Gordon: Previously on "masterchef,"
We celebrated our 250th episode.
I present to you the united cakes of america.
Kennedy, who's baking which cake?
Kennedy: I'm targeting the midwest and the south.
Kyle's a great chef, so I'm gonna screw him over today.
I don't think we're friends anymore.
I just royally ( bleep ) that up.
If you guys were blind, I might win.
Gordon: We asked for a replication.
- It's spot-on. - Thank you, chef.
Congratulations, kolby.
- The south stays strong. - Thank you much.
It almost kind of feels like oatmeal,
- Like eating a burnt brioche. - Ouch.
You know how to cook better than this.
The home cook leaving is kyle.
Tonight, for the first time in masterchef history...
Oh, come on, freddie. Welcome to dodger stadium.
Today, you'll be cooking lunch for over 100 kids.
Kolby, you get to pick one person from the blue team
And trade them with one person from the red team.
- ( speaking spanish ) - dang.
- ( whistle tweeting ) - who's ready to eat?
- How long on burgers? - They are coming right now, james.
Oh, my lord. Don't overcook them.
Yes, sir. I am a barbecue grand champion.
It's raw. Congratulations, you've lost.
I am not confident on the grill.
Do you think kids like fried carrots?
- Oh, crap. - How are we on that chicken?
It was like dust in my mouth.
We're not in the ass end of nowhere!
We're in the dodger stadium!
Does anyone care in here?
Okay, I wonder what we're doing today.
Guys, we are on vin scully avenue,
- And that's gotta mean one thing. - Baseball!
- We are going to dodger stadium, baby! - Dodgers!
- Whoo! - Are we gonna--
- ( overlapping chatter ) - ( music playing )
We gonna be cooking in there!
It's like the cathedral of baseball!
I am in church today!
- ( pipe organ playing ) - come on!
- Let's go play some ball! - Yeah!
- Oh! - Wow.
So dope. This is old-school.
- "blue heaven on earth." - that's where we going.
Are we gonna go on the field? Let's go!
( music playing )
- Oh, look, y'all! - ( pipe organ playing )
- Masterchef! - ( cheering )
We're cooking on the field, baby!
- I love it! - What is going on here?
- Come on, freddie. - Oh! Gordon!
- Oh! - ( laughing )
Okay, freddie, I'm over here, bud. Let's go.
Come on, joe b. Gimme some sausage up in here.
Gimme a little... ( speaks italian)
- Batter, batter, batter! - Batter, batter, batter!
- ( cheering ) - reagan: Swing!
- Oh. - Oh!
Go, gordon!
- Oh, ( bleep ). - Oh!
Come on, chef!
Oh, come on, freddie.
Try and keep it in the park, please.
This is nuts.
Where the ( bleep ) did that go?
Do I even need this glove?
- ( bleep ) - ( cheering, laughter )
Guys, come on over. Hustle in. Let's go.
- All right! - Whoo!
- Let's do it. - Oh, wow.
I'm super stoked. As a baseball fan and player my whole life,
I love the competitive environment.
I think I did really well in the last team challenge
So I'm super stoked to do it today,
Especially in dodger stadium.
All of you, welcome to one of baseball's crown jewels,
- Dodger stadium. - ( cheering )
Now, today you have a very special audience.
This is freddie freeman, first baseman for the dodgers,
Six-time mlb all-star and world series champion.
- Yeah! - That is so cool.
And his amazing wife chelsea,
A talented entrepreneur and a philanthropist.
- Hi, everyone. - Hi.
- Yeah! - Whoo!
Now listen carefully, this stadium is home
To the seven-time world series champion los angeles dodgers.
- That's amazing. - It's hosted 10 world series--
Even amazing artists like elvis presley,
- Elton john, and the beatles! - Wow.
And, for the first time in masterchef history,
You're the ones performing today.
- Let's go. - The good news is, you'll be cooking
Right here on the field today,
But not for freddie or the dodgers.
Oh.
Because you'll be cooking for even more
Discerning clientele.
- Uh-oh. - Uh-oh.
Give it to us.
- Kids! - Mercy.
That's right. Today you'll be cooking lunch
For over 100 kids from the dodgers foundation,
The official charity of the los angeles dodgers.
- Oh, wow. - I love that.
That's right. The dodgers foundation helps young angelenos
Throughout the city by improving access
To healthcare, education, and sports.
This amazing charity helps level the playing field for people all over l.A.
Last year alone, they helped raise over $18 million.
- Oh, wow! - That's incredible. Wow.
Chelsea, these guys are cooking for kids today.
What kind of things do they enjoy eating?
Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches.
- Carbs. - Carbs.
Speaking of kids, we need to hurry up and get this field set up.
- Yeah! - We'll see you guys soon. Good luck.
- Thank you! - Thanks, guys.
Freddie and chelsea freeman. Incredible, right?
Guys, any minute now, these youngsters are gonna
Join this field and they're gonna play ball.
And after that, they're gonna be hungry.
All right, each team needs to make a basket of tasty food for the kids.
That's gonna include a protein, a fried side,
A slaw, and a sauce.
