19x12 - There's Magic in Hell?

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] Previously on Hell's Kitchen…

Welcome to Spells Kitchen.

Oh, man, I love game shows.

Watercress?

-[bell chimes]
-…Mary Lou shined…

-Basmati rice?
-…as the chefs unscrambled ingredients…

-Tomato.
-[Ramsay] Well done.

We'll put the basmati rice on our halibut.

Pass that to the Blue Team
and put that on their halibut.

-…and assigned them to a protein.
-You're on fire.

Ha-ha-ha, sucker.

After they cooked, both teams impressed…

The point is gonna go to Amber.
And Kori. Well done.

…as it came down to…

- - , the battle of the halibut.
-…and Cody…

Congratulations, Blue Team. Well done.

…had the last laugh.

I keep bringing this shit home,
and it feels so good.

At a special charity night dinner service…

-These are getting cooked?
-Yes. If you can just wait, please.

…Amber's attitude irritated her teammates…

Amber, seems like you want to work alone.
And we need to come together as a team.

-Fish, please.
-Right now, Chef.

-Have you checked them?
-Yes, Chef.

-[Ramsay] Beautifully cooked.
-…but her cooking pleased Chef Ramsay…

Halibut's a classy fish.

…and their VIP diners.

-I'm liking this halibut, Chris.
-[Chris] Your mustache likes it too.

Leave the plate on the pass
until I check it.

-[Ramsay] Are you happy with that, Nikki?
-Yes, Chef.

-Sarah's table. Let's go.
-In the Red kitchen…

[Marino] Missing two. Missing two.

…Nikki came up short
for music superstar Sarah McLachlan…

I wonder what they're doing in there.

Oh, my God. There's only ten plates.
It was two portions short.

Oh, my God.

…and Jordan lost control…

[Nikki] Uh, this steak is rare.

…of the meat course.

[Ramsay] Ladies, come here.

-Just touch that.
-[Nikki] Cold, Chef.

This is your course. We need to check.

I bust my ass for everybody
in that kitchen.

And the one f*cking thing
they can't do is cook a f*cking steak!

Chef Ramsay asked both teams
for one nominee.

-We nominate Jordan.
-We're nominating Amber.

-What's wrong, Amber?
-I don't agree, Chef.

If you aren't the nominee,
who is it, then?

Cody. I would be wary
about having him lead my kitchen.

-In the end, Chef Ramsay eliminated…
-Jordan.

…ending her dream
of becoming the head chef

at Hell's Kitchen Lake Tahoe.

And now, the continuation
of Hell's Kitchen.

[Ramsay] If I were you,
I'd be looking at ways

that I could separate myself
from the competition. Get the message?

-[all] Yes, Chef.
-Good night.

[Declan] I'd have preferred Amber
to have gone home tonight.

I'm just sick and tired of listening
to her moan and bitch and complain

about f*cking everything else.

I'm over the situation
with these two guys.

It's definitely not the Blue Team anymore.

It's Amber on the Blue Team
versus Cody and Declan.

I can't go talk to Cody 'cause I'm ready
to tell him he can go f*ck himself.

-Ha!
-I'm just done with them.

-I hate them.
-Amber, their next step is Black Jackets.

They aren't going to put each other up.
They're men. That's our problem.

We talk with the heart and not
with the pair of cojones between our legs.

[laughs]

I just don't know
what to say at this point.

How are you not taking ownership?

The first two times we put you up
were for-- 'cause you went the f*ck down.

What's difficult for me right now
is my leadership is being questioned.

I just feel like Amber's coming at it
from a very personal angle.

-[groans] It's freezing.
-You want to go cuddle, baby?

-Yeah. Let me spoon tonight.
-You're gonna be the little spoon again?

-Yeah.
-[laughs]

-Want to do it right now?
-[chuckles]

[Declan] Morning.

-Morning, D!
-[Declan] How's it going?

-How you doing, big daddy?
-[Declan] I'm good.

-[Cody] Declan.
-Mm-hmm?

Do you play any instruments? The fiddle?

-No.
-[Amber laughs]

-[Cody] The flute?
-Nope.

-[Cody] The lute?
-[Declan] Nope.

Why are you naming
nothing but delicate instruments?

-I can just picture him.
-[flute plays]

-[Christina] Morning.
-[Mary Lou] Oh, my God!

-Hey, guys.
-[Kori] Nikki!

-[Cody] Good morning, Chef.
-[Amber] Good morning.

Guys, I need you to get changed,
street clothes, and meet us out front.

It's Hell's Kitchen.
This could be anything.

[Christina] Do you even know
what you're running to? [laughs]

-[Nikki] No. We're ready.
-[Christina] Let's go.

Guys, in here.

[Amber]
Into this awful elevator situation.

[Mary Lou] We're in this, like,
back alley big-ass elevator.

Looks like Saw.

I've never seen that movie
because I get scared,

but I know the premise.

