Original subtitles

Josh, Mrs. Rayburn says she's going to start eating the plates, Matt, if her

lunch isn't ready in the next two minutes. Yeah, I know, I know. I just, I

little inspired. I thought we were going to try something.

What is that?

It's a baked Alaska.

My mother's recipe. That's a few little twists that I added on to it.

Josh, you are a cook in a diner in Yakutat, Alaska.

The customers want pie.

Just stick to the main.

Hmm.

I want this hotel.

And you know what happens when I want something. So let's just skip to the

where I get it and save ourselves some time, okay?

Sorry. Acquiring a hotel in a castle in Europe is harder than I expected.

Well, sure. I mean, who can't relate to that?

No, I know. I'm a few minutes late. I had to pack.

I'm flying to Malta tomorrow.

Oh, yeah, the cooking shows this week. Dad, the 87th Annual International

Escoffier Culinary Competition is not a cooking show.

It's like the Olympics for rising chefs.

You could always come back and work for me again.

Event planning is what I love to do, and I want to do it without the help of my

father and his company.

Westcott Enterprises is the most prestigious hotelier in the world. We

properties in more than two dozen countries.

I know. Including Hotel Phoenicia in Malta, where you're doing your cooking

culinary competition.

And I appreciate you letting us host it there. I really need to prove myself.

What's the point in building an empire if your only child doesn't want to run

it? It's because I want to build my own empire.

Mushrooms. I need mushrooms.

Mushrooms? Julian, where's Julian? Somebody get me Julian. Oh, mushrooms.

Please tell me that this is somebody offering me a free trip to a deserted

island. You're going to Malta next week, Henry.

Pretty sure that's an island. What more do you want?

The list is long, Josh, my friend. Very, very long.

Right. Hey, where's Julian?

He's shaking hands and kissing babies.

Mr. Westcott. I saw your name on the reservation list, and I just wanted to

introduce myself. I am Chef Julian Northrup.

Bienvenue. Thank you.

This is my daughter, Meg.

Hello. Hi.

We're actually... Mr. Westcott, I would just love to talk to you about working

together. Perhaps partnering my restaurants with your hotel?

Well, we have a food and beverage department, although we need someone to

it. Dad, I'm sure he has bigger things to worry about.

He's one of our chefs.

I'm sorry, one of your chefs?

Uh, yes. I'm actually running the culinary contest in Malta.

Oh, I thought that Heike Mueller was in charge of that.

Oh, yes.

Well, she runs the academy and the contest.

I am running the event.

Right, but you're not in charge of the actual picking of the winner.

No, that would be the judges.

Well, that's okay. That's okay. Of course, someone has to be there to make

that the trophy can be handed to me when I win.

Wow,

you're very confident.

Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?

Ms. Westcott, I'm going to whip up something extra special for you.

Bon appetit.

Brother's on the phone.

What's up, little brother?

Okay, you're five minutes older than me.

Oh, still counts. How's AK?

Cold. How's NYC? Same, but, you know, with fewer moose.

I just wanted to call to wish you luck at the Escoffier.

Listen, I'm allowed one extra guest for the competition, and I was thinking

maybe you would want to come.

To Malta?

Yeah, I can't do that.

I can buy you the plane ticket if that's what you're worried about.

I can afford my own plane ticket, Julian.

I didn't mean that. Didn't mean what? That you're a big fancy chef with your

bistro in New York and I'm just a lowly cook at a diner in Yakutat?

Josh, why are you still there?

It's not like it's even our famous restaurant anymore.

Yeah, well, it's going to be.

Why do you pretend that you're French? I hate that. You grew up in Alaska.

What does that even mean?

It means history repeating.

Okay, you are passing up on a trip to Malta. You passed up on my offer to get

out of that greasy kitchen and come work here when Dad died. You passed up on a

scholarship to one of the best culinary schools in Paris.

That was 15 years ago. Somebody had to stay behind.

Mom had just passed away.

Dad wanted us to go.

Well, I wanted to stay, and I still want to stay.

Josh, come to Malta.

Some of the best chefs in the world are going to be there. You can see what

cooking is like. I've got a yak attack.

And besides, Henry and I, we haven't seen you since our wedding. And talking

the phone once every few months is just not good enough for him.

Free cheeseburgers and a grilled cheese. And no fancy stuff. Fine, I'll come.

I gotta go. Talk to you later.

I was so happy to hear you were managing the hotel.

It's great to see you. It's looking fabulous.

Oh, just wait until you see it on camera.

And it's going to be live -streamed for the entire world to see.

Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry.

I was not paying attention to where I was going.

That's my bad.

So, welcome to Malta. Thank you. Yeah, it's beautiful here.

Is it? I actually haven't even had time to explore yet.

You know, I actually have the same suitcase.

Really? I'm pretty sure this one's mine. Yep,

got my lucky hat in it and everything.

It's actually where I keep my extra chocolate.

Your extra chocolate?

I always travel with an emergency stash just in case I can't find the good

stuff. Okay.

Don't tell anyone.

Well, your secret is safe with me.

I'm sorry, can you just tell me where the front desk is?

Yeah, it's right there.

Okay, thank you.

Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime.

Yeah. Yeah.

Who was that?

Julian Northrup?

He's one of our chefs in the competition.

That was very interesting.

Interesting how?

Last week when I ran into him in New York, he seemed so... But today he

really nice.

And he looks so different, so casual.

And handsome?

He has a husband.

Oh, I can see how this would put a crimp in your dating plans.

Yes.

Well, you can take the boy out of Alaska, but you cannot take the Alaska

the boy.

Well, it's good to see you too, Joel.

Come here.

Yeah. All right.

Hello. Look at this.

Josh. Henry. It's so good to see you.

Oh, man.

It's been too long. I know. What?

Three years since the wedding.

It's too long.

Look at you two. It's like... Somebody picked up Julian and dropped him off in

the wilderness and left him there for a few weeks.

Well, I tell you, after a few weeks in the wilderness, he would look a lot

than this.

I concur. Hey, hey, hey, hey. No ganging up on the chefs, okay? I have to

concentrate on the competition.

It's too bad I got all the culinary talent in the family.

Oh, please.

I can cook circles around you. Okay, I'm a better chef.

Man, I'm taller.

You are not.

Um,

yeah, I should go crash.

Okay, so, uh, all right.

See y 'all tomorrow.

Good night, Josh. Of course.

Good night.

Miss Mueller, welcome to Hotel Phoenicia. Why are there so many

The food should be the star here, Meg.

Miss Mueller, this is Annie Leroux. She is the general manager of the hotel.

Nice to meet you. You must be excited to be having a worldwide audience for the

competition this year. Of course.

