All language subtitles for MasterChef US - S05E1819 - Winner Chosen

This is the toughest decision
that we've made so far.

...as two big names...

Christian.

Cutter.

... exited the MasterChef kitchen.

Tonight,
it's a two-hour MasterChef

with the ultimate
culinary title at stake.

The three best home cooks
in America

take on the season's
most intimidating challenge.

50 chefs
representing 50 states.

Wow.

But only two will make
the finale.

The pressure is on.

- I loved it.
- I'd put that on my menu.

And the world's biggest cooking
competition comes to an end...

Absolutely spot on.

- It's a knockout.
- It leaves me wanting more.

... as this season five
MasterChef is crowned.

America's next
MasterChef is...

Welcome.

Oh, my god.
I'm in the semifinals.

This time last year
I was cooking

in my teeny little
electric stove kitchen

in Philadelphia with my cat,

and now this is
my chance to shine.

Courtney, Leslie,
and Elizabeth, congratulations.

- Thank you, chef.
- Thank you.

You are the final three

in the biggest culinary
competition in the world.

This is the semifinal,

so as well as winning
$1/4 million

and your very own cookbook,

one of you is
only a few dishes away

from winning this...

The coveted
MasterChef trophy.

I did a wonderful job

taking care of my wife
and my children.

My goal now
is to do something for me.

That trophy will change
my life forever.

For me, that trophy is my ticket
to publish my own cookbook,

which I've been dreaming of
for years.

For this challenge,

we want you to cook

a special dish

for some very special guests.

Each and every one
of those guests

is perfectly placed
to judge your food

because each of tonight's
guests are all...

chefs.

- What?
- Oy.

We have one amazing
professional chef

from each and every state
in this country...

50 chefs.

Tonight,
you have to serve them

in the MasterChef restaurant

a composed
MasterChef-worthy entree.

But prepping and cooking
for 50 chefs...

Come on, it's impossible
for you to do it alone.

So tonight we've
brought you some help.

Ohh.

I see Willie, Daniel,

Ahran, Victoria, Christian,
and Jaimee to boot.

I was down in a pressure test
with every one of them.

You counted me out.
The old man's still standing.

It's wonderful being back.

Getting the call to come back
is totally, like, awesome.

With your future
and fortune at stake,

there's only really
one fair way

to decide who you
will be working with...

Fortune cookies.

You'll each randomly
take two fortune cookies,

and whichever name is
inside that fortune cookie

will be your
sous chefs tonight.

Please,
all three of you,

come up and take
two cookies each.

Courtney, please open
one of those cookies

and tell us who you have.

- Daniel.
- Good job.

- Stand next to Courtney.
- Thank you.

Hey.

Leslie.

I got what I wished for,
Ahran.

- Ahran.
- Wow.

Nice!

For some reason, I knew
this was gonna happen.

like, something about my fate
is always in Leslie's hands.

Elizabeth,
please open up

one of those fortune cookies.

Jaimee.

- Oh.
- Wow.

- Wow.
- Wow.

Courtney, please open
your final fortune cookie.

Big Willie.

Big Willie, wow.

Leslie.

All my dreams come true.

Christian.

Wow.

I know a chef when I see one.

How you doing, brother?

Elizabeth,
you have Victoria.

Yeah, what's up, yo?

Hell yeah.
Get over here.

What are the odds?

Now we want restaurant quality,
elevated entrees

good enough to be eaten by
the best chefs in the country.

You will have just 90 minutes
to conceive, prep,

and plate
your stunning dishes.

You are one step away

from the finale.

It's all on the line
tonight.

Your 90 minutes starts...

Now.

Christian,
let's go down here.

There's gonna be 50 chefs
from all over the country

in the dining room
critiquing our food.

I mean, that's crazy.

I'm doing a prime fillet.

I'm gonna make
an herb gnocchi.

Lots of butter.

If you can just
get the fish out,

I'll meet you over there.

