The tenth episode of Season 7 of Hell's Kitchen aired on FOX on July 6, 2010, airing as a double feature alongside the ninth episode. In that episode, lobster was the main ingredient, a dinner service with a strict time limit took place, an emotional meltdown happened, and the chefs celebrated at elimination.
Intro[]
After Ramsay urged Autumn to prove herself and show what she had as it was her last chance, the chefs were dismissed. While going back to the dorms, Autumn was crying in relief, was comforted by her new teammates, who welcomed her back. She declared that she was very overwhelmed to have another chance. Also, Holli acknowledged that having Autumn back in the red team would make them strong and win.
On the patio, Autumn was excited to be back in the red team, and Benjamin considered her a big step forward for the red team as they went from Fran to her. Also, he thought that the blue team would find her departure tough and added that he would shoot himself in the head if they would lose again, but Holli reassured him that they got rid of the mistakes.
Team challenge[]
The following day, the chefs went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the 10-Pound Lobster Challenge by revealing two of them to both teams. Jay said that to get one of them, somebody would have to go scuba diving or go to a local aquarium. Jason was called down to grab the blue team's lobster, which was jokingly named Salvatore. Nilka grabbed the red team's lobster, which was jokingly named Siobhan. She kissed it and declared that she was excited about that challenge as she knew how to cook lobster. Each chef had 45 minutes to prepare a stunning and creative lobster dish using the 10-pound lobster.
In the blue kitchen, Jay wanted to work with the knuckles, Ed wanted the tail and the claws, and Jason wanted the shell of the tail. Also, Jason knew Ed and Jay thought he was one of the weaker chefs while being determined to emerge and poached the lobster. In the red kitchen, both Benjamin and Nilka wanted to work with the tail. Ed started to grill his tail in the blue kitchen, which scared Jay as it was already poached, with Jason thinking it was indeed a little bit rubbery. Also, Jay was extremely confident in his dish, which made Ed think that Jay thought he knew more than everybody but did not want to be bothered by that as he knew that most people who were talking like that were failing. In the red kitchen, Benjamin tried to split the tail between himself and Nilka, but he ripped it, and she was dismayed as she was left with a tiny part which she did not know what she would do with. Eventually, everybody cooked and plated their dishes in time.
Because the red team had one more member than the blue team, they had to drop one dish. After tasting all of them, Nilka volunteered as she was not satisfied with her dish. Still, she was angry about it as she wanted to prove herself and show what she could do. When Ramsay asked what she made, she answered that she made a potato purée lobster, and he told the red team they made the right decision as it sounded disgusting. For the judging, Michelin-star chefs Josiah Citrin, Michael Cimarusti, and David LeFevre were invited as guest judges. When they were introduced, Benjamin felt it was an honor as he wanted to have Michelin stars himself since he was 18-years-old. Jay was very excited but scared at the same time. On the first round, Holli presented her butter-poached lobster with ginger-lobster sauce and a fennel salad. She was very nervous as she did not know how the chefs would react. LeFevre deemed her dish a good combination of all the ingredients. After, Ed served his poached and grilled lobster tail with ginger purée, which was deemed too chewy and rubbery by LeFevre, despite being well-seasoned. Holli won the round over Ed, and the red team led 1-0, which made Autumn think that Holli could emerge as great potential to be strong in the competition. On the second round, Cimarusti judged Autumn and Jason's dishes. When the latter lifted his dome, he was shocked by the huge portion size, which Jay compared to a salad bar with meatloaf on top. Jason explained that it was not a single-person portion and that because he was a huge guy, he just wanted to eat when he felt hungry. He presented his lobster tail containing a saffron polenta with water spinach, rainbow carrots and asparagus, which was criticized for not having many good flavors, but the lobster was praised for not tasting bad. Autumn served her lobster stir fry with cilantro and basil, which was criticized for not being very refined. All the other flavors overpower the lobster. Jason won the round over Autumn, tying the score at 1. In the last round, Citrin judged Benjamin and Jay's dishes. Benjamin presented his poached lobster tail with parsnip purée, which was criticized for the sloppy presentation and not having a lot of finesse. Benjamin acknowledged that he rushed and thought he was screwed because Jay's dish was immaculate. After, the latter served his lobster knuckle and black truffle cappuccino with brioche and caviar, but when he started to explain how to eat it, Ramsay interrupted him by saying that he did not need to tell a chef how to eat. Citrin criticized the dish for being too classical and for having raw lobster, and neither of them won the round, keeping the score a tie at 1. Holli was shocked because Benjamin and Jay were two of the strongest chefs at that point and thought they would have killed it. To break the tie, Ramsay deemed Holli's dish the best overall, and the red team won the challenge, making her very proud of herself as she kicked ass.
