Suvechha Sarkar
The stakes continue to rise in the fiery culinary battlefield of season 24 of Fox’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ under the unrelenting gaze and judgment of chef Gordon Ramsay. After the elimination of Bradley in last week’s intense episode, both teams reel from the wake-up call’s impact. In episode 6, titled ‘Hell’s Chicken,’ the Blue Team becomes aware that it’s time to redeem itself after a string of poor performances. To prove that, cooking perfectly elevated fried chicken and maintaining a seamless dinner service may pave the path for them to avoid elimination.
Contestants Face the Next Big Challenge to Elevate the Classic Fried Chicken
The episode begins as both the Blue and Red Teams make their way to their dorms. While Jon notes that the morale of their team isn’t broken, Jayden declares that they need to bounce back. The morning eventually rolls in after the competitors finish their conversation about the Hell’s Kitchen dance party. As they gather before Gordon, he introduces them to a talented young boy named Caleb Z. Once Caleb begins playing a simple tune, the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra joins in, elevating the same melody. The judge explains that the concept of elevation always happens in the culinary industry. Today, he wants the contestants to use their creativity to elevate the idea of fried chicken. As the 45 minutes on the clock begin ticking, they rush to their stations to start preparing their dishes.
While Henry expresses confidence in making the dish, Chris reveals that he is making Korean fried chicken, which he has never made before. Meanwhile, Anaiya overhears Cara Marie explaining her preparation to the sous chef and observes that there is always too much going on in her opponent’s plate. On the other hand, Jon is making a roulade. Although he has never cooked it before, he is taking the risk. With just 17 minutes remaining, Lisa discloses that her mother is Cuban, which is why she is thinking of doing something different with coffee. In the final 5 minutes, Anthony observes Jon and notes cooking roulade in 45 minutes is pretty tricky, but if his competitor manages to do it, it will be “bada**.” As the last few seconds tick away, each one of them rushes to finish plating their dishes.
With the time for tasting their dishes finally arriving, Gordon introduces everyone to Joe Guith, the CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken. He will taste each dish from both teams and mark them on a scale of one to five. The tasting begins with Jon, who has prepared fried chicken roulade. Joe gives him two points, mentioning that the dish lacks creativity and the chicken is dry. Next up is Ellie, and sadly, Joe finds that her chicken doesn’t pop like he wanted it to. He also mentions that the visuals are poor, leading her to receive two points as well. During Anthony’s turn, he divulges that he has actually opened a fried chicken restaurant in upstate New York, but he is nervous because Joe is a stern critic. Joe compliments the cooking of the chicken but states that the visuals are more interesting than the flavors, and gives him three points.
The Tasting Ends With Lisa’s Risky Dish Securing Victory For the Red Team
The tasting continues with Alexandra receiving two points and Antonio earning a three with his Asian-infused fried chicken. Although the Red Team showcases their expertise with Anaiya getting four points, the Blue Team tags along as Joe provides Jayden with three points. The critic next praises Jada’s chicken but points out that the sauce is a little overpowering, leading to three points. Following her is Henry, who succeeds in gaining four points. It is now Cara Marie’s turn, and she is confident about her preparation. Unfortunately, Joe finds that her plate doesn’t meet the mark in terms of presentation and execution, leading her to get only a point. The remaining person from the Blue Team is Chris. Since his team is leading with only one round to go, he can get the victory for his team with a score of three or better.
Upon tasting Chris’ dish, Joe mentions that there is no lack of effort. However, he discovers that the competitor’s chicken is undercooked and therefore gives only one point. The Red Team now needs Lisa to get four points to tie and five points to win. It makes her nervous because, unlike everyone, she hasn’t used any breading. Fortunately, Joe is impressed by her dish and compliments her bold decision. She receives five points, which makes her team the winner of the challenge. Joe then invites the Red Team to Atlanta with all expenses paid, to collaborate on some of the significant innovations that keep Church’s Texas Chicken a relevant brand. Once Joe bids everyone goodbye, Gordon announces that, in addition to this trip, they are also going ziplining.
Furthermore, the Red Team will enjoy a delicious and relaxing lunch at Foxwoods Resort Casino. On the contrary, the punishment for the Blue Team is to clean the chicken, following which they must also French the lambs. The judge then asks Chris if he wishes to use his Punishment Pass and swap places with someone from the other team. However, he decides to remain beside his team and take the punishment. As everyone returns to the dorm, Ellie becomes upset because she underestimated the immense pressure. Thankfully, Cydni reassures her, only proving that they have got each other’s backs. The focus now shifts to the Red Team, who move on with zip-lining and their lunch, while the Blue Team goes on to carry out the punishment. After all is said and done, both teams return to their respective dorms.
