Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back (2018) s01e05 Episode Script
La Serenata
1
GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay,
and I'm hitting the road.
(blues rock music)
(truck horn honks)
I'm heading to restaurants
all across America
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no, no.
GORDON: On the brink
MAN: [bleep] you!
GORDON: Of collapse.
They're sat in blood.
What are you waiting for,
a [bleep] death?
But having endured
so many kitchen disasters
over the years
There's a [bleep] mouse in here.
I know that I need
to do something
I've never, ever done before.
I must try to save
each of these restaurants
in just 24 hours.
MAN: That's not a lot of time.
WOMAN: I'm scared
we're not gonna finish.
(snoring)
GORDON: Because in this age
of social media,
where every customer
is a critic
If you want fast service
and good drinks, don't go here.
Next one, one star,
the food looks gross
when it comes out
of the kitchen.
(whispers) Oh, my God.
GORDON: Your business can
succeed or fail overnight.
But when people
know I'm coming,
they tend to hide
what's really going on.
So, this time,
I'll need to be covert,
hiding cameras
in the restaurants
and myself in plain sight
- Catch of the day, hepatitis B.
-(laughs)
GORDON: To catch them all
red-handed.
I had to stop you
from eating in there,
and this is the reason why.
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no!
GORDON: If I have any hope
of saving them
Bless thy soul,
may I come out in one piece.
I'll have to go
to hell and back
GORDON: Oh, my God. -(Coughs)
GORDON: In 24 hours.
(coughs)
(beeping)
(rock music)
GORDON: This week is a big one.
I'm in the heart
of Los Angeles, California,
home to the once-renowned
restaurant La Serenata.
With only 24 hours
to turn this place around,
I needed to know the issues
before I even
stepped foot inside.
So my team told the restaurant
that they were casting
for an upcoming
renovation series.
While they're
being interviewed,
we installed hidden cameras
throughout the restaurant
and have been secretly
recording surveillance footage
since we left.
(rock music)
Now, with several
movie studios nearby,
this is an
incredible neighborhood
for big celebrities
and big businesses.
For any restaurateur,
with all that on your doorstep,
La Serenata should be thriving.
(Latin music)
I'm Marco,
and I manage the restaurant
here at La Serenata.
My father, Jose,
and my mother, Aurora,
met 57 years ago in Mexico.
My first boyfriend.
Not another one, only him.
MARCO: They moved
to Los Angeles.
He opened his first restaurant
in 1984, and we got
super popular.
So we opened
two more locations.
(bell rings)
You know, Don Jose,
he was the man, you know?
He was like a legend.
MARCO: My father,
he had issues with his heart.
One day, my mother
calls me on the phone,
and she's hysterical.
She goes, "Your father's
gonna die,
your father's gonna die."
(voice breaking) I took him
down the stairs.
(somber music)
I--I could tell he was scared.
And my father, he passed away.
It affected my family badly,
by splitting us.
MARCO: I have tried
to take the reins,
but my mother,
she does get in the way.
You're not
running the restaurant
the way you should be. Okay?
(speaking Spanish)
You always say,
"Yo soy la patrona."
- Hey?
-(speaks Spanish)
You just show up,
eat, drink coffee.
They always bicker and fight
with each other.
They're both hotheads,
and it just kind of
puts everyone in a bad mood.
(speaks Spanish)
The mom, she wants
to control everything.
And Marco, he don't want
to be controlled from his mom.
(dramatic music)
Why--why are you waiting?
(both speaking indistinctly)
MARCO: We had to sell
two restaurants
in order to keep one restaurant
which was here at Pico.
This final location,
we are probably
in our last few months.
(speaking Spanish)
My mother had to sell her home.
Now she's living with me,
my wife, and my three kids.
We live together,
and then we work together.
It's not a great recipe.
[bleep].
(speaking English)
Never.
JUNIOR: We didn't fight when
my grandfather was alive.
You know, it sucks, because
it's not a loving feeling
that we had.
I worked too much for this.
I don't want to lose him.
Now, the family know
there's help on the way,
but what they don't know is
that help is me.
Now, when people
know I'm coming,
they all tend to be on
their best bloody behavior.
So I'm going undercover
to catch all of them off guard.
(blues rock)
You know what, Irma,
you might have to man the post.
Oh, really, and you
go wash the dishes?
Time to go sightseeing.
Morning, guys, we good?
Smile, please, everybody.
Madame, s'il vous plait.
- Whee!
-(camera shutter clicks)
GORDON: I'm posing
as a French tourist
so I can go deep undercover.
I lived in Paris
for three years,
deux ans, two years.
I learned to speak French
whilst training as a chef
in Paris in my early days.
So this was
the perfect opportunity.
GUIDE: Also on your right,
Fox Studios.
Home to The Simpsons, New Girl.
- And me.
-(bell tings)
I have a pretty good idea
where we'll go for lunch.
GUIDE: All right, well, look,
it looks like
one of my favorite restaurants,
La Serenata.
Let's see if they'll let us
join in the fun, guys.
WOMAN: All right, thank you.
GORDON: Hopefully,
I won't be spotted.
All right, we got customers.
MARCO: Welcome to
La Serenata, you guys.
GORDON: Bonjour.
MARCO: Great, great, thank you.
We got a nine top coming in.
(speaks French)
Ay-yi-yi.
(Gordon speaking English)
GORDON: Please. Oh, merci.
GORDON: We are ordering dishes
that any Mexican restaurant
worth their margaritas in salt
should be able to make.
- I'll have the ceviche.
- Two tortilla soup.
- Cochinita pibil
MARCO: Pibil.
We'll have that.
I'll have a mahi mahi as well.
Okay, very good.
WOMAN: One more thing.
MARCO: Yeah.
We'll have the breakfast
burrito. Thank you.
GORDON: Having seen
the practices in that kitchen
-from my surveillance team
-(sneezes)
- Whoo.
- Look at this.
GORDON: I'm not expecting much.
Oh, [bleep].
- Well, ceviche for madame.
- Yes, thank you.
Uh
(both speaking French)
-(all speaking French)
GORDON: Ah
His sweat came off his
[bleep] nose into my soup.
I mean, look, look at it, it's
spilling over like a volcano.
(beeping)
(tense music)
- What's it taste like?
- That tastes disgusting.
Okay, a burrito.
WOMAN: Thank you so much.
(spits)
-(laughing)
- That is gross.
I'm not going to tell you
what that reminds me of.
It's like the inside of my
great granddad's underpants.
-(laughs)
- Without the [bleep].
(all laughing)
Okay, the mahi with the garlic.
I think that you're
the mahi lady.
- It's here.
- No, it's here.
MARCO: You don't
like spicy, right?
Oh, that's me,
I'm the no spice lady.
Okay, I'm the one
who ordered mahi mahi.
- Just put the plate down.
WOMAN: Okay.
MARCO: There you go.
WOMAN: So this is a salmon?
- No, that's mahi mahi.
WOMAN: That's the mahi mahi.
I was about to say,
it's the same thing.
Yours is more spicy.
Yours has the chili thingies
- Wow.
- And mine is the mild one.
Oh, my lord.
They might as well [bleep].
Rude, no composure.
It's just running around
like a headless chicken.
GORDON: Right, I've seen enough.
Thank you.
I'll be back in a moment.
Okay, okay, see you later.
(tense music)
Wow, so that was shocking.
The service is dreadful.
The food is embarrassing.
You can feel
the panic in everyone
that this place is sinking.
And more importantly,
everyone's given up.
(upbeat rock music)
- Please follow me, Junior.
- Oh, my--
Young man, can you ask
Marco and everybody
to come and join me
right now, please?
Young man,
come and stand here, please.
- Oh, my God.
WOMAN: That's Gordon Ramsay.
Hello, Aurora.
Please, stand next to Junior.
Thank you. I've had better days.
What I've just experienced
was shocking.
I just want to say
you can never, ever
step inside this dining room
again dripping of sweat
from your nose,
into customer's food.
W-we're trying, you know.
We're trying.
[bleep].
You're worse than him, the way
you shouted at my guests.
- Put the plate down.
- No, I didn't think
- I screamed, but, no
- Oh, okay.
- I apologize.
- That's the polite way
-of acknowledging.
- I apologize, I apologize.
Aurora, I know how much
this restaurant means to you
and how long
it's been in the family.
Truthfully,
are you happy right now?
No.
I'm not happy.
- Would you like my help?
- Of course.
I need your help.
Ladies and gentleman,
stop eating, forks down.
I'd like all of you, right now,
and I mean all of you,
to follow me. Let's go.
GORDON: (exhales)
What a [bleep] disaster.
(rock music)
Just come and take a stand
over here, please, thank you.
That's fine there.
This is Hell on Wheels,
the engine room and the heart
of my command center.
Listen carefully.
My team has been
visiting your restaurant
undercover for weeks
to find out what truly
is happening
on a day-to-day basis.
What they uncovered
Was shocking.
Have a look at this.
(dramatic music)
MARCO: When I saw
that screen going up,
I went, "We're done.
We're done."
[bleep].
Hey, Jonny, smell this.
Look, smell this.
(speaks Spanish)
(camera shutter clicks)
Oh, [bleep].
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
- That was appalling.
Let me promise you
one thing right now.
