19x15 - What Happens in Vegas...

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] Previously on Hell's Kitchen…

-[electronic dance music playing]
-After a very early morning wake up…

-[Christina] Time to get up.
-Chef Ramsay needs you guys right away.

[Cody] You tell a couple of grown men
to jump up out of nowhere,

-might be getting more than you expected.
-[Christina] Through the crowd.

-Excuse me, excuse me.
-Hot stuff coming through.

The Black Jackets discover they
will be cooking for Las Vegas clubgoers.

There's women, boobs, there's ass.

I go, "Don't even look at them,
you big dirty dog." Get up there.

In Chef Ramsay's Small Plates Challenge…

-Oh, my God, it's so good.
-The dance floor cast their ballots.

I would have to go Cody first.
That was tough.

-And it was…
-Kori. Well done.

…that rocked Club HK
till the break of dawn.

At dinner service…

[Ramsay] Cody, your kitchen,
your standards, in control.

…the final four chefs
took turns running the pass…

One scallop, one beef tartare,
two Wellington.

-[all] Heard!
-Time to separate myself from the pack.

…and did reasonably well
on Chef Ramsay's quality control tests.

-These are beets.
-Yeah, well spotted.

This is tuna.
Will you give me beef tartare, please?

Hey. Well spotted.

-[Kori] That's not scallops. That's fish.
-It's halibut. Well spotted.

Christina, this isn't arborio rice.
This is orzo.

-Well spotted.
-…but Cody's voice fell a bit flat.

Go, Cody, let's go. Tell her.

I can't hear you.

-Less cook on that salmon.
-You need to be decisive, okay?

Then he struggled on the meat station…

I need those Wellingtons.

-Chef, I need three minutes.
-I don't have three minutes.

…which ended service
on a less-than-positive note.

All of a sudden, it's a meltdown in here.

I have to own this. So that falls on me.

At elimination, Chef Ramsay decided that…

The chef not advancing
in the competition is…

Cody.

…ending his dream of becoming head chef
at Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

Very tough.

Chef Ramsay then chose his finalists.

-Declan.
-And…

-[Ramsay] Kori.
-[gasps]

-And Mary Lou.
-[laughs]

Only two of you will be cooking
in the final dinner service.

And all three of you will have to face
one more challenge to get there.

But right now, enjoy the moment.

-Thank you, Chef.
-[Declan] Yes, Chef.

And now, the continuation
of Hell's Kitchen.

Head up to the dorms.

-Yes, Chef.
-Thank you, Chef.

-[Ramsay] Take care.
-[exhales]

Wow. Final three.

Here we are. I have fought so hard.

I've lost years with my son
working all this time,

trying to give him a better life.

Totally paying off right now.

[Mary Lou] I cried. I cried.
That made me cry.

I made it in the top three.

It's surreal, it's amazing,
and it's validating.

There's a lot of people
that doubted me, me included.

And now I'm a believer,

and I need to make Chef Ramsay
a believer as well.

-[whooping]
-Holy shit.

Look how far we've come.

I'm in the top three.

I shed a tear.

-Yeah, we all did.
-Yeah, right.

Sometimes walking back to the dorms
is like walking the Green Mile.

This time, I thought I was on
the Yellow Brick Road,

going to the Land of Oz. Yeah!

[laughs]

Wow. What? Holy bananas!

[Mary Lou] There's champagne!

[shrieks]

Why did Chef Ramsay
give me a full kitchen?

[Declan] Wow, OXO utensils.

This is the best day ever!

[laughs]

Oh, my God.

Everything that we've done,
the ups and downs,

the roller coaster of a ride
that Hell's Kitchen is.

The three of us that are here now,
it's well deserved.

If I had to go up against
anybody and lose,

-the two of you would be an honor.
-Big time.

-[Kori] Big time.
-[all] Congratulations.

-Holy shit.
-[all laugh]

-Hello.
-Mary Lou, I need to see you all

-in the dining room ASAP.
-Okay.

Damn it, Chef.
I've had two glasses of champagne.

Line up. Let's have
a little pep in your step.

You're about to face a challenge.

The ingredients are behind you.
Take a look.

Only joking. Come on, really?

Declan, if you had to send
a message home, what would it be?

-Hope I did youse all proud.
-Kori, what would it be?

Kiddo, if Mama could do it, so can you.
Thank you, Mom and Dad and Grandma.

Amazing. Mary Lou?

I would just apologize to my mom,
and I'd tell her that I'm sorry

that I didn't see myself
the way that she saw me.

-[Ramsay] Wow.
-Oh, my God.

[Ramsay] You made up for lost ground,
young lady. All right, listen carefully.

For your final challenge,
you're teaming up with your sous chefs.

Here's what I want you to come up with.

One amazing cold appetizer,

one stunning hot appetizer,

a seafood entrée,

a beautiful chicken entrée,

and then a mind-blowing red meat entrée.

-[all] Yes, Chef.
-As there are one, two, three of you

and only two amazing sous chefs,

I've invited another phenomenal chef
to join Jason and Christina.

Season winner Michelle Tribble.

-Good to see you, Michelle.
-Good to see you too, Chef.

Now, I have three cards.

Each of those incredible chefs hold an ace
that will match with one of yours.

