I love Gordon Ramsey, from his Hell's Kitchen, Nightmare Kitchens and Mastershef where he took a back seat a little.
But this show is a fail. I thought about why and here is what I believe:
First, we the viewers have no interest in the contestants back stories, we want them to emerge as individuals during the cooking tests. The way we get attached to people as we seem them perform under pressure in Hell's Kitchen for example. Here we are given a presentation on each one with the obligatory struggles story from the get go. It's a torture to watch. We are not interest in them yet. Send home half over a half season and then tell me a story about those that remain as I, as a viewer, have now formed an attachment or distaste for those that remain.
This leads to the other problem. The people are not authentic. They are not chefs that have struggled and have come in front of the judges and cooked something that impressed them and got them chosen. No one is chosen, no competition where they sweat and we wonder if the judges will take them for the show. We have no idea why they are chosen, apparently being a 'social media cook' is a ticket...what a joke. It like a sixty year old Ramsey is traying to be hip with the times. In Mastercook it worked because people had to compete for a spot and had to cook for it and sweat for it.in front of all 3 judges. This is how it also works in The Voice, contestants come and sing and hope a judge picks them and we the public get involved int he process. Here we are told they are selected, deal with it, and listen now to their back story with over the top dramatic music that is detached from our emotions. Big mistake, you are missing the fundamentals of drama.
That's the other problem as I see it, The drama in this show is about each chef having a team and that team trying to win for their chef. But I don't care which team is the best... I don't even know those people let alone cheer for a team. The music tries to force a drama, the judges keep saying they want to win, "we have to win guys", why? One judge says, 'they are all like my babies' this in the second episode, give me a break, they are not her babies, she had barely time to get to know them and saw them cook one time. Stop with this childish drama and put those cooks under pressure and tell them they are not good enough.. You have no connection to those people, we the audience have no connection so all the drama that we are supposed to feel about which team wins does not exist.
Another major problem is that there is no connection between the plate being judged and the person. He does not step forward, is not under pressure. Just judges tasting and the cooks standing in a group no one knows who made the dish. The judges comments are: 'whom ever made this dish did a grate job...'. No pressure. We know because the camera is on the cook's face, but so what. Let them step forward, look in their eyes as a judge. Let them know that what they have cooked could embarrass them in front of America or make them shine. Taste and be brutally honest. That's what we want to see.
That leads me to the judging. All dishes are good. Maybe something is overcooked or under. Not enough salt... But all is so positive. The first guy to leave the kitchen is told" 'young man, I don't think we have seen the last of you" - give me a break. He is the first to go. He is the worst. What is this disingenuous comment. Tell him why he is not good enough. Or better yet, challenge him to come back when he improves an prove you wrong. Let him be crushed, this is not a feel good show, its about sweat, hard work, perseverance and handling pressure.
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Finally the platform is interesting. The chain that sometimes is visible needs to be edited out as it gives a car garage feeling.
Also the kitchens where they cook are chosen is done at random. Big mistake. Start all in the best kitchen. Eliminated means you drop down a kitchen. Second elimination and you are in the basement and your hanging by a tread as there is nothing below the basement but a ticket home.. But that is ok, because even in the basement you can come back if you have the skills. Maybe you were unlucky but you still get a chance to prove us wrong. SHow us your grit and personality. Let us the audience root for the guy or gall in the basement, that she makes a dish which swaps her with some one from one level above. Now that's good drama, I should be payed for ideas like this. Ramsey, don't write the show, hire a writer to come up with the ideas. You are a great chef, that does not translate to writing. If you already hired a writer and he produced the first season, fire him and get a Jewish writer for gods sake. (thats a joke, get a good writer) Also get rid of the chefs teams. This isent the Voice. Have the judges be merciless. No mentor ship, this isent mama's kitchen, just brutal honesty in their face - that contestant is native american? Why do I care?. Let me see if she is 100% focused, if she cries, because this is her passion, this is her life and this opportunity is something that comes once in her life time. Her being native american is secondary. The other contestant has Jamaican roots - I DONT CARE! Thats not important. Get me people from the street, people hungry to prove them selves. Real people, not social influencers idiots.
If anyone read this far , you deserve a cookie honestly. I love you, YOU the reader. Hope I made you smile along the way.
