chefs were AS GOOD as she thought she was (and treated them with the same respect to which she thought she was entitled)  . . . but she put herself up on a pedestal that had a VERY shaky bottom.

[Chyromaniac]

I was today old when I found out that Michael Buffer has a brother that does the same job as him.

[candall]

Paused the show to remark:

 

Even though I've always liked Declan, "She's not hot, but she is a mess" was a shitty thing to say.

[NJRadioGuy]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:05 PM, EllaWycliffe said:

I think he's too unpleasant to win. I agree he's a good chef but would you want to work for him? Point- I know the show encourages it but his attitude towards Amber bespoke issues with women.

I would imagine that people stay, and even thrive in those kitchens because the chef is a force majeure and his talent--and name--will propel their own careers. Declan is probably a holy terror to work for but if he's as good as we've seen him thus far he'll have people lining up to work for him wherever he lands, celebrity or not, asshole or not.

At one of my big annual parties in the BeforeTimes™ one of my guests was (still is, I think) a chef at a local fine dining restaurant, and I asked him about the toxic environment in commercial kitchens vs what's shown on TV. According to this guy who's been cooking professionally for over 30 years, the stuff that happens in virtually every kitchen couldn't be shown on TV and isn't talked about much anywhere outside of the line. In his words, the Chef is God/Emperor/Pope and utterly infallible. Forget that at your peril.

The sous is one (*tiny*) step down. If you aren't one of those two you better do exactly as you're told or prepare for a world of abuse, both verbal and in a few cases physical. A literal kick in the ass or smack on the back of the head is your warning (next one is a pink slip). And misogynistic/sexist behaviour isn't uncommon either in places he worked at. He himself admits to being a Grade A Prick behind the line when it all goes pear-shaped. Basically the chef knows everybody's hot-buttons and pushes them as needed. 

Quote

She's cute but probably too young. Honestly I have Kori pegged as the winner. She reminds me of Christine and love or hate Christine, she's the rare one who actually has kept a job with Gordan.

Agreed 100%, but the show hasn't gotten into her creative side and that's my only question mark. It will be her and Declan at the doors, I think, unless one of them unravels completely. Mary Lou has a hell of a career ahead of her, but I think it will be more as owner/partner/chef-de-cuisine. I think in the real world, line cooks would eat her for lunch.

[EllaWycliffe]

37 minutes ago, NJRadioGuy said:

would imagine that people stay, and even thrive in those kitchens because the chef is a force majeure and his talent--and name--will propel their own careers. Declan is probably a holy terror to work for but if he's as good as we've seen him thus far he'll have people lining up to work for him wherever he lands, celebrity or not, asshole or not.

I don't think he's good enough to get away with being a complete asshole but still attracting the best talent. I also don't see him as significantly better than the other candidates. He does good dishes, I agree, but he also gets easily fuddled with directions. And he was previously an exec chef in DC - a good job, but he's not a rising talent with a following, he's what, close to Gordan's age. He's not standing head and shoulders above the others to me.

I know real restaurants view the chef as god, I think part of Declan's problem is that he's not flexible enough to see that part of what they're looking for here is a good personality. If you want to be a TV chef, doing demos on the morning shows, you can't be a misogynistic ass in public.

56 minutes ago, NJRadioGuy said:

Agreed 100%, but the show hasn't gotten into her creative side and that's my only question mark. It will be her and Declan at the doors, I think, unless one of them unravels completely. Mary Lou has a hell of a career ahead of her, but I think it will be more as owner/partner/chef-de-cuisine. I think in the real world, line cooks would eat her for lunch.

Agree. Especially on Mary Lou, who I think has talent but who really needs some experience. She's doing really well in the competition now, with a little more maturity I think she'd be the obvious choice.

[iwantcookies]

On 4/1/2021 at 11:01 PM, tinkerbell said:

declan is such a jerk.  Calling Amber a "hot mess, you're not hot, but you're a mess".   What?  He can talk about someone else's looks?  Does he own a mirror? 

Yeah he was ranking the contestants based on looks at the beginning. Last night he was oggling a 10/10 girl. Big Dork can’t get a girlfriend that attractive. He is obese yet dismissing overweight girls like Amber. Amber wouldn’t date him either lol.

 

[iwantcookies]

Mary mentions having a boyfriend...

Finally big ego Amber is gone.