But know your audience, because kids can be very picky.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Now, whichever team hits a home run with the kids
Will be safe from elimination.
But, sadly, if you're on the losing team,
You could be going home today.
Now, we need teams.
There's 14 of you left, so let's do two teams of seven.
So, the west and midwest, you will be the red team today.
The south and northeast will be the blue team.
All right. Let's do it, let's do it.
Here we go. Aprons on, please.
I've got six kids, and I know that kids are very picky eaters.
This is absolutely a difficult challenge.
I no longer have the power of the immunity pin to protect myself,
And so it's very important that we get this right.
Every athlete knows that no team is complete without a strong captain.
Now, joe, aarón, and myself feel that there are a couple of home cooks
That have flown under the radar,
And today we want to see them step up
And lead their teams to victory.
Captain of the red team will be james.
- Yeah. - All right.
- Can't wait. - And for the blue team,
- The captain is sav. - Let's do it.
Kolby, you won our last challenge,
And you have got the immunity pin.
So if your team loses, you will not be going home.
Now, every great team has a manager,
And they know the precise moment to make a blockbuster trade.
So in honor of our presence here in this wonderful stadium,
You, kolby, get to make a blockbuster trade of your very own.
- Wow. Dang! - ( speaking spanish )
Kolby, come and stand over here please.
Whoo!
- Here's the good news. - Yes, sir.
You get to pick one person from the blue team
And trade them with one person from the red team.
This is your chance to put together a true all-star team.
So, who are you trading?
With the red team, there is somebody
That has been consistent throughout the competition,
And I see her as a great chef. We're gonna take kennedy.
- Gordon: Wow. - ( squeals )
Okay, and you're trading with who on the blue team?
I definitely want to keep the south together
Because I know as a unit we can pull off another home run.
So, the chef I want to trade,
I know she's been in the top a few times,
But I just kinda want to shake things up a little bit, so, brynn.
Brynn: I am bummed.
I am not super excited about being traded to the red team.
I really wanted to stay on the team with the south.
They've been killing it, and I have some worries about james as a leader.
I think james is a great, great cook,
But he does have some issues with communication.
Okay, guys, the kids are gonna be ready to eat in 75 minutes,
So now is the time to put on your game face.
Also, we want to see some sample baskets in 30 minutes.
Right, red team, blue team, we ready?
- Yes, chef. - Then let's play ball.
Your time starts... Now. Let's go.
( overlapping chatter )
- All the way to the kitchen! - Red, red, red!
- Let's go, blue! - Into the kitchens. Into the kitchens.
All right, let's get this going!
We could do a burger, we could do a sloppy joe.
- There's a lot of options there. - Definitely not fish.
I mean, kids love a chicken sandwich.
A chicken sandwich does sound good.
We can pre-cook the chicken and throw it in the oven to keep it warm.
All right. Kids love chicken nuggets,
Chicken fingers, chicken sandwiches.
All the chicken places where I'm from
Have a line around the block after school, so kids love chicken.
- Who can help me with fries? - I got you. I got you.
- All right. - Let's talk produce. Let's talk slaw.
I think a nice sweet slaw with a mayo base.
- We're cooking for kids. - All right.
I'm pretty stoked with the blue team.
We got the whole south region together.
Jennifer is a mom of six,
Kendal is a great grillmaster,
And then kennedy and nina, who are strong competitors.
They've been in the top.
So this is an all-star cast, I think.
- I feel so good about this. - I'm thinking ground beef.
- Like a burger? Slider? - Yeah, burger.
- Cheese. They love cheese. - Smashburger or big burger?
- Smash. - All right, so now we need to do a sauce.
All right, I got a sauce. It's sweet, it's tangy.
Kids are gonna absolutely love it.
All right, I'm trusting you on that,
So we gonna do you with the sauce.
I'm excited being team captain.
Like, come on, this c looks good on me.
The judges want to see me step up today,
And I'ma show 'em I belong here and I believe in myself.
James, I'd love to do the burgers.
All right, so I'm gonna have you on the burgers.
I can do the sweet potato wedges.
- Could I help you with that? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
'cause it's a lot of cutting.
Let's get it in on the red.
Let's get in. Let's get in.
Take this home. One, two, three.
All: Go, red!
If you're having a hard time,
- Say so! - Let us know!
All: Blue team!
- You gonna get the seasoning ready? - I'm getting my burgers ready.
All right, all right, get the burgers ready. Let's go.
Oh, this is a messy job today.
Hey, how is it working for y'all?
- Good. - It's good, it's good.
- That thing sounds like a... - Guillotine.
Come on, seriously, how exciting is this?
This is an arena for competition, for excellence.
Cooking for over 100 kids today. That is a big audience, guys.
Understand that kids eat with their eyes,
And they will tell you within seconds
- Whether they're gonna bite it or not. - Aarón: Absolutely.
I'ma bring more meat so we can just get them all seasoned.
Perfect. Well, we're gonna season them
Once we get them on the griddle.
We're not gonna season them beforehand.
Now, the captains have been sort of laying low in the competition.
Red team's captained by james.