The board approved your plan, Miss Westcott, but I should be watching

She seems nice.

Hey, the blue tie or the green tie?

Green. You didn't even look.

I didn't need to. It's perfect for spring and it brings out your eyes.

Well... I just love that you know that.

It's open.

Ta -da.

Is this better?

What's wrong with it?

You're going to be in a room with the culinary elite, the clem de la clem of

cooking world. You need to dress as if you were going to a fancy restaurant.

This is literally how I would dress if I was going to a fancy restaurant.

We are not related.

There's no way that I share DNA with this man. Come on, let's go.

I'm still dressing my brother. I'm putting you in blue.

Julian, just be a bit more careful with... Oh, oh, oh.

It's my back again. Julian, what happened?

He injured his back when we redid the house and he tried to lift a big stone.

It was crooked, okay?

Oh, can you stand up?

Stand up, can you stand up?

Oh, my goodness.

Yep, yep, yep.

Okay. Lay down, lay down.

Julian, you've got to register in the next 20 minutes, otherwise you can't

compete. Well, can't you go register for him?

No, no, I have to do it. I can do this.

Julian, just don't. You're going to make yourself worse.

Oh, nope.

Oh, my gosh.

What am I going to do?

Oh, oh, give me your ID.

Excuse me?

I'll go register for you. Julian, it's not going to be the first time that

pretended to be each other.

We used to do it all the time.

No, no, no. We were kids.

Okay, what if somebody finds out?

Yeah, I just gotta go find a form. Right? I don't really think you've got a

choice. Give him the ID.

Give him the ID.

Oh,

fine.

You be friendly, okay? And you smile.

And try to say French words every once in a while.

Uh, yeah, I don't know French.

Oui, bonjour, merci.

Stick to the basics. Okay, okay, jeez. I can be you for like...

Five minutes, right? Hey, no, no, no, no.

I'm not looking like that. You can't.

Julian?

No. Julian Northrup?

Is that you?

Uh, oui, yes, it is I, Julian Northrup. And you are?

Etienne Le Duc, I put on a few pounds. You probably remember me from culinary

school. Yeah.

I have the weakness for the cream sauce. Cream sauce, yes.

Culinary school, I remember.

Passmates, now competitors. How fun, huh?

Oui, oui. Yes, fun. That is exactly how I would put it. I think it's very

generous of them that they allow you to participate.

Generous? How's that?

It's a secret, eh? Your restaurant is struggling?

No, it is not.

It's nothing to be ashamed of, eh? I mean, not everyone can have the kind of

success I've had with my piscos.

But, you know, I'm sure simply being here will help, eh? So do not worry if

get cut out from one of the early rounds.

Well,

excusez -moi, but I don't intend to get cut at all.

That's the spirit, eh?

Lovely to see you again, Julien.

Chef Northrup, hi.

Are you ready now?

Oh, hi.

Bonjour. Bonjour. And ready for what?

To register. I have everything set up for you right over there.

Oh, yes, you work for the Escoffier. Of course.

Très bon.

Oh, that's right. You trained in France.

J 'ai étudié à Paris. Je parlais français.

Oui.

So, where is your husband, Henry?

My husband is packing.

Unpacking. He's unpacking.

Upstairs.

Well, I look forward to meeting him.

You two, I have to say, make the most handsome couple.

Well, I mean, I'm... So, it says here that he is your sous chef? And you have

one other guest, your brother, Josh?

Is he a chef, too?

More of a cook, but yeah.

Well, maybe one day he'll be at the competition.

Maybe.

Okay, so I just need you to sign the contract.

I'm sorry, the contract?

Yeah. It just says that you understand the rules, you agree to be photographed,

you are who you say you are.

You can just sign right here.

You need my ID. Do you need my ID? No, no. I know who you are.

Unless you have an evil twin or something.

So, where do I find?

Right where it says Seth's signature.

Wow, yeah.

Got a sign. Yeah.

Yep.

Oh,

Jay Northrup.

Dang on brand.

Yeah, something like that. I like it.

And also, can I see your right wrist, please?

Sure. Thank you.

Let's put it through there.

Is that tight enough?

Yeah.

Perfect.

What is this?

It's your chef bracelet.

Oh. There's a chip inside that you'll need at your workstation before you use

it. It's our way of keeping the culinary espionage down to a minimum.

Okay, so when I need to take it off, like for a shower, I mean like... Oh,

waterproof. You keep it on until the end of the event. If you take it off

before, you can't compete, so... What if it breaks?

Oh, these things are indestructible.

Good luck.

Okay.

I think we have a problem.

I'm going to have to drop out of the competition.

Hey, so what's going on with the restaurant?

Because I ran into ATN something downstairs. He said that Jay Northrup

trouble. Well, this just keeps getting better.

The bank's about to foreclose. We overextended with the renovation and we

the prize money, along with the recognition that comes with winning the

competition. With that, it was sunk.

I'm going to lose the restaurant.

No, you won't.

I can't compete without the wristband.

Exactly. Then I will compete as you.

What?

That's crazy. Why would you do that?

Why would I? Because you're my brother.

And the Northrop family gets a win.

Yeah.

You can teach me all the recipes. Henry's your sous chef.

I'm sure he knows how to make everything just as good as you do.

Josh, these people are professionals.

Okay, they're going to be watching your every move from how you mix to your

knife skills. They're going to take one look at you and... And see what? That

I'm just a diner cook from Alaska?

No, I know my way around a kitchen. It's not the same.

Stop talking in French.

All right, stop it. Both of you, both of you, stop.

Tomorrow is a practice day. We show up and we see what happens. What are we to

lose? Huh?

He can't just cook like me.

Okay? You have to be me. You have to dress like me, yes, but you'd also have

carry yourself like me.

I can do that.

Okay.

Okay.

But we're not practicing in the competition area with everybody

going to have to go somewhere else. And you're going to have to do everything

that I say. You will follow the recipe.

Deal?

Deal.

We'll mingle for five minutes and then we'll slip away, all right?

Just remember, it's an elegant event.

It's not some bar with peanut shells on the floor. Hey.

It's just food. Chef Northrup. Hi. Welcome.

Ah, Miss Westcott.

Bonjour. Please, call me Meg.

Don't you look sharp.

Thank you. And you look... I mean, wow.

She looks très fabuleuse.

Oh, thank you.

I'm Henry. I'm Julian's husband.

Oh, it's so nice to finally meet you.

I'm Meg Westcott. I'm the event director at the Lalit Culinary Institute.

Yeah, it's a pleasure. You two have met? Mm -hmm. Oh, we go way back.