[man screams]

Oh, my God. We're caged animals.

What's gonna happen?

[Amber] Oh, f*ck my life.

Is the door gonna open
and Chef Ramsay is gonna be there

with, like, two knives in his hands?

Then all of a sudden, it's like,
"All right. Duel to the death."

And I'm like, "I don't want to fight."

s*ab, s*ab, s*ab.

I don't really know.

-Wow.
-Whoa.

Good morning.

Chefs, you good?

-[all] Yes, Chef.
-Come on down. Please, have a seat.

Chef Ramsay
always has a trick up his sleeve.

The final six.

Is it a cooking show?

Are we gonna have to get up and cook
in front of all of us one at a time?

You've all done so well, I've decided
to arrange a very unique VIP performance

of something truly special.

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

Well, enjoy your private show
because it is absolutely phenomenal.

[dramatic music plays]

[all cheer]

Look at her legs!

[laughs]

[Kori screams] Oh, no!

-[all cheer, applaud]
-[Ramsay] Criss Angel!

Boom! Criss Angel,
sitting on a f*cking throne.

[all cheering]

This is like my childhood dream come true.

-[all cheering]
-Thank you so much.

So I'm so f*cking excited
to see him live today.

This is not okay.

[women scream]

[Declan] What the hell?

[Ramsay] Wow.

-[Cody] What?
-[Declan] What?

-[Cody] No.
-[Kori] Oh, my God!

-[Ramsay laughs]
-[Cody] None of this makes sense.

How are you doing this?
Mind blown. Poof. Blown.

-He's not even touching it!
-[women laugh]

[Mary Lou] What is happening?

You know what, forget the competition.
I'm gonna go with Criss Angel,

and he's gonna teach me how to fly,
and I'll come back.

[Cody] Hey!

-Spectacular.
-Thank you so much.

-What a dream. You guys are lucky, right?
-Absolutely! That was amazing!

Now, you have
one more tiny little thing up your sleeve.

I do. I got something very special.

This is called The Chamber.

-You can see degrees around it.
-Oh, boy.

-Check it out.
-I don't have to get in there, do I?

No. Just stay right there and watch.
You won't believe it.

Check this out!

-Yes!
-[all cheer]

The black jackets!

Black jackets! That's right!

Oh, shit.

And there's four beautiful women in there,
and they're all wearing black jackets.

[growls] Today is the day.

-Give it up for Criss Angel. Come on.
-Thank you so much.

[Ramsay] Right. I'll see you
back at Hell's Kitchen. Let's go.

Welcome back.

For the rest of the day, you're gonna face
a series of significant challenges

that will really determine
whether you're worthy

of earning an incredible black jacket.

I'm literally tingling. I have butterflies
in my stomach. I'm so excited.

I'm ready to get this black jacket
or die trying.

Challenge number one. I can't think
of a more fitting challenge than…

"Taste It, Now Make It."

The "Taste It, Now Make It" challenge
is one of the most important challenges.

It doesn't only show
that you have a great palate

but you can also execute the perfect dish.

Gentlemen, please. Thank you.

Now, the contents of this dish
has been kept under security.

The ingredients are known
to me and me alone.

You'll all have minutes to figure out
what it is and replicate that dish.

The chef who comes closest
earns the first black jacket.

-Head into the kitchen.
-Yes, Chef.

[Kori] I'm doing this for my family.
I'm doing this for myself.

I am so excited to get my hands
on one of those black jackets.

Good luck to you all.
"Taste It, Now Make It" starts now.

Good luck, guys.

[narrator] In the first
of three Black Jacket challenges,

Chef Ramsay is testing the chefs' palates

and ability to recreate one
of his most complicated signature dishes.

[Cody] For the first time
in Hell's Kitchen history,

I'm a little nervous.
Really nervous, actually.

Hmm.

The two purees that I saw
are root vegetables of some sort.

I'm grabbing all the root vegetables I can
so then I can side-by-side taste it.

I don't know if it's gonna pay off,

but I have a lot of work to do,
and let's go.

[Kori] I think the puree is butternut.
It has that tangy flavor to it.

-[Christina] What's in there?
-[Mary Lou] Cauliflower.

While four of the chefs
are going with cauliflower

and butternut squash for the two purees,

Amber is using…

-[Jason] Sweet potato?
-[Amber] Yeah. And celery root.

…and Cody has finally decided
he'll use sweet potato and…

-[Jason] What are you thinking?
-Cauliflower.

[Ramsay] Thirty minutes.
Whatever puree you're doing,

make sure they're nicely seasoned, okay?

-[all] Yes, Chef.
-Let's go.

The chefs must also decode
the nuanced salad topping the dish.

Identify the textures, the sweetness.

[Mary Lou] The salad,
there's a white component on top.

I can clearly tell
it's a Granny Smith apple,

but there's, like, onions?

I run back in, and I'm looking
at all the ingredients, and I see endive.

I'm like, "It's endive! That's it."

