All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S09E11

Or: Tonight, the MasterChef
restaurant opens its doors

to the world's toughest
food critics.

- Oh!
- Oh, my God.

We have invited some
of the toughest,

most revered palates...

Let's go! Let's go!
Put these back in.

- I need steaks over here.
- ...in all of the land.

- And...
- ( cheers and applause )

- a special guest...
- Christina Tosi, the queen of cakes.

...with the ultimate challenge.

I don't know
if I made the right decision

investing my apron in you.

- Whoo!
- Come on down. Let's go.

Top 14!

Mark: Top 14 cooks in America,

and I feel like I deserve it
more than anybody.

Nice.

I might be, on the surface,
a 19-year-old

who looks like
he needs babysitting,

but I will tell you what.

Coming from such a strong
culinary background,

you know,
my parents being chefs,

being mentored by a restaurateur
like Joe Bastianich,

I know what I'm doing, and
I couldn't feel more confident

with what's happening.

Welcome back to the MasterChef
kitchen, everybody.

Looks a little bit different
in here, right?

All: Yes.

Well, that is because
tonight we have guests.

Our world-class restaurant is running
a full service this evening.

- Okay.
- Guys, trust me.

Tonight's diners are guests
that you really want to impress.

You'll be working
in two teams of seven.

Julia and S.J.,

because you won that
five ingredients challenge,

tonight you both are
the captains.

- Please come and join us.
- Whoo!

Julia: How exciting is this?

I had a great experience
last time I was team captain,

and now,
having another challenge,

this is one more opportunity
to make my mentor proud,

let him know I'm gonna
be here till the end.

Okay, so first team pick
goes to S.J.

So, this person, I've seen
what he can do in the kitchen.

His technical skills and
abilities are out of this world.

He's the youngest
in the competition.

- My first pick is Mark.
- Nice.

S.J.: Team challenges, I'm honestly
a little bit scared of them.

So my strategy is
to pick people

who can be like
little mini captains,

where everyone checks
and balances each other.

That's a great key for victory.

Okay, Julia, now we go to you.

This person is amazing
to work with.

- My first pick is Ralph.
- Thank you, Julia.

All right, S.J.

- Gerron.
- All right.

- Thank you, brother.
- Joe: Julia.

- Farhan.
- Joe: Farhan.

When I'm picking people, I'm
looking for the full package.

- Cesar.
- Joe: Cesar.

I don't want somebody
who can just cook,

but then can't talk
to other team members.

Taylor.

I want people who are gonna
work together, communicate...

- Sam. - ...And not feel
like they're know-it-alls.

I don't want any drama
in the kitchen.

- Chelsea.
- Joe: Chelsea.

- Thank you.
- S.J., back to you.

- Emily.
- Joe: Emily.

- Emily, you're happy, huh?
- Little bit.

- Ashley.
- Joe: Ashley.

S.J., with this last decision,

you will complete
Julia's team for her.

I am going to go with Bowen.

Joe: Wow!

Shanika, welcome
to the red team.

Looking at my final team,

I'm a little bit nervous
working with Shanika.

She tends to think that all
of her ideas are right,

and she's very strong-willed,

and I really hope
that she'll know

that she's gotta help everybody
else and work as a team.

Right. Now that you know
your teams,

you should know
there's even more on the line,

because tonight's winning dish

will be featured
in "Family Circle" magazine

in October's issue!

- Oh, my God.
- Yes!

"Family Circle" is America's
best-selling food and family magazine,

reaching 15 million
readers each month.

- Wow.
- To be in "Family Circle" magazine

would be such a pivotal moment

for all of us as home cooks.

For other people
to read our recipe

and recreate our food
would be a dream come true.

So, your challenge will be
to make an entrée

worthy of a fine dining
restaurant.

And you'll be making
those entrées

for some of the toughest,

some of the most refined,
experienced,

revered palates
in all of the land.

Tonight, both teams
will have to cook

using the incredible ingredients
in those crates.

Red team, blue team, please,

wheel your crates
to your stations.

- Got it.
- Whatever is in that box,

we have to execute
at the highest level possible,

because not only are
we creating a fine dining dish

for our guests,
but we're also cooking

in order to get that recipe
in the magazine.

This team challenge definitely
raises the bar just a bit.

Each team will be making entrées
for a full restaurant,

and you'll have just 90 minutes.

Each guest will be served
one entrée from each team,

and vote on which dish
they prefer.

Tonight's winning team will
be safe from elimination,

and the losing team, of course,

will face
the dreaded pressure test.

- Everybody ready?
- All: Yes, Chef.

Your 90 minutes...

starts...

...now!

Let's go, let's go,
let's go. Open it up.

- Oh!
- Yes!

- S.J.: Strip filet, cod, tuna.
- It's on, y'all. Oh, my--

- Come on, bro.
- Those mushrooms are awesome.

Got some quinoa, couscous.

- Oh, my gosh, there's truffles.
- Wow. What's that?