Declan.

Hold it to your chest. Ladies.

Okay. Hold it tight. Right.

Declan, reveal your card.

Ace of diamonds.

That would be me, Chef.

-Michelle.
-[Declan] I can work with this.

She beat the all-stars in season .

Is there anybody better than this
to help me get over the finish line?

-Pleasure to meet you.
-Nice to meet you, too.

-Can't wait to work with you.
-Kori.

-Ace of hearts.
-That's me, Chef.

-[Ramsay] Ace of hearts.
-Ta-da!

Chef Christina and I
are totally in sync. Yes!

That means, Mary Lou,
we've got pink and blue.

All people with colored hair
report together.

[all laughing]

Right. Listen carefully.

Head up to the dorms
and discuss the five dishes

that you want to showcase.

-Head into the dorms.
-[all] Yes, Chef.

-[Michelle] I'm excited about this.
-[Declan] So am I.

You know, the last six seasons in a row
have all been won by women.

I have. I know that.

So, you could break the streak.

I'm hoping to.

We'll just talk through 'em
for the next half hour, minutes.

-Okay.
-I'm super psyched.

-Are you really?
-Yeah. I'm not making that up.

Okay.

-Ready to do this then?
-I am, indeed. For sure.

The cold appetizer, the lump crab salad
with the avocado puree.

That's one of the first things
I ever learned

when I was trained as a chef
in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Okay.

Then roasted filet of beef.
This is my version of an Americana dish.

-Okay.
-But my Irish take on it.

It sounds really good.
It's gonna be delicious.

I think we'll be a good pairing.

I definitely wanted this menu
to be my flavors.

For instance, the beef and bourbon.
I enjoy a good bourbon when I eat my beef.

-I wanted that flavor, that me in there.
-That's you and your story.

My idea is to keep it simple,

elegant, and me, me on a plate.

I've done this salad a million times.

Risotto, I make that
for my dad all the time.

You got a story behind everything.

-Yeah. This is gonna be exciting.
-It is.

I think you should stick with southern
food. Obviously, shrimp and grits.

-Melon and stuff reminds me of the South.
-No, I'd like that.

Something I'm comfortable with
and I've done before.

I'm really happy
I'm paired up with Chef Jason.

He knows my flavors,
he knows how to play on my flavors.

I'm not fine dining. I'm not classy.

-This should be fun and funky, like you.
-I would like it.

It should represent your personality.

Fun and funky. Mary Lou.

Yep, synonyms.

Oh yeah. I really like that. [laughs]

-Oh, my God. I'm getting hungry.
-[laughs]

Stay focused, and it's about you now.
This is your menu.

[Declan] She's got great focus,
great ideas,

and I know
with me and her working together,

these two ladies better watch out.

-Pleasure to meet you. Thank you.
-Nice to meet you. I'm excited.

Do you feel good about it?

-I do.
-Yeah? I think it's you.

-[phone rings]
-[Mary Lou] Oh, hello.

-Mary Lou, how are you?
-Hi, Chef. I'm great. How are you?

Good. May I speak to Kori, please?

-Yes, Chef. This is Kori.
-Listen, I've got a few grave concerns.

Can you make your way to my office
as quick as you can, please?

-Yeah, sure. Right away.
-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.
-Bye.

[Kori] I am very nervous that Chef
called me to go talk about my menu.

I definitely am afraid that Chef's
gonna be, "This menu is horrible."

But I'm gonna be very open-minded
and listen to what his criticism is

about the menu and go from there.

-Hi, Chef.
-You good? Take a seat, please.

-How you feeling?
-Fantastic, Chef. How are you?

Yeah, all good. Thank you.

Just-- I've been studying this.
I listened to the feedback from Christina.

I see the flair of what you've done
across these individual challenges.

Kori, it doesn't feel like it's you.

Listen. Risotto, yeah,
I've seen that before.

Fine, question mark there.
I know you can be better.

-Okay.
-Having studied this menu,

the beef dish,

there's two major components
that are missing.

Okay.

[sighs] Do you know what they are?

-I know you can be better.
-Okay.

There's two major components
that are missing.

Okay.

[sighs] Do you know what they are?

It's your father and your son.

Holy--

[Ramsay] Daniel, hi, good morning.

[sobs] Oh, my God, baby.

-[Ramsay] Oh, wow.
-There's our little girl.

[Ramsay] How exciting.

-Oh, Papa.
-We're so proud.

We're so proud of our little girl.

[Ramsay] And so you should be. Amazing.

It's my baby, and my daddy.

-How are you, bud?
-Good.

Good to see you.
You should be so proud of Mommy.

-You've gotten, like, eight feet taller.
-Our family is so excited right now.

Oh, my God, Dad.

Christina's gonna take you
to the Black Jacket Lounge.

Spend some quality time.

I'll take you now so you can have
some time together.

[Ramsay] Enjoy.

[Kori] Now I am even more determined
to win this competition.

This black jacket, Kori,
you've worked so hard for this.

-[phone rings]
-Ah!

-Yes, Chef.
-Hey, Mary Lou.

Could you meet me up in my office?
I'd like to discuss your menu.

Didn't even say bye.

