Suvechha Sarkar
The flames are higher inside season 24 of Fox’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ where ambition, pressure, and passion collide under the watchful eyes of the one and only Chef Gordon Ramsay. In the previous episode, Carlos and Maddy bid goodbye to the competition. For the remaining contestants, the challenge continues in episode 3, titled ‘The Heat Is Coming to Hell’s Kitchen.’ Each of them gets the chance to take one step forward to the once-in-a-lifetime prize: a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay’s prestigious restaurant and a $250,000 cash reward.
Following the Eliminations, the Chefs Face a Speed Breakfast Challenge
After the night’s eliminations, the contestants make their way to their dorms. Chase admits that tonight was rough, and although he has made many mistakes, he feels ready for the new day. As the guys continue discussing their first service, the focus shifts to the girls’ dorm, where they are busy discussing their experiences. Alexandra feels happy since she is surrounded by female chefs, which is unusual. She is content that everyone is bonding after a tough day. As the next morning rolls in, Chase approaches Bradley and reveals that he is unsure if he can continue in the competition because it’s becoming increasingly difficult. In his confessional, Bradley states that he will keep going since he has overcome so much in his life. He also hopes to lift his teammates and keep them on the same track.
So, Bradley asks Chase to focus on things that motivate him and to keep his head up. Both the Blue and Red Teams are summoned outside, where Gordon meets them with numerous law enforcement officers. It turns out that this morning, they are hosting a special breakfast service for Connecticut’s finest police officers. For the Speed Breakfast Challenge, the teams are tasked to serve them. The diners have the choices of steak and eggs, lobster benedict, a Monte Cristo breakfast sandwich, and sticky toffee waffles for their entrée. The first team to serve all their tables wins the challenge. The contestants rush into their respective kitchens to prepare the orders for each table. Jayden is making the eggs, and he feels confident due to his experience in preparing them.
When Jayden places two plates of eggs before Gordon for serving, Gordon swiftly points out that while one of them is fluffy, the other is overcooked. However, Jayden doesn’t take much time to rectify it and earn praise from the judge. Meanwhile, in the Red Kitchen, Ellie discloses that she has worked in Las Vegas on the Strip for a few years, cooking brunches for 400-500 people. So, she feels it will be easy for her. On the other hand, Cat feels her confidence is lacking, but she is pushing herself. Soon, a hiccup arises as Gordon calls out the team to remark that the lobster Cat has prepared is undercooked. As Cat takes the helm back, the spotlight is now on the Blue Kitchen, where Jon is making the waffles. He is confident because it was his signature dish at the beginning of the competition.
Chase Exits the Competition Despite a Well-Earned Win of the Blue Team
With each team now in rhythm, both the Blue and Red Teams are neck and neck in speed. During the serving of the final table of the Red Kitchen, Cara Marie faces scrutiny as she presents almost raw steak before Gordon. Although she takes it back to cook it properly, she still fails to prepare it medium rare. It prompts Gordon to order the Red Team to switch stations with Cara Marie. The pressure rises as both teams race to finish serving their last table. Ultimately, the Blue Team finishes first and wins the challenge. As everyone gathers before the judge, he congratulates the winners and announces that they will embark on a private, all-access tour to Mystic Aquarium. Moreover, they can move on to enjoy a delicious Italian lunch at Trattoria Amalfi restaurant, where Gordon will also join them.
On the contrary, the Red Team shall reset the dining room and prepare the kitchens ahead of tonight’s service. Despite their win, Chase is worried about the dinner service. He is unable to shake off the feeling that it will be a poor performance for him, like last night. He arrives at Gordon’s office, where he informs the Chef about his anxiety and depression. He opens up about going through a divorce two years back, which took him to a bad mental space. He feels that the pressure is making him spiral. Gordon tells him that he should prioritize his mental health and work on himself. In the end, the judge asks for Chase’s jacket, ending the contestant’s journey on the show. Meanwhile, the guys are enjoying their time at the aquarium.
Jon can’t help but miss his 12-year-old son, Paxton, who is a person with autism and has a passion for the aquarium. The focus then shifts to the Red Team, who are busy arranging the dining room. However, Cara Marie is struggling due to sneezing caused by her allergies from April to July. Her teammates are unhappy about the situation, as they are worried she is sneezing on the plates. In the meantime, Gordon arrives at lunch with the guys, where he tells them that it took him three decades to reach his current position. According to him, learning starts whenever he gets uncomfortable. Upon asking, he also explains that to maintain his work-life balance, he always turns his phone off whenever he is enjoying his personal time.
As the Second Dinner Service Kicks Off, Both Teams Battle Nerves and Pressure
With the dinner service approaching, Elaina is worried about preparing the fish because she faced challenges at the fish station last night. However, she soon leaves the kitchen, declaring that everyone is stressing her out. Gordon comes in right after and instructs her that his salmon is always cooked skin side down. Since Elaina gets to learn from the Chef himself, she now feels highly confident. For the second dinner service at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Gordon has invited two special guests. While the Blue Team is set to serve the Hip Hop legend, Fat Joe, the Red Team will serve the restaurateur, Dara Mirjahangiry. In addition to the classic menu, Gordon has added a duck confit salad with a maple glaze. Henry is chosen from the Blue Team to serve the dish at the table.