I'm sure he's told you all about my obsession with chocolate.

No, no, no, no, no, he hasn't.

Oh, why don't I introduce you to the chef?

No. Yeah, is that right this way?

Yeah, I'd love to meet them.

Yes, him.

Generous of them. Good afternoon.

Hi.

I would love to introduce you to Chef Julian Northrup from the United States.

This is his husband, Henry.

Patrick O'Shea from Ireland.

And then there's Chef Azir Jazeera from Germany.

Hi. And then, of course, you remember Etienne LeDuc representing France. Yeah.

Bonjour. You two went to culinary school together, right?

What was that like?

Oh, the stories I could tell.

Please, I'd like to hear some gossip about good old Etienne.

Yes, Julian, I would love to hear some tales of the good old days.

I could tell the story. Yeah? The story about when you were in the last year at

L 'Elite, and Etienne, he shut himself away in his room for

three days, trying to perfect the soup for me.

Really? And it was working, though, because I haven't made the bad soup yet.

Soup plays are easy.

The German Stuhldorf. Now that is a complicated dessert.

Oh, can I borrow you for a second?

I'd love to get your opinion on something. I don't think that that's a

idea.

No. I mean, it's better than staying here. Julian.

Julian.

Cheers.

The chefs are allowed to start using their workstations tomorrow, and I just

want to make sure that I have everything I need.

Would you mind taking a look?

Yes, of course. I mean, I know my way around a high -end kitchen.

So I wouldn't be the person to ask, but why me?

Well, for starters, you didn't tell Henry about my secret stash of chocolate

my suitcase, so you seem pretty trustworthy.

And, I don't know, from my first impression of you, you seem fairly

your honesty, which I could really use right now.

Okay. Oh, God, look at this place. I can't believe I get to cook here. I get

creative.

So you don't look at recipes?

Oh, well, I do like to go with my gut.

You know, it doesn't always work out, but when it does, it can be really

something special.

The kitchen, though. The kitchen is... Yes, I mean, this is... It looked

perfect.

I mean, you must really know cooking.

Oh, no, I don't cook.

I love events.

That's my passion.

You know, creating all of this, coming up with ideas, making it happen.

Watching people just get lost in all of it.

How long have you been doing that?

Well, I've done a couple smaller parties at the hotel that my dad owns, but this

is my first big major event, and I need it to go well if I want to launch my own

company. Wait, your father is Preston Westcott?

Yeah.

You met him last week at your restaurant?

Yes. Yeah, of course.

The jet lag.

It's just, whew.

But your father owns this hotel.

Yeah, he does.

But I don't really like to advertise that because I want to build my

on my own merit before I launch my company.

Well, I mean, from what I can see, you are more than ready.

Well, thank you.

And thank you for calming my nerves. You so didn't have to do this. It's

probably the last thing you want to do. No, no.

I'm happy to help.

You know, I... I just can't keep up with you.

It's like you're two different people.

Hey, um, a question.

We're not required to use these workstations to practice, are we?

You don't want to get used to the space?

Yeah, it's just prying eyes and such.

Yes, oh, I didn't even think about that. Yeah, yeah, no, for sure, we could...

You know what? You can practice anywhere you want. Great.

Well, we should probably head back. Yeah.

Thank you again.

Yeah, anytime.

Who's that?

That? I don't know.

Julian? Hmm?

Julian Northproperty.

It's so good to see you.

Chester. Chester Peel. Chester. You remember Chester Peel? Chester Peel.

Chester.

I thought you said you didn't know him.

Well, you know, it's just so bright.

It is.

Julie and I were in Malta a few years ago. We bumped into Chester at his

restaurant, Chester's by the Sea, remember?

Yeah, we became fast friends.

And he's given us a lot of fantastic advice before we opened up Jay Northrup.

Well, I hope you didn't listen to me.

Chester's is no more. Say lovey. Sorry?

Chef Pio, what are you doing here?

This is an invitation -only event.

Like an old friend.

I thought you'd appreciate having a former winner of the Escoffier drop by

encourage your latest crop of competitors.

You came because you knew it was annoying.

Well, yes, that too.

You see, I was the youngest winner in Escoffier history at the tender age of

Heike's never really gotten over the fact that I beat her at the very contest

she now runs.

Ever since she took over the Escoffier, my invitations to events seem to have

gotten lost in the mail.

Can you see that this gentleman is escorted from the party?

Overseeing security is part of your job, isn't it?

Oh, uh, yeah. I'll take care of it.

I'm going.

But only because Meg is so gracious.

Isn't she, Julian?

Oh, yes.

Yeah, we, yeah, yeah.

You're being very peculiar today.

Don't let this stuffy little contest change you. It isn't worth it.

Until next time.

Right this way, please.

Right?

Seriously? Can we please leave? You are rubbish.

Chester Peel is the last thing we need if we're going to pull this off. Yeah, I

know. Well, what about Etienne?

Third. I put Meg Westcott ahead of both of them.

What is going on there?

Nothing, no, no. She actually wanted my opinion about the kitchen setup.

Actually, she wanted Julian's brutal honesty.

Her words.

Hmm. Hmm.

Okay, you need to be careful because if she finds out, we are in big trouble.

That'll be room service. I ordered you an ice pack for your back. You know

I'm actually feeling a little better.

Yeah, you look the very picture of health.

Chester, I'll... There's two of you.

So let me get this straight.

You are pretending to be you in order to compete in one of the most elite

culinary contests in the world?

I love it.

Please don't tell anyone.

Tell anyone?

I want to know how I can help.

Gentlemen, welcome to what's left of Chester's by the Sea.

Julian is not going to like this.

It doesn't really matter what he likes until we can find a way to sneak him out

of the hotel without people seeing two Julian Northams.

Well, I thought of a way.

Julian,

what are you wearing?

If you're me, then I'm you. Okay,

well, first of all, I don't say things like whatever.

Second of all, what if somebody saw you?

Um, I would just say that I'm you.

What about your back?

I told you it felt better.

Okay? Now, if it wasn't for that stupid bracelet, I would compete myself.

Chester! This place is a disaster. What happened?

Well, let's just say my talents in the kitchen far outweighed my prowess in

business. I am very sorry.

I really don't miss it at all.

Okay, we're going to need some supplies if we're going to make this work. Henry,

you get the ingredients for the prep. Josh, I will make a list of things for

to get from the competition kitchen.

Wait, so you need me to go back to the hotel? Like, as me or as you?

As you. As me.

No, as me, I think. Yes, wait, no. Yes, I am you.

You are me.

Dude. Okay, please stop.

Okay. All right, let me show you how to use your RFID.

Okay.

You scan your wristband right here. Oh, okay.

