The third episode of Season 1 of Hell’s Kitchen aired on Fox, on June 13, 2005. On that episode, happened the first team switch, and the first shocking exit in the history of the show.
Please watch the full episode before you read (below) to avoid spoilers about this episode.
Intro
Following Dewberry’s elimination, most of the remaining contestants were already missing him especially Elsie as he was making her laugh every day. Then Ralph explained that he walked off the line and everybody who would do this in a restaurant would get fired immediately. At the same time, Jeff showed everybody his kidney stone but nobody was impressed as they found it really small even Elsie thought that it was a joke and Jessica compared it to a little mustard seed.
Team Switch
The next morning when both teams were lined up in the dining room prior to the challenge, Ramsay noticed that the red team was down 2 members after Carolann and Dewberry’s eliminations. So to even up the teams he transferred Michael to the red team while telling him that this was a great opportunity for him to become a leader.
Team challenge
Ramsay explained that each restaurant must be ready to host a VIP guest at any time so they would have to be creative and make stunning dishes. Then he announced the next challenge which was the Five-Course Meal Challenge where they would be hosting Ramsay himself as the VIP guest. Each team had 10 minutes to grab all their ingredients at a local grocery store by respecting the $100 limit. After that, they had one hour to prepare a 5 course meal for Ramsay.
At the grocery store, Jeff annoyed his teammates especially Elsie, as he was shopping by himself instead of being a team member. For the blue team, Ralph thought about bacon with 30 seconds left so when he got it, he threw it in the shopping cart with less than a second to go. Both teams respected their budget. When they got back to Hell’s Kitchen, Michael quickly became a strong voice in his new team, so did Ralph in the blue team, much to the annoyance of Andrew.
For the cold appetizer round, Jessica served a grilled pineapple with potatoes tartare style while Elsie served a salad. Elsie scored over Jessica as Ramsay found her salad not bad and Jessica’s dish tasteless. For the hot appetizer round, Ralph served a roasted corn chowder and Jeff served a white onion soup garnished with parmesan and roasted garlic crouton. Both of those dishes scored a point. After two rounds, the score was 2-1 for the red team. For the fish entrée round, Wendy served a ginger scallion pan-roasted salmon with bok choy. It was deemed not bad by Ramsay, and she scored for the blue team. For the red team, Chris served a dover sole with a cauliflower couscous and scallions. It was poorly received by Ramsay as he said it would be the kind of thing he would serve to a sick rabbit. After three rounds, the score was even at 2. For the meat entrée round, Andrew served a grilled rib-eye with mushroom sauce and white peaches. After questioning the idea of mixing white peaches with a rib-eye, Ramsay tasted it and said it does not work and found it disgusting. He scored no point for his team. When Andrew was in the confession box, he revealed that it was Ralph’s idea, which was confirmed in a flashback. For the red team, Michael served a grilled pork ass with mushroom garnish carved into the Hell’s Kitchen logo. When Ramsay saw this, he called him a smartass and jokingly asked him if he got it tattooed on his butt, referring to the large number of tattoos on Michael’s body. Ramsay found it delicious, and Michael scored for his team, taking the lead again at 3-2. Finally for the dessert round, Mary Ellen served a trio of crème brulée which Ramsay found delicious and Jimmy served a vanilla poached pear with feta cheese on the side, which Ramsay told that the presentation was simple, but did not enjoy the flavor. The challenge ended with a tie at 3. So as a tie-breaker, Ramsay evaluated how well the individual dishes were complementing each other, because of the poor combinations of the blue team, especially Andrew’s dish, he declared the red team winners.
Reward
The red team enjoyed a night out with Ramsay at the bar with drinks and a darts game. That was the red team’s second challenge win in a row.
Punishment
The blue team was punished by cleaning the dorms. That was the blue team’s second challenge loss in a row during punishment, Andrew took his frustrations out by angrily beating the rug on the patio railing.
Before service
During prep, Jeff left a hot sheet on the counter and Elsie picked it up, burning her hand in the process. That resulted in a discussion between the red team during the short break about if they would be better without Jeff. Moments later, when Jeff got up to join the conversation, he and Chris got in a heated argument about his behavior. Moments before opening both teams were confident and showed teamwork but Jeff was still struggling to get organised when very few of his stuff was ready so Chris and Michael had to help him out.