What do we want from him today?
I'm looking for james to be vocal.
He has a lot of great ideas.
I think he can be an impactful leader.
We need more burger buns sliced.
- Yep, we're on it. - Yes, on it.
He definitely knows how to cook,
But can he exude that confidence onto his teammates?
That's the challenge for james today.
Y'all are good on potatoes? You're good on sauce?
- Hey, can I help with chicken? - Yep.
Sav, what are we expecting from her today?
Sav has been flying a little bit under the radar
So far in this competition.
I want to hear her voice and give direction to the other cooks on her team.
You should taste it. Do you like that?
Oh, that's so frickin' good.
Kolby kept the entire south intact.
- I think that's a major advantage for the blue team. - I agree.
Do it at an angle, so you get more like a wedge.
- What do you think? - I think those look good.
As a captain, this challenge, it's a lot of pressure on me
Because it's hard to know what kids like.
Thankfully, we have grant, lizzie,
And we have wayne that have kids,
So I feel we gonna knock this out the park.
All right, those is 20. That's a fifth of what we need.
( giggling ) this is so much fun.
- All right, y'all. We got this. Let's go. - We got it.
Kennedy: Now I'm on the blue team, and I could not be happier.
I wanted to work with kolby.
We kind of made a pact to look out for each other,
So it works out for me.
( squelching )
Heh-heh. It's a good sound.
I'm starting the cook-off on the sauce.
I'm a sauce queen. I love making sauce.
So I feel so good about this cook right now.
What all you got in there, kennedy?
Uh, mayo, mustard, honey,
Worchester, a little bit of tomato paste.
- Yum. - Everyone's getting along,
We're all communicating, and it's going so smooth.
- All right, this is all the fry sauce we have. - I think that's good, yeah.
- Nina, how are we on that slaw? - Mayo, do you have the mayo?
- I had to use all the mayo. - You used all of it?
- I didn't realize you were doing a mayo base. - ( bleep ) oh, my god.
Oh, crap.
I was planning on making a creamy slaw.
I didn't know you were doing a mayo base.
I thought you were doing a vinegar base.
How am I gonna make that creamy?
I haven't even started making my part of the food yet,
And I already have a problem.
So, yeah, I'm panicking a little bit right now.
I didn't know you were doing a mayo base.
I thought you were doing a vinegar base.
( groans ) I need a creamy base.
I'm not gonna do sour cream. That's weird.
You can make a slaw without mayo,
But kids are definitely not gonna eat
A salty, acidic slaw.
So I'm gonna have to use
Some of kennedy's fry sauce in my coleslaw.
Hopefully that'll save me.
I'm just gonna take a spoonful of this
Just so it can get little creamy,
And we'll see how it goes.
Okay.
Red team, blue team,
- 15 minutes before we taste. - How are we on that chicken?
- I've already got it in. - You already got it in?
Sauce, is it in a bottle?
I'm bringing them all up. No, I'm not gonna bottle them until we--
You're not gonna bottle the sauce?
- Not until we have a final version. - Okay.
All right, everybody! Welcome to dodger stadium. Are you guys excited?
Kids: Yes.
Woman: This is our world series trophy!
2020 world series champions.
The dodgers have won seven world series.
And all of these jerseys that you're seeing in here, these are our retired numbers.
Nobody's ever gonna wear these numbers ever again.
They're in the hall of fame.
- Ready to keep going? - Kids: Yeah.
Okay, sav, come over, please. Give us a breakdown.
Well, we're doing a grilled chicken sandwich.
- Wow. Not fried? - Well, we didn't want to overload our fryers
'cause we're making french fries as well.
And we're gonna do a red cabbage and carrot slaw.
How are we gonna break up the team? Who's doing what?
We have ken and reagan on the chicken.
Nina's gonna be working on slaw.
And we're gonna have jennifer on the fry with kolby.
Can't wait to taste it. It's the cooking of chicken,
That's the danger point here, okay?
What have you done with this here first?
So we put it in the oven for a few minutes,
And then we're gonna finish it on the grill.
Kinda like a reverse sear.
Have you cooked many reverse sear
Chicken burgers for kids?
Uh, for kids? Chicken burgers? No, sir.
I have not.
- Just be careful. Don't overcook them. - Yes, sir.
Think about what you're doing and make sure you can execute it for over 100 kids.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, chef. Thank you, heard.
- We just gotta make sure they don't overcook. - Okay, got you.
I think sav is a little worried about the chicken,
But I am a barbecue grand champion.
I've won a ton of awards.
I am gonna stick with my reverse searing system
Because I know it's fail-proof.
All right, captain james, talk to us a little bit about the dish.
- Who's doing what? - The burger is a smashburger on a brioche bun.
And we're gonna have lizzie and charles on apple slaw
And brynn and md on sweet potato wedges.
Look, I love the idea of a smashburger,
But you guys are biting off a lot.
Let's see the big one. Go ahead.
One shot. Don't hesitate. All the way down.
Aarón: Push it back up. Push it back up.
It just-- one shot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Joe: So, this is gonna be your problem.