It's a dream come true,

but it's also terrifying

to cook for
that many amazing chefs.

We're gonna make a skin-on
pan-seared red snapper fillets

with cauliflower three ways

and a really awesome
Mediterranean relish.

Daniel, have you seen
lemon grass yet?

If we think it's hard
getting anything past

Chef Ramsay,
chef Elliot, and Joe,

it's gonna be 50 times harder

getting it past
all of these chefs.

We're doing
a ginger soy-glazed halibut

with a beet dashi,

golden beets.
Also doing a chile sauce.

- Get to it.
- Okay.

Let's do this.
I think that's it.

Let's go.

Wow, wow, wow.

4 1/2 cups of hot water.

- I need a bigger...
- Bigger pot? I'll go get it.

You need the Japanese turner
so you can start this?

- He's got it right there.
- Okay.

This is it.
What a big night.

I mean,
it's as much pressure tonight

as there is in the final.

50 chefs in your dining room?
Come on.

Even for a professional chef,
it's a big ask.

No, not there yet.

So Courtney picked halibut

with kind of an Asian twist.

If there's one thing chefs hate

in the best of times,
it's overcooked fish.

Yeah, literally,
this fish hangs around

- two minutes longer...
- It's like powder.

- Yeah, it goes to mush.
- Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth's dish,
she's doing cauliflower.

It's a glazed
pan-seared red snapper.

Very seasonal.

It's a dish
that caught my attention.

Leslie picked meat.

He's going with a fillet
with gnocchi.

I didn't know why
he's put those two together.

- What are your herbs for?
- Herb gnocchi.

I think he's looking at
the fillet as being a star

and then trying to come up
with a creative side.

- All right, chives, done.
- Thank you.

This is just the wrong one.

30 minutes gone.

You've now got
one hour remaining.

Get organized.

Two minutes from now
the chefs are arriving.

- Let's get all of this.
- No, this is more than enough.

Come on, guys,
speed up, please.

The chefs are arriving.

Please welcome
tonight's judges,

some of the greatest chefs
in America.

From Mississippi, Cat Cora.

- Oh, my god.
- Oh.

From Maryland,
Michael Voltaggio.

From Ohio, Susan Feniger.

From Michigan, Duff Goldman.

Arizona, Suzanne Tracht.

It's like
a never-ending parade

of famous people
that I'm obsessed with.

Representing California,
Jet Tila.

Illinois,
Mary Sue Milliken.

Oh, my god!

From Nevada, Herb Wilson.

This is absurd.

From Missouri,
Anthony Carron.

John Sedlar
from New Mexico.

Casey Lane from Texas.

Tom Shields
from West Virginia.

This is huge.

We're having some of
the best chefs in America

sitting down
waiting to taste our food.

If I don't bring
my "a" game today, man,

I'm gonna be in trouble.

The pressure is on.

Please welcome
tonight's judges,

some of the greatest chefs
in America.

Wow!

It's so incredible.

We are serving 50 chefs
from 50 different states.

It's like all of the cookbooks
I've been studying from

came to life and just walked
into the kitchen right by me.

This is amazing.

Seeing my idols walk in...
oh, my god.

Time to step my game up.

It's like, these people don't
even know I, like, worship them,

and I'm about
to cook for them.

It's amazing.

I just took a picture of you
taking a picture.

- It's pretty awesome.
- Very exciting.

Okay, guys, just over 50 minutes
until service begins.

- Courtney.
- Yes, chef?

Wake up, now, yeah?

Describe the dish.

I'm doing Asian ginger
soy-glazed halibut

with a beet dashi vermicelli.

Quite modern, very vibrant.
Why halibut?

Halibut has
a really nice, white, flaky meat

that will complement
my sweet sauce.

- Overcooks easily.
- I know that.

- It'll be very unforgiving.
- Yep.

And even when I get two chefs
in my restaurants,

you know,
it's a big deal.

I've never had 50 chefs.

