Original subtitles

- Previously on - Back To Win"...

This is a season like no other.

Ten years of past competitors in these auditions.

You all need to cook us the best comeback dish ever.

- Let's go! - I have fond memories of season nine.

- You and her, maybe not so much. - Maybe not so much.

Everyone knows Emily and I have history.

I think we're on for one of the best, the most competitive seasons

- in the history of "MasterChef." - This is .

We've got MasterChef Juniors, and they're moving faster than the adults.

- Whoo! - It reaffirms that you left this competition

- way too prematurely. - It speaks to everything that is beautiful

- about Italian cuisine. - Thank you, Chef.

Dara, the dish is delicious.

Five years has made quite a difference in your cuisine.

With just 20 aprons up for grabs.

I got the apron, and now I'm scared to death.

Tonight on Back To Win,"

the top 20 take on their first elimination challenge...

Your challenge is to use the dish that sent you home as inspiration for a new dish.

and a trip down memory lane...

Since my elimination, the prawn still scares me.

...to prove if their skills have leveled up from last time.

This is definitely my shot at redemption.

- The standard's up there. - There we go. There we go.

I got a San Antonio puffy taco.

- Oh! - Whoa!

That is redemption in a bowl beyond belief.

There's texture all over the place.

That's what truly makes it memorable.

Your ambition outpaced your ability.

We'll see if there's something that's redeeming enough to overlook the obvious.

This is it. Season 12, "Back To Win."

- Wow! - Let's go!

- Whoo! - Yeah!

I am so excited to be in the top 20.

I'm not a kid anymore.

I'm not the same Junior that was here last time.

I'm an adult now, and, man, I am back to win.

Good to see you all in those aprons again. We good?

There are 20 of you now,

but only one of you will go home

as America's next MasterChef

and win a quarter of a million dollars,

the title, and the beautiful MasterChef trophy.

Big question is whose face is gonna be in that frame

celebrating next to the other 11 previous winners?

Well, since your last time in the MasterChef kitchen,

you've all had a taste of the professional culinary world,

but that's not only thing that you guys got in common.

You also all left here, well, losers. Sorry.

So let's take a quick walk down memory lane

and remind you of that fateful day

and of that fateful dish.

- Gentlemen.

- Shut your face!

Chef, I don't want to relive this.

- Right, roll the tape. - Oh!

Gabriel, it looks dreadful.

The sauce, I mean, it's so sweet, it's extraordinary.

It's your worst performing dish, Gabriel.

Okay, Shanika, what happened here?

These dishes look like if I was a waiter in a restaurant and I just cleared your table.

Oof.

Brandi, let's get one thing clear.

It's heavy. It just doesn't work.

Okay, Emily, tell me what happened.

My cake fell over. Disaster struck today.

- Wow. - Shelly, the chicken's undercooked.

- So you've left the cooked chicken on the bench

and served me the pink chicken?

- Yes, Chef. - It's a shame.

- Ah. - Burnt onions and a block of cheddar cheese.

- That's terrible. - Ooh.

- Bri, the salmon's raw. - No, I can't watch.

Oh, it's completely raw.

- Oh, shoot. - You did something early, young man.

- Shayne the Train. - You cooked two chops.

Unfortunately, it's let down with the sides.

- Yes, Chef. - Oh!

- Look how cute. - Not big fan of the miso.

But when you eat the cream and the miso, then it actually works.

- Oh. - Aww.

- Amanda, that's raw. - I know.

I think that we're witnessing the moment right now

where we lose one of our favorites.

Sadly, the person leaving "MasterChef" is Amanda.

I'm so sorry.

- Ooh. - Aww.

That could not have been easy to watch.

Come on, let's be honest.

But this season is all about second chances.

It's time to show us how far you've come as talented cooks.

Tonight, your challenge is to use the dish that sent you all home

as an inspiration for a new and improved version of that dish.

- Let's go. - Of course, we expect you

to serve us something more refined

and edited than the dish that sent you home.

For the first time in the history of this competition,

tonight and every night this season,

you all must serve us three identical dishes...

- Whoa. - ...and ensure that each plate is consistent.

Ooh. 60 minutes is good enough for one dish.

But now we gotta make three?

And then they gotta be identical?

I wasn't prepared for that.

Whoever cooks the best dish

each and every week,

you get this coveted immunity pin to wear.

You will earn immunity during the next challenge

as you watch from the safety of the balcony,

because the cook who impresses us the least

will be eliminated tonight.

- Right, is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.

Your 60 minutes start now. Let's go.

- Get it. - Careful.

Come on, y'all, let's go!

