24 Hrs to Hell and Back (2018–…): Season 3, Episode 2 - Blend on Main - full transcript

(suspenseful music)

RAMSAY:
I'm Gordon Ramsay,

and I'm back on America's roads

with my culinary command center

heading to nine more
struggling restaurants.

Let's go to the scariest place
in America.

With these businesses
on the brink of collapse...

Just smell that.
This is worse than the plague.

You're lucky you haven't
killed anybody!

I've got to work quickly,

so I'm giving myself
just 24 hours...



(gasping)

To try and save each one
of them.

Did each member of staff
take a turn [bleep] in here?

Oh, my!

It's my third time around
the country,

and even though my advance team

tells them it's
a new renovation show,

people are suspicious.

So I've had to up
my disguise and decoy game.

- Is that you?
- Yeah.

No way!
I couldn't even tell.

So I can get into
these restaurants,

and see what's really going on.

You are [bleep] kidding me!



What I discovered
this time around

is more shocking than ever.

[bleep] hell!

If I have any hope
of saving these restaurants...

I've got too much!

I'll have to go
to hell and back...

(coughs)
in 24 hours.

Well, you just
can't stand there,

and shrug your shoulders!

She's in tears!

♪ ♪

I'm on my way
to the seaside community

of Manasquan, New Jersey.

A very popular
tourist destination,

Manasquan hosts vacationers
looking to relax,

soak up the sun,

and experience some delicious
local cuisine.

Now Blend on Main
sits in a prime location

on Main Street.

Now, this area sees hundreds
of thousands of people

during the summer,
but the local population

isn't blending
into this restaurant

for the rest of the year,

and now storm clouds
have formed.

Owner and head chef, Lou Smith,

has spent the last several years

literally blending
his home and work life

to the point where both
are unrecognizable.

With hurricane force winds
increasing,

the owner needs
to change course quickly

or his restaurant and family
could be swept out to sea.

My name is Lou Smith,

and I am the chef co-owner

of Blend on Main in Manasquan.

Blend on Main was opened
in 2014 to rave reviews.

We did really well,
the town embraced us,

but we've leveled off,

and we've seen
a bit of a decline.

Blend is highly seasonal.

We do really well two months
out of the year,

but there's ten months left,

and you're struggling
to break even.

So I've watched the numbers dip.

We are always
a few bad weeks away

from having to make
really tough decisions.

We might have
to close the doors.

[bleep] frozen again.

TARA: It's hard owning
your own restaurant.

I do everything at...
at Blend except for cooking.

I've been working
with Tara since 1998.

She's been with me
the whole ride.

She's been a wonderful wife,
wonderful mother.

TARA: Having a restaurant
was Lou's dream

for as long as I've known him.

It was not my dream.

Blend means everything to me.

It's the source of income
for my family.

There's so much on the line.

Being a half a million dollars
in debt

is not the easiest thing
to swallow.

I'm here until 10:30,
11:00 p. m. every night

just making sure, you know,

all the I's are dotted
and the T's are crossed.

The pressure is so great,
there's never downtime.

Nobody coming to expo,

just watch us all
[bleep] struggle.

Being married to Lou has been
hard because it's always work.

He's missed birthday parties,
he's missed Christmas Eves.

He definitely misses out on
a lot of things that we do

because he's always working.

TARA: If we wanna have dinner
with daddy,

you know,
we'll have to come here.

It's hard to enjoy each
other's company, honestly.

Ruby, kitchen now,
and stay in here.

Don't bus and [bleep] bring up
food for the rest of the night.

In the middle of service,
it's war,

and if I'm having a bad day,

I'll go at it with everybody.

I can't [bleep] be waiting
for [bleep]!

It's like... it's like you guys
are working against me tonight!

LISA: I've been working with
Chef Lou about ten years.

He'll push you to your
absolute limit and beyond.

Don't go anywhere!
Do not go anywhere!

The [bleep] do you not hear?

When he's angry,
he can become brutal

with some of the comments.

Dude, what are you doing
to me today?

Come on, bro!

Lou's behavior twice caused me
to walk off the line.

LOU: [bleep] two boxes
of [bleep] fillets there!

LISA:
I haven't, I haven't.

It's like our first [bleep]
day, and we're [bleep].

I don't like when
he raises his voice.

Hey, where the [bleep] is Tara?

Lou has definitely made me cry,
even here, you know,

at times in front of
the staff or, you know,

it's mostly when I'm alone
in the shower that I cry.

You're [bleep] kidding me.

There are so many times
I wanted to walk out

and just not come back.

LOU:
I need help in the kitchen!

We're completely capable
of running without Lou.

We all have a great skill set
and a passion for food.

He's got to let go
a little bit and trust.

That's the biggest problem.

LOU:
I desperately need change.

My life can't move
at this speed,

this level, for much longer.

That doesn't go to me.
It goes up front!

- Okay, Chef, okay.
- [bleep]!

LOU: There's a lot at stake
if Blend fails.