I am gonna help
to turn this business around.
Not only I'm gonna
turn it around,
but I'm gonna turn it
around in 24 hours.
If your family and your team
doesn't have the passion
and the commitment
over these next 24 hours,
you never will.
Understood?
ALL: Yes, sir, yes Chef.
- I can't hear you.
ALL: Yes, sir! GORDON: Good.
Because the clock starts now.
(dramatic music)
All our customers today,
listen up.
I'm picking up your tab.
That [bleep] was on me.
But what I'd like to see
is that you commit
to returning in 24 hours.
Understood?
Every member of staff here,
get on your cell phones.
Ring home, and tell them
that you're not coming home
for at least 24 hours.
I'll see you all back
inside that restaurant.
Get on the phone.
(tense music)
STONE: This is gonna be
a tough situation.
But I've worked
at La Serenata for ten years.
And I don't feel like there's
any other restaurant like this,
so I really want
the best for them.
Oh, my God. This is crazy.
(tense music)
Let's go back.
Established in 1985,
you guys had three amazing,
talk-of-the-town restaurants.
Marco, why have we given up?
(stammers) It--I mean,
I hear what you're saying.
We haven't given up.
[bleep] the excuse.
I'm done with excuses.
Why is this place
going down the pan?
- Marco?
- Staff, service.
Staff, stop there.
What's the problem
with the staff, Marco?
People are just,
uh, irresponsible.
GORDON: Irresponsible.
MARCO: Not taking it serious.
Not serious, irresponsible.
Who's in charge of the staff?
IRMA: Nobody.
GORDON: Nobody's in charge
of the staff.
MARCO: I'm supposed to be.
GORDON: You're supposed to be.
Uh, but I have issues
with my mom,
because she doesn't want
to let me take the helm
GORDON: So you're saying that
your problem is your mother?
Because she doesn't let you
step up and run the business?
- Right.
- I don't think so.
- I'm not the problem.
GORDON: You're not the problem?
- No. IRMA: Both is the problem.
- Both their problem.
- Both of them are the problem?
Because one is the owner,
and the other one
-is the son of the owner.
- A family business
-that's not on the same page.
- Yeah.
Marta. Who's to blame?
Marco.
- Who's to blame?
- Marco and, uh, his mother.
GORDON: Who's to blame? - Marco.
GORDON: Marco.
- They might say it's my fault.
I'll take 75% of the blame.
You're full of [bleep].
(tense rock music)
Junior, you cook like a man
that doesn't give a [bleep].
It's hard to fix problems
because I'll tell my dad,
"Hey, we should do this
like this, maybe change it."
He'll say yeah,
but then he won't,
you know, back me up.
I'm done with excuses.
I'm here to help,
but I'm not gonna listen
to any more [bleep].
Wake up and start
thinking about change.
- Understood? ALL: Yes.
Okay, let's go.
(upbeat rock music)
WOMAN: Okay, so we're gonna
hand out T-shirts.
So let's get those on,
and then let's get
all the furniture out.
GORDON: We have less than
24 hours to turn La Seranata's
sad song around.
(speaks Spanish)
GORDON: We'll take out
and update the dated décor,
light fixtures, and furniture.
MAN: Ooh, gonna be tight.
GORDON: Then we'll bring
the color scheme
into the 21st century to appeal
to the neighborhood's
trendier locals.
JONNY: I'm still in shock.
It's just blood, sweat, and
tears for the next 24 hours.
Look, used to go all the way
over there, to the bar.
Who did that, then?
GORDON: But I can tell
that opening up the space
She chopped the bar.
[bleep].
GORDON: Is also
opening up old wounds.
But now, I need
to take a closer look
at the heart of
the restaurant, its kitchen.
Excuse me, please, guys,
I need you here, thank you.
(clattering)
GORDON: What in the [bleep]
is that?
MAN: A frozen [bleep] chicken?
-[bleep].
- What in the [bleep]?
How the [bleep] do we eat that?
Hold it.
It's not gonna [bleep]
bite you; It's [bleep] dead.
Dead, frostbitten.
- Oh, my God.
MAN: What is that, Marco?
That's kale,
I didn't think we had that.
I didn't see it in there,
I don't know why
-they put it in the box.
-(coughing)
[bleep].
This is money being thrown
down the [bleep] drain!
- This is fresh kale.
- Oh, my God.
Smell the [bleep] thing!
(grunts, retches)
-(coughs)
MAN: I'm gonna throw up, dude.
(coughs)
GORDON: What's this fish for?
- For all the sauces--
- Sorry?
- Sauces and vegetables.
- Sauces and vegetables.
What sauce, Marco,
are we making with this?
(stammers) Our base sauce,
but that, we would throw out.
We wouldn't use that.
They're all [bleep], young man.
Your father built his legacy
on sauces, right?
Yeah.
Congratulations,
you've just [bleep] it.
You guys get in there and
get this [bleep] kitchen clean.
And I mean clean.
(blues rock)
Start with this one.
Ah.
And look at that backsplash
right there, man.
Aw, [bleep].
GORDON: Running a kitchen
like that,
Marco's not only lost his way.
This restaurant's turned
against him,
'cause they're fed up
with his negativity.
And I feel like
much of it stems
from the poor relationship
with his mother, Aurora.
Where's Aurora? Aurora.
Let's go in the kitchen.
Uh, guys, could you give me
two minutes, please?
- Right, first of all
AURORA: Mm-hmm.
How are you feeling?
Right.
Why has it gone this far down?
How come it's so bad?
Right.
Wow.
Why hasn't Marco
turned out like his father?
Why can't he be like his dad?
Hey, come here, hey, hey.
It should never--
That should never happen.
Stay there two seconds, okay?
- Okay.
- Wait there two seconds.
(tense music)
That guy would never
behave like that
if his father was alive.
Marco, two seconds, please?
Put that down.
And right now, Marco's father
would be turning in his grave.
(tense music)
When your father passed away,
did you step up into his shoes?
- Did you take over?
- Not the way
-he would have wanted me.
- What does that mean?
My mom, you know,
as far as delegating
and power and control,
she looks at me as if
I'm still, you know,
15 years old.
When you go for your mum,
and you humiliate her,
if your father
was in this business,
-what would he do to you?
- Throw me out.
And did your father ever
talk like that to anybody?
No, not like that, no.
He was just more to the point.
People respected him
when he said something.
Sometimes they didn't like it,
but they respected it.
- Do people respect you?
- Probably not, no.
This can't go on. We can't
Work and live together
like this.
This is not how
a family business runs.
We are so far apart.
It's extraordinary.
Trying to fix a restaurant
that is fragmented internally
is hard enough,
but trying to fix a family
that have fallen
out of love for each other?
I'm not too sure
if we can do this.
(music intensifying)
(blues rock music)
Are you guys taking
those things down?
MARCO: It would be awesome.
This is history.
GORDON: This is a family
in turmoil, and I'm not sure
I can do anything about
Marco's appalling behavior.
GORDON: Jonny, I want two
minutes with Junior, please.
Keep cleaning.
GORDON: But I do know one area
where I can start to put this
restaurant back on course
if it's not too late.
- Do you want to be here?
- I'm committed. I'm ready.
I want to put this place
back on the map.
So, tell me,
what the [bleep] happened?
Uh, I mean, I mean,
I-I felt ambitious.
You know, I wanted to do it
for my grandpa,
but, uh, it's draining when
you're putting effort in and,
you know, it's not being used,
-not being accepted.
- Yeah.
You know Grandma's
run out of money, right?
You, you--there's no more
money in the pot.
Yeah, we don't want
to lose this place,
nor everything my--
M-my grandfather
did.
(somber music)
(sniffles)
There needs to be
a part of you, young man,
that has to dig deeper.
- Yeah.
- And you, right now,
are the sole survivor
that could possibly step up.
I will show you
what your grandfather
couldn't pass on to you
if you show me
that you're committed
to change and to stepping up.
- Are you?
- I am, yeah.
I am. I am.
(music swelling)
- Get your team together
- Okay.
And meet me outside.
Okay.
GORDON: Let's go.
All right,
come around, come around.
This is the menu
that we're gonna use
to relaunch your restaurant.
But I'm talking about
authentic, delicious
Mexican cuisine.
That kitchen is tiny,
so our menu needs
to be small and dynamic.
Now, get some spoons,
and start digging in.
Taste down here first.
That's the ceviche, dig in.
And when I say dig in,
I want you to taste
the sea bass, the shrimp,
the fresh cilantro,
the avocado crema.
Have a taste of
delicious, fresh tortilla soup.
We've confited the leg.
We've shredded
the chicken inside.
Dig in, dig in, let's have
a look at some of the entrées.
Jump in the taco, come on.
Our barbacoa taco,
the braised beef cheeks,
finished with
fresh pickled red onion.
Really good.
Now, the red snapper.
MAN: Good. (Clapping)
- Classic, delicious.
MAN: Really good.
And then, the fresh mussels,
finished with
a chorizo,
a classic Mexican beer,
and given it some life.
- Cool.
- Good to see
the smile on your face.
Right, you,
come around this side.
You're gonna cook some mussels.
You guys, continue eating.
Step forward.
All three of you, please.
What's the exciting thing
about mussels?
- Uh, that they're alive?
- They're alive.
