Hell's Kitchen tonight - potential spoilers - who do we want to see go home?

[jujuthomas]

I think the consensus here on Chowhound matches my own choices - ben and autumn! if I have to listen to "Oui Chef" in the finals I'll be very bummed! lol.

Tonight they have to recreate Chef Ramsey's dish without knowing the ingredients - this is actually one of my favorite challenges!

[Withnail42]

Have to say I was surprised that Ben got the boot before Hedi. Although having said that I missed / couldn't be bothered to watch a couple of episodes. When I did see the show he looked to be a solid chef.

[rockandroller1]

I'm just really glad Ben is gone. I don't know who would win in a contest of egos between him and the long-gone Scott. Both just could not do ANYTHING wrong in their own mind and every negative that was mentioned against them was either simply not true, or BS as they are PERFECT if you ask each of them.

[Firegoat]

I wonder if Scott is coming back for the finale. I didn't see him in the preview. Saw Fran, Siobhan, Nilka, Ben, Jason in the promo.... but no Scott, Salvatore, or NakED.

[rockandroller1]

I don't think they bring back everyone, I noticed that last season. I'm sure Scott is actually working somewhere now and suspect Ed went back to his teaching job. Maybe Salvatore is back to making pizzas.

[LindaWhit]

Keep in mind that this was filmed a year and a half ago (Winter 2009), including the finale. They're all sequestered until the finale, and then bring back a select group of the former contestants to act as sous chefs to the two finalists.

[Firegoat]

Well obviously someone is missing in the chef lineup, since I only spotted 5 (and yes I rewatched the promo online :D) And there will have to be an even number. I'm trying to remember the order in which people got booted, but it seems like NakEd was in a long time and should be there.

[rockandroller1]

I think it's probably dependent upon who can come back and who can't.

[LindaWhit]

Yet again, if they're sequestered, and I believe they all show up for the finale reveal, they *can* all "come back". They don't go home if they've been asked to leave by GR. That would reveal who *didn't* win to those people that know the contestants booted off early.

[Firegoat]

I agree, Linda. I remember reading someone on a previous season that even after booted off they don't actually "go home." They just go to a hotel room.

[LindaWhit]

Top Chef is a perfect example...the Bravo site has extra video each time of when the booted cheftestant walks into the sequester apartment. Survivor has the Ponderosa, where those voted off the island reside until they're brought back for judging. Any tape-delayed reality program is like this.

[Firegoat]

That's why it would really suck to be that first girl booted off.... six weeks of nothing much to do.
I assume they get paid some sort of something for being there? Or maybe not? That's something I've never heard.

[Firegoat]

Here is a different interview with Ben and Autumn which is quite a bit more interesting.

http://www.examiner.com/x-11363-TV-Ex...

[kprange]

Did I read that right? Did Ben basically say that he deserved time with his family more than Holli? He is an arrogant snot!

[LindaWhit]

He said that on the show as well - that he deserved to spend time with his family and Holli didn't. Completely arrogant.

And this sentence jumped out at me: "I think that the standard might have been slightly higher for me than other contestants at times..."

REALLY, Ben? Why, because you said so? Because you think you were that good? You wouldn't have been kicked out if you were that good. Ugh. Perhaps the pointers were because you weren't that good and you needed the pointers!

And this one: "Benjamin: We were all there for ourselves to win and work for Gordon Ramsay, so when it comes down to the last 4 or 5 people, it's all about how you can make yourself look good while making other people look bad."

Oy. But I guess that's to be expected of HK.

[chowser]

That line stood out for me, too. You know, because his screw ups weren't really screw ups. Legend in his own mind.

[C. Hamster]

Was that Holli's baby daddy with her kid?

[LindaWhit]

Yes. She described him as her best friend and father of her son.

[C. Hamster]

Thanks. She's supposedly gay, no?

[LindaWhit]

No idea. But her FB page says she "like's" Jay's FB page. :-D And there's a comment on his wall that *might* reveal the outcome.

http://www.facebook.com/holliugalde.h...

[C. Hamster]

Her FB page announced that she's coming out (STS) with a line of Olive Oil!!

Somehow that amuses me greatly.

[Firegoat]

I think her myspace page has her as either bi or lesbian. Sounds more like bi to me.

[LindaWhit]

And someone suggests the following at TWoP's forum message board:
~~~~~~~~~
This is NOT a spoiler.

Prediction: Remember you read it here first.

In an unprecedented move, GR will select both finalists to go to The Savoy in London.
~~~~~~~~~

Might not be a bad idea. :-)

[C. Hamster]

Well, that would be THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS FINAL EPISODE IN HELL'S KITCHEN HISTORY

[LindaWhit]

Tee hee! Wish I'd thought to write that, C.H. ;-)

[smartie]

ooh I said that to my coworker today

[Firegoat]

Here's the Autumn/Ben interview. Not much too exciting there
http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem...