RAMSAY: With only 24 hours
to try and save

Blend on Main,

I needed to enter
the eye of the hurricane

to see what is really going on.

So my team told the restaurant
that they were trying out

for a traditional
renovation show.

Whilst they were
being interviewed,

we installed hidden cameras
throughout the restaurant,

and have been recording

secret surveillance footage
ever since.

Unfortunately, my presence
at the Jersey Shore

has been discovered.

So I've decided to send in
my good friend

and fellow chef, James Avery,

undercover as a distraction.

So Lou, this guy,

he's gonna be looking
for Gordon Ramsay, okay?

So the idea is putting you
in disguise as me,

but we'll make it
a bad disguise,

so you become an obvious target.

Meanwhile, I'm on a camera,
rummaging around.

- Yup.
- Divide and conquer.

With two small airports
less than ten miles away

from the restaurant,

we're disguising James
as a ghastly pilot.

I'm gonna take this home
with me.

(rock music)

- (chuckles)
- Wow.

Trust me, tonight
you're gonna stand out.

What about the hair?
Are you okay with that?

It's nice to have hair.

(rock music)

Cameraman James,
ready for action.

And now, it's time to meet
our flight crew.

Hello, Brenda.

- Hey.
- Hey, how are you darling?

- You're ready for Halloween!
- Oh, my Lord.

- Good to see you.
- Oh, man.

- James Avery.
- That's scary.

Gordon Ramsay in disguise,
but the focus is on you three.

This is my decoy, okay?

- Ready for takeoff?
- Absolutely.

Let's go.

With camera in hand,

and my flight crew in focus,

it's time to find out
if James' ridiculous disguise

is as distracting
as we've planned.

Right this way, please.
Watch your step.

(suspenseful music)

♪ ♪

Hi, folks, welcome to Blend.

Is everybody all set to order?

I'm gonna go with the...

- All right.
- The lobster empanada.

- And for you, sir?
- Um, chops.

- Pork chop?
- Yeah, pork chop.

With all the attention
trained on James

and his disguise,

I'm gonna stroll into
the kitchen unnoticed,

and I've been told Lou
already knows that I'm here.

22, pretzel rolls!
Now!

Yes, sir.

Just see what you
just [bleep] said?

- Red bliss or mash, sir?
- COOK: Oh, I'm sorry.

I mean red bliss, yes.
Red bliss.

It's like he's [bleep]
with me today.

For table 12, came in
19 minutes ago, sir.

(groans)

Where is Tara?

If somebody's preventing Tara
to come back here,

I'm gonna be [bleep] pissed off.

Tara, he said if he doesn't see
your face now,

- he's gonna lose it.
- Okay.

All right.

Good, I'm hungry.
Let's go.

- Did you order it well-done?
- Uh, no I did not.

Maybe it's just crispy
on the outside.

No, it's raw.

It's amazing when
they can burn something

and it'd still be
completely raw.

BRENDA: I think we had better
food on the plane.

Yeah, definitely.

RAMSAY: While it looks like
my flight crew

has run into some turbulence,

I'm joining my production team

at a crew meal table,

so I can taste some
of the dishes myself.

RAMSAY:
Now Captain Leatherface James,

right now every customer
in this dining room

and the staff think that is me.

The focus is on his table.

So what a great decoy.

I think our plan has worked.

I mean, seriously?

Have you ever seen anything
so ridiculous in all your life?

Chopsticks?

And calamari,
that is soggy, greasy.

Some bits are fried,
some bits are rubbery.

What a mess.

(spits)
Wow.

Thank God there's a box there.

(beeping)

What is that?
It looks like a halibut.

Mushy.

Very, very fishy.
Oh, my God.

Charlie, can you smell that?

- Oh!
- Holy [bleep].

- That is terrible.
- Yeah, I know.

It's soiled.

Oof!

(beeping)

It tastes like no one cares
here anymore.

This place has lost its will,

and that starts with the head.

I've seen enough.

Captain Plastic, let's go.

Ladies and gentlemen,
forks and knives down!

Could you please go
in the kitchen?

Chef, they want you out
there right now ASAP.

Who does?

Who's that?

I must say,

that was one of the most
underwhelming meals

I've had in quite some time.

♪ ♪

Not who you thought, is it?

♪ ♪

(sighs)

♪ ♪

Oh, [bleep] me.

Oh, my God.

WOMAN:
That's Gordon Ramsay.

(applause)

RAMSAY: Uh,
let's get one thing

absolutely [bleep] clear.

There is nothing to clap about.

What I just witnessed over
the last two hours

I'm absolutely shocked,

and you should be disgusted.

I was in the kitchen standing
right by your sides,

literally inches away.

The [bleep] you give
to the team,

the out-of-control cooking,

and the disgusting food.

Are the staff too scared
to tell you the [bleep] truth?

'Cause I'm not.

I wanna give you an insight

to how not only is this
business on its last legs,

but we have a chef
that's fallen out of love,

and has no respect for his team.

Take a look at this.

(people groaning)

- Ohh.
- No.

