As much as I wanted to, I really didn’t enjoy season 6 of Hell’s Kitchen. It’s all of the worst bits of Gordon Ramsay’s US shows (including the vastly inferior US Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares) – such as heavy editing and overly hyped (and constructed) drama. Being a Gordon Ramsay fan means that I’ll still watch it, just not look forward to it every week as I do almost all of his UK shows.
This group of chefs must be the most arrogant and confrontational ever. I know reality TV is hyped, but seriously – this is basically a job interview, what moron acts like these knobs? What kind of tosser tries to punch on with existing staff like Jon-Phillipe as Chef Van does or yell at the boss and tell him to get off your back, that he is crap and that he can dish it put can’t take it as Chef Tenille does to Gordon Ramsay? By now, everyone has seen the clip of Chef Joseph wanting to take Gordon Ramsay out into the carpark (after a rather mild bollocking, and he claims to be a former Marine) and this is how the second of the two part premiere ended. Earlier in the show, Chef Joseph had also said that he wanted to stomp Gordon Ramsay’s head!
As I’ve said, the editing was the worst, especially as the teams served up their signature dishes at the start of the first episode. A bunch of the head shots and reactions seemed out of place and repetitive. Some of the sound bites had obviously been spliced together which just made it all the more infuriating. As is also standard now, both of the challenges came down to very last entry as the winning team only just won. Do we really need the drama??
We also see some pretty serious injuries, slicing of hands, the now standard ambulance exit, a twisted ankle that belongs on one of those horrific sports injuries emails and a potential fire that brings multiple fire engines (that was VERY well covered by cameras).
The bit that gets me (just like Kitchen Nightmares) is how much the chefs love their own cooking, but will argue with Gordon Ramsay when he disagrees. When Louie argues that his sausage and gravy over biscuits is good because his diner customers enjoy it – you wonder if he understands what a Michelin star is (let alone three) and know he was never meant to win the grand prize. Similarly when one chef argues over whether or not the rice was undercooked – you question what type of people didn’t make the cut this time around.
There are two people who provide great comic relief – Chef Tennille, who was reading my mind when she mentioned being similar to Whoopi Goldberg, and Tony who loves food and own a cullinary supply store – but has no formal cooking training. Chef Heather, who won Season Two has also returned as Sous Chef for the Red Team and now frowns and yells a lot!
Chef Robert Back in the Game
Before the end of the first episode Louie was punted, setting the STAGE! for the return of former competitor Chef Robert who left the last series from the final five with pericarditis. I know an update we published here via the Fox homepage said that he was healthier and had lost weight – I thought he was bigger and more arrogant than ever. The intro to the second show then featured Chef Robert.
Chef Louie - Gone!
As usual, there about about half a dozen that you could eliminate straight away – although we know that special editing shows people only at their worst, so they may, in fact, be good cooks who dropped the ball a few times. No doubt as they get rid of the clowns, a few of the contetants will grow on me and the show may get a little better.
Gone Chef Melinda
So we are down Chef Louie and Chef Melinda, up Chef Robert and one would predict that Chef Joseph is going home at the start of the next episode – although they always like to keep a villan or two! My early pick is Chef Kevin.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Either way, your chance of picking the winner of Hell’s Kitchen and earning an autographed copy of Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food just got easier – get over to the forum by clicking here and enter!
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