A Star-studded Dinner Service Quickly Spirals Into Chaos as Teamwork Falters
As the dinner service approaches, each team returns to the kitchen once again. Tonight, the prominent figure dining at the Blue Kitchen is Buddy Valastro from The Cake Boss and his two sons, Buddy Jr. and Carlo. Meanwhile, the Red Kitchen is graced with the presence of Teresa Giudice from ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey.’ After the service begins, Jada opens up in her confessional that she feels great about being on a station with Anaiya. She believes that if both of them are placed in the same environment, they can easily excel. Cara Marie also observes the same, noting that they are a good team. In the Blue Kitchen, as the entrées flow out, Gordon urges the guys to greet their guests. Shortly after, the focus shifts to the other kitchen, where Alexandra notes that she thinks Ellie is a micromanager and doesn’t trust her.
In her confessional, Alexandra states that Ellie should stand on her side of the station. In the meantime, Jon divulges that tonight he has taken the lead on the fish station, while Antonio wants to take on a more supporting role. As Jon sends out the scallops for serving, Gordon calls him out, telling him that they are overcooked. It prompts Antonio to note that he would prefer to be at the station alone. The judge then sends the scallops back for refiring, but once again, Gordon finds them to be overcooked. Finally, on the third attempt, Jon succeeds in sending out the scallops. The Red Team begins serving the entrées, and Lisa is responsible for preparing their garnish. However, she is getting flustered amid all the chaos.
As Cara Marie watches Lisa, she grows concerned and remarks that it is Lisa’s first night on the garnish, and it is a lot to manage if one is not organized. Gordon gradually grows impatient as he sees that the garnish is holding back the tickets. He gathers the Red Team and asks them to address their weakest link, which is the garnish station, and to communicate more effectively with one another. Over in the Blue Kitchen, Jon works to keep the fish station afloat, but Anthony notices that there is no communication from Antonio’s side. Within a few minutes, Gordon calls their team to the front because the salmon that is put out for service is overcooked. While Jon hurries to rectify the mistake, he reveals that Antonio is not taking ownership of his actions. Despite the early setbacks, both teams continue their service confidently.
A Perfectly Executed Wellington Secures the Red Team’s Triumph in the Dinner Service
With the dinner service coming to a close, Gordon announces to both teams that they are at the same point. So, the first ones to finish will be tonight’s winner. This makes Ellie concerned because their last ticket contains Wellington, which takes time to prepare. Meanwhile, Jayden brings forth the two Wellingtons of his team, but Gordon quickly points out that both of them are raw. As the judge sends it back, the spotlight is on the Red Kitchen, where Jada hopes that their meat station can pull through. However, it is now in Cydni’s hands, who is in charge of the Wellingtons, which are now in the oven. When she finally presents the dish before the judge, he finds it to be perfect, leading the Red Team to finish their service first and bag the win. Since she panicked during the service, Cydni retreats to the back of the kitchen to take a breather.
Cydni discloses that she has always wanted to be a chef, but she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 12. She never thought she would come this far and expresses that she strives to grow every single day. As the dinner service concludes, the Blue Team learns from their sous chef that Gordon has asked them to nominate two competitors whom the team can do without. Once the team returns to their dorm, everyone notes that they do not want anyone to go home. Upon discussing further, Anthony points out that Jon and Jayden should be the ones to be put up for elimination. Jon tries to explain that tonight he received no help from Antonio. Ultimately, the Red Team takes its place on the sidelines, having won the dinner service. Without wasting any time, Gordon asks Henry from the Blue Team standing before him for the nominees.
Gordon Ends the Night by Sending Antonio Home For Failing to Communicate
Henry declares that the first person to be nominated from the Blue Team is Jon because he lacked a clear and defined voice at the beginning, and the shaky start set the tone for the fish station. The second nominee is Antonio, who was on the station with Jon because there was a lack of a defined leader-follower support role, which eventually snowballed. After Gordon asks both the nominees to step forward, he bluntly states that the fish station was a significant issue tonight. Upon being asked, Antonio explains that he and Jon didn’t communicate properly at the beginning. However, the judge refuses to believe it because they were standing next to each other in the kitchen.
Gordon doesn’t spare a second before instructing both of them to explain why they should stay in the competition. Antonio insists that he wants to show the judge he belongs here and has so much more to give. He adds that he needs to stay focused and communicate more effectively with his team. On the other hand, Jon asserts that he is focused on improving every day, which demonstrates his commitment to Hell’s Kitchen. After much contemplation, Gordon reveals that the person getting eliminated is Antonio. The judge elaborates that he is looking for a leader and not someone who disappears in the middle of service.
In his exit interview, Antonio acknowledges that although communication is crucial in the competition, he didn’t do so effectively tonight. Despite being disappointed, he is content to have utilized his full potential. A twist arrives soon after as Gordon asks Jada to step forward and take off her chef’s jacket. Putting an end to the rising tension, Gordon announces that she will join the Blue Team to even up the number of competitors. He explains that the Blue Team needs a leader and asks Jada to take charge. The judge’s request for Jada to make her presence known comes across to her as a compliment. However, Anaiya is upset since Jada is her partner and she is being sent to another team.
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