Since the Red Team has an extra person, both Lisa and Jada will serve the dish tableside. Both teams get right to work to ensure they serve only the best dishes. In the Blue Kitchen, Chris notes that he needs to start strong so that everyone has a good service. When Gordon gets an undercooked lobster tail, he gathers the Blue Team and asks them to synchronize. With everyone speaking to Bradley at once, he starts to feel overwhelmed during the service. In the Red Kitchen, Cydni is partnered with Elaina, and she is cautious because this station went down during the previous time. However, Anaiya remarks that she believes she is setting a good tone for the kitchen. She admits that she is pretty vocal, probably more than Gordon himself.
Both teams are sending their appetizers out at a steady pace, which allows Gordon to move to the Blue kitchen for the first entrée. Around 45 minutes into the dinner service, Bradley accidentally burns his hand from hot oil and calls for a medic. Fortunately, he returns with burn cream on his hand and resumes cooking. Paul is feeling a little nervous at the meat station and hopes Gordon will realize the competitor knows what he is doing. Thankfully, he earns praise from the judge based on his perfectly medium-rare cooked protein. Meanwhile, Elaina discloses that she has no experience in cooking salmon by placing it skin-side down. When she presents them on the plate, Gordon points out that one of them is raw and the other is overcooked. However, Elaina salvages the situation, getting compliments from the diners.
Communication Breakdowns Lead to a Double Kitchen Shutdown
In the Blue Kitchen, the waiting time for the special guest is getting longer as the guys rush to prepare their entrée. With the dishes finally going out, Gordon comes to the Red Kitchen and teaches Elaina how to cook the fish properly. As he finishes giving his instructions, he catches Alexandra giggling, prompting him to call her out on this action. While the situation cools down as she apologizes, things are not the same for the other team. Anthony declares that everyone should communicate better with him, while Chris asks everyone to “shut up.” Hearing them bickering in the kitchen, Gordon quickly comes in and asks them to show sensibility. Chris agrees that they should all put their egos aside and focus on serving their food. Things soon take a turn when Gordon discovers that one of the plated lambs is still raw after waiting for 21 minutes.
Gordon instructs the Blue Team to leave the kitchen and return with two names they can do without to make them stronger. Similarly, Cat is getting frustrated, noticing that her team’s morale is disintegrating. Shortly after, Gordon gathers the Red Team as well since he finds the Wellington to be overcooked. He bluntly remarks that they are not in sync and are not pushing each other. Just like the Blue Team, he sends them out and asks them to nominate two names for elimination. Back at the dorm, Alexandra points out that the fish prepared by Elaina put the Wellington behind, but Anaiya protests that it is ultimately the Wellington that got them kicked out. So, Anaiya first suggests the names of Elaina and then Alexandra because she laughed before Gordon.
A Dramatic and Fiery Elimination Round Sends Paul and Elaina Home
In the Blue Team’s dorm, John nominates Antonio and Paul, while Jayden goes with Paul and Bradley. However, Bradley feels he shouldn’t be eliminated because he had one slip-up, which he corrected within 30 seconds. Chris also suggests the names of Bradley and Antonio. As both teams stand before Gordon, he first asks Anaiya about the nominees of the Red Team. She explains that the first person is Elaina because her hiccup with the fish affected the end of tonight’s service. The second individual is Alexandra, because the team feels it was disrespectful of her to laugh in Gordon’s face during service. On the other hand, Chris reveals that Paul is the first one, as the lack of communication originated from the meat station, which the latter was responsible for. The second nominee is Antonio, as he was at the same station as Paul.
As the nominees step forward, Alexandra explains that she should stay in Hell’s Kitchen because her team had a communication problem before she started with meat. She feels that everything has fallen on her because some people in the group are ganging up on certain individuals. On the other hand, Elaina says Alexandra should leave because she can’t give a straight answer. She pleads that she deserves to stay because, despite her setback with the salmon, she has bounced back and doesn’t make the same mistake twice. While Antonio remarks that he is passionate and willing to do whatever it takes to be here, Paul notes that he was focused on cooking rather than communicating. He insists he learns from his mistakes and grows stronger each time.
Finally, Gordon announces that Paul is eliminated because he is not ready to be the Head Chef. In his exit interview, Paul confesses that although he knew the competition would be tough, he never expected its intensity to be this high. The judge then sends Alexandra and Antonio back in line, marking them safe from elimination. Gordon tells Elaina that her performance tonight has shown him that she isn’t experienced enough to become his Head Chef, ending her journey in the contest. In her exit interview, she reveals that this is unexpected, as she had rectified her mistakes and feels that Alexandra should be the one to go home. As the Red Team moves towards their dorm, Alexandra insists that Elaina “flipped the bird” first, making her angry. However, Ellie feels that Alexandra is now the team’s villain.
Read More: Hell’s Kitchen Season 24 Episode 2 Recap: Hell on a Halfshell
