Hell's Kitchen Episode 9

Hell's Kitchen Episode 9 aka '8 Chefs Compete' orig aired Sept 8th, 2009

Recap – Red Team win the challenge when Andy fails (and Amanda, who gets eliminated, was against him, didn't catch that). Andy's service has issues. Dave and Van are praised in Blue Kitchen. Red Kitchen = disaster. Tennille makes a comeback, while Suzanne, Sabrina, and Amanda are singled out as having had problems. Amanda is sent home.

The Teams return to their dorms. The Red Team talk together and Suzanne tries to explain that she's not out to get anyone, presumably apart from the fact that only one person can win the prize at the end. Ariel tells her directly that it's a matter of how she interacts with the rest of the team. We're left with the possibility that Suzanne may now understand better and will try to work on this.

Challenge Time! Chef Ramsey discusses his own history and his time spent in France. Today's challenge: each team will create four crepes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. JP and Chef Ramsey demonstrate how it should be done. The Teams have 20 minutes to knock this out.

On the Red side, Suzanne tries to be helpful to the rest of her Team but in Interview we find out that they're not in tune yet. Both Teams have issues getting the crepes to cook properly. The technique they saw hasn't translated to their hands. As a result, both Teams are rushing to plate in the final seconds of the challenge.

JP helps judge. The Red Team wins the breakfast crepe, in part because Ariel's crepe was crisp and brown as opposed to Van's spongy one. Andy's crepe wins the lunch section for the Blue Team as his was nicely done and Tennille's offering was considered too spicy. Both Teams get a point for their dinner offerings. Both Teams are also seen in Interview commenting on the fact that Suzanne wouldn't shut up about her crepe, what she liked about it, how she cooked it, etc. As Sabrina and Dave bring up the dessert crepes, Kevin comments on how easy the dessert crepe should be. We don't see Dave's offering, only Chef Ramsey's reaction to it as we go to commercial.

Dave's crepe looks like a mess. Chef Ramsey says it looks like worse and won't touch it. The Red Team's offering is good and they win. Apart from Dave's messy crepe, no one really got jabbed over their creations, even if they didn't get a point, so it was more of a success than I expected from watching them fail during the challenge.

Reward: lunch at a French restaurant. They also get mime lessons. Punishment: prep both kitchens for the next service, Hell's Kitchen French night. They also get a lunch of head cheese and cow tongue.

Both Teams are trying to get a handle on all the new dishes they have for tonight. While slicing potatoes with his left hand, Andy suddenly cries out and pulls his hand away, calling for a medic. Commercial.

It's an hour before dinner service. Andy has sliced the tips of his three middle fingers. When they show them briefly they are not bleeding much but the cuts look deep. I cringed. The medic takes him to the clinic for stitches. Dave is the only one that had a moment to check on him and Dave's opinion is that Andy will not be back tonight. That leaves the Blue Team with three guys and only one, Van, is uninjured in any way. They realize this is going to be rough.

Chef Ramsey remains positive in the pre-service meeting, pointing out the previous injuries that have been overcome. Tonight's a night of French flair and he wants success.

Andy returns just as dinner service starts. Understandably he's a bit rattled and has issues remembering the changes to the menu. He's working appetizers and Dave jumps in to lend him a hand, getting the Blue Team off to a good start. Chef Ramsey is so pleased with Dave's risotto that, when Sabrina's don't measure up, he gets one of Dave's to show her how it should be done.

Andy's trying to do crepes but still hasn't got the hang of the process. Kevin says its easy and knocks a few out without issue. Andy's issues with the crepes means he needs to focus on them exclusively. He calls on Dave to assist, as Dave said he would. We see Dave knocking himself out to do appetizers and his own Meat station at the same time. He manages it, getting a compliment from Chef Ramsey in the process.

The Red Team starts entrees. They are communicating well, calling out times, and closing in on sending an order up... until Suzanne on the Meat Station changes her estimated timing about a half-dozen times. She does not sound confident at all. Chef Ramsey catches the tail end of this and yells at Suzanne when she doesn't give him a proper answer for the reason behind her timing, which is the oven. She later slices up the lamb order before it's time to go to the pass, and doesn't answer Chef Ramsey properly, getting another chewing out before we go to commercial.

Andy tries to do salads but puts too much dressing on them. He blames it on a lack of dexterity which Chef Ramsey doesn't accept as Dave's been cooking for one hand for most of the competition.

