Hell's Kitchen (2005–…): Season 18, Episode 1 - Rookies vs. Veterans - full transcript

Chef Ramsey invites eight past contestants to compete against eight rookies.

[narrator] After 17 seasons

of unbelievable competition
in Hell's Kitchen...

He can't cook scallops!
He can't get the [bleep] risotto out!

...you may think you know the recipe.

Get out. Get out! [voice echoes]

But what would happen

if you took eight accomplished
Hell's Kitchen veterans...

[Torrece] I was the runner-up.

I don't consider it like I lost.
My opportunity hasn't opened yet.

Eventually it will come.

...and pitted them against
eight of the most ambitious



young chefs in the culinary world?

I'm comfortable with anything
in the kitchen, dude.

Who the fuck are you calling a munchkin?

-The answer is...
-Sexy, sexy, sexy, please.

Mmm.

...the most talented kitchens in history.

It's one of the best dishes
you have ever done so far.

-It's really flavourful.
-Amazing.

There's something very smart about this.

Look, I have goose bumps.
That's how good this dish is.

Chef Ramsay has cooked up
a new experiment...

Oh! It's still moving!

serving up a season
like you've never seen before.

-[contestants] Oh, my God!
-[man] Whoa!



Never at a loss for words.
Right now I'm a little "huh?"

[narrator reading]

Let the fucking games begin.

-Can you get garnish up in two?
-Yes!

We've been here.
We know what we're doing. They don't.

You've got to stop writing. [groans]

Rookie mistake numero uno.

You're professional chefs,
and you're acting like idiots.

Time will tell
whether experience pays off...

This should be a... [pop] slam dunk.

-First table out, not a glitch.
-Ahh! So awesome!

Your advantage over there
is that they all have egos.

You're trying to clown me
up in here right now, Chef.

Did you say that to me? Don't you dare.

-I didn't...
-Don't you dare!

...as some chefs crumble
under the pressure...

Stop! What is that? Who cooked this?

-We did.
-"We did"?

[Ramsay]
Oh, can I have a steak cooked properly?

This is not happening.
This is not happening.

[contestant]
I'm so sorry, Chef. I'm so sorry.

-You act like a bitch in the kitchen.
-Don't disrespect me.

-[screams]
-Go fuck yourself.

All you do is run around
with your nose up Chef's ass.

I realise there is a hell on Earth.

[sobs]

[Ramsay] Wake up!

[narrator] In the end,
only one worthy chef

will win the most prestigious title
Hell's Kitchen has ever offered.

The quicker I get rid of you
motherfuckers, the better off I'll be.

Will it be a hotshot rookie...

I don't mind being underestimated.

...or a battle-tested veteran?

I know how to burn, bitch.

It all begins right now...

Oh, my God!

...on Hell's Kitchen.

Get out! And I'm not gonna fucking swear
in front of the kids.

Shit.

[contestants shouting, cheering]

-Burn it up, baby. Burn it up.
-Hey. How are you? Welcome.

Come stai?

Hell's Kitchen 18!

Ahh! Here I come!

My name is Marino.

I'll be your maître d' for this season.

-Come with me. Let's go inside.
-Let's do this!

[cheering, hooting]

Growing up in South Central is rough,

but my family believes in me,
and I want to make them proud.

[screaming]

Welcome, guys. Welcome, welcome.

My name is Christina,

and I will be the sous chef
for the Red Team this year.

-Awesome!
-[cheers]

My name is Jocky, and I will be
the sous chef for the Blue Team.

[cheers]

Here we go, baby.

We know this first day in
is always a little bit nerve-racking,

so Jocky and I are actually
preparing you lunch:

the classic Hell's Kitchen appetizer
butternut squash risotto.

-Baby!
-[all] Yeah!

So please enjoy some champagne.
We'll be back up in a few minutes.

-Thank you, Chef.
-Thank you. [cheers]

Merci. Thank you!

-All right, all right.
-Thank you.

[narrator] While the eight rookies
get their first look at Hell's Kitchen,

what they're not seeing
is that they're actually

sitting across from eight
Hell's Kitchen veterans in disguise.

-What's up? How you doing, darlin'?
-Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, darlin'.

-Aaron.
-Aaron, nice to meet you.

We all know everybody at this side
of the table has been here before.

And we know the drill,
we know what to expect.

These rookies have no idea
what they are in for.

Dude, I love your moustache.

[stutters] Takes a bit.

-I like the little curl.
-I'm a Dapper Dan man.

I love it, dude. It's fantastic.
Beautiful.

[indistinct chatter]

What the hell's going on here? [chuckles]

Everyone across from me looks so ugly.
All of them. [laughs]

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, here we go.

-Buon appetito.
-Merci.

Wow. It almost looks fake,
it's so perfect.

That's delicious.

It's like they poached this lobster tail
in the tears of baby Jesus himself.

-Man!
-It tastes like it's supposed to.

Ooh! The shade!

Maybe yours tastes good.

