Hell’s Kitchen Recap: Cooking and Craps

Turns out, Tiffany has decided to give a fuck tonight, because her effort on the scallop station turns out some flawless results, and Gordon actually commends the team for a seamless appetizer service. It’s amazing what getting Robyn out of the kitchen has done for morale. And not just theirs, either—Robyn is actually getting it done in the Blue kitchen. Instead of ranting and raving and babbling like a mental patient, she’s taking the lead, calling times, and delivering decent food in a timely fashion. Are we seeing a new side of Robyn, or was this calm, collected individual just stifled by the Red team dynamic?

Not to give the Blue team too much hope, though, because they still have to deal with Royce. He’s just screwed up three Wellingtons and a couple of steaks, is calling random, unchanging times, and basically throwing off the entire rhythm of the kitchen. To Robyn, this is unacceptable, because she’s never done anything so unprofessional. Except, you know, during every single other service before this one. Gordon calls the entire team except Robyn into the back to hand out some new assholes. He tells them to talk it out and get their shit together, leaving Robyn to deal with everything else on her own. Ha! I can only assume Gordon did this for our entertainment, to make up for keeping her around another week.

Still waiting for that apology, Gordon.

Nothing is going out on the Blue side, which is no surprise, but the Red team’s plates are going out without issue…until Tiffany sends up perfectly cooked cod. Which would be great, if the customer had actually ordered cod, and not sea bass. Barbie just loses her shit, because all her meat was perfect, and now the vibe is screwed because Tiffany’s head was up her own ass. And still is, apparently, because she just slaps another piece of cod into the pan. Gordon screams at her until she cooks the right fish, and Tiffany acts like it’s no big deal, because I guess she ran clean out of rat’s asses during appetizers service, and no longer has any available to give. It’s always no big deal when she does it, but if Barbie had boned that up you know Tiffany would be screaming “SERIOUSLY, DUDE?!?” into the confessional camera.

I’m surprised she and Dana don’t get along better.

They bounce back though, and continue to send out the food, including perfect pork to David Beckham, courtesy of Barbie. The guys return to the Blue kitchen, only to fuck up some more meat and fish. Gordon tells Royce and Clemenza to get it together, but he allows them to stay. Patrick got SENT HOME for less than this. A few more screw-ups, though, and Gordon just can’t with them anymore. The Red team has completed service, and the Blue team’s window is stone cold empty. Gordon brings the girls over to help the Blue team, and Tiffany and Brian get into a spat immediately. I’m not always on the same page with Brian, but he speaks for all of us when he says he wants to shove Tiffany’s head into the fryer.

Justin just has this look on his face at all times, now.

The Red team does it right, though, proving that they can actually get it done when they stop yelling at each other. Robyn’s departure has led to their best service ever. They walk away happy, and Gordon continues to berate the Blue team. They lose, of course, and go to discuss the nominations. Brian immediately nominates Royce and Clemenza, and Clemenza goes ballistic. He doesn’t think a couple orders of scallops and fish automatically qualify him for elimination, but really, who else screwed up as badly? Royce is in no matter what, and they have to have a second nominee; unless there were some incidents with Justin or Robyn that we didn’t get to see, Clemenza is the natural second choice. Brian had a bit of trouble on the flatbread, but is a stronger team member. Robyn doesn’t want to make the tiebreaking vote and wants to let Gordon decide, an idea all the men roundly reject. Wait, Robyn doesn’t feel like antagonizing her teammates? What is this?