Feeling like Mary's gonna make it
to the Black Jacket.

Kori, Nicole, and Amber
all have just julienned green apple

in their salads, while Cody is using…

[Cody] Granny Smith apples
and then white onion.

-[Jason] What you got there?
-Lemon dressing, Chef, with shallots.

And Declan thinks
he's nailed the other ingredient

that goes with the green apple.

[Declan] I'm with the salad.
I have an apple for sure.

But it's apple and something else.

The salad looks super white.

I'm thinking to myself,
maybe the white turnip.

I'm confident
I've got every part of this dish.

If I can get % right,
I should be in the chance to get through.

-Just under minutes to go.
-[all] Eleven minutes.

You should now start
to be cooking that fish.

[Nikki]

I haven't started to cook my protein yet
because I'm so sure that it's cod.

I think it's sea bass. I look at the fish,
and I see how flaky it is.

I know the texture of sea bass,
so I feel confident.

Cody and Kori are going with sea bass…

-[Christina] What fish are you cooking?
-[Mary Lou] The cod.

I feel confident about this
from the way that it's breaking apart.

…while Mary Lou and Declan
are convinced that the fish is cod.

[Declan] I believe it's cod, Chef.

But one chef
is looking like a fish out of water.

I'm panicking with time

because everybody else is finished,
and I haven't cooked my fish yet.

-[Cody] That is beautiful.
-[Ramsay] Just under five minutes to go.

[Amber]

Either sea bass or halibut.

-Amber, you're running behind. Come on.
-Shit.

My gut feels like it's a sea bass.

Maybe I'm starting
to overthink everything. I don't know.

-[Cody] Amber, think about plating now.
-[Ramsay] Three minutes. Let's go.

Just under five minutes to go, guys.

Time's running down in the cooking portion
of "Taste It, Now Make It."

Shit.

It's the first
of today's three Black Jacket challenges…

Amber, you're running behind. Come on.

…and Amber is racing against the clock…

[Amber]

…deciding on her protein
with little time to spare.

[Ramsay] Three minutes.

[Amber] I decided to go with the sea bass.
I'm really just worried about the clock,

and I need to give myself
enough time to plate.

[Ramsay] One minute to go.

[Amber] Come on, assh*le.

[Ramsay] Amber, come on. Let's go.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one.

And serve, right now.

Let's start off with Kori.

I started second guessing myself
when I saw the fish again.

And I looked over at Nikki,
and I looked over at Mary Lou,

and they both had f*cking cod.

I did Chilean sea bass.
Apple vinegar on top…

Mmm.

…and butternut squash puree
with a cauliflower puree.

That fish is cooked beautifully.
Next, please.

I am really excited
for Chef to taste my dish,

and I really % am certain
that it's cod, so, sorry, Kori.

-This is a pan-seared cod…
-[Ramsay] Mmm.

…a butternut puree, cauliflower puree,

and topped with green apple, lemon juice,
and just a touch of olive oil.

Thank you. Slide down, please.

[narrator] Mary Lou has pan-seared cod

with butternut squash
and cauliflower puree.

Her salad contains…

Endive and apples, green apples.

Interesting. Let's go, please.

Cody presents Chef Ramsay

a sea bass paired with cauliflower
and sweet potato puree.

[Ramsay] Wow.

Next, Amber has…

A pan-roasted sea bass.

…with a Granny Smith apple salad.

And for her purees…

I chose to do celery root
as well as sweet potato.

What? Amber and Cody, no.
They used sea bass.

Sea bass is in the lead.

Look how square it is.

Did you not see the curl of the fish
on the plate? It's cod, for sure.

So, I have a pan-fried, butter-basted cod.

Served with a cauliflower puree,
butternut squash puree.

On the top, Chef, it's a julienne
of apple and a white turnip.

Finished with a lemon dressing
and a bit of a shallot.

[Ramsay] Interesting.

[Declan] Chef has tasted all the dishes,
and I'm thinking to myself,

"Man, this is a photocopy
of what they did. It has to be right."

First of all,
to win "Taste It, Now Make It,"

you must get that protein right.

And right now,
it's split right down the middle.

The correct protein is…

-Cod.
-Yes!

-[Mary Lou groans]
-Told ya.

[Ramsay] Declan, Mary Lou, and Nikki,
well done, you three.

-[Nikki] Thank you, Chef.
-Thank you, Chef.

You've also all got the purees,

but there is one chef
who had the absolute correct salad.

Granny Smith, cider vinegar, and…

endive.

-Mary Lou.
-[Cody] Hey!

-You get the first Black Jacket.
-[laughs]

[Ramsay] Step up. Come up here.

-[Amber] Good job, Mary.
-[Ramsay] Good job.

-Oh, man! [laughs]
-[Mary Lou laughs]

That's for you.

[squealing, laughing]

That's amazing! What?

[Ramsay] Young lady, congratulations.
Extraordinary palate.