Bottarga.
Oh, look at how gorgeous.

All right, let's plan,
let's plan.

What do we think
about the protein?

- I'm thinking the tuna.
- The tuna. Tuna looks nice.

- Don't you like steak?
- I like--

- Aren't you a steak girl?
- I like the filet.

What are you thinking, S.J.?

So I'm definitely thinking
the New York strip.

You know the fat right here,
we can render it off.

Get the marbling on there, too.
Get a nice hard sear.

We're gonna do filet. Who has
experience in cooking meat?

- And don't lie about it.
- I could do it, if you--

- We're doing medium rare, right?
- We could do, like,

a roasted asparagus,
roasted peewees,

- and a New York strip with a béarnaise.
- Yeah?

I mean, I'm very safe
with egg sauces.

- I love that.
- Okay, yeah, perfect.

- Break!
- Ralph, Farhan, steaks.

Taylor, Shanika, broccolini.

Ashley and Chelsea,
you guys are gonna do purées.

- Oh. Okay.
- Yeah, let's go.

- Ready?
- All: Red team!

Come on. All of you,
speed up, guys.

Shanika: We're speeding.
Get organized.

Check in with me every, like,
five minutes, okay?

- We need to check everything, okay?
- Yeah, I'm checking everything.

- Emily: Everyone.
- Gordon: Wow.

The MasterChef restaurant
is sold out.

The people who are coming are
of the most demanding kind,

and they have every
ingredient available

to satiate those demands.

These are thick-ass steaks.

We need to figure out
a game plan for cooking them.

Do we wanna start
seasoning the steaks?

- I think so.
- Yeah, start seasoning.

- Salt and pepper, simple.
- I'm thinking start it off in the pan,

and then close in the oven
to a medium rare.

'Cause we have to get 40
portions out at the same time.

That's the tricky part
with this filet.

Julia was a team captain in
the last team challenge and won,

so she has that kind of confidence
and that experience behind her.

How's the broccolini?

- Good.
- Coming up.

- Okay.
- She has a strong personality,

and I think
unlike the blue team,

she wants to be
that single voice.

Blue team, much more democratic.

Hey, S.J., what do you think
about getting a little bit

of truffle shave
under the melted leeks?

- Is it gonna go well?
- I think right on top,

one slice of truffle to mimic
the mushrooms that we have.

Heard that.
That's a good idea, yeah.

Gordon: S.J.'s in the
middle of the pack.

- Can he lead?
- He's young.

They have a lot
of talented people,

a lot of opinions, maybe too
many opinions on the blue team.

That's what worries me.

Gordon:
Tonight is his time to shine.

When they see
who's judging their food,

their jaws are going to drop.

All right, guys.
Work quick, guys, work quick.

Red team, blue team, listen up.

Our guests are arriving now.

Please welcome
very special guests...

( cheers and applause )

Hey!

Oh, my God. They're kids!

- Hi, guys!
- Boys and girls, welcome.

( Gasps )

What's up, guys? How you doing?
How you doing?

I'm looking at these kids,
and it's good to see

somebody else a little bit
closer to my age.

Look at you guys.
High-five, high-five.

- Hey, guys!
- Welcome, welcome. Your table is waiting.

Woman: Hi, beautiful!

Come here, bud.

Come here, princess.

- Are you two hungry?
- Both: Yes.

- What are hoping for?
- Pizza.

Pizza. Pizza?

Both: Yeah.

All right, so then that means

this really has
to be kid-friendly.

Good to see you both.
Enjoy dinner.

I can't wait to hear
your feedback.

Your table for two awaits you.

Don't get flustered.

Shanika: Julia, what the
hell are we gonna do now?

Six-year-olds are not gonna eat
bloody steak.

40 minutes to go.

Farhan: Julia, should we rethink
the steak for the kids?

It's all right.
We'll work it out.

This is a disaster.

Julia: I need steaks over here!

Gordon: In 20 minutes from now,

we have to start plating.

Speed up, guys. Let's go.

Joe:
They're hungry, these kids--

Between six and nine years old
with big appetites.

Julia, should we rethink how we
cook the steak for the kids?

- What do you want, medium or well done?
- Medium, medium well.

- Heard.
- And listen, Chelsea, that purée--

These are kids, they don't
like to eat vegetables,

so I want a little bit sweeter so
they don't think it's a vegetable.

- Okay?
- I got you, girl.

- Right, Captain Julia.
- Yes.

Give me an insight
into the menu.

- What are you doing?
- We have a pan-seared filet

with a leek and bacon
cream sauce,

butternut squash purée,

- and sautéed broccolini.
- Okay.

- You've seen our guests.
- I do.

Are we adapting?

We're gonna make the purée
a little bit sweeter for them.

The sauce, I'm not gonna put
too much of it.

And then I'm doing some
Parmesan tuiles

that we're gonna
put on top of the filet.

- Be careful, it's Parmesan cheese.
- Yes, Chef.