[Ariel] I don't know if Gizzy has what
it takes to back up that mouth of hers.

She's coming out of the gate strong.

In my opinion,
not such a smart move on day one.

-[woman] Whoo!
-Let's go.

[all cheering]

Chef Ramsay in the flesh.

-Welcome to Hell's Kitchen.
-Thank you, Chef.

He just walks in, like...

with style and grace.

[sighs]

You 16 chefs have a big opportunity...

that none of the previous 278 chefs
have ever had,

because, for the first time ever,
the prize is not just head chef.

The winner of season 18

will become the executive chef

of the first-ever

Hell's Kitchen restaurant
at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

[cheering]

Nice.

Vegas is sex, money and food.

Right up my alley.
I'm gonna win this competition.

-Big one, guys, let me tell you.
-[whooping]

It is incredible.

-Now, let's start off with you.
-Yes, sir.

Name, age, credentials,

and tell me why you think
you're gonna win.

I'm Motto, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

I'm 35 years old.

I've been the executive chef of a premium
upscale French Creole restaurant

-for over five years now.
-Good for you.

Without the culinary school background,
I've clawed my way up the ranks,

and I'm not intimidated by these guys
in the slightest.

I think of Baton Rouge
and that extraordinary flavour.

Best food in the world.

I'm gonna show them the South
isn't just about collard greens.

Young lady, stand up, please.
Give us your name, your age, ambition.

Uh, my name's Gizzy.

-I'm 31. Born and raised in Atlanta.
-Dizzy?

Gizzy.

[stutters]

Dizzy, Izzy, Gizzy, Busy.

-Gizzy.
-Oh, Gizzy.

-It's a hard G.
-Short for Lizzie?

-Short for Elizabeth, yes.
-Elizabeth, right.

Now I'm a sous chef at a modern
European restaurant in Atlanta.

-Can you win?
-Oh, I definitely can win.

-Glad to hear it.
-[applause]

Uh, young man, stand up, please.
Age, name, where you're from.

My name is Scotley.
I'm from the Bronx, New York,

but I'm currently a sous chef
in the heart of midtown Atlanta.

Do you two know each other
on a personal level?

-Yes.
-Oh, man. Oh, man.

The plot thickens, baby.

So... So... So...

We work for the same company, basically.

-Okay, so who's the better chef?
-I am.

Scotley took my position
when I left my last restaurant,

and from what I've heard, people miss me.

Interesting. Right.

Young man, please stand up.
Name, age, credentials.

-Uh, my name is Chris--
-I said stand up.

-Oh, you are stood up.
-[all laughing]

Sorry.

I got the Portuguese short legs.

5'7" and a half,
'cause the half does fucking matter.

-Yeah, I got it. Here we are.
-Okay, great.

My name is Chris.
I'm 25 years old, from Boston.

I am an executive chef
at a restaurant in the financial district.

My name is Kanae. I am 25 years old.

I am working underneath
Chef Eric Greenspan.

My name is Jose.
I am currently the chef de cuisine

-at Il Pesce at Eataly in New York City.
-Wow!

Geez! I'm really surprised
at everybody's resumes so far.

It's very impressive.

I think there's definitely
gonna be a good competition here.

Young man. Please, stand up
and give us your name, age,

and what is your ambition?

All righty.

Uh, I'm Scott. I'm 39 years old.

I own a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hold on, stop. You own?

-I own a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio.
-What the fuck are you doing here?

[laughter]

-Is it going as well as you thought?
-It is.

It's doing very well.
I've learnt from my past employers.

Like who?

I've worked for Charlie Palmer
from Aureole,

Barry Dakake at N9NE,

and Chef Govind Armstrong
here in Los Angeles,

Donald Barickman from Magnolias
in South Carolina...

-Thomas Keller. I've worked with him.
-Who's Thomas Keller?

Thomas comes in sixth,
seventh down the line.

Right. Young lady, please stand up
and give us a name,

age, and what's your ambition?

Hi, Chef. My name is Mia Castro.
I'm from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I'm 28 years old.

I think people underestimate me
because of the way I look

and because I smile a lot.

I worked for Chef Thomas Keller
at Bouchon and Chef Wolfgang Puck.

-Incredible.
-[Mia chuckles]

The other chefs have no idea.
I'm gonna kick ass in Hell's Kitchen.

Wow. That is an impressive line-up.
Thank you.

Right. Let's begin on this side
of the table. Please, stand up.

Give us a name, age,
and what is your ambition?

I currently am the executive chef
that oversees 36 restaurants.

-Wow.
-Wow.

I have to apologize to you all because
I haven't been completely honest with you.

My name is not Maria, actually.

Something is smelling a little fishy,
and it's not the risotto.

My name is Ariel, and I came in third
on season six of Hell's Kitchen.

What the hell?

Oh, shit.

-[laughs]
-[man] Ohh!

[narrator] A new group of chefs
has entered Hell's Kitchen.

