The sixth episode of Season 3 of Hell’s Kitchen aired on Fox on July 9, 2007. In that episode, a new team dynamic emerged for one team, one chef lost their temper during punishment, and another lost their last chance to stay in Hell’s Kitchen.
Intro[]
On their way back upstairs, Jen told Bonnie that she put her up with Melissa because she knew she would be passed over. Jen thought Ramsay did the red team an excellent favor by transferring Melissa to the blue team. Meanwhile, Josh welcomed Melissa, and she said she had no problem being on the blue team after the horrendous teamwork from the red team. Melissa promised her new team that she would never sabotage them at all, but Rock still believed that she would be going home soon, and all Ramsay did was prolong her agony. On the other hand, Josh was happy that the sex barrier was finally broken.
The red team gathered for a meeting and coldly shut out Melissa, with Bonnie calling her a bitch. With the three bullies gone from the red team, Bonnie believed that it was their time to shine, and they needed to step up, to which Julia agreed. Even though Bonnie knew they would be pushed harder than before, she felt the red team could pull through as they hugged it out.
The following day, everyone talked about New York and their restaurants, with Jen mentioning that she used to work at George Perrier in Philadelphia, much to the shock of Rock. Jen admitted that she never wanted to tell people this because their expectations of her would be too high. Jen said she would rather downplay her skills as a pastry chef so she could wow everyone afterwards. Despite that, Rock respected her decision to hold back.
Team challenge[]
The two teams went downstairs and saw Ramsay standing next to a covered object, with Bonnie growing nervous. Ramsay asked Melissa if she was bonding with the blue team, and she answered yes. Ramsay explained that he was testing their creativity with lobster as their main ingredient for their next challenge, uncovering the tank next to him full of live and fresh lobster. While Julia said she never ate lobster before, Brad was down for it. Ramsay noticed how distraught Bonnie looked, and she said she hated killing one as it made her cry, something Rock snidely made fun of. As everyone laughed at Bonnie, she said she hated killing one. Ramsay reminded Josh that because he failed to identify lobster in the Blind Taste Test correctly, he was forced to sit out for the challenge to even both teams at three. However, Josh was allowed to advise his team but not to touch any lobster. Before beginning the Lobster Challenge, Ramsay warned the chefs that they did not want to lose this one, given the punishment that awaited them. Ramsay gave the chefs a warning about the lobster claws, but Bonnie was still freaked out.
With one hour to prepare their dishes, the chefs headed to the tank and grabbed the live lobsters. Rock called it cool because the lobsters did not have any rubber bands on their claws, while Brad got pinched by his. While Jen felt that she worked well under pressure, Bonnie wanted the former and Julia to get the lobsters so she would not have to get one herself. However, Jen and Julia pushed Bonnie to do so, successfully conquering her fear. In the blue kitchen, Rock and Brad worked on their dishes while Josh decided to advise Melissa's dish. Melissa felt the blue team knew what they were doing. In the red kitchen, Jen had to coach Julia, as she was worried due to the latter's lack of fine-dining knowledge. Thirty minutes left, both teams felt the pressure as Josh continued to coach Melissa on her dish. Eventually, both teams completed their dishes and plated them up. Rock wanted the blue team to win so they could build some momentum.
The first round had Bonnie against Melissa in the battle of the salads. Bonnie's dish was a grilled lobster salad with baked apples, which Ramsay noted was pretty ambitious grilling the lobster. Bonnie knew it was the first time in a while she could show Ramsay what she could make and was nervous. Still, Ramsay told her the dish was nice and praised her for taking the risk. As for Melissa's citrus herbed salad with poached lobster, Ramsay liked the citrus taste but was disappointed because the lobster was not cooked properly. The red team won that round, and they led 1-0. The next round was Julia against Rock. Julia presented her lobster risotto, saying that she used the regular recipe and added in the lobster. While Ramsay liked how the lobster was tender, he called the risotto boring as he expected a little more excitement. Rock's dish was a buttermilk fried lobster tail tempura, and Ramsay praised it for its ambition and being perfectly cooked. Rock scored a point for the blue team, tying both teams at one each. The final round was Jen against Brad. Jen's dish was a lobster and crab bisque with thyme, saying that she never made one before. Ramsay enjoyed the bisque and liked how the lobster was not chewy. Brad also created a lobster bisque with Disaronno Chantilly, calling it a modern twist. Ramsay also praised it for having great taste but noted this would be a tough decision. In the end, Ramsay gave the point to Jen, and the red team won the challenge 2-1. Bonnie knew that Ramsay liked their simpler tastes, but Ramsay told Brad it was the hardest decision he had to make so far in the competition.