They're cheap, and they taste
- They taste delicious.
- Incredible.
Touch of olive oil in first.
Get that hot.
Okay, break that down.
From there, chorizo in.
All I've done is just minced
that up a little bit, okay?
From there, onions.
Gordon is becoming
like a mentor that I lost.
Mussels go in.
JUNIOR: And it's pretty amazing
that, you know,
I had this opportunity
because not many people
get to have that opportunity.
Now
have a taste.
What does that need?
- A bit more salt?
- A bit more salt.
JUNIOR: Yeah. - You nailed it.
You're now gonna buddy up.
My team and you are gonna have
the most intense training
through the [bleep] night.
And they are gonna put you
through your paces
like never before.
- Hello, what's your name?
- Hey. Marco.
- Marco.
- Junior, Junior.
- Junior, you go by Junior?
- Yeah. Junior, yeah.
- That's okay.
- Okay.
And you can start to see Junior
absorbing the chance of freedom.
And his freedom is change.
Give him that
little bit of freedom,
he could change
his restaurant, big time.
(speaking Spanish)
Are we staying
through the night?
Yup.
GORDON: With Junior
in good hands,
I need to get back inside
and check the progress
of the renovation.
- Meghan. MEGHAN: Yes?
The actual bones of this
place is a great shell.
MEGHAN: Not bad.
The soffit's beautiful.
We're gonna accent it
with some wood slots.
GORDON: But the openness of it,
there's no awkward corners
anywhere, you know,
it's got that lovable
- Yeah, yeah.
- Brightness, openness.
(hammer pounding,
drill whirring)
MARCO: Hey, Gordon? - Yes?
D-do you have a minute to talk?
- A minute to talk.
- Yeah.
Uh, yeah, well,
that clock's ticking.
MARCO: Okay. GORDON: Uh, yeah.
GORDON: Let's go,
let's go, let's go.
(tense music)
MARCO: I just feel--
I don't know.
I just--not feel right,
you know?
- I don't feel comfortable.
GORDON: You don't feel right.
Yeah, I don't feel comfortable
with, you know, the way
things kind of went.
Just think how
your mother feels.
Jump in.
Don't get too
[bleep] comfortable.
So let me get this--
Let me get this right.
- You're not very happy.
- No.
- No, why not?
- No, uh
I mean, I--I-- I [bleep] up.
- Mm-hmm.
- Bad.
You're angry.
You are a man
that is absolutely on the edge.
I just, you know, um,
since my dad,
you know, he passed away,
um, it's the stress, it's
the years of him being gone.
Were you not ready for
the challenge? Were you
No, I wasn't ready
for the challenge, no.
And, um, and as he
was going out,
he goes, "I have
to talk to you."
(pensive music)
And that--and those, those were
the last words he said to me.
And I can almost bet everything
that he was gonna tell me
-like, to take care of Mom.
- But,
you didn't respect
his final wishes.
- No, mm-mm, I didn't.
- I can see the anger
-in what you haven't done.
- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
That you're pent up
and you're so desperate,
and you're absolutely
taking it out
on everybody close to you.
What's the final message
that you've never
got off your chest
to say to your dad?
Just, you know, tell him
how much--how much I love him.
(voice breaking) Thank--
You know, thank you, Dad.
With what time
your mother has left
Mm-hmm.
- You need to make amends.
- Mm-hmm.
You need to make up
- Mm-hmm.
- For lost time.
The last thing I want to see
is that family torn apart.
- Mm-hmm, okay.
- If we get this family
back together,
you've got every chance
of making that
restaurant a success.
- Hey, it starts with you.
- Mm-hmm. Okay.
All right, it starts with me.
Thank you, thank you very much.
It's time that I do things
differently now.
I'm gonna change for the better
and prove to everybody that
we can all do this together
and put La Serenata
back to where it was.
(pounding, whirring)
GORDON: While I'm happy
that Marco
is owning up to his mistakes,
he's not the only one
who has lost his way.
I have one more video
I need to show all of them
to wake them up.
GORDON: Junior? - Yeah?
Jonny, let's go.
You know, it's early hours
of the morning.
We're tired.
(tense music)
And there's something missing.
Something that has been
missing for a while.
I've got one more video that
you all need to focus on.
Watch carefully.
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
There's something missing.
I need to give you
a stern reminder
of the key ingredient
that not only is missing,
but you've all forgotten.
Watch carefully.
(soft guitar music)
In your fight
to keep this place alive,
you've all forgotten
the foundation
that that man brought
each and every day.
The love, the kindness,
and the respect
-for each other.
- Even though he's not
here right now,
you know, I feel that
he basically got you to help us
and give us another chance
to bring back the restaurant
to what it used to be.
What do you want to say
to your family?
I want to apologize,
you know, to you, Mom.
My son, Junior.
Irma, my wife,
and my kids at home.
I'm gonna try to become
a better man,
and show some leadership,
the way it should be.
Irma, come over here,
darling, please.
Aurora, come here.
This is an amazing family.
- Yes.
- You guys have just forgotten
the importance of being
a strong family.
And may that man rest in peace,
but we've got a job to do.
Your son apologized.
I know that's
a long time coming.
But you need to let go
And give them a chance.
I give a big chance,
a big chance to my son.
- Because I love him.
GORDON: And he loves you.
- Yeah, of course.
- You guys, let's head back
to the restaurant, let's go.
I'm gonna leave you guys
-two minutes. IRMA: Thank you.
Ah.
MARCO: I love you guys.
JUNIOR: I love you, too.
MARCO: I love you guys,
okay, Mom?
We're good, and Irma.
MARCO: All right? All right.
JUNIOR: All right.
Let's get this back together,
okay, you guys?
IRMA: Okay.
- All right, okay. All right.
GORDON: I had a feeling
that Don Jose
could still help his family.
And now that they
are back together,
it's time to pull the rest
of the restaurant together
as well.
My team is working
throughout the night
to help rewrite the future
of this restaurant.
MAN: I really want to have
all this up tonight.
You know, we got
a lot of touch-up.
GORDON: There'll be
no rest for anyone
until they make the spirit
of Don Jose proud.
(yawning)
I need to get some sleep.
I haven't slept.
(dramatic musical flourish)
GORDON: How are the team doing?
- They're good.
- Yeah.
I think if everyone
kind of stays on task,
we're gonna finish.
If not, we're gonna
have some issues.
GORDON: But it's up to Junior
and his newly inspired team
to give everyone a taste
of what's to come
for La Serenata.
MAN: Looks really good, man.
JUNIOR: Good job, yeah.
JUNIOR: Because of what
Gordon just taught us,
I feel that we're back
to how my grandfather
would run his kitchen.
Clean, tight,
everything perfect.
- I like everything.
- You like everything, yeah?
It's exciting
to finally be back.
(laughs) Whoo, here we go.
MAN: So you guys made this?
MAN: Yes, sir.
WOMAN: Looks great.
MAN: It's the new menu, huh?
- Beautiful. GORDON: Tonight,
we're gonna relaunch
La Serenata,
and we're gonna
launch with a bang.
And this menu is gonna
become the staple
of the relaunch
of this restaurant.
Margaritas, please.
Drop one down each side, please.
How can we not sell
an amazing margarita?
Aurora, have a little taste.
(speaks Spanish)
- Yipee!
-(all laugh)
Excellent, all right,
that's enough, that's enough.
- Yeah, that's enough, okay.
-(all laugh)
Dig in, taste, and enjoy.
(upbeat rock music)
MAN: Oh, man, this is so good.
(speaking Spanish)
- Try the snapper.
- Yeah, this is so good.
- This snapper.
- I like the ceviche.
Oh, yeah, do you guys know
how to make this stuff?
- Yeah, we all do.
-(laughs)
MARCO: I'm so proud of Junior
that he's here
and he's learning
and he's absorbing,
and Gordon is showing him.
He's teaching him.
It's a once in a lifetime
experience for him.
- Salud. MAN: To Don Jose.
BOTH: To Don Jose,
and La Serenata.
GORDON: With a needed boost
into their final six hours,
I've got one more surprise
for Junior and his crew.
Take a look
at the state of this kitchen.
These tools
are the correct equipment
that this team needs.
It's the best of the best.
From mixers to tabletop fryers,
stick mixers, blenders--
You name it, you've got it.
- Thank you so much.
- This is unbelievable.
- It's amazing, thank you.
GORDON: Junior, delegate.
Get organized
and tell them what you want.
- We're resetting, let's go.
- Okay, gotcha.
Okay, okay, Jonny--
MEGHAN: Let's start
setting the tables.
GORDON: While the physical
renovation of La Serenata
looks amazing, it means nothing
if they don't have the staff
to match it.
Uh, reservations.
Yeah, how do you
greet customers?
Stand here, stand here,
we're walking in.
Let's go, let's go.
Yeah, so you scared
the [bleep] out of me.
It's like you just
escaped from prison
and you're [bleep] stoned
out of your mind.
First of all,
give me an S-M-I-L-E.
Smile.
Let's go, one more time.
MARCO: Hi. - Welcome.
This is La Serenata.
[bleep] me.
Rome wasn't built in a day,
I get that.
Do you want that
reservation list, yes or no?
MAN: Yes, yes! - Oh, my God.
He doesn't want it.