Aarón: You smashed way too early.
- Let it get across first. - Let it go first.
Joe: Guys, I mean, it's a winning idea,
- It's just a major challenge. - Absolutely.
- Aarón: Let's go! - Let's get 'em all. Let's get 'em all on.
- Yep. - Let's go.
Red team, blue team, three minutes until the judges' tasting.
- Heard, chef! - There it comes.
Welcome to dodger stadium.
- Oh, my god! - Kids are coming in!
Oh, wow, look at 'em all! Look at 'em all!
( cheering, chattering )
- Yeah! - They're so cute!
Have a good one.
Lunch will be ready in just over an hour.
Let's go!
Okay, so describe this thing, please.
We have a grilled chicken sandwich with some cheddar cheese,
Carrot and cabbage slaw,
Some simple french fries, and a fry sauce.
Joe: The cabbage looks almost like oatmeal.
When I look at this, this is something that a kid has to eat,
- Not something that he wants to eat. - Heard.
Remember who your customers are today.
- Got it. - Blue team, just 30 seconds, please. Come over.
I'm embarrassed. The fries are all undercooked. They're not even crispy.
And what worries me the most, we're just getting
A little bit too clever with the reverse sear.
It just doesn't look appetizing with a wow factor for a kid.
How long was that chicken cooked for?
- 15, 20 minutes. - 15 minutes.
Gordon: Normally I'm worried about undercooked chicken.
But this is just dry and totally overcooked.
You gotta be careful, guys.
This whole dish needs to be rethought out.
- This is a problem. - That sauce is the only real positive attribute
About this whole basket.
Yeah, I know damn well you guys can do better.
- Captain, get a grip. - All right, y'all.
We got it. We're gonna adjust. We're gonna pivot.
What are we gonna do to elevate here?
The chicken needs something, and it can't just be sauce.
I think that we should fry this chicken.
Do you think we're gonna have the fryer space?
No, I don't think we will. We can't change now.
I really think we need another component.
Grilled pineapple? Kids like fruit.
- I say bacon. - Bacon it is.
- ( overlapping chatter ) - maybe it needs to be the bacon.
I think we just gotta do a bigger chop on the slaw.
- Okay. - What are we gonna do about these fries?
Okay, your fryer's too hot. Turn it down.
Then also, the first time that you put it in,
It should still be pale.
The second time is when it gets brown.
That's why they're so dark.
The judges did not like our sample dish.
We gotta get that cabbage cut properly.
We gotta get those fries crispy.
- Kennedy, do you want to get on the fries? Okay. - Sure.
At this point, all I'm worried about is the chicken.
Do you think the chicken needs to be in the oven
- And we're gonna do reverse sear? - We can do it.
We can do it. It worked fine.
I'm trusting in kendal.
He's the grillmaster. He's the meat guy.
He knows what he's doing.
We just need to get on it, though.
Start the chicken, so it's ready.
Nice throw.
- Get more burgers on. - Yep, I know.
- More, more. - I'm working on it.
All right, james, come on.
Please present your dish to us.
So, I have here a smashburger on a brioche bun
And I have some apple slaw with sweet potato wedges.
Before we start talking about visuals,
Why is grant sticking all those burgers in the oven?
Joe: You know what's gonna happen with burgers?
They're gonna turn into fossils.
Aarón: Yeah, they're gonna be burnt.
You, grant. How long's a burger take to cook?
Two and a half, three minutes each.
We got 45 minutes to go before even service starts.
Guys, come on!
I think it's a little concerning
That grant is making all the burgers,
- Putting them in the oven. - James?
But james is the last line of defense.
That is on him.
We started off so strong,
Working together as a team, good communication,
And now it just starts falling apart.
If grant's cooking burgers now,
Congratulations, you've lost.
Seriously, you've lost.
( chattering, laughing )
Yes! That was a fastball.
James, if grant's cooking burgers now,
- Congratulations, you've lost. - Yes, chef.
Joe: You're the captain, james, so start thinking about
Who is taking care of the burgers
- And maybe making some strategic changes. - Yes, chef.
Joe: Look, there's some good components here.
The balance of the burger looks good.
If you actually cook them properly, this works.
Aarón: Yeah, I think the slaw looks promising.
These look a little bit confusing.
Are they a wedge? Are they a fry?
They wedges.
Gordon: What's the seasoning in the burger, please?
Just salt and pepper.
Joe: Oh, it's quite good.
So the actual flavor on the burger is good.
It's delicious and juicy.
But those that have just gone in the oven,
In 40 minutes from now are not gonna be juicy.
Sweet potatoes are a mess. You need work on the wedges.
What we need here is a structure. Get organized.
All right, grant, kolb, everybody come here.
Good job on the slaw. Sauces are great.
Md, with these fries, we gotta make them fries, okay?
- Trim them to look more like french fries. - Yes.
We got it. Sweet. Good job.
Okay, listen, get rid of those burgers.
We gonna cook them to order, fresh,
Because the kids deserve fresh burgers.
I'm taking a lot of heat in this kitchen right now,
But james told me to start cooking the burgers.