(flies buzzing)

LOU: Flatbread blend and BLT
gotta go out now.

The other stuff goes out after.
He [bleep] up again.

Can we get some [bleep] help
in the [bleep] kitchen?

Can anybody [bleep] help?

- Did you hear that?
- What'd he say?

Steve said tables one, two,
and three aren't ready.

Tell Steve to eat a [bleep].

Lou, I'll go straight to you.
What is your problem?

I don't know.
I don't even know what to say.

I'm standing inches away
from you.

You take a cloth,
you wipe your face,

you go down,
and then you wipe the plate.

(people groaning)

Are you done?
Have you finished?

Well, you just can't stand
there and shrug your shoulders

in front of your wife!

She's in tears!

(dramatic music)

Well, you just can't stand there

and shrug your shoulders
in front of your wife!

She's in tears!

I'm gonna apologize
on Lou's behalf

because he's shut down.

He's refusing even to accept
any responsibility.

No one's paying the check today.

I'd like to see all of you,
please, back here

24 hours from now.

I've got my work cut out

to get this place turned around,

and that time starts now.

(clock beeps)

Every member of staff,
get on your phones.

Call home because, that's right,

you're part of this.

I'm trying just to breathe.
I can't catch my breath.

We just got torn to [bleep].

I'm not gonna be home tonight.

Just go to sleep.
I don't have no idea, Joseph.

I don't know what
they're gonna do to us.

I don't know.
It's bad, it's bad, it's bad.

RAMSAY: I've asked
Tara and Lou to step away

so the staff can speak
more freely.

Somebody tell me truthfully,
what on earth is going on?

I don't know why he's angry
all the time.

We come in at 4:00,
and everyone's in a good mood.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

By 4:15, we're out here saying,
"You've got to be kidding me."

He's miserable back there,

and he wants to make some
of us miserable with him.

It's hard when you come in
and you have to see him, like,

belittle everybody around you
'cause that stresses me out.

It's hard to concentrate,
get things done.

Teah, you're a pastry chef,
right?

I do everything, actually.

- I... I do everything.
- Wow.

Out of all of you here,

how many have considered
quitting?

Raise your hands.

- Yeah.
- LISA: (sighs)

How many of you feel
you've been abused?

Wow.

It's actually unreasonable,
and he takes no accountability.

Yup, how do you work like that?

I work better
when he's not there.

Why are you still here?

- I need the money.
- You need the job.

I have four kids,
and I'm currently a single mom.

And what's your background?

Graduated culinary school
in '98.

With two decades of experience,

does Lou respect you as a chef?

I think he respects me
as a cook,

but not so much as a chef.

Two different things,
a cook and a chef.

How does that make you feel?

I feel not important.

Almost disempowered.

Oh, absolutely.

I need to work under people

that have integrity
and trust me.

So this man has a team
underneath him

that have been handicapped.

I wanna get them both.

Lou, two seconds, please?

Would you come back out,
please, Tara?

Thank you.

So Lou, why are you
so over-controlling,

and don't trust a single member
of staff in here?

I'm not... I'm not perfect.

What a pathetic,
desperate answer.

I wish I could come here,
and have so much more input.

We can't work full-time
in a restaurant

'cause we have kids, you know?

We have six kids between us.

We all have passion,
and we all like to do food.

Teah loves food,

but I wish you would trust me.

It's not about trust.
It's about what you just said.

Some of the moms
that do work in the kitchen

can't commit to what
the kitchen needs.

It's not that...
moms are very capable.

It's just working six nights,
five nights a week...

What do you mean moms?
How [bleep] chauvinistic.

- No, no, no.
- How can you be so...

- They can't...
- You have children!

And my wife is able
to be home with them.

Oh, my God!

This guy's a dinosaur!

I've got something like
85 female chefs,

and if they're good enough
to be a head chef

three nights a week,
they get the job.

If it's four nights a week,
they get the job.

If it's one night a week...
I believe in talent.

This man doesn't believe
in talent.

Whether you're here
three nights a week,

two nights a week.

If you're good enough
to run that kitchen,

girl, you run that kitchen.

Lou, I was in there firsthand,
I got a camera in my hand.

I'm not impressed
with your behavior,

I'm disgusted with the way
you treat the staff,

and like I said, I'm done
with your bull[bleep] excuses.

(sighs)
I don't know what to say.

I'm sorry, guys.

You're sat with your back
to your team,

you shrug your shoulders,
and you tell them you're sorry.

Oh, boy.

You've got a lot of people
that love you in this room.

You don't have to be angry,
you can trust us.

It's not just a job.

Yeah, we have a lot
on the line too

because we got bills to pay,
but we love you guys.

Your family, your children.

Let this genius in front
of you help you.

I'm here to turn this place
around, with or without him.

Teresa?

This is Teresa, my designer.

I need everybody committed

to getting this place
absolutely turned around.

Thank you.
I need you in the kitchen.

Let's go.

Okay, everybody, let's get
the restaurant cleaned out.

