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The first episode of Season 17 of Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox on September 29, 2017. In that episode, sixteen former contestants were called back for another chance, and the All-Stars found out their second chance would not be an easy one.

Intro[]

The episode began with a recap of the previous sixteen seasons, mentioning what happened while showcasing some of the previous chefs from those seasons. Then, the narrator announced that some of the viewer's favorite All-Stars were coming back for another chance. At his house, Ramsay called up Manda to offer her another chance at the competition, and she excitedly accepted. Fifteen other chefs were given the same call. They all accepted Ramsay's offer with Van down for an All-Stars season, Dana and Ashley screaming in excitement, and Benjamin telling Ramsay that he will be there, only for the latter to hang up on him as he had no time for his babbling. After, a teaser of that season's moments was shown with old rivalries reigniting, new alliances being formed, and the narrator saying that one of the All-Star chefs would receive the greatest prize in the entire series.

Each All-Star was escorted in a limousine back to Hell's Kitchen, and Milly remembered he was in a cramped bus last time, before knowing it was Ramsay's way of trying to get the best out of him. Milly was the first chef to arrive and was led into a VIP lounge area. There, Milly said Ramsay meant a lot to him and his family and remembered the pep talk he received back in Season 14 when he doubted his skills in the competition and declared that he moved from an eight to a ten. Ashley was the second chef to arrive and was excited to show Ramsay that he made the wrong decision in eliminating her last time, refusing to let anything get in her way. However, Ashley struggled to get her door open, but after opening her door, she and Milly greeted each other. Then, Ashley said that as a super fan, she knew everything about the show and told Milly that he was one of her favorites. Giovanni was the third chef to arrive, told Milly and Ashley he was from Season 5, and remarked that he still had a lot of pep left despite being older, before wondering how Ramsay knew his phone number. Jennifer was the fourth chef to enter and admitted how excited she was to be back, especially as she still felt robbed back in Season 9 before praying that Elise was not coming back. After, Jennifer introduced herself to the chefs and told Ashley that she knew she would see the latter as they were Facebook friends. Even though Milly said that he did not know anybody outside of Season 14, Giovanni jokingly said that he would cradle everybody as he was from the earlier seasons. Jared was the fifth chef to arrive, said that it was fucking awesome to be back, and knew there was some unfinished business as his and Ashley's friendship had a rough spot back in Season 15. He recalled the argument they had after he picked Kristin over her for his reward. Jared and Ashley happily reunited, and the latter knew that despite the ups and downs regarding the incident mentioned before, she still reaffirmed that she and Jared were boo-boos.

Meanwhile, Nick arrived sixth, mentioned that he grew a lot since Season 14 and not because of his beard, before believing that his anxiety got him sent home last time. However, Nick claimed that he was a lot more level-headed now and warned everybody that he was not the same person as last time. Nick and Milly happily reunited, and while the former was looking forward to meeting people from Season 14, the one person he was not looking forward to was Josh, with Jared recalling an argument the two had after the Mardi Gras Homecoming service. While Nick hoped for a drama-free season, he knew that it would never happen. Then, Robyn was the seventh chef to arrive, swept Ashley off her feet, and commented that the latter was not the first girl she picked up in Florida. Shortly after, Barbie arrived eighth and mentioned how exciting it was being back, even though she was nervous as she was not a huge favorite with the women last time. When Barbie came into the VIP Lounge, everybody but Robyn greeted her, and the two exchanged a forced hug. Just then, Dana arrived ninth, and while she and Robyn happily reunited, Barbie was not happy to see her. Dana felt a mutual attraction before warning the other chefs that while Barbie seemed nice, she was evil. Van was the tenth chef to arrive and revealed that after Season 6, he moved up to Connecticut, before declaring that they could not keep a country boy down and that he was going to win. After, Manda was the eleventh chef to arrive, reunited with Ashley and Jared, and asked if this was a Season 15 reunion, while Michelle was the twelfth person to arrive and reunited with Milly and Nick. Nick remarked that he and Michelle got along since the last time they competed but was a little scared to see how stronger she has become since then, as Milly told Van that Michelle was a strong cook. Ben and Benjamin were the thirteenth and fourteenth chefs to arrive, but while the former reunited with Giovanni, everybody else struggled to remember Benjamin due to his new look, with Jennifer commenting that there were not a lot of representatives from Season 9. Then, Barbie recalled that Elise was in the same season with Jennifer, which made everybody cringe as Ashley deemed Elise the most hated chef in the show's history as they recalled the multiple arguments the latter had back in Season 9. Soon after, Elise arrived as the fifteenth chef. Everybody got uncomfortable with her presence, and Jennifer said that Elise was the last person she wanted to see that day. Elise said that she thought about the day she was eliminated last time and declared that she would do whatever it took to win that time before stating that she was still the same person who did not care what everybody thought of her. The final chef to arrive was Josh, and while Nick was not happy to see the former again, he would make the most of it and beat Josh once again. As the two reunited, Josh said that there could not be an All-Stars season without him.