It's not every six-year-old's
choice of cheese.

- I understand.
- If it was cheddar, I'd get it.

- So just be smart.
- Okay.

And you, you need to wake up.

- See this one here?
- This one, yes.

Yeah, and look
at the furthest one away.

One's got no color on,
one's got lots of color on.

They're a different cookness.
I'll get it consistent, Chef.

- All the same, yes?
- All the same, yes, Chef.

- I heard.
- Let's go.

- Where are the thick ones?
- These need to cook a little longer.

Julia: Keep it going, guys.

I got béarnaise done
in 15, 20 minutes.

Perfect, perfect.
If you guys need anything,

keep talking to me.
Just let me know.

S.J. S.J.!

- What's going on? What's the dish?
- Yes, Joe.

So, we'll be-- ( stammers )

We are doing a pan-seared
New York strip

- Okay.
- With a, uh--

Wait, Emily, what was the--
Uh, the fennel?

- Or the leeks? Oh, yeah, leeks.
- Emily: Leeks.

You don't know
what your dish is.

- You're the captain. You have to know.
- Oh, no-- yeah, sorry.

- Mark. What's the dish?
- Yes, sir.

Maybe Mark knows
what the dish is.

We're doing a seared
New York strip

with a béarnaise sauce,
roasted mushroom,

smashed and fried potatoes

with a few things of asparagus,

frizzled leeks,
and a shave of truffle.

Okay, S.J.,
that's how you do it.

- You gotta call it out.
- Got you.

Have you adapted your dish
for the young palates?

They're gonna be voting. They're
gonna decide between the two dishes.

You know,
we're gonna generally follow

along the same route
that we've been following.

We do have other elements

that we think, you know,
kids would really like,

like the fried potatoes
with the fried leeks as well.

Just be mindful
of a kid's palate.

How about the seasoning,
the truffles?

- Eighty-six the truffles. Yes.
- Okay.

Mark. You think it's
a good idea to cook

your béarnaise like that?
That aggressively over that?

- Absolutely. I've made it better over
this way. - How about a double boiler?

It's faster.
A double boiler takes too long.

You have plenty of time.
Do you wanna make it right

- or do you wanna make it wrong?
- I gotta make it right this way.

This is the way
my father taught me

and I'll continue
to do it forever.

- But, Mark, seriously, you come
from a restaurant. - Yes, sir.

- You know you do things the right way.
- Right.

This shouldn't be a time for you
to take risks or shortcuts.

Any brunch service
I've been a part of,

with all due respect to the true
technique, this is how I've done it.

There's a right
and a wrong way to do it.

- Absolutely.
- And you're telling me at 19,

- you're gonna reinvent béarnaise?
- I'm not saying anybody's wrong

or one right technique
is better than the other,

- just that this is my own.
- All right.

All right, guys. The béarnaise,

I really don't think is
a good idea to serve anymore.

Mark: What kind of
sauce do you need?

Emily: There's no time
to reconstruct it.

Just make it creamy,
make it delicious, less acidic.

Okay, fine, we're sticking
with the béarnaise.

We're gonna make it
a little more creamy, though.

- Mark, can you handle-- okay.
- Yes.

I believe in you,
I believe in you.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

Aarón: Get this, Gordon.

Mark's cooking the béarnaise

with the bowl in
direct contact to the flame.

Gordon: Raw egg yolks?
Don't do that to us,

especially
for tonight's clients.

- Oh, my gosh.
- We need 40, so...

Julia: Ralph,
are you almost done?

Chef, I'm worried
about these thick ones.

- Are we plating, red team?
- Yes.

- All right, guys.
- Julia: This is how it's gonna look, guys.

- A happy face? Why the smiley face?
- Yes!

Why is the sky blue?

If your dish goes
into the magazine,

do you want it to have
a smiley face, captain?

If it's for a six-year-old, yes.
Are you a six-year-old?

- But it also has an opportunity--
- Are you a six-year-old?

Have you ever been
on a winning team, Shanika?

- Ooh! Ooh, okay. - 'Cause
I've been on two. Just saying.

Ashley: This isn't,
like, a happy meal.

- Listen, they're not babies.
- Yes?

- Shanika: I told ya.
- That's just a little bit amateurish.

We don't need ridiculous
smiley faces three times.

- Be smart, guys. Okay?
- Okay.

Get 'em off, get 'em off. Fine.

I have an idea.

- One circle like that.
- Beautiful.

- Steak on. Done.
- Heard.

- Like that?
- Yeah, perfect, perfect.

- Captain of the blue team, S.J., are
we plating? - Yes, we are, Chef.

- I got béarnaise done.
- Let's go, let's go.

- Blue team. Stop.
- Yes, Chef.

- Come on, Mark. Have you tasted that?
- I have tasted that.

- S.J., have you seen how runny this is?
- Yes, Chef.

Making a béarnaise sauce
is difficult.