All the chairs out the back,
fold up the table cloths.

Have any questions,
ask anyone of this team.

RAMSAY:
With the clock ticking,

it's time for
our renovation team

to take this overpacked
banquet hall

and transform it into
an upscale destination.

The boys will carry the chairs.

RAMSAY: But first, I need
to tackle the biggest problem.

Can you not see what
you're doing?

The anger?

The anger and the desperation.

It's so demanding,
and I can't turn it off.

But inside, I'm seeing
a man that is broken,

that has lost it completely,

and bringing in
everybody around.

This anger comes from where?

I don't know.
I... I... I...

- I don't know why I'm angry.
- List one.

I don't know why I'm angry.
I honestly...

Is it insecurity?

I don't feel like I have
to berate people,

but when [bleep] goes wrong,
it's like I have no filter.

Yeah, but there's a disconnect

because you're standing
there with this big wall

and this shield, and you're
not accounting for anything,

and I'm trying to get
to the beginning.

Who let you down in life
to make you feel this way?

Oh, I can't... I can't...

Boo-hoo,
my dad left when I was a kid.

- You know, that [bleep] sucks.
- Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, I had an issue
with my father.

And my mom dated some [bleep]
complete alcoholic,

and yeah, it's been... been tough.

I've had nobody, honestly.

I've had to kick and scratch
since I was 14.

Having that void

and making you feel
that aggressive,

it's affecting you in a way
that is going beyond.

There are millions of people
that are far worse than I am.

- You know what I mean?
- Lou, the business is failing.

My whole life is [bleep]
on the line.

- Stress?
- I'm at the max all the time.

Whether you like it or not,
I'm here to help, Lou,

but you need to look within.

This place functions
better without you.

And if that's not a sign,

you shouldn't be
in the business.

Wait, if you're telling me
that I can't be

in my own restaurant
to be successful,

then I'm... you're cutting
my legs off.

You're missing the point.

If you continue the way you are,

you're gonna end up having
a severe heart attack,

a broken family,

or you're gonna turn up
to work one day

and find there's gonna
be nobody here

'cause the minute a new
restaurant opens on Main,

you're gone.

RAMSAY:
So the team are put to work.

First of all,
the entrance, drab.

Yeah, it's very drab.
There's no color.

There's nothing approachable
to this space.

So we wanna bring in

just a little bit more
life and color.

We walk in,

my saving grace
is the fireplace.

- Yes.
- What's the idea?

We're gonna have a nice
little seating area here,

with some sofas and some
very comfortable chairs.

And we're gonna have
some hanging planters

on other sides
just to get some life in here,

some greenery.

- Also the acoustics are bad.
- Yes, very.

What we're gonna do is bring
in some acoustic panels

for the ceiling,

and then we're gonna
have some on the walls.

Up here, we're putting
in this beautiful wallpaper.

That kind of gives a feel
of the water here.

Yeah, I love that.
So a lot of blue coming in.

- A lot of green coming in?
- Yes, yes.

No table cloths as well.

- Promise me no tablecloths?
- No tablecloths.

Good girl.
Thank you.

- I'll check in with you later.
- Okay.

RAMSAY:
It's clear my renovation team

has their hands full

with a massive
front-of-house project,

but right now, I've invited
Lisa to Hell on Wheels

to see if the chefs
pushed aside by Lou

are as good as I hoped they are.

Come on over.
So have a look in here.

State-of-the-art kitchen.
The most amazing build-outs.

- Wow.
- How are you feeling?

Um, it's surreal, Chef.

Surreal.
Why?

Oh, it's just like a dream
to be here with you.

Um, well, I'm here
for you guys, you know?

So how did you get into food?

- My mom.
- Mum.

- Sicilian family.
- Sicilian, wow.

Have you had a chance
to take the kids back or not?

- No.
- No.

- How old are the kids?
- 11, 14, 18, and 25.

20... stop there.
25?

- Mm-hmm. All boys.
- Seriously, wow.

Yeah, Meg, our eldest, is 21,

the twins are 19,

Tilly's 17,
and Oscar's six months old.

- Oh!
- Number five.

- Oh, my God.
- Hence why I work so hard.

How'd you manage
and look after the boys?

I only have my kids
3 1/2 days a week.

Right.

So I work a lot
when they're not with me.

There's no time-out for you.

Not really, but I chose that.

They're your passion, huh?

Yeah, and I want to learn.

Yeah, I can see that.

Let's get onto something
that we're more excited about

than anything,
and that's cooking, right?

Come over, guys.

Please come
and stand in the heat.

Come stand over here.

- We're good?
- Yes.

Yeah, what I'm trying to do

is get you beyond Lou.

The biggest missed opportunity
for me is you guys

not being allowed to step up
to the plate.

Now, this is the menu
we're gonna be launching with.

Maybe you can share one.

There we are.

All right, step up there.
Please, come forward.

Let's look at the risotto.

We start off with a beautiful
English pea risotto.

I always start with a pea purée,

finish with a crispy prosciutto.

