Hell's Kitchen Season 9 is down to its last 5 contestants this week. I have to say that the drama mule this time is extremely annoying individual by the name of Elise.
Despite having a solid voice, an excellent palate, and slightly better than marginal cooking skills, Elise has no other redeeming qualities. Her work ethic is lacking. She is either threatening someone or bursting into tears. 'Nothing' is ever 'Her fault'. She will go out of her way to blame someone else. When talking to anyone, she shuts her ears and opens her mouth until the truth goes away. This is the kind of woman that mothers must have nightmares about their sons getting involved with. You would think she has sights along her nose - the amount she looks down it at everyone else. Hell...if she was white, she'd be my ex!!! Elise is poison to her team and has been since day one. The longer she lasts on the show the more I shake my head and mutter 'Ratings'. Like 'Russ' from last season, there is no way I could possibly believe Ramsay would give a psycho a head chef position. Elise is the drama jester. When the show finally says 'Ok...time to get serious...we milked the drama enough' ... she will go.
Sometimes I ponder the ethical question of ridiculing the mentally ill for the amusement of the masses.
Obvious bad decision:
Jaimie was a solid contender; even tempered and efficient. A couple of episodes ago, Ramsay got rid of this amazing team player for a bad service...ridiculous. 3 other chefs that were much less deserving remained in Hell's kitchen. From this bad decision forward, the red team suffered in service from both a poisonous Elise and a lack of the contribution of this strong contender. Way to drop the ball, Ramsay! He must strike a balance between the drama and the integrity of the content. This decision pushed whatever integrity he had right in front of the bus. Sort of like when you were a kid watching WWF and part of your mind kind of knows that it's fake - then some wrestler hits another over the head with an anvil or something and it momentarily stuns him. The realization that the producer's estimation of your intelligence at that point slaps you in the face. Do you really think anyone would want to hire Elise over Jaimie, Ramsay!? Thanks for the insult.
Tommy
No one has had a more bumpy road to a black jacket than this guy. He was always up on the chopping block...the team suffered because he wasn't using enough words during service to convey what he was doing. When Ramsay called him out to become leader he remained silent but when challenged directly in a crucial moment, the words hung in the air heavy for few seconds that seemed like minutes, this man came out of his shell to instruct his team efficiently and clearly. It was a beautiful thing. It seemed like personal evolution before one's eyes. Even should Tommy lose the competition, he will still walk away a winner.
Paul
The previous blue team was not saddled with the difficulties (Elise) of the red team. The evolution of Tommy with Paul and Will became a unified force striving not for blame but for efficiency. Not really much to say about Paul. He had a rough start but a big heart. His desire to work efficiently in a team pushed him forward. He is a good cook and a team player.
Will
A Solid cook since day one. He was a little rough in the beginning with his leadership style. This element has actually evolved. When Tommy created 3 different flavors of Risoto, Will jumped in without blame and with much resourcefulness to combine all three and mix them up. Will was better than to allow any petty comments to leave his mouth. Well done.
more later