[Mary Lou] I'm hella nervous.

Chef Ramsay's opinion is everything.

-[Ramsay] Morning. Come in, please.
-Morning.

-Sit down.
-Yes, Chef.

-How are you feeling, first?
-Out of breath. I ran up the stairs.

Otherwise, I feel great.

-We good?
-Yes, Chef.

Right now, you have a one-in-three chance
of becoming

the next head chef
at Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

Yes, Chef.

And I'm so impressed
with your performance,

I've flown in a couple of VIPs
to meet you.

-Oh.
-[Ramsay] Yeah? Would you be so kind?

Please say hello…

to Mary, your mother, and your cousin.

-Welcome!
-Hi, Mom.

Hey, baby.

-I know.
-My mom is my rock.

She is my inspiration.

And for me to be gone from her
for so long,

it just forced me to see my potential.

-I'm so proud of you, baby.
-Thank you.

The day before I came,
I called my mom and I was crying.

I told her I didn't want to be here
'cause I didn't feel good enough.

You didn't feel good enough?

-Are you kidding me?
-She's hard on herself.

You have to tell her
how awesome she is, yeah.

She's been amazing.
You should be so proud.

-The menu sounds amazing, by the way.
-Thank you, Chef.

Chef Jason, would you show our guests
to the Black Jacket Lounge?

Mary Lou, enjoy this moment.

Thank you very much, Chef.
Thank you so much.

I missed her so much.
I'm so happy to see her.

It gives me a little bit more inspiration.
I just want to make her proud,

and though I know where I'm at
makes her proud, I can do better.

I want to be honest with you.

At this moment in the competition,

we like to fly in family.

And Mary Lou and Kori
have got family flying in.

-Right.
-Okay. So, it's a big surprise.

I've been told by my team
that your parents are on vacation.

-Oh, f*ck.
-Yeah, I know.

But hey, listen. Being homesick is normal.

[sighs] f*ck me.

I haven't seen my family now
in about two years

since I've been living here.
That would've been so nice.

[sighs]

And so, I have rerouted your parents

from their vacation to be with you.

Please welcome Dennis and Olive.

-Good morning!
-[laughs] Declan!

[Ramsay] Oh, boy.

Welcome, Mom and Dad!

[Olive] Oh, my God!

Oh, my God. It's so wonderful to see you.

-Look how far I've come.
-[Olive] You're amazing! [laughing]

We couldn't have missed this
for the world.

Whatever you do,
we're really proud of you.

Immensely.

-Holy shit.
-[all laughing]

Oh, my God, Declan. You're incredible.

I haven't seen youse in almost two years.

You're wonderful, Declan, is what you are.

I'm so proud of you.

This is just such an achievement…

So, at last, they get to see all
the hard work I put in through my life.

And they see me now,
one of the three finalists

on Hell's Kitchen with Chef Ramsay.

-Chef.
-[Ramsay] Hey.

Thank you so much, man.

I'm gonna do them proud.

I'm gonna do them
even more proud after this.

[Michelle] I'll show you
to the Black Jacket Lounge.

[sobbing]

There's three of us left.

The challenges that I've won,
the things that I've done.

Flew on a chopper through the Grand Canyon

and had charcuterie
at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

-[Olive] What?
-Wow. Wow. Wow.

[Adam] This is so badass. What a reward.

I'm surrounded by, like, culinary brains
that are just, wow.

Please welcome Aarón Sánchez.

[all cheering]

-[Ramsay] Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo.
-Yeah!

Laurent Tourondel.

Wow, it's like NASA of food here.

I feel so much better.

I feel so much stronger.

-[Ramsay] Risotto beautifully cooked.
-Thank you, Chef.

I'm proud of you. You are a--

Wait, don't hug me in front of Chef.
Don't touch me.

For today, the winner is Mary Lou.

-Yay!
-Good job.

[laughs]

They're all gonna remember you.

-Yeah.
-Well, now they have no choice.

Chef said that my culinary skills
and my focus are above and beyond.

I need two filets, one New York,
one chicken, six minutes.

-Heard?
-[all] Yes, Chef.

-Kori. Beautifully cooked.
-Thank you, Chef. I'll keep it up.

[Ramsay]
The winner of this incredible challenge,

congratulations goes to Kori.

-Well done.
-[cheering]

But it's very, very challenging.

Especially being away from you, kiddo.

[chattering]

-Have fun.
-Yeah, it's awesome.

I trust you all had some amazing time
with your loved ones.

-Yes, Chef. Thank you.
-Yeah.

I'd like to say a big thank you
to our travel partners at Allegiant

for putting those flights on
to bring your loved ones here.

Yes, Chef.

Now, I want to do something extra special.

Having five restaurants in Vegas
has been a dream.

And I've discovered
all these special spots in town

that very few individuals will ever see.

And I thought all three of you
would get a kick

out of seeing them today with me.

Yeah.

So, there's a limo waiting for us outside,

-and I'll see you at stop number one.
-[all] Thank you, Chef.

-[Ramsay] We're gonna have some fun.
-Thank you, Chef.

[Ramsay] Get changed. Limo's waiting.

Man, I'm feeling like a rich bitch
during this entire experience.

I'm so proud
you got to see your mom and dad.