There, look at it.
Super simple.

It's a beet-cured salmon.

Next to that,
we've got beautiful scallops

that, trust me, they're
gonna be seared both sides,

top and bottom.

Next to that we've got a
beautiful pan-seared halibut

with a roasted tomato broth
with wonderful vegetables.

After that, we're gonna do
a beautiful steak au poivre.

We'll do the garnish
with fondant potatoes,

sautéed mushrooms.

And then finally,
we've got a beautiful

maple-glazed duck breast
with roasted carrots.

Here's what we're gonna do.

Let's start off with the duck,
okay?

And just a nice little score.

So what that does, it helps
to break down the fat.

A nice season.

Now, 90% of the duck,
as you know,

is gonna be cooked
fat side down.

It needs to be seared
on the sides as well.

- Keep spinning it, kind of?
- 100%

Fat side down,
it goes into the oven.

Garnish.

Right, parsnips go beautifully
well with duck, yes?

- Oh, yes.
- Yes, Chef.

I've got that sort
of brazed effect

going on with my carrots.

LISA: This is a dream.
I'm so elated.

It's giving me a lot of hope.

Chef Ramsay is showing me

that we can do the food
we love to do.

When we slice a duck,

too thin and we lose
the texture,

too thick then we're
doing it an injustice.

Just watching that, is there
anything complicated on here

that you think, "Oh, God, that
is way out of my wheelhouse?"

- No.
- No?

So Lisa, your ideal job
at Blend would be what?

- Taking charge, yeah.
- RAMSAY: Good.

Teah, you would want to cook
pastries, right?

That's what you're trained for?

- Mm-hmm?
- Good.

Madison, what would be
your perfect role?

I'd like to be on the line.

Currently, I'm just doing
salads and desserts,

helping Teah, yeah.

Amazing.
James, what would you do?

Same thing.

I grill now, but I would like
to do more sauté.

Have you been trained?

Not in school or anything,

but with another chef
before I was here.

Yeah.

French culinary?
I mean, really?

Seriously?
Where did you train?

- French culinary.
- Oh, my Lord.

I'm looking at four
talented individuals

that got a wealth of knowledge,

but have never had a chance
in the kitchen.

That is gonna change.

Mary?
This is Mary.

- Hello.
- Followed by Jamie.

Come over, please.

Jamie, Alex, and Ngoc.

Now you have four
of the most talented females

I've ever had the chance
of working with

to train each
and every one of you.

Talk about girl power.

James, you're the luckiest chef
in New Jersey.

- Okay, think of it that way.
- Yeah.

Oh, boy.
Good luck, Mary.

- Ladies, good luck.
- All right.

For me, this is one
of the most talented brigades

I've come across.

This dictator wants
to control their growth.

These four individuals
have been kept in the dark.

They've been suppressed.

How could a chef
not develop that talent?

- A little chili flake?
- A little chili flake, yup.

While my culinary team works
with Lou's culinary team...

I think you need a little bit
more time on that.

I'm going to find Tara.

Tara, let's have a...
let's have a little catch-up.

We haven't had a chance to talk.

RAMSAY:
To see if I can find out

what's really going on
with his family.

How are you feeling?

Exhausted.

Tough night, tough day,

and the toxic relationship

inside here is just insane.

You seem to accept that
his behavior is normal.

No, I definitely know
it's not normal.

It's been too much stress
to enjoy life.

It's awful.

Does he listen to you?

No.
Like... no.

I don't want the kids
to feel it.

I just always...
I just want the best for them.

My biggest fear is just...

But whether you
like it or not, it is...

BOTH: Affecting them.

How much quality time do
you have as a family

with Lou and the kids?

I have to bring the kids here
to see him.

That's not quality time,
I know that.

You bring the kids here
to see their dad.

Absolutely.

The guy's on collision
for a [bleep] crash,

a very serious crash,

and what are we waiting for?

A heart attack?
A shutdown?

The staff are ready to quit.

How much longer
can you put up with this?

Are you happy?

(sighs)

(dramatic music)

(suspenseful music)

Thank you for being honest
with me.

Are you happy?

Truly, no.

You've got to stop
being in denial

because you may think
that's protecting him

because you love him,
that's your husband,

but long-term,
that's making it worse.

We have to identify
what's happening here,

and we need to get him
sorted out.

You definitely have
my support in that.

Get that bit done,

we're one step
in the right direction.

The idea
of a husband and wife team

working together
is double-strength,

but here it's the opposite.

Unless those two
identify the issues,

there's gonna be no point.

(somber music)

(rock music)

How tired are you right now?

- I'm so tired.
- It's exhilarating, though.

I'm glad I ate breakfast
yesterday.

(laughter)

MARY: You wanna start plating
your vegetables...

Right, how we doing, Mary?

- Lisa, how we doing?
- Hello, Chef.

Um, a little shaky, but ready.

You know,
it's like peddling a bike.

You start slowly,
and then you build up,

and all of a sudden you go,
"Wow, I can't believe

I've gone this far."