How're you feeling?

The pressure
is definitely on,

but I'm feeling
very confident

because I've prepared well,

and I know that
with good preparation

comes good execution.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Three, baby, only three.

We don't want to crowd you
too much.

Here, take a bite.

Whoa, that's awesome.

So what's the dish, Elizabeth?
Tell me.

This is a Mediterranean
skin-on red snapper

with a watercress puree,
a pistachio puree,

and cauliflower three ways.

It sounds very contemporary,
sounds very restaurant-y.

Is that what
you're going for?

Absolutely.
Out of the three of us,

I have the most
restaurant-y, chef-y dish,

and I think that's the perfect
audience for what I'm cooking.

But is it a good strategy

to propose such
a chef-y dish to 50 chefs?

- Yeah.
- Good luck.

- Leslie.
- Yes, sir.

Tell me what the dish is.

It's an 8-ounce fillet
with summer vegetables,

herb gnocchi with mushrooms
and a demi-glace red wine sauce.

I've never in my life seen
fillet and gnocchi

mixed together though.

Listen, you told me
to reach for the stars.

I'm reaching for the stars.
I'm throwing something down.

- It's very tasty.
- Thank you.

Looks beautiful.

25 minutes remaining.

Let's go.

I'm so excited to have
these 50 chefs here.

- It's amazing.
- Amazing.

These chefs will decide

who wins this challenge

and goes straight
to the finale of MasterChef.

To you.

I hope that the home cooks
do us proud.

Elizabeth's team is amazing,
very harmonious.

She's controlling it.

She's dictating the terms,
and they are listening.

Jaimee, test that
cauliflower for me.

It's really kind
of impressive to watch.

Wow.

I turned off the burners.

They're definitely cooked.

Okay.

Daniel, can you get me
a fish spatula?

Thank you.

Courtney's on the other hand,
halibut...

You don't really start
recommending halibut

for a large contingent,
especially chefs.

It's not the fish you'd
give them, is it?

No, there's no fat in it.

It goes dry right away.

And then to do it
in an Asian style

for the first time ever
in this competition...

One more minute.

I think she's playing
without a net.

Get the vegetables
squared away.

I need the mushrooms cut too.

Leslie is so confident
about this dish.

They got to be almost stiff.
Taste them.

- Stiff?
- You got it.

This is gonna be incredible.

Taste, taste, taste.
You want a nice texture.

He's just in the driver's seat
right now.

They're soft enough for me.

- Way too hard. Way too hard.
- Incredible.

Gnocchi's done.
What can I do for you?

- Set plates up.
- Yeah?

If I had to hire one
of these three home cooks

as a chef
in my restaurant today,

- it would be Leslie.
- Wow.

- He's on fire.
- Wow.

Watch it.

Ah...

Careful, careful, careful.

Come on, Leslie.
Watch out, man.

Take it off.
Take your foot off.

Take your foot off.
Take your foot off.

I've got it, Leslie.
I've got it.

Damn, damn, damn.

Sorry.

When it rains, it pours.

15 minutes remaining.

Got to start clearing down.

Get organized,
lay out the plates.

Count the plates.
Let's go.

Letting down
my culinary idols

would be unthinkable,

So plating is
more critical than ever.

So just a little spoonful
right in the middle.

let it kind of fall
as it will.

Because you are serving it
to people who look at every dish

with the eyes of a chef.

Beautiful, Ahran, beautiful.

- All right, let's whack it.
- Whack it.

Couple more gnocchi
on this plate.

You got it.

Thank you.

Leslie's plating,
Elizabeth's plating.

Sauce at the end here.

I got the sauce.

Courtney's got
nothing on the plate,

bar her name.

Still the same game plan
with the plating?

- Daniel.
- Yes, chef?

Is anyone
gonna start plating?

- I'm getting directions.
- Yes, sir, getting directions.

But is anybody
gonna start plating?

The noodles are ready.
You want them start going...