All right, Stone, head up.
We're gonna now
sort out the dining room?
JUAN CARLOS: Stone is
definitely one of a kind.
His name says it all,
pretty much.
Welcome us.
And I don't want you
to sit down.
I'd like you to recommend
some of the menu.
W--
Should we look
at the menus first?
- I mean--
- Just--well, just,
recommend a dish
you tasted then,
earlier this morning.
So sell it to us.
(tense music)
(speaking Spanish)
Come on.
Just recommend to my mom.
Green chicken enchiladas
in tomatillo sauce.
Chinese? Oh, I'm done.
(chair scraping)
I'm done, me, I've got
to get some fresh air.
Holy [bleep].
Can I start with Chinese?
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
Just relax, just relax.
Here, I'm gonna get a menu,
I'm gonna get a menu, okay?
I'm gonna give you a massage.
GORDON: While the renovation
of La Serenata looks amazing,
there is still plenty
to be done before we reopen.
MARCO: They've been
working hard
all night, busting their butts.
I don't know how it's going
to all come together,
but I will do everything
to help them.
MARCO: Do you guys
need any help?
Can somebody get me some ice?
Sure, yes,
I'll get you some ice.
Okay, so then, look.
After you get in,
just scroll all the way
to the top.
Gordon--uh,
"Gordon Ramsay menu."
GORDON: I'm glad to see Marco
attempting to be
the leader his father once was.
Jump on my back.
Jump on my back.
- Jump on.
- Oh, my God.
GORDON: Everyone here
needs to be at their best
to prepare for tonight's
grand reopening.
GORDON: Team, let's go.
Come on.
JUNIOR: Okay, come on, Mom.
GORDON: Let's go.
Let me tell you something.
Good to see you both.
- You're well, and you're dry.
JUNIOR: We got him a towel.
Ah, that's what he needs.
Right, when I first arrived
in this restaurant,
it was in disarray.
Just take a look at this place.
-The mural, beautifully done.
MARCO: Yeah, it's beautiful.
GORDON: This has to be
the perfect backdrop
for customer selfies to help
spread the word online.
Minutes from now,
that door is gonna open
and this place
is gonna relaunch.
- Right, how are you feeling?
- It's just the best thing
in the world right now.
I'm so happy.
And my mom, you know,
and for my dad.
Have you fallen back in love
with your family?
MARCO: Oh, yeah.
GORDON: There you go.
- All right.
- And this place
is gonna become
what that amazing man,
your husband, your father,
your granddad stood for.
- Are we excited? ALL: Yes.
- Are we ready? ALL: Yes.
ALL: Five, four, three,
two, one.
Let's do this. Come on.
(applause)
(indistinct chatter)
Come on in, you guys. Welcome.
Come on in, welcome.
GORDON: In just 24 hours,
my team and La Serenata staff
have turned this place around.
WOMAN: Hi.
- Yes, we do, thank you.
- Thank you.
GORDON: We've given it
a fresh coat of paint
and a modern style.
We've removed
the outdated décor
and the hideous chandeliers.
It is really pretty in here.
Oh, it's amazing.
I love the new color,
and I love the new logo.
GORDON: Customers no longer
see a dull, dirty restaurant
stuck painfully in the past.
They see a fresh, sleek place
with eyes on the future
and a menu designed
to help take them there.
May I just grace
this heavyweight
table of critics?
- Yes.
- Very rare chefs get
the opportunity to sit
next to such esteem.
- Oh, that's too kind.
-(laughter)
GORDON: Now, I can only hope
that all the staff
is fully on board.
- Smile, remember? Yeah, go.
MAN: Ready?
Okay, next order. Let's do it.
Hello, hello.
How are you, ladies?
Um, I'm gonna get you started--
Welcome, welcome to La Serenata.
Welcome to La Serenata.
GORDON: It's busy,
they've never had
to work this organized,
but more importantly,
what I need is Marco
to keep the peace
and support the dining room
and encourage Junior.
JUNIOR: Remember, guys,
taste everything.
I got another ceviche.
I've already taken that
to table one.
(dramatic music)
How did you take that
to table one?
This one is saying
that it hasn't gone.
Oh, it's for Juan, Juan.
Not one.
- Oh, my God.
- Juan.
I'm really sorry once again,
and as soon as the food
is available, I'll bring it
to you right away.
Okay, okay.
What was he doing there?
[bleep].
You guys are waiting
for your check?
Oh, I'm sorry, sorry.
I don't know,
Marco's very nervous.
But we're gonna work together.
I'm very sorry you haven't
GORDON: There have been
some bumps in the service,
but I'm more worried
that Marco's panic
is spreading
to Junior and his kitchen.
Oh, my corn, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, the corn on the side.
Oh, no, that's not us.
No, we're getting stuff
we didn't order.
- Okay, take that--
- Right. No. Come here.
- Come here. Come here.
JUNIOR: Okay.
That's the second table that's
already got the same food.
This is air traffic control.
You're in charge.
Okay.
Okay, we need a order of barba--
Are those tacos done?
Is that for 15?
- Is that 15's? WOMAN: 15.
Oh, my lord.
(head thumping)
(dramatic music)
It's been a long while.
They're having their appetizer.
I'm sorry, that
wasn't my mistake.
The kitchen, the kitchen
didn't make it,
and I said,
"Where's my ceviche?"
GORDON: Come here, you.
- Yeah, yes?
GORDON: Talk to me, we're
gonna look for a solution.
You are not gonna lose it.
You are not going back
to where you were.
- Okay, all right.
- But food shouldn't go
-to the same table three times.
- Okay.
That's not a kitchen problem.
That's a service problem.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- All right.
- So someone's not listening
-to Junior.
- Okay.
But what I want you to do is
get the service on their toes.
- Okay, great.
- Okay, let's go.
Okay. Oh, my God, oh, my God.
It doesn't matter, they're
taking food to the wrong table.
- Okay.
- But what you need to do
hey, is to find that voice
now and dig deep.
- Okay?
- Okay, okay. Yes, Chef.
Okay, 24, 14,
table 4 and table 6.
Okay, you guys, service?
(dramatic music)
The table 24, the critics,
everything is on point.
They're happy,
and they're loving it.
- Everything good.
- Awesome, awesome.
I feel so confident now.
Having the support
from my family and our staff,
we know that we're gonna have
everything coming out correct,
the same, and everyone's
gonna love it.
Oh, my God.
That's from heaven.
Good job, guys.
Keep it up, keep it up.
Keep it going, keep it going.
Oh, really?
Really?
Stone.
It's so nice
to see you having fun.
- You're a cool guy, right?
- Yeah.
So have more fun.
When you're having fun,
-the customers are having fun.
- Got it.
- What did she say?
- She said it was amazing.
She was just, like, speechless.
- Do you love that?
- Yes.
Mmm.
I really like
how they raised the bar.
Moved away
from the combo platters
and the very dated menu.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
Well done.
That was never gonna be easy.
- No, it's not.
-69 guests.
- Oh, my God.
- Yeah, how do you feel?
- Great, it feels amazing.
- Completely different.
I mean, just the whole--
The whole feel of the place.
Completely different.
What I heard tonight
was your voice.
That was the most
important thing for me.
I feel very good.
I feel very happy,
and I know my husband
is very happy.
The kitchen was strong tonight.
Continue improving
the dining room.
- Okay.
- Continue digging deep
for that voice.
And if you four join together
- Yeah.
- Stay together,
-nothing is gonna break you.
- Okay.
- If we fall apart
- Mm-hmm.
The restaurant's
gonna fall apart.
- That's true.
- Yeah.
But what I would like to see
is no more fighting.
- Okay.
- It's not worth it.
- Please. GORDON: Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I'm so thankful that
Gordon Ramsay came in here
and really made us
see the problem,
talk it out,
and actually perform tonight.
And, you know, it's
you know, it's a miracle.
(exhales deeply)
They say there's no such thing
as a overnight success.
But I believe
La Serenata family could be
the exception to the rule.
You know, 24 hours ago,
when I arrived,
I met a broken restaurant
run by a very broken family.
But tonight, La Serenata
family came together
for the first time
in a long time.
And right now,
Don Jose's legacy can live on.
Hey, Gordon,
it's Marco from La Serenata.
Uh, I'm just giving you
an update of what's going on.
And it's tough.
It's tough right now.
My dad, he's going back
into his old ways.
MARCO: I told you,
chicken quesadilla, okay?
You made another mistake.
JUNIOR: He went back
to the old menu.
Jonny left. It's kind of me
back there on my own.
And because
I don't get paid here anymore,
I have a second job.
It's tough.
GORDON: Next week, I head
to a dog-friendly restaurant
in the heart of America.
(dogs barking, snarling)
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
- There's hair everywhere.
GORDON: Run by a couple
who have bitten off
more than they can chew.
There comes
an end of the road sometime.
- I don't know if this is it.
-(sniffles)
GORDON: If they can't get
their staff
on a tighter leash
- And you're perfect, right?
- No.
- But you think you are.
- I absolutely--
GORDON: This restaurant
is sure to get put down.
You can't serve
the same food to the customers
that you serve to the dogs.
(dog whimpers)
Announcer: Tomorrow, it's do-or-die
for dreams of musical stardom.
The Four is all new!