-[grunts]
-[laughing]

-Welcome to Caesars Palace.
-[Mary Lou] Thank you.

[Declan] Look at this.

-Welcome…
-[laughing]

…to the most amazing villa on the planet.

Ten thousand square foot
of absolute luxury.

Congratulations.

Let your hair down.

[Declan] This is how kings
and queens live.

I could definitely get used to this.

-Are we relaxed? No?
-Oh, my God.

Seeing that young man,
and I saw his eyes light up

when he ran straight into your arms.
How'd that make you feel?

I'm still getting teared up.
It's all the hard work.

And as you know as a father, it's--

We put a lot of our work
ahead of our family, and it's hard.

But it's one of those things
where I work, and I do what I do for him.

Ask anyone at the top of their game,

there's always a huge sacrifice
before you reap the rewards, yeah?

[Declan] Yes, Chef.

-Mary Lou.
-Yes, Chef?

How's the journey been?

I just feel so much stronger
than I was when I came here.

I feel so much more confident.
I'm a completely different person.

All three of you are absolutely natural
in that kitchen.

-How's the journey been for you?
-Chef, it's been a roller coaster.

But to have so much support from you,
that's such an honor.

Sitting with the king, the legend.

Among all the chefs in the world,
he's the tops for sure.

And he's talking to us
as if we're, like, buddies.

This is brilliant.

-Thank you, Chef.
-See you, bud. Yes?

-Relax. Look out for that knee.
-Yes, Chef.

-Thank you, Chef.
-[Mary Lou] Thank you, Chef.

[Ramsay] Take care. Congrats, guys.

[narrator] The second stop
on Chef Ramsay's exclusive Vegas tour

is starting underground.

Ladies.

-[Ramsay] Psst.
-Hi, Chef.

Welcome. How cool is this?

[Declan] What the hell is this?

Are we going to an underground
speakeasy or something?

-Chef.
-So excited.

But of course,
it's Hell's Kitchen and Chef Ramsay.

It could be anything again.

Here's the thing.
I've got a recognizable face, okay?

So, I can't just dart around
from restaurant to restaurant.

And a couple of years ago,
I had to get from Bally's to Paris.

And so they started showing me
this incredible underground world.

This sort of amazing hidden secret.
Let me show you something.

[Mary Lou] It's so nice
hanging out with Chef Ramsay.

We're friendly now, you know? Whoa!

-[Ramsay] Look at this.
-[Mary Lou] The Titanic.

[Ramsay] I mean, seriously.

Look at this here. Take a seat.

[laughs]

-Have you guys seen the movie Titanic?
-[all] Yes, Chef.

Imagine being on that ship

and sitting in a seat just like this,
water coming in.

-Oh!
-What's happening?

What is going-- Hold on a minute, guys.

Hey. How do you stop--
Where-- Where are we going?

[Declan] What the hell?

Can you see anything out there?

Hey.

Oh-ho-ho!

-[Mary Lou yells]
-[Kori] What?

[narrator] After an exclusive
backstage tour of Las Vegas…

-Look at that.
-[Declan] Wow.

[Kori] Wow.

Chef Ramsay is about
to elevate Kori, Declan, and Mary Lou…

-Oh!
-What's happening?

…to a place they've never seen before.

Hey, how do you stop--
Where-- Where are we going?

Oh, man. Can you see anything out there?

[Ramsay] All right!

Your final challenge. Let's go.

Oh, shit.

I'm not wearing the right shoes.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome

your final three.

Kori, Mary Lou, and Declan.

-[cheering]
-Amazing!

This is the final cook-off
before two of you enter the finale.

As you know, the stakes are huge,
because the top two finishers

make it to the final
of Hell's Kitchen tomorrow night.

Let's hear it for our incredible
three finalists, please.

-[cheering]
-Right.

-Kori…
-Yes, Chef.

-…Mary Lou…
-Yes, Chef.

…Declan, your sous chefs are waiting.
Your minutes start now.

Straight ahead. Let's go.

[Kori] I was not expecting to cook today,

but I'm gonna change
into my Wonder Woman outfit,

and this is going to be it.

I'm gonna fight for my life.

[exhales] Yeah, I'm ready to go.

[narrator] A little more than hours
before the final dinner service…

[Michelle]
Let me show you where everything is.

…Chef Ramsay has surprised
the final three once again.

-At the conclusion of this challenge…
-[Christina] courses, hour?

…one of them will be leaving
the competition.

[Kori] Feel confident, ready to go.

-Okay. I have the pancetta rendering.
-Okay.

Now I'm moving on to the chicken.

-Declan, we good?
-Yes, Chef.

Just over ten minutes gone.
Taste everything. Watch the seasoning.

-You have a tendency to oversalt things.
-[Declan] Is the pressure on?

Man, everything's got to be on the point.
Everything's got to be timed,

and I've got to move like lightning.

[audience cheering, applauding]

Roasted tomatoes
are just gently warmed, right?

Yes, Chef. Very delicate, very simple.

Though it isn't the classiest of the menus

and it doesn't show
the most complicated techniques,

my menu is who I am,
a southern girl with a lot of flair.

Ah, spicy.

I just want to cook my food,
what makes me happy.