The reason why we put up
a double boiler

is we cook the eggs
into a sabayon,

which then takes on
the clarified butter,

which gives a bit of body
to the béarnaise.

- Yes, yes.
- But I'm gonna stop you now.

Ten years at
doing this competition,

I'm not gonna be responsible for
sending undercooked egg yolks.

- I apologize.
- Understood?

I think we're scrapping
the sauce.

- Can you help slice, Mark, please?
- Yep.

And as a captain,
you've just gone silent.

How many times have I told you,
don't work with a mistake?

- Yes, Chef. - And you just
shut down like a six-year-old.

We gotta work with what we got.

Gordon: We still have
10 minutes to go.

Julia: I need a steak
over here, guys.

Aarón: Make sure you're checking
those temperatures, guys.

- Yes, Chef.
- Gordon: Come on, Farhan!

That's rare.
I thought you said medium.

- Look.
- They're rare.

It's bloody!
No kid's gonna eat that.

No kids do that, no.

Hey. It's not
( bleep ) Halloween.

Come on.

Farhan, you can't serve
rare meat to kids.

They're gonna open it up,

they're gonna say,
"Ew, it's gross."

You have to get it well done
for these kids.

- We need the votes.
- Seven and a half minutes to go.

- I need these steaks now, guys.
- Yes, heard.

- Put 'em back in the oven.
- We can't leave it in the oven

- and just plate these in seven minutes.
- Farhan, come on!

Julia:
We need the steaks out now.

Farhan, come on!

- Julia: We need the steaks out now.
- No, they need to be--

Okay, we have five minutes.

Farhan: This is like a steak
knife through my heart.

I've put every steak we have
back in the oven,

crank it up to 450, and
I'm gonna let 'em sit there

until the last minute.

That's the Hail Mary
that I'm gonna throw,

and pray that these kids do not
get a raw steak tonight.

These right here need
to cook longer.

- I got you, I got you.
- I'm gonna get these plated, all right?

When you put down plates,
you put the M at the top

and you plate every plate
the exact same,

'cause these all look
out of order now.

- Yeah.
- Two minutes.

Let's go, guys, come on!
Each plate should be identical.

We're gonna serve
three thick slices.

Oh, no, that one has
so much fat on it.

Emily: If they're too
rare, do not put 'em on.

- Let's pull the steaks.
- Hurry up.

Guys, move out of the way.
I gotta get the steaks.

- Go ahead.
- Here you go.

Come on, Julia, rally round.
Finish 'em off. Come on.

Get 'em on. Get 'em on, Farhan.

You don't have to look at me.
Just put 'em on high.

Go, let's go, guys.
Slice and give, slice and give.

Coming in, more portions.

Bowen, do leeks.
Bowen, I need leeks.

Gordon: Come on, guys.
Please, finish strong.

Judges: Ten, nine, eight,

- seven, six...
- Here you go.

- Five, four...
- Here you go. Here you go.

- ...three, two, one.
- And stop.

Service, please. Let's go.

These kids are hungry.

Plates nice and flat,
please, thank you.

- Let's go. - I feel like I
could have been more decisive

when it came to
the judges' advice,

especially Gordon, my mentor.

You know, if we eliminated
the béarnaise earlier,

we could've gotten some kind
of simple sauce out.

I just really hope
that it doesn't make or break

the quality of the overall dish.

- Thank you.
- Here we go, ladies.

- Girl: Thank you.
- Waiter: Of course.

Julia: I really hope
that I made my mentor

Chef Aarón proud of me today.

We adapted our dish to
make 'em more kid-friendly.

Thank you.

If the steak
is cooked properly,

I think we have a really good
chance at pulling this out.

Ladies and gentlemen,

thank you so much for coming

into the MasterChef
restaurant tonight

to be our very special guests.

So, the red team has served
a beautiful filet mignon

served over creamed leeks,
crispy Parmesan,

butternut squash purée,
and broccolini.

And the blue team has served
some beautiful New York strip,

crispy potatoes, wild
mushrooms, and some asparagus.

It's up to you to decide
which dish you like the best.

- Does everybody understand?
- All: Yes!

Enjoy your two dishes.

As we say in France,
bon appétit.

- Girl: Eat it.
- Mmm!

I think this is gonna be
a hard decision to make.

- Yeah.
- I would vote for the blue team,

because the meat... easy to cut.

- True.
- Comparatively, I mean,

there's pluses and minuses
for both dishes.

I mean, they have like
a full filet on their plate

that I think
is probably underdone.

Bowen: I feel, like,
really confident

about we sliced the beef
for the children.

Right. The red team
gave you the filet mignon.

- How is that?
- I love the mignon,

but I would not prefer
the sauce.

- It's like too sweet. Yep.
- So the purée's too sweet.

I think the red team's steak
was a little overcooked

- a little bit. The blue is better.
- Wow.

- Like, more juicy.
- I think maybe they should've had,

like, another little thing.

- Like, maybe a little sauce?
- That's interesting.