GORDON: I'm Gordon Ramsay,
and I'm hitting the road.
(blues rock music)
(truck horn honks)
I'm heading to restaurants
all across America
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no, no.
GORDON: On the brink
MAN: [bleep] you!
GORDON: Of collapse.
They're sat in blood.
What are you waiting for,
a [bleep] death?
But having endured
so many kitchen disasters
over the years
There's a [bleep] mouse in here.
I know that I need
to do something
I've never, ever done before.
I must try to save
each of these restaurants
in just 24 hours.
MAN: That's not a lot of time.
WOMAN: I'm scared
we're not gonna finish.
(snoring)
GORDON: Because in this age
of social media,
where every customer
is a critic
If you want fast service
and good drinks, don't go here.
Next one, one star,
the food looks gross
when it comes out
of the kitchen.
(whispers) Oh, my God.
GORDON: Your business can
succeed or fail overnight.
But when people
know I'm coming,
they tend to hide
what's really going on.
So, this time,
I'll need to be covert,
hiding cameras
in the restaurants
and myself in plain sight
- Catch of the day, hepatitis B.
-(laughs)
GORDON: To catch them all
red-handed.
I had to stop you
from eating in there,
and this is the reason why.
WOMAN: Oh, my God, no!
GORDON: If I have any hope
of saving them
Bless thy soul,
may I come out in one piece.
I'll have to go
to hell and back
GORDON: Oh, my God. -(Coughs)
GORDON: In 24 hours.
(coughs)
(beeping)
(rock music)
GORDON: This week is a big one.
I'm in the heart
of Los Angeles, California,
home to the once-renowned
restaurant La Serenata.
With only 24 hours
to turn this place around,
I needed to know the issues
before I even
stepped foot inside.
So my team told the restaurant
that they were casting
for an upcoming
renovation series.
While they're
being interviewed,
we installed hidden cameras
throughout the restaurant
and have been secretly
recording surveillance footage
since we left.
(rock music)
Now, with several
movie studios nearby,
this is an
incredible neighborhood
for big celebrities
and big businesses.
For any restaurateur,
with all that on your doorstep,
La Serenata should be thriving.
(Latin music)
I'm Marco,
and I manage the restaurant
here at La Serenata.
My father, Jose,
and my mother, Aurora,
met 57 years ago in Mexico.
My first boyfriend.
Not another one, only him.
MARCO: They moved
to Los Angeles.
He opened his first restaurant
in 1984, and we got
super popular.
So we opened
two more locations.
(bell rings)
You know, Don Jose,
he was the man, you know?
He was like a legend.
MARCO: My father,
he had issues with his heart.
One day, my mother
calls me on the phone,
and she's hysterical.
She goes, "Your father's
gonna die,
your father's gonna die."
(voice breaking) I took him
down the stairs.
(somber music)
I--I could tell he was scared.
And my father, he passed away.
It affected my family badly,
by splitting us.
MARCO: I have tried
to take the reins,
but my mother,
she does get in the way.
You're not
running the restaurant
the way you should be. Okay?
(speaking Spanish)
You always say,
"Yo soy la patrona."
- Hey?
-(speaks Spanish)
You just show up,
eat, drink coffee.
They always bicker and fight
with each other.
They're both hotheads,
and it just kind of
puts everyone in a bad mood.
(speaks Spanish)
The mom, she wants
to control everything.
And Marco, he don't want
to be controlled from his mom.
(dramatic music)
Why--why are you waiting?
(both speaking indistinctly)
MARCO: We had to sell
two restaurants
in order to keep one restaurant
which was here at Pico.
This final location,
we are probably
in our last few months.
(speaking Spanish)
My mother had to sell her home.
Now she's living with me,
my wife, and my three kids.
We live together,
and then we work together.
It's not a great recipe.
[bleep].
(speaking English)
Never.
JUNIOR: We didn't fight when
my grandfather was alive.
You know, it sucks, because
it's not a loving feeling
that we had.
I worked too much for this.
I don't want to lose him.
Now, the family know
there's help on the way,
but what they don't know is
that help is me.
Now, when people
know I'm coming,
they all tend to be on
their best bloody behavior.
So I'm going undercover
to catch all of them off guard.
(blues rock)
You know what, Irma,
you might have to man the post.
Oh, really, and you
go wash the dishes?
Time to go sightseeing.
Morning, guys, we good?
Smile, please, everybody.
Madame, s'il vous plait.
- Whee!
-(camera shutter clicks)
GORDON: I'm posing
as a French tourist
so I can go deep undercover.
I lived in Paris
for three years,
deux ans, two years.
I learned to speak French
whilst training as a chef
in Paris in my early days.
So this was
the perfect opportunity.
GUIDE: Also on your right,
Fox Studios.
Home to The Simpsons, New Girl.
- And me.
-(bell tings)
I have a pretty good idea
where we'll go for lunch.
GUIDE: All right, well, look,
it looks like
one of my favorite restaurants,
La Serenata.
Let's see if they'll let us
join in the fun, guys.
WOMAN: All right, thank you.
GORDON: Hopefully,
I won't be spotted.
All right, we got customers.
MARCO: Welcome to
La Serenata, you guys.
GORDON: Bonjour.
MARCO: Great, great, thank you.
We got a nine top coming in.
(speaks French)
Ay-yi-yi.
(Gordon speaking English)
GORDON: Please. Oh, merci.
GORDON: We are ordering dishes
that any Mexican restaurant
worth their margaritas in salt
should be able to make.
- I'll have the ceviche.
- Two tortilla soup.
- Cochinita pibil
MARCO: Pibil.
We'll have that.
I'll have a mahi mahi as well.
Okay, very good.
WOMAN: One more thing.
MARCO: Yeah.
We'll have the breakfast
burrito. Thank you.
GORDON: Having seen
the practices in that kitchen
-from my surveillance team
-(sneezes)
- Whoo.
- Look at this.
GORDON: I'm not expecting much.
Oh, [bleep].
- Well, ceviche for madame.
- Yes, thank you.
Uh
(both speaking French)
-(all speaking French)
GORDON: Ah
His sweat came off his
[bleep] nose into my soup.
I mean, look, look at it, it's
spilling over like a volcano.
(beeping)
(tense music)
- What's it taste like?
- That tastes disgusting.
Okay, a burrito.
WOMAN: Thank you so much.
(spits)
-(laughing)
- That is gross.
I'm not going to tell you
what that reminds me of.
It's like the inside of my
great granddad's underpants.
-(laughs)
- Without the [bleep].
(all laughing)
Okay, the mahi with the garlic.
I think that you're
the mahi lady.
- It's here.
- No, it's here.
MARCO: You don't
like spicy, right?
Oh, that's me,
I'm the no spice lady.
Okay, I'm the one
who ordered mahi mahi.
- Just put the plate down.
WOMAN: Okay.
MARCO: There you go.
WOMAN: So this is a salmon?
- No, that's mahi mahi.
WOMAN: That's the mahi mahi.
I was about to say,
it's the same thing.
Yours is more spicy.
Yours has the chili thingies
- Wow.
- And mine is the mild one.
Oh, my lord.
They might as well [bleep].
Rude, no composure.
It's just running around
like a headless chicken.
GORDON: Right, I've seen enough.
Thank you.
I'll be back in a moment.
Okay, okay, see you later.
(tense music)
Wow, so that was shocking.
The service is dreadful.
The food is embarrassing.
You can feel
the panic in everyone
that this place is sinking.
And more importantly,
everyone's given up.
(upbeat rock music)
- Please follow me, Junior.
- Oh, my--
Young man, can you ask
Marco and everybody
to come and join me
right now, please?
Young man,
come and stand here, please.
- Oh, my God.
WOMAN: That's Gordon Ramsay.
Hello, Aurora.
Please, stand next to Junior.
Thank you. I've had better days.
What I've just experienced
was shocking.
I just want to say
you can never, ever
step inside this dining room
again dripping of sweat
from your nose,
into customer's food.
W-we're trying, you know.
We're trying.
[bleep].
You're worse than him, the way
you shouted at my guests.
- Put the plate down.
- No, I didn't think
- I screamed, but, no
- Oh, okay.
- I apologize.
- That's the polite way
-of acknowledging.
- I apologize, I apologize.
Aurora, I know how much
this restaurant means to you
and how long
it's been in the family.
Truthfully,
are you happy right now?
No.
I'm not happy.
- Would you like my help?
- Of course.
I need your help.
Ladies and gentleman,
stop eating, forks down.
I'd like all of you, right now,
and I mean all of you,
to follow me. Let's go.
GORDON: (exhales)
What a [bleep] disaster.
(rock music)
Just come and take a stand
over here, please, thank you.
That's fine there.
This is Hell on Wheels,
the engine room and the heart
of my command center.
Listen carefully.
My team has been
visiting your restaurant
undercover for weeks
to find out what truly
is happening
on a day-to-day basis.
What they uncovered
Was shocking.
Have a look at this.
(dramatic music)
MARCO: When I saw
that screen going up,
I went, "We're done.
We're done."
[bleep].
Hey, Jonny, smell this.
Look, smell this.
(speaks Spanish)
(camera shutter clicks)
Oh, [bleep].
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
- That was appalling.
Let me promise you
one thing right now.
I am gonna help
to turn this business around.