Oh. Just like that. And then it logs you in and turns on the power.

Great. And you're sure that it's okay that I take a few things? Yeah, of

Everything is there for you to use as you see fit.

So, where are you going to practice?

It's just a friend.

So I'm assuming that everything's going well with you?

Yeah. I mean, no major complaints from the chefs so far.

Although, I think at Shen, it's just dying for something to go wrong.

Oh, well, I'd imagine that you deal with a lot of difficult people with your

line of work.

Oh, well, like I said, this is my first really big event.

Unless you count my grandparents' 40th wedding anniversary when I was 16.

Wait, you planned the whole party at 16?

To see my grandmother's face.

That is what I want.

Well, you know, you became her hero.

Who doesn't want to feel like that more often?

What made you want to become a chef?

My family owned a restaurant, and my parents taught my brother and I how to

cook. Oh, that's right. Your brother. I keep forgetting.

You said he was a cook, too?

Yeah. Yeah, at the place that we used to own in Alaska.

He wants to maybe take it back over again someday.

He didn't want to go to culinary school like you?

He actually got a scholarship just like I did, but he chose to stay.

That's nice. You know, carrying on the family legacy.

As long as he's happy, that's the most important thing.

He is happy.

Isn't he?

Yeah, I think so.

You know, I mean, sometimes he wonders, I think, what it would be like if he had

taken that scholarship after all.

I get that.

My dad wants me to come back and work for him, and sometimes I think it might

easier if I did.

Yeah, but would it be better?

You know, I have a little confession.

Uh -oh.

When I first met you at your restaurant, I thought you were, well, thought you

were a bit of an arrogant jerk.

No, that's, uh, that is...

That is totally fair.

But under the bravado, I think you're a pretty decent guy.

I'm really happy that I'm getting to know the real you.

Yeah, so am I.

Okay, well, let me know if you need anything.

Okay, so the competition consists of three parts.

Tomorrow, all ten chefs are going to serve up a bouillabaisse.

with fish and vegetables.

Each chef provides their own ingredients.

And five contestants move forward to the second round, which is chef's choice.

But you have to use the black diamond truffles that they've provided

Okay, so we supply the ingredients and they supply the truffles. Yeah. They

$900 a pound.

What? Okay, food should not cost that much. No. Good food should.

Now, if we make it...

For the next round, we are making a handmade pasta with wine braised short

and a burgundy thong. Ooh, that sounds good. What about the finals?

Well, the top three chefs have to create a classic peach melba. Anything goes,

really. But you have to include the ingredients that Escoffier included when

created the dish in 1892, which is peaches, obviously, raspberries, and

ice cream. Ooh, that could be really fun. I can think of a few things we can

with that. No, we are going traditional.

Mueller does not like things outside of the box.

I'm okay, if you think so.

Well, that's so funny, because I do.

Sir! Sir, excuse me! Can I please get some chocolate?

Or not?

Hey!

What happened to the emergency stash?

It's been a long week.

I didn't even have time to eat today, and everything's already closed.

Okay, well, you still have the hotel kitchen.

That's close, too.

Okay, but your father owns the hotel, remember?

Listen, I know you want to do all this stuff on your own, but, I mean, this is

little sad.

You do have a point. Mm -hmm.

Okay, yeah, let's go.

Yeah, come on.

What are you waiting for?

What was it like growing up in Alaska?

Cold. The people are warm.

You know, the few of them that are there.

Did your brother ever get lonely?

Sometimes, yeah.

I like to tell him that he should go to a place where the people outnumber the

bears.

Every now and then, I think I prefer the bears.

You're so lucky that you have Henry.

He's a really great guy.

Yeah, he really is.

Do you happen to have someone?

A boyfriend?

No.

I was dating someone a couple years ago, and then I found out he was

lying to me.

He told me he was going to the office when really he had quit his job, and he

was staying at home all day playing video games.

That's too bad. Maybe he was just scared or ashamed to tell you what was really

going on.

Listen, if he had told me, that would have been fine. People change jobs all

time. But he lied about it.

And he kept lying about it.

Over and over. And I just... I hated that I bought into it.

You know?

Anyways, after that, I tried to make it work, but he failed the two -month test.

The two -month test? What was that?

I read somewhere that if you can't get over the hurt...

or the anger after two months, you probably never will.

It'll always be there.

So we tried again for a couple more months, but I haven't really dated

since.

It's not the easiest for me to trust someone.

Well, you know, I'm sure that you'll eventually find the right person. I

look at me. I'm just the most arrogant jerk.

And I found the right guy.

Julian?

Julie, have you seen Josh? He's not in his room.

Have you changed?

Yeah. I couldn't take another minute in that front. It's so scratchy.

We've got to go and look for Josh, and you can't go looking like yourself.

Well, I will be careful.

Are you all right?

Yeah, I look good.

So, uh...

What are the qualities that you look for in a guy?

Other than not a liar?

I don't know. The normal stuff.

It would be nice if he had a job, a place of his own, good teeth. That would

a bonus.

Okay. Employment, housing, dental.

Ooh. Go on.

I love ambition.

I don't even care what you do.

If you want to paint, paint. Or if you're a street musician.

As long as you have ambition.

I know I've been really fortunate, but I want to earn my own success.

I don't want people to just think everything has just been handed to me.

No, I would never think that about you. I don't think anyone would think that

about you.

I mean, yeah, you're good.

I'm just so glad I met you.

Oh, Joanne, I'm really glad I met you too.

I wish I could meet a guy like you.

Except for the part about you being happily married.

Right.

I mean, other than that, we'd be just perfect for each other.

So you have to be meticulous, but there is a time limit, and we have to measure

everything. You have to be precise.

Taking instructions from Henry, Junior?

Hello,

Etienne. You know, Henry and I are partners, so we work together. We listen

each other.

And yet it is only your name that will go on the trophy.

Should you win?

Although I don't think that is something you should be worrying about, huh?

Oh, Etienne, go and review your recipe or hang upside down in a corner.

Whatever it is you do to prepare.

Such a delight, Henry, huh?

I was only wishing my good old friend Julian luck.

Oh, well, no. Don't really need luck when you're skilled.

You are becoming more and more like Julian every second.

I think I scared him. You scared him? Ladies and gentlemen, the first round of

the Escoffier competition will begin in 30 minutes.

Oh, come on. What?

Did you say something?

Yeah, sorry.

Hi, Dad.

Beck, good news. We got the castle. Oh, that's great.

Congratulations. I think as you're nearby, how about popping up and meeting

here? You know German, so you can translate.

Dad, I'm a little busy.

We're just about to start the first competition round.

Okay, then.