And what would you prefer?
Red or blue?

- Um, blue.
- Blue. Interesting.

- And?
- Blue.

- Blue. So, this is a blue table.
- Yeah.

So, tell me about the red team.
What do you think?

It was good. Undercooked,

but not undercooked like
the blue team's dish.

- Undercooked. You can see how red that is.
- Yeah.

Oh, dear. That's so rare,
it can go back in the field.

( Girl chuckles )

Julia: I think that we adjusted

the hell out of this menu
after we saw those kids.

I feel really good about everything
that we put on the plate.

I think that we did the best
that we could.

We did not fall apart.
We adapted.

We win as a team,
we lose as a team.

- Yeah. Absolutely.
- All right, guys. Yeah.

Which one do you
like better, Gigi?

I like the steak
on the blue plate.

The dish looks prettier.

I like the red team.

The red team's? Why?

( Mumbling )

Girl: Wait, did you take one?

So, are you ready
to meet the teams

- All: Yeah! - That cooked this
wonderful dinner for you guys?

All: Yeah!

Well, here they are!

- The red team!
- ( cheers and applause )

Hey!

- And the blue team!
- ( cheers and applause )

Hi, guys!

Now for the moment of truth.

All of you kids
have eaten both dishes

and voted on the one
that you preferred.

With 66% of the votes
this evening,

the winning team...

congratulations...

- ...the red team!
- ( cheers and applause )

Gordon: Well done, the red team.

Not only are you safe
from elimination,

your dish will be featured
in October's issue

of "Family Circle" magazine.

Winning team,
head up to the balcony.

- Thank you, guys!
- Joe: Losing team, please follow us,

and put on your black aprons.

Gerron: Mark had one job,

to make this sauce
to perfection.

It just sucks that one kid,
his know-it-all attitude,

got us all sent
to the pressure test.

Same thing I tell my students,

if you're not prepared to learn,
you're in for disaster.

90 minutes to cook
for 40 six-year-olds.

Shocking performance.
What happened?

Mark, he thinks he knows everything.
He's done learning.

And, you know,
your parents have a diner,

doesn't mean
you know everything.

This is wrong.

It was my own arrogance to not
listen to three of you--

Mark, arrogance?
Are you kidding me?

You remember
that we made a deal.

You were gonna listen to me,

and together we were gonna
take you to the finale.

Well, you just decided
to take your own road.

You're in "MasterChef."

If you're directed
to do something properly

and you choose not to do it,

then I don't know
if I made the right decision

investing my apron in you.

Tonight you started as a team,

but now you're about to face
the dreaded pressure test.

This pressure test
is so daunting

that we needed to invite
another judge to join us.

A two-time James Beard
award-winner,

author of three
best-selling cook books.

All of you, turn around.

Please welcome back
a member of our family,

the amazing, talented...

- ...Christina Tosi!
- ( cheers and applause )

Yay!

Oh, my God!

I love baking and pastries,

and I really look up
to Christina Tosi so much.

You know, the culinary school
she went to is the one

that I would like to go to,

and I wanna go there
because I wanna be

as successful
as the queen of cakes.

I really hope I can impress her.

Hi, home cooks.

- Hey, Christina.
- Hi, Chef.

Gordon, Aarón, and Joe

told me you were making kids
their dinner tonight.

So, I...

...brought...

...dessert.

- Oh!
- Wow!

Cupcakes.

Oh, my gosh.

As you can see, these cupcakes,

they're not child's play.

They're modern
culinary masterpieces.

There's color,
there's personality,

and slicing through a cupcake,

they're light and spongy
in the center.

Cupcakes, they were one of
the first things I ever made

in my own kitchen
back in Virginia.

And if you get it wrong tonight,

they might be
the last thing you make

in the MasterChef kitchen.

Tonight, we are leaving
this decision

completely
in Christina Tosi's hands.

You are not gonna get anything
less than perfection

past Christina tonight.

Home cooks,
head to your stations.

In that last challenge,
I definitely had a rough time.

But I have plenty
of experience baking,

and I will tell you what.

It's a good thing
that the only person

deciding my fate is Christina.

Gordon: You all have the
exact same ingredients

to perfect your cupcakes.

Aarón: In the equipment room,
you'll find an endless

amount of extra twists.

You can decorate
any way you want,

but whatever choices
you guys make,

all of you will have
just 75 minutes

to make us a box of 12
beautiful cupcakes.

Christina:
All right, home cooks,

your 75 minutes starts... now.

- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go, y'all.

- Let's go, guys.
- Whoo! Let's go, girl!

Tonight I'm making
three different flavors.

Green tea flavor, vanilla
flavor, and tiramisu flavor.

I never had
any cupcake in China,

so my strategy is more chance
to be safe with more flavors.

I'm going to be doing
a vanilla cupcake

with a vanilla cream cheese
frosting,

with the honey butter drizzle,
brûlée banana slices,

and candied hazelnuts.

Keep it up, S.J.