- Get it! - Whoo!

Basket, basket, basket, basket.

- Oh, God. - Under.

One of those.

I need hazelnuts.

This is about to get real.

The judges announced that there's an immunity pin.

I'm even more intensely focused now.

I've learned my lesson from when I was eliminated.

We don't want another raw cake, so that means my cake,

it needs to get in the oven as soon as possible.

Let's go!

So, 5 minutes gone. 55 minutes to go.

Remember, three amazing portions. Let's go.

- Oh, gosh. - Whoo-hoo. You good, Dara?

- Yeah, I'm good. - I got plenty of time to bake in 60 minutes.

Nice.

My elimination dish was panna cotta.

Yeah, baby.

And I made it to the top three on season six.

I almost made it to the finale.

I'm about to set this mystery box on fire!

But, you know, I failed.

Stephen, how much raspberry coulis did you attempt to put in the center?

I put one teaspoon in the center.

And that is just oozing out.

It was a tough time being eliminated,

but I'm really gonna take advantage of this opportunity.

Before, I had vanilla raspberry panna cotta.

Now I'm making a cacao panna cotta.

I got a beautiful blackberry and gin sauce.

I got these wonderful hazelnuts.

I'm going to show the judges that my panna cotta is on top.

If I can just get this win,

I know I'm gonna get through the rest of the challenges.

Right behind you, Shayne! Pick it up!

- Come on, baby. - All right, perfect.

Season 12, redemption on a dish that sent you home last time round,

and we're asking for three portions.

Big challenge tonight. Immunity's up for grabs as well.

This is really an opportunity to show us what you've done,

- you know, that you are back to win... - Yeah.

...and you really lived and had experience out of the MasterChef kitchen.

They are so strong, and so every time these guys cook in this kitchen,

it's gotta be like they're cooking the finale.

We're expecting that good a dish.

- Bacon. - The dish that sent me home was sliders.

I can't make the same burger that I made seven years ago.

So today I've added a little bit extra oomph, kick, and flavor

with a tiny bit of chorizo.

Then I'm also gonna add little fried green tomato

instead of a red tomato,

and a guacamole mayo

with a black truffle essence.

Whoo.

Aw. Come on now.

The dish that sent me home, it was a pan-seared halibut.

This time I'm going to make a beautiful pan-seared sole

and a beautiful beurre noisette.

Come on.

This time, not only do I have to skin one fish,

I have to skin three.

It's giving me a hard time already.

Oh, come on.

Son of a gun. I'm gonna have to go old school.

Just under 50 minutes to go. Three stunning dishes.

Ay-yi-yi.

Oh, my goodness.

So I'm making the dish that I made in the finale.

It's wontons in a curry sauce with spot prawns.

And, you know, I'm just elevating some of the technique.

Like, making my wonton dough

being able to work in restaurants,

going through culinary school,

learning how to stay organized

and manage my time is gonna really help me.

Since my elimination, that dish has haunted me.

Specifically the prawns.

Spot prawns, delicious. Could have done with a minute less cooking.

I'm 20 years old now,

and definitely have made sure

to improve on my techniques in that dish,

but a prawn still scares me.

Beautiful.

Yes, perfect.

There you go.

Oh, no, no, no.

I'm looking at the clock,

and it's 15 minutes into the cook,

and I don't know if I got everything.

I'm looking around, and I'm losing everything.

Tommy's back and forth. That's the third time.

And I need two green tomatoes.

What's Tommy doing in there?

Tommy!

You should be out of here by now.

Come on, Tommy. Let's go!

Man, I think the big game-changer tonight

is the fact that we're asking for three portions, all identical. That's hard.

- Ay-yi-yi. - Well, these are culinary professionals.

So I think that it's an appropriate ask

for them to make three plates identically the same.

Sure.

I'm kinda freaking out a little bit

because each plate needs

to have the same flavor three times.

Everything has got to be the same.

This is tougher than I thought it was gonna be.

- I might be going home. - They don't look good.

- Tommy, focus! - Unbelievable.

Toast. Ay-yi-yi!

- Tommy, focus! - Unbelievable.

They don't look good.

I'm kinda freaking out a little bit

because each plate needs to have

the same flavor three times.

Everything has got to be the same!

I've really gotta watch what I do

because I've got to prove the to judges

that I deserve to stay.

Okay, recalibrate.

Whoo!

Just over 40 minutes to go.

Half a cup of cocoa powder.

Let's hope I got it.

My arms are so tired.

Um, Emily,

you're cooking right next to your season nine adversary Shanika.

- Yes, Chef. - Last time you guys were this close, it didn't go your way.