I have to apologize because
I haven't been completely honest with you.

But many of them
are in for an unexpected surprise.

My name's not Maria, actually.

What the hell?

My name's Ariel, and I came in third
on season six of Hell's Kitchen.

-[laughs]
-[cheers]

Amazing. Welcome back.

Oh, my God. Seriously, is this happening?

I invited Ariel back personally.

I felt that she deserved one more chance.

[laughs] And the plot thickens.

What's the reason for coming back?

I have been pushing myself like you
wouldn't believe for the last ten years.

Some people said I lost
'cause I wasn't confident enough.

Would you send that lamb
if you were standing

at the Araxi Restaurant, Whistler,
on the hot plate?

-No, Chef. No, Chef.
-Tell me! [bleep]

I know that I have everything it takes
this time to win Hell's Kitchen.

I'm a boss now, and I'm in this to win.

-Right, young lady.
-Good day, mate!

[laughter]

Hello, everyone.

For the last seven years,

I've worked as a private concert tour
catering chef,

travelling around the world
with Paul McCartney,

-Lady Gaga, Usher, Jay-Z, Beyoncé.
-Wow!

Oh, I forgot to mention,

I'm Jen from Hell's Kitchen season four.

Wow! Welcome back.

Chef, it's been ten years,
and I'm ready to show you

that I've let go of my wanker ways,
and I'm definitely a nice girl now.

-Have you the garnish for the salmon?
-I didn't hear that either.

-Look at me when you talk to me.
-I said no, I'm cooking my food.

Hey, Jen, look at me.

You're one [bleep] cocky lady
for someone that knows jack [bleep].

-You know that?
-Yes, Chef.

You're so far up your own [bleep],
you don't know how cocky you are.

I can't tell you anything anymore.
I can't give you any direction.

Welcome back.
Young lady, credentials first, please.

Chef, I love you dearly,
but this thing's gotta go.

I was the runner-up of season 16.
My name is Heather.

That door is mine this time, guys.

Three.

-[exclaims]
-[audience cheering]

Heather, well done. Come here, you.

Get that head up high.
Well done, my darling.

-Young lady, you were that close.
-I fought like hell, Chef.

-I feel like I haven't left.
-Amazing.

-Have you clicked to what's happening?
-Yes, Chef.

I'm really not intimidated
by the all-stars at all.

Most of their food
is probably outdated anyways.

They are here as has-beens.

Just because
they didn't do it the first time,

maybe they can do it again,
but they won't.

Let's meet our next surprise.
Please stand up.

My name is Kevin.

I'm actually the runner-up
from season six.

Wow. Kevin!

-Trevor.
-[Ramsay] Trev.

-Season eight.
-Final four.

You may know me as season 14's runner-up.

-You can call me T.
-T!

[cheers]

What the hell is happening right now?
They're just... [groaning]

pulling over here.

Wig, hair is going everywhere.

Moustache hair sticking up here.
Picking out here.

How about that?

[all laughing]

[groans] It's fucking weird, weird.

Right. Uh, next.

My name is not Eugene.
It's actually Bret from season 14.

I'm currently the personal chef
for some celebrities

the likes of Sean Combs down in Miami.

More importantly, how's the back?

Amazing. I feel like a million dollars.

Leaving Hell's Kitchen in season 14 due
to my back injury was disgusting to me.

Oh, [bleep].

[groaning]

Why? [groans]

-Are you okay?
-I need medics in the back of the kitchen.

Medic.

Right now you have got to think
of yourself

and not the Blue Team
and not Hell's Kitchen.

-Good to see you. Welcome back.
-Thank you, Chef.

Right. Young lady,
please give us a little insight.

I'm Roe. I finished fifth on season 13.
Black Jacket.

It was very difficult
not winning Hell's Kitchen the first time.

Everybody go to your station.
Whatever you're fired on is priority.

Whatever's dragging, risotto, go.
This is it.

Delicious. They're both cooked perfectly.

-You can cook at my house any time.
-Thank you.

That doesn't stink of garlic
to anybody here?

-Yes, it does.
-Or you're just kissing Roe's ass.

These little Bambis, let me tell you,

you have no idea what you're in for.

The only ambition is to be executive chef
of the Hell's Kitchen restaurant.

There's no other ambition.

I love that attitude. Good.

[cheering]

Welcome back.

Man! What we have here
for the first time ever,

it's rookies versus veterans.

[cheering]

Time to turn up!

If they were previous Hell's Kitchen
winners, I would be nervous,

but they are previous
Hell's Kitchen losers.

So I'm like, whatever, we're rookies,
but they lost. We got this.

-Are you ready to do battle?
-Hell, yeah!

All of you, head to your kitchens,
aprons on, let's go.

Line up behind your dome, please.

"Rookies" is just a name.

They're not novices to cooking.

But, rookies,

you can't work the line, can't burn,
you're going home, point-blank.

Right. Scotley,
give us an insight to your signature dish.