He's trying to be the person in charge,
But he's not taking any responsibility,
And that's not what leadership is.
Gordon: So, blue team, chicken sandwich,
I'm just worried about this reverse sear for a kid.
I don't even know what a reverse sear is.
So, kendal's baked them, seasoned them,
- And then it goes onto the grill. - Too clever.
So, kendal might've really kamikaze'd the whole team
Because he put his skill and talent
Ahead of what's best for the kids they have to feed.
Yep.
( bleep )
I gotta get him organized.
Flip side, the red team, captained by james,
- That burger was delicious by the way. - Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I love the idea of the smashburger, but what is grant doing?
Joe: The worst thing you can do with a burger is stick it in the oven.
- It becomes a meatball. - Yep.
- Yo, we need fries. - They are coming, james.
- ( overlapping chatter ) - right here. See? Look.
The sweet potato fries were a disaster.
Kids don't want wedges. They want fries.
- Exactly. - Man, the red team are all over the place.
Somebody needs to step up because so far
James seems incapable of leading his team.
James: Come on, y'all. Cutting a fry is so easy!
( kids shouting )
The kids are excited. I like it.
Oh, yeah.
( squeals, laughs )
Goodness.
- Sav, try a fry. - Perfect.
- Okay. - Delicious.
All right, we got a good rhythm with the fries.
- We're feeling good? - Yep, doing good.
- Awesome. - Some of these are just an awkward size.
- It's okay. - Kendal: And they're all not gonna be perfect.
- Yeah. - They're ain't no two chickens the same.
That's it.
- Red team. - Yes?
Listen to me, in just over 20 minutes from now,
100 kids coming to grab their delicious burgers.
One person cooking burgers? Disaster.
- Mm-hmm. - We're all over the place.
- Do you wanna win this or not? - All: Yes, chef.
Then get your head out of your asses and start talking to each other!
- All: Yes, chef. - Come on!
- All right. - Let's go.
So I'm gonna have brynn come and help you.
What exactly do you want me on?
Do you want me on fry or do you want me cooking burgers?
I'm gonna need you to cook burgers.
So I'm being thrown on the grill,
Which is not really where I'm most comfortable.
Yeah, I need to be guided a little more.
I can manage it if you show me exactly how you want them.
It's a smashburger. It doesn't seem that hard to do,
But it is a little bit more complicated than you'd think.
- I'll fix it. - Here, use the gloves.
Okay? Thank you.
( chattering, laughing )
- Tony, come on! - Yeah!
This is my friend, 2022 all-star tony gonsolin.
Hey, guys. How are you guy doing? Nice to meet you guys.
- Yes. - ( all shouting )
- Will you sign my shirt? - ( squealing )
Kids are excited about tony.
Red team, blue team, ten minutes to go.
- Heard, chef. - It's game time!
- Ten minutes! - Yes!
- We have some fries. - Here you go.
- There we go. - All right, I think these are good, james.
Will you check out the cook on these for me
To make sure I'm doing it right?
Come on, guys. Let's go.
- I am-- yeah, I'm happy. - We're happy with those?
- Yeah. - All right, should we use this one?
We ain't got a choice.
- ( shouting, laughing ) - ( whistle tweets )
- Who's ready to eat? - ( cheering )
Yeah, come on! Let's do it! Who wants to eat?
- I want to eat. Yeah! - ( cheering, screaming )
- Y'all, they're about to walk up. Let's go. - Oh, lord.
- Let's go. - How many minutes on chicken?
- We got some ready. - You're ready? All right.
So, we got you on-- reagan, we got you on chicken.
- Need more of this? - Um--
- Look, stop. Stop. Come here. - Heard.
That's for one kid, that's for the other.
So we got a little bit of a chicken here,
A big bit there, cheese not even melted.
- Start demanding a standard. - Okay. All right, heard.
- Everybody! Now. - Heard, chef.
You gotta get to your tables. Make a line.
( overlapping chatter )
Please just get these back on and melt the cheese if you can
And make sure they're the same size. Big ones only.
( chattering, laughing )
Red team, blue team, the kids are here!
- Let's go! - Let's go!
Hey, kiddos!
Pick up. Hi, guys!
- Hey. How y'all doing? - Wait, wait, wait.
- We gotta get you some fries. - There you go.
- There you go, kiddo. - Right here.
- Thanks, guys. Here you go. - There you go. Enjoy.
- Thank you, thank you. - All right! 12 more!
Pick from the blue team. Well done.
- Let's go! - Hi, how are y'all?
- Hey, we need those burgers now! - Reagan: Coming right now.
I am feeling the pressure.
The kids are here, and reagan and kendal
Really gotta get on it and get this chicken down right.
- Nina, how are we on slaw quantity? - Yeah, we're fine.
Guys, I have no burgers here.
- Burgers, how long? - We're ready.
We got kids here. Just give me one second, kids.
- One second. - One second, we got you.
Aarón: Really quickly. Come on.
Are you checking they're cooked
Or are you just throwing them out here?
- No, they're cooked. - Stop. Just go next door
And pick up from the blue team first, please.