No, it did not.

I'm gonna choose to go head to head with Shanika.

- Wow. - I'm ready.

Come on, ladies. You got this.

I think Shanika has maybe overstayed her welcome.

- Oh. - Ha! She's gonna be her own demise.

Oh, no. Her cake fell over.

It was too hot, girl. You took it out too fast.

The person leaving the MasterChef kitchen is Emily.

- There's an axe to grind and there's unfinished business. - There is. There is.

I need to make to make it past where I made it before. Otherwise what's the point?

- Tell me about the dish. - The key to this is if you don't build a cake,

- it can't fall over. - Right.

So I'm going kind of the modern deconstructed route, Black Forest flavors,

- chocolate cake, nice chocolate bark. - Gotcha. Smart.

We're doing a cherry fluid gel with a little bit of kirsch in there.

If you were to be a recipient of that immunity pin,

would you hand it down or take it?

- Take it. 100%. - Girl, you better.

Nope. I learned my lesson. It's going to be beautiful.

- Good luck. Welcome back. - Thank you. Thank you.

- Right, Shanika, how are you feeling? - Hey, Chef. Good.

- Tell me about the dish. - Tonight I am making

an egg yolk stuffed ravioli.

- You've made the homemade pasta brilliantly. - Yeah, homemade pasta.

So now I just need to get my homemade ricotta

and my stuffing done for my mushroom ricotta filling.

Once I get that done, I'm in the clear.

Good. You got a lot to do. Confident you can do this?

- Yes. - Nice. Immunity tonight, what would that mean for you?

Oh, I'm taking it.

That's the attitude we love, you know that?

- Chef, Chef. - Keep it up, girl.

- Welcome back, yes? - Thank you.

I was sent home on pasta.

It sparked a fire in me,

and I went home and practiced making pasta so many times.

And I just was determined to make sure

that if I ever ran into any mistakes,

how I need to fix it.

Almost there.

Not gonna forget my bourbon.

The dish that sent me home last time was raw filet mignon with noodles.

- It's raw. - I'm so sorry.

- Oh, Fred. - All right.

I'm elevating my dish this time

by making a Taiwanese take on beef stroganoff.

I want to prove that I'm more than just raw filet mignon,

so this is definitely my shot at redemption.

Whoo!

Whoo-hoo!

Thank God it's baked.

I'm gonna start working on pasta.

Last time I was on "MasterChef,"

one of the highlights was ironically my elimination.

Gabriel, I am personally

gonna send you to culinary school.

- Oh! - That's amazing.

Gabriel!

Thank you, Lord.

I feel like I have a little bit of extra weight on my shoulders,

but I want to prove that Chef Ramsay's investment was worth it.

Gabriel, cannelloni again.

- How's your pasta going? - A little bit sticky right now.

I had to redo it because I didn't get the quantity of the eggs proper.

What's the filling of the cannelloni?

The filling of the cannelloni's gonna be a scratch made ricotta

- and scratch made spiced Italian sausage. - Love that.

- So I wanna do just a simple tomato sauce with some-- - A tomato sauce.

- A marinara, Pomodoro fresco-- - More of a marinara, yes.

- Thank you very much. - Thank you.

Three, four...

- Looking good. - How you feeling?

- Feeling great, Chef. Great. - You up for this?

- Yes, I'm ready, baby. - Last time round, panna cotta,

there was a little bit too much raspberry. How are you feeling tonight?

- I'm feeling really good. - Good. How are you gonna get that panna cotta set?

I'll whisk it, get it chilled,

and then get it in that blast chiller, and then away we go.

If it's not chilling as quick as you want it,

- split it into three bowls. - Okay, okay.

The quicker that chilled, the better, yes?

- Yes. Right now. Right now. - Good man.

Insurance policy. Insurance policy.

Always.

There we go. There we go.

- Get it! - How are you, young man?

- Aarón Sanchez, I'm thrilled to see you. - How are you, Senor Tommy?

I think you're gonna like my burger.

There's a little bit of chorizo mixed in with my ground beef.

I'm gonna ask you, Aarón, have you seen that before?

- No. - No.

I thought it would enhance my burger.

You seem confident. We're interested to taste it.

This is yours to win or to lose.

- Yes, it is. - Good luck.

Nice and easy.

- Right, young man. - Hi, Chef.

- Feeling confident? - Yes, Chef.

I think about that incredible array of dishes last season.

The dessert was the weakest point there for me.

- Yes, sir. - Everything else was on such a high.

How are you gonna elevate this and send that message to the competition?

