S16.E13: Black Jacket Lounge

[Drogo]

Chef Ramsay shakes things up and introduces a series of three challenges that will determine the recipients of a black jacket.

For the first time, there will be no reward, no punishment and no dinner service.

[Janimo]

Now if we can just get rid of Paulie.

[riprock]

Promo monkeys want us to think Kimberly is going home next week. So, she's safe. 

Maybe it is Paulie's turn! I think his exit interview will be riveting

like the idea of changing up the challenge going into black jacket time, but the third challenge really lowered the difficulty by basically letting them just pick whatever they wanted to make. 

[PepperMonkey]

I'm kind of rooting for Kimberly; maybe cause she's from Mr. Monkey's hometown area. Also, I love a good underdog. When she said everyone hates her, it made me really hope she beat out Andrew for the final black jacket, so, yay.

HATE Paulie's attitude. I can never tell anymore when he talks about how much he can't stand someone, despises someone or hates someone, which other contestant he may be speaking about. For a while, I thought it was mostly Kim, but he seems to dislike Ryan just as much. Maybe just hates women in general, I dunno.

I think Ryan's going to end up taking the whole thing, but her voice is a deal breaker for me. Also, I think she's a little full of herself, but she may have a right to be. I just wish, every once in a while, they showed a contestant with a little humility.

I'll take anyone but Paulie or Heather, though. The showmance thing with Heather and Andrew was too much for me, at the end of all things, especially after thinking about how he has a son and fiancee. And if that fiancee is the mother of said son, well, shame on him. And shame on Heather. Really dislike when women do that to other women. It's not okay for her to think it was okay just because Andrew thought it was okay.

[DropTheSoap]

I was hoping for a Paulie washout. Esp. after the comment to the parents, "Glad you're here, but I wanted my girlfriend." Angry little man should leave soon.

With the beginning of Andrew/Heather, I figured one was going home. Figured it was Andrew, also. Agree he's pretty slimy with the whole showmance given the engagement. Hopefully the fiancée has more self-respect once she sees the show.

Depsite the dramatics, this ep was a nice change from a normal dinner service. 

[spiderpig]

1 hour ago, DropTheSoap said:

I was hoping for a Paulie washout. Esp. after the comment to the parents, "Glad you're here, but I wanted my girlfriend." Angry little man should leave soon.

 

When his parents walked in I thought "What a nice looking couple.  How did they produce Paulie?"  And then he said THAT.  On CAMERA.  

Paulie is a punk, plain and simple.  The producers are stringing us along as far as they can before they dump this rude, obnoxious creep.

Heidi's been flying a bit under the radar until lately.  Looks like they're setting the stage for a Ryan/Heidi showdown.

[Michel]

Well, I really wanted to see Paulie denied a black jacket.  But I'll happily take his disgust at Kimberly surviving over his "bro," Andrew.  Very welcome consolation prize.

And yes, when Paulie said that comment to his parents, I wanted to punch him.  It's like even the editors know what a douchebag he is and want to put every single douche-y moment on display so even we know how terrible of a guy he is.

Very nice way of changing up the method for deciding the black jackets.  I approve.  I don't think they'll do it every season, but I dig that they decided to change things up a bit.

Andrew and Heather's time together was coming to a close, for sure.  Like @DropTheSoap, I, too, had an inkling that one of them was hitting the bricks after seeing that segment.  Was scared that it was Heather.  But I was relieved when she made it past the first challenge.  Sorry, people.  Ill-advised showmance and all, I like Heather since she can at least cook.  And she clearly hates Paulie as much as I do, so that's a point in her favor.  (Come on.  You can't tell me that that confessional in which she shrugged him off as someone easy to beat was the confessional of someone who likes and/or respects him.  She was so "meh" about him making it through, it was obvious she doesn't like or respect him.)  She, Heidi, and Ryan are the three strongest ones this season, and I think Ramsay would be an idiot not to have them as his F3, or three of his F4.