- Red team. - Yes, chef?
- Come here! - Oh, my god. Here we go.
It's ice cold, and it's raw.
- That was my tray. - Look, you're the captain.
If you can't captain this team, hand it over.
You're last line of defense. Check it's cooked!
- Yes, chef. - Now get a grip!
- All: Yes, chef. - Get a standard, please!
For kids! Seriously? What a joke.
It's ice cold and it's raw.
Check it's cooked. Now get a grip!
Gordon is not pleased with our raw burger.
I'm scared right now. We're in the middle of it,
And I'm not entirely comfortable with this position.
- James, get a standard, please! - Yes!
- A standard! - Yes, chef!
Gotta make sure these burgers are cooked through. Raw.
It's apparently not going very well.
- Anybody else? - James: Come on!
Is anybody else comfortable on the grill?
Nobody else here is good cooking on the grill?
- Md, can you work the grill? No? - What do you need?
I can, but I also have some sweet potatoes.
- Yeah, yeah, no, we need you on there. - Who's on these two grills?
Things are snowballing right now,
And at this point I'm seeing brynn shutting down.
So I'm gonna take charge and help my team out.
Are you confident on a grill?
'cause he asked me to be on grill, and I'm not.
- Can you help? - Charles: Yes.
- If anybody else is more confident-- - we need to get standards,
'cause this is not no standards right now.
Right now everybody is just all over the place.
James is freaking out.
We need to get back on track asap.
- We gotta win this. - All right, I need 12 burgers right now.
Charles: I got five burgers ready to go!
I need 12. Not 5. Not 11. I need 12.
Put it in the middle. Look. Come here, look.
I'll explain again. I'll do it like 12-year-olds.
Look at me. The stuff goes in the middle.
- Heard. - You go left, you go right.
Kids are like, "I can organize better than that."
- Can't you? - Yeah.
Yeah, there you go. So look at me.
Make sure you check that it's cooked, okay?
- I'm serious. Let's go. - Heard, chef.
Thank you, guys!
Hello! Did you get to taste all the food?
- All: Yes. - Okay, so the blue team
Prepared the grilled chicken sandwich with cheese,
And the red team prepared the cheeseburger.
Any preferences? Let's start with you.
I prefer, like, the burger for the red team.
- Right. - But I'm not a big fan of sweet potato fries.
- Oh, okay. You, young lady? - I prefer the read team's.
- Burger? - Yeah.
What didn't you like about the blue team's chicken?
- It was dry. - Way too dry for you.
- Gross. - Chicken, how long, please?
- Coming out now. - In the middle, checking it.
Out of the way, kendal. Out of the way please, kennedy.
- All right. - Thank you.
- Dry. Dry. It's just dry. - Overcooked.
I knew this was gonna happen.
This is the reason why I wanted to do the char first,
Seal in the juices, and then put them in the oven.
The problem is, these kids deserve more.
Don't nobody like no dry food, baby.
Kendal: We got room in that oven over there
We can use to put it in there.
No, that oven is too hot over there,
And it's burning stuff.
How are my burgers coming?
- They close? - Whoo!
- I need one more slaw, lizzie. Just one more for our next 12. - Yep.
Y'all ready to eat some burgers? Better than chicken, huh?
Nobody want no chicken.
Can y'all dance? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying?
Grant: James, we need you to be our captain right now.
The red team is not working as it should be,
And you're up there just chatting with the kids.
How did the chicken cross the road?
Figure out what's going on behind you and get it working.
- What do you think, wayne? - Don't rush them. Make them perfect.
- That looks nice and thin. - James, james! Are they cooked?
James: Yes, chef! You check the burger?
- Yeah, these are done. I need lettuce. - Lettuce? I got you.
You know, james is our team captain,
But I'm getting more leadership qualities
Out of wayne right now.
I've got 12 ready to go.
After that, be ready with some coleslaw.
- Yes. - Thank you.
He's the one turning around telling me,
"here's what we need to do
To execute this dish
As it needs to be done,"
And I'm not seeing
- That from james. - Whoo!
These are gonna be the best
Burgers y'all ever had.
So how we doing? Food's good?
- All: Yeah. - What are we feeling, red or blue?
- All: Blue! - Blue, okay.
So we just love blue here, huh? Yeah.
I do, too, you know?
They're coming quick.
Keep up the pace! Keep up the pace!
Hey, as soon as these are off I need 12 more, got it?
- Thank you. - 12, 12, 12.
- How long till chicken? - Couple minutes.
Sav: A couple minutes? Two minutes?
- We got-- yeah. - Okay.
The thing that's really killing us right now
Are those dang chicken sandwiches.
The chicken is not coming up fast enough.
- How long till ticket? - Minute and a half.
- Sav: We need it now. - Give me another piece of chicken.
- ( bleep ) - kendal and reagan, they're telling me
Two minutes on the chicken, one minute on the chicken,
And I'm standing here for way longer.
Guys, I need to hear something!
I'm trying to communicate, but I can't work with lies.
Do they wanna win or do they wanna lose?
- Could I get one more chicken? - Uh...
