Kitchen Nightmares Recap: Family Togetherness

Anyway, the arguing continues all the way through the break between lunch and dinner, and Gordon sits down with Mama Najjar and her beautiful eyes to get her take on things. She feels sorry for the kids, because she wants them to be free to have their own lives and futures, but she is clearly a silent partner who long ago gave up trying to give input, if ever she did try in the first place. After birthing seven damn kids, she’s probably just too tired to bother.

Dinner service starts, and the food predictably reappears in the kitchen moments after it’s sent out. Meanwhile, Gordon discovers the horrors of the walk-in, including buckets of pre-chopped parsley, rotten veggies, congealed lamb, buckets of tahini scrapings, and other assorted nastiness. When RAWR chicken comes back to the kitchen, Gordon just loses it. You know how he feels about that shit. But really all his rage does is fuel everyone else’s, and it all spills over into the street after dinner service. They argue about who is the most useless, somehow not realizing that they the uselessness is pretty evenly spread around the place. It’s actually the one thing at which they all excel. Jamal and Randah’s fight is interrupted by a stone cold calm Gordon, who looks like he doesn’t even know where to begin. He leaves them to think about what they did, knowing they’re going to have to face him in the morning.

Sure enough, the next day he makes them all sit down together and confront Sam. Everyone is supposed to be honest and stand up to him, and tell him what they want to do with their lives. Oh, this should go over. They all look terrified, and Gordon tosses poor Leina right under the bus by making her start things off. Sam cuts her off in the middle of her very diplomatic attempt at a speech, and tells her that nineteen years old is still too young to make her own decisions, and that when he feels she’s ready he will free her from her shackles.

Oh, well when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound so bad. Thanks, Daddy!

At least, that’s the gist, but basically he’s not open to the idea of letting his kids do anything besides work for him for free until they’re in their thirties. Fuck you, dude.

One by one, the rest of his kids attempt to plead their individual cases, but Sam basically reacts the same to everyone, and finally starts crying when he realizes his entire staff is ready to walk. I can’t imagine why. I mean, who wouldn’t be grateful for a chance to work a job they never wanted for 84 hours a week, for no pay and no chance for advancement or escape? It’s almost as if they have an actual reason to resent their father.

All those minutes of conception for nothing, huh, Sam?