Suzanne finally has lamb to bring to the pass but it's not right for the order. She admits in Interview to being lost and disorganized. Sabrina brings an order of frog's legs to the pass which is also rejected for being bland as she was concerned with overwhelming the meat. Chef Ramsey reminds her that he's looking for things to be done his way.

Back on the Blue Side, Andy can do nothing right tonight. Kevin comes to assist him with another crepe but Chef Ramsey catches him, noting that Kevin's not helping, he's doing it for Andy. Andy is kicked out of the kitchen, back to the dorms. The next person to cross Chef Ramsey will receive the same fate. He walks over to the Red Kitchen to see overcooked lamb. Suzanne and Sabrina are also sent upstairs. As Ariel and Tennille try to figure out what's next, Chef Ramsey announces he's not done. Commercial.

Both sides have stagnated. Chef Ramsey assigns Tennille and Ariel stations and off they go. Sous Chief Heather also jumps in and assists. Both Teams thrive with these members out of the kitchen and complete service successfully. Wow. That I did not expect. Those who were sent upstairs must have been hoping they wouldn't be the last or that things fell apart without them but this does not bode well for any of them.

In the post-service meeting, Chef Ramsey expresses his disappointment about how things went and surprise on completing service down three chefs. Since the teams performed incompletely, there is no winner. Everyone will get together and nominate two people for elimination.

Upon going upstairs, Andy admits that his Team was carrying him all night but apparently he's left handed and blames his poor performance on his injury. He also doesn't want to head to the chopping block. Suzanne admits her mistake but tries to explain it away. Sabrina also admits to not seasoning enough. The Blue Team simplifies the discussion by asking who Chef Ramsey came down on the hardest. When Red answers 'Suzanne', Kevin offers 'Andy and Suzanne' as the nominees. It's voted on and accepted. Suzanne doesn't get why she's the 'bad guy' and argues her defense. When asked if she's a Team player, she answers 'yes' but her Team disagrees, which ends the conversation. She walks away and the other chefs discuss how they can arrange this to force Suzanne's departure. Kevin observes that if it's Andy and Suzanne, there's a better chance that Andy will be sent packing. They start discussing who they can put up instead of Andy and Sabrina balks, not wanting to take the chance, noting if asked she'll say she was put up to 'protect Andy'. As they head back downstairs, we don't hear their final decision. Wow, I don't think this has ever happened, at least not with this many chefs left.

Ariel is asked for the nominees and why. Suzanne for bringing down the pace of the kitchen and team down tonight. We get a commercial before she can announce the second nominee.

Second nominee is Andy due to inconsistencies with service. So no surprise then.

Chef Ramsey notes that Suzanne has been on a downward trend. She says she can cook but Chef Ramsey notes that it hasn't been happening. He asks Ariel and Tennille if they feel the Team is better off without her and they answer yes. Andy's defense is that he had been improving of late and that his injury through him off completely. I'm starting to wonder if someone will be switching Teams tonight. Chef Ramsey again dismisses the reduced dexterity excuse, pointing out Dave's performed in the last four services with the use of one hand and another with a sprained ankle. Andy notes he's not trying to compare himself with them, he doesn't know how it feels for them but, for him, his left hand is the hand he primarily uses.

Andy is eliminated. Chef Ramsey does give him a bit of a nod as he heads out and tells him to stop panicking. Andy politely and cheerfully says goodbye to everyone as he leaves. Very nice. That can't be easy. Outside, Andy is disappointed as he feels he was making a comeback.

Sabrina is now pulled forward! Chef Ramsey notes they've both headed downhill. He wants the old Suzanne and old Sabrina back but it may be too late for that. Suzanne is told to remove her jacket... and is sent to the Blue Team. Ha! Called it. Well, sort of. Sabrina is counciled and returned to line.

In Interview, Tennille is disappointed that Suzanne is still around but happy that she's gone from her kitchen. Kevin doesn't want her on his Team but notes that it doesn't matter cause he'll be the last man standing.

Trailer: Both Teams design their own menus. Surprise guests. Ariel and Tennille seem to get annoyed with each other. Kevin doesn't trust Suzanne. Dave injures himself further during service and may need to leave the competition. Pity if he does because I think he has a chance of winning this thing.

If I had to pick a top two at this point I'd think the finalists will be Ariel and Dave (assuming he makes it through next week). Top four will be Tennille and Kevin. Suzanne needs a quick comeback to survive. Sabrina may revive removed from Suzanne. I like Van and believe he has a chance but Dave and Kevin seem an extra notch stronger than him. If Dave gets knocked out by injury, Van could sneak through. Kevin just is very solid.