Though I'm not saddened by Andrew's ouster and won't be missing him one bit (his jerk side reemerged in a big way last week, reminding me of why I really didn't like him during most of the early weeks), I am a bit shocked.  I'd pegged him to be in the F4 with Ryan, Heidi, and Heather.

I am so glad that Kimberly made it through.  I knew Andrew and Paulie hated her, but when she said that everyone there does, I thought, What the hell did she do to Heidi, Ryan, and Heather?  But yeah, when she gave that confessional, I had a slight bit of hope that she'd make it and was glad that she did.  So much so, I was dancing around my room when Ramsay called her name.

13 hours ago, riprock said:

Promo monkeys want us to think Kimberly is going home next week. So, she's safe. 

Maybe it is Paulie's turn! I think his exit interview will be riveting.

I hope to God that it's Paulie next week and not Kimberly.  Although seeing as how they're following the pattern and protocol of last season's elimination scheme (as this season also had the F6 be the last pre-black jacket elimination rather than the usual F7), I wonder if it's gonna be another double elimination at the F5 like last season with Manda and Jared?  If so, Paulie and Kimberly are the two most logical boots, seeing as how they're the weakest two left.  I don't see any way Heather, Ryan, and Heidi don't get to the run-the-pass week.  It has to be one or both of Paulie and Kimberly who's toast next week.  Has to be.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Michel

[Jersey Guy 87]

This was the most enjoyable episode in a very long time - not a lot of concentration on the drama, mostly focused on the cooking.  No GR screaming at people.

The first two challenges were good - everyone had the same ingredients (and seemed to struggle with the same ingredients as well).  The last challenge was a little too broad - make whatever the heck you want but, on the other hand, it was for the final black jacket so why not let the two remaining chefs show what they can do.

Glad Andrew is gone.  My only question going into the three-step challenge was whether Gordon would pretend both guys had a chance or whether he'd have Paulie and Andrew face off for the last spot.

[AZChristian]

I still think that Paulie is in line for #3.  That's where production gets their biggest bang for the buck; each contestant's hopes keep rising as others are eliminated.  But getting eliminated right before the finals is the biggest slap of all.  And that would be fine with me.  Knock his ego down a bit.

[Michel]

2 hours ago, Jersey Guy 87 said:

Glad Andrew is gone.  My only question going into the three-step challenge was whether Gordon would pretend both guys had a chance or whether he'd have Paulie and Andrew face off for the last spot.

I'd actually thought that he would make them face off together after seeing Paulie's confessional in which he said that the two of them needed to stick together as they were the last two men left.  You know, the one following their "bro" moment after Devin's elimination.  But I guess Paulie's dish in the second challenge was so good that Ramsay had to let him pass.

[nitrofishblue]

Actually Andrew is not gone. He will be back for the final as a sous chef. I was so wishing Paulie would have been eliminated. I really detest his attitude. Who in the world would work for him?

[xcrayon2215x]

Pretty food based for the TV show Hell's Kitchen. I would have preferred Paulie to leave but I'm fine with this.

[Lemonemm]

On 13/01/2017 at 6:59 AM, Jersey Guy 87 said:

The first two challenges were good - everyone had the same ingredients (and seemed to struggle with the same ingredients as well).  The last challenge was a little too broad - make whatever the heck you want but, on the other hand, it was for the final black jacket so why not let the two remaining chefs show what they can do.

I actually thought having free rein would make it harder, in a way. After a brutal three rounds, they must have been exhausted mentally and/or physically. Plus, I think they've probably already done their so-called 'signature dishes' by this stage in the game. After all that, I'd be lucky if I could even manage to make toast.

[Red Bridey]

When all the other cooks had their husbands. boyfriends or fiancees come and visit, and all Paulie got was his PARENTS, I laughed, because of course that asshole didn't have a girlfriend.  Who would want to date THAT?  I choose to believe he said, "Glad to see you, but I'd prefer A girlfriend." 

I'm sure you would, Jackass.  Keep dreaming!

