Filed under: TV Episode Recaps
10-05-2006

Hell’s Kitchen Gets More Diabolical by Roxanne McDonald

Hell’s Kitchen on July 31st was the most troublesome yet.

With four competing chefs yet, the individuals were merged onto one team, given fresh black and white jackets, and given their first one against three challenge. They were taken to a local construction site and given a small bit of time to create a fabulous lunch for the construction workers.

Heather made a grilled chicken sandwich with French fries, saying in the camera room, “Who doesn’t like chicken sandwiches/french fries?” but saying to the men how she had missed them, was waiting for them, and was wondering where they had been all her life. Odd for Heather, who is usually so focused on skill—and not sexuality. (That seems to be the not so subtle Virginia’s gig.)

Keith made the boys lobster and greens; Sarah made quail with salad and fresh berries for dessert; and Virginia made turkey and prosciutto with feta cheese sandwiches.

Virginia won the luxury challenge and got to go on a shopping spree with Chef Ramsey to Sur La Table, where she flirted with him, playfully taunted him with items like the “kiss-the-cook” apron, and where she racked up a bill of over 900 bucks.

Back at Hell’s Kitchen, the losers are preparing and cooking fresh crab, which is evidently a daunting task.

When Virginia returns, Keith challenges her, saying she had better have brought him a gift (since he had taken her to Vegas, sacrificing his bonds with Garrett). She hands him a little red crab cracker, which Keith grouses is only six bucks…and should have been a good knife or something more expensive.

Heather is not too moved by the rubber hand mitt which will dunk in boiling water without harming the hand; and Sarah is equally silent about the miniature cow creamer (which Virginia reminds is a JOKE, but which likely, going by the look on her face, just reminds Sarah of the many times Chef Ramsey has slammed her at dinner service, specifically, for example, calling her a [stupid] cow.

Little passive-aggressive on Virginia’s part, if you ask me.

The passive-aggression continues in a most unjust manner, for Virginia, having won the luxury competition is also now GUARANTEED a place in the final three. However, she screws up the worst that night at dinner, and doing some rigorous (supposedly) soul-searching, goes to the best of the night, Heather, and tells her she doesn’t DESERVE to be there…and to nominate her for getting the trident to her backside.

Yet, fickle as ever, Virginia flips everyone off:

Ramsey reminds her she has immunity (though in anger he had earlier told her, “You are no longer safe…”), and gives her the option to stay and he will send Sarah home or go herself—it is her choice. Rather than explain her epiphany (if you can give her that level of reckoning) again to Chef R., she says, “No, dammit, I want to stay,” and other such remarks, and Sarah is booted. [After telling Chef Ramsey to “kiss [her] grits.”

Sarah was tough in attitude and could have pulled up the ranks. Virginia could have continued to be true to herself (KNOWING she is NOT cut out for high-paced, intense restaurant work), too. At one point in the service, for example, she wails for Heather to “slow it down”! This of course mortifies Ramsey, who seethes, “slow it down!? Slow it down?! The next thing you’ll be asking me to shave my BLEEP….”

Keith is still holding strong, and doing as he promised in the camera/diary room, keeping his station clean and pulling his pants up—a metaphor for the simplicity of it all. I hope either he or Heather or both (couldn’t they co-chef?) win this thing…on MERIT, culture, class, and hard work.

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