They call me the curry chef
because my background is Jamaican,

so my signature dish is a pan-seared
snapper with a coconut curry sauce.

Love it. Jen, give us an insight
to your signature dish.

My dish is a classic Thai curry.

I'm gonna do a lemongrass-scented
king crab leg,

little steamed mussels
and, of course, proper sticky rice, Chef.

In the banana leaf. Time to turn up.

-Wow.
-Thank you.

Is that a chef's jacket?
Is that your own line?

-You designed that?
-Yes, Chef.

Wow.

Do you fancy one?

[all laughing]

Maybe on my next visit to the jungle, yes.

[growls] I'm about to bring the beat-down.

-I've missed you.
-I've missed you too, Chef.

-Are those chefs' jackets selling well?
-Yes.

-They are?
-Yes.

-How many have you sold?
-Including this one, one.

-One.
-[all laughing]

Right.

-Are we ready?
-[all] Yes, Chef.

Now, on the count of three,
I'd like all of you to lift those domes.

One...

two,

three, lift.

-Bloody hell.
-It's just what I wanted.

-Everybody good?
-Look at theirs.

Oh, no.

-What the hell are you trying to pull?
-This is gonna be exciting.

-Come on!
-That's awesome.

Great.

[narrator] As the veterans and rookies
prepare to do battle

in the signature dish challenge...

Lift.

...Chef Ramsay has decided
it's the veterans' turn to be surprised.

Look at theirs.

Bloody hell!

-Listen up.
-Oh, no.

Veterans, you are not gonna be
making your signature dish.

-[woman laughing]
-Come on!

Each and every one of you
will be making one of theirs.

So for example, Scotley,
you have an amazing pan-seared snapper

to do your Jamaican curry.

Veterans, hands up. Who would like it?

-Wow, Trevor!
-Bring it on, king of curry.

-Couldn't have gone up any faster.
-I love curry.

Ingredients, please.

Love it. Okay.

Now, Gizzy, give us an insight
into your signature dish. What is it?

Seared scallops with a cucumber gazpacho.

If you had to take down one all-star,
who would it be?

I'm gonna go with Heather.

Damn. Gizzy got a set of balls.

-Heather, you want it?
-I'll take her up on her offer.

Bring it on, Gizzy.

-Yes!
-[Ramsay] Okay.

Kanae, give us an insight
into your signature dish.

I am making a Belizean-style fish stew
with plantains.

It's called hudutu.

Right. Veterans, who wants that?

-Oh, man.
-They're all scared of you.

No. It just sounds revolting.

[laughter]

-Kevin. Wow.
-Kevin Cottle.

-You love a challenge.
-Yes, sir.

[groans]

This one's severely sprained.

Van, go over with Amanda. Switch stations.

Amanda, you're gonna have to do
starters, okay?

[Ramsay] Kevin, well done.

I have this chip I can't get rid of,

and it's been eight long years
I've been chewing on this.

Let's do it, man.

I've got a second opportunity.
It's time for me to take home the gold.

Scott, give us an insight.

So, we are doing a pan-roasted
black bass over root vegetables

and a little bit of an apple butter sauce

-in a little marsh salad.
-[Roe] Psst. Psst. Chef!

[Roe] Scott's dish isn't really
what I want. I just want to beat Scott.

His little intro about himself...
"I'm Scott."

-[Ramsay] Sounds interesting.
-Psst.

Roe, I haven't asked,
and your hand is already up.

-I'm in.
-Works for me.

[Ramsay] Okay.

Chris, give us an insight.

Pan-seared duck breast
with a mango and blackberry purée.

-I'll take that duck.
-Okay. Motto.

I'm gonna do a New Orleans
barbecued shrimp and grits.

-T.
-Thank you, Chef.

I'm doing pan-seared scallops
with parsnip.

-I'll take it for the team.
-Mia.

I'm making a grilled pork tenderloin
with chorizo chimichurri.

I guess that goes
to Madame Season Four, Jen.

-Hey, hey!
-[Ramsay] Wow.

-Mia, confident you can take Jen down?
-Yes, Chef.

Bless her heart, Chef. Bless her heart.

Thank you. Thank you.

That little whippersnapper
from Puerto Rico? Oh, my goodness.

Rookies versus veterans.
Your 45 minutes start now.

Damn. I was looking forward
to them gnocchis.

I was looking forward
to making my Chilean sea bass.

-[Chris] How's the Red Team feeling?
-Ooh! Ready for it.

What's up?

-Does it feel good to be back?
-Yes, Chef. Feel like I never left.

[Heather] I'm pretty confident
cooking Gizzy's dish.

If I can't cook a scallop by now,

what the hell am I doing
back in Hell's Kitchen?

I'm gonna steal a bit of cumin
and give it back. Got it?

Gizzy, it might be your sig dish,
but I'm gonna make it ten times better.

-You okay?
-Yeah, thinking too much.

-It's gonna beat Heather's?
-Absolutely.

Fifteen minutes gone, rookies.
Half an hour remaining.

