Episode Report Card Monty Ashley: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Rivalry
By Monty Ashley | Season 4 | Episode 7 | Aired on 05.13.2008
On the red team, Christina is told that her beef is perfectly cooked, and I love her response of "Yes, chef." Not "thank you," you'll note. Just "yes". Like, "I know that and agree." It's very nice. In an interview, she is of course beside herself with delight. But she plays it cool in the kitchen. Then, after I've said all these nice things about her, she goes ahead and says "Thank you" and gets yelled at and told not to start peeing her [bleep] knickers. See? Just shout "Yes, chef." It's easier.
Oh dear. On the red side, we're told that more than half of the diners have their entrees. And on the blue side, people are eating granola bars they snuck in. The smart ones are, anyway. The unprepared diners are worrying that they'll run out of bread. Chef Ramsay calls Petrozza over to complain about the state of his station. It's messy, all right. And on the blue side, it's time for Chef Ramsay to call Matt over, make him taste something, and... compliment his risotto. And then Matt, walking on a cloud, thanks Chef Ramsay, doesn't even notice that he's told to [bleep] the thank-you, and gloats all the way back to his station. He tells Christina that Chef Ramsay said it was the best risotto he'd ever tasted (no, he said "best risotto of the night") and then, in an interview, starts to thank his wife, his best friend, Chef Ramsay, the sous chefs, and everyone else he's ever met for making him what he is today. So it turns out that I also can't stand Matt when he's happy.
Back on the blue side, Ben tries to draw a semantic distinction where "I have that Wellington" means both "I have both of the Wellingtons you asked for" and "There is nothing ready on that ticket yet." It turns out that Chef Ramsay is not impressed with this, nor is he pleased to be told that it will be six minutes for a well-done beef Wellington. Ben complains in an interview, and then we see him ask Petrozza, "Where's the mise-en-place for the lamb, because I'm going to be three short." I say "What?!" exactly at the same time as Chef Ramsay, who sees all and hears all. The ticket for that lamb says 6:30. The current time is 7:57. That's insane. Chef Ramsay doesn't like hearing this.
You know who does like hearing this? Matt likes hearing this. Matt likes hearing this very much indeed. He smirks to Jen, "Damn, Jen, and I was the problem over there." See, he's obviously right to be smug and reveling in his old team's failure. And yet, I still want him to shut up. It's hardly fair, is it?