Episode Report Card Jeff Long: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Beef Hellington
By Jeff Long | Season 9 | Episode 11 | Aired on 08.22.2011
Jennifer works with Chef Ramsay in the kitchen and found it to be a really rewarding experience. She might win this, right? I'm calling a Will/Jennifer showdown. After service, Ramsay declares that neither team won. Each team has to pick a nominee for elimination. Natalie is devastated that she didn't have a good service and tells her teammates that she knows she's the obvious choice. She's crying because she cares so much and I seriously feel really bad for her. This pressure can't be the norm, right? Being on this show and cooking in an actual kitchen is like the difference between being able to walk a tightrope and being able to do really cool tricks on water skis. The tightrope is technically more difficult, but the water ski thing has so many more elements. Whatever. She starts crying in front of the Blue Team and they all rally around her. Wow. This is rough. I do believe that she's just having a weird sort of jinx on her service and is not actually inept or even inexperienced. Paul says that he hopes that Elise goes home. They all bring up how lame it was that Elise blamed Tommy for her Wellington issues.
Elise tries to bully Jennifer into nominating Elizabeth, who is a better sport and says that she doesn't play the blame game. Back at the kitchen, the Blue Team nominates Natalie. The Red Team -- or rather Jennifer -- nominates Elise, because she can't admit mistakes. Yay! Will tells Natalie to keep her head up before she stands forward. She says that she is talented and works hard. She knows she has a lot to learn, but she can do it. Ramsay says that he can't inspire her anymore. There's nowhere left for her to hide. He shames Elise for blaming Tommy for her mistakes and she tries to shout him down and says that she's not ready to go. But, this show is total bullshit and Natalie is going home. A woman lies to his face about someone else's work and he sends the other girl home. Seriously? Bullshit. Bless her heart too. She's so upset. He tells her that she has huge heart and all that stupid stuff that he always says and tells her not to quit. Whatever. This is all about TV. Elise is NOT better than her. We see a montage of all of the great things that she did on the show. For instance, Tommy and Paul would probably have been long gone had she not been such a positive force on her team. My interpretation. She keeps crying and says that she feels deep down she knows she could have won this. This is the worst elimination so far. Ramsay, showing no respect for someone who has sweated and slaved for his stupid show, says that Natalie might yet get to see BLT Steak...as a customer. CLASSY.