What we do have
is four solid cooks.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

What I'm excited to see
is all of you

take control behind the line
tonight without Lou.

Hands up, who'd like Lou
to be behind there with you?

- I wanna see you guys shine.
- All right, Chef.

Yeah, okay?
Come out of yourselves.

Find that inner-Spice Girl.

Okay?
Come on.

All right,
I'll see you back there, yes?

- Yes, Chef.
- Mary, two seconds, please.

Um, how have they been?

They honestly did really well.

They can handle it
without him back there.

I think they can do more
than this back there.

- Great, we'll empower them.
- Yeah.

And we'll let Lou expedite.

That process will confirm to him

what talent he's got underneath.

Good girl.
Thank you.

RAMSAY: Now that I'm
confident the kitchen staff

is heading in the right path,

I need to take one more crack...

Sit down.

At getting Lou
on that path as well.

All right, how are you feeling?

Tense.

How do you rate yourself
as a dad?

I... I don't know.
I'd like to think I'm a ten.

- I do.
- Great.

- Ten out of ten.
- I'd like to think that.

What's the one asset

that you'd love to hand over
to the girls?

What's the one thing
you've taught them?

- Work ethic.
- Work ethic.

Have they taught you anything?

Because if they haven't,
they're about to.

(clears throat)

"I'd love us all
to take a nap together."

It's tough stuff.

It's tough to see.

Lou, I don't know if you've
ever told yourself,

but those four women love you

more than anything in the world.

You're lucky
that they're still there.

No restaurant's
worth destroying that,

let me tell you.

Yeah.

You've never separated
the restaurant

from the homelife.

What's the blockage inside?

Being without, uh,
is something I never wanna be

or have my kids without.

And if you get sick,
you can't provide for them.

What happens then?

It goes to [bleep].

I suppose what
I'm trying to say, Lou,

is you got all this talent
in the kitchen

that is being
beautifully trained.

Embrace how good they are
and let them step up,

and get back to being
a great dad.

If you can't muster that level
of commitment for yourself,

then do it for the kids
and do it for your wife.

Got it?
Thank you, Lou.

I hope Lou is ready to embrace
the changes he needs to make,

both at the restaurant
and at home.

Um, this is looking lovely,
by the way.

With the granite, we don't have
to do tablecloths,

and it just really gives
a good atmosphere.

The acoustics as well.

Yeah, we've got the panels up
on the ceiling.

You can really
tell a difference.

It kind of dampens it.

With the renovation team

hustling to beat the clock...

All right, gang, I'm not gonna
stand here and scream.

I've got one more idea
of how I can convince Lou

that he has the staff worthy
of his trust.

Let's have a briefing together.
Let's go in the dining room.

Right, stop standing like
we're in front

of the Buckingham Palace,
please.

Yeah, come over here, stand
over here, come over here.

Lou, come stand
next to me, yeah.

You haven't done
any cooking yet, have you?

- Not yet.
- Nothing at all.

- Zero.
- Right.

I think it's time
for you and I to cook a dish.

- Let's cook a halibut dish.
- Yes, sir.

Except it's not gonna be
side-by-side.

I'm gonna be cooking mine
out here,

and you're gonna
be cooking yours out there.

Let's go.
Wish him luck, guys.

One stunning halibut, let's go.

- You can do it.
- One stunning halibut.

[bleep] tools!
Oh, here they are.

Come here, you.

Cook the halibut.
Shh.

No, keep it quiet.
Seriously quiet.

Yes?

If there's one thing
I got up to speed with,

it was that talent,

not just in the kitchen,
but in the front of house.

Thank you, sir.

And so what I'm trying to do now

is to prove to the owner
"open your eyes."

Understand how good they are.

Hmm, that smells good.

When he walks back
in with that dish,

- do not give it away, okay?
- Yeah, yeah.

Good job, Lisa.

- Well done.
- Good job.

Come here.
Come to the line.

Gold charger for Lou,
silver for me.

- Okay, wow.
- Beautiful, Chef.

Now it'll be a bit weird

if I just start tasting the
dish I've just cooked, right?

So I've brought
in a special captain.

James, come in.

Yeah, good to see you, man.
Please.

Nice to see you
not in that stupid mask.

You know the rest of the team.
You saw them all, yes?

We've just spent
the last 15 minutes cooking,

um, two dishes.

Lou cooked one
and I cooked the other.

What I like you to do
is to taste both dishes,

and then put myself or Chef Lou
out of their misery, please.

- Wow.
- Off you go.

All right, um, you know,
halibut's tough

because it's very easy
to dry it out.

Wow.
I'm a fan of the risotto.

Really shows off the halibut.

Colors are great,
uh, halibut's nice.

All right.

Uh, visually what I like
about this too,

you can see the caramelization
of the actual fish.

It's vibrant.
I see fresh herbs in there.

I know what I'm about to eat.
Let me taste it.

That's what
really matters, isn't it?

(suspenseful music)

To me...