Scoring[]
| Red Team | Blue Team | ||||
| Chef | Score | Total | Chef | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holli | 1 | 1 | Ed | 0 | 0 |
| Autumn | 0 | 1 | Jason | 1 | 1 |
| Benjamin | 0 | 1 | Jay | 0 | 1 |
| Results | 1*-1 | ||||
- * Best dish named by Ramsay broke the tie in the challenge and won it for their team.
Reward[]
The red team was rewarded with a caviar tasting experience at the Petrossian Paris and a $1000 shopping spree at Kitson. Autumn was very excited, believed that nobody else had better luck with switching teams than herself, called herself a good luck charm. In the dorms, Benjamin congratulated Holli while she punched the balloon.
While going into the limousine, everybody was excited, Holli was thrilled as it was an experience of a lifetime and concluded by declaring that she loved winning. During the ride, the women cheered and screamed by the window. Arriving at Petrossian Paris, they were greeted by Chef Alexandre Petrossian and Jean-Philippe, and Holli was infatuated by Petrossian as she found him adorable. When Petrossian gave instructions on how to taste caviar and champagne, Holli started to flirt with him. She did not know if caviar was an aphrodisiac but was locked inside the dorms for a long time that she did not need one. Then, Autumn declared that caviar was one of her favorite foods and compared it to the wine tasting reward a couple of weeks before. Also, Nilka revealed that she never tasted caviar before and was very excited to taste some like that with some champagne, saying it was beautiful.
After the caviar tasting, they went to the Kitson, where they tried many different new clothes, and Autumn was excited as they could try anything they wanted. Also, Nilka called it priceless while wandering around in golden pants. Benjamin wanted to buy something for his wife while adding that it was nice to spend Ramsay's money.
Punishment[]
The blue team was punished by cleaning the dorms while wearing housewife outfits and prepping both kitchens for the next service. When Jason learned the red team's reward, he was very disappointed as he loved shopping, even to the point that his wife did not like to shop with him as it was a problem. On the patio, Jay was very disappointed to have lost as he thought his dish was good enough to be awarded a point. Ed was annoyed because Jay thought he knew too much and that it might not be a good thing. Jason reminded Jay that he told the chefs were always right, but Jay retorted that he did not like to lose when he did not deserve it.
When the men received their housewife outfits from Sous Chef Scott, Jay declared it the worst part of the punishment. While cleaning, the men joked around, with Jason calling Jay "honey," and Ed stated there was a reason why nobody wanted to lose challenges. Also, he said that cleaning the toilets was pretty nasty, and Jason jokingly called themselves Hell's Kitchen chef maid service while stating that it sucked.
When they finished cleaning the dorms, the men went down to the red kitchen to begin prepping, but Jay was scared as they were behind schedule and added that it was the worst punishment ever. In the red kitchen, Sous Chef Scott clearly ordered the men to prep the red kitchen before starting their own, making Ed scared as there were only three of them to prep an entire kitchen.
Before service[]
When the red team came back from their reward, the blue team was still prepping the red kitchen. When Holli greeted Jay, the latter became infatuated by her, saying that she could talk his pants off at any moment, without alcohol necessary. Fifteen minutes before service, the red team changed, went to their kitchen. When Holli asked Jason if anything was prepped in the blue kitchen, he answered that nothing was. Jay thought they were screwed as Ed and Jason started to prep the blue kitchen. Ed was worried because they did not have enough time to prep everything before the service would begin while calling it nuts.
When both teams lined up, Ramsay announced that the previous two services were disappointing before revealing that both teams would cook in the red kitchen together. That relieved Jay as he claimed that three people cooking in an unprepared kitchen would have been detrimental to his well-being. Ramsay added that it would be helpful to show who would emerge as leaders, and Autumn knew that the pressure was on. After revealing that the customers would go to the movie theater when the service would be over, Ramsay announced a time limit of two and a half hours to complete the service. Also, because Holli's dish during the challenge was the best, she was dedicated to serving caviar tableside. Finally, Ramsay asked Jean-Philippe to open Hell's Kitchen.
