Hell's Kitchen new season

[Joanie]

I'm surprised Linda didn't have something going on this but I have a couple comments. Like I always hated this show (but watched last year cuz I kind of know Andy Husbands) and last nite just reinforced how much I hate it. Even tho two Boston chefs are on it, I certainly won't bother with the DVR and may not bother if I'm sitting there with nothing else to do at 8PM. Gordon Ramsey just sucks on this show of course, but it seemed like they're trying to make the contestants more caricatures of themselves. They had these super closeups of everyone's sweaty skin, making stupid faces at the appropriate time, or snickering at someone getting panned by Ramsey then another dumb face. That Italian chef makes me think of Fabio on Top Chef, the older woman seems to be trying to make a fight with that Autumn girl just to make one, the guy who talked about slaughtering his animals was a tool. They all suck and worse is GR and his stupid yelling, spitting out food and swearing. It's like all the contestants are required to say a certain amount of F-bombs. Man, this show sucks.

[Firegoat]

I would like to comment .... and I am a straight female ... that the new female sous chef is really attractive. Scott is my favorite, ofc, but always nice to see new faces.

[HabaneroJane]

i was wondering about her. what happened to giving the dubious honor of HK sous chef to one of the former HK winners?

[C. Hamster]

I also noticed the strange, staged use of his family, co-incidentally after all the affair allegations.

[Niblet]

Joanie, I am with you. Last time I watched b/c of Husbands, even went to one of his gatherings at T647 during the season. But then stopped watching.

I heard Santos interviewed on the radio last week, so watched it last night but turned it off and I don't plan to watch any more of this. It's just an awful show, the yelling and screw ups just don't do it for me. From what I did see, I wish they'd finished describing what they put in the mashed potatoes, that might've been interesting. Sour cream, chives...I wanted more info. And for chefs to lug in a huge tuna is ridiculous; that is the fish monger's job. It's just too stupid.

Incidentally (NOTE POSSIBLE SPOILER HERE SO PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU CARE), who knows if he was throwing listeners off track, but in Santos' interview he said he hopes he never sees Ramsey again. So it sounds to me like he doesn't make it all the way.

[NellyNel]

I am completely torn about Hell's Kitchen..
On the one hand I think it's awful and terribly cheesy and on the other - I sometimes find it quite entertaining!

I do like GR as a media figure and I actually think he's a lovely guy..

Sometimes I am just not in the mood to watch it for all the swearing, yelling and such..and I miss an entire season
But then other sesons I get totally involved.

For me it has a lot to do with the contestants - if I like a particular someone - I will continue to watch. (Like last year when I loved that woman that everyone else here hated!)
but if I don't then I tend to lose interest completely and stop watching completely..

I have been watching this year and I seem to be getting into it...but we'll see...I'm still on the fence!

[celfie]

usually on HK it's hard to like a contestant until late into the competition. they're all pretty grodie at first

[NellyNel]

Oh yeah - that's a good point...agreed!

[Joanie]

I will say on the season opener, the Asian woman seemed pretty normal, Jason Santos came off okay in his little time on air and maybe one other. The rest... not so much.

[HabaneroJane]

For some reason, now that I know none of the winners actually go on to execu chef positions, I feel that this show is a fraud and it's not even entertaining me like it used to. Was the guy that walked out a ringer like they suspected that beligerent marine from last season to be? When the cute Italian contestant walked out this time, I was almost ready to change the channel.
What I have noticed is that more that cooking, HK is a competition to see which chefs can smoke the most cigarettes. Holy nicotine! Of course, I will keep watching, too, but only because there's nothing else on. Also love how Gordon has his family involved in this one, probably because of the rumors of his infidelity...

[Firegoat]

The Andrew post-elimination (or walk off) interview
http://www.examiner.com/x-11363-TV-Ex...

[Firegoat]

I wonder if Mikey is going to regret that tattoo now....

[celfie]

im sad farm boy left. i've met a lot of maladjusted farmers with weird notions of respect in my life. this guy was just like some of them

[smartie]

wow that guy was petulant - the one that took off his shoes when Jean Phillipe told him people would die to be in his shoes.
I was surprised another contestant left as well.

So far nobody is emerging as the winner for me.

[LindaWhit]

I'm *so* glad Farmer Boy is gone. He was completely freaky!

And loved that Jay got another nickname - last week was Smurf; this week was Bluejay. Perfect! LOL

[jujuthomas]

I agree Linda, the way he bugged out his eyes was freaking me out! SO glad he's gone.

[celfie]

This was the funniest HK episode of all time!!! I almost died of laughter when he started making out with that woman - who (obviously) was his wife in disguise. That part was so over the top, hilarious and kitschy. This is going to be the best season. It is like watching a cartoon.

[jujuthomas]

that's why i keep watching! I watch top chef for the food, HK for the over the top hilarious drama! :)

[jenscats5]

Have to agree on this.....while it's the same thing (mostly) each season, it is entertaining craziness!

[marcia]

Watched it on Hulu. Sorry, but that guy who just wants two coolers just creeps me out. He's a tad too excited about eating raw animals....

[smartie]

a regular old Hannibel Lector ......

[jujuthomas]

oh yeah. i hope he goes home quickly. I thought he'd get more trash from GR for the tartar... seems too simple to be a signature dish.