You've also earned the right
to the exclusive Black Jacket Lounge.

-Here's your pass.
-[Mary Lou] Ooh. [laughs]

[Ramsay] Your sous chef,
Christina, is going to take you there.

Yo, Mary got the first one? [laughing]

I just validated myself
in front of everybody.

Oh!

[Christina] Take it all in.
Enjoy it while you have it to yourself.

[Mary Lou] I'm so excited.
I don't even know what to do first.

There's, like, a charcuterie spread,
and bitch love charcuterie.

This is a good day for me.

-Nikki and Declan.
-Yes, Chef.

So I've decided
to reward one more Black Jacket.

The dishes were that good.

It should be me, right? It should be me.
I had everything on the plate.

Proteins nailed, purees nailed.

But there was one dish
that was more complete

because it was finished off not only
with the olive oil, but the shallots.

And that dish belongs to…

…Declan.

-Yeah!
-[groans] Good job, buddy.

-Chef, thank you.
-Good job.

-Man! That was tight.
-Yeah!

-Thank you, Chef. [chuckles]
-There you go, bud. Uh, to the lounge.

[Declan exhales]

Speechless! It's like my baby!

[laughing]

-Yo, what's up?
-[laughs]

-Holy shit, right?
-I know!

Yeah! Hey, Declan!

[laughs]

[Mary Lou] So exciting.

It's only the elite few that get
to go Black Jacket, and I'm one of them.

-We look great in black.
-We really do.

How about them apples?

Am I bothered that I wasn't first?
A little bit.

But am I delighted
that I got a black jacket?

Hell's bells yeah!

Good luck, everybody else.
We're just going to be in here.

-Sipping and eating and getting massages.
-[chuckles]

Ready to get your hands on that jacket?

-Right now.
-Yes, Chef.

I am very desperate, Chef.

I'd s*ab someone right now for one.

-As long as it's not me.
-No, Chef.

A great chef needs
to have the talent and skill

to adapt
to whatever ingredients they're given.

[all] Yes, Chef.

Gentlemen, please. Thank you.

I will ask each of you
to select one of these security guards,

and they will reveal
what ingredients is inside those cases.

-Understand?
-[all] Yes, Chef.

It doesn't matter which briefcase I get.
I'm going to nail this, so, let's go.

Now, Nikki, you were the closest
to wearing that black jacket.

You get to pick first.

Name your security guard.

-Frank, Chef.
-Frank.

-Lobster.
-That's a good one.

[Nikki] Oh, my gosh.

I have, like, a smorgasbord
of beautiful ingredients to work with.

I'm so happy with my selection.

-Kori. You're up next.
-Yes, Chef.

Danny.

-[Cody] Wow.
-Salmon. Thank you.

-You look happy.
-I'm very happy.

I love all of these ingredients.
My mind's definitely starting to turn.

I'm trying to think of something
Mediterranean, something Latin, uh…

We'll figure something out.

-Amber, please.
-I will take Duke.

-[Ramsay] Another chance to work with cod.
-That's pretty damn good too.

[Cody] Amber's is hella fire.
Just the black cod, miso, yuzu.

Those are components that are in a lot
of major restaurants right now.

Like, if you f*ck those up, yeesh.

-Cod.
-[Ramsay] Great job.

-Okay, Cody.
-Jimmy, sir.

-[Ramsay] It's a-- Wow. Pork chop.
-[Kori] Ooh.

-Ooh, you lucky, lucky duck.
-All right.

-[Ramsay] Excellent.
-Thank you.

Right. Good luck to all four of you.
Your minutes starts now.

[Kori] Come on, girl.

-You guys happy with your cases?
-[all] Yeah.

[Nikki] So beautiful.

Shit. f*cking tomatoes.

You need to get these black jackets.
You deserve these black jackets.

-Yes, Chef.
-Thank you, Chef.

Hi, little guy.

Time to go.

[Christina] Kori, you know
what you're gonna do yet?

Yes, I do. I'm going to blanch this
just a little bit to keep the color,

add a little bit of the Kalamata olives,

the capers, and a little bit of herbs
to make a pesto.

We have done the spinach
different ways.

I'm actually using sesame seeds.
Kind of adds a little toast to it.

I want to give Chef Ramsay
a black jacket-worthy dish.

Come on, mama. Let's go.

Who do you think's gonna get
the next black jacket?

Kori is the most confident
out of all of us.

And then as long as Amber
can stay out of her head.

-Yeah.
-That's the only thing.

-She's her own worst enemy.
-That's true.

-Cooked black cod before?
-I have not, Chef.

For me, a fish is a fish.
If you know how to cook one,

you should have a pretty good idea
how to cook the rest of them.

-Those aren't pin bones in it, are they?
-No, those aren't bones.

I just don't know
which direction I really want to go yet.

What if I use the yuzu to make like a--
just a light sauce?

-And I think I might do my rice plain.
-Nothing flavored in there? Just water?

