S17.E04: Just Letter Cook

[Drogo]

The remaining chefs must face off in a "game of chance" to divvy up their ingredients and create their own unique dishes. During this challenge, each chef has 45 minutes to create a dish, using a protein of their choice with all the ingredients selected from the game of chance. During dinner service, the contestants are determined to impress Chef Ramsay and the VIP guests: mixed martial artist Paige VanZant; and actress and model Shannon Tweed.

[Star Aristille]

Glad to see the women turn things around tonight.  Won the challenge (despite Robyn being an epic failure at it) and the service (where Michelle and Barbie provided the only real struggles, and only slight ones, at that).

The men, meanwhile, became the mess tonight.  Ben and Giovanni messed up the meat, and of course, Josh provided the biggest mess with the risotto and his overall slowness.  Seems like only Milly, Nick, Jared, and Van were on point tonight.

I'm not a huge Elise fan, but I will say that she was killing it tonight with her facial expressions and reactions, especially at the men all raising their hand at Ramsay questioning them as to who felt they were carrying Josh.

Speaking of Josh, when a team says that they've basically had enough of a certain member of the team, that means elimination.  I have zero idea why Ramsay pulled a team swap instead.  Are he and/or the producers that desperate to keep him around longer than he should be?  It'll be interesting to see how well Robyn does with the men.  But I can already see from the women's reactions that Josh is not going to make them happy, nor will he be happy with them.  And the previews that followed the episode's end certainly don't fill me with much confidence, either.  Of course, the title of the next episode pretty much spoiled that Josh wasn't going home, so in hindsight, I shouldn't be so surprised that he survived this week.

Glad to see the women finally on top, but at the very least, Ramsay should've rewarded their efforts with one of the men going home, not with a team switch when they finally lose.  So good episode up until that moment.

If nothing else, it looks like the non-HK14 contestants are finally seeing why Michelle, Milly, and Nick all hated Josh so much.  Dude still hasn't learned to own up to his mistakes and take responsibility them and instead still passes the buck and tries to assign blame to others.  It caught up with him in HK14, and it will again this season.

Edited October 22, 2017 by Star Aristille

[spiderpig]

Good old Elise managed to scowl her way through the Santa Barbara reward while the other women appeared to actually enjoy themselves.  I wonder what Elise does for recreation.  Attend funerals?

When Gordon assumed his serious judging stance for what seemed longer than usual, I fully expected to see a great big "To Be Continued..." splatted across the screen.

[mertensia]

Okay, I kinda think that when someone has an allergy to an ingredient they should be exempt from using it. 

That said, Elise might be a bitch but she has a good palate since she gave a thumbs up to the peanut sauce and Gordon liked it.

The grody food lunches need to go bye bye.

[TDT]

1 hour ago, spiderpig said:

 

When Gordon assumed his serious judging stance for what seemed longer than usual, I fully expected to see a great big "To Be Continued..." splatted across the screen.

Had thought he was going to say"BACK in line!!" and do a surprise elimination with someone from either team

and can Fox please send someone ,anyone to fix that damn camera in the storeroom?? lol

[LakeGal]

Gordon got my hopes up that Robyn was going to be sent home.  But no such luck.  I hope she tanks the men's team.

[AZChristian]

I predict that the Blue team will win next week, and they will go to another luxury resort with a swimming pool.  All of the men will come out in baggy swim trunks and Robyn will be miserable - no women to ogle.

Sorry, I found the whole "screaming-with-joy lesbian" scene to be tacky.  For the record, I also find it tacky when people of the opposite sex (either one) are visibly drooling over people of THEIR opposite sex (either one) on a TV show.

[OlfinBedwere]

Holding out for a Jennifer-Michelle finale, as Jennifer was screwed over something rotten in her original season, while Michelle was unlucky to be in a season with two incredibly strong finalists. Also wouldn't mind it too much if Dana and/or Barbie got to the final.

Among the men, Nick and possibly Giovanni are the only ones I particularly care about at this stage.

Edited October 21, 2017 by OlfinBedwere

[backformore]

23 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I predict that the Blue team will win next week, and they will go to another luxury resort with a swimming pool.  All of the men will come out in baggy swim trunks and Robyn will be miserable - no women to ogle.

