2 weeks ago, the teams had to serve food to a bunch of kids in Hell's Kitchen's first-ever lunch service. They managed to complete it, but they still couldn't complete the dinner service the next day (partly due to sabotage from Sara), and after being on the bubble for a while, Tom was finally sent out of the kitchen. And then, there were 7...

Fallout from a sabotage

The teams return to the dorms after the elimination, and Virginia is talking to the blue team about how much she hates Sara. (Considering she was the target of Sara's sabotage, I can't blame Virginia.) Then, Sara enters, and they have a few words about it, with Sara wanting her to "get over it", and Virginia saying she doesn't consider her a friend anymore. (At this point, I really hate Sara.) Elsewhere, Rachel is coming off her worst performance yet, and she is alone, thinking about what had just happened. Meanwhile, the blue team is talking, and though they were surprised that Virginia was on the block instead of Rachel, they felt that it was still an easy choice for Ramsay; Tom had to go. And now, they feel that they're a stronger team because of it.

"False" food and a taste test

The next morning, the teams walk into the dining room, and Ramsay asks them to sit down at a table, on which is what looks like some high-quality food. Ramsay says that he wants to talk about taste. But then, we find out that not all is as it seems. The food in front of them isn't what they appear to be. The fondue? It's really spray-on cheese from a can. The pâté? That's crushed hot dogs. Caviar? Fake; it's from a catfish. The kabobs? Directly from a TV dinner. Ramsay then lets them dig in and taste the food. This oughta be interesting. The teams get eating, and they don't seem to notice the difference. Ramsay asks them about what they think, and they talk as if they think the food is what it looks like. That's because they actually think that the food is what it looks like. Ramsay then drops the bombshell; they have no idea what they've been eating.

At that point, Scott enters, with a tray containing the ingredients used to make the "false" food. As Ramsay explains what the food really is, the teams are in disbelief. He then says that since they couldn't tell what it was by taste, they have palates like "cow's backsides". Ramsay then introduces the next challenge; a blind taste test. Just like last year, teams will have to identify ingredients by taste alone, while blindfolded. Each team member gets 4 chances; most points wins. With Rachel sitting out for the red team, Maribel and Keith get ready, as they're up first. After Ramsay mentions that the punishment will be to completely clean both kitchens (they didn't get the chance to do so after being sent right to the dorms the day before), they put on the blindfolds and headphones. Ramsay tests the headphones to make sure they can't hear anything (by calling Keith a sack of ****, and getting no response), then they get started.

Round 1: Keith vs. Maribel
1. Potato - Maribel gets it, and so does Keith. [1-1]
2. Tuna - Keith says "poached salmon", but Maribel nails it. [2-1 Red]
3. Oregano - Neither of them get it. [2-1 Red]
4. Pear Chutney - Maribel says "spicy mango", but Keith gets it. [After 1 round: 2-2]

So, though Maribel gets 2 straight at the start to take an early lead, Keith ties it up on the last ingredient of the round. We're all even going into the next round...

Round 2: Heather vs. Virginia
1. Sea Urchin - Virginia says "fish stock", and Heather goes with "turbot". [2-2]
2. Chicken - Virginia and Heather both have no problem with it. [3-3]
3. Hot Dog - Virginia gets it, and so does Heather. [4-4]
4. Swiss Cheese - Virginia scores, but Heather doesn't, saying "parmesan reggiano". [After 2 rounds: 5-4 Red]

Well, they stayed even up until that last ingredient, and that mistake on Heather's part could cost the blue team unless Garrett can prove to have a better palate than Sara. Moving on...

Round 3: Garrett vs. Sara
1. Scrambled Eggs - Garrett gets it, but Sara does, too. [6-5 Red]
2. Spinach - Garrett nails it, and so does Sara. [7-6 Red]
3. Kiwi - Garrett says "pear", giving Sara a chance to win it for the red team. She says "plum". [7-6 Red]
4. Short Rib - Garrett needs this to keep the blue team alive. He says "turkey". No need to continue... [Final score: 7-6 Red]

With that, the red team wins it. Ramsay notes that Virginia got the highest individual score, with 3 out of 4, then reminds the blue team of the kitchens that need a good cleaning. He then reveals that for the reward, the red team will join him for a photo shoot for TV Guide. Sara likes this, because she feels that the red team needs to regroup. (I find it surprising that Sara thinks this, considering what she did in the previous episode.) With that, they get changed, and head to the limo outside, where Ramsay is waiting.

Stinky business

Back in the kitchens, the blue team gets started on cleaning up the big mess, with Heather taking the red kitchen, and the guys taking the blue kitchen. Heather isn't happy, because she's the only lady that doesn't get to take part in the photo shoot. Speaking of which, the red team arrives at the shoot, and they get right to the makeup stations, where the staff gets them ready. Soon after, Ramsay leads them in a toast to the blue team, and he then notes "poor Heather". We then see Heather and the guys in the back, cleaning dishes. Suddenly, Scott enters, asking for "a volunteer for something". Garrett volunteers, and Scott lets him know that Ramsay asked for some champagne at the photo shoot. So, he grabs a few bottles and heads out.