[Amber] Is it weird
if I mix in my pickles when they're done?

You always overthink everything,

and then you end up getting so crazy
that you're not focused.

It is down to the wire.
I feel really confident with my dish.

-Hmm! That's pretty f*cking good.
-Ladies, last ten minutes.

-Yes, Chef.
-Yes, Chef.

[Ramsay] Nikki, be careful. That lobster,
it goes tough instantly, okay?

Oh, my God. I forgot about that lobster.

I need to showcase
this lobster tail in the dish.

This is making me worried.

-[Kori] You okay?
-[Nikki] No.

While Declan and Mary Lou are sitting
comfortably in the Black Jacket Lounge…

Sorry, garçon? Could I possibly have
a glass of champagne when you're ready?

[Mary Lou laughs]

…the pressure is building for Cody, Amber…

-You okay, Cody?
-[Cody] Yep.

…Cory and Nikki, as they get another shot
at earning a coveted black jacket.

[Nikki] Oh, my God. My lobster tail.
I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do.

It's definitely overcooked.

I don't have time to deal with this now.
I have to get this on the plate.

My lobster is in shambles.

I don't have a choice right now

but to chop it up
and put it in the polenta.

Sorry, lobster tail.

-Just over four minutes to go, yes?
-[all] Four minutes, Chef.

After the huge loss
that I took in the last round…

Last round was embarrassing.

…now, I'm going to f*cking
beat the shit out of everybody.

-Like a little pomegranate and corn salad.
-Yeah.

This is going to be dotted
around the polenta. This is good.

Thirty seconds remaining.

-[Jason] Thirty seconds!
-g*dd*mn it.

-[Cody] You all right?
-Yeah.

Come on. Don't fail me now.

-[Ramsay] Come on. Nikki, let's go.
-Not quite there yet.

-[Ramsay] Five…
-[Amber] Holy Moses.

…four, three, two,

one, and stop. Well done.

-Wow. The dishes look exceptional.
-Thank you, Chef.

Let's start off with Cody.
Please, bring your dish up.

[Cody] This dish is the direct ticket
to a black jacket.

"I'll trade you this for the black jacket.
Thank you, Chef Ramsay. I appreciate you."

Describe the dish, please.

The pork chop itself
is just brown sugar, salt, pepper.

Underneath, you have polenta.

On top, we have a bourbon-pickled corn
and pomegranate in chorizo vinaigrette.

Visually, it's striking. The cook
on the pork is absolutely spot on.

Pickle in the corn is quite nice
with that sweetness of the pomegranate.

But when you've got polenta that creamy,
less of that sauce.

-'Cause you've got two liquids on there.
-Yes, Chef.

-But what a start. Good job.
-Thank you. Appreciate it.

I'm confident in my dish. All y'all dishes
can f*ck off in my opinion.

Right, next up. Amber, let's go, please.

[Amber] There's so much riding
on this challenge.

I've never cooked black cod before,
so I'm a little nervous.

So I have prepared for you
a pan-seared black cod over a bed of rice.

I've got a yuzu and miso beurre blanc.

-Yuzu beurre blanc, delicious. Vibrant.
-Thank you, Chef.

But you get up to the fish,
and the fish is bland.

Black cod is a dense, sweet piece of fish,

so you need to use
that yuzu wisely on the fish.

But you've cooked the fish beautifully.
Everything else, delicious.

-Good job. Thank you.
-Thank you, Chef.

I should've gone with my gut instinct
and put my broth on the bottom.

But all the flavors are there,

and I hope that it's something
that will get me into a black jacket.

Two good dishes. Tough decisions.

Next up. Kori, please. Let's go.

[Kori] My spinach pesto
is definitely outside the box.

It's about showing Chef Ramsay
that I can adapt to anything,

and whatever you give me,
I'm going to create an amazing dish.

I have done a spinach pesto.
The salmon, I pan-seared.

And then, I did roasted cauliflower.

-[Ramsay] A spinach pesto.
-It's almost like a salsa verde.

The highlight here is that spinach pesto.
With the salmon, it goes beautifully well.

The cauliflower's slightly bland.
Doesn't taste as good as it looks.

Thank you. Good job.

I think I'd make Popeye
really happy right now.

Next up. Nikki, let's go, please.

[Nikki] I'm looking at my plate.

I am not happy at all
with the presentation,

but I know that my flavors are there,

so, hopefully,
that is enough to compensate

for the visual monstrosity that it is.

This is a lobster tail polenta.

The sauce is a charred leek
and mushroom ragout.

I mean, I've never seen
a lobster tail cut up through the polenta.

'Cause, normally, any other chef
on the planet would put the knuckles

and the claw in the polenta,

and the hero would be the tail.
It would be the bit we want to highlight.

It's weird
because I didn't think it was gonna work,

but the actual flavor is delicious.

Thank you.

[Nikki] I really messed it up
with that lobster tail,

but, hopefully, my flavor compensates.

