Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search
Forum Reorganization

S23.E16: Hell's Finish Line

KeithJ

By KeithJ
in Hell's Kitchen

Recommended Posts

DoctorK

DoctorK

I recorded this episode but thanks everybody, I don't need to waste an hour on a complete BS result. In a real kitchen Kyle is either going to get laughed out of the kitchen or eaten alive by the line cooks. It is a harsh environment and Pillsbury Doughboy with his squeaky voice isn't going to cut it, he has no ability to project authority to working crew. Gordon may carry him as a figurehead (of something or the other) but that is all.

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Yeah No

Yeah No

2 hours ago, DoctorK said:

I recorded this episode but thanks everybody, I don't need to waste an hour on a complete BS result. In a real kitchen Kyle is either going to get laughed out of the kitchen or eaten alive by the line cooks. It is a harsh environment and Pillsbury Doughboy with his squeaky voice isn't going to cut it, he has no ability to project authority to working crew. Gordon may carry him as a figurehead (of something or the other) but that is all.

Well I wasted the hour and I'm sorry I did now. I agree with you 100%. Kyle says he can't wait to live in CT. Well, I have news for him, we can wait to have him live here. His brand of smugness and big ego isn't going to go over big here and I'll bet he'll think this place is as boring AF anyway. He's going to have to grow up and dispense with the immature attitude to fit in here. I am completely gob smacked as the British say that Gordon would pick him over Hannah or Egypt. Gordon really missed on this one. I don't know what's gotten into him. He usually would not react well to Kyle's type of attitude. I've been watching Gordon for a long time and this just makes zero sense.

I found out that people online are divided about Kyle. Either they love or detest him. That doesn't bode well for a job at a Ramsay restaurant. What gets me is that some people can get away with acting like a "bad bitch" with all that "sass" and other's would be flayed alive for it. I don't understand why he can get away with it, especially with Ramsay.

I was looking forward to going back to the Foxwoods HK restaurant and maybe seeing Hannah or Egypt. Now I don't even want to go back again ever. I'll go to the Shipwright's Daughter instead. It's likely a much better restaurant anyway. Sorry Gordon, just telling the truth.

  • Like 4
Yeah No

Yeah No

7 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

Sure hope this wasn't a DEI win. Never thought much of him as a person. His attitude sucked. I stopped watching this season after the good chefs were eliminated. First time I have ever done that but I couldn't support the ones remaining!!!!!!

So a woman and a Black/Mexican aren't DEI enough to win? I sure hope not.

I think Gordon saw himself in Kyle but Gordon was never as bad as that.

It's too bad because of course some people would think the reason Kyle isn't liked by some is prejudice, but that's not the case with most people I've seen. They don't like him because of his immature and egotistical behavior.

2 hours ago, KeithJ said:

Maybe Gordon thought Hannah was too short to be his head chef.  That’s the only rationale I can think of for him picking Kyle.  lol

Again, sad. I'm 5"1" but I don't seem as short as Hannah and my husband agrees. He says I have a "bigger personality". Hmmm....Maybe that's the reason she lost, not her height. Too mousey? Still, I would have preferred her to Kyle, and I somehow think most of my state would probably agree. They don't call CT "the land of steady habits" for nothing!

LennieBriscoe

LennieBriscoe

7 hours ago, nitrofishblue said:

Sure hope this wasn't a DEI win. Never thought much of him as a person. His attitude sucked. I stopped watching this season after the good chefs were eliminated. First time I have ever done that but I couldn't support the ones remaining!!!!!!

 "[A] DEI win"???? You DO know that "diversity" is not a synonym for "incompetence," right? 

 

  • Thanks 1
  • Applause 5
seacliffsal

seacliffsal

I really am shocked by Kyle's win.  I have not been a fan all season mainly due to his need for constant attention.  I never thought Gordon would hire a high maintenance diva for head chef.  And, Gordon even had to point out to Kyle that the scallops were cold that Joe brought to the window. Okay, I do have one positive-Kyle knew how to manage Lulu so that she wouldn't ruin his chances.

 

  • Applause 1
KLovestoShop

KLovestoShop

There is no way that line cooks are going to take to being sworn at constantly. For that matter, I think this was the worst season of constant beeps and F bombs being thrown because these people can’t express anything else without throwing the F bomb. My family owned a restaurant for many years, and if any of my dad‘s cooks or anybody in the restaurant would be treating people the way that Kyle treated people the way a few others treated people, and especially if my dad heard people swearing and F bombing everything that would mean that person would be fired. I don’t understand why people can’t express feelings or whatever without swearing and that bothers me.
 