Maybe when you're done, then. Dad, I have a job to do here.

Are you even going to watch the broadcast?

Well, I've got meetings on top of meetings, but I'll try and watch it

promise.

Henry, I'll be right back.

Hey,

Meg.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

You should really get your workstation ready.

Oh, you know, I have everything under control.

What happened?

My dad happened.

I know he loves me, and I love him too.

But sometimes I just wish he would... Want to just take two months?

I don't really think that works with family.

It just seems like no matter how hard I try, he still sees me as this

little girl running around the office in pigtails.

Pigtails.

I'm going to need to see pictures.

Don't make me laugh. I want to be mad some more. Oh, yes, of course. I can do

that, too.

I'm very angry.

Let's be angry together.

Look, look, hey, family stuff is complicated.

My dad was a great guy, and I really respected him, but I still think that he

didn't believe in me nearly as much as he believed in my little brother.

But you just got to believe in yourself.

And what you're doing, find your own confidence, your own swagger.

Swagger? Mm -hmm.

Ooh, I found it. I found it.

Thanks, Joanne.

Welcome. I'm Heike Molle.

President of Lalit Culinary Institute and a proud sponsor of the 87th annual

Escofia competition.

Ten of our brightest, most promising chefs have been chosen to converge on

stage for the most coveted title in the culinary world.

I, along with my esteemed fellow judges, will be determining which of these

talented culinary stars will earn 250 ,000 euros and the lifelong

privilege of joining the Escofia family.

The chefs will be split into two groups of five, and each chef will have two

hours to make a classic seafood bouillabaisse.

May the best chef win.

The chefs have just 30 seconds remaining.

I know.

Ten seconds remaining.

And time is up.

Wait, that's it.

Oh, yeah, that's it.

Now we just wait to see who's in the semifinalists at the reception.

Oh, that was incredible.

All hail the conquering heroes. Let's not count our chickens. We haven't

conquered anything just yet.

Josh, your boy you based today was just perfect work, huh?

Oh, yes, I'm sure it was good. But what were you doing with the vegetables?

Well, I was cooking them. Okay, but not in the way that you were supposed to.

You were supposed to be chopping them instead you were dicing them, okay? The

chunks were too small. I saw everything on the live stream.

How about you should be thanking me instead of criticizing me?

Are you kidding me?

This is my name that we're talking about here and you're just going to go out

there and do whatever you want to do?

I'm sorry, but we made a deal, okay? And you used to honor deals.

We used to be a team. So I don't know what happened. You changed.

Oh, I've changed.

I'm sorry, what happened to you? Suddenly you're some socialite on the

East Side who speaks with a bunch of phony French words. You're from Alaska,

Julian, so... No, I'm... Well, what are you doing? I am getting up so I can

storm out of this room and slam the door.

Let me save you the trouble.

Josh. Yeah. Mm -hmm.

Hi. Hey.

Is everything okay?

What, do I not look okay? What, did I?

No, you look fine. It's just your tie is a bit crooked in here. Oh.

That's why I try and dress myself.

What?

No, you look incredible.

Well, thank you. Yeah. Where's Henry? I'm the mysterious brother of yours. You

know, they're watching TV and it's...

Long story.

Like the story I told you about my dad?

Yeah. Yeah, like I said, family is, um... It's complicated.

Do you want to talk about it?

You know, I think I might have to take two months with them, but... Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on a first...

round of the competition.

You're making our job as judges very difficult, but we can only take five of

through to the semi -final.

So, without further ado, the five chefs advancing to the next round

are Etienne Le Duc from France,

Deirdre Zidane from Germany, Patrick O'Shea from

Ireland,

Angelo Perez from the Philippines.

And Julian Norfolk from the United States of America.

Congratulations.

Oh, hey. Good morning, you two.

Wow, you're up early and you look snazzy.

I thought you would have slept in after your victory.

Well, someone told me that it was more important to look good than to sleep.

He said you can sleep after the competition.

Anyway, I'm going to go off and bring this up to... To... My brother. Your

brother. I still can't believe I haven't met him. Can we... No, no, no. No.

He's not a morning person. Oh, no, no. No, he's not. He's not.

Oh, this is my supplier. Excuse me one moment.

Liz, hi.

Excuse me.

No, no, no.

You're getting too close to her.

What? There's nothing happening.

What does need to happen is we have to prepare for the black diamond truffle

round, right?

That's it.

Okay, all right.

Hey, oh, you look like you've seen a ghost.

It's a truffle.

They still haven't shipped from France.

Okay, well, we'll get some more. That's okay.

No, no, it's a disaster. You know how rare they are.

I certainly do, yeah.

I'm going to get fired, for sure.

Wait, wait, wait. Actually, I think I can help.

I'm delighted he thought of me.

Perhaps this will score me an invitation to the Escopier events. I know Harker

won't like that.

Chester, you do this for me, you can come to every party, every competition

round, every... everything.

You can live at the hotel.

Deal. So, that's our man.

If he has any black diamond truffles, he'll have them hidden.

And he's very particular about who he sells them to.

If he doesn't deem you worthy enough, he'll send you away empty -handed.

Whatever you can do, Chester, we truly appreciate it. Yeah.

Anything for my dear friend, Julian.

So, go and amuse yourself in the market.

If he sees you watching, it'll spook him.

All right. All right.

Where are you going?

I'm popping into the village to do a bit of shopping before your brother gets

back. Oh, great. I'm going to get my Josh costume.

No, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. It's too risky.

Especially now that we're in the semifinals and we can't take any

Eyes on the prize.

Thank you.

That's delicious.

Produce is always the best when it is farmed fresh. Okay, next question. What

your favorite meal besides chocolate?

Takeout.

What? That doesn't count?

I don't know. To me, food, it's just food.

Oh, man.

It's fuel.

I know it's ironic considering my job.

There must be something you like.

You're going to sneer at me.

I don't think it's up to Julian Northrup's standards. I mean, maybe not,

will not ever sneer at you.

There is nothing better than a really good cheeseburger.

It's not fancy, I know.

Well, that's interesting. Why cheeseburgers?

It's comfort food.

My mom passed away when I was a little girl, and my dad was not exactly

to raise me.

So whenever he thought I was sad or unhappy, had a bad day at

school, we'd go for cheeseburgers.

That's amazing. You see, food is more than fuel.

It's what brought your family together.

I don't know. It's just another way to say I love you.

You must be the brother.

Etienne, what are you doing here?

How do you know who I am?

From the competition on the TV.

Yeah, I'm Josh.

I'm Julian's brother. I'm Josh.

Figure it out, because Julian wouldn't be caught dead in that hat.