-You've got a lot of stuff going on.
-Mm-hmm.

My signature dish is true
to my upbringing.

-Damn, that chorizo smells good.
-Thank you.

Everything I know about flavour,
my grandmother taught me.

So I can't think of a better homage.
I just want to make her proud.

-Perfect.
-[Ramsay] Six minutes to go.

This is a signature dish
from your restaurant?

Yes.

All right! I forgot what this was like.
It's all coming back ever so quickly.

-This is dead on right now.
-Yeah, that's good!

-Sorry, brother.
-Ninety seconds remaining.

Oh, shit, Jennifer.

I really just overcooked the pork.

Oh, my God.

You got this, girl. You got it.

No matter what,
I have to get something on the plate.

Turn the hell up, Jen.

-Thirty seconds. Come on.
-Here we go.

Sexy dish right there, baby.

[Ramsay] Five, four, three, two, one.

And stop. Well done. Well done.

I'll be judging each dish
on a scale of one to five,

five being brilliant, one, a disaster.

The team with the highest overall points

will win the challenge.

First up: the battle
of the shrimp and grits. Let's go.

Thank you, T, thank you, Motto. Let's go.

[Motto] It might be
country come to town here,

but I'm gonna bet on myself
if I'm betting on anybody.

Right, T, first of all, you were
easily one of the most competitive,

determined chefs I've ever worked with.

If you let us down,
I swear to God I'm gonna beat you.

Guys, don't give up.
Christine, don't give up.

I want a cigarette and a W.
Can you provide me with that?

-Is that passion still there?
-Yes, Chef.

I just added a bit more desire to it.

Last time I didn't complete
the task at hand.

But I am reenergised, reinvigorated.
I'm here to win.

T, describe the dish, please.

The seasoning is the sauce that
I did from the reduction of the beer,

a little bit of Worcestershire sauce,
a little bit of shallot, garlic.

-How's that, Motto?
-I thought it was bland, myself.

You know what? Fuck you, Motto.

-The grits are bland for you?
-Yes.

I'm sure she's got great skills
and talents,

but I just wanted some water
to wash down the rest of the grits.

Seriously, the grits, delicious.
Shrimp, slightly overcooked.

Three out of five.

Could have been a four,
had you got those shrimp right.

Motto, give us an insight into this.
What's in there?

[Motto] It's a New Orleans barbecue sauce.
Plenty of sauce to soak up those grits.

Let's dig in.
What did you put in the grits?

Just a little butter, cream,
salt and pepper and some lemon zest.

Have a taste of that, please.

-What's the one thing they need?
-Salt, Chef.

This is key for me. When you dump
a huge plateful of grits on there,

they need to be seasoned.

Shrimp cooked beautiful.
Sauce, amazing. Destroyed by the grits.

That's a three out of five.

You could have got four,
had you nailed those grits.

Right. Next up: fish stew with plantain.
Kanae and Kevin.

Kevin, I know you had some ingredients

you didn't know that were gonna cook,
with but so what?

If you're so "bad-ass", let's see.

Kanae, describe the dish, please.

It is a coconut broth.

I cooked the shrimp in a broth a little,
and then the plantains are mashed.

This is the one dish that you chose to do.

Am I the only one in the room
that thinks that visually looks like

some camel's turd?

Fuck. I can't even believe
this is happening right now.

Holy fuck.

[low growl]

[narrator]
In today's signature dish challenge,

each of the veterans had to cook
one of the rookies' signature dishes.

Kanae is going head to head against Kevin,

but her signature fish stew
has Chef Ramsay asking...

Am I the only one in the room here
that thinks that visually looks like

some camel's turd?

[mutters]

That poor child, poor baby. Lord.

Two elements done right,
one badly executed.

-Three out of five.
-Thank you, Chef.

I shot myself in the foot
with those mashed plantains.

Won't do that again.

Kevin, describe the dish, please.

When I saw that it was a stew,
being from New England,

a stew to me and chowder go hand in hand.

So I kind of made my stew
with chowder essence.

-[Ramsay] Is that the fried skin?
-[Kevin] Yes, Chef.

[Ramsay] Beautiful.
I mean, really beautiful.

[Trev]
Kevin Cottle scares the piss out of me,

and I think everybody in the room
should be nervous about him.

That guy is cutthroat,

and he will come at you with some shit
you ain't never seen before.

Wow. The dish is a definite five.

-Great job.
-Thank you, Chef.

-[cheering]
-Nice.

You outdid Kanae on her signature dish.

-Kevin, great job.
-[Ariel] Good job, Kev.

Good job, Kev.

[narrator] After two rounds,
the veterans cling to a two-point lead,

and in the battle
of the herb-crusted black bass,

season 13's Roe...

It's slightly overcooked.
Three out of five.

...fails to impress...

Would've been a four,
had you not scorched it there.

Thank you, Chef.

...while newcomer Scott tries to make
an impression of his own.

Scott, the fish is overcooked.