Chicken, how long? Who's in charge?
I need someone to own the chicken.
Kendal, this is in your wheelhouse. Own it and control it.
- Yes, sir. - Can we finish strong, kendal?
- Yes, chef! Guys, we got it! - Does anyone care in here?
- Y-yes, chef! - Hey, we're not in the ass end of nowhere!
- We're in the dodger stadium! - Understood, chef.
Gordon: Kendal, just give us an answer.
( bleeping )
- Kendal, own it and control it. - Yes, sir.
- Does anyone care in here? - We got it! Yes, chef!
Gordon: Hey, we're not in the ass end of nowhere!
- We're in the dodger stadium. - Understood, chef.
Gordon: Kendal, just give an answer.
( bleeping )
Kendal! No answer. Oh, my goodness me.
Sorry. Two minutes. We're putting the cheese on.
Kendal: I am definitely struggling right now.
It's pretty crazy seeing gordon screaming down your throat
And my confidence level is definitely a little down.
You either win with the protein or you lose with the protein,
And so if I don't get this right,
Then I'm in trouble.
Just how look how flat the team is.
It's just like we've lost our mojo.
- I understand, chef. - Can you pull it back up?
Yes, chef.
Wayne, how long for those next 12?
- How long on the next 12? - Guys, time on the next 12?
- How long? - Next 12.
Grant: Give me two minutes on it.
Nah, we're gonna need four minutes. He's behind.
- Four minutes. - There we go.
Not very-- it's consistent, but--
Good job, good job. Good job, bud.
- Here's your chicken. - Sav: Got it. Thank you.
- Good job, you guys. We're gonna-- - gordon: Sav!
We'll celebrate at the end.
- Yes, heard. - Work it out.
- Heard, chef. - You got a burger?
I'm gonna build it right now.
I need one more on the fly, guys.
( chattering )
I'm not a big fan of chicken patties.
It did feel a little too chewy.
- I'm going with red team. - I say blue.
- Blue is so good. - Joe: What do you think?
Blue team, chicken, you like it?
It was okay? You like the red team burger?
Who liked the red team's burger more?
One, two, three, four, five.
Who liked the blue team's chicken more?
One. Five to one. All right, enjoy your lunch.
So how we looking here? Which is your favorite meal?
- All: Red. - Red?
How was the burger cooked? Like, a good temperature?
- Overcooked or-- good. - It was good.
- So we all are going red? - Kids: Yes!
- How are we one fries? Are these fries good? - Yeah, they're good.
- Wayne: Thank you. - How those burgers?
- We got 15 seconds on them. - Okay.
- I'm trying to speed this up. - How are we on bacon?
- Yo, nina, pull up the bacon, please! - Yes!
- Ugh, this-- - it's dry.
- Are we serving these? - ( sighs )
I think we should. It is what it is.
Okay, kids, once you are finished eating,
Please vote for the team whose dish you enjoyed the most
By throwing a baseball into the net like so.
Boom.
Announcer on pa: Ladies and gentlemen!
We have some all-stars making their way to the mound.
Here's the windup. And the pitch!
Oh! That's one for the red team.
Not so fast. Blue team gets a vote!
- ( indistinct chatter ) - red.
I like the blue burger.
Oh! Another one for the blue team.
Here's a heater for the red team!
Burgers, burgers, burgers! Come on, get your burgers.
Burgers, burgers! Come on! Burgers.
Pick up the chicken first and then get back to the burgers. Quick!
Guys? Really? Nothing? Hey!
All right, guys, we can do it. We are almost there, okay?
- Wayne: Come on, guys, finish strong. - James: Let's go. We got it.
Here you go.
Announcer: Back to the mound.
Another pitch for the red team's burger!
Followed by a blazing fastball for the blue team.
Red team, blue team, last table! Let's go! Come on!
Final six, y'all. Final six.
- Put your best out there. - Yes, yes!
James: Last table coming, y'all!
Wayne: Last table coming. Let's go.
We at the homestretch,
But we have kids waiting for their burgers,
And it's looking chaotic right now.
These are probably not gonna be any good.
- Move them off. - Smash these as hard as you can.
At this point, we gotta get these burgers out.
Because if we don't, we screwed.
The captain goes down with the ship,
So I could be going home.
Grant, table burgers and finish them on your grill.
- I just shut off my grill. - Why you shut them off?
Because we're done over there. These are looking good.
- Bro, we not done until everybody's fed! - Yep.
- I understand that. Thank you. - Come on.
Why would we shut off the grill? We don't do that.
Enjoy! Here you go. We got three more. Don't worry.
Did y'all have fun today?
- All right, team! - All right!
- Gordon: Blue team! - ( cheering )
Gordon: How long, please, james? How long, last table?
- How long on burgers? - They're coming right now!
- How long? - They are coming right now, james.
- Oh, my lord. - Great job, everybody.
We did it, but we need to wait till feedback, okay?
I know, I know.
- You got it? Last one? - We're out.
The last burger.
That's the last. Thank you.
- Thank you. - Good job, y'all.
Good job. Good job.
Good job, my ass.