You don't know him. You wouldn't know that.

Julian and I are old friends. I know him very well.

Dude, no.

You don't.

How would you know that?

Because we are very close.

Anyone told me that you have nothing in common.

We have a lot in common.

Such as?

Such as we.

Both. Cook.

You work in a diner?

In Alaska?

Yes, I do.

Is there something wrong with that?

If it's a Julien, I hope I don't find a lot wrong with that.

Clearly,

you don't know him very well because Julien is very supportive of me.

Yeah. Does he think that maybe I could be doing a lot more with my talent?

Does he want me to experience the culinary arts in a way that I simply

a diner in Alaska, of course, but... So he supports you, but wants you to change

everything to be more like him?

I... You haven't talked to Julian about this?

No.

He's been avoiding me, so... Smart man.

What's your favorite meal?

Okay, well, that's easy. Not a meal, but my favorite dish is baked Alaska.

Yeah, my mom used to make it on special occasions all the time.

Birthdays, holidays, whenever one of us got an A in school.

Yeah, baked Alaska always meant that something good had happened.

It used to be my brother's favorite, too.

Maybe that's why you both like to cook.

You know what? I think you might be right.

Well, it's like what you said.

As long as you're doing something that makes people happy, what could be better

than that?

What?

Are those?

They are.

Oh, my God.

Thank you. You're very welcome.

And thank you. You saved me.

All right. Let's get started.

Practice went well today?

I don't know if Julian thought so.

He is just so... I know. Oh, I know. I don't know.

I know, but you can't blame him, can you? He's just trying to prove that he

compete at that level. He's trying to save the restaurant. He's trying to

impress you, Josh. He's trying to impress me. Yes. No, no, no. Yes, he is.

might be the slightly older brother, but he looks up to you.

Okay, if that were actually true...

Then I don't know why he just doesn't trust me.

I'm scared.

I'm scared of losing control.

He yelled at me for grinding the peppercorns too hard. I mean, come on.

going to let me control anything.

Maybe you should control your feelings towards Meg, Josh.

We're not going to do this again.

Can you honestly say that there's nothing between you two?

It doesn't matter. I'm not stupid.

Josh, you know that you can never tell her the truth.

Even after the competition, we win or lose.

You can't.

It destroys you, Ian.

You know that.

Yeah.

Hey.

Hi. I didn't know anyone was going to be here.

Uh, yeah. I just wanted to make sure I have everything for tomorrow.

You know, crossing my T's, dotting my I's.

Yeah. I was actually going to do the same sort of thing with my workstation.

Yeah,

you know what? This is all stuff I can probably do in the morning, so I should

probably go get some sleep.

Yeah, me too.

Well, good night.

Good night.

Hey, are you hungry?

I thought you would never ask.

I should take over for the semifinal. You haven't got a wristband.

Yeah, but there's got to be some way around that. There isn't. And if you

it or you break it, then you're out of the competition and we lose everything,

Julian.

You need to trust Josh. I do, I do.

He doesn't think so.

Wait, he said that?

Yeah.

I thought you were going to cook for me.

You know, teach a man to fish.

Am I doing this right? Okay, okay, okay. Listen, listen. Don't be afraid of it,

okay? Okay. Bring it back.

Okay. The secret to good cooking is to get your hands dirty. Okay.

Generally, we don't wear blazers when we cook. Yes. Your blazer gets a little

dirty. I'm so very sorry. I'll pay for the dirty cleaning, though.

Come on.

I think it's going to work.

Tell me about Henry.

What was your wedding like?

Was Josh your best man?

He, Josh, was.

Indeed, my wedding was just, was beautiful.

Yeah, it was a few family and friends, small wedding.

That's nice.

Yeah.

Is that a bun?

Okay, good.

Mmm. Mmm.

Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

You know, I might just have to enter the Escoffier next year.

I mean, I could be your sous chef.

Or maybe I take my talents to the restaurant world.

You know, special unique events, special themes. Yeah, we should do that for Jay

Northrup.

Wait, really?

You'd be interested in that?

Uh... I mean, working together?

Uh...

Sorry. I mean, it's something that we would have to think about. I mean, I

to talk to Henry. Yeah. He makes all of the business decisions.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. No, of course. Of course. Then we wouldn't want to get too far

of ourselves. Right. Right. I mean, we need to be focusing on the competition.

Absolutely. Yeah.

Well, cheers to that. Well.

Yes, good morning.

I'm sorry to bother you. I know I probably could have waited until you

downstairs, but I just... I can't stop thinking about last night.

Uh, last night?

We... What happened last night?

Well, you know.

Hmm. The thing you said about working at events together at Jay Northrup after

the competition.

I... I got all eager about it, and we've only known each other a couple days.

And I work at Lalit, and I didn't want you to think I was taking advantage of

that. Yeah, I think that if I suggested that we work together at my restaurant,

it was probably a little premature at best.

Right. Yeah.

Okay, yeah.

Let's just forget it.

Mm -hmm.

Do we need to take two months?

Are we cool?

Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes, we're fine.

Great. Mm -hmm.

Okay, well, good luck today.

Okay.

I know these pens.

Whoa.

How'd you get down here so fast?

I was literally just up in your room a second ago and you're already here?

Julian? Yeah?

Can someone join me at the station, please? Yeah, sorry.

No.

Sorry, this isn't working.

Wait, let me think.

That's so weird. It's like there's no power.

Well, let me check.

That's warm. This is warm. It's warm.

Well, I don't understand. I don't know how this could happen.

Yeah.

Whoa. Hey, it's all right. It's all right. We have an hour until the time is

final. What are we going to do?

Are you sure you should be helping me? We're supposed to be supplying our own

food. I should be going to the market. No, the competition starts in 42

You're not going to make it there in time.

I'm sorry. You helped me with the truffles, so I owe you.

The question is, is there anything here that you can use?

I don't know. Tell me what you see.

A rack of lamb?

Yeah, that's going to take too long to cook. Oh, this looks like swordfish.

Does that go with truffles? I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. I just... I

know what to do.

Okay, hey.

Hey, look at me.

Breathe.

Confidence and swagger, right?

Besides, this is what you love to do. Being creative, experimenting, trying

dishes. Yep, thank you. You're right.

Okay, well, I've got some fresh, fresh juice in. Okay. What about a truffle

smoothie?

Okay, that's pushing the limits even a little bit. No, come on. We could do a

whole breakfast theme, you know?

Truffle smoothies, truffle pancakes, truffle syrup.

Truffle cream of wheat.

Truffle donuts.

No, no, stop.

Whoa. I mean, there's pancetta.

Isn't this just like fancy bacon?