Dinner service[]
When the first ticket was called, Autumn allowed Nilka to drop her scallops, and the latter was excited and eager to show Ramsay what she was made of on the fish station. However, her scallops were raw, and Nilka was ordered to put them back in the pan, while Ramsay urged her to wake up despite her saying that she was already. In the dining room, Holli was already having fun with the customers while serving her caviar. Ramsay asked for the salad in the kitchen, but Autumn wanted to wait until Nilka was ready, much to his frustration. He told Autumn that it was not her problem if Nilka was not ready. Still, Autumn said she wanted to be timed with Nilka as best as possible for not backing up somebody or being backed up. Then, Ramsay asked for the beetroot, which Autumn served immediately, and it was accepted.
Thirty minutes into service, the appetizers were served at a good pace, with customers being satisfied, and Jason sent his Wellingtons, which were cooked perfectly. However, when Nilka sent her turbot, it was raw, much to Ramsay's dismay. Instead of putting it back in the pan as Ramsay expected, Nilka threw it on the floor, making Ramsay believe she gave up. Then, Nilka started to be nervous despite Jay trying to comfort her. She said that she did not want to go home, and Jason acknowledged that she was not herself but did not lose faith in her as he knew she was a good cook.
One hour into service, customers started to lose their patience because the entrées were not coming. Jason was ready to send his meat to the pass in the kitchen, but Nilka was not ready with her lobster yet. Then, Nilka went to the convection oven to grab her lobster but dropped the metal plate on the floor, with Ramsay thinking one more time that she gave up. He urged her not to give up, Nilka convinced him that she was not while knowing that she was messing up. Autumn acknowledged that Nilka was the only person that was not moving forward with everybody else. When Nilka sent her lobster to the pass, it was rejected as she sent the wrong sauce with it. Nilka was pulled into the pantry room, where Ramsay asked her why she could not come back. Nilka tearfully answered that she was mad at herself as she did not come to the competition to lose. Then, Ramsay urged her to get a grip and threatened her with elimination if she would not, which she acknowledged he was right. She returned to her station, was comforted by Benjamin, and Autumn knew that the best thing to do when in the weeds was to calm down and get it together. Also, Jay felt bad for Nilka as she crumbled, went to help her on the fish, and Nilka told him that she was furious at herself. When Ramsay asked for the scallops, she gave thirty seconds, Jay reassured her by saying that she just had to communicate. When she sent her scallops, they were accepted. After Ramsay asked Ed for the asparagus, he said it was coming, but a minor fire erupted in one of his pans, which made Ramsay telling him to look inside them. Ed started to panic, Ramsay told him that his pans were cracking because the asparagus was burned. Jason thought Ed was not as hungry for the Savoy as he was diving a couple of previous services. Then, Ed was pulled aside by Ramsay, who told him to have finesse, and he said he would rather be yelled at for burning pans than for not sending food out. Ramsay urged everybody not to drop the standards because they were under pressure. Another fire erupted on the garnish station, with Ed still panicking.
In the dining room, a fat customer started to lose his patience and demand his food. In the kitchen, Jason was urged to take the lead and to call out the ticket by Ramsay, so all of his meat would be ready at the same time. Ramsay added that he was too silent. Jason was ordered to communicate more. He acknowledged that Ramsay pushed him because the latter knew he could emerge as a leader. Jason sent his Wellingtons to the pass, they were perfectly cooked, and entrées were being served to some delighted customers. Ramsay called the following ticket, but Nilka was still very nervous, started to panic, and ran into one of her containers. Jay tried to calm her down by telling her to take a deep breath and focus, but when Ramsay asked for the turbot, she was not ready yet, and Jay told her not to flip it as it did not have enough colors. When Ramsay asked for the turbot one more time, Jay gave thirty more seconds, but Nilka was still not sure how much time she would need and had trouble communicating with Jay. Ed said that despite him wanting to help Nilka, she had to step up and bounce back herself. When Nilka sent her lobster to the pass, she was hesitating to put it down, so Ramsay grabbed the tray from her hands. When Nilka returned to her station, she started to panic more, pushed everybody trying to help her away, and Benjamin called her a mess and crazy.
