‘MasterChef Junior’: Overcooked & Underwhelmed

Last week, Oona was almost kicked out of the competition because of her subpar Shepherd’s Pie and we met the woman who birthed Chef Gordon Ramsay. What will happen this week? Well, there will be overcooked meats and underwhelmed judges.

The kids run into the MasterChef kitchen and enthuse about how far they’ve gotten in the competition. Chef Ramsay quizzes the kids on what they would spend $100,000 on. Adaiah wants a wall of guitars, Oona wants to be a high roller in Vegas, and Abby wants horse posters. Seems reasonable. And yet, Logan rolls his eyes and all the other kids giggle.

Then the kids are told that they have to make sunny side up eggs. Abby immediately starts bowing to it like it’s a white and golden idol in an Indiana Jones flick. Abby says she’s “very advanced in the egg department.” Josh makes as many egg puns as he can in 10 seconds, and it’s not as cute as a producer told him it was.  Okay, to the challenge…

So, I’ve never cooked a sunny side egg. Sometimes I toss in cheese when I’m scrambling eggs, but that’s as adventurous as I get. Apparently cooking sunny side eggs is really difficult and the chefs aren’t going to cut these kids any slack. After a flurry of pan frying, we watch as the three judges survey all the kids’ work, and toss most of it in the trash.

When the dust settles, and the eggs have been canned, we learn that Abby actually made the least amount of quality sunny side up eggs. Then, it’s Oona and Adaiah, followed by Josh and Levi, then it’s Logan. Finally, it’s down to Sean and Samuel. Once again, Sean beasts the challenge and gets and advantage in the pantry.

What’s the advantage? Well, for every perfect egg, the kids can get one ingredient from the pantry for their next challenge. So, Sean made 10 perfect eggs, and so he gets 10 ingredients. Poor Abby only made two, and so little Abby is screwed.

The kids are then tasked to make the signature dish from their dream restaurant. Abby declares that she dreams of having a vet clinic/restaurant called Horses and Courses, Logan wants a bistro under the sea, and Josh thinks everyone around him is crazy.

We learn more about some of the kids’ dream restaurants. Samuel wants a restaurant called “Le Samuel” and it will have a “starlit ambiance.” He keeps his dreams locked safe in a briefcase and declares the restaurant will open in less than 17 years. Sean wants a restaurant called The Drunken Cow because he likes working with meat and wine.

I like this kid, but I’m a little worried for him. It’s not just the interest in alcohol. I started to get worried for little Sean because when Chef Gordon asked, “What inspires you?”  He said, “I just want to be like you.” For the rest of his life, Sean will need Gordon’s approval.

The first real drama? Logan’s soy foam deflates. “There was a fail,” he says as he pulls himself together. The soy foam must foam! Samuel is flustered because he picked a cucumber instead of a zucchini and because Gordon starts talking to him in French. Apparently, if you’re going to open a French fusion restaurant, you might want to know French. I don’t want to talk about Josh or his business model. I just don’t, so I won’t.

Finally, the kids are done. Abby is up first and as she brings her plate up, the kids throw shade. Gordon is impressed that she was able to make so much with so little. She made broiled salmon and then asparagus five ways, but is it good? The salmon is perfect and all of her asparagus sides are great. Samuel gives her props in his confessional. Samuel can be pretentious, but Samuel is a good egg.

Sean, on the other hand, did not cook a perfect steak. It’s overcooked! Sean messed up! The golden boy is just a boy!  Levi also overcooked his salmon. Adaiah does a great job with lamb chops and sweet potatoes, but Oona messed up big time on her seared scallops. As she laments in her confessional, “Of course, I had to add to the list of overcooked proteins! It’s so sucky!”

Then, it’s the moment of truth for Logan. His steak is overseasoned, but cooked well. However, his rice is overcooked. So, finally, we have an overcooked starch! Take that overcooked proteins! But it gets worse for Logan. Chef Gordon tears into him because he had 7 ingredients, but it looks like he only used 3. Logan sobs. It’s awkward to watch.

So, Gordon Ramsay hugs him. Good job, Gordon Ramsay!

Then, Josh brings his duck l’orange. It’s good, but again, the duck is a little overcooked. After that, it’s Samuel. At first, Gordon disparages him because it looks like there are only three things on the plate, but after tasting, he’s in heaven. The duck is perfect and the cucumber pesto is divine. And now Chef Gordon wants a table at Le Samuel on opening night, French language skills or no French language skills!

The judges convene and decide that Abby had an amazing dish, but Samuel had the absolute best dish of the night. They then call Josh, Levi, Oona, and Sean to the front. These are the bottom four. These are the kids who had overcooked proteins. Who will be picked? We have to spend a tense commercial break to find out!

Sean and Oona are saved, which means Levi and Josh are sent home. Before he goes, Josh says that he thinks Samuel and Sean are the front-runners, which is probably true.

That’s all for this week. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Don’t overcook your proteins! [Where To Stream MasterChef Junior]

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[Photos and Gifs: FOX]