Hell's Kitchen season 23: Who went home in episode 4? Details explored

Hell's Kitchen, the long-running culinary program is well-known for its cut-throat competition and high-stakes dinner services. In this season, Hell's Kitchen: Head Chefs Only, will see seasoned chefs vying for a head chef post at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

In episode 4 of Hell's Kitchen season 23, titled "In a Pickle," which aired on October 17, 2024, Chef Gordon Ramsay eliminated Michael from the competition. Michael, a member of the Blue Team, was sent home after an unsatisfactory dinner service where he failed to perform under pressure.

This episode marked the first major reshuffle of the teams in Hell's Kitchen, as Lulu joined the Blue Team from the Red Team to even out the numbers. The episode featured intense challenges and dinner service failures, culminating in Michael's elimination after he served raw scallops and lacked assertiveness in the kitchen.

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Hell's Kitchen: Elimination details

At the end of the episode, both the Blue and Red Teams were asked to nominate two chefs for elimination. The Blue Team chose Michael and Egypt, while the Red Team put forward Magali and Ann Marie.

Gordon Ramsay ultimately decided to send Michael home, stating,

“When a chef can’t look you in the eye, you know they’re hiding something. One thing Michael couldn’t hide was the fact that he didn’t belong here.”

His lack of leadership and repeated mistakes, especially in the dinner service, led to his exit from Hell’s Kitchen.

Michael’s downfall in the competition began during the dinner service, where his performance on the appetizer station was criticized by both his teammates and Ramsay.

He struggled with the timing and preparation of dishes, and when he sent up raw scallops, Gordon was quick to point out his errors. The Blue Team had a particularly rough night, with Lulu observing that Michael “lacked assertiveness,” a sentiment echoed by Kyle during the service.

Despite the pressure, Michael was unable to recover, leading to his elimination from the Hell's Kitchen.

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What happened in episode 4 of Hell's Kitchen season 23

Episode 4 of Hell's Kitchen: Head Chefs Only opened with a challenge involving pickling, as Michelin-starred Chef Dan Barber joined Ramsay to judge the chefs’ dishes. The chefs were tasked with creating dishes using ingredients they earned in a pickleball game.

The Blue Team, consisting of Anthony, Brandon, Egypt, Joe, Kyle, Michael, and newcomer Lulu, faced off against the Red Team, which included Amanda, Ann Marie, Brittany, Hannah, Magali, Meghan, and Whit.

In the pickling challenge, the Blue Team finally secured a win with a score of 5-4. Lulu, who had just switched teams, managed to defeat Amanda in the first round, and Egypt scored a victory over Meghan.

Brandon also won his matchup against Magali, contributing to the Blue Team’s win.

For their prize, the Blue Team was treated to a luxurious overnight stay on Grace Island, while the Red Team faced the grueling task of processing 15 tons of cow manure on a farm.

However, Whit, using her Punishment Pass, switched places with Egypt, allowing her to join the Blue Team’s reward trip.

When it came time for dinner service, both teams struggled to deliver. Egypt, now on the Blue Team, took charge of the appetizer station but quickly found himself making mistakes.

Lulu, observing his errors, wanted to help but didn’t want to overstep. Gordon Ramsay soon stepped in, telling Egypt to "calm down" and to show more finesse in his cooking.

Over on the Red Team, Ann Marie made a critical mistake by adding peas instead of parsley to Ramsay’s iconic risotto, a blunder that frustrated the team. Brittany remarked, “We’re f***’ed,” as the Red Team scrambled to recover.

The Blue Team faced even more challenges, with Michael failing to deliver properly cooked scallops. As a result, diners were left waiting for their food, and frustration mounted. Kyle noted that Michael “lacked assertiveness” in the kitchen, a flaw that became more apparent as the night went on.

When Joe served raw lamb, Gordon Ramsay lost patience and kicked the entire Blue Team out of the kitchen, asking them to nominate two chefs for elimination.

The Red Team didn’t fare much better, with Magali struggling on the garnish station and serving bland potatoes. Near the end of dinner service, the Red Team sent up raw halibut, prompting Ramsay to kick them out of the kitchen and demand two nominees.

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The episode ended with Michael’s elimination after the Blue and Red Teams presented their nominees. Hell’s Kitchen season 23 releases a new episode every Thursday 8/7c.