Baking for Christina Tosi
is kinda like trying

to show Roger Federer
your serve.

It's a little bit daunting,
but it's a great chance

to cook for a great chef.

I'm gonna be making
ginger and spice cupcakes,

similar to Mexican candy,
where it's spicy,

tangy on the outside,
but it's sweet on the inside.

I grew up with it, and while
baking's not my strong suit,

I think I've practiced enough

to keep me
in the competition today.

All right, so,
Chef Christina, talk to us

about the A to "zed"
of a perfect cupcake.

What do we need
to be looking for?

Christina: Timing is key here.

First things first, you need to
start making that cupcake batter.

Cream, butter, sugar.

You start to add your eggs,

maybe your flavoring,

your dry ingredients
with your salt,

your baking powder,
your baking soda--

And in the right increments
is key.

Christina, Aarón has four
home cooks wearing his pin,

Gordon has five home cooks
wearing his pin,

and I have just five
home cooks wearing my pin.

Tonight, who stays and
who goes is all in your hands.

Not only their fate,
our fate as well.

Mentor, no mentor, for me,
it's either great or it's not.

A cupcake doesn't lie.

Come on, Gerron, you got this.
Nice even portions.

Right, Samantha,
what are you making?

So, I've done a lemon cupcake,
and then I'm gonna fill it

with a lemon curd and have
the raspberry butter cream.

This cupcake is something I've
done with my sorority sisters.

We actually entered it in
a cupcake contest and we won.

- So-- yes, we won.
- Did-- you won.

- Give that box some beauty. Good luck.
- Yes, Chef.

Thank you, Chef.

Gordon: 45 minutes remaining.

You've got to get that batter
in the oven.

Come on. Let's go.

Cupcakes in the oven.

A cupcake takes about
25 minutes to bake.

If you've managed
your time properly,

by now you should be
focusing on the fillings,

- the frosting, the decor.
- Joe: Got it.

- ( Humming )
- Emily, my star apron.

Introduce yourself to my
friend Christina Tosi.

Hello! I would shake your hand,

- but I've got lemon juice all over me.
- What are you making tonight?

So, I'm aiming for
two different cupcakes.

Chocolate, salted caramel
cream-filled cupcake

with a chai
buttercream frosting.

And then the second one will be
a lemon meringue cupcake.

I'm from Neenah, Wisconsin.

Very small town.
I'm a baker at heart.

So, honestly, when you
walked through the door,

I was pretty excited
and I was hoping

that you were gonna give us a baking
challenge, 'cause I've been waiting for it.

- Good luck, Emily.
- Thank you.

That's what we're looking for.

- All right, Gerron, I see ya.
- Go, Gerron.

Right, young man,
describe your cupcakes.

So, I'm from Louisville, Kentucky,
and it's The Bourbon State,

so I'm gonna do
a bourbon buttercream.

But I've also decided
to do a banana walnut cupcake

because it was my mom's
favorite flavor.

She loved banana walnut bread, so
I just wanna incorporate the two.

- Sounds amazing. Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Keep going. Let's go.
- Thank you.

20 minutes to go.
Your cupcakes should be out.

Perfect.

Gordon: And chilled.

- Oh, God!
- Oh, sorry, sorry.

And you should start to think

about those finishing touches.

- Joe: Okay, Mark.
- Yes, Chef.

Young Mark, wearing my apron,
is a dishwasher from Maine.

He works in his parents'
family restaurant.

Christina: That's fantastic.
What's going on over here?

I am making a strawberry,
lemongrass, and mint cupcake

based on a very popular cocktail
at my mother's restaurant.

I'm macerating some strawberries
right now for a filling,

and then it's gonna be just a very
simple mint buttercream for the topping.

- Make it happen.
- Thank you.

Guys, we're down
to five minutes now.

Farhan: What's he trying to do?

- He has no time for this right now.
- He doesn't.

I think that Mark is
in real trouble today.

Aarón: Mark is filling his cupcakes
with strawberries right now.

- And he's making a jam-- -
Strawberries are full of water, right?

It could start to leech out
water all over your cupcake.

( Groans )
It's not what it needs to be.

They didn't rise.

Minutes from now,
it's somebody's last time

- in the MasterChef kitchen.
- ( sighs ) Okay.

It is so thick in here,
you can cut it with knife.

Two minutes remaining.

Remember, we're looking for
a box of immaculate cupcakes.

Joe: What's Emily doing? Is
she blasting the meringue?

Christina: That, for me,
is incredibly impressive.

- 60 seconds. Mark! Let's go.
- What is Mark doing?

Christina: Start thinking about
walking down here, home cooks.

Gordon: 30 seconds to go.

Close the box.
What's Mark doing?

He's just started piping.

Whatever you've got,
put some in the box.

- Come on, Mark.
- Mark's just starting to put them in.

- Gordon: Come on, S.J.
- Joe: Come on!

- Gordon: 15 seconds to go.
- S.J., do not let this

be what takes you down.
Come on, Mark.