Back at the photo shoot, the ladies are still getting their makeup and hair done, and we see Garrett running all the way to the shoot. Soon, Garrett arrives with the champagne, and he's greeted by the ladies. While he's there, he gets a good look at what's going on, before being sent back out by Ramsay. Soon enough, the ladies are ready, and dressed in nice and clean chef's jackets (with black shoulders, instead of that of the team colour), and they join Ramsay in some group pictures. And in the middle of the shoot, Sara, well, farts. And they can smell it. Ew. Ramsay describes it perfectly: "That is gross." Back at Hell's Kitchen, Garrett returns, and lets them know about what he just did. Heather and Keith couldn't believe it. Of course, they vow never to lose again.

Later that night, after everyone had finished doing what they had to do, Maribel is alone in the bedroom, feeling homesick. It's getting to her, but she is doing what she can to remain focused. Meanwhile, outside, Heather and Rachel are chatting, while Sara is watching. Rachel asks if Heather's side plans on kicking butt, and Heather responds by mentioning that everyone is gonna have to be gone at some point. They laugh for a bit, but Sara seems disgusted at this apparent friendship. Sara leaves, simply saying, "Give me a break." Heather and Rachel shrug in response, then Rachel says to Heather that there's a power struggle in the red kitchen, and they don't need a loose cannon (i.e. Sara) in there.

Preparation and determination

The next day, both teams begin their prep for the next dinner service, and they're determined to improve on the previous disaster (and by that, I don't mean make things even worse somehow). Virginia is especially determined, having been nominated twice now. Rachel and Sara are both looking to emerge as leaders. Keith is quite confident that one of the ladies (not named Heather) is going home. Later, minutes before the service, Ramsay gathers the teams together, and he expresses how determined he is of getting this service completed. He then sends them back to the kitchens.

Could it happen this time?

It's 7PM. The restaurant is open. As usual, the customers enter, and their orders are taken. The teams are eager to get started; so much so, that Heather has decided to get some spaghetti started early, before any orders even come in! Ramsay sees this, and immediately starts scolding her about it. That's not a good start. Garrett tries to encourage her, but she apparently doesn't want to be bothered at that point. Then, the orders start coming in, and now, they can get started. Once Ramsay has read the red team's first order, he reminds them that if they're silent, they're in trouble. Then, once Ramsay has read the blue team's first order, only Keith acknowledges it; the others remain silent. Uh-oh. They do acknowledge it after being reminded, and Ramsay says he's already feeling nervous.

In the red kitchen, Ramsay asks Maribel for a time, and she says "3 minutes". Then, a fire erupts in Rachel's pan! Ramsay notes this, saying her duck is being burned, then asks if this is a sign of what's to come. Rachel says no. I wouldn't be so sure of that answer... Then, Ramsay check's Heather's risotto at the hot plate, and it's not good enough. He brings it back to Heather and tells her not to take a dish off the stove until she tastes it. As she starts it again, Ramsay tries to motivate the red team, in his own way, of course. Soon enough, appetizers are coming out of the red kitchen. Virginia lets Ramsay know how many oysters are left, and he acknowledges it, reminding her not to overcook any. He then gives her a compliment about her communication. That's certainly a good sign for her.

Over in the blue kitchen, apparently, Keith is running things. He's also running around, from station to station. Ramsay calls for a time on the oyster special, and Keith says "2 minutes". Keith then gives some orders to his teammates. With that, appetizers are now flying out of the blue kitchen. But at that point, one dish has been returned to the red kitchen. Ramsay calls the ladies over, and it is noted that a black hair was on the dish. Maribel is the one with black hair in the red kitchen, but she says that's not hers; she thinks that hair may have come from JP. Who knows... Back in the blue kitchen, Heather is now helping Garrett on the meat. But it seems that Garrett didn't appreciate it; he felt that she threw him off.

Back in the red kitchen, dishes have come up to the hot plate. Maribel is hoping that her risotto is good enough, and... it is. She's relieved. But there's a problem with another dish, and Ramsay calls over Rachel, then the other ladies. He asks them to taste the quail, and asks them what's going through their minds. He asks what's wrong with it, and Sara says it's overcooked, with a few bones. The others also admit it's overcooked, and when Maribel says it's a "little" burnt, Ramsay says she needs glasses. He even goes so far as to get JP to borrow a customer's glasses and bring them to the kitchen! Yipes... After the glasses get returned, Ramsay asks Rachel if she really thought the burnt quail was going to get served. She can't get an answer out, and this forces him to bring her out of the kitchen and to the back for a chat. During this chat, Ramsay tells her that she's screwing up big time. Rachel then says she won't let him down. Yeah, too late for that. Ramsay tells her she already has, and while she says she'll get through the entrées, he says that he knows she can, but she just needs to actually do it! After a bit, Ramsay sends her back in the kitchen.