Dinner service
Before the first tickets arrived, Ramsay revealed to both teams that two internationally acclaimed food critics were in the dining room. Those two critics were Melissa Clark and Kate Krader. Jeff who was on the appetizer station brought two lobster spaghetti dishes which one of them had no lobster in it and the other had too many. So Michael had to reach over and help him redoing the spaghetti. Jeff blamed the fact that he has never been on a line before, which led to tempers flaring between him and Sous Chef Mary-Ann and eventually Chris. Ramsay immediately had to calm the situation down. In the blue kitchen, Wendy was on the appetizer station but she put cold water to cook spaghetti, as she thought cold water was boiling faster than hot water. When Jeff sent his lobster spaghetti and Michael sent his crab risotto to the critics, it received mixed reviews. Clark enjoyed Jeff’s lobster spaghetti but Krader did not like Michael’s crab risotto. When Wendy and Andrew from the blue team sent their appetizers out, both of them were poorly received. When Andrew’s crab risotto made it to customers, one of them became ill and started to throw up. When it came back to the kitchen, Andrew acknowledged that it was too salty even before Ramsay asked him to taste it. Then, he started to talk back to Ramsay even thinking that it was not his fault if the customer became ill leading Ramsay to school him on his behaviour after Jeff told that he needed five minutes, Ramsay lost his temper by telling him he asked for four minutes and that he would not follow Jeff’s requests. In the blue kitchen, Ralph was showing great teamwork when he helped Jessica who was struggling on the garnish station. Later, he was praised by Ramsay and by Jessica herself because of that.
Jeff’s exit
When Ramsay came back to the red kitchen, he asked Jeff who was working on his station, which he answered with Michael, who he claimed jumped in front of him and pushed him aside. Then Ramsay schooled Jeff about the struggle in the kitchen and the customers that were not fed. After that, Jeff started to walk out saying he was done but Chris tried to talk him back in the game. After a heated argument with Ramsay, where Jeff called him an asshole, Jeff took his jacket off and walked out of Hell’s Kitchen for good. After the announcement of his departure by Ramsay, the red team became furious, even Jimmy stating that Jeff lost his respect. Also Elsie stated that she would have vote him for the second time, had the red team lost once again.
In the blue kitchen, Wendy moved to the meat station. She was lost on time giving 10 minutes to Ramsay for her lamb to be cooked, only to be corrected by Ralph who gave 5 minutes, much to Ramsay’s relief. When Wendy’s lamb arrived at the critics table, it received mixed reviews. However, in the red kitchen after Jeff’s departure the red team rallied to send the remaining orders and Michael’s lamb received great reviews from the critics. However, it was not enough as more than half of the customers did not received their main courses and walked out. So Ramsay shut down both kitchens.
Post-mortem
Ramsay announced that both teams took a big step backwards, and that it was the worst dinner service of his career. He referred to the critics comment cards to declare the winner. No risotto were appreciated from either kitchen, but the cooking of the lamb in the red kitchen was way more accurate than the blue team’s. Therefore, the red team was declared winners, and for the blue team, Ralph was named “Best of the Worst”, and was asked to nominate two of his teammates for elimination.
Back in the dorms Jessica broke down into tears over the fear of being nominated despite Andrew and Mary Ellen trying to comfort her. Meanwhile Ralph thought over that night’s service, and noted that Andrew, Wendy and Jessica had miserable performances making his decision tough on which of the three he would choose.
Elimination
Ralph named Wendy as his first nominee and Andrew as his second. Wendy was eliminated because of her terrible performances in all three services and Ramsay stated that it was painful to work with her. During her exit interview, Wendy felt that she left everybody down, and was disappointed that she could not go further in the competition.
Ramsay’s comment: “The third night of Hell’s Kitchen was shocking, really bad. I’m hoping we step up a gear, raise our game, and we start coming together as a proper restaurant. Jeff, well, I had to laugh at the end when he called me an asshole, I’ve been called far worse than that! Wendy, well you know, it’s about time I put you out of your misery!”
My opinion
Intro
Jeff show everyone his kidney stone but no one think he did have a kidney stone and Jessica said it looked like a little mustard seed. Most of the contestants were miss Dewberry.
Team challenge
For this challenge they host a VIP guest. The guest was Gordon because at every moment a celebrity can be in your restaurant. The score was tied 3-3 so Gordon evaluated how well the dishes were complementing each other. So the red team won.
Dinner service
For some reason Wendy thought cold water boiling faster than hot water. They were food critics in hell kitchen tonight. Andrew crab risotto make one of the customer ill and throw up.
Jeff exit
Jeff called Gordon an asshole which one of the sous chef heard him and to said it to Gordon’s face then Jeff took his jacket off and walked out of hell kitchen.
Elimination
My elimination was the same as Ralph and Wendy to go out of hell kitchen.
My comment: Jeff called Gordon an asshole but he was an bigger asshole for leaving and for Wendy she was boiling out.
Gordon pick Wendy to go
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