Scoring[]
| Red Team | Blue Team | ||||
| Chef | Score | Total | Chef | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie | 1 | 1 | Melissa | 0 | 0 |
| Julia | 0 | 1 | Rock | 1 | 1 |
| Jen | 1 | 2 | Brad | 0 | 1 |
| Results | 2-1 | ||||
Reward[]
The red team was taken to a photoshoot for In Touch magazine with Ramsay. That excited Bonnie as the opportunity was too hard to pass. During the reward, Julia liked being out of Hell's Kitchen inside a limo, and at In Touch, the red team got their make-up on. Jen felt they made her beautiful and asked Ramsay if he would fix up his hair. Then, the red team changed into dresses and toasted to the hotties of Hell's Kitchen. After an awkward moment with Rock, Bonnie felt like a rock star, and Julia said that reward gave her a taste of being a supermodel. Lastly, Jen felt like a million bucks.
Punishment[]
The blue team had to participate in Recycling Day, which meant going through the garbage and sorting out the recyclables. The news irked Rock as he never found something worth taking out of the dumpster, but Ramsay said that he would in an hour. However, Rock said he grew up in the ghetto and never had to go dumpster diving. As the blue team cleaned up the kitchen, Brad told the blue team to take their loss with grace, but Rock was furious that they lost what he felt was the stupidest decision in the competition. Seeing Rock flip out shocked Brad as he never saw him that angry as the former claimed that any of the red team's dishes could be bought anywhere. Melissa asked Brad and Josh if Rock always got that mad, but neither said they did not.
Brad knew it would both stink and suck during the punishment as the blue team saw all the trash in front of them as Sous Chef Scott told them what to do. Later, Sous Chef Scott told Rock he was needed at the photoshoot, confusing Jen. However, it turned out that he was forced to separate the trash there as well, which only infuriated him more. Bonnie felt bad for Rock and diverted her eyes from him. When Rock came back, Brad noticed how angrier he was than earlier as the former claimed he would never force his brigade to sort through trash.
Before service[]
The red team returned from their reward and got changed into their chef jackets. Brad decided to leave Rock alone and have his space. Rock managed to calm down and do what he did best. Later that night, both teams got to work on prepping for that night’s service. As this was Melissa's first time working with the blue team in service, Brad made sure she was focused, and Melissa wanted to make a good impression. In the red kitchen, the three women were focused on their work, and Julia wanted to prove they could do service without Melissa. However, Bonnie was a little freaked out because they had more work to do with one less person.
Five minutes before service, Ramsay had both teams lined up and told Bonnie that her grilled lobster salad would be on the menu that night. Even though Bonnie knew the blue team was glaring at her, she knew they were starting to see her skills and called it an honor. Ramsay told the blue team that as the second part of their punishment, they would have to go and grab the lobster from the tank when the orders would come in the kitchen, and Josh volunteered to do it. Also, Ramsay warned Melissa that this was her last chance to make a comeback and told her not to clam up. After, Ramsay told Jean-Philippe to open Hell’s Kitchen.
Dinner service[]
The first order for the red team came in, and Ramsay reminded them that with only three members, they had to move quickly. Josh was sent out to get a lobster for the red kitchen, and he called himself the lobster bitch. In the blue kitchen, Rock told Melissa to lean on the blue team if needed, but he was only concerned with bouncing back. Ramsay noticed that their pot of water was not boiling, and Brad revealed they just put in freshwater five minutes ago, much to Ramsay’s dismay. Josh sent the red team’s lobster to Julia, though she would have preferred it already dead for service. The red team sent up their first order of appetizers out of the kitchen, and Ramsay praised Julia for her scallops. In the blue kitchen, Brad sent up his risotto, but he made too much as three dishes were brought instead of two needed. Ramsay noted that the blue team was not off to a great start and ordered them not to panic. The red kitchen continued to communicate well because of Jen's leadership, and Bonnie knew the latter could lead well on appetizers. Ramsay praised that and felt they were finally communicating normally. While the red team’s customers were happy to get food, the blue kitchen’s customers were still waiting for their food. In the blue kitchen, Melissa's scallops were too thin, and Josh compared them to paper. Ramsay called Melissa a gremlin as everything she touched was screwed and reminded her that this was not the opening night.
One hour into dinner service, the red kitchen managed to push out twenty-eight of their appetizers. Ramsay stated that they had the best start in Hell’s Kitchen so far and urged them not to stop. Jen said it was a rare thing to receive a compliment from Ramsay and took it. However, Bonnie's pan soon caught fire and was uncertain what to do, forcing Ramsay to come in and put the pan in the sink. Then, Ramsay lectured Bonnie on fire safety as she should have stepped back rather than burn the restaurant down. Josh prepared the mashed potatoes in the blue kitchen, but they turned out to be runny as he did not put enough salt into them. Rock accused Josh of being scattered, and an angry Ramsay compared the blue team to a bunch of babies. In the red kitchen, the red team’s fast momentum continued as Jen and Bonnie were getting praise for their dishes. The red diners enjoyed their entrees, and Sous Chef Mary-Ann urged them to keep it up. In the blue kitchen, Brad sent up another order of risotto, but it turned out to be overcooked. Ramsay brought Brad to the front and whispered that it had been his worst service yet. Brad agreed with Ramsay but felt Melissa screwed him by overcooking the rice earlier.