Announcer: Deep into the game,
And the pitching continues.
Each team gets a vote.
I feel like we did pretty good. We got out of the weeds.
We're gonna get a lot of feedback.
We're gonna have to take that feedback.
When the food was right, it tasted great.
That's true.
With this high pitch count,
Either team could come out on top.
Y'all really hustled.
Look, we got nothing to hang our head about over here, y'all.
I'm proud of us. I really am.
Even though we ended up finishing strong, I'm a little nervous.
We made good food, but I kind of regret the concept itself.
I should've thought more about what kids want rather than what I want.
So I don't know what's about to happen.
- If we lose, it's 'cause they like burgers better. - It is what it is.
Right, boys and girls, I hope you think that today's lunch was a grand slam!
- ( cheering ) - good.
Time to meet the red team and the blue team, please.
- Give them a warm welcome. Let's go! - ( cheering )
Right now I think the red team started off a little shaky.
I wish we had a touch more leadership,
But I'm happy with the product we put on the plate today,
And I hope the kids feel the same way.
Gordon: Okay, red team, blue team, well done.
Tough challenge today. Discerning clients, I told you.
Now one of these teams today, boys and girls,
Will be crowned winners and will be safe from elimination.
They'll also get a huge advantage
When we get back to the masterchef kitchen.
But sadly, someone from the losing team will be going home today.
It's time for the moment of truth.
- Please, freddie. - All right.
Gordon: Please step up to the plate.
Tony, take it away.
The winning team,
The team that you voted for is...
The red team!
( cheering )
You can't beat burgers.
Whoo! We hit it out the park! Let's go!
- See? I told y'all. - Good job, boss.
Yeah, thank you.
I'm grateful for my team.
We made good burgers, and I entertained the kids.
Like, who don't like burgers? You know what I'm saying?
Red team, congratulations. Well done.
- Boys and girls, did you enjoy it? - ( cheering )
Thank you so much for joining us today in this historic moment.
I believe you all got some homework to do, yes?
- ( groaning ) - good.
Aww.
Join in me giving freddie
And chelsea freeman
A big round of applause.
Thank you so much. All the work they do.
And thanks to the dodgers foundation
For helping putting together this amazing day.
- God bless. - All right, come on, kids. Let's go.
- Gordon: Bye, guys. - Come on.
- Bye, you guys! - Bye-bye!
Blue team, today was about cooking for kids.
A reverse sear grilled chicken breast? I think we missed the mark.
Some were big slices, some were tiny slices, some were overcooked.
Just nowhere near masterchef standard.
One of you is going home tonight, and joe, aarón, and myself
Feel that there's three individuals that were responsible
For the downfall of the blue team
Across today's performance.
Sav, kendal, and reagan,
Please step forward.
All of you, give us a moment please,
'cause right now we need to discuss
Which one of you are leaving.
Joe: A lot of inconsistency.
What was the protagonist of the sandwich?
It's the chicken.
There was a mistake in strategy,
A mistake in execution.
There was mistakes all the way through.
But who's to blame? Is it the captain?
I don't think the captain is,
And I think sav tried to salvage--
But the captain rules the ship though.
- She should've pulled kendal, no? - Yeah.
And the question is where does reagan stand in this?
She tried to get in and help, but it wasn't her fault.
Reagan: I knew that I was gonna be in the bottom
Because I was a part of the chicken team.
But I said that we should have cooked it differently.
So do I feel like I should be sent home? Absolutely not.
That was a very difficult challenge,
But we've come to a consensus,
And we all agree the person going home is...
Kendal.
Sav, reagan, say good-bye to kendal,
- Step back in line. - It's all good.
Kendal, young man, you were in charge with the chicken from the beginning to the end.
The chicken today was far from the masterchef standard.
You should've absolutely nailed this challenge today.
- You know and I know, right? - Yes, sir.
Come and say good-bye, bud.
Kendal: Ultimately, I'm just blessed and happy to be here.
Making it to the top 15 was a great accomplishment.
I do feel that I'm going home a little early, but you know what?
That's part of the competition.
Joe: Keep that meat smoking, bro.
Given my experience in the competition side of things,
I should've dominated this challenge.
But ultimately, I didn't execute.
And if you don't execute,
You're definitely going home.
Come on, guys. Give it up for kendal.
And I tell you what, I'm gonna be willing to bet
You better put your money on the south
Because they're probably bringing it home this year.
Gordon: Next time, the masterchef kitchen welcomes a big guest.
- Chef andre rush. - ( cheering )
Have you seen his biceps? Whew!
Tonight you'll be cooking with military field rations.
- Oh, my god! - Andre: It is your job to elevate them.
You want your plate to pop and shine.
That is how two masterchefs
Cook a gourmet meal using army rations.
- Are you ready? - Hell no.
- You gotta make the rations the star. - ( groans )
- You gotta start cooking. - Don't know what to do.
Gordon: Does that look appetizing to you?
I feel very confident about it.
That does not taste good.
- Ooh, terrible. - This looks like something
I'd find in my kid's undershorts.
- I'm in big trouble. - ( bleep )