Aarón: Ten seconds!

- Oh, my God.
- Judges: Ten, nine,

eight, seven, six,

five, four, three,

two, one.

That was pretty intense.

We call it a pressure test
for a reason.

Now let's begin the tasting.

All right, Emily,
let's take a look.

Well, Emily,
you talk a good game,

but I gotta tell you...

they're gorgeous.

- Tell me about the flavors.
- So, the chocolate cupcake is stuffed

with salted caramel,
a chai buttercream frosting,

and a little bit
of gold luster dust.

The other is just
a lemon cupcake

with a meringue frosting.

Your meringue's
incredibly impressive.

How long did you whip
the egg whites for?

I whipped them
over the double boiler

until the sugar dissolved,
and then I just whipped them

until they were cool
and held a soft peak.

The flavor's balanced,

and visually,
these cupcakes are perfect.

But from a technique standpoint,

you gotta be careful
with that bake time,

'cause I've got a lot
of that cake behind

and that's not ideal.

You did a really
impressive job tonight.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Congratulations.

- I'm gonna go with the chocolate one.
- Yes.

Salted caramel is kinda
soaked into the cake.

Mmm!

Well-spiced, creamy.

It tastes like chai mixed in

with the best molten chocolate
cake you've ever had.

- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.

So, Bowen,
what did you make tonight?

Bowen: Three different kinds.

Tiramisu, green tea,
vanilla flavor.

- What flavor is this one?
- Green tea flavor.

Bowen, visually,
you still have a ways to go,

but the cupcake is well mixed,
it's well baked,

and the frosting's flavorful.

I'd say you did
a pretty good job.

- Thank you so much.
- Yeah.

Joe: Wow!

- So, which one should I taste?
- Tiramisu.

The cake itself is good.

Very rich, fluffy.
You can taste the butter.

Tiramisu components,

I'd love to have it
a little bit smoother,

but altogether, Bowen,
Gordon certainly has himself

an excellent student in you.

- Thank you.
- Good job.

Nice.

- Samantha.
- Chef.

Let's take a look, okay?

- Wow!
- Thank you.

This is consistent.
It's vibrant in color.

This is like Willy Wonka
stuff, man.

So what are some of the flavors
that I'm gonna taste?

Samantha: It is filled
with a lemon curd,

and it's a raspberry
buttercream on top.

Aarón: You said
this cupcake is inspired

- by a competition you entered
- Mm-hmm.

- And that you won.
- That is correct.

Mmm!

This is unreal.

Nice and fluffy,

all the specks of
that beautiful raspberry,

an aerated beautiful center.

Your sorority sisters must
be jumping for joy

when they're seeing this.

Really over the top.

- Samantha.
- Chef.

Your lemon curd
is bull's-eye center.

( Whispers ) Oh, beautiful.

- Perfectionist?
- Yes, definitely.

I spun the lemon zest
with the sugar

to really get that flavor
even throughout,

and it worked out.

Um, Samantha,
it has been a very long time

since I have tasted a cupcake,
that from a flavor standpoint

is so incredibly well-balanced.

- Thank you, Chef. Thank you.
- Congratulations.

Nice.

Gerron, wearing Joe's apron.

- What's up, Chef?
- Let's check in there.

So I have a banana
walnut cupcake

with vanilla bourbon icing.

I'm from Kentucky,
and it's the Bourbon State.

Oh, dear.

Looks like the old cupcakes
have had too much to drink

and sunken into bed.

- They don't look great, do they?
- No, they don't.

Height, it's not there.

- Did you weigh out the ingredients
properly? - I mean, honestly,

when I poured in some walnuts,
I didn't really weigh those out.

So you can see through there,

insufficient aeration,

looks like the inside
of a brownie.

The bourbon's delicious,
but if we don't start off

with a perfect batter,
we're screwed.

I'm sorry, Gerron, but that's been
one of your weakest performances.

Damn it.

All right, Gerron,
what happened?

It just ended up a lot denser
than I wanted it to.

See the walnuts there?

It really weighed
your mixture down.

Really and truly.

I think they're very starchy
and underbaked.

So, I'm gonna be honest.

I'm not impressed.

Cesar. Let's check in there.

Cesar: The cupcake itself
is ginger, cinnamon clove,

and then cream cheese cardamom
icing with spicy pistachios--

Something that represents
Houston, where I'm from,

and the immigrant culture
that thrives there.

Fresh ginger cupcake
I haven't come across.

- I like the vibrant taste of fresh ginger.
- Mmm.

Here's the thing.
A little bit too much spice,

but I love the fragrance.

- Overall, good job.
- Thank you.

Mmm.

I gotta say, Cesar,

it's light, it's flavorful,
and has a perspective.

- Really nice effort.
- Thank you.

All right, S.J.

Let's see what you got
in the box.

S.J.: So, you have
a standard vanilla cupcake

with cream cheese frosting,
honey butter drizzle,

brûléed banana,
and candied hazelnuts.