Please, Chef Ramsay, just understand.

I adapted again, though. I adapted again.

The dishes were so good in this round

I'm going to send
two of you forward with black jackets.

The first dish
that showed the most promise…

Congratulations…

…Cody.

-[grunts]
-[Ramsay] Congratulations.

-Jason, please.
-[Cody exhales]

-Young man, good job.
-Thank you.

-Congratulations. That is yours.
-[exhales]

[grunts] That looks good!
Oh, shit! I knew I was getting this one.

Oh, God!

I'm going to put this on a f*cking chain!

I think it's your best dish
of the competition so far.

-[exhales] Thank you.
-Chef, take him back. Enjoy the lounge.

[Cody] No words can describe
how amazing I feel right now.

The highlight of my career.
The highlight of my life.

-Who's it going to be?
-[laughs]

What?

-Hell yeah!
-[Mary Lou laughs]

-What the f*ck is up? Hey!
-[Mary Lou] Hey!

We all deserve it.
But I just-- I just wanted to see Cody.

He is the main one in the house
that I can confide in.

-You made it!
-Did you guys know it was me?

-[Declan] We were just guessing now.
-[grunts loudly]

[whispers] Good luck, mama.

The next recipient of a black jacket…

Congratulations…

Goes to…

The next recipient of a black jacket…

Congratulations…

-…Kori. Well done.
-[exhales]

-That spinach pesto is one to remember.
-[Kori] Thank you, Chef.

-Congratulations.
-Again, thank you, Chef.

[screams]

Oh, my God, I got a black jacket!

-[squealing]
-Yeah!

-I knew it.
-[Mary Lou laughs]

[squeals] Kori, yes!

[Cody] Get over here. Mmm.

I feel pretty damn good
wearing this jacket.

I look sharp in black.

-To Black Jackets, boys and girls.
-[Declan] To the Black Jackets.

Right. Set those two challenges
behind you and both of you focus on that.

Yes, Chef.

I feel very confident
that I'm stronger than Nicole.

She's only worked in a kitchen
for two and a half years,

so she probably
shouldn't be running a restaurant.

You're not going to beat everybody
in the end and get the job.

You don't know what I have.

I feel like I have this in the bag

because I have over a decade on her,
so I should be better.

Tonight, I'd like to help take you back
to the beginning

when you first fell in love with cooking.

Amber, check this out.

-Wow!
-Oh, God.

[Ramsay] Take me back there.

You okay?

-[Amber] Yeah.
-[Ramsay] Who are you with?

I'm with my grandma.

-Was she a good cook?
-Oh, she's a great cook.

My mom was super, super young
when she had me,

so I grew up cooking with, um,
her and my grandpa, and…

-Wow.
-Um…

My grandpa just passed, so…

-[Ramsay] I'm sorry to hear that.
-It's just difficult.

And that first connect
that put you on this incredible path,

where was that first big influence?

Um, in a strange way, it was with my mom

who could not cook to save her life,
but, um-- [chuckles]

I always had to help out,

and so, that's where I first fell in love
with cooking,

was by chance that she couldn't.
[chuckles]

Wow. That's what you call passion,
young lady, right there.

Yeah. [sniffles]

[Ramsay] Nikki, I need
to take you down memory lane as well.

-[Nikki chuckles]
-[chuckling] Wow.

What are you doing there?
Looks like you're frosting a cupcake.

I was making cupcakes on Halloween
in my ballerina costume.

-[laughs]
-Wow.

Look at the precision here
with the piping bag.

Look how detailed that is.

Um, that photo actually was taken
in a homeless shelter that we lived in.

Wow.

My first connection with food was
a little bit of a tumultuous relationship

because it was scarce
in the very beginning.

Um, we didn't really have a home
until I was , years old.

So, I think that the importance of food

was very prominent
in the beginning of my life,

and it just grew and grew,
and one day it just connected.

-And look at you now.
-Yes, Chef. I'm very proud of myself.

I don't look back and feel regret
or that things should've gone differently

because I wouldn't be the person
that I am today

had none of that craziness happened.

-What a journey.
-You're telling me. [laughs]

-Amazing.
-Thank you, Chef.

For your next challenge, I want you
to think about creating a dish tonight

that has been inspired by your life.

And it could be something connected
to your childhood, or favorite ingredient,

or even where you're from.

But it should have that connection to you.

Remember, it's your last chance
to earn a black jacket.

Your minutes start now.

-[Christina] Nice and calm?
-[Nikki] Yes.

-[Christina] This is what you know.
-Yes, it is.

-[Jason] You're going to slay this.
-Thank you, Chef.

For this dish, I am making
a play on boeuf bourguignon.

It's a variation of a dish that my mom
used to cook when I was a kid.

My mom couldn't f*cking cook
to save her life.

As soon as I had
my first boeuf bourguignon

when I lived in France,

I was like, "Holy shit."

"My mom's been making this my whole life,
but, like, a way shittier version."

