Hell's Kitchen Season 6 (1 Viewer)

[Hanson]

After a few blah seasons, the series returns with a vengenace. The casting this time is top notch -- there are only a couple of normal people and entertaining weirdos.

Oh, and every single contest goes down to the wire. It's a Hell's Kitchen tradition.

And poor Tennile -- they made waaay too much about the undercooked shrimp. Hell, I eat raw shrimp at sushi bars -- it's not that dangerous, pregnant or not. The raw chicken that was prepared in the kitchen is much more likely to take you down.

Some SAB's to kick off the season:


I thought Adam Lambert was Kurt Russell's love child, but Kevin looks like his chromedome clone.


Lovely looks like she this year's Lacey. How is she an executive chef, exactly?


Like Tony, Bobby Lee has no formal training... in comedy.


According to Wikipedia, the Triggerfish's "big, angular-shaped head extends into a snout with strong jaws and sharp teeth, adapted for crushing shells." Umm... be careful, fellas.


Flattop Jones is from the Dick Tracy Rogues Gallery, for those readers under 100. Ariel looks like the daughter of Flattop Jones and Maya Rudolph.


So, what kind of woman would marry a 500 lb man? The answer: Someone who looks like Ernest Borgnine. Is it just me or does she look 10 years older than Robert?

 

[Ed Moxley]

One day Gordon Ramsay will cuss the wrong person, and they'll knock him down and beat him senseless. He needs it.............
I like cooking shows, but this guy is a pig. I just don't understand why he's so popular.

 

[Hanson]

The common misconception about Hell's Kitchen is that it's a cooking show. Perhaps the producers promote it that way, but it's really a boot camp show set in a restaurant. There's precious little time spent on recipes and cooking. It's about putting a group of under intense pressure under the thumb of drill sargeant. Is there a point to this? Is it going to make the contestants better chefs or qualified to run their own restuarants? No, it's for entertainment. I mean, there's no overarcing point to Survivor either.

One day Gordon Ramsay will cuss the wrong person, and they'll knock him down and beat him senseless. He needs it.

You must have missed Wednesday's premiere. I doubt it will come to physical violence, but one of the unstable cooks loses his shit and asks Ramsey to step outside.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Ed Moxley

One day Gordon Ramsay will cuss the wrong person, and they'll knock him down and beat him senseless. He needs it.............
I like cooking shows, but this guy is a pig. I just don't understand why he's so popular.

Well to be fair, he has earned a fair share (16) of Michelin Stars, and is considered by his peers to be an terrific chef. He is also heavily involved with a number of charities, to which he appears (at least to me) to be genuinely devoted to, and not merely helping for publicity. Is he an ego maniac who puts on a show for the cameras? Most certainly. However, it is enjoyable, and Ramsay is an entertaining guy.

With regards to the show proper, I must admit that I am a fan. I also disagree somewhat with Hanson in that there *is* a modicum of real cooking on the show--you just have to dig really deep to reach it. While there is no doubt that the contestants are chosen more for their entertainment factor than their cooking skills, the winner at least has a real job waiting for them after they win (unlike, say, the completely terrible "Top Chef," or "The Next Food Network TV Star"). Of course, the position rarely ends up being as advertised. For example, the executive chef jobs usually end up being junior chef positions under one of Ramsay's existing chefs, or something similar.

Be that as it may, some of the places the winners go are pretty "up there," as far as restaraunts go--like the place in Whistler (just a short drive away from where I live) is pretty great considering the Olympics are there next year, and the entire region has been buzzing since they won the Olympic bid.

Hanson is right that the show is about working in a high-pressure environment, under a tyrannical boss, and most of the "drama" is manufactured by the powers that be for maximum effect. Either way, it's fun, and it at least sort of approximates the pressure and drama of the high-stakes food industry (albeit highly stylized).

Regarding the potential for violence, I know that in Kitchen Nightmares, the people on the show have to sign a document saying they won't "punch out" Ramsay or any of his crew, so I assume something similar happens on Hell's Kitchen.

It's all quite hilarious

 

[Ed Moxley]

Yeah, I saw the commercial where the guy invites him outside, but he should have just walked up and decked him. I just don't find it entertaining. Cussing them, downgrading them as a person, and bringing people to tears, just isn't what I call entertainment or hilarious. If you enjoy the show......................enjoy.

 

[Jeremiah]

The guy that gets in Ramseys face is a just a total @sshole, the guy from the beginning is trying to be some tough guy and he just looks like a fool. When the guys were celebrating with Ramsey, and Ahole is acting like a total kill joy, just comes out of nowhere. IMO Ramsey acts like a d!ck, but seems to be an all around nice guy outside of the Kitchen.

At the end, Ramsey asks the guy a question on who should go and why, the guy blurts out some totally stupid sht.

I thought last season had some unlikable contestants, this year seems to be even worse. Maybe it's just that jerkoff and that @sshole blond guy that wanted to get into it with the Frenchman were the main standouts.

I agree, people made WAY too big of a deal about the shrimp.

 

[RAF]

I totally agree that the last thing that this show is about it cooking. Everything is orchestrated in terms of menus and process so it's really, as someone else pointed out, "boot camp in a kitchen." Ramsey uses his bad boy persona to his advantage and going over the top is part of his schtick. It's great to some and grating to others.

BTW, While I enjoy Hell's Kitchen for what it is, I also watch shows like Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star to see what appear to me more qualified chefs in action (especially Top Chef.) And there are many other shows that are far more about cooking than about confrontation. I find it rare that I ever ask myself on Top Chef, "How did that guy/gal qualify as a chef?" On Hell's Kitchen that frequently comes to mind. But then I remember that this is a FOX show so it puts things into perspective.

