Episode Report Card Daniel: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Contend It Like Beckham
By Daniel | Season 10 | Episode 11 | Aired on 07.09.2012
Robyn is reluctant to weigh in, since she's new to the team, but they tell her she's got to pick at least one person. She hems and haws, and then seems to suggest that since it's tied up to let Ramsay make the decision? Fortunately, the other guys shoot down that terrible idea.
Blue comes back into the kitchen, and Ramsay asks Robyn who the nominees are. Robyn says the first nominee is Royce, because he let the team down. Second choice, after the break, is Clemenza.
The two men step forward for the nightly "why I don't suck enough to deserve to go home" speech. Royce hilariously says he physically beats himself up for his mistakes and keeps coming back. Ramsay looks as bewildered by that as I feel, and the Red Team outright laughs at Royce, who continues by talking about how he walks "prouder" every day he's there. Ramsay says he's opening Gordon Ramsay Steak this year, not in 2025.
Not a good sign for Clemenza that Ramsay is again disgusted by the state of his jacket, and says there's more food on it than he served on plates. Clemenza says he's been on the top of every challenge, and he has the passion and the hunger. "Big boy, I think you're done," says Ramsay, who then orders both of them to give up their jackets. He tells Royce to give his regards to Ralph, and Royce trudges down the hall of shame.
Back in the dining room, Ramsay takes Clemenza's jacket and says he's really disappointing. "I expected so much more," says Ramsay. I knew it was too good to be true that Ramsay was going to send home two chefs tonight, and sure enough he only took Clemenza's filthy jacket so he could give him a fresh clean one, and orders him back in line.
Clemenza, relieved, returns and hugs his teammates. Not that it's all smiles: Ramsay warns him to stay clean for at least one service. "You're like a pig rolling in shit all day long," he says, to Dana's great amusement.
Before dismissing them, Ramsay tells them to look around, and reminds them they started with eighteen and are now down to nine.
The teams leave. "Royce came in promising a Rolls-Royce service. But instead, his service was like a broken-down car. Time to send Royce to the junkyard," Ramsay tells us, as we watch him jog away up the stairs.
Daniel is a writer in Newfoundland with a wife and a daughter. Tonight on Hell's Kitchen: The best baseball players in America play the All-Star Game! Or, wait, I guess it's not on tonight. Follow him on Twitter (@DanMacEachern) or email him at danieljdaniel[at]gmail.com.