The good news is your restaurant's closed,
and no one is eating this.

Two out of five.

[narrator] The veterans
have extended their lead to three,

as Chris from Boston presents his
signature duck breast with mango purée.

The duck's cooked beautifully.
Let's get that right. That's delicious.

Duck, you've nailed. Four out of five.

-Thank you, Chef.
-Good job.

[narrator] It's now on season 14's Bret
to try and put the veterans back on top.

This is delicious.
Duck's nailed beautifully.

-Thank you, Chef.
-A strong four, Bret.

-Good job.
-Thank you, Chef.

-[Ramsay] Really good.
-[cheering]

Next up: the battle of the seared scallops
with the parsnip, please.

Get it, girl.

[narrator] With the rookies still trailing
by three, Ariel looks to widen the lead

with her take
on Jose's signature seared scallops.

Ariel, really good. That purée is so rich.

-It's a very strong four, Ariel.
-Thank you, Chef.

Four out of five.

[narrator] Ariel's near-perfect score
has put the pressure on Jose

to keep pace with his signature scallops.

That purée is delicious.
Scallops are excellent.

-It's a very strong four.
-Thank you, Chef.

-Really good. Both of you.
-Thank you, Chef.

[narrator] With the veterans continuing
to lead by three points,

newcomer Scotley is first to deliver
his pan-seared snapper with jasmine rice.

So, Scotley, what have you achieved
personally so far?

-Any awards?
-I'm one of the hottest chefs in Atlanta.

-[Ramsay] As in looks or flavour?
-Everything overall, Chef.

-T, what do you think of that?
-Congratulations, Scotley.

[Roe] That's great, boo-boo,
but this is not a beauty contest.

Being handsome
is not gonna help you there.

Describe the dish, please.

[Scotley] I have a pan-seared snapper
with saffron, jasmine rice,

and my coconut red curry sauce.

The seasoning on point.
The fish slightly scorched there.

Three out of five.

Right, Trevor, when you get your mojo
and you are in the game,

you are unstoppable.

Reflecting back on the last experience
here, your team got to you.

-Shut up!
-Or what?

Shut the [bleep] up.

-Do you want me to cook?
-No, I know what the [bleep] I'm doing.

You may not be liked,
but you got the jacket.

Damn straight.

-Have you managed to focus on you only?
-Yes.

Last time I was here,
I had a tough time with the chefs.

I got yelled at by everybody
except for Chef Ramsay.

But this time around,
working with all-stars and everything,

I want their respect this time.

I want them thinking
that Trev is our go-to guy.

Describe the dish, please.

I took a piece of snapper
and dusted it with a little curry,

garam masala, saffron rice.

-The fish is delicious.
-Thank you.

The lemon twist reminds me of the 1970s,
my grandad's 90th birthday.

-[chuckles]
-Just old-school.

This is old news, though.

-Three. Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.

Come on, man.
You know I'm better than a three,

and that dish was better than a three too.

Let's go for the grilled pork loin
with chimichurri.

Jen and Mia, please. Let's go.

[Jen] I'm quite nervous,
because I definitely

wanted to make something
that Chef Ramsay wouldn't spit out.

Wow. Interesting.

Let's see how this goes.

Jen, describe the dish, please.

For the purée, it's a potato purée
with roasted plantain and garlic.

I have one big issue. When it goes ragged
on the outside, what does it mean?

-It's a little dry, Chef.
-"A little dry"? Cracks at the end.

Jen, that's a two out of five.

-A two?
-Two.

This here ain't no fashion show.
We're here to cook.

So a two is unacceptable in my opinion.

Mia, describe the dish, please.

So this is a grilled pork loin medallion
with chorizo chimichurri.

That is delicious.
Can I just check something?

Wow. Pink. And again, pink. Amazing.

Mia, that's a very strong five.

-Great job.
-Thank you, Chef.

[Mia] I'm jumping up and down inside.

If I was underestimated,

now they know
that I'm a force to be reckoned with.

This is insane.
It all comes down to the final dish.

Seared scallops with a cucumber gazpacho.

[Heather] Gizzy, you called me out.
Guess what, girl?

I'm back here this time to take it all.

Nobody is stopping me
from opening the door.

-Heather.
-Yes.

-[softly] Are you and Andrew still dating?
-Oh, geez. Really? Come on.

I'm just asking.

-It's gonna be bad.
-For who?

-Us.
-Why?

All we're doing
is lying next to each other.

Andrew, here's your girlfriend, Leela.

-Awkward.
-Oh, my God.

Him and I don't speak at all anymore.

Right. Let's start off with Gizzy.
Describe the dish, please.

There's a bit of a table-side pour here.

We have a cucumber
and Marcona almond gazpacho.

-That's delicious.
-Thank you.

I'm not going to give it a score 'cause I
want to taste both dishes first. Heather.

I did pan-seared scallop.
I checked the salt and pepper.

Why the brioche?