-Working closely with Jason?
-Yes.

Make sure those proteins
are cooked beautifully. Not overcooked.

-Forty minutes, guys.
-[Mary Lou] Forty minutes. Heard, Chef.

What were your thoughts coming out
on the stage like that?

-What was going through your mind?
-Just a little extra motivation

having my baby and my daddy there,
so that's all I needed.

-Good luck.
-Thank you, Chef.

I'm gonna get the mushrooms going.

The steaks are just about done,
the second ones.

This challenge is by far
the most difficult and the most important.

I am really excited to show Chef Ramsay
what I can do.

-[Christina] You good?
-[Kori] Yes, I am. Thank you, Chef.

[Michelle] Try that.

Bing, bang, bosh.

-Good?
-Good.

I've always kept
a pair of aces up my sleeve.

And these are the aces.
I have five of them.

Okay, we have about minutes.

I would start thinking
about your proteins.

Yeah. These dishes are some of
the best dishes I've ever produced.

Oh, yeah. That's pretty.

Yeah, golden brown. Beautiful.

You've got about minutes.

Start thinking about your steak.

All that matters
is that they're nicely cooked.

I have to be on point
with every single thing.

[Jason] Be very concerned
about temperature.

[Mary Lou] It looks done.
I'm gonna take it off.

Is it still too rare?
Should I throw it back on?

If you're gonna do that,
you want to do that now.

I'm nervous about my steak 'cause
I don't know if it's done all the way.

I think it's more rare.
So, I put it back on and I can cook it up.

[chanting] Mary Lou! Mary Lou!

All right. Steak is resting.

Chickens are done. Beef is done.

Spinach is ready.
And I can plate now, yes?

Your Bibb salad? Yeah.

[Kori] This is legit it.
There's three of us here.

One of us is leaving, and two are staying.

[no audible dialogue]

[chanting] Declan! Declan! Declan! Declan!

-[Michelle] We gotta move.
-[Declan] Heard.

It's a mad dash to the end.
I go into overdrive.

My heart's pumping in my chest,
'cause I'm fighting for my life.

[audience cheering]

Declan! Declan! Declan! Declan!

[audience] Five, four, three, two, one!

[Ramsay] Let's go.

-Good job.
-Thank you.

And here they come,
Declan, Mary Lou, and Kori,

our Hell's Kitchen finalists. Let's go.

-Amazing.
-[Mary Lou] Yeah!

Amazing. Amazing. Well done.

[Declan] Thank you, Chef.

All three of you, well done.
That was an extraordinary minutes.

Mary Lou, let's start off with you.

How are you feeling about the menu,
the first dish? What's your thoughts?

Oh, the first dish is beautiful.
I feel amazing about it.

Just small and full of flavor, like me.

[Ramsay] That's it, the most important.

Kori, are you happy with what you've done?

I'm super excited. I was thinking
of my family the whole time.

So, my heart and soul
are on each one of those plates.

Lovely. And, Declan, have you done
everything you've needed to do

to make those dishes stand out?

Yes, I have, Chef. I've elevated
all the flavors. It's all good.

Right, three of you, listen carefully.

Tonight, your dishes are gonna be judged
on a scale of one to ten.

Ten being, obviously, the very, very best.

Now, we have five amazing dishes
cooked by yourselves,

and we have five incredible judges,

world-renowned, outstanding chefs.

-Are you ready?
-[all] Yes, Chef.

Our first guest judge
is a James Beard Award-winning chef.

Give it up for Michelle Bernstein.

[audience cheering]

[Ramsay] Amazing.

You look amazing.

Good to see you.

Wow. To be in the presence
of Chef Michelle…

Hi, everybody.

…a chef of such high caliber,
I'm starstruck.

Now, let's start off with Declan.
Describe your dish, please.

A tian of crab and finished with avocado,

and a blood orange fluid gel.

I have to tell you something.

The first dish I ever created
was a crab-avocado tian.

Wow. Great. More pressure.

The gel is a little funky because
your crab juices start to go into it.

-Yes.
-[Bernstein] And so I just don't need it.

-[Ramsay] Describe your dish, please.
-A tian of crab and finished with avocado,

and a blood orange fluid gel.

-[Bernstein] The gel is a little funky.
-Yes.

The avocado is so lovely,
and the crab is so fresh.

I don't need the gel,
but it's really quite lovely. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.
-[Ramsay] Wow.

Now, Mary Lou, describe your dish, please.

[Mary Lou] What I have in front of you
is gonna be a watermelon salad,

finished with a lemon vinaigrette
and then a Parmesan crumble.

It's lovely. It's a great beginning,

and it kind of makes me feel good
and ready for what's next to come,

which is really important.

-Thank you.
-Yeah.

Very professional. Great start.

Kori, please.

So, I did a Bibb lettuce.

I have a little bit of a blueberry compote
and then the fresh blue cheese.

So it's got that sweet-sour texture to it.

-I'll do almost anything for blue cheese.
-[all laughing]

[Ramsay] Almost anything?
Michelle, please.

For my-- for my husband.

I know we're in Vegas, but come on.

Anyway, you've made the blueberries
more subdued.

Instead of being, like,
obnoxiously astringent and sour,

you've actually softened it
quite a bit, which is interesting.