Automatic elimination[]
Then, the lobster that Nilka sent was rejected for being raw. When Nilka tried to convince that she just took it out of the pan, Ramsay was fed up, and she was eliminated on the spot. After Benjamin was relocated to the fish station, Ramsay aggressively told Nilka to get out, and Autumn knew he was outraged. He followed Nilka to the back hallway to order her to take her jacket off and get out. Nilka begged him not to say that, and Jason knew that she sank at the bottom of the ocean after being hit by many torpedoes. Then, Nilka tried to convince Ramsay not to eliminate her and smashed a sign on the floor. The remaining chefs were working on the next ticket in the kitchen when Nilka returned to the kitchen to convince Ramsay to stay, much to his annoyance. Ramsay reminded Nilka that they were in the middle of service and to take her jacket off. Still, she refused to leave by saying that winning the competition was her destiny and all she wanted. Ramsay was annoyed by Nilka's presence in the kitchen when she tried to jump back on her station. Ed reminded her that she had to get the hell out of there after being told to. When Ramsay called the next ticket, Nilka tried to cook, but Ramsay aggressively ordered her to get out, and she refused once again as she just wanted to cook. Ramsay was tired and asked Benjamin to get Nilka out for him. Benjamin did, and Jay acknowledged hurricane Nilka was having a category five meltdown. Nilka reluctantly stepped out of the kitchen while saying that she did not want to leave and was told by Benjamin and Ramsay to get out. Finally, she added that she gave her whole life for that, that it hurt to be kicked out like that, and that she was mad about going down like that.
Nilka finally accepted her elimination two hours into service and went to the dorms to pack her bags. The remaining chefs were working on the last ticket in the kitchen, with Ed acknowledging that everything was perfect without Nilka in the kitchen. Everybody rallied to send out the last table, Holli served the desserts, and Ramsay was happy as the customers would enjoy the movie theater in peace.
Post-mortem[]
While the customers were leaving the restaurant for the movie theater, Nilka was still packing her bags in the dorms and said she did not want to go home as she came in the competition for a reason. She left by the delivery dock with her bags, and Ramsay was waiting for her beside the taxi cab. He told Nilka to keep her head up high and continue to follow her dream outside of the competition, which she answered that she was just mad at herself because she thought she was ready for the job at the Savoy. After, Ramsay reminded her that she did well and thanked her for her great overall performance before they hugged. Ramsay concluded by requesting her jacket, and Nilka entered the cab while he reminded her to keep her head up high.
When both teams lined up, Ramsay congratulated them for having their best service at that point and revealed that they succeeded in serving all the customers in two hours and fifteen minutes. He reminded Ed that despite his shaky start, he fought back. Also, Ramsay told Jason that all of his meat were cooked perfectly and he led for the first time since the beginning of the competition. Both teams were named joint-winners, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination together.
Back in the dorms, Autumn declared that Nilka's elimination was sad to see, that it sucked to nominate somebody after a great service like that, and Jason considered Ed and Autumn. Ed did not agree as he got in the weeds for being alone on garnish and thought that he should stay fighting back and intimate some people. After, Jay considered Autumn for her overall performance. She considered Ed and Jason for that reason, which Benjamin agreed with. Jason asked why he should be nominated; Autumn answered that one ticket from him dragged, to which he disagreed. Jason started to lose his temper, thinking that whatever he would do, people would still be on his back like if he would be the easy target. Everybody was stuck on who to nominate, and Jay added that if Nilka were still there, it would have been a no-brainer.
Elimination[]
Benjamin announced Ed as the first nominee and Autumn as the second. During their pleas, Ed said he would not give up and keep fighting back. Still, Ramsay reminded Ed that he was standing in front of two pans that were close to having holes in them without realizing it. Autumn reminded that she had a good service and bounced back, but Ramsay wondered if it was too late. After deliberation, Ramsay asked Ed to take off his jacket, but he received the first black jacket, and Autumn received the second one. Then, Holli received the third one, Jason received the fourth one, Benjamin received the fifth one, and Jay received the last one.
After all of them went back in line wearing their black jackets, Ramsay reminded them that the challenges would get harder and the competition would get more fierce before dismissing them. While being dismissed, Autumn told it was time to bring up the claws. Jason promised he would win despite being labelled as underestimated. Jay declared that he would strive for perfection as one bad service could mean everything at that point. Finally, Nilka received the coat hanging and burning picture sequence.
Ramsay's comment: "Tonight was the best service we've had in Hell's Kitchen, and that's why I rewarded the final six. Now, only the best chefs remain, Nilka was clearly out of her depth."
Trivia[]
- This marks the only time to date where a team has never won a single dinner service, excluding joint-victories. This also makes Holli the only chef to date that made it to black jackets without winning a service, again excluding joint-victories.
- This is the only time both teams cooked in one kitchen deliberately.
- This episode marks the second season both teams won the dinner service a second time, following Season 4.
- This marks the first of three times Ramsay gave out black jackets in a faux-elimination.
- This marks the first time Ramsay eliminated a red chef in the middle of service. This also marks the third consecutive season he had done so, two were done in Season 5 and one was done in Season 6. In this case, Nilka is the only contestant to this date who met Ramsay after being eliminated during service at the loading dock.