I wanted to make sure you can soak in
all the juice from the gazpacho, Chef.

[Gizzy] Toast points? What year is it?

Is it 1983? Who does toast points?

-That's delicious.
-Thank you.

Both of you, back in line.
Give me a moment, thank you.

Wow.

-[Heather] It's killing me.
-Good job, Heather.

Give her three, give me my five,
and we can go about our day.

-Gizzy, that gazpacho was incredible.
-Thank you, Chef.

-Your dish, five out of five.
-Let's go, baby.

[cheering]

Yes, yes, yes.

Damn, Gizzy! Ooh, girl! [chuckles]

Heather, your dish--

An amazing dish. I loved it.

It's the same: five out of five. Good job.

Ah! Yeah!

That is awesome.

I'm gonna go to the best dish
from both teams,

and that will break the tie.

It's down to Mia and Kevin.

Can I see both your dishes, please,
one more time?

-[Heather] Come on, Kev.
-[Scott] Come on, Mia.

-Let's go, Mia.
-Let's go.

-This is tough.
-Let's see if we got this, guys.

-Let's hope.
-Delicious.

Nobody here can cook
better than me, nobody.

When I wake up,
the first thing I do is piss excellence.

I've got great and great.

There's a dish that has the slight edge...

Bring it. Bring it to mama.

...and that dish belongs to...

[sighs]

[narrator] Today's signature dish
challenge has ended in a tie

between the seasoned veterans
and the talented rookies.

It's now down to the best dishes
of the day,

between Miami's Mia for the rookies

and season six runner-up Kevin
for the veterans

to determine the ultimate winner.

There's a dish that has the slight edge.

Congratulations...

Mia.

[cheering]

I'm doing this happy dance in my head.
[laughs]

-Yes, yes, yes!
-Good job.

The first challenge, and we lose.
How is that possible?

It's not a good feeling to lose
right off the bat to rookies.

Rookies, you're in for a great treat
tonight, let me tell you.

You're all going on one of
the most incredible dining experiences...

Whoo!

...at the critically acclaimed restaurant,
Charcoal.

[overlapping chatter]

Now, the success behind
this incredible restaurant

is the Michelin-star chef Josiah Citrin.

Josiah is gonna be joining you.

-[man] Whoo!
-Amazing! [laughs]

-Do you mind if I join you?
-[all] Yes!

Good. Wait until you see this place.
You're gonna love it.

-Veterans.
-Yes, Chef.

Here we go.

Tonight you have a very tedious evening.
Here's why.

-You'll be prepping both kitchens...
-Yay!

...ahead of tomorrow night's opening night
in Hell's Kitchen.

We are serving a table-side
pesto tagliatelle.

So you're gonna be shelling thousands...

of sunflower seeds one by one.

After that,
I need the mushroom duxelle prepped.

Christina and Jocky, please,

take the Red Team and the Blue Team
to their dorms.

Let them get settled in.
Rookies, I'll call you shortly.

Get changed for dinner.

[Scotley]
I think we took a piece of those guys,

took a little piece of their heart,
just from this win.

You're the all-stars, no? What happened?

I don't want to point no fingers,
but Jen, you got a two.

You got a two. Come on, now. A two.

Yo, damn, what's her name?
Jen? That had the pork?

-Jen, right?
-Yeah.

Damn. Next time. That's all right.
It happens. Don't worry about it.

Don't apologize. Next time, tighten up.

Bret seems like he's gonna be
a little bit of a handful.

A bit of a wanker, if you ask me.

Had I not come out the door, would you
have run my name through the dirt?

No, absolutely not.
I will let you know, right here.

I can't be that type of team, baby.

If you've got a problem with me,
let me know.

-It is what it is.
-[Jen] For sure.

[Chris] Hell's Kitchen, Red Team!

-Ladies first.
-Thank you.

-[screams]
-Welcome to Charcoal.

Let me introduce you to one of the best
chefs in the country, Josiah Citrin.

-Welcome.
-[Mia] Oh, my God.

[screams] I can't stop smiling.

It is such an honour to be sitting down
next to Chef Josiah Citrin.

-Chef, thank you.
-Cheers. Thank you all.

-Cheers, guys. Congratulations.
-Cheers.

There's our duck, and it's basted
with honey and coriander seed.

It's aged for 21 days.

-Wow.
-Yo, this duck is fire, bro.

-[Citrin] It's good duck, right?
-It's nice.

Dinner was phenomenal, and to sit amongst
two amazing Michelin-star chefs,

that's a memory that I will never forget.

When I was a young cook, coming up
and opening my first restaurant,

not being successful was never an option,
no matter what it took.

It's like, "Stay focused.
Keep your eye on the prize."

[Kanae] I had a very troubled childhood
growing up in South Central.

There was a lot of gang-banging,
a lot of shooting.

I worked my ass off to be here.

I am living the good life right now.

Red Team, here we go, baby.
Just the beginning.

This is brutal.

Plucking and plucking and plucking.