Not only I'm gonna
turn it around,
but I'm gonna turn it
around in 24 hours.
If your family and your team
doesn't have the passion
and the commitment
over these next 24 hours,
you never will.
Understood?
ALL: Yes, sir, yes Chef.
- I can't hear you.
ALL: Yes, sir! GORDON: Good.
Because the clock starts now.
(dramatic music)
All our customers today,
listen up.
I'm picking up your tab.
That [bleep] was on me.
But what I'd like to see
is that you commit
to returning in 24 hours.
Understood?
Every member of staff here,
get on your cell phones.
Ring home, and tell them
that you're not coming home
for at least 24 hours.
I'll see you all back
inside that restaurant.
Get on the phone.
(tense music)
STONE: This is gonna be
a tough situation.
But I've worked
at La Serenata for ten years.
And I don't feel like there's
any other restaurant like this,
so I really want
the best for them.
Oh, my God. This is crazy.
(tense music)
Let's go back.
Established in 1985,
you guys had three amazing,
talk-of-the-town restaurants.
Marco, why have we given up?
(stammers) It--I mean,
I hear what you're saying.
We haven't given up.
[bleep] the excuse.
I'm done with excuses.
Why is this place
going down the pan?
- Marco?
- Staff, service.
Staff, stop there.
What's the problem
with the staff, Marco?
People are just,
uh, irresponsible.
GORDON: Irresponsible.
MARCO: Not taking it serious.
Not serious, irresponsible.
Who's in charge of the staff?
IRMA: Nobody.
GORDON: Nobody's in charge
of the staff.
MARCO: I'm supposed to be.
GORDON: You're supposed to be.
Uh, but I have issues
with my mom,
because she doesn't want
to let me take the helm
GORDON: So you're saying that
your problem is your mother?
Because she doesn't let you
step up and run the business?
- Right.
- I don't think so.
- I'm not the problem.
GORDON: You're not the problem?
- No. IRMA: Both is the problem.
- Both their problem.
- Both of them are the problem?
Because one is the owner,
and the other one
-is the son of the owner.
- A family business
-that's not on the same page.
- Yeah.
Marta. Who's to blame?
Marco.
- Who's to blame?
- Marco and, uh, his mother.
GORDON: Who's to blame? - Marco.
GORDON: Marco.
- They might say it's my fault.
I'll take 75% of the blame.
You're full of [bleep].
(tense rock music)
Junior, you cook like a man
that doesn't give a [bleep].
It's hard to fix problems
because I'll tell my dad,
"Hey, we should do this
like this, maybe change it."
He'll say yeah,
but then he won't,
you know, back me up.
I'm done with excuses.
I'm here to help,
but I'm not gonna listen
to any more [bleep].
Wake up and start
thinking about change.
- Understood? ALL: Yes.
Okay, let's go.
(upbeat rock music)
WOMAN: Okay, so we're gonna
hand out T-shirts.
So let's get those on,
and then let's get
all the furniture out.
GORDON: We have less than
24 hours to turn La Seranata's
sad song around.
(speaks Spanish)
GORDON: We'll take out
and update the dated décor,
light fixtures, and furniture.
MAN: Ooh, gonna be tight.
GORDON: Then we'll bring
the color scheme
into the 21st century to appeal
to the neighborhood's
trendier locals.
JONNY: I'm still in shock.
It's just blood, sweat, and
tears for the next 24 hours.
Look, used to go all the way
over there, to the bar.
Who did that, then?
GORDON: But I can tell
that opening up the space
She chopped the bar.
[bleep].
GORDON: Is also
opening up old wounds.
But now, I need
to take a closer look
at the heart of
the restaurant, its kitchen.
Excuse me, please, guys,
I need you here, thank you.
(clattering)
GORDON: What in the [bleep]
is that?
MAN: A frozen [bleep] chicken?
-[bleep].
- What in the [bleep]?
How the [bleep] do we eat that?
Hold it.
It's not gonna [bleep]
bite you; It's [bleep] dead.
Dead, frostbitten.
- Oh, my God.
MAN: What is that, Marco?
That's kale,
I didn't think we had that.
I didn't see it in there,
I don't know why
-they put it in the box.
-(coughing)
[bleep].
This is money being thrown
down the [bleep] drain!
- This is fresh kale.
- Oh, my God.
Smell the [bleep] thing!
(grunts, retches)
-(coughs)
MAN: I'm gonna throw up, dude.
(coughs)
GORDON: What's this fish for?
- For all the sauces--
- Sorry?
- Sauces and vegetables.
- Sauces and vegetables.
What sauce, Marco,
are we making with this?
(stammers) Our base sauce,
but that, we would throw out.
We wouldn't use that.
They're all [bleep], young man.
Your father built his legacy
on sauces, right?
Yeah.
Congratulations,
you've just [bleep] it.
You guys get in there and
get this [bleep] kitchen clean.
And I mean clean.
(blues rock)
Start with this one.
Ah.
And look at that backsplash
right there, man.
Aw, [bleep].
GORDON: Running a kitchen
like that,
Marco's not only lost his way.
This restaurant's turned
against him,
'cause they're fed up
with his negativity.
And I feel like
much of it stems
from the poor relationship
with his mother, Aurora.
Where's Aurora? Aurora.
Let's go in the kitchen.
Uh, guys, could you give me
two minutes, please?
- Right, first of all
AURORA: Mm-hmm.
How are you feeling?
Right.
Why has it gone this far down?
How come it's so bad?
Right.
Wow.
Why hasn't Marco
turned out like his father?
Why can't he be like his dad?
Hey, come here, hey, hey.
It should never--
That should never happen.
Stay there two seconds, okay?
- Okay.
- Wait there two seconds.
(tense music)
That guy would never
behave like that
if his father was alive.
Marco, two seconds, please?
Put that down.
And right now, Marco's father
would be turning in his grave.
(tense music)
When your father passed away,
did you step up into his shoes?
- Did you take over?
- Not the way
-he would have wanted me.
- What does that mean?
My mom, you know,
as far as delegating
and power and control,
she looks at me as if
I'm still, you know,
15 years old.
When you go for your mum,
and you humiliate her,
if your father
was in this business,
-what would he do to you?
- Throw me out.
And did your father ever
talk like that to anybody?
No, not like that, no.
He was just more to the point.
People respected him
when he said something.
Sometimes they didn't like it,
but they respected it.
- Do people respect you?
- Probably not, no.
This can't go on. We can't
Work and live together
like this.
This is not how
a family business runs.
We are so far apart.
It's extraordinary.
Trying to fix a restaurant
that is fragmented internally
is hard enough,
but trying to fix a family
that have fallen
out of love for each other?
I'm not too sure
if we can do this.
(music intensifying)
(blues rock music)
Are you guys taking
those things down?
MARCO: It would be awesome.
This is history.
GORDON: This is a family
in turmoil, and I'm not sure
I can do anything about
Marco's appalling behavior.
GORDON: Jonny, I want two
minutes with Junior, please.
Keep cleaning.
GORDON: But I do know one area
where I can start to put this
restaurant back on course
if it's not too late.
- Do you want to be here?
- I'm committed. I'm ready.
I want to put this place
back on the map.
So, tell me,
what the [bleep] happened?
Uh, I mean, I mean,
I-I felt ambitious.
You know, I wanted to do it
for my grandpa,
but, uh, it's draining when
you're putting effort in and,
you know, it's not being used,
-not being accepted.
- Yeah.
You know Grandma's
run out of money, right?
You, you--there's no more
money in the pot.
Yeah, we don't want
to lose this place,
nor everything my--
M-my grandfather
did.
(somber music)
(sniffles)
There needs to be
a part of you, young man,
that has to dig deeper.
- Yeah.
- And you, right now,
are the sole survivor
that could possibly step up.
I will show you
what your grandfather
couldn't pass on to you
if you show me
that you're committed
to change and to stepping up.
- Are you?
- I am, yeah.
I am. I am.
(music swelling)
- Get your team together
- Okay.
And meet me outside.
Okay.
GORDON: Let's go.
All right,
come around, come around.
This is the menu
that we're gonna use
to relaunch your restaurant.
But I'm talking about
authentic, delicious
Mexican cuisine.
That kitchen is tiny,
so our menu needs
to be small and dynamic.
Now, get some spoons,
and start digging in.
Taste down here first.
That's the ceviche, dig in.
And when I say dig in,
I want you to taste
the sea bass, the shrimp,
the fresh cilantro,
the avocado crema.
Have a taste of
delicious, fresh tortilla soup.
We've confited the leg.
We've shredded
the chicken inside.
Dig in, dig in, let's have
a look at some of the entrées.
Jump in the taco, come on.
Our barbacoa taco,
the braised beef cheeks,
finished with
fresh pickled red onion.
Really good.
Now, the red snapper.
MAN: Good. (Clapping)
- Classic, delicious.
MAN: Really good.
And then, the fresh mussels,
finished with
a chorizo,
a classic Mexican beer,
and given it some life.
- Cool.
- Good to see
the smile on your face.
Right, you,
come around this side.
You're gonna cook some mussels.
You guys, continue eating.
Step forward.
All three of you, please.
What's the exciting thing
about mussels?
- Uh, that they're alive?
- They're alive.