- Courtney!
- Yes, chef.

Is anybody
gonna start plating?

I'm telling him
to start plating right now.

We need to step up
a gear, guys.

We're going right now.

Guys, don't forget,

in the restaurant
we have a chef

from every state in America.

Let's go, guys.
Come on.

All of you, speed up.

Courtney's got
no plates dressed.

We got 12 minutes to go.

All I need to hear is what
goes in the vermicelli.

I keep telling you it's all
of the noodles and the sauce.

Here,
you do it yourself.

Willie and Daniel, do you have
any idea what's going on?

That's what I'm trying
to get details on, chef.

I've said it
more than enough times.

- Say it again.
- So let's do that right now.

- Oh, my god.
- Make it happen. Make it happen.

- I did what you told me to do.
- Okay.

Eight minutes to go.

- Do it. - You don't wanna
toss it in the broth?

Get going.
No, just get going.

- Put the noodles down.
- Come on.

We got to get it
on the plate, okay?

We've got to get it
on the plate.

Okay, keep it cool.

This is my worst nightmare
coming to life.

Finish all of them.

Oh, my goodness, me.

This is insane.

Eight minutes to go.

With time running out in
tonight's semifinal challenge,

the final three home cooks
must conceive and cook

a restaurant-quality dish for
50 of the biggest culinary names

in the country.

We're looking for flavor.

We're looking
for presentation.

This is MasterChef, and
althou ty're home cooks,

I'm looking for raw talent.

I'm expecting culinary magic,
and I came here hungry.

Last two minutes.

Make it happen.
Make it happen.

- I did what you told me to do.
- Okay.

This is insane.

You don't wanna toss it
in the broth?

- Do it and get going.
- No, just get going.

- Put the noodles down.
- Come on.

We gotta get it
on the plate, okay?

- Don't start yelling now.
- We got to get it on the plate.

Okay, keep it cool.

My name is on the plate.

It doesn't say
"Daniel" or "Big Willie."

It says "Courtney."

Sauce.
There's no sauce on that one.

We got to do sauces.

Willie, get the... the red
sauce is right in front of you.

Turn around.

There's no fish
on this one.

And I'm not okay
with how they look.

This looks like crap.

45 seconds to go.

All right,
let's push it out.

Looking good, you all.

Let's go, guys.
Come on!

Ooh, watch out,
watch out.

Ten, nine, eight...

- Let's go!
- Seven, six...

Come on!

- Five...
- Come on, you guys.

Four, three, two, one.

And stop.

Hands in the air.

Here come the servers.

Really careful, guys, 'cause
they're stacked pretty tall.

Gentle, like a lover.

Gently.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

The fillet
came out beautifully.

The gnocchi looks great.
Everything looks perfect.

Courtney,
Leslie, and Elizabeth,

Please say good-bye and
thank you to your sous chefs.

Bye, you guys.

- I'm so sorry for...
- It's okay, honey.

- Bye.
- See you soon.

Love you.
Bye, you guys.

Having my dream team
by my side was amazing,

but at the end of the day,
this is my plate.

I own it.

I'm proud of it,
and I'm hyper-confident.

Okay, Elizabeth,

Leslie, and Courtney,

I'd like all three of you
to come with us

into the MasterChef
restaurant

and explain to
our 50 chefs from 50 states

what you've cooked for them
tonight.

Let's go.

As an aerial dancer,

I've been on a stage
in front of huge audiences

for most of my life,

and I'm starting
to feel scared right now.

Ladies and gents, chefs,

first of all a great honor
it is to have you all here.

First ever in the history
of this competition

that we can get such
an elaborate array of talent

in one room.

Courtney,
describe your dish please.

Tonight I have prepared for you
a pan-seared halibut

that I've glazed
with ginger and soy.

Beneath that is
a beet dashi vermicelli

and surrounding the plate
is a guero chile sauce.

Looks good.

- Thank you.
- Leslie, please.