Yeah, we could go with the truffle pancakes.

Is it weird that I could eat this straight out of the saran wrap?

Everything's better with bacon.

Wait, wait, wait a second.

Like you tenderloin, this is some of the best beef in the world.

Do you have cheese?

Oh yeah, there's a lot of it.

And what do we have here?

Here we have milk braised pork shoulder with black diamond truffle shavings,

haricot vert that has been sauteed in a burgundy reduction, grilled portobello

mushrooms that have been brined in a truffle sea salt.

Bon appetit!

Chef Littlecrop, explain.

Well, I wanted to show that the right ingredients can elevate even the

most basic meals. So, we have a patty of ground wagyu beef with truffles, four

different kinds of cheeses, pancetta cooked with a black pepper truffle

and french fries and garlic and truffle oil.

Judges, may I present the Black Diamond Truffle Bacon Cheeseburger.

And so, the three chefs that will be advancing to the final day after

are Etienne Le Duc from France,

Cédric Zidane from Germany,

and

Julien Norfolk from United States of America.

Thank you.

I did it.

Okay, I'm going to go and talk to you later. Okay.

Congrats.

Thank you.

I could have done it without a little help from my friends.

Dad, what are you doing here?

Well, I needed a break from signing all those papers for the capital deal, so I

thought I'd pop over and see how you were doing.

You came to see my event?

Dad, do you remember Julian Northrup?

He's one of our finalists.

Yes, of course. We met the other day at your restaurant in New York.

Ah, yes, we did.

That meal was fantastic.

Meg, this guy knows what he's doing in the kitchen.

He certainly does.

Well, I better go get checked in.

Oh, the little girl in pigtails is happy.

Yeah, she is.

Actually, I'm going to just catch up with you a little bit later.

Oh, yeah. I mean, I should probably go make sure my dad's not telling the front

desk any embarrassing stories from my childhood.

Yeah. Right.

Okay.

What are you doing?

I have been trying to talk to you all day.

I'm busy trying to win you this competition.

Yeah, about that. I think that I should probably take over for the final round.

What?

You don't have the wristband. Yeah, just tell your girlfriend that you lost it

or you set it on fire or something.

She's not my girlfriend.

Oh, really?

Because I thought that since you offered up my restaurant for her to do her

little events, you guys were more than just pals. Yes, I'm sorry. I slipped up,

but I walked it back.

Okay, Julian, I am trying to help you.

Yeah, well, I don't need your help.

I really think that I can win.

Okay. Fine.

Fine. But you're going to have to remember that it's going to say Julian

Northrup on that trophy.

Not Josh. Yes, I am painfully aware of that.

And you'll stay away from Megan.

Josh promised me that you will stay away from that girl. Okay.

I promise, Julian.

Mr. Scott, have you noticed anything off about Chef Northrop?

Off? What do you mean?

You and he seem close. Perhaps you already know what I mean.

I promise I don't. Well, I have some important information I have to share.

Julien Northrop is not who he says he is.

Chef Le Duc, I understand that you want to win, but sabotaging one of your main

competitors is beneath you, don't you think?

Sabotage? No.

I am talking about the integrity of the Escoffier.

Etienne, I know I can't prove it, but I suspect you were the one behind the

power failure at Julian's workstation.

So perhaps integrity is not the card I would be playing if I were you.

Have a good day.

Okay, looks good. Let's do it again.

It's peaches, ice cream, and raspberry sauce. Julian, it's not rocket science.

It's traditional.

Etienne and Deidre, they're going to be pulling out all the stops with their

interpretations. They're going to be bold. They're going to take risks.

We should do the same.

Josh, I practically had to pry you away from Alaska because of this whole

respect for tradition thing, okay? You don't do bold.

Well, you know what? Things change, okay? Oh, and when I'm finally able to

the place back, I am going to do whatever I want.

With the food I cook.

Well, great.

Do that. But now we're going to do things my way.

Meg, I've been looking for you.

Hi. They're having a banquet at the castle in Germany tonight for local

officials. I have to go shake hands and calm nerves.

But the final round of competitions is tomorrow.

I was hoping you'd be here to see it.

Well, I can't. This is important business.

Dad, this is important to me.

Dad, this is what I want to do with my life.

Look around.

I did this. I planned it. I organized it. I'm running it. Me.

And I'm proud of myself, and the people here are proud of me, too.

Julian keeps saying that... Julian?

The chef from New York?

Yes.

He's appreciating what I'm doing here. I don't think you should get too wrapped

up in his opinion. You know his restaurant's going under, right?

What?

How do you know that?

The reason I suggested lunch there last week is because I'm looking at buying

the building.

I think I can get a really good deal once Jane Northrup goes on there.

He didn't mention that.

Well, maybe he doesn't appreciate you as much as you thought he did.

Dad, why are you even here?

Because this is obviously important to you, and I wanted to see it for myself.

wanted to see what's keeping you from being part of the family empire.

I want to build my own empire.

Then do it. I'll give you whatever you need.

Start a capital, office... No, listen.

I want to do this on my own.

You're a Westcott.

You can do important things.

Have a safe flight.

Enjoy Germany. Enjoy your capital.

Miss Muller, we have to talk.

Stay away from her, Josh. What are you doing?

Hey, you okay?

Mostly. You?

Uh, yeah. Me, I'm fine. C 'est magnifique.

Mostly magnifique.

But you first.

Turns out my dad showing up here wasn't the supportive gesture I was hoping it

would be.

I'm sorry.

Your turn.

Um... I am not really sure what I'm doing for the finals or maybe what I'm

doing in general.

Sounds like we both lost our swagger.

Yeah, I guess so.

I mean, I had all these big plans, you know. I was going to make my kitchen

something special.

Make it a world where I can just take whatever kind of risks that I wanted and

then it just never really worked out.

So if Jay Northrup isn't what you want it to be, why not change it?

Yeah, that's, you know, it's not that easy.

I mean, sure it is. I already have so many ideas what I could do with that

place. Add some warm colors, some light, maybe candles, flowers, get a little

bit more romantic.

Sorry, there I go, taking over your restaurant again.

It's the event planner in me. No, it's okay.

Seems really nice, actually.

It's just, I don't know, being here and all the encouragement that I've been

getting from everyone.

I think I'm actually starting to believe that I could do anything.

I feel the exact same way.

I could have had my own event planning company by now, but I don't think I was

ready. After meeting everybody here and knowing that they think I'm doing a good

job. A great job.

It's because I have people like you in my corner.

It's really nice to trust someone.

We're done.

Chef Nutrup, I presume.

May I see your identification, please?

Okay, Meg, I need to tell you something.