♪ ♪

JAMES: To me,

I'd have to say, all day,
I'd go for the stew.

The main thing is that
its fresh, it's vibrant,

it's not dried out at all.

Um, this dish here was mine
and the risotto was Lou's,

but do you know what?

I'd like to taste yours.
Will you taste mine?

- Sure.
- There you go.

(indistinct)

It's delicious.

Lou, I have something
I wanna share with you, though.

The halibut dish
wasn't cooked by me.

(suspenseful music)

♪ ♪

That's right.

Will the person
who cooked the halibut

please step forward?

- Well done, well done.
- (applause)

Good job.
Excellent.

It's a wonderful dish.

I'd like to take this
opportunity to say thank you.

Thank every one of you
for sticking with me,

and, uh, I look forward
to the next chapter.

I do.

- Thank you, Chef.
- All right, thanks so much.

Let's go, guys.

Good job, Lisa.
Let's go.

With Lou's renewed trust
in his staff...

Girls, girl power.

The team rushes to put
the finishing touches

on the restaurant.

Put the silverware right on top.

RAMSAY: ...as the clock
runs down.

All right, I need you
to move as quickly as possible.

I need table numbers.

- Give me a kiss.
- Yeah, you all right?

Thank you, everybody,
for jumping in and helping.

We're minutes away
from opening, by the way.

I just want to say
a big well done to the team.

Tremendous work,
and the attitude from you

has been exemplary, honestly.

- Thank you.
- Yeah, I said 24 hours ago

I was here for you,
and I'm so glad I stayed.

Let's reaffirm
our existence tonight.

Make it count.

Ten, nine...

ALL: Eight, seven, six,

five, four, three,

two, one.

(cheers and applause)

Right, ready?
Let's go.

Hello, welcome to Blend.
Everybody, welcome.

RAMSAY: In just 24 hours,
my team and the Blend staff

have given this restaurant
new life.

It looks so nice, doesn't it?

The furniture is great.

RAMSAY: We've gotten rid
of the stagnant,

banquet hall feel,
and replaced it

with a modern-yet-cozy
atmosphere.

What do you think of the place?

Very nice, it's got, like,
a whole new feel to it.

- Yeah, right?
- Okay, much better.

The greenery.

And the ceiling panels
too, man, amazing.

RAMSAY: We've even installed
acoustic panels

on the ceiling to transform
the once-noisy dining room

into a comfortable,
intimate lounge.

Being here 24 hours later,

I cannot believe
what a transition

this place has gone through,
and the sound, oh, my gosh.

I could actually hear my wife
talking, which is amazing.

We may have found
our new date night spot.

RAMSAY: With
the dining room revamped,

now the real work begins.

Relax, let them do it.
It'll be all right.

RAMSAY: I'm hoping Lisa
and the other talented chefs

will be able to execute
the new menu.

This ain't your first rodeo.

And show Lou they don't need
him or his temper

getting in their way.

All right, just two seconds.
Let's get this clear.

- He's expoing.
- You're expoing.

- And you four are cooking.
- Right, right.

My name's Chris, I'll be taking
care of you this evening.

I'm gonna go
with the halibut, please.

Um, we're gonna share
the risotto.

- Try the scallops.
- It looks dynamite.

(tense music)

Okay, gentlemen, order in.

I have four halibut all day.

Three scallop app, one salmon.

- Uh...
- Tell me where to start.

- Heard?
- Heard.

LOU: All right, gang,
keep up.

Make it happen.

♪ ♪

Can I get a time
on those scallops, please?

Give me a time.
You have no scallops?

How long, Teah?

I'm gonna give you three
right now, Chef.

Good job.

You gotta start popping me up
some appetizers, please.

- Two scallops, chef.
- Thank you. Two.

RAMSAY: With Lou
effectively expediting

while keeping
his temperature in check...

Great job, gang.

...appetizers are
flying out of the kitchen.

- That was very fast.
- Super fast.

Kitchen's humming.

Would you like fresh pepper?
Enjoy.

- How is it?
- Delicious.

RAMSAY: And the customers
seem to be happy so far.

Perfect, and I'm very
picky with my scallops.

RAMSAY: And the good news is
they haven't been pre-seared.

- How's the cured salmon?
- Fresh.

- Fresh.
- Fresh tasting.

- Great.
- Guys, try the salmon.

It's phenomenal.

I'm gonna need you
to start plating entrees.

Give me a minute, Chef.

Right now alls we have to do

is put up nine halibut,

seven steak, and one risotto.

LISA: We need to slow down
on that for a minute.

LOU: You staring at me
is infuriating me.

Put up your steaks.

Guys, I need the steaks.

It's [bleep]
the only thing I've asked.

Hold it.
Hold on.

LOU: Come on.
[bleep] do something.

- LISA: It needs more time.
- Hey.

We are not going backwards.

These guys need to cook.
Come on, Lou.

Just stop.

LOU: Right now
alls we have to do

is put up nine halibut,

seven steak, and one risotto.

LISA: We need to slow down
on that for a minute.