I got chocolate cake already in the oven,

and then I'm gonna finish it with chocolate buttercream,

a raspberry sauce, and a raspberry liqueur cake soak.

I think it's gonna show some new techniques and some sophistication.

Gotcha. It's a tough one this year, you know that, right?

- It's a lot of competition. - Hey, you're back to win for a reason, right?

- Yes, sir. Thank you. - Okay. Good luck.

Ooh, isn't that beautiful? Yes, yes, yes, yes!

- Perfect. - This is definitely one of the most exciting cooks

we've ever seen so far, "Back To Win."

But, honestly, the standard's up there.

- Mm-hmm. - Stephen's on a mission.

He's doing a chocolate version of that panna cotta.

All right, come on, Gabe.

Gabriel is coming back with a vengeance.

He's gonna make his own cannelloni.

He's gonna make his own ricotta from scratch.

It seems very straightforward and very simple.

- Yeah. - There you go, bro.

Gordon; Shanika is also making homemade ricotta for her egg yolk ravioli.

- Wow. - It's hard to get that done in 60 minutes.

This girl is traveling at 1,000 miles an hour, let me tell you.

Emily, she's doing a deconstructed version

of the gâteau she went home on, that Black Forest gâteau.

It sounds amazing. I just don't know if she'll pull it off in time.

Oh!

- Tommy's making sliders. - And get a load of this.

He's putting chorizo in the sliders as well.

- He just mixed it into the raw meat. - Oh, my goodness me.

We're down 30 minutes remaining. Halfway, guys.

Whoo, cake is done. Thank you, God.

Damn. Come on now.

Not enough flour in the dough. Damn.

I made my pasta dough again, and I did not realize

how sticky it was until it had rested.

I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this.

And I'm trying to incorporate flour as I can,

but it is just fighting me at every turn.

- Aw, . - Gabriel seems really upset about something.

But, look, he's just out of culinary school.

This dish is not that complicated.

I would surprised if he's gonna screw this up.

Come on, Gabe. You can't go out on this, brother.

I'm feeling very frustrated and irritated

because I'm literally reliving the exact same thing

that got me eliminated the first time around.

Wow, I cannot believe this.

So if I can't get this pasta

to a point where I can at least cook it,

I'm out the door, my apron's on my table, I'm done.

And I can't disappoint Chef Ramsay.

Shayne, I might be going home, buddy.

- You got it, okay? - I'm screwed, Fred. I'm gone, bro.

Aw, .

Gabriel seems really upset about something.

Damn. Come on now.

Not enough flour in the dough. Damn.

My dough isn't where it needs to be,

but I was able to get it to the point

where I can roll it through this machine.

- I cannot believe this. - I am just focusing

on trying to get the technical details right

and just focusing on making sure that my cannelloni holds its form.

There we go.

So, guys, 20 cooks cooking.

One of them is gonna be eliminated today right off the bat.

- And one, the best, gets-- - Whoo.

- The immunity pin, which is huge, right? - Yeah.

You get immunity, you can get a bird's eye view

and size up your competition.

Good point.

- Come on, man. - You got it, Michael.

- Right, young lady, back to win. - Hey, Chef.

- Cheese soufflé. - Yeah, I'm gonna do better.

- Cate's soufflé is... - I felt that the egg whites

could've been a little airy, mix should be less liquid.

- I'm blending a few different cheeses. - Right.

And then to surprise you guys, I'm doing a bone marrow base.

- That's a bold move by the way. Very smart. - I believe so.

Why that courageous? Why not just play it safe?

Just because I know I need to really bring out all the stops right now.

I didn't come back here to play it safe.

Make these soufflés a showstopper, okay?

- Yes, Chef. Thank you. - Good luck.

Guys, 25 minutes to go.

- Just under halfway. - Hey, bro.

I need to get a move on.

- Willie. - Yes, Chef?

First of all, I think back to that moment when you left, right?

Yes, Chef. I went home because my dish wasn't seasoned enough.

Disgusting. Willie, flavor profile nowhere to be seen tonight.

Are you serious about winning this competition?

Do you feel like it's unfinished business now that you're here?

Most definitely.

I think I went home a little too early,

and so this time around,

I'm making sure that I'm bringing that flavor-packed

Southern spices, and I'm doing a play on Cajun dumplings.

So I'm bringing everything from the South,

and then I'm gonna make this hearty broth.

And then the star is right here, it's my pork.

- And what's the seasoning in there? - Everything Cajun.

- Just be smart with the salt. - Yes, sir.

Okay.

- Senor Michael, how are you? - Michael, what are you making?

- Looks either like tortillas-- - That's right.

