What time will MasterChef Season 12 Episode 5 air? Surprise guest, release date and more details explored

MasterChef: Back to Win has contestants from previous seasons returning for another chance at winning the coveted title and a cash prize of $250,000 along with other prizes. This season is pulling out all the stops and making sure that the returning contestants don’t have it easy.

MasterChef: Back to Win Episode 5 is all set to air at 8/7c on Fox on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. The upcoming episode will bring back the iconic mystery box challenge where the contestants will get another chance to win an immunity pin while the worst dish will send a chef home.

The previous episode, titled The Dish That Sent You Home, had the contestants remaking three identical versions of the kitchen disasters that got them eliminated in the previous seasons.

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What to expect from Episode 5 of MasterChef Season 12?

The upcoming Episode 5 will present the very first mystery box challenge for these returning contestants.

Judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Aarón Sánchez will grace the occasion alongside another surprise judge from the show’s seventh season, Vegas restaurateur and MasterChef winner Shaun O'Neale. A former DJ and the author of My Modern American Table cookbook, O'Neale is expected to be the first of many MasterChef alumni who will be making a comeback as guest judges in the forthcoming episodes.

The official synopsis of the episode, titled Winners Mystery Box: Spirit of Vegas, reads:

"This week, the chefs face their first mystery box challenge of the season. Season Seven winner, Vegas restaurant owner and cocktail connoisseur Shaun O'Neale, returns to the MasterChef kitchen to dish out the challenge. The chefs have 60 minutes to cook three identical dishes using the spirits they receive in their mystery box."

This will be the second elimination challenge for the contestants as they strive to redeem themselves. Those left in the running for this season include:

1. Christian Green
2. Dara Yu
3. Derrick Fox
4. Emily Hallock
5. Fred Chang
6. Gabriel Lewis
7. Alejandro Valdiva
8. Amanda Saab
9. Bowen Li
10. Brandi Mudd
11. Brielle "Bri" Baker
12. Caitlin "Cate" Meade
13. Shelly Flash
14. Tommy Walton
15. Willie Mike
16. Michael Silverstein
17. Samantha Daily
18. Shanika Patterson
19. Shayne Wells

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Recap of the previous episode

In Episode 4, the top 20 returning chefs who made it through the auditions faced their first elimination challenge where they had to recreate or reimagine the dish that ended up being their final dish during their initial runs on the show. To jog their memories, all the contestants were shown videos of their kitchen disasters. The chefs were then given an hour to make three identical versions of the dish for each judge. Both the presentation and the taste would determine the judges' response. An immunity pin was also on the line.

Season 9’s Emily Hallock emerged as the winner with her deconstructed black forest gateau with cherry-vanilla gel, chocolate bark and Chantilly whipped cream. At the end of the episode, Stephen Lee (Season 6) was eliminated for his cacao panna cotta with blackberry and gin sauce and spicy hazelnuts that failed to meet the judges’ high expectations.

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New format

Season 12 has 20 returning contestants from the MasterChef franchise competing in adherence to the modified format. This season, all winning contestants from each challenge will get the coveted immunity pin which may be used to secure them from future eliminations. Moreover, just to up the stakes for the chefs who will be fighting for the title the second time around, the season requires contestants to prepare three separate dishes to impress the judges. These dishes need to look and taste identical for them to secure their position.

Tune in to Fox on Wednesday, June 22, to watch the latest episode as the returning chefs face the iconic mystery box elimination challenge.