Meanwhile, Ramsay exited the restaurant to a large crowd with the press and super fans invited to the grand reopening. After welcoming everybody to the newly redesigned restaurant, Ramsay announced that he had invited sixteen chefs that earned black jackets in their previous seasons and announced the All-Star season to an excited crowd. Then Ramsay introduced them to the women and men competing. Ramsay introduced the team's Sous Chefs, with Season 10 winner Christina as the red team's Sous Chef, even though that downed Dana as the two used to be close before the former became a big deal. Jocky as the blue team's Sous Chef, which excited Jared as he studied his recipes before calling Jocky a beast. Then, Ramsay announced that the winner of that season would become the Head Chef at the brand-new Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Las Vegas, located on the Caesar Place strip, with a salary of $250,000, and Milly called that reward a game-changer. After Ramsay brought the All-Stars back into the restaurant for their Signature Dish Challenge, and Elise was ready to rewrite history before declaring that she was going to smoke everybody.

Signature Dish Challenge[]

Once inside, Ramsay welcomed the chefs back into the competition and asked a couple of them what their signature dishes would be. Manda said that she was making mussels Jersey style, which included bacon and beer, and warned the other chefs that since last time, she went back to school, ran her own restaurant, and was still taking care of her babies. Then, Milly said that he was making sea bass three ways, but Ramsay reminded him that it was 45 minutes, not 4 hours, and 5 minutes. After, Ramsay had everybody lift their domes. To their shock, they were given ingredients that were different than what they asked for, and Dana asked if Ramsay could replace her dome. Ramsay revealed that he was raising the bar that year because of their All-Star status, announced that they would be making new signature dishes with their new ingredients, and go head to head with the person from the other team who had the same ingredients.

The chefs had 45 minutes to create new signature dishes for the Signature Dish Challenge. After 15 minutes, Ramsay discovered that Robyn put her salmon on even though it usually takes 4 minutes to cook a piece. When Robyn pulled her salmon off the pan, the skin fell off due to the pan not being hot enough, and she tried to look for panko breading to no avail, with Ashley noticing that the former was all over the place. In the blue kitchen, Ben revealed his plan for a stuffed chicken breast and admitted that he wanted to take a calmer approach compared to his gung-ho approach from Season 5. Eventually, the chefs got their dishes cooked and plated on time.

Before the judging, Ramsay announced that he would be judging each dish on a 1-5 scale, although he noted that anybody who scored a one would seriously need to reconsider why they were there, and the team with the most points at the end would win. In the first round, Ashley and Jared were up with their duck dishes, and before judging, Ramsay asked the two what their relationship was now. The two confirm that they were still friends, but Manda feared that Ashley and Jared would distract each other again, and that would lead them to fall apart like before. Ashley's duck marinated in sake with Brussel sprout and celery root purée was praised for having a beautiful presentation, the duck being nailed beautifully, but criticized for overuse on the sauce before scoring 4 points. Then, Jared's pan-seared duck breast over celery root purée was praised for a beautiful duck, but while he hoped for a perfect five, Ramsay criticized the dish for having a watery purée even though he deemed it a solid effort. So, Jared scored 4 points, the score was tied at 4, he compared it to kissing his sister, and Jared and Ashley's congratulations grossed out Manda to each other. On the chicken round, Barbie told Ramsay that her favorite moment was when he praised her skills during her elimination but admitted that her worst moment was getting nominated constantly, which made Dana and Robyn laugh as they were responsible for most of them. When asked why the women wanted her gone, Barbie believed that it was because she could cook, but when Dana retorted that it was not that reason, Ramsay asked her what the real reason was. However, Dana struggled to answer that, simply saying that things were different now and that they were each getting a clean slate. After, Barbie's chicken with rice, bok choy and coconut milk curry with garam masala was criticized for having a heavy sauce, and she scored 3 points, while Ben's coconut rice-stuffed chicken breast was criticized for having two bland components put together. So, Ben scored 2 points, the women led 7-6, and Milly warned Ben that he was already on his list.