An hour and a half into service, and the red team continued to pull ahead on entrées. Julia soon got confused about the sea bass order and panicked, but Ramsay reminded her it was waiting at her station. When Julia looked unresponsive, Ramsay asked if she wanted to leave, but she retorted that she wanted to stay. Julia knew Ramsay was trying to make her better but argued that it was not helping. In the blue kitchen, Melissa brought up her monkfish, but it was overcooked. Ramsay was angrier that Melissa did not notice it when everyone else knew it was overcooked while also saying that it looks like regurgitated dog shit. Rock saw how nervous Melissa was and said that pressure burst pipes. Things got even worse when Melissa revealed that she only had one more monkfish left, which meant that none of the six on order would be sent out. A desperate Ramsay had Rock move from the garnish station over to the fish station, hoping that he could save the blue team’s disastrous service, forcing Melissa on the garnish station. However, Melissa refused to give up as she made it too far as Ramsay was unwilling to do the same. Meanwhile, the red team got to work on their last two tickets, but an argument between Bonnie and Julia over Bonnie’s meat erupted. Bonnie felt Julia's inexperience was starting to catch up, and the latter broke down in tears over the stress. Julia hated to mess up and tried to pick herself up. Melissa said they were running out of mashed potatoes in the blue kitchen, and no one knew where to find more. Adding to Ramsay's stress was Jean-Philippe bringing back an entire table of six entrées for being overcooked. After sarcastically thanking Melissa for the overcooked monkfish, Ramsay sarcastically thanked Josh for the gloopy mashed potatoes and Brad for being a twat. So, Ramsay shut down the kitchens.
Post-mortem[]
After dinner service, Ramsay bluntly told the blue team that a team that had two Sous Chefs, an Executive Chef, and a Line Chef lost to a team that had a Nanny, a Short Order Cook, and a Pastry Chef. Also, Ramsay reminded Josh that he was the only chef who still did not have a decent service and told Brad that this service was his worst yet. Brad deemed it the worst service in his life, and Rock felt there was a lot of pressure in the blue team and not all of them could handle it. Ramsay ordered the blue team to come up with two nominations for elimination.
During deliberation, Rock asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for elimination, but Melissa knew she did the worst. Despite that, Melissa did not want to go home as it was her first night on the blue team. Brad asked Rock if they were basing it on that night only, which would mean himself and Melissa, or on overall, which would mean Melissa and Josh. Brad did not think he should be nominated for one bad night, while Melissa knew she was going up no matter what. The blue team agreed to go with the overall choice, which meant Josh would be nominated with Melissa. However, Josh did not think he had one bad service, and if he were nominated with Melissa, Ramsay would have a hard time picking the worst of the two.
Elimination[]
When the blue team was lined up for elimination and Ramsay asked them if their decision was difficult, the team answered that it was, with Rock shaking his head in disagreement. Tired of the nonsense, Ramsay called Melissa down without asking for the nominees, eliminating her for her worsening performances, not improving since her transfer to the blue team, and running out of chances. During her exit interview, Melissa admitted to being the worst chef in the blue team that night and knew Ramsay sent her home for wasting her second chance. However, Rock was not surprised that Ramsay did that as it was an obvious choice.
After Melissa's elimination, Ramsay declared he was not done yet and called Brad and Josh down. During their pleas, Ramsay criticized Josh's consistent poor performances and asked why he should stay. Josh thought he improved in every service and wanted to keep fighting. Then, Ramsay told Brad that his performance was worse than shit and that he complimented shit. Brad admitted that he was humiliated by his performance, but when he made excuses over his performance, Ramsay cut him off. Despite Ramsay’s disappointment in both of them, he gave them another chance and ordered them to get back in line. With both teams equal to three now, Ramsay dismissed the chefs for the night.
Josh felt he deserved to stay in Hell's Kitchen and put his game face on, while Brad knew he had to win with his actions. Julia was shocked that she was still here despite her limited education, while Bonnie thought the women were more prepared than the men.
Ramsay's comment: "That was really difficult today because Brad and Josh were absolutely horrible. With Melissa, she's very assertive, and she sounds like a leader. But unfortunately, she doesn't cook like a leader."
Trivia[]
- This marks the first time a chef failed to make black jackets after switching teams.
- With Melissa's elimination, she set the record for shortest tenure in a new team, with only one completed dinner service.
- This episode marks the second time that Chef Ramsay handpicked his own nominees after Episode 108 - Day 8.
| Hell's Kitchen Season 3 Episodes |
|---|
| 12 Chefs Compete • 11 Chefs Compete • 10 Chefs Compete • 8 Chefs Compete • 7 Chefs Compete • 7 Chefs Compete (Again) • 6 Chefs Compete • 5 Chefs Compete • 3 Chefs Compete • 2 Chefs Compete • Winner Announced |