But I'm going San Antonio style with a San Antonio puffy taco.

- Whoa! - Yeah.

The puffy taco, it's this idea

- of a tortilla... - Like a fajita.

...actually puffing up and giving you

this beautiful textural sort of variance

from the traditional tortilla.

If they don't puff, you're screwed.

That's true, but I gotta believe in myself. I just gotta go all in.

I like the gumption. I like the .

- Go get it! - Thank you so much.

45 minutes gone. 15 minutes remaining.

- Behind. - All right, go-time.

- Welcome back. - What's up, Chef?

- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling great, man.

Now, the exit dish was that veal pasta, yes?

- Yes, sir. Yes. - Christian is hitting an all-time low

- for the MasterChef kitchen. - What is he doing?

This is the most disorganized I've seen him.

- He's in trouble. It's a mess. - Wow.

How are we gonna rectify that? Where are we going?

So, we going a little veal marsala.

Okay, smart.

Veal marsala, Italian. I love Italian food.

What would immunity mean to you tonight?

It would mean a lot. I'm here to win, man.

Keep that attitude onto that plate

and bring those bold flavors. Taste everything as well.

Yes, Chef.

- Good luck. - Thank you, man.

Ah, thank goodness. They're perfect.

- Samantha. - Hello.

- Sticky toffee again, again. - Good to see you.

Sticky toffee again, yes. It doesn't end.

- And your butter was burnt. - Yep.

- And the caramel set firm. - Yeah.

All right, take us through. What do you got there?

You reducing red wine?

I'm doing a red wine cherry caramel

and I'm making cocoa nib brittle

to bring back that crunch component

that you guys saw last time.

- Good luck, Samantha. - Smart move there, Samantha.

Thank you.

We're down now to the last ten minutes.

Let's go, guys.

How you doing over there, Bowen?

I'm doing really good. How about you?

I'm doing good. I've still got a lot to get done.

No raw chicken today.

185! Let's get into it! Okay.

- How are you looking, Cate? - I be good, girl.

- I like that stance, sis. - Hey, it's my game face.

So, Cate, she's doing a sort of modern version of that cheese soufflé.

She's doing a bone marrow crust at the bottom.

If you're thinking about bone marrow at the bottom of a soufflé,

it's like a puddle of warm oil.

I just hope that fat doesn't weigh that soufflé down.

If she pulls it off, it could be a showstopper.

We're down to the last five minutes.

Oh, my God. Five minutes?

Big Willie is doing a Cajun dumpling

with a really nice pork filling and this spicy broth.

- I mean, just so fragrant. - Uneven pasta.

Christian's doing a veal marsala.

Marsala's tricky because you have to

burn out the liquor and it's very sweet,

so you have to use it judiciously.

It's not the best looking pasta, but guess what.

We gonna make it work.

Yes! Heck, yeah!

Aw, man.

I went to go check my panna cotta,

and I realize it didn't set.

Didn't use the proper amount of gelatin.

And so that's why my panna cotta looks like chocolate milk.

Damn.

There's not enough time for me to right the wrong.

I'm just hoping maybe

there's something out there

that is just a little bit worse than mine.

I screwed the pooch on this one.

60 seconds to go. Let's go!

Last minute, guys! Remember, three identical plates.

- Plating takes longer than you think. - Come on, Fred.

- Whew! Oh, my God. - Yeah.

Let's go, Shanika. Come on!

Heard, Chef.

30 seconds to go.

- Come on. - My hand is shaking.

- Aww. - Come on, Brandi. Come on, Brandi.

Hey! Redemption!

- Soufflés are out. Soufflés are out. - Yes, perfect.

Cate, gently we lift them out.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five...

- Ay-yi-yi. - ...four, three, two, one.

And stop! Hands in the air!

- Well done! - Aah!

- Wow. - Oh, my God.

I'm not exactly happy with the thinness of the pasta,

but as far as the flavors inside and out, I'm proud of it.

I'm just not exactly proud of my performance.

- Is this chocolate milk? - No, it's panna cotta.

- What did you do to set it? - I didn't use obviously enough gelatin, I guess.

- Are you okay? - No.

They haven't set. There's nothing I can do.

Well done.

It's amazing how quick 60 minutes passes, right?

Yes, Chef.

Tonight you each had to cook us a beautiful dish

that was inspired by the dish that sent you home.

Let's hope you've all learned from your mistakes.

Right now, we're gonna come along

and take a much closer look at your dishes.

Cate, soufflé, high jeopardy, especially on a night like tonight.

I was thinking how could I impart some flavor and texture?

And I thought bone marrow was the answer.