On the lamb round, Giovanni and Ramsay recalled the infamous "Dickface” argument back during the first black jacket service in Season 5, and the former revealed that his daughter was diagnosed with both mild autism and seizures, hoping that he could use the money for more hospital visits. Giovanni's pistachio-crusted lamb with sweet mashed potatoes and grilled eggplant was criticized for a clumsy presentation but praised for a spot-on lamb, and he scored 3 points. Then, Jennifer presented her lamb with baked sweet potato and sauteed eggplant, and while Ramsay praised the lamb for being cooked beautifully, the eggplant was criticized for being undercooked and crunchy. Despite being a strong contender for either a four or a five, Jennifer received 3 points for the raw eggplant alone, and the women led 10-9. On the scallop round, Ramsay reminded Michelle that despite being 26, she was still the youngest chef in the competition again like last time, and she was ready to bring it on as everybody knew she was legit. Then, Michelle's seared scallops over polenta gnocchi were praised for tasting beautiful, and she scored 4 points. Before tasting Nick's dish, Ramsay noticed a wedding ring on the former's finger, and Nick confirmed that he has gotten married since Season 14, before stating that he did not go back to women and was married to a man named Michael, even though Ramsay recalled how he met his ex-girlfriend during a reward last time. Nick's sea scallop crudo was praised for a beautiful seasoning but criticized for dumping cold polenta cakes on the plate, he scored 3 points, and the women led 14-12. On the pork chop round, Manda's southern-style pork chop with potato salad and cabbage scored 3 points, while Milly's spiced-rubbed pork chop with chips and cabbage scored 4 points for an incredible protein, and the women led 17-16. Dana's filet with potato puree scored 4 points on the filet round, and before Josh's dish was judged, the latter admitted that his favorite moment last time was meeting Ramsay. However, Josh's filet over asparagus puree was criticized for being cooked to hell, he scored 2 points, and the score was 21-18 for the women. On the lobster round, Ramsay jokingly asked Van what his problem was with maître d's, recalling how the latter and Jean-Philippe had a fierce argument during the second service back in Season 6. When Van asked where whistle britches was, Ramsay said that he had an Italian maître d now and made him promise not to hit Marino. After, Van's poached lobster with succotash and cherry tomatoes was heavily praised for a beautiful presentation, being able to slice through it like butter, and he was awarded the first perfect 5 of that night, which Van admitted felt good. Then, Elise's poached lobster tail and grilled corn in tomato broth were praised for a beautifully cooked lobster, she scored a perfect 5 as well, the score was 26-23 for the women, and she declared her as the strongest chef on the women. On the final round, Benjamin and Robyn went up with their salmon dishes, and the former presented his seared salmon with a brown butter caper sauce and parsnip cauliflower stir fry. Ramsay praised the salmon for being beautiful, having the right spice and acidity, and after Benjamin admitted that he did not care who he was up against as long as he won, he scored a perfect 5. Robyn was not worried, felt that she had it, and presented her pan-seared salmon with crispy skin and cauliflower purée. However, Ramsay felt that the skin was not crispy, gave Benjamin a piece to try, and they both agreed that it was extremely salty. Afterwards, Ramsay gave Robyn a generous one out of five as the dish tasted disgusting, and the men won the challenge 28-27.