-[Ramsay] Love that.
-Thank you.

So, Michelle, it's time
for the most important part-- the score.

Let's start with Kori's, the Bibb lettuce.

I'm giving you a ten.

-Oh! Thank you!
-[Ramsay] Wow.

My little blue salad got a ten.

-[cheering]
-I told you!

This definitely brings me
out of the gate swinging.

Congrats, Kori.

Mary Lou,
with that pressed watermelon salad.

It was smart. It was simple.

And to me, simple makes perfect.
I'm giving you a ten as well.

[Ramsay] Wow.

Oh! Money! I got this!

[Ramsay] Declan.

Uh…

The two girls got tens.
It's about to get real. The game is on.

If it didn't have the gel,
I would have given it a ten.

-I'm giving it a nine.
-Yeah.

[Ramsay] Very good. That's amazing.

Wow. What a start, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you so much. Ladies and
gentlemen, Michelle Bernstein. Thank you.

-[Kori] Thank you.
-[Declan] I got a nine. [inhales]

-Thank you.
-I'm only one point down.

-It's still anybody's game.
-Judging round two,

please welcome a James Beard Award winner,
Tyson Cole, ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, my God.

-Welcome. Good to see you, man.
-Hi, Chef. Good to be here.

[Ramsay] Let's start with Kori, please.

I have done a truffle
and mushroom risotto.

The stock is chicken and porcini mushrooms

to kind of enhance the flavor
of the actual rice.

Really strong mushroom flavor.
I like that.

The risotto itself, a little bit tight.

-Okay.
-But otherwise, really delicious.

-Thank you.
-Yeah, well done.

[Ramsay] Great start.

Declan, describe the dish to Chef.
Thank you.

It's a pan-friend polenta cake
finished with rosemary and Parmesan,

fresh tomato sauce,
and then some fresh basil leaves.

I like the flavors.

-Um, maybe the cake is a little bit dense.
-Okay.

[Ramsay] Thank you.

Mary Lou,
describe the dish to Chef, please.

What I have for you
is some good ol' shrimp and grits.

I rubbed 'em down
with blackening seasoning

and finished with Tabasco beurre blanc.

Love it. The flavor's great.

Great cook on the shrimp.
The spice was really refreshing.

On a score of one to ten,
let's start with Mary Lou first.

-I'm going ten.
-[Ramsay] Ten. Wow.

[cheering]

Two tens off the bat.

-[loud crack]
-Pssh.

I'm knocking this shit
out of the ballpark right now.

Let's go to Declan's fried polenta cake.

-I'm going eight on that one, Chef.
-Eight.

Thank you.

And then Kori's risotto, Chef?

Um, also an eight, Chef.

-An eight as well. Amazing.
-Yes.

Ladies and gentlemen, Tyson Cole.
Thank you so much.

-Thank you.
-Nice to see you, Chef.

Very, very close.

Round number three. The seafood round.

Our next judge,
she's a Julia Child Award-winning chef

and owner of Border Grill,
please welcome Susan Feniger.

[audience cheering]

[Declan] I love this woman.

She walks in,
and she looks like a mad artist.

I'm excited.

Declan, pass me your dish
and describe it to Chef. Thank you.

What I'd like to do
is to elevate fish and chips,

using cod, potatoes, peas,
and then I have a chervil sauce

with lemon juice and olive oil.

Mm.

[audience laughs]

-Chef.
-Yeah.

-Would you like a little glass of wine?
-Yeah. Where's my wine?

The service at this restaurant.

[all laughing]

-[applause]
-Chef.

[Susan] That's quite delicious.

-Chef, we have two more dishes to come.
-Oh.

-I thought we were having dinner.
-I'm so sorry.

Lock in those thoughts, and we'll move on.

Otherwise… [laughs]

-Good job.
-Thank you.

-Mary Lou?
-Yes, Chef.

Please describe your dish to Chef.
Thank you.

[Mary Lou] What I have
is a pan-seared Chilean sea bass.

It is gonna be finished
with a compound butter

that has garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest.

[Susan] Yeah, that's really nicely cooked.

The kale and fennel mix
is really nice together.

-Thank you.
-[Ramsay] Lock in those thoughts.

-Wait a minute. One more little bite.
-Oh, sorry. Sorry. Of course.

I like that. It's really nice.

-Thank you.
-Very beautiful.

Kori, please describe your dish.

So, I did a nice red snapper,
homemade chimichurri on the bottom,

which is the way I used to do it
in Mexico.

[Susan] I love the balance
of the chimichurri on there,

and I like the simplicity of that also.

Thank you.

-Chef, I can get it to go for you after.
-Yeah. Yeah. Would you? Yeah, please.

Okay, time to score
these three incredible dishes. Sorry.

Let's start with Kori's dish first,
please. On a scale of one to ten.

[sighs]

-Chef?
-I think this dish is a…

Oh, my God. If I mess this up, oh.

Well, this is hard.

It's the third round of judging.
Renowned chef Susan Feniger

will now judge the chefs' fish course,
starting with Kori's dish.

On a scale of one to ten.

-Chef?
-I think this dish is a…

-a nine.
-A nine. Wow.