Nice.

- Thank you. - Very good.

Shayne, you really nailed the caramelization on those chops.

Is that something you've been working on?

Yes, Chef, I've been working on this dish at home

and improvising and changing it up.

As the judges walk around

critiquing everyone's plate,

it's worse than I remember.

Bowen, when was the last time you saw a surf and turf

- with cucumber on it? - Never.

Thank you, Bowen.

Okay, Samantha, sticky toffee, but why so thin?

Yeah, I wanted to make sure that the cake cooked in the right amount of time.

You kind of forget what it feels like,

but it's terrifying.

Stephen, how are you feeling?

- Not good. - What are they?

It was panna cotta, but they haven't set.

The judges are holding everyone to a higher bar.

- Nobody's safe at this point. - What are the flavors?

Heavy on the chocolate. We did a cherry vanilla fluid gel.

- Did you see his plating? - I did.

It's similar.

To go home on your first cook,

it'll be tragic for anybody in this kitchen tonight.

- Shanika. - Hey, Chefs and Joe.

You chose to go the very challenging route

of the famous egg yolk ravioli.

Is there ricotta inside as well?

Yes, homemade ricotta.

What's the brush on top of the dumplings? What did you put on there?

That's a gold dust.

Smart choice of plate. - Yeah, the plate's nice.

Thank you.

All right, Michael. Aarón, does that look like what it's supposed to look like?

It does. The idea is that they're cooked through and they're not too greasy.

Not greasy, right?

Brandi, what's the, uh...

This is a bourbon caramel sauce.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, very pleasing. Good job.

- It's light. - Yeah, it came out nice.

- Beautiful. Yeah. - Thank you. Thank you.

How did you cook those shrimp?

I just seared them on the flattop.

I don't see where you could have seared it.

They are being tough.

Is this the example of what's in these?

It's the same pasta dough, yes.

Thanks.

- Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.

- What happened with that? - What are the fried eggs for?

That was an ornament to go on the top of the...

- A what? - ...but I didn't get it on there.

- An ornament? - The ? An ornament?

- Yeah. - Seriously?

- I'm sorry. - Yep.

Alejandro, where's the other half of the fish? You threw it out?

- I used the upper parts. - And you just threw out the bottom part?

Because it would be just too much. Yeah.

But there's half a fish missing,

and it's a shame, because it tastes good.

Now let's taste the top three exceptional dishes of the night.

The first dish we'd like to taste

comes from a loveable young man

who did a textbook execution

of an Asian dish.

Please come forward...

- Willie. - The fact that Chef Ramsay

called my name as one of the top three dishes,

I am excited.

I'm Big Willie. I'm known for all the flavors.

So this time around, I made sure I put all those flavors in this dish.

Right, Big Willie, describe the dish please.

We have a Cajun dumpling

with a hearty vegetable broth.

We have celery, carrots, thyme, oregano,

with slices of chilies inside of the broth.

I just love the idea of that confidence

to do an Asian Cajun influenced dumpling.

All three dishes, visually, it looks beautiful.

I'm dying to get in there.

Seven seasons ago, I said your dumplings were disgusting.

You've come a long way, my friend.

They are delicious.

Love that broth. Yeah, really hearty. Very spicy.

Chilies at every turn left and right,

so absolutely delicious.

This dish is flavorful. I really enjoyed it.

- Good job, Willie. - Thank you.

That is redemption in a bowl beyond belief.

- Thank you, Big Willie. - Thank you.

- Great job, Willie.

Good job, Willie.

All right, everyone, the second dish that we would like to taste

is from a cook whose dessert

was much more refined.

Please come forward...

Emily.

I lost the Black Forest cake challenge in season nine to Shanika.

This time I kind of elevated my cake beyond what it was before.

So I'm hopeful that the judges see what I see in it.

Miss Emily, can you please describe what you have here?

This is a deconstructed Black Forest gâteau.

We have a cherry vanilla kirsch fluid gel,

chocolate bark, and then a Chantilly whipped cream.

The last time you were here, your cake actually

deconstructed itself in the blast chiller.

Let's get in there, shall we?

Emily, it's delicious.

The actual cherry glaze, beautiful. I love it.

It looks good. You're meticulous.

I think that's the nice thing about the way you work,

and it shows in your plating. Really good job.

Yeah, I'm just blown away.

There's texture all over the place.

When desserts have texture,

I think that's what truly makes it memorable.

Thank you.

Good job. Thanks, Emily.

Okay, the final dish that we would like to taste

is from a cook who impressed us with her newfound skills

and her interpretation

of a classic Italian dish.

