Episode Report Card Angel Cohn: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Whistler While You Work
By Angel Cohn | Season 6 | Episode 13 | Aired on 10.13.2009
After the break, Thomas says that it is missing the sauce. Eddie and Vikas like it OK, though. This is TV, after all; they can't let this be a total landslide. Dave presents his dish with the caveat that he's never cooked Indian food before. It's a bean puree and a pork tenderloin. Vikas tell him that pork isn't big in India because of the Muslim population. Gordon seems to be trying not to actually laugh at him. Thomas thinks the spices are OK and Eddie says it is good. Vikas actually likes his lentils and flavors, all things considered. Dave wins. All of the chefs are cooking their signature dishes for him. He also wins some shiny cookware. The losers are prepping for dinner and polishing silverware. It's one of the nicer punishments they've had. At least this one doesn't involve cleaning up purposefully spilled milk. While the chefs return to their apartment they walk past Kevin's tasty mole on the way upstairs and sample it. Dave agrees that it might have helped him win.
While Kevin and Ariel are working doing their prep, Dave's family comes in and sits next to him for his specially prepared lunch. Dave gets to hang in the kitchens while the pro chefs are cooking. The food looks amazing, but we don't get to see enough of it. And only like a second of Eddie Wong and his noodles. Damn. That might have made this two hours a little less painful. Instead, we get to watch the others ironing. Riveting. Truly. Kevin says he's more fired up because he lost. And it doesn't matter if he lost the challenge, because he's going to win the whole thing. He may be right. He's definitely got a better shot than Ariel, at this point.
There's a quick black-and-white montage of the fallen contestants, and then Gordon gives them a pep talk. I actually expected a lengthy recap of the season, so just this 30 second thing isn't so terrible. Gordon tells the final three that during dinner service they'll get the chance to run the hot plate, just like they do every season. And FYI announcer dude, I highly doubt the Hell's Kitchen is a "hot spot" in Los Angeles. Free food might attract starving people and wannabe actors, but that's about it. The doors open and appetizers seem to be going fairly smoothly. It always amazes me that when there are 16 people they can't get through a dinner service, but with only three they can succeed. I guess because they've had more time to adapt, but you'd think with all those hands they'd be able to get it together.
Kevin is first up at the pass. He says he's been doing it anyway, in his cocksure way, but now he's going to do it better. Sous Chef Scott does some fish sabotage by swapping out two different kinds of seafood. Kevin catches it right away. Ariel sends overcooked lamb. Then sends lamb with the bones not properly cut off. Kevin suspects that she's doing it on purpose, but it looks like general incompetence to me. I'm not entirely sure she's talented enough to sabotage Kevin on purpose. She finally gets her meals out and Kevin gets a "good job" from Gordon.