As for Kyle, what part of diversity does he fill out? Is he part black? I just don’t get the diversity part with him because they’ve had other black winners.  And his constant use of Sexy was annoying. But this was probably one of the worst seasons ever. I just hope next week’s premiere of Next Level Kitchen is better than this stupid season.

  • Like 2
milkyaqua

milkyaqua

I flipped back and forth from this show to another.  But when I heard Gordon say that Hannah was very detailed and that Kyle was creative, I knew Kyle was winning.  I do agree about him keeping Lulu in line though.

My question though is, do the winners actually run the kitchens at the restaurants or are they assistants/interns, etc?  Also, if they're going into a restaurant that has a set menu, how creative are they going to be with the menu (unless we're talking something like a special)?

I do hope Hannah and Egypt and some of the others get something good out of this exposure.

  • Like 2
GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

(edited)
5 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

My question though is, do the winners actually run the kitchens at the restaurants or are they assistants/interns, etc? 

I haven't religiously watched all seasons of this show, nor have I paid attention to the winners after they have won. Except for seasons 1 and 2; I recall when they returned on a future season and lauded as "season 1 winner" etc., I remember both of them did indeed work as Gordon's chefs at his restaurants. I think after a couple of years, both left and then ran their own restaurants? or became head chefs at other restaurants? I only barely recall this happening with season 1 and 2 winners though. And didn't other winners end up as sous chefs for Gordon for THIS show?

I'm not sure how to respond to the poster who thinks that choosing Kyle was some sort of DEI requirement. In all these years, there have been winners who weren't straight, white men. There have been minorities; there have been women; there have been minority women, etc.

Bad enough what's imploding in real life, I don't want to see it bleed over into shows I watch.

That said, I'm so glad I stopped watching three weeks ago, and I don't have any plans or interest to watch the clusterfuck of seeing Egypt booted and Kyle winning.

 

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
  • Like 3
Chicago Redshirt

Chicago Redshirt

(edited)
6 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

 "[A] DEI win"???? You DO know that "diversity" is not a synonym for "incompetence," right? 

 

I hate that people have made "DEI" a dog whistle for incompetence. But even I had the thought that a factor might have been that Kyle is biracial and (I presume) Kyle may be trans

That is IMO unfair because certainly Kyle did well generally and won a number of challenges as an individual. 

6 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

There is no way that line cooks are going to take to being sworn at constantly.

You f---ing donkey! Have you forgotten what show this is? Of course line cooks are going to expect RAWWWWWWWWWWWR language from their head chef at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, you donut! Now piss off!

:)

 

To answer the question about his ethnicity, yes, he is biracial:

https://www.phillymag.com/news/2025/02/06/kyle-timpson-gordon-ramsay/

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I'm not sure how to respond to the poster who thinks that choosing Kyle was some sort of DEI requirement. In all these years, there have been winners who weren't straight, white men. There have been minorities; there have been women; there have been minority women, etc.

Bad enough what's imploding in real life, I don't want to see it bleed over into shows I watch.

At least one article claims that he's the first out gay to win HK.

https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/hells-kitchen-show-first-gay-winner-kyle-timpson

Of course, that may be misinformed, or it may be based on a distinction between gay and lesbian here that someone is making.

Because Chef Christina is (according to the Internet) lesbian, as is Chef Latasha.

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

None of the final chefs were anywhere near being incompetent. I thought they all were excellent.

I would go so far as to say that the "Head Chefs Only" gimmick worked -- as far as my (admittedly weak) memory serves, there was not a single chef where I said to myself "Boy that person SUCKS at being a chef" or "that person is so obviously a producer plant" which is not something I would say one could say about the 22 prior seasons.

Edited by Chicago Redshirt
  • Like 2
Yeah No

Yeah No

6 hours ago, gail56 said:

To someone above who wondered if Kyle is transgender, he is. I googled him and read a story that tells the story of his journey. 

According to Kyle himself on this thread on Reddit, he was born a man, has always been a man and is gay. He also has an identical twin brother:

Quote

I am actually a man I was born a man. My birth certificate says that I’m a man. I have an identical, twin brother who is a man. I have good skin. I’m gay. I’m a gay man. I don’t understand what the struggle is here to understand that I am not and never have been and do not identify as a woman. I also don’t understand what this has to do with my cooking ability. I can cook. I’m funny and I can lead a kitchen. What more do you need?

But I already knew that. Early in the season when they showed pictures of the chefs as kids, Kyle was very obviously a boy.