- Shanika. - Go, Shanika!

For the judges to say mine is one of the top three,

I'm humbled, I'm thankful,

and I really tried to prove to the judges

that I deserve to be here.

So I'm hoping that they can see my growth

and my passion for what I'm doing.

Okay, Shanika, what sent you home originally?

Pasta. It was too dry.

Tell us what his dish is.

Tonight, I made you guys an egg yolk ravioli

with a mushroom ricotta filling and a brown butter sauce.

Shanika, this dish is oozing confidence.

The pasta's beautifully transparent.

- You made ricotta as well tonight? - Yes, Chef.

So there's a lot going on.

- I'm amazed you got it done in 60 minutes. - Thank you, Chef.

Obviously, the essence of this is that the yolk is supposed to run, right?

- Yes, Joe. - I'll do the honors,

and we'll cut it right in half.

And then like this, which is what you want.

This looks perfect.

Wow, Shanika, what a vast improvement.

That's delicious. I think you're a great pupil.

I think you listen, you absorb, you go home, and you practice.

- Beautifully done. Textbook. - Thank you, Chef.

You know, Shanika, I think in the early days,

maybe you had to hide behind a little bit of hysteria and anger.

And now you're just cooking confident, you're letting your dish speak for you,

- and that's a beautiful thing. - Thank you, Joe.

Compliments on it all, Shanika. Thank you.

- Thank you, Shanika. - Congrats, Shanika.

Nowhere to hide. You gotta be on all cylinders if you want to win.

They making me cry.

I hate to cry.

Right, you three, please give us a moment. Thank you.

- It's a tough one, this one. - Yeah.

There's three cracking dishes by the way, eh?

Big Willie's was incredible, but also Shanika had that magic.

All the different techniques she demonstrated...

Emily's was flawless. I mean--

- Yeah. - Very difficult.

- Oh, my goodness. - Are we-- we're in agreement?

Yeah.

Willie, Emily, and Shanika,

the good news is that all three of you

are safe from elimination this evening,

so congratulations.

There is one dish however

that confirms their ambition

coming back to win.

This person will win immunity

from the elimination in the next challenge.

Oh, my God.

The first immunity pin goes to...

The first immunity pin goes to...

Emily.

Congrats, Emily! Congratulations.

To get the positive feedback and win the immunity pin

proves to me that I do deserve to be here.

- Congratulations. - Wow.

I got the pin!

- Congrats. - You three, congratulations, once again.

Please make your way up to the balcony. Well done.

Seeing Emily win, I'm actually happy for her.

She presented a great dish. I'm not hating on her.

She deserves this pin tonight.

Right, that was the good news,

but sadly one of you will be leaving the competition.

There were three dishes that stood out for all the wrong reasons.

The first dish we'd like to take a much deeper look at

is from someone that was a little flustered by technical errors.

Please make your way down, Gabriel.

I am not excited to be in the bottom three on the first challenge.

This dish has put me here before,

and I have that extra added pressure

that Chef Ramsay actually invested in my career.

Okay, young man, you left the competition first time around because of...

I completely botched the dish. The filling and the pasta were all completely wrong.

Tell us what the dish is, please.

So I was just going for a simple cannelloni

stuffed with some Italian sausage, ricotta,

a marinara sauce, and some mozzarella on top.

I mean, visually, the dish looks simple.

At this point, I would expect more finesse.

Shall we?

Oh, dear. Pasta's way too thick.

The inside is just not very good at all.

What happened with that pasta? Was it too wet?

It was too wet, Chef. It just kind of got stickier on me,

and I was fighting that pasta dough for ten minutes.

I think this is a perfect case of you investing your time poorly, right?

And it just looks sort of rudimentary.

It looks like something you'd get at that restaurant that gives you free bread.

- I understand, Chef. - Here's the thing about this.

There's nothing simple about season 12's MasterChef winner,

and so I would not play simple, especially with the talent

that's standing behind you right now.

Yeah, Gabriel, after all the investments

that have been made with you, that's disappointing.

- Thank you, Gabriel. - Understood.

- Damn. - Oh, my God.

Yeah, it's underwhelming.

All right, the second dish

that we would like to taste

is from someone that went extremely far

last time they were in this kitchen.

Please come forward...

Stephen.

It's really tough being in the bottom three.

On season six, I was never in the bottom three.

So it would be a tragedy

to be the first one going home.

All right, Stephen, can you please describe what you have here?

I made a cacao panna cotta.

I have blackberry and gin sauce

and spicy hazelnuts.

Visually, the consistency's off, right?

We'll see if there's something that's redeeming enough to overlook the obvious.