[Torrece]
This is the longest punishment ever.

Yeah. It certainly is a fucking
punishment. I feel I've been here forever.

And it doesn't look like we did shit.

I feel like this is taking forever.

Mushroom after mushroom.

Oh, there's more.
Oh, there's more over there.

Oh, there's more over there.
Don't forget about that bin over there.

I'm stuck in this hell,

and I'll be wiping mushroom guck
off my fingers all night.

I know. It's so gross.

Man, it smells like baked ass.

Jen, did you wash the mushrooms before?

-I'm sorry?
-Did you wash them?

You know what, Chef?
That would be a negative.

-You need to wash them.
-Yeah. Yeah.

-I didn't think I'd have to explain that.
-You're right.

I don't see nothing wrong
with not fully rinsing the mushrooms.

That shit is so gross, yo.

Fucking cleaning the mushrooms.
It's not very difficult.

What's that, Jen?
What are you trying to tell me?

-Nothing.
-Jen, come on!

Wash, rinse, repeat. It's very simple.

If you can't hang,
get the fuck out of the way.

What were you saying there?
Tell me what you were saying.

Nothing.

This is gonna be a fun few weeks.

[softly] Damn!

We gotta turn the tide. It's gotta be
all about the all-stars, not these rooks.

You know they're gonna come back later...
[groans mockingly]

-Oh, we had so much fun!
-Shut the fuck up!

If it was the other way around
and it was my steak dish--

If I'd have put the branzino
in front of homie, forget about it.

[laughs]

The only thing he would have tied
is his shoes, yo.

Oh, my God, he's gonna get on my nerves.

Lord, help me, Jesus, he is gonna
get on my nerves. I can just see it.

[chuckles]

It's that type of stuff that makes you
lose focus in Hell's Kitchen.

It might seem minute,
but working with the person

that kind of scratches at you
and just annoys you, it's really hard.

[chortles]

[all chanting] Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Charcoal!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Charcoal!

Ba-da-ba-ba-Charcoal!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Charcoal! [whooping]

[narrator] While the rookies forced
the veterans to endure their victory song,

Chef Ramsay has surprised them
with another reason to celebrate.

-[Mia] We got knife bags.
-[all laughing]

-[Scotley] That's what I'm talking about!
-[Kanae] So beautiful!

We have our fucking knives.
We have our knife bags.

This shit got some weight on it.
Oh, my God. Yes!

These Zwilling JA Henckles knives
are amazing.

Thank you, HK.

Thank you, Chef!

Yo, I wish I could sleep out here.
[groans]

[chuckles]

I'm quite annoyed right now with Bret.

What's up?
You've got the Hell's Kitchen tattoo,

-so I know you're a die-hard, huh?
-Yeah, you could say that.

But you also got to get along with
your teammates in order to make it far.

What's the significance
of the garlic and the asparagus?

My family loved it, and both my parents
just recently passed away.

My mother, May 4, my father, October 14.

My father was a phenomenal cook,
my mother was a phenomenal cook.

So I started cooking with my family
at a young age.

To me, food, family, love, positive vibes,
you know what I'm saying?

It was like a big part of my childhood.

I lost both my parents
just recently this past year

within five months of each other.

I need a minute here. Hold on.

My parents were my best friends.

They were my everything.

So now I just got these two angels
looking over me.

That's why you see me kiss
or look at my wrists,

because their names are tattooed on me.

I know they're looking down
and very proud of you, man.

I know that hurts. I can't even imagine.

I see y'all. Make y'all proud.

Yeah.

Great, Jennifer.

Just great.

Oh, why do I have to be such an asshole?

[phone rings]

-Hello?
-I need everybody

down at the dining room
as soon as possible, please.

Yes, Chef.

Everybody, line up right now.

-Run!
-Scotley, run, run!

-Come on, Blue!
-[Torrece] Come on, Blue!

-[bagpipes playing]
-[Torrece] Is that bagpipes?

I hope we're not catering a funeral.

Oh, shit.

I'm about to tell you something
quite shocking.

What the hell is going on?
Who died in Hell's Kitchen?

We are saying goodbye...

to one of our near and dear.

No!

[narrator] Next time on Hell's Kitchen...

will one more devastating loss...

-Today we say goodbye.
-This is not happening.

...be too much
for an already grieving chef to bear?

Here we go. Emotional Bret is back.

[exhales sharply]

And when grief drives
one all-star to madness...

-Ha-ha-ha!
-Bret is a hot mess.

Get it together.

...will he speed along
a dangerous collision course?

[Bret] This one's for you, Mama.

-Oh, sorry!
-Oh, my God, what are you doing?

-Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
-Bret's lost his mind.

It's all next time...

I'm so sorry, Chef. My apologies, Chef.

I'm so sorry, Chef.
I'm so sorry, Chef. Sorry.

Oh, my God!

...on a truly sorry episode...

-Sorry. Sorry.
-...of Hell's Kitchen.

[Bret] I'm sorry.