 

Yeah No

Yeah No

12 hours ago, KLovestoShop said:

As for Kyle, what part of diversity does he fill out? Is he part black? I just don’t get the diversity part with him because they’ve had other black winners.  And his constant use of Sexy was annoying. But this was probably one of the worst seasons ever. I just hope next week’s premiere of Next Level Kitchen is better than this stupid season.

Yes, Kyle is half white and half black. His mother has an Italian name, something like "Assunta Concetta". Actually, that sounds very Sicilian. A lot of my female Sicilian relatives had those names.

I agree about him overusing the word "sexy". It was especially revolting coming from him because of his big ego and pardon the shallowness, but his physical unattractiveness. I do not want to be forced to think of Kyle and the word "sexy" next to each other. Blech. 🤮

When I was young we used to call someone like him "conceited". Or we'd say, "He thinks he's all that and a bag of chips", lol.

Ummm......no!!!

  • Like 3
KeithJ

KeithJ

  • Author
(edited)
11 hours ago, preeya said:

If interested check this (its about Lyle): https://www.phillymag.com/news/2025/02/06/kyle-timpson-gordon-ramsay/

This is interesting:

Quote

Next up, I am … considering the opportunities Hell’s Kitchen has brought me, but eventually, I would like to open a seafood restaurant in Philadelphia

He didn’t get offered or take the job?

Edited by KeithJ
  • Useful 1
Red Bridey

Red Bridey

(edited)

I personally could not care less if Kyle is white, Black, gay, straight or whatever. To me, he was an annoying competitor and though his food was apparently great, I disliked the personality he assumed on this show. Maybe IRL he's as sweet as a cuddle puddle of kittens, but he came in the show and he annoyed me. 

I'm sad Hannah lost; I thought her team worked better for her than Kyle's team did for him (wtf Joe?), which I thought would sway Gordon's decision. But I was wrong. Oh well, hoping for Top Chef to return soon.

Edited by Red Bridey
  • Like 2
  • Applause 1
mbluecpa

mbluecpa

I was surprised by Kyle’s win for a couple of reasons.  His edit in the last two episodes was just over-the-top (even by his standards) cockiness, and he’s competing to lead a restaurant that already has a face/personality /menu attached to it.  

I did like the one moment of humility in Kyle’s talking head when he said he thought he’d do well but never thought he’d win.  Bravado and self-promotion aside, I’d eat in a restaurant of Kyle’s - where both the menu and cooking are his - in a heartbeat as his food looked creative and impressive.

Similarly, I can’t wait to try Stone Cellar Bistro (Brandon’s restaurant) next time I’m in the Denver area.

Yeah No

Yeah No

(edited)
On 2/8/2025 at 8:59 AM, KeithJ said:

This is interesting:

He didn’t get offered or take the job?

Wow, he may not be taking it per this:

Quote

As the winner of Hell's Kitchen, Kyle was offered a head chef position at Hell's Kitchen at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. “I'm undecided, as far as the job goes,” the 29-year-old reveals. “I still want to open my own thing, potentially.

I hate to say this but I think it would be for the best if he doesn't take it. Maybe he is getting better offers since winning and realized that he wouldn't really like it there. To be honest I think he is more suited for a different area and a restaurant where he would have more control over the menu, etc. That's not even a criticism because I think he is actually overqualified for the job. But more than that, his ego is too big to think that job is worthy of him. Which is why I was surprised that Gordon would pick him. He usually knows better than to pick someone like that for a head chef position in one of his restaurants.

That said, if he doesn't take it I hope it goes to Hannah because right now I think that would be perfect for her. Not that she isn't creative and technically overqualified, but I think she needs some time yet to grow before she's ready to move on to bigger things.

Here's a link to the article with that interview and quote:

https://www.goldderby.com/article/2025/hells-kitchen-kyle-timpson-hannah-flora-interview-gordon-ramsay/

Edited by Yeah No
Yeah No

Yeah No

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well that just pisses me off. Because I think Egypt was so excited and WANTED to be Gordon’s head chef and not use the win on this show as a springboard or “LOOKITHERE! I won Hell’s Kitchen!”  as a negotiating tool. Or just to work there as practice for something better.

GAH!!!

I hear you, but to be fair judging from what I saw when I dined at that HK restaurant just about everyone there is young and I am sure using that experience as a springboard to something better. No one is looking at that as the pinnacle of their career and I would be surprised if any of them stayed there for more than a few years.