Here, I'll just go
with a whole bite.

Yeah, sure.

Moist, good consistency.

I don't think you're leaving
here tonight.

Christina: I like what you
did with the frosting.

I would've loved it even more
if you were uniform.

If one cupcake gets
five dots of frosting,

every cupcake gets
five dots of frosting.

But all in all,

your cake is light
and delicious.

- Great box of cupcakes.
- Thank you, Chef.

Mark, in the box,
what's the theme?

Uh, so it's a strawberry,
lemongrass, and mint cupcake.

Let's get in there, shall we?

But, uh, they're not all there.

Excuse me?

I don't have all my cupcakes
in the box.

- Wow.
- That's right.

( Chuckles )

- Yeah, I'm not laughing.
- ( chuckles )

Let's get in there, shall we?

But, uh, they're not all there.

Excuse me?

I don't have all my cupcakes
in the box.

- Wow.
- ( chuckles )

- Yeah, I'm not laughing.
- ( chuckles )

Uh, so it's a strawberry,
lemongrass, and mint.

It's a play on a cocktail

that's at my mother's
restaurant.

Based on the piping,
it looks sloppy.

- Right? - Um, all in all, it's
whipped to where it needs to be.

- We're missing five.
- That's right.

I was very rushed.

What is that in there?
That's the strawberry--

Strawberry jelly
and diced strawberries.

- Strawberries are 25% water.
- Yes.

And so what does water do
to a sponge?

Uh, it, uh--

Makes it soggy.

But here's the big issue for me.

Whilst we try to help you,
you reject our help.

You know, I'm not mentoring you,

but you're becoming unteachable.

Of course not.

You know, having an edge above
people as young as myself,

it definitely translates
into my arrogance.

But, Mark, you're
not prepared to listen

and grasp what people
are teaching you.

That's not a recipe for success.

Strawberry, lemon, mint--
Makes perfect sense.

What I don't like is
the presentation, technique,

and then that frosting,
you can tell it's too wet.

Too much sugar there.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Gerron:
I messed up pretty badly,

but Mark also messed up
pretty badly.

Please,
come around to the front.

And while his cupcakes
look a lot better than mine,

I learn from my mistakes,

and I will continue to grow
in this competition.

All right, ready?

The judges,
they know things like that,

but I know that they can't
save me right now.

We invited Christina here
because she truly is

beyond an expert in her field.

And we're leaving
this decision completely

in Christina Tosi's hands.

Now, I don't know you
like the judges know you.

All I can do is make
my decisions

based on the box of cupcakes.

I am sending at least one
of you home.

But I was really impressed by
a number of you tonight.

So, if I say your name,
please step forward.

Emily, Bowen,

and I gotta say, the cupcake
that I will dream about...

Wow.

- ...Samantha.
- Whoo!

Yes.

Congratulations, you three.

Up to the balcony. You're safe.

- Thank you.
- ( cheers and applause )

I don't know that this is real.

It honestly just feels
like a dream.

Let's go, girl!

I mean, Christina freaking Tosi

told me my cupcakes were good,

right in front of my mentor
Chef Gordon Ramsay.

There is no going any higher
than right now.

So, S.J...

Cesar...

you both have shown me talent,
you've shown me passion.

So, you're both safe.
Please head up to the balcony.

So, Mark, Gerron,

you were both brought
into this kitchen

by the same mentor.

But I am sending one
of you home.

The home cook leaving
this kitchen...

is...

...Mark.

( Exhales )

Christina: Gerron, up
to the balcony, please.

Mark, unfortunately,

tonight you had
the worst cupcakes

in the MasterChef kitchen,

so we have to say good-bye.

Understood.

Mark, being headstrong
can be destructive.

It can also be an attribute,
used in the proper way.

My advice for you would be to open
your mind up to the right people.

You're young, the road is long.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Please, place your apron
on your bench.

- Thank you.
- Good night. Thank you.

- ( Applause )
- Love you, Mark.

Mark: I'm definitely disappointed,
and it's very humbling.

I learned from this,
I really don't know it all.

- ( Applause )
- Ralph: Let's go, Mark.

From the beginning, Joe told me
he's making an investment in me,

and I still need to prove that
I'm worth what he put into me.

I'm 19, I'm working in
my parents' restaurants now.

The judges will be sitting down
in my restaurant at 25,

and I'll see to that happening.

- Bye, Mark.
- Can't wait to serve you, Chefs.

- Narrator: Next time...
- Ooh!

- This is going to be fun.
- the judges...

Rocking and rolling, baby.
I love it.

Join the hottest challenge...

- Whoo-wee!
- ...of the season.

Fried squash blossom, caviar--
I have to top that.

- And...
- Savory or sweet?

- A divided kitchen...
- This is it. Let's go!

- That is not pretty.
- produces...

- ( bleep ) man.
- ...shocking results.

Gordon: O-M-G.

What is that?