They're cheap, and they taste
- They taste delicious.
- Incredible.
Touch of olive oil in first.
Get that hot.
Okay, break that down.
From there, chorizo in.
All I've done is just minced
that up a little bit, okay?
From there, onions.
Gordon is becoming
like a mentor that I lost.
Mussels go in.
JUNIOR: And it's pretty amazing
that, you know,
I had this opportunity
because not many people
get to have that opportunity.
Now
have a taste.
What does that need?
- A bit more salt?
- A bit more salt.
JUNIOR: Yeah. - You nailed it.
You're now gonna buddy up.
My team and you are gonna have
the most intense training
through the [bleep] night.
And they are gonna put you
through your paces
like never before.
- Hello, what's your name?
- Hey. Marco.
- Marco.
- Junior, Junior.
- Junior, you go by Junior?
- Yeah. Junior, yeah.
- That's okay.
- Okay.
And you can start to see Junior
absorbing the chance of freedom.
And his freedom is change.
Give him that
little bit of freedom,
he could change
his restaurant, big time.
(speaking Spanish)
Are we staying
through the night?
Yup.
GORDON: With Junior
in good hands,
I need to get back inside
and check the progress
of the renovation.
- Meghan. MEGHAN: Yes?
The actual bones of this
place is a great shell.
MEGHAN: Not bad.
The soffit's beautiful.
We're gonna accent it
with some wood slots.
GORDON: But the openness of it,
there's no awkward corners
anywhere, you know,
it's got that lovable
- Yeah, yeah.
- Brightness, openness.
(hammer pounding,
drill whirring)
MARCO: Hey, Gordon? - Yes?
D-do you have a minute to talk?
- A minute to talk.
- Yeah.
Uh, yeah, well,
that clock's ticking.
MARCO: Okay. GORDON: Uh, yeah.
GORDON: Let's go,
let's go, let's go.
(tense music)
MARCO: I just feel--
I don't know.
I just--not feel right,
you know?
- I don't feel comfortable.
GORDON: You don't feel right.
Yeah, I don't feel comfortable
with, you know, the way
things kind of went.
Just think how
your mother feels.
Jump in.
Don't get too
[bleep] comfortable.
So let me get this--
Let me get this right.
- You're not very happy.
- No.
- No, why not?
- No, uh
I mean, I--I-- I [bleep] up.
- Mm-hmm.
- Bad.
You're angry.
You are a man
that is absolutely on the edge.
I just, you know, um,
since my dad,
you know, he passed away,
um, it's the stress, it's
the years of him being gone.
Were you not ready for
the challenge? Were you
No, I wasn't ready
for the challenge, no.
And, um, and as he
was going out,
he goes, "I have
to talk to you."
(pensive music)
And that--and those, those were
the last words he said to me.
And I can almost bet everything
that he was gonna tell me
-like, to take care of Mom.
- But,
you didn't respect
his final wishes.
- No, mm-mm, I didn't.
- I can see the anger
-in what you haven't done.
- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
That you're pent up
and you're so desperate,
and you're absolutely
taking it out
on everybody close to you.
What's the final message
that you've never
got off your chest
to say to your dad?
Just, you know, tell him
how much--how much I love him.
(voice breaking) Thank--
You know, thank you, Dad.
With what time
your mother has left
Mm-hmm.
- You need to make amends.
- Mm-hmm.
You need to make up
- Mm-hmm.
- For lost time.
The last thing I want to see
is that family torn apart.
- Mm-hmm, okay.
- If we get this family
back together,
you've got every chance
of making that
restaurant a success.
- Hey, it starts with you.
- Mm-hmm. Okay.
All right, it starts with me.
Thank you, thank you very much.
It's time that I do things
differently now.
I'm gonna change for the better
and prove to everybody that
we can all do this together
and put La Serenata
back to where it was.
(pounding, whirring)
GORDON: While I'm happy
that Marco
is owning up to his mistakes,
he's not the only one
who has lost his way.
I have one more video
I need to show all of them
to wake them up.
GORDON: Junior? - Yeah?
Jonny, let's go.
You know, it's early hours
of the morning.
We're tired.
(tense music)
And there's something missing.
Something that has been
missing for a while.
I've got one more video that
you all need to focus on.
Watch carefully.
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
There's something missing.
I need to give you
a stern reminder
of the key ingredient
that not only is missing,
but you've all forgotten.
Watch carefully.
(soft guitar music)
In your fight
to keep this place alive,
you've all forgotten
the foundation
that that man brought
each and every day.
The love, the kindness,
and the respect
-for each other.
- Even though he's not
here right now,
you know, I feel that
he basically got you to help us
and give us another chance
to bring back the restaurant
to what it used to be.
What do you want to say
to your family?
I want to apologize,
you know, to you, Mom.
My son, Junior.
Irma, my wife,
and my kids at home.
I'm gonna try to become
a better man,
and show some leadership,
the way it should be.
Irma, come over here,
darling, please.
Aurora, come here.
This is an amazing family.
- Yes.
- You guys have just forgotten
the importance of being
a strong family.
And may that man rest in peace,
but we've got a job to do.
Your son apologized.
I know that's
a long time coming.
But you need to let go
And give them a chance.
I give a big chance,
a big chance to my son.
- Because I love him.
GORDON: And he loves you.
- Yeah, of course.
- You guys, let's head back
to the restaurant, let's go.
I'm gonna leave you guys
-two minutes. IRMA: Thank you.
Ah.
MARCO: I love you guys.
JUNIOR: I love you, too.
MARCO: I love you guys,
okay, Mom?
We're good, and Irma.
MARCO: All right? All right.
JUNIOR: All right.
Let's get this back together,
okay, you guys?
IRMA: Okay.
- All right, okay. All right.
GORDON: I had a feeling
that Don Jose
could still help his family.
And now that they
are back together,
it's time to pull the rest
of the restaurant together
as well.
My team is working
throughout the night
to help rewrite the future
of this restaurant.
MAN: I really want to have
all this up tonight.
You know, we got
a lot of touch-up.
GORDON: There'll be
no rest for anyone
until they make the spirit
of Don Jose proud.
(yawning)
I need to get some sleep.
I haven't slept.
(dramatic musical flourish)
GORDON: How are the team doing?
- They're good.
- Yeah.
I think if everyone
kind of stays on task,
we're gonna finish.
If not, we're gonna
have some issues.
GORDON: But it's up to Junior
and his newly inspired team
to give everyone a taste
of what's to come
for La Serenata.
MAN: Looks really good, man.
JUNIOR: Good job, yeah.
JUNIOR: Because of what
Gordon just taught us,
I feel that we're back
to how my grandfather
would run his kitchen.
Clean, tight,
everything perfect.
- I like everything.
- You like everything, yeah?
It's exciting
to finally be back.
(laughs) Whoo, here we go.
MAN: So you guys made this?
MAN: Yes, sir.
WOMAN: Looks great.
MAN: It's the new menu, huh?
- Beautiful. GORDON: Tonight,
we're gonna relaunch
La Serenata,
and we're gonna
launch with a bang.
And this menu is gonna
become the staple
of the relaunch
of this restaurant.
Margaritas, please.
Drop one down each side, please.
How can we not sell
an amazing margarita?
Aurora, have a little taste.
(speaks Spanish)
- Yipee!
-(all laugh)
Excellent, all right,
that's enough, that's enough.
- Yeah, that's enough, okay.
-(all laugh)
Dig in, taste, and enjoy.
(upbeat rock music)
MAN: Oh, man, this is so good.
(speaking Spanish)
- Try the snapper.
- Yeah, this is so good.
- This snapper.
- I like the ceviche.
Oh, yeah, do you guys know
how to make this stuff?
- Yeah, we all do.
-(laughs)
MARCO: I'm so proud of Junior
that he's here
and he's learning
and he's absorbing,
and Gordon is showing him.
He's teaching him.
It's a once in a lifetime
experience for him.
- Salud. MAN: To Don Jose.
BOTH: To Don Jose,
and La Serenata.
GORDON: With a needed boost
into their final six hours,
I've got one more surprise
for Junior and his crew.
Take a look
at the state of this kitchen.
These tools
are the correct equipment
that this team needs.
It's the best of the best.
From mixers to tabletop fryers,
stick mixers, blenders--
You name it, you've got it.
- Thank you so much.
- This is unbelievable.
- It's amazing, thank you.
GORDON: Junior, delegate.
Get organized
and tell them what you want.
- We're resetting, let's go.
- Okay, gotcha.
Okay, okay, Jonny--
MEGHAN: Let's start
setting the tables.
GORDON: While the physical
renovation of La Serenata
looks amazing, it means nothing
if they don't have the staff
to match it.
Uh, reservations.
Yeah, how do you
greet customers?
Stand here, stand here,
we're walking in.
Let's go, let's go.
Yeah, so you scared
the [bleep] out of me.
It's like you just
escaped from prison
and you're [bleep] stoned
out of your mind.
First of all,
give me an S-M-I-L-E.
Smile.
Let's go, one more time.
MARCO: Hi. - Welcome.
This is La Serenata.
[bleep] me.
Rome wasn't built in a day,
I get that.
Do you want that
reservation list, yes or no?
MAN: Yes, yes! - Oh, my God.
He doesn't want it.
All right, Stone, head up.