Sorry, I found the whole "screaming-with-joy lesbian" scene to be tacky.  For the record, I also find it tacky when people of the opposite sex (either one) are visibly drooling over people of THEIR opposite sex (either one) on a TV show.

I agree. I thought it was particularly awful when Robyn's exclamations of "women in bikinis!" were played while the camera closed in on Dana. Dana wasn't doing anything to warrant being objectified like that, she was in a swimsuit by a pool.  The editing was done to give the distinct impression that Robyn was referring to an attraction to Dana. 

Gross punishments and sexualizing the contestants makes the show less like a cooking competition and more like some bizarre hazing ritual.  I enjoyed the show when the only humiliation the contestants had to endure was being called a "fucking donkey" when they made a mistake.

[milner]

Personally I like Milly Jennifer and Michelle and pretty much nobody else largely due to their personalities and egos    

[Uncle Benzene]

10 hours ago, spiderpig said:

I wonder what Elise does for recreation.  Attend funerals?

Of people she doesn't know. And she makes it a point to tell everyone who will listen how depressing the whole thing is, and how she'd have done a much better job of organizing the service.

[Colorado David]

And somehow she takes full credit, regardless of the situation.

[Star Aristille]

6 hours ago, OlfinBedwere said:

Among the men, Nick and possibly Giovanni are the only ones I particularly care about at this stage.

Really?  Not Milly?

[OoogleEyes]

1 hour ago, Star Aristille said:

Really?  Not Milly?

I'll bet $1 Milly for the win. 

Who's in?

[Colorado David]

I'd like to see Milly win, or even Gio. Gio just seems really polite. Milly, while he can be a hothead, is very passionate re cooking. Van I think is way to keyed up all the time to be the head chef somewhere, he'd be firing people way too often. On the ladies side...Jennifer is very even tempered, I just don't know if she has the chops.

[preeya]

1 hour ago, Colorado David said:

I'd like to see Milly win, or even Gio. Gio just seems really polite. Milly, while he can be a hothead, is very passionate re cooking. Van I think is way to keyed up all the time to be the head chef somewhere, he'd be firing people way too often. On the ladies side...Jennifer is very even tempered, I just don't know if she has the chops.

Milly is getting all the on-screen commentary. Usually a sign he'll go far in the competition. However, that said, I don't like him or his attitude and hope he falls sooner than later.

[queenanne]

I'm impressed that this year we learned the secret of "what goes on at the garnish station?" is, apparently... re-heating pre- or at most par-cooked food.

I remember liking Milly and Nick in their original seasons, and I like them again this time around.  Nick is funny and Milly seems so sincerely earnest.  Have never liked Josh, as I don't trust a man who titters.  Put some sincere guffaws into it, man.  

Again, as before, I literally can't look at Robyn because it drives me nuts when she cants her lips/mouth around like Popeye.  Michelle is OK and I've always liked Barbie.  Everyone else I guess I'm lukewarm about.

[spiderpig]

48 minutes ago, queenanne said:

Again, as before, I literally can't look at Robyn because it drives me nuts when she cants her lips/mouth around like Popeye.  Michelle is OK and I've always liked Barbie.  Everyone else I guess I'm lukewarm about.

Is there a term for Robyn's loud, overbearing personality where she blurts out anything that's on her mind, especially when it's inappropriate?

I'm no mental health professional, but when Robyn's on-camera I immediately think Tourette's syndrome.  Maybe it's something less specific, like poor social conditioning.  Whatever, can you imagine her doing anything in a Ramsay kitchen that wasn't part of a Fox series?

[preeya]

51 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

Is there a term for Robyn's loud, overbearing personality where she blurts out anything that's on her mind, especially when it's inappropriate?

I'm no mental health professional, but when Robyn's on-camera I immediately think Tourette's syndrome.  Maybe it's something less specific, like poor social conditioning.  Whatever, can you imagine her doing anything in a Ramsay kitchen that wasn't part of a Fox series?

 

Where I grew up she would have been called an asshole.

Edited October 22, 2017 by preeya

[defeated]

15 hours ago, AZChristian said:

 

Sorry, I found the whole "screaming-with-joy lesbian" scene to be tacky.  For the record, I also find it tacky when people of the opposite sex (either one) are visibly drooling over people of THEIR opposite sex (either one) on a TV show.

Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but I found it terribly offensive, and I usually don't take offense easily.  I think that counts as sexual harassment, as well as casting a bad light on the gay community.  I know a few people who are uncomfortable sharing facilities with a same sex gay person, and crap like this Robyn's behavior does not help.  I wonder if that's why they made her switch teams.   Heh.

[bluepiano]

18 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I predict that the Blue team will win next week, and they will go to another luxury resort with a swimming pool.  All of the men will come out in baggy swim trunks and Robyn will be miserable - no women to ogle.

Sorry, I found the whole "screaming-with-joy lesbian" scene to be tacky.  For the record, I also find it tacky when people of the opposite sex (either one) are visibly drooling over people of THEIR opposite sex (either one) on a TV show.

I DO NOT want to see any of those men in bathing suits.

It wasn't just the lesbian lust that made the pool scene tacky. There were also the camera lingering over Dana in her bikini. It's like we were suddenly watching one of those "photographing the SI swimsuit issue" specials.

Boy, is Van full of himself. I can't imagine any woman finding him or his "hello ladies" act attractive.

Edited October 22, 2017 by bluepiano

[Snarklepuss]

8 hours ago, Defeated said:

Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but I found it terribly offensive, and I usually don't take offense easily.  I think that counts as sexual harassment, as well as casting a bad light on the gay community.  I know a few people who are uncomfortable sharing facilities with a same sex gay person, and crap like this Robyn's behavior does not help.  I wonder if that's why they made her switch teams.   Heh.

I found it pretty awfully tacky but I wasn't offended.  Lord knows as an attractive female in my youth I was the target of that and much worse by both men and women and have seen much worse on TV between straight men and women so I guess I don't find it any more or less offensive because of the gay aspect.   Plus considering the source it's more a subject for eye-rolling for me than anything else.  That said, Dana does rock a bikini, and I'm as straight as a ruler!

[cooksdelight]

On 10/21/2017 at 0:19 AM, Star Aristille said:

It'll be interesting to see how well Robyn does with the women

Robyn can hang naked from a chandelier, heckling diners, and she’d still be saved by Ramsay.

[Eolivet]

Ramsay: "Josh, why do you think you should stay in Hell's Kitchen?"

Josh: "Because I routinely insult women, I can't get along with either team and I'm a subpar cook. So, I'm basically your whole show."

[MajorWoody]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the poor timing of the sexual harassment in this episode. While the media is in the latest frenzy du jour, which centers around Weinstein and related pervs, GR presents an episode that focuses on women in bikinis, including lingering on a hot looking one, and subjecting her to being objectified by another contestant, in particular a contestant who has shown her only skill in the kitchen is creating drama and speaking like a troglodyte. Than you have Jared with his weekly calling the Womens Team “the bitches”, as if that is somehow acceptable in this day and age.

 

To use a favorite GR expression, this episode was stunnngly bad, and proves yet again that this show has nothing to do with culinary skills or talent.

[Random Noise]

17 hours ago, MajorWoody said:

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the poor timing of the sexual harassment in this episode. While the media is in the latest frenzy du jour, which centers around Weinstein and related pervs, GR presents an episode that focuses on women in bikinis, including lingering on a hot looking one, and subjecting her to being objectified by another contestant, in particular a contestant who has shown her only skill in the kitchen is creating drama and speaking like a troglodyte. Than you have Jared with his weekly calling the Womens Team “the bitches”, as if that is somehow acceptable in this day and age.

As I understand it from past seasons, this season would have filmed several months ago. At least well prior to the current events in the news.

I kind of got the impression Robyn was more attracted to Manda, grabbing here once and pretending to throw her in the pool, then picking her up the next time, then pushing her back in the pool the time after that.

I wonder how the others felt sharing a bedroom with her. It's kind of like sharing a bedroom with one of the guys from the blue team.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Random Noise
Added screen cap

[bluepiano]

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:35 AM, MajorWoody said:

Than you have Jared with his weekly calling the Womens Team “the bitches”, as if that is somehow acceptable in this day and age.

That kind of thing has always been a staple of this show, and the reason the teams are divided into male and female. The producers want a "battle of the sexes," complete with al insulting language and use of demeaning stereotypes. Which happens much more on the male side directed towards the women, because of the kind of "unenlightened" (to put it mildly) men the producers prefer casting.

Edited October 27, 2017 by bluepiano