[Firegoat]

Here's an interview with Stacey, the first chef kicked out.
http://www.examiner.com/x-11363-TV-Ex...

I always think these are interesting.

[LindaWhit]

Some interesting comments she makes:

" For Chef Ramsay? I've spoken to other chefs about him -- he's good at what he does, but a lot of it is show. Stick to your craft! Yeah, it's making you money, but at the end of the day are you doing something that's good for the culinary world? I lost a little respect for Chef Ramsay."

and

"My signature dish was a pan-seared sea bass with roasted squash and lemon ver blanc and a sweet cranberry reduction that I put together, and then some fried mint. He thought my fish was overcooked, but it had been sitting there for 40 minutes with a hot plate on top of it."

Totally unfair that dishes sit for 40 minutes. Of course it's going to be overcooked at that point! But that's show biz. I guess.

[rockandroller1]

isn't that beurre blanc?

[LindaWhit]

Probably. I'm just copying/pasting. So either Examiner.com/Boston got it wrong, or they quoted her word-for-word. :-)

[Sooeygun]

I hope she meant beurre blanc, because a ver blanc is a white worm (larvae).

[LindaWhit]

And if she DID mean a ver blanc, it's probably good she's no longer on HK. ;-)

[jujuthomas]

that could lend a whole new dimension to the competition! blech!

[Firegoat]

Best line of the night was from Jean-Phillipe, "Back into the cage."

[tobycat]

Now GR has a Masterchef franchise. The show in England, Australia and New Zealand are a blast to watch, in a very good way, not cheesy. I am worried what he will do with it. I hope he plays it straight. His co-judges are serious chefs with reputations to protect so maybe he will have to.

[NE_Elaine]

I thought this show was appalling.

I haven't seen the past couple of seasons because I got rid of my cable, I was sick of the content, and I didn't have a converter for my TV. I got a converter a couple of months ago and decided to watch the season premier of HK. It kind of made me want to throw my converter out the window.

Mr. Ramsay has become a sad caricature of himself.

[Withnail42]

I had completely forgotten that this show was on. Thought it started mid June.

This time of year the DVR gets busy. Not only do we have HK. But there is Top Chef coming up and the everyone favorite cooking disaster The Next Food Network Star.

[Alcachofa]

I've never seen this show before, and only tuned in because of Santos.

This show is horrible. Who watches this crap? If there's nothing else on TV, then how about this: turn off the TV and go outside! It's summer! Make a nice summer salad. Anything but this!

I couldn't even finish.

[smartie]

South Fl summer is pretty much like the So Fl fall, winter and spring, variations of hot (although it was a bit nippy this winter), so inside is pretty good with the AC cranked up. I am pretty happy watching the food programs.

[bookwormchef]

Does anyone know what the guy's tattoo was? I saw the shocked look on everyone's face and then it went to commercial and my DVR punked out for a few minutes. Not really relevant, just wanting to know.

[dave_c]

His tattoo was "Hell's Kitchen" including the pitchfork.

[shaogo]

This season's really over-the-top. I'll keep watching, but, like LindaWhit, kinda like watching a car-crash watching...

[LindaWhit]

LOL Joanie! I'm only watching it because of Jason Santos (a.k.a. "Jay", or "The Smurf"). I'm much more of a Top Chef fan. HK is way too over the top and more about the drama!!! and the swearing!!!! and sending food back!!!

Otherwise, like you, I'm rather tired of the 'characters' they have on the show. The farmer and the 30-year veteran of the kitchen (who I've dubbed "Puss-face" for the constant sour look on her face) and the Italian are all, as you put it, tools.

Not a whole lot of face time for Jason this episode. Who's the other Boston-area chef?

[Joanie]

Oh yeah, I was wondering about the "Jay" usage. Never have heard him called that in Boston. The other guy works at the waterfront Sel de la Terre.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/...

At least Jason didn't do anything stupid, yet. When he starts making bug eye faces, we'll know he's taken the kool-aid.

As far as other stuff to watch, there's the excellent Justified on FX which will soon be replaced by Rescue Me. Burn Notice is starting up again on USA this week. Entourage is back at the end of the month and Friday Night Lights is the best show on TV that no one but me and the Globe TV critic watches. Such an amazing show. With ESPN's Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, basketball playoffs and Top Chef, my DVR is plenty busy.

[LindaWhit]

At first I thought the other guy from Sel de la Terre was "The Farmer". But that seems to be Andrew.

And yes, Jason hasn't done anything yet to bring down the WOR (Wrath Of Ramsay) on him yet. But I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I don't think there's been one contestant that hasn't caught sh*t from him at one time or another.

But like a car wreck, I will probably watch.

[smartie]

I enjoyed it, it was like visiting an old friend - a comfortable formula and anyhow there's not much else to watch in summer.

[Firegoat]

Same here. Loved its crappiness and will watch every episode.

[coney with everything]

Yeah, next week will be the MOST! SHOCKING! HK! EVER!

Gordon will yell and stuff...

Damn you, Tigers, if you could hit with men on base I wouldn't be forced to watch this dreck:)

[Firegoat]

I even rewatched part of it on Hulu this morning because I missed the first 10 minutes!