2 hours in, and the red team has some catching up to do, as the blue team has served half of their tables. But at that point, a dish is returned to the blue kitchen. Keith is called over, and after seeing how it ended up, and as Ramsay tries to explain something, Keith says he "didn't send it like that". Ramsay tells him to listen, and tells him that a customer said it had too many bread crumbs. Ramsay continues to yell at Keith, telling him that he was leading the team before, but he isn't now, and he has a chance to get the team back together. He says the other 2 are cooking like "donkeys". Ramsay then heads back to the red kitchen, and calls for some Wellington. Rachel brings it over, but it's rejected, because it's supposed to be medium, not rare. Rachel then takes it back. Ramsay asks why she brought it up when it wasn't ready, and Rachel says she was afraid to tell him about the correct time. Ramsay then tells her that he's really nervous for her now.

Back in the blue kitchen, Ramsay asks if there's quail being cooked. He asks to be shown the pan, and Heather shows it. Apparently, there was only 1 portion in there, and Ramsay reminds her that they need 2. That doesn't look good for Garrett, as he's supposed to be preparing the meat. Ramsay then tells them that they only have 3 tables left, but it's getting painful at this time. It's 3 hours in, and though the blue team has indeed served most of their entrées, their last few tables are losing patience. The red team is catching up, and a compliment is thrown Virginia's way, since she's doing quite well on the fish. Ramsay then focuses on the blue team again, hoping to get their last entrées served. He's yelling at them as they go, and he's telling them that they're not working as a team at this time, since they're not communicating. But, despite this, the blue kitchen has somehow managed to get all of their entrées served! Now, they just need to worry about desserts...

Back to the red kitchen, and Ramsay calls for some Wellingtons. Again, they're supposed to be medium, but it seems that Rachel overcooked them! At that point, though, instead of telling anyone about it and starting over, she decides to paint them with some sauce to make them appear medium! But it'll take a lot more than that to fool Gordon Ramsay; he can tell just by touching it that it's overcooked. He calls Rachel over and lets her know, and it appears that this is driving him nuts. So, with that, he is forced to tell the teams to "shut it down". But afterwards, he then talks to Keith, telling him he has shown some talent, and that he can cook, but he needs to stop with the "spoiled brat" bit.

Tough decisions

The teams are lined up, and Ramsay tells them that he's getting tired. Heather then raises her hand, and Ramsay gives her a chance to speak. She says that no one on the blue team lived up to their potential this time, not even her. Ramsay thanks her for being honest, then tells the red team that they were 2 tables away from completing their entrées, but the blue team managed to complete all of theirs, though the process was still painful. He then announces that the losing team is... the red team, due to falling short on the entrées. He then tells Virginia that, despite being close to going home before, she really stepped up this time, so she'll be deciding on which 2 of her teammates will be nominated for elimination.

The teams return to their dorms, and Rachel knows that she sucked this time. She tells Virginia that she did good, and she says that Sara should go up on the block, since she's not a team player. Rachel knows that she may be in trouble, but she's gonna try to lobby to get out of being nominated. So, Rachel also reminds Virginia of how Sara lied to her the other day. With that, Virginia confronts Sara about it, telling her she might pick her. Sara tries the "1 incident vs. a whole performance" argument, then actually tells her that she enjoys working with her. Methinks that last bit was another lie. Either way, Virginia then goes to talk to Maribel, and she says she learns faster than Rachel does. Hmm. Meanwhile, in the backyard, Rachel says that if she goes, Heather had better win. Heather then says that out of everyone, she'll miss her the most. Rachel then asks for another favor from Heather; if Rachel goes, take Sara down. That I wouldn't mind seeing.

Interesting reasoning

As the blue team sits at a nearby table, the red team is lined up. Ramsay asks if Virginia has made her decision, then asks for the first nominee. Virginia chooses Rachel, because she let the team down. Ramsay then asks for the second nominee, and Virginia... goes into a long speech as to why she considered nominating Sara, where she explains the whole situation about the lying from the other day. I'm not sure exactly how long it took, since the speech was edited down. Then, after finishing up, Virginia chooses... Maribel? After all that? Wow. That gets a few quiet laughs from Garrett and Keith. (I can't blame them.) Virginia explains that Maribel is up due to some arguing with Ramsay over the hair bit. Ramsay then says that he agrees with her decision, and tells Rachel and Maribel to step forward.

Now, to see why they feel they shouldn't go. Rachel says that though she knows she belongs on the chopping block, she has some maturity that she feels most of the others don't have. Maribel says that she feels she's not a chef yet, but she can still get better, and she has been getting better since arriving here. At this point, we get flashbacks of Rachel getting a lecture in the back, and Maribel trying to say the hair in the food isn't hers. With that, Ramsay decides that... it's Rachel who will be leaving. But as she hands over her chef's jacket, Ramsay does compliment her on how hard she has worked while she was here. It's just a shame that her terrible performance in this dinner service doomed any future progress Rachel could have made in this competition.

Next week, the teams are running around a market, and we get a battle of the menus, as well as chaos in the kitchen, and that chaos leads to a major cooking accident. But one team will be making history, and the elimination will be a stunner.