Going into this last cook,

it's an opportunity to put something
in front of Chef Ramsay

that means so much to you.

[Jason]
When there's a good personal story,

it's a good guide when you're cooking.

So, if I'm gonna go out,
I'm gonna go out with a bang,

and he's going to remember the food
that Amber Lancaster made for him.

-I know Amber's doing a filet.
-Ugh. Basic.

[Kori] Nikki looks like she's too calm.

-[Mary Lou] Nikki is very calm.
-[Cody] Very calm.

The question is, is it too calm?

This is everything.
This is all you on this plate then, right?

Yes, it is.

That's every trial
and tribulation you had.

Everything that I've ever done
in my entire life.

This is where it started.

I feel really strong
going into this final challenge.

I know that I'm going to be able
to execute this perfectly

because it means so much to me.

That was a dinner of champions
in our house.

Life was not always easy.

It was not always kind
to myself and my family.

Food was just scarce.

All these potatoes working.

When I was a kid, we would have
just dozens of boxes of this stuff,

and when we had nothing to eat,
we were having boxed scalloped potatoes

and canned wax beans every single night
for, like, weeks straight.

I couldn't bring myself
to use waxed beans.

Sometimes you get the French cut,
sometimes you get the regular green beans.

-f*ck the French cut. It was horrible!
-I hated them! They were so mushy!

I didn't appreciate it when I was a kid,
and I do now.

So, this one's for you, Mama.
Every single piece of this is all for you.

This bad baby into the oven.
Just like Mama did.

-[Ramsay] Just under five minutes, yes?
-[Amber] Five minutes. Heard, Chef.

-Smells good.
-Make sure that steak's perfect.

I am down to the wire.
I am double-checking the cook on my meat

because the most important element
of this dish,

is making sure
that my filet is cooked perfectly.

Oh, f*ck.

-[Jason] What's the matter?
-It's super raw.

f*ck my life.

-Just under five minutes, yes?
-Under five minutes. Heard, Chef.

[narrator] With only one more black jacket
available, Nikki and Amber…

[Amber] Oh, f*ck.

…are cooking for their lives
in the final challenge of the day.

-[Jason] What's the matter?
-[Amber] It's super raw. f*ck my life.

I'm down to the wire,
and I'm freaking out.

Oh, this is going to be no joke.

The temperature on this filet
has to be perfect.

Like, I gotta get this last black jacket.

It's going to be down to the wire.

[Ramsay] Two and a half minutes to go.

Oh, come on, Amber.
Get this shit together.

Oh, f*ck, man.

Now, this may have become a pear compote.
But that's okay.

-[Ramsay] Sixty seconds to go!
-[Amber] Really?

-[Ramsay] Twenty seconds to go!
-Don't overthink it.

[Amber] I have a plan
for the way it looks.

[Ramsay] Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five…

-I love it. I'm so excited.
-…four, three, two…

-[Christina] Really good job.
-…one, and serve.

Wow.

Well done. They look beautiful.

Ladies, let's begin with Amber.
Step up, please. Thank you.

I feel confident
with what I've put on the plate,

and I feel like it expresses who I am,

and it will just show Chef Ramsay
what I'm capable of,

but also my level of passion.

Give me an insight
to the story of the dish, please.

I did a play on my mother's pot roast,

and a play on the first dish
I fell in love with

when I moved to France,

and that is the boeuf bourguignon.

I've got a Yukon mashed potato
with a lot of butter,

and then the pearl onions as well, Chef.

The steak is like butter,
and it's cooked beautifully.

And that is a beautiful mid-rare.

Wow.

Delicious. Well-rounded. You on a plate.

-I can taste the emotion in every bite.
-Thank you, Chef.

It's decadent. What would I change?

You know, the onion's a little bit raw.

-Chef.
-Wow. Great job.

I'm feeling very good
about the plate that I put up.

And in my heart, I feel like I deserve
this black jacket %.

Right. Nikki, let's go, please.

[Nikki] I am very happy with my plate.
I'm really proud of myself.

I think that Chef Ramsay is going to feel
that pride and passion and emotion

with every single bite
that he takes of this dish.

So, this is an ode
to my mother's efforts to keeping us fed.

We ate a lot of boxed scalloped potatoes
and pork chops.

-Wow.
-And canned green beans.

So, I decided to elevate
that very common dish in our house.

This is a herb panko,
seared and then baked pork chop.

-What cheese did you use?
-I used Gruyere.

And then to top it,
I did a Gruyere-and-cheddar mix.

Wow. You've nailed the protein.

-Thank you.
-Let's get that absolutely clear.

That is just cooked beautifully.

It's glistening, it's moist,
it's crisp on the outside.

What would I change?

A couple of extra layers of cheese
in between those potatoes?

-Yeah.
-Great job. Thank you. Wow.

[Nikki] In a weird way,
I am this pork chop.