We're gonna now
sort out the dining room?
JUAN CARLOS: Stone is
definitely one of a kind.
His name says it all,
pretty much.
Welcome us.
And I don't want you
to sit down.
I'd like you to recommend
some of the menu.
W--
Should we look
at the menus first?
- I mean--
- Just--well, just,
recommend a dish
you tasted then,
earlier this morning.
So sell it to us.
(tense music)
(speaking Spanish)
Come on.
Just recommend to my mom.
Green chicken enchiladas
in tomatillo sauce.
Chinese? Oh, I'm done.
(chair scraping)
I'm done, me, I've got
to get some fresh air.
Holy [bleep].
Can I start with Chinese?
(beeping)
(dramatic music)
Just relax, just relax.
Here, I'm gonna get a menu,
I'm gonna get a menu, okay?
I'm gonna give you a massage.
GORDON: While the renovation
of La Serenata looks amazing,
there is still plenty
to be done before we reopen.
MARCO: They've been
working hard
all night, busting their butts.
I don't know how it's going
to all come together,
but I will do everything
to help them.
MARCO: Do you guys
need any help?
Can somebody get me some ice?
Sure, yes,
I'll get you some ice.
Okay, so then, look.
After you get in,
just scroll all the way
to the top.
Gordon--uh,
"Gordon Ramsay menu."
GORDON: I'm glad to see Marco
attempting to be
the leader his father once was.
Jump on my back.
Jump on my back.
- Jump on.
- Oh, my God.
GORDON: Everyone here
needs to be at their best
to prepare for tonight's
grand reopening.
GORDON: Team, let's go.
Come on.
JUNIOR: Okay, come on, Mom.
GORDON: Let's go.
Let me tell you something.
Good to see you both.
- You're well, and you're dry.
JUNIOR: We got him a towel.
Ah, that's what he needs.
Right, when I first arrived
in this restaurant,
it was in disarray.
Just take a look at this place.
-The mural, beautifully done.
MARCO: Yeah, it's beautiful.
GORDON: This has to be
the perfect backdrop
for customer selfies to help
spread the word online.
Minutes from now,
that door is gonna open
and this place
is gonna relaunch.
- Right, how are you feeling?
- It's just the best thing
in the world right now.
I'm so happy.
And my mom, you know,
and for my dad.
Have you fallen back in love
with your family?
MARCO: Oh, yeah.
GORDON: There you go.
- All right.
- And this place
is gonna become
what that amazing man,
your husband, your father,
your granddad stood for.
- Are we excited? ALL: Yes.
- Are we ready? ALL: Yes.
ALL: Five, four, three,
two, one.
Let's do this. Come on.
(applause)
(indistinct chatter)
Come on in, you guys. Welcome.
Come on in, welcome.
GORDON: In just 24 hours,
my team and La Serenata staff
have turned this place around.
WOMAN: Hi.
- Yes, we do, thank you.
- Thank you.
GORDON: We've given it
a fresh coat of paint
and a modern style.
We've removed
the outdated décor
and the hideous chandeliers.
It is really pretty in here.
Oh, it's amazing.
I love the new color,
and I love the new logo.
GORDON: Customers no longer
see a dull, dirty restaurant
stuck painfully in the past.
They see a fresh, sleek place
with eyes on the future
and a menu designed
to help take them there.
May I just grace
this heavyweight
table of critics?
- Yes.
- Very rare chefs get
the opportunity to sit
next to such esteem.
- Oh, that's too kind.
-(laughter)
GORDON: Now, I can only hope
that all the staff
is fully on board.
- Smile, remember? Yeah, go.
MAN: Ready?
Okay, next order. Let's do it.
Hello, hello.
How are you, ladies?
Um, I'm gonna get you started--
Welcome, welcome to La Serenata.
Welcome to La Serenata.
GORDON: It's busy,
they've never had
to work this organized,
but more importantly,
what I need is Marco
to keep the peace
and support the dining room
and encourage Junior.
JUNIOR: Remember, guys,
taste everything.
I got another ceviche.
I've already taken that
to table one.
(dramatic music)
How did you take that
to table one?
This one is saying
that it hasn't gone.
Oh, it's for Juan, Juan.
Not one.
- Oh, my God.
- Juan.
I'm really sorry once again,
and as soon as the food
is available, I'll bring it
to you right away.
Okay, okay.
What was he doing there?
[bleep].
You guys are waiting
for your check?
Oh, I'm sorry, sorry.
I don't know,
Marco's very nervous.
But we're gonna work together.
I'm very sorry you haven't
GORDON: There have been
some bumps in the service,
but I'm more worried
that Marco's panic
is spreading
to Junior and his kitchen.
Oh, my corn, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, the corn on the side.
Oh, no, that's not us.
No, we're getting stuff
we didn't order.
- Okay, take that--
- Right. No. Come here.
- Come here. Come here.
JUNIOR: Okay.
That's the second table that's
already got the same food.
This is air traffic control.
You're in charge.
Okay.
Okay, we need a order of barba--
Are those tacos done?
Is that for 15?
- Is that 15's? WOMAN: 15.
Oh, my lord.
(head thumping)
(dramatic music)
It's been a long while.
They're having their appetizer.
I'm sorry, that
wasn't my mistake.
The kitchen, the kitchen
didn't make it,
and I said,
"Where's my ceviche?"
GORDON: Come here, you.
- Yeah, yes?
GORDON: Talk to me, we're
gonna look for a solution.
You are not gonna lose it.
You are not going back
to where you were.
- Okay, all right.
- But food shouldn't go
-to the same table three times.
- Okay.
That's not a kitchen problem.
That's a service problem.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- All right.
- So someone's not listening
-to Junior.
- Okay.
But what I want you to do is
get the service on their toes.
- Okay, great.
- Okay, let's go.
Okay. Oh, my God, oh, my God.
It doesn't matter, they're
taking food to the wrong table.
- Okay.
- But what you need to do
hey, is to find that voice
now and dig deep.
- Okay?
- Okay, okay. Yes, Chef.
Okay, 24, 14,
table 4 and table 6.
Okay, you guys, service?
(dramatic music)
The table 24, the critics,
everything is on point.
They're happy,
and they're loving it.
- Everything good.
- Awesome, awesome.
I feel so confident now.
Having the support
from my family and our staff,
we know that we're gonna have
everything coming out correct,
the same, and everyone's
gonna love it.
Oh, my God.
That's from heaven.
Good job, guys.
Keep it up, keep it up.
Keep it going, keep it going.
Oh, really?
Really?
Stone.
It's so nice
to see you having fun.
- You're a cool guy, right?
- Yeah.
So have more fun.
When you're having fun,
-the customers are having fun.
- Got it.
- What did she say?
- She said it was amazing.
She was just, like, speechless.
- Do you love that?
- Yes.
Mmm.
I really like
how they raised the bar.
Moved away
from the combo platters
and the very dated menu.
- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
Well done.
That was never gonna be easy.
- No, it's not.
-69 guests.
- Oh, my God.
- Yeah, how do you feel?
- Great, it feels amazing.
- Completely different.
I mean, just the whole--
The whole feel of the place.
Completely different.
What I heard tonight
was your voice.
That was the most
important thing for me.
I feel very good.
I feel very happy,
and I know my husband
is very happy.
The kitchen was strong tonight.
Continue improving
the dining room.
- Okay.
- Continue digging deep
for that voice.
And if you four join together
- Yeah.
- Stay together,
-nothing is gonna break you.
- Okay.
- If we fall apart
- Mm-hmm.
The restaurant's
gonna fall apart.
- That's true.
- Yeah.
But what I would like to see
is no more fighting.
- Okay.
- It's not worth it.
- Please. GORDON: Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I'm so thankful that
Gordon Ramsay came in here
and really made us
see the problem,
talk it out,
and actually perform tonight.
And, you know, it's
you know, it's a miracle.
(exhales deeply)
They say there's no such thing
as a overnight success.
But I believe
La Serenata family could be
the exception to the rule.
You know, 24 hours ago,
when I arrived,
I met a broken restaurant
run by a very broken family.
But tonight, La Serenata
family came together
for the first time
in a long time.
And right now,
Don Jose's legacy can live on.
Hey, Gordon,
it's Marco from La Serenata.
Uh, I'm just giving you
an update of what's going on.
And it's tough.
It's tough right now.
My dad, he's going back
into his old ways.
MARCO: I told you,
chicken quesadilla, okay?
You made another mistake.
JUNIOR: He went back
to the old menu.
Jonny left. It's kind of me
back there on my own.
And because
I don't get paid here anymore,
I have a second job.
It's tough.
GORDON: Next week, I head
to a dog-friendly restaurant
in the heart of America.
(dogs barking, snarling)
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
- There's hair everywhere.
GORDON: Run by a couple
who have bitten off
more than they can chew.
There comes
an end of the road sometime.
- I don't know if this is it.
-(sniffles)
GORDON: If they can't get
their staff
on a tighter leash
- And you're perfect, right?
- No.
- But you think you are.
- I absolutely--
GORDON: This restaurant
is sure to get put down.
You can't serve
the same food to the customers
that you serve to the dogs.
(dog whimpers)
Announcer: Tomorrow, it's do-or-die
for dreams of musical stardom.
The Four is all new!