Speaking of the "shrimp" issue - I eat a lot of Sushi (favoring Sashimi for my lo-carb lifestyle) myself at some great restaurants here in the NY area but usually the Shrimp is either cooked or marinated (or at least I thought so.) Am I misinterpreting this and is truly raw shrimp a staple? Other fish, yes (love that tuna!) Just curious. Thanks.

 

[Hanson]

Originally Posted by RAF
Speaking of the "shrimp" issue - I eat a lot of Sushi (favoring Sashimi for my lo-carb lifestyle) myself at some great restaurants here in the NY area but usually the Shrimp is either cooked or marinated (or at least I thought so.) Am I misinterpreting this and is truly raw shrimp a staple? Other fish, yes (love that tuna!) Just curious. Thanks.

If you go to the right place, you can order Amaebi, which is raw sweet shrimp. It's quite tasty, and the mouthfeel is creamy and the flesh is firm. My only complaint is that the shrimp are rather small and they are usually overwhelmed by the rice. They probably have it in the NYC restaurants, but if you make it to Sushi Hana in Montclair NJ, they usually have some on hand. One of my favs, but a bit pricier than normal fare. When I'm in a splurgy mood, I get the sweet shrimp and the Uni (sea urchin roe). Uni is my favorite.

 

[Jeremiah]

Sweet shrimp is delicious.

 

[RAF]

Thanks. I'll have to try it.

As to Uni - I never developed a taste for it. I don't know why since I'm usually game for anything on the menu. I have to say that it's probably the only thing on a typical sushi menu that I purposely avoid. Go figure.

Different strokes for different folks, Hanson.

 

[WillG]

One day Gordon Ramsay will cuss the wrong person, and they'll knock him down and beat him senseless. He needs it.............

I've sometimes wondered why someone has not decked Ramsay by now, and maybe it has indeed happened. However, I don't think what goes on in that kitchen is all that unusual. I used to work as a waiter in my college days, and I have seen stuff like that, completely berating staff, chefs walking out in the middle of services, chefs coming close to fistfights etc.

I don't even blame Ramsay for the way he operates (as far as we know) the restaurant business is notoriously unstable and nearly impossible to survive, so it's not even all that dramatic the way he portrays it. You are truly fighting for your life constantly in that business.

 

[Elizabeth S]

It's in the contestants' contracts that they will not touch Gordon Ramsay. I'm sure it could certainly happen in the heat of the moment, but it certainly wouldn't be worth it.

I love Gordon Ramsay. After all these seasons, the contestants know what they're getting into.

 

[Hanson]

Joseph looks like The Times They Are A-Changin' era Dylan:

 

[JohnS]

I'm finding this Season very entertaining so far.
I knew that that pompous ass Louie was going to get axed right away.

I'm wondering if Joseph is putting on some sort of an act.
In the interview process and such, he seemed like a real talent and nice guy.
But then when chosen he played the asshole tough guy.
Which was his whole motive from the get go.
He just wanted to get on the show to show up Ramsey.

Either way, it's entertaining.

 

[Jeremiah]

But he didn't show up Ramsey, he just looked like a complete at total @sshole. Just a complete clown.

 

[Hanson]

I'm not sure what we expected from the Joseph/Ramsey confrontation, but it was pretty obvious that there would be no fisticuffs or any sort of physical altercation. However, the situation as it played out was even more anti-climatic than I had imagined.

Every time the chefs yelled out, "PUSH IT!", my wife and I broke out into Salt N Pepa. We were practically singing Salt N Pepa throughout the whole fireman challenge. Speaking of which, the cheesiest part of HK are the promos that perpetually offer "the most shocking/explosive/controversial episode of Hell's Kitchen yet!" and use the most deceptive editing to make it look like something big was going to happen. Like the firetrucks. I knew there was no fire. Everyone knew there was no fire. Who are they fooling?

Rolling two ankles takes special skill. I don't know how Kevin did it. And I really don't know how you tear a ligament and fracture a bone cleaning a firetruck. I wish they had footage of how Dave did it.

Tenille is a mess. Lovely is there for comic relief only. The only guy that's even close is Andy -- man, that guy is totally clueless. He thinks he's one of the best chefs, but he's actually the worst guy left.

It looks like Baby Cha Cha, the Dancing Baby, is all growed up and working in Hell's Kitchen:




Note that this is not Admiral Ackbar but rather the navigator or some such officer:

 

[RAF]

Hanson,

Yoo da man! - even in the "off season" when American Idol is in hiatus. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Tony Whalen]

That Joesph guy was a total tool, and a complete embarrassment. "I ain't no bitch." He was just asked a simple question? WTF? If this guy thinks he can cut it in a professional kitchen, he's kidding himself. Not with an attitude like that.

Is Ramsay a jerk? Sure. However, he's one of the highest rated chefs on the PLANET. How many friggin' Michelin stars has he gotten? I've worked (briefly) in a high-end kitchen. Strong willed, egotistical head chefs seem to be the norm... at least from what little experience I have. He may treat people like crap under pressure, but I've never seen him act poorly outside of that environment.

Ah well.. it's a fun show. Still can't get over that Joesph guy though... he was military?!?!? Where was the discipline?

 

[Graham Perks]

I wonder if Joseph was planted by the producers. He was going in that episode one way or another, so that the guy from last season could replace him. Since Louie got the boot so quickly, Joseph had to get himself thrown out at the end of the show.

 

[JohnS]

It also makes you wonder why Ramsey chose Joseph to ask who the two nominations were and why.
It almost seems like this was a setup.
Either this was staged or Ramsey knew of his high temper and tried playing off that to get a situation going?