My plate tonight
is a 8-ounce fillet

that was pan roasted
with a herb gnocchi,

and some summer vegetables,
and a wine reduction.

Elizabeth, please.

I've made for you a pan-seared
skin-on red snapper

with cauliflower three ways,

harissa-roasted
white cauliflower puree,

and a purple cauliflower
couscous,

and a little
pistachio puree.

Great.

Courtney, Leslie, Elizabeth,

please head back in
to the MasterChef kitchen

while these amazing chefs
taste your dishes.

Please, look at the dishes.
Break it down.

Reward creativity,
flare, imagination,

and of course, obviously,
it's about the taste.

Enjoy,
and a big thank you again

for making the effort
to be here.

Oh, my god, I want to know
what they're saying in there.

Ugh.

They're probably
loving the idea

of your cauliflower couscous.

Being a seafood chef,

my first and foremost
is gonna be the fish,

but she's also taken
that same attention

to the vegetables.

She really did do
cauliflower three ways.

She's got three
different textures,

three different preparations,

three different colors,
three different flavors.

Every single component works
separately,

and it works together.

Could use a little bit
of seasoning,

but you can taste
the cauliflower.

So you kind of went, like,
an Asian flavor profile.

That's interesting.

Yeah, the judges
kept saying to me,

"What haven't
you shown us?"

So I was like,
"I'll show you Asian."

Courtney did a good job
cooking the fish.

- The halibut's cooked nice.
- Mm-hmm.

I do like this flavor of
the broth on the noodles.

Very sophisticated.

You could have this
in an upscale restaurant.

She knocked it out
of the park with that dish.

It could use more sauce.

When I heard
you were doing gnocchi

for that many people
I was like,

"This man has gone insane."

Mine seemed fine.

Everything,
the gnocchi held up.

It was tough though.

Although steak is safe,
gnocchi's not safe.

It's a gamble to try
to cook a gnocchi

for not just chefs,
but for anybody.

Flavor-wise, it's delicious.
It's seasoned.

The meat
is cooked perfectly.

This would be a dish
I'd order in a restaurant,

like, beef and mushrooms and
red wine, classic combination.

There were, like,
good elements,

but it's kind of...
it's a little disjointed.

I have to say,
this is my choice right here.

Yeah, I would agree.

I-I definitely think Elizabeth
stole the show, yeah.

I'd sell this dish
in my restaurant.

I'm gonna go with Leslie.

Things are cliches
for a reason.

Is it culinary genius?

Maybe not.
I loved it.

Courtney... look how beautiful
this is.

Look at that.

Perfect.

- There you go.
- Thank you.

Thank you so much.
Perfect.

Wow.

When I walk in

and I see the chorus line
of amazing chefs,

they are going to send someone
right into the finale.

The home cook that we'd like
to invite down here...

My dish should beat
Leslie and Elizabeth's

because it's original.

It's showing
chef-like qualities.

The individual with
the dish of the night...

I need to win.

I need to get up on
that balcony and be number one,

or otherwise I don't know.

Another pressure test,
number seven?

I mean, come on, really?

Congratulations goes to...

Wow.

The individual
with the dish of the night,

Congratulations goes to...

Elizabeth.

Amazing.

I am so happy.

I get to walk through
the hallway of chefs.

I'm in the finale,
and I am thrilled beyond words.

Well done.

Please,
head up to the balcony.

There's a very cool glass
of champagne waiting for you.

Great job.

Leslie and Courtney,
please make your way down.

On behalf of everybody
here at MasterChef,

I'd like to say
a big special thank you

to our talented chefs
standing behind you.

Much appreciated.

Hope to see you again.
Thank you.

So now it's between
me and Courtney.

I am psyched about this.

I'm not gonna let
anything get in my way,

and I'm gonna get
this thing done.

All right, Courtney and Leslie,
well done.

Tough challenge tonight.

Unfortunately, not in
the same league as Elizabeth.