Thank you. Thank you.

Mary Lou?

I think this is a nine also.

-A nine also.
-It's a nine also.

-Amazing.
-It was very good.

And then Declan's modernized
version of fish and chips?

I'm gonna say I think it was an eight.

-Susan Feniger. Thank you.
-Thank you.

See you later.

I'm still down.
Now I'm starting to get nervous.

Next up, judging round four,
the chicken course.

He is the noted chef and owner behind
LA landmarks Redbird and Vibiana.

Please welcome the amazing Neal Fraser.

[cheering]

Really good to see you.

Let's begin with Mary Lou.
Describe your dish to Chef, please.

What you're gonna have is going to be
a pan-seared airline chicken,

andouille sausage pan gravy.

I might have fried the Brussels sprouts
or just given it a little more texture.

But I think it all works together.

-Yeah!
-[woman] Mary Lou!

Second dish, please, Kori?

I did a nice pan-seared roasted chicken,
and then I did a roasted cauliflower.

And I finished it with some fresh
lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.

There's acidity in the cauliflower.

I might have maybe gone
more aggressively with that.

But I think the chicken's cooked perfect.

-Whoo, Kori.
-Whoo!

Declan, please, describe to Chef.
Thank you.

So, I took the idea
of a corn-fried chicken supreme

with a corn and bacon succotash,

and the chicken demi finished
with rosemary and thyme.

I think that's aggressively seasoned,
which to me is what I'm looking for.

-Well done.
-Thank you very much.

Let's start off judging with Declan.
Where are we going, Chef, out of ten?

-I give a ten.
-[Ramsay] Ten. Wow.

[audience cheering]

Brilliant. We're back in the game.

[all] Declan! Declan! Declan!

Right, Kori's dish with the two purees.

Not as strong as the first dish,
but I would give it a nine.

[Ramsay] A nine. Wow, nice.

-And then Mary Lou's dish?
-I'm gonna give it an eight.

An eight.
Give it up for the amazing Neal Fraser.

We'll see you, bud. Great job.

And now finally,
he is a Culinary Hall of Fame inductee.

He has multiple Michelin stars

to go with his star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The godfather of cuisine,

Wolfgang Puck, ladies and gentlemen.

Hello.

-Oh!
-Wolfgang Puck?

I'm Wolfgang.

Everybody f*cking knows Wolfgang Puck.

-Chef.
-Yes?

Trust me,
they definitely know who you are.

Yeah? You never know.

The fifth and final round.

-The red meat category.
-[Wolfgang] Yeah.

The scores are very, very close.

-All down to you. No pressure.
-All right.

Kori, please.

Describe your dish to Chef, please.

-Okay.
-I have a pan-seared filet,

a bourbon demi underneath,

and I have a little bit
of fresh rosemary in it

to give it that kind of
sexy, earthy flavor to it.

-Sexy. All right.
-Very sexy, just like you, Chef.

-Okay. Now--
-Kori, stop flirting with Wolfgang.

[laughter]

Well, I think visually it looks good.

But at the end, it has to taste good,
you know?

Last dish. I have to bring it home.

Nice and tender. Very well ex*cuted.

Right. Next up,
Declan, pass your filet down, please.

[Wolfgang] Declan.

[Declan] For my final dish,
everything about the food

that is on this plate is my blood, sweat
and tears over the years that I've worked.

Beautiful cooking. Look at that.

Does anybody want a taste out there?

-[cheering]
-Yeah?

No, no.

So, this is a pan-roasted filet of beef

with a pommes fondant,
sautéed king oyster mushrooms,

and then served with a morel cream sauce.

It's perfectly cooked. The sear is great.

I like the mushrooms with it.
Very well ex*cuted.

-Thank you, Chef.
-Declan, well done.

[Ramsay] Great job. Thank you.

Mary Lou,
please describe your dish to Chef.

What I have for you is a rib eye encrusted
in a little bit of ancho chili dust.

It's finished with a red wine demi.

I love rib eyes.

Mm. Good job.

-[Ramsay] Really good.
-Thank you.

-[Ramsay] Lock in those thoughts.
-[Wolfgang] Great.

[Ramsay] Now you've got
some tough work to do.

Mary Lou's dish first, the rib eye.

[Mary Lou] This is the moment of truth.

I only have a one-point lead over Kori
and a two-point lead over Declan.

So it's literally anyone's game.

Okay. I will give it an eight.

[Ramsay] An eight. Amazing.

Kori's dish, Chef?

This is gonna be a photo finish,
and I think this is the winning dish.

I will give her a nine.

[Ramsay] A nine.

Oh, my God.

Amazing.

-It's all down to Declan, Chef.
-You know…

[Declan] There's three of us at the top.
Only two can go through to the final.

This has to be my KO,
'cause I'm fighting for my life.

It's all down to Declan, Chef.

[narrator]
With Kori and Mary Lou having ,

Declan must score a perfect ten
to avoid elimination.

You know…

He cooked the filet really well,

but I will give him a seven.

[Ramsay] A seven.

[audience applauding]

Give it up for our Hell's Kitchen
finalists, please, Kori and Mary Lou.

[all cheering]

Oh, my God, what?

I feel so validated, so-- so recognized.