Scoring[]

Red Team Blue Team
Chef Score Total Chef Score Total
Ashley 4/5 4 Jared 4/5 4
Barbie 3/5 7 Ben 2/5 6
Jennifer 3/5 10 Giovanni 3/5 9
Michelle 4/5 14 Nick 3/5 12
Manda 3/5 17 Milly 4/5 16
Dana 4/5 21 Josh 2/5 18
Elise 5/5 26 Van 5/5 23
Robyn 1/5 27 Benjamin 5/5 28
Results 28-27

Reward[]

The men were rewarded with a trip to the sky slide in downtown Los Angeles and dinner at Wolfgang Puck's WP24 restaurant. After hearing that reward, Milly deemed the All-Star season great. During the reward, the men met up with Marino, who was waiting with champagne, and Josh asked who had the idea to put a glass slide on a 70-story building. Despite that, the men took their turns, and Ben took his after some urging from Van and Marino.

Later that night, Ramsay joined the men at WP24, and while Van felt like a millionaire, he got confused at what the Hollywood hard body was when Ramsay mentioned the place, as it was a gay bar. Then, Ramsay introduced the men to Wolfgang Puck, Jared called him a culinary giant to meet, and Benjamin called it the best dinner he had in his entire life.

Punishment[]

While Ramsay told the women that they were close to winning the challenge, their punishment was to clean up the front of the entrance, tear down the risers and red carpets, and clean up the confetti on the ground. Back at the dorms, Elise put the loss on Robyn's dish, and the latter felt that she let her team down before realizing that she was the weakest link on the women. Then, Robyn introduced her teammates to her tiger's eye that kept her grounded, but Barbie was weirded out when the former claimed that the stone could talk to her, and Elise snarkily told Robyn that she should have asked the stone about her salmon.

During the punishment, Ashley asked Robyn how many lesbians it took to remove a railing, and everybody but Elise was moving the risers as the latter refused to get herself injured, despite having gained muscles since last time. After Elise deemed herself not Bob the builder, an annoyed Manda felt that they were in Elise's world before asking who the bitch thought she was.

Individual challenge[]

The next day, the chefs were up early reviewing the menu items when Ramsay called the dorms and called everybody downstairs. Taking them to the bar area, Ramsay revealed that for the first time, the restaurant was offering a special bar menu, and announced an individual challenge before the first service began as he wanted an early indication on who each of the chefs were at separating themselves from the rest. For the Bar Menu Challenge, Ramsay asked the chefs to create a dish that would be worthy of the new menu, the winner of that challenge would be immune from elimination that night, and the episode ended as a cliffhanger.

Trivia[]

  • Title Reference: The title refers to the return of the chef's from previous seasons, aka the All-Stars.
  • While unintentional, the pairings during the Signature Dish Challenge featured some comparisons to the competing chefs:
    • Ashley and Jared: Both competed in Season 15 and had an infamous friendship despite being on the opposing teams.
    • Barbie and Ben: Both were targeted constantly in their original seasons and placed 4th.
    • Giovanni and Jennifer: Both were the first black jacket chefs of their seasons to be eliminated.
    • Michelle and Nick: Both competed in Season 14, had strong friendships with each other despite being on opposing teams, and had feuds with strong personalities of their original season (Michelle with T, and Nick with Josh).
    • Milly and Manda: Both had poor backgrounds and were not afraid to speak their minds.
    • Dana and Josh: Both had mean streaks to them despite being nice people.
    • Elise and Van: Both were the most vocal of the chefs in their respective teams.
    • Benjamin and Robyn: Both had the most conflicts with their teammates in their seasons, and both participated in a team switch.
  • This episode begins the three season stretch of Ramsay forcing the chefs to create new signature dishes rather than the ones they originally planned on making.
  • This episode marks the introduction of Sous Chef Jocky as the blue team's Sous Chef and the return of Sous Chef Christina as the red team's Sous Chef.
  • This is the second season where the premiere did not have the opening night at the second half of the episode. The first was in Episode 1101 - 20 Chefs Compete Part 1.

Goofs[]

  • During the judging portion of the signature dish challenge, the narrator mistakenly says, "While Season 12's Josh also attempts to score some points." Josh is from Season 14, not Season 12.
Hell's Kitchen Season 17 Episodes
All-Stars ArriveRaising the BarTower of TerrorJust Letter CookJosh Josh JoshA Little Slice of HellTrimming FatWelcome to the JungleCatch of the DayIt's All GravyTrying to Pasta TestFive is the New BlackStars Heating Up HellFamilies Come to HellFinal ThreeAll-Star Finale
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