Here's the really strange thing

about the taste of this panna cotta.

The actual flavor, the chocolate, is rich and delicious.

But I can't taste an ounce of gelatin in there.

It doesn't taste of any setting agent in there whatsoever.

- It's just liquid. - Yeah.

Stephen, I'm gonna give it to you straight.

- This is chocolate milk.

This is terrible. It's all wrong. It's inedible.

Thank you, Stephen. You can step back.

It's okay.

It tastes like chocolate milk.

Not even good chocolate milk at that.

Yeah.

Okay, the final dish that we would like to taste

is from a cook who really concerned us with both their flavors

and their plating, quite frankly.

Please come forward, Tommy.

Making three identical plates was a nightmare,

but I know one thing, the flavors are on point.

So I'm hoping it is enough

to keep me in the MasterChef kitchen.

Okay, Tommy, what did you make for us?

I made beef and chorizo burgers

with a fried green tomato

and an avocado truffle mayo.

Tommy, they look a mess. And I'm missing my buns.

- Where did they go to, by the way? - They're on my station.

Damn. Bloody hell.

Tommy, they look a mess. And I'm missing my buns.

- Where did they go to, by the way? - They're on my station.

Damn. Bloody hell.

Tommy, obviously there's some incompletion here.

Some of them are missing bacon. Obviously, some of them are missing bread.

I think your ambition outpaced your ability. What happened?

I was very confused and chaotic at my station.

Is this a fried tomato?

Fried green tomato.

Tommy, when you described the dish, it had potential

because it sounded actually really appetizing.

I love the idea of the fried green tomato.

It does taste quite good,

and I actually like the avocado and truffle.

But we love your flamboyant side to cooking,

and it's quite a refreshing take on it,

but you gotta deliver the goods.

For me, Tommy, I think it was a miscue to put chorizo in this

because then you put yourself in a corner

where you have to cook it through.

You can't cook it medium rare.

You can't tell what's chorizo and what's beef at this point.

I'm grasping for things to really hold onto.

- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Thomas.

- Head up, Tommy. - Wouldn't you do a burger medium rare

- and then do some chorizo crumble or something... - Yeah, you could do that.

- ...so you have the best of both worlds, right? - Absolutely.

- So, a mistake to put it in the ground beef. - I agree.

Tommy, Gabriel, and Stephen, please give us a moment.

Thank you.

I mean, all three of them know how to cook.

- Yeah, that's the thing. - All three.

Like, what happened, dude?

Very tough. So, Gabriel's pasta,

of all the things to do tonight, you don't play it simple.

I just expect much more. I think he really made a mistake.

Between the sliders and the panna cotta, you have two unfinished dishes.

- That's right. Yeah. - The panna cotta,

he didn't add gelatin, as far as I'm concerned.

No, I think he forgot.

I don't taste it. I don't see it.

I can't taste anything. Tommy, unfinished sliders.

I mean, I wasn't a big fan of the chorizo in there.

Did it need the chorizo in there?

No, it didn't need it at all.

I forgot about this part.

- Not me. - You know what I mean?

- Agreed? Let's go. - Yep, let's do it.

Gabriel, Tommy, and Stephen,

tonight's challenge was inspired

by the dish that sent you home.

This has been a really tough decision,

but the person leaving the competition tonight is...

- Stephen. - Oh, God.

- Oh. - Well, damn, Stephen.

Tommy, Gabriel, get a grip. Head back to your station.

Stephen, your panna cotta lacked gelatin, and it had no chance of ever setting.

I thought you were gonna go far in this competition,

and I didn't expect you to be cooking for the last time tonight.

Please place your apron on your bench and say goodbye.

- Whoo! Stephen! - Stephen! We love you!

You're so talented.

It's definitely hard to leave the MasterChef kitchen.

This is the first time I've ever failed tremendously like this.

And, hey, just being able to get that apron

for the second time, it was awesome.

It was short lived, but I walk out happy.

Well, that was a shock. Tonight you've just seen someone who finished third go home.

Remember this, this competition is only gonna get tougher.

Good night.

Next time, it's the first mystery box of the season.

- You feeling lucky tonight? - And it's a big one.

- Oh, my God! - What's up, guys?

But you've got to place big bets...

No one's ever made homemade phyllo from scratch.

- That is major. - ...if you're back to win.

. Oh, my God.

- Someone's going home tonight. - It's not gonna be me.

- What is she, crazy?

- Oh, my God! - Bri, you okay?

- Oh, no. - Please place your apron

on your bench and say good night.

Master Chef returns with former contestants back to win.