I feel like I just didn't know
my full potential.

Now it's, like, oh, I feel the power.

Oh, boy.

Yes, God!

I did it. I did it. I did it. I did it.

Final two. And one of those two is me.

[indistinct]

-Wolfgang Puck, ladies and gentlemen.
-Thank you.

All of you join me in giving it up
for this incredible man, Declan.

-Honestly.
-[audience cheering]

You made your family
and your country extremely proud.

Come here, man.

[Declan] I am heartbroken,
but this was an opportunity of a lifetime.

Chef Ramsay, I've done my best for you.

It's such an honor to work for you.

I feel proud of myself and the job I did.

[Ramsay] Amazing job, ladies.
One of you will become the head chef

at the brand-new
Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

[audience cheers]

Now, behind every great chef,
you know there is a brigade,

so please welcome back
our returning chefs.

Lauren, Adam, Marc,

Jordan, Nikki, Amber,

Cody, and Declan.

Would you be so kind as to join
your fellow chefs, please? Thank you.

Really good to see you all.

Now, Mary Lou, you know, you started
off the gate immediately, two tens.

-Whoo!
-That's right.

And because of that, you break the tie,
so you'll be picking first.

Okay. Yes, Chef.

I'm gonna pick this individual

because they've had
maybe one thing sent back

during our entire service.

I've heard nothing but good things
about this person.

[Cody] I hope she chooses me.

I will do this woman proud.

I just want her to have
the best support as possible.

Even though I only had the chance to work
with him one time, I'm gonna choose Cody.

[Mary Lou] I like Cody.
He's very talented.

All his food is really good.
He listens to me.

And then he's a good leader
in the kitchen.

Kori, first pick out the gate?

I'm picking this chef because, like me,
a leader amongst my team.

Strong, reliable, chin up always.

Declan.

-[Ramsay] Declan.
-[cheering]

[Kori] I want to make damn sure
that Declan's on my team.

He's a no-bullshit kind of guy,

and he'll go out fighting no matter what,
and I admire that.

[Ramsay] Mary Lou, second person.

[Mary Lou] This second person doesn't have

the most experience,
but she's got a lot of heart.

-Nikki.
-[Ramsay] Nikki. Welcome.

-Nikki, welcome back.
-Thank you.

Right. Kori, please.

This person is always strong,
always focused.

And she is very reliable.

Jordan.

[Ramsay] Wow. Jordan. Amazing.

I really thought she was talking about me
and going to pick me.

And then surprise,
she's talking about Jordan.

My feelings are a little hurt,
but, you know, it's just business.

So it is what it is.

Right. Mary Lou, third choice.

This next person made it very far
in the competition.

This person is someone that I would
always take advice from,

and is a natural-born leader.

-Amber.
-[Ramsay] Amber.

-Welcome to the club.
-Was Amber your next choice?

-Yes.
-[Ramsay] Oh, geez.

Oh, well. Her loss.

-Right. Kori.
-This person always had an amazing palate.

-I'm gonna ask for Adam.
-[Ramsay] Adam.

Now, Mary Lou,
when you pick the next person,

you pick for both teams.

Please, give us the name.

It's like in elementary school
when you're playing dodgeball

and you're hoping not to get picked last.
It's embarrassing.

This next person I'm gonna choose,
they take direction very well,

and I really like that on my team.
I'm choosing Lauren.

[Ramsay] Lauren. Well done.

-Get on up here, Marc.
-[Marc] Being picked last?

That's irrelevant to me.

And I'm gonna cook my heart out tomorrow
for Team Kori.

Now, you've got some homework to do.

-Yes, Chef.
-Conceptualize your menus,

understand your brigade.

Have your meetings with your teams,
and give them an insight to the menu.

-Understood?
-Yes, Chef.

In literally less than hours from now,
one of you will become the head chef

at the amazing Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

Good luck. I can't wait
to see you back in Hell's Kitchen.

Ladies and gentlemen,
give it up for them, please.

-Off you go, guys.
-[audience cheering]

Let's hear it
for our Hell's Kitchen finalists

and our returning chefs.

[narrator] Next time on the season finale
of Hell's Kitchen.

A champion will be crowned.

The chef whose door opens
will become the head chef

at Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

The stakes are as high as they can get,

and I do have what it takes
to be the head chef of Hell's Kitchen.

We will finish this strong, okay?

Two close friends…

It was an honor working next to you
and against you, Kori.

It was.

…who will now battle each other.

I want to hear you every minute.

I need your voices, please.

This is the final path.

I'll never stop, no matter what.

But standing in the way of them
achieving their dream is…

How long for the chicken?

-I need seven minutes.
-We forgot the chicken?

-Yes, Chef.
-…their own teams.

That's not mid-rare, that's rare.
What is happening here?

Who will step up to the challenge?

This service will decide who's gonna be
walking through those doors in Lake Tahoe.

-Yes, Chef.
-So get it together!

…and lead their brigade to victory.

On the count of three.

Will it be Kori,
the nurturing mama from Los Angeles?

-One…
-Or Mary Lou,

the feisty one from San Antonio?

…two…

Find out next time
on the thrilling conclusion…

-…three.
-…of Hell's Kitchen.