Now both of you will

perhaps the most grueling and
the most important pressure test

you've ever done
in this competition,

where only one of you
will join Elizabeth

in the grand final
of MasterChef.

Next time we see you,
it's gonna be intense.

There have been
seven other people

who have tried to send Leslie
home in the pressure test,

and they've failed.

This is my chance
to send him back to Malibu.

Today I'm going into
the biggest battle of my life.

I can do this.
I can make this happen.

I will be in the finale.

Welcome.
Good to see you both.

Come on down, please.

Elizabeth
is the first person

to be catapulted
into the MasterChef finale.

The task now is to find out
which one of you two

will be facing Elizabeth.

In a previous challenge,

we had you make an incredibly
complex composed entree.

Now it's time for dessert,
but not just any dessert.

Three desserts that celebrate
the greatness of America,

the united cakes of America.

First up, you have something
that I am very familiar with,

a proud staple
of my hometown...

New York cheesecake.

Ooh.

Tangy, rich, cheese filling.

Nestled in a crisp
graham cracker crust,

topped with a beautiful
strawberry coulis.

Next up...

From the great state
of Florida,

we have key lime pie.

Tangy, smooth,
bursting with fresh flavor,

and it's all about balance,

Sweet versus tart.

Next up, you have another great
American regional dessert.

From the great state
of Massachusetts,

you have a delicious
Boston cream pie.

Two gorgeous layers of sponge

with a phenomenal
cream filling between them,

and then the whole thing

is covered in a stunning
chocolate ganache.

This is a tall order
for anybody,

and for someone who doesn't
bake, this is a nightmare.

Courtney, Leslie,
any last words for each other?

If she wins
fair and square,

fine with me,

but I'm not going down sleeping,
that for damn sure.

Now it's time
to head to your stations.

You have two hours to make us

all three incredibly
challenging desserts

from different parts
of this great country.

You all have everything
that you need

to make these three
difficult desserts.

Bake better than you've
ever baked before,

because if you don't,

it will be the last time

you'll be making anything here

in the MasterChef kitchen.

Your time starts...

Now.

So Leslie's seventh
pressure test tonight.

Wouldn't that freak you out
if you were Courtney?

We've always known
she's a baker,

so she got the luck of the draw.

Yeah, but, I mean,
Leslie's excelled too,

so it's not like one-sided,

like she was given
an advantage with this.

No, but tonight's
all about nerves of steel.

One mistake,
and they're out.

You have to
cook with composure.

I'm freaking losing time
right now.

I'm gonna beat Leslie because
I've been baking cakes forever.

I love baking cakes.

This is one of my favorite
things to do.

I can see myself
in the finale already.

Months ago, it would take them
two hours to do one cake.

Tonight, we're asking them
to do all three in two hours.

What cake has to go first?

Get that cheesecake
in the oven immediately

because you haven't got time.

It's the longest cook time?

- It's an hour to cook.
- An hour?

An hour to cook.
and then cool.

I got to get moving, man.

After that, start tackling
the Boston cream pie

- 'cause that sponge...
- got to bake the sponge.

Oh, man,
that is a difficult one.

Then from there, start on
the easiest one I think,

which is the key lime.

Right, you have
to have that lime zest

and you want that acidity
to come through.

But the cheesecake
is the big one

that needs to go
in the oven

within the first 20 minutes.

- Oh!
- Sorry.

25 minutes gone.

95 minutes to go.

Just keep this going, Courtney.

Keep it going.

Right, Courtney,
how are you feeling?

Oh, I'm feeling incredible.

Cheesecake's in?

Cheesecake is in, chef.

Now, you look composed.
You look together.

Can you do this?

Absolutely.
I can totally do this.

This is what I love to do.

I've never seen anyone so happy
in a pressure test.

- I know.
- Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm great.

I'm not just a girl
wearing high heels.

I'm a girl that can cook.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

Spoons, spoons, spoons,
spoons, spoons.

