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Having to hear judges’ commentary in front of people they barely know is rough for those contestants who were singled out as having the least favorite dishes. The stew room is even more uncomfortable than it usually is.

When Padma arrives, she asks to see the three women who got the most attention during the discussion. That group includes Carrie, Nina and Sara. Curtis talks about the complexity of Sara’s dish as well as the outstanding heat. Nina is complimented for the tenderness of her turtle, and Carrie’s chilled frog leg, which surprised people in a very positive way. After the love fest is over, Curtis announces the winning chef as Nina, who follows in her father’s footsteps by making a power play and declaring herself Queen of the Swamp. It should be noted that chefs who win the first challenge generally have long runs into their season, so we should consider Nina a formidable contestant at this point.

Unfortunately, the title of Queen of the Swamp comes with responsibilities, and Nina announces that the judges want to see Aaron, Ramon and Patty. Aaron accepts the fact that choosing pasta as his dish was probably not the appropriate choice for cooking at a swamp. When it comes to Ramon’s dashi, Emeril says the flavor just wasn’t there. Ramon explains that he added ice to his dashi to cool it down, and Tom’s look of horror is extreme. They’re surprised that Patty even got a dish out. She says she was so worried about getting food on the plate that she eventually forgot the basics. At the end of the discussion, Curtis kindly tells them that their dishes weren’t bad, just not up to the standards set by several of the other chefs.

During their final discussion, the judges say that Aaron’s dish wasn’t as bad as the other two, so it comes down to Ramon and Patty. Tom states that Patty seemed lost, but when they get to Ramon and the fact that he iced the dashi, it’s pretty clear that they’re not going to get past that error in judgment. Tom and Emeril are still incredulous that he even tried it. And indeed, Padma tells Ramon to pack his knives and go. Before Ramon's exit, Tom loudly reminds the contestant of the silver lining. He still has a chance if he can beat a whole bunch of people at Last Chance Kitchen.

With the New Orleans setting, this season promises to be a lot of fun, with a lot of innovative challenges and potentially spectacular guest stars. In the preview of the season, Dr. John tells us, “It’s gonna be kickin’.” Bring it on.

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