[LindaWhit]

Ben's response to how he was portrayed: "It was interesting. A lot of the things I do are over the top. It comes off as me being arrogant. If you knew me, you'd know Ben. If you only get 20% of the story, it's different."

Ahhh. So *that's* what "over the top" is. REALLY?

[Firegoat]

I wondered about that "over the top" definition. I always thought assholes were more toward the bottom.....

Going to be interesting to see how the chefs coming back work. I don't really remember Holli really backbiting anyone, however I guess at the time they filmed the finale, the returning crew wouldn't have seen the edited aired episodes and know if they were being backstabbed or not.
Looks from the preview like Jason gets Ben (which is probably a huge benefit to Jason, but I doubt Ben would have really worked for Holli anyway since he didn't seem to have any respect for her.) Holli gets Nilka. Fran goes to Jason.... the rest I couldn't really tell. Anyone else catch any other possible divisions?

[LindaWhit]

Ben didn't have any respect for anyone other than Jay(son). That seems pretty obvious in how derisive he is in the confessional, at least about any of the women.

His comment to Jay last night while they were upstairs before going before Ramsay was pretty telling. Something along the lines of "You're the only one who could probably best me in the final competition." (Said by Ben to Jay) Is that what he means by being "over the top"? Seems arrogant to me.

As Holli said, he QUIT on everyone. And congratulated them by shaking Jay's hand and Holli's hand (and ignoring Autumn's? Or was it just edited out? Didn't seem to shake her hand, as Autumn had an interesting reaction). But he QUIT. And then said Ramsay convinced him to stay.

He's still a putz.

ETA: The TWoP forum for this episode is skewering Ben. Jay doesn't get many favorable comments there either. :-) http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.c...

[Fydeaux]

This would probably have been a lot more interesting if they had been interviewed separately. If anybody spots any solo interviews on line, please post a link.

[LindaWhit]

I really wish that Ben had gone before Autumn, just to see that on his face. ;-)

[Firegoat]

agreed, even tho I couldn't stand Autumn from day one

[coney with everything]

Ah, but at least Monsieur le Ben is GONE. Oui, oui, oui, all the way home.

I'm sure he'll have some rationale for the miracle back cure...adrenalin or drugs or something.

[smartie]

I have known and worked with chefs and there is only one thing that would keep them from their shift that night - death (their own).

chefs work with burns, cuts, flu, bad backs, twisted ankles etc. They are a breed all their own.

[jujuthomas]

So glad Ben is gone! we were talking last night about the 2 guys on HK last season who worked with serious injuries! He really looked like a wuss last night.

[coney with everything]

In that case, he should have worked prep as well, IMO

[a1234]

They work with the flu?
Great.

[bookhound]

When the staff gets sick days and health benefits they'll stop working when they are sick.

[chowser]

Me, too! But, with all the mistakes he made, he still has an inflated sense of himself so even if she had, he would have thought it was unfair, not that his performance was bad. That whole whining that Holli won the challenge??? Please. I'm surprised none of the other contestants sarcastically said, "Oui chef!" to him as he was in charge.

LOL, we loved the "magic" music played when Ben bent over to pick up the towel after all that whining.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! I caught the "magic" music as well!

[smartie]

so it's no surprise that's it's au revoir to Ben and goodbye to Autumn.

I think Jay will be the winner

[Joanie]

But if Jay(son) wins, what happens to Gargoyle's? I wonder what the time frame is for getting to the Savoy and all that. I'm thinking Holli just cuz some buzz would be around that he's leaving his restaurant. He sure knew how to expedite the best, but do people really taste every dish that goes out. That doesn't seem possible.

And still don't know what was up with Ben's back. It never looked like he was struggling to move or bend or anything.

[LindaWhit]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7235...

Putting out a request for "line chefs" on BostonChefs.com - does it hint at anything? Or just that they need new line chef(s) in the kitchen? But that could be the buzz. The restaurant survived after the original long-time chef left 8 years or so ago before Jason arrived 6 years ago.

As for Ben, I wouldn't have wanted to be in that kitchen with Autumn, Holli and Jason after not doing prep all day. As smartie said below, chefs work with all sorts of injuries (didn't the winner last year have a broken hand or something like that?)

I'm just glad Ben's gone. Although with the former contestants coming back, it looks like Ben attempts to take over the kitchen again even though he's not a finalist. @@