- Put up your steaks.
- Guys, I need the steaks.

It's [bleep]
the only thing I've asked.

Hold it.
Hold on.

LOU: Come on.
[bleep] do something.

- LISA: It needs more time.
- Hey.

We are not going backwards.

These guys need to cook.
Come on, Lou.

It's good to slow down.
Stick together, guys, yeah?

- Okay, Chef.
- Halfway, guys.

Hey, step back, deep breath,

and encouragement.

We're running behind, who cares?

It doesn't matter.

The most important thing now
is the quality.

Quality, they get...
it's worth the wait.

So I'd rather wait five or six
minutes for the quality.

It's worth the wait,
but you're now getting higher

and more impatient.

Stop, big deep breath,
and go again.

Come on, you're not
giving up now, let's go.

LOU: Three streaks.
Let's make it happen.

LISA: Come on.

Can I get that steak, please?

- Okay, three steaks.
- Yeah.

Great job, nice plating.

- Pardon me.
- Merci.

LOU: Change doesn't happen
overnight,

but I am working on it,

and I'm looking forward
to practicing

that more relaxed version
of myself.

- Be nice, be nice.
- Good job, guys.

I need a risotto app
and a scallop.

Definitely not gonna take
Tara for granted anymore.

- Two salmon, please.
- Give me one minute.

All right,
everything else just left.

I thought you were ready,
I'm sorry.

LOU: Thank you, two duck
and one halibut.

(suspenseful music)

- Dig in.
- Let's dig in.

MAN: That is legit.

WOMAN: Delicious.

This is exactly
how a steak should taste.

Gentlemen, how's your entrée?

Very good.

How is that steak au poivre?

It's cooked very well.

The duck is delicious.
Amazing.

Yeah? Good.
Cooked beautifully?

Good.
James, how's that halibut?

I got some seafood competition,
I think, in town, you know?

- (laughter)
- It's good.

- Yeah?
- It's good.

You're starting to pick up
some time, so good job.

The biggest takeaway
from this experience

is he took responsibility,
and that's not easy.

I'm amazed.

Uh, right.

Please come over here
a minute, come over.

- What a night.
- Yeah.

You've got the atmosphere,
electrifying.

We have happy customers,
that's a good thing.

Yeah, you took a giant
leap forward today

to control that anger.

That's the most important
thing you've done.

The heartbeat of the restaurant
is your family.

Stick together, stay united.

I think this is good.

I think Lou really is
gonna listen

and step back a little,
which is a relief.

I missed you.

TARA: You know, I had a lot
of stress on my shoulders,

and I think it's gonna
get better.

Hopefully we're gonna
have more quality time

as a family at home.

I'm amazed by everything
that's been done

in 24 hours.

Come here, come here.

Oh, my God.

Promise me
you'll look after Dad.

- Yes.
- My time is done.

You have a committed husband,
beautiful girls,

and, fingers crossed,
a restaurant

that has turned around.

This experience has been
nothing short of amazing.

The gang in the kitchen
did great tonight.

- I love you guys!
- Hey!

LOU: It proved to me
that I can take a step back,

let them do their thing.

I'm definitely gonna take
this opportunity

to spend some more time
with the family.

TARA: I love you guys.

Chef Ramsay,
I can't thank you enough

for what you've done for me
and my family.

Forever grateful.

- Take care.
- Thank you.

RAMSAY: Tonight, I saw
the coming together of a man

that understands how important
his brigade is

and understands the value
of his family.

If they can stick together
as a unit,

Blend on Main will bounce back.

If he goes back to his old ways,

Blend on Main
sadly will disappear.

(gentle music)

(beeping)

Hey, Chef Ramsay,
I just wanted to say hello

and update you on what's
going on her at Blend.

Business is up, the customers
love the changes,

the esthetics as well
as the menu changes.

As far as me,
I'm doing a lot less cooking

and more expo
and entrusting my guys.

James, you're good on steaks?

TARA: The last few months
have been great.

Lou has definitely been calmer.

I haven't really seen him
yell in a while now,

which is nice.

I think he's enjoying it
more now too,

trying to take, you know,
some nights off here and there

to be home more with the family.

LOU:
It all worked out in the end,

and I wanted
to thank you for that.

We'll be here a while,
and that's thanks to you.

I appreciate it.

♪ ♪

(suspenseful music)

RAMSAY: Next time,

I'm at Caneda's White Rooster

in Toms River, New Jersey.

- (retching)
- You made Gordon vomit.

RAMSAY: Where things
are so bad...

You disgusting man.

That I'm forced
to bring in the heavy.

What if I put one in the back
of his [bleep] head

and we take the restaurant?

RAMSAY: With an investor

ready to pull the plug...

I'm angry.
I'm just mortified.

RAMSAY:
And an owner in denial...

It's not true.

I'm not gonna even
let you say that.

RAMSAY: I've got my work
cut out for me.

- I'm tired. I'm so tired.
- Of course.

WOMAN: It's Gordon Ramsay.
He has to help.