Gorgeous.

Let's keep this going.

I notice Courtney talking
herself through the challenge.

You got to fold it gently.

Yes.

She's like,
"It looks beautiful.

Now I just have to put
the cream of tartar in."

Beautiful.
Yes.

"Yes, it looks beautiful."

Leslie talks to himself too,
but he's like,

Hey, what do I gotta
put the...

Eh, I got
the cream of tartar,

and I got the...the...
gotta whip the lemon meringue."

Mmm.

It's like you feel, like,
seven separate voices

talking to him
in his own head.

Shh-shh-shh.

Leslie, how we doing?

- Not doing so good.
Not doing so good. - What's wrong?

No, not doing so good,
man.

- This is not my strength, man.
- Look, I know.

You just gotta slow down,
take a breath.

which cake is that?

This is the cheesecake.

Courtney's cheesecake
is cooked already.

Yeah, because she's...
she's a baker, you know?

She's done.
It's cooked.

Yes, I understand.
You want to know what?

Why are you so far behind?

'Cause I don't do this.

This is not my forte.

The timing of the cheesecake
leaves you no net.

No.
No net whatsoever.

And it might not even
cool down in time.

I am so frazzled.

I got too many things
going through my head.

Got to get this thing
in the oven

or otherwise
I'm gonna be screwed.

Unless there's a miracle,

this cheesecake
is not gonna cook.

The party might be over.

Still to come tonight...

It's the MasterChef finale.

But which of these home cooks
will battle Elizabeth

for the MasterChef title?

America's next MasterChef is...

Which cake is that?

This is the cheesecake.

This is not my forte.

This is not
one of my strengths.

It does set you behind
a little bit.

Yes, it does.

Do you have any progress
on the other cakes,

here you just
been doing this?

Yes, I do.
No, I just gotta get...

- I got to get it first.
- Slow down, slow down, slow down.

You got to relax
a little bit.

No, I can't.

You know, I'm always on the
verge of a nervous breakdown,

but I'm not going there.

Lady, who's your daddy?

Leslie is a bit
all over the place.

He just put
the cheesecake in.

We're not even sure if there's
enough time to cool it down.

Leslie has fallen behind
on the cheesecake.

He may be trying to make up
for the other two.

So key lime pie
is the simplest,

but also really
there's a balancing act

between sweet and sour.

How do you manage that?

If it's too acidic,
then you add more sugar.

If it's too sweet,

then y you need to add
a little bit more citrus.

So you've got to find
that balance.

The Boston cream pie
is a difficult one.

The secret in the sponge
is the aeration,

incorporating those eggs
and the butter and the sugar.

What's a perfect
Boston cream?

That is the base
of a great pastry cream,

but again, too heavy in that,

they can split the sponge.

Leslie's pulling
his cheesecake out.

But the big question
tonight is:

is Leslie's
New York cheesecake

- cooked?
- Right.

30 minutes remaining.
Let's go.

Okay, I need
to get my cheesecake,

and I can finish
the cheesecake,

and everything will
all be good in the world.

Time's a ticking.

I'm taking a licking,
but guess what.

These are done,
so I'm happy about that.

Oh, my cheesecake
is gorgeous.

Courtney, how we doing?

I'm doing so good.

How does it feel
to be in here now?

I mean, the semifinal?

This is how
I want to do this,

this is how
I want to enter the finale.

This is just me versus
Leslie in the kitchen.

This is how
I want to win it.

Awesome.
Good luck.

Thank you, chef Elliot.

Look at Leslie go.

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

That looks good.

Oh, he's gonna drop it
if he's not careful.

Palette knife.

Palette knife, Leslie.

It will fall off.
It'll slide off.

So tarts are both done.

Cheesecakes are both done.

Now it comes down
to the Boston cream pie.

Courtney's just taken
her sponge out.

But you can see
Leslie right now.

He had these nice,
beautiful ones.