[Michel]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 0:07 PM, nitrofishblue said:

Actually Andrew is not gone. He will be back for the final as a sous chef. I was so wishing Paulie would have been eliminated. I really detest his attitude. Who in the world would work for him?

Andrew is still gone from the competition, though.  At the very least, he's no longer in the running for the ultimate win at the end.

[jumper sage]

On 1/13/2017 at 1:06 AM, PepperMonkey said:

Maybe just hates women in general, I dunno.

He always calls women bitches.  Not a good quality in a head chef.  I thought Andrew going was meant to be.  He is too strung out in the kitchen.  I loved seeing the girl calmly going about her business while he was freaking out.

[MajorWoody]

Well, I was hoping the last two to challenge would be the two jerks, Andrew and Paulie. 

But at least the gross slob and jerk Andrew can go back to working the grill at the Running Deer Bar and Grill, along with his disgusting spit cup. 

The scene in the lounge when Paulie entered was so phony. Here are three women who can't stand the guy jumping up and down with joy and hugging the misogynist jerk when he entered. Can you say "scripted"?

Unless they were happy because they all know deep inside that there is zero chance GR would ever let that asshat win the title. 

I think next week that Kimberly or Heather will go, as I think GR will keep Paulie for aother week of his nonsense.

I'm still going with Ryan and Heidi for the finale.

And I still don't think any of this seasons contestants has the skills or temperament to run a GR kitchen. 

[Michel]

31 minutes ago, MajorWoody said:

The scene in the lounge when Paulie entered was so phony. Here are three women who can't stand the guy jumping up and down with joy and hugging the misogynist jerk when he entered. Can you say "scripted"?

Unless they were happy because they all know deep inside that there is zero chance GR would ever let that asshat win the title.

Heather made it clear in a confessional that, yes, she was pretty sure that Paulie's not going to win.  So him getting through didn't bother her too much.

I think the happiness of the others was genuine, though, because it gave them hope that Kimberly would get tossed.

[jumper sage]

2 hours ago, MajorWoody said:

Unless they were happy because they all know deep inside that there is zero chance GR would ever let that asshat win the title. 

I think you hit it right on the mark.

I guess I am going to root for Ryan as she is a fellow Michigander.  I don't think anyone from Michigan has got this far.

[queenanne]

On 1/13/2017 at 1:31 AM, DropTheSoap said:

I was hoping for a Paulie washout. Esp. after the comment to the parents, "Glad you're here, but I wanted my girlfriend." Angry little man should leave soon.

With the beginning of Andrew/Heather, I figured one was going home. Figured it was Andrew, also. Agree he's pretty slimy with the whole showmance given the engagement. Hopefully the fiancée has more self-respect once she sees the show.

Depsite the dramatics, this ep was a nice change from a normal dinner service. 

Speaking of "girlfriend", I'm pretty sure that's the verbiage Ramsay used when noting that Andrew's self-proclaimed fiance had arrived, which I found potentially interesting from a psychological viewpoint.  Did Andrew maybe think that raising the status of his relationship, gave him more protection to step away from the showmance; or that it would make him more desirable (snerk)?  

[Michel]

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 11:18 PM, jumper sage said:

He always calls women bitches.  Not a good quality in a head chef.  I thought Andrew going was meant to be.  He is too strung out in the kitchen.  I loved seeing the girl calmly going about her business while he was freaking out.

Come to think of it, that was probably the biggest hint that Andrew was going.  That quick juxtaposition of him being stressed and frazzled compared with Kimberly being calm, cool, and collected is one of many examples that are usually used to hint at who's staying between two people up for elimination on most reality shows.  And it's normally the calm one who stays out of the two.  The frazzled one gets the boot.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Michel

[mojoween]

Aww bummer.  I didn't watch last night's yet.  Actually, I totally forgot that I just watched last week's episode and frankly that today is Friday.

I loved that black jacket switch up and that it was Andrew's girl and bro who sent him packing.