Oh my gosh, I have to tell you the latest edition.

He was babbling on and on, saying that you're not being who you say you are.

That guy.

Meg, Meg.

He's right.

Oh, it's Hypat.

Sorry, one sec.

Miss Mueller, hi.

Is everything okay?

Chef Northrup, I'm actually with him right now.

Yeah, we'll make our way over.

She wants us both to meet her in the contest area.

Sounded urgent.

Everything's going to be all right. Miss Mueller.

What's wrong?

I have been made aware of a problem with Chef Nooprop.

It's right here.

Oh, no.

He is right here.

You're a twin?

You're not Julian?

Okay, Meg, I can explain.

You were pretending to be your brother.

Why would you do that?

You lied to me.

No, Meg, please. This wasn't Josh's idea. He was only trying to help me.

Well, okay, I don't care whose idea it was.

Miss Mueller, I am so, so sorry.

It's a little late for sorry, Meg.

She is not to blame. Oh, there's plenty of blame to go around. This could have

been a terrible embarrassment for the Escoffier.

Now, Chef... Ludoc has agreed to keep this quiet, provided Chef Norfolk, both

of them, are banished from the competition.

No, Miss Miller, please. This is very important to my brother. Well, you

have thought of that before you started your little scam. I want you both gone

before nightfall.

And as for you, Miss Westcott, the only reason I am not firing you is because we

are less than 24 hours from the final round, and you are the only... who knows

how things need to run to make that happen.

I understand.

Again, I'm really sorry.

No, Meg.

Wait.

Wait!

I'm sorry I let you down.

You were just trying to help. It's not your fault.

I really miss the days when it was just you and me cooking with Mom.

It's not the same in Yakutat without you there.

We used to be so close, Josh.

Something did change.

Well, yeah, it changed when you left and decided to be Jay Northrup.

No, no, it changed because I had to get out of that small town, Alaska, where I

did not belong.

And as for Jay Northrup, I'm sorry if I ever made you feel guilty for staying.

Well, just because I stayed doesn't mean that I didn't miss you.

Well, I miss you, too.

You know, for the record.

I don't want to be that guy anymore with no ambition.

And I owe that to you.

If you hadn't invited me, I wouldn't have seen just how great I could be.

So thanks.

Oh, hey, you okay?

You need some help?

No, I can't.

Oh, not too hard.

Okay. Hey, hey.

Have you talked to Meg?

I don't think that she wants to talk to me.

All right. Well, you need to go fix that right away or else you're going to

regret it for the rest of your life.

Go.

For what it's worth, I'm sorry.

I don't know if I can forgive you.

I couldn't tell you.

I had to help my brother.

Right.

But it still should have been my decision.

You can still compete.

What are you talking about?

The contract says that anyone who signs it can't make any false representations

about their identity.

Yeah, but I did. I was pretending to be Julian.

But the contract doesn't have Julian Northrup's name on it.

Because you signed it Jane Northrup.

You're the official registrant.

Right, but he was invited, not me.

It doesn't matter.

There's a loophole in the contract that nobody noticed.

They'll close it by next year's event, but for now... Listen, even I know when

it's time to call it quits.

Compete or not, that's entirely up to you.

But it seems to me that if you want to take risks, you won't do it by giving

What about us?

There is no us.

I don't even know who you are.

But this is ridiculous.

Some of us have studied for years.

Is it fair to let someone in this esteemed competition on a technicality?

technicality that can result in a lawsuit if you don't abide by it.

Mr. No -Prop, you are hereby reinstated.

Wonderful. Oh, and the rulebook also states that if my sous -chef drops out,

then I can replace him with someone else.

Oh, Julian.

I have to drop out.

I'm so sorry.

I'll have to take your place.

Well,

there you go. May the best chefs win.

See you later.

Okay, we have about an hour to come up with something incredible to win the

competition. So you don't think the traditional peach melba is it? I think

have to be more creative.

You know, we're competing against some of the best chefs in the world.

Okay?

So what do we do? We need to make a statement about who we are. You know,

got to put the Northrop family stamp on it.

And now for the third and final round.

We wanted to honor tradition by using Chef Escoffier's original ingredients

pairing it with a family recipe that has been passed down for generations.

Judges, may I present the Jay Northrup Peach Melba Baked Alaska.

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for.

The winner of the 87th annual Escofia Culinary Cup.

Josh Knopper.

Congratulations. Thank you.

You know, I couldn't have ever done any of this without your help.

All I did was find a loophole.

No.

No, you gave me a reason to want to win.

I thought Julian was your lead then.

It started out that way, but...

very quickly became about something else.

Listen, I think I just need some more time, Josh.

I don't know if I can ever forgive you.

Okay.

I will say that a very smart person told me once that if

you can't get past something in two months,

You never will.

I want my two months.

Dad, hi.

Congratulations, Meg. You did it. And I couldn't be prouder.

I love you.

I love you, too.

I'll see you soon.

We're all booked up for tonight. I'm sorry about that. The earliest we have

in four weeks.

You said party late. Okay, yep. Thank you.

Oh, you look dapper.

And you look... Okay.

Well, I'm still taller, so... We did it.

Yeah, we did.

Here's to Jay and Jay Northrop. Here you go.

Cheers. Thank you.

Cheers.

I love you.

Still no word, huh?

I think that we have that thing that we need to discuss in the kitchen.

Got your invitation.

Very interesting timing.

Almost two months.

Day after tomorrow.

This place is beautiful.

So, and we're Alaska?

You decided to stop continuing the family legacy?

Well, I mean, I kind of felt I didn't have to be in Alaska to do that.

But my family's here now.

And, you know, there's fewer bears.

Well, that's always a plus.

I'm actually in New York myself.

And I decided to start building my own empire.

Really?

How's that going?

It's going great. I mean, it's a lot of work, but...

I'm doing it.

Well, that's excellent.

You know what?

I heard that the new chef here put some really excellent new options in his

menu. I thought maybe you wanted to check some of them out.

Is this a joke?

No. This is the real menu.

It is.

Meg's Black Diamond Truffle Burger.

A little extra chocolate on the side.

I don't know. I really think that people are going to love it.

I know I will.

I think I will, too.

Do you know, I think I need to meet this new chef.

Oh, I'll get him.

Hi, I'm Josh Northrup.

I'm Meg Westcott. Nice to meet you.

Listen, I know that it hasn't been quite two months yet, but... I think it's

close enough.

Um... Josh?

Josh, we need to open the door.

Ciao, it's Meg.

Life is brief and unexpected, and we always have to ask ourselves, what will

do with today?

The all -new season of When Calls the Heart premieres Sunday night at 9, only

Hallmark.