I just think both Egypt and Hannah are more suited to the job. They would not be head chefs in the sense of Gordon because ultimately he is in charge of his restaurants and they would take their orders from him. And I just don't think Kyle wants to do that at this point nor is his personality suited to it. He wants to be the owner and head chef of a restaurant. I think Egypt and Hannah would be grateful for the opportunity to advance their careers by being head chef at a HK restaurant where Gordon calls the shots. Hannah and Egypt seem better suited to take direction and put out the best food they can from a menu someone else created. Because basically, that's what they'd be doing. Those HK restaurants are very formulaic and based on what we see them cook over and over again every season on the show.

  • Like 2
NJRadioGuy

NJRadioGuy

20 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I just think both Egypt and Hannah are more suited to the job. They would not be head chefs in the sense of Gordon because ultimately he is in charge of his restaurants and they would take their orders from him.

They would be head chef, but not executive chef. They would have less control over the menu, but would be in charge of the brigade and keeping hundreds of wealthy diners happy every night. You need a solid, reliable, and experienced head chef for that kind of role.

  • Like 2
  • Love 1
Yeah No

Yeah No

32 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I went to HK Las Vegas and did the tasting menu, and it was the first and only time I can think of that my share of a dinner cost $200, and it seemed to me money well spent.

I'm toying with visiting a friend in CT in a couple months, and if I do, I may swing by HK Foxwoods and see if it's Kyle or someone else.

Actually I thought the food was overpriced for what it was. I've eaten at several Michelin star restaurants in NYC like Le Bernardin, Daniel, Eleven Madison Park, Grammercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, and Sushi Yasuda. The 5 course prix fixe dinner is only $234 at Daniel. A four course dinner at Le Bernardin is only $210. Of course beverages are extra, but the food at either of these is in a class above what I had at the HK restaurant. I would imagine that they are not Gordon's shining star restaurants. He has much better. I'm hoping we find out online if Kyle decides to stay there or do something else.

Sir RaiderDuck OMS

Sir RaiderDuck OMS

On 2/7/2025 at 2:21 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Because Chef Christina is (according to the Internet) lesbian, as is Chef Latasha.

Christina Wilson is gay. Her then-girlfriend was featured during the finale of the season she won, and there was a memorable TH segment when David Beckham showed up earlier in the season: Christina told the camera that even though she was gay and liked women, she'd still totally do Beckham.

So while Kyle's statement may technically be true (i.e. the first gay man to win), he's not the first gay winner.

Not that any of this matters anyway. I don't care who a chef likes to sleep with as long as the food is good.

 

On 2/9/2025 at 2:38 PM, Yeah No said:

I hear you, but to be fair judging from what I saw when I dined at that HK restaurant just about everyone there is young and I am sure using that experience as a springboard to something better. No one is looking at that as the pinnacle of their career and I would be surprised if any of them stayed there for more than a few years.

I just think both Egypt and Hannah are more suited to the job. They would not be head chefs in the sense of Gordon because ultimately he is in charge of his restaurants and they would take their orders from him. And I just don't think Kyle wants to do that at this point nor is his personality suited to it. He wants to be the owner and head chef of a restaurant. I think Egypt and Hannah would be grateful for the opportunity to advance their careers by being head chef at a HK restaurant where Gordon calls the shots. Hannah and Egypt seem better suited to take direction and put out the best food they can from a menu someone else created. Because basically, that's what they'd be doing. Those HK restaurants are very formulaic and based on what we see them cook over and over again every season on the show.

It would be hella rude for Kyle to win the season over Hannah and Egypt, both of whom desperately wanted to work at a GR restaurant, and then not even take the job.

 

On 2/11/2025 at 3:40 PM, Yeah No said:

Actually I thought the food was overpriced for what it was. I've eaten at several Michelin star restaurants in NYC like Le Bernardin, Daniel, Eleven Madison Park, Grammercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, and Sushi Yasuda. The 5 course prix fixe dinner is only $234 at Daniel. A four course dinner at Le Bernardin is only $210. Of course beverages are extra, but the food at either of these is in a class above what I had at the HK restaurant. I would imagine that they are not Gordon's shining star restaurants. He has much better. I'm hoping we find out online if Kyle decides to stay there or do something else.

Mrs. RaiderDuck and I have eaten at all the GR Vegas restaurants. We've always thought the food was excellent: expensive, but definitely worth the $$$.

We've eaten at exactly one Michelin-starred restaurant: In December 2023, as part of Bangkok food tour, we ate at a one-Michelin-starred noodle shop where they cooked the food over big propane-powered stoves in a cinderblock alley with cats roaming freely around (presumably to kill rats and cockroaches). The interior had old chairs, faded formica tabletops, and silverware that might have been new when Jimmy Carter was President.

Damn fine noodles, though.

  • Applause 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...