It's simple, but on the inside
it's really delicious and beautiful,

and I know that this
is a black jacket-worthy dish.

Both of you, please step forward.

[Amber] I've gone through a lot
of ups and downs since I've been here,

but I know I'm a great chef,
so I don't want to go home.

And I'm not ready to go home.

I have come so far since day one.

I'm ready to just continue
getting further and further,

and I am certainly not done yet.

Two exceptional dishes, dishes
that were cooked with heart and soul.

But more importantly,
the passion was evident.

The story, I could taste.

And, sadly,
one of you has to leave this competition.

The person earning the final jacket,

congratulations goes to…

The person earning the final black jacket,

congratulations…

Amber.

Well done.

-How are you feeling?
-Emotional, but good.

-You, emotional? How unusual.
-[laughs]

Enjoy… that incredible lounge.

-Thank you.
-That's for you.

But more importantly,
congratulations, young lady.

-Thank you.
-Great job.

Surprise. [chuckles]

It's black.

-Ready for the Black Jacket Lounge?
-Yes, let's go.

This day has had
so many ups and downs in it,

but at least I get to finish
on the highest note.

[Ramsay] Nikki, you may not have earned
a black jacket, young lady,

but you have earned my respect.

You are the most improved chef

that I've ever witnessed
in the history of this competition.

Thank you so much, Chef.

And so, I will personally fly you

to any of my restaurants
around the world as a stage

for as long as you'd like.

-Thank you.
-The world, young lady, is your oyster.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity.

I'm so happy for everything
that I've learned here.

[Ramsay] Come say goodbye.

-Thank you, Chef.
-Come here.

-Oh, yeah. Good job.
-Thank you so much.

-Keep that jacket.
-I will.

-Very proud of you. Head up.
-Thank you so much, Chef.

-[Ramsay] Good night.
-Good night, Chef.

Every day that I woke up here
in Hell's Kitchen, I had to pinch myself.

-[all cheering]
-Oh, my God!

My very first dinner service
was less than desirable.

-What is going on?
-I can't keep it together.

-Are you done?
-No.

-Let's get a grip a little bit.
-Yes, Chef.

Every single person here had
at least ten years of experience on me,

so, I was constantly
having to prove myself.

Excellent. That's it.
You're in control, yes?

-Yes, Chef.
-Own it.

[Nikki] I grew exponentially
in my time here.

-Nikki, salmon beautifully cooked.
-Beautiful. Thank you.

This is the most incredible experience
I've ever had.

[screams]

I built up this amazing resilience
I didn't even know I was developing.

I accomplished something here,
regardless of the outcome tonight.

Nikki, it's the first five out the gate.
Good job.

Thank you very much, Chef.

It was just really validating to know
that he sees something in me.

I'm very proud of the transformation.

-Thank you.
-Keep it going.

-I will.
-Well done.

These are, like, good tears too
because that was just amazing. [sniffles]

Skill-wise, uh, it was Amber.
Amber's plate was very refined.

But the growth from Nikki
from start to finish…

That's a tough decision.

Ah, please, not Amber.
Don't want Amber. I can't stand her.

I'm hoping it's Nicole.

[gasps] Come here!

-Yeah!
-[Cody] Hey! Yeah!

I thought I got rid of you.

Congratulations.

After all that, right?

-Your dish was so fire.
-[Amber] Where's the alcohol?

Is there a Black Jacket party
going on here?

[all cheer]

-Christina, do the honors, please.
-I will, Chef.

Oh, my goodness!

One, two, three, four, five. The fab five.

One final little bit of thank you
from our partners at Allegiant.

They've given you two round-trip tickets
anywhere in the US as their guest.

Congrats.

I don't have words.
First time I don't have words.

-[Christina] For the first time ever.
-[laughing]

[Kori] Starting tomorrow,
it's going to be a brand-new chapter.

I will fight to the very end,
and I will be the one last standing.

You five have to be the most competitive

and the most talented
we've ever had at this stage.

You have truly earned these jackets
and the place you are.

-Thank you, Chef. Cheers, Chef.
-Thank you, Chef.

Tonight has been an absolute dream.

I want to go up against the best,
and I have that around me now.

I'm going to f*cking work harder, I--

[grunts] I can't f*cking wait!

You know,
this is where the competition goes up.

Forget the best mate scenario
and start emerging as a leader, okay?

-Yes, Chef.
-Right, come on. Glasses in the air.

Fab five. Well done to all of you.

-One, two, three…
-[all] Black Jackets!

[narrator] Next time…

It's time!

[Cody] It is Bruce Buffer!

The Black Jackets
face their toughest challenge yet.

She is the Texas Tornado!

Hit 'em with that mean right hook.

He is the Irish Iron Fist!

Which chef gets knocked out?

The Chop Top Terror
battling the Baby-Faced Assassin!

It's a fight to the finish.

You can't spell her name without KO!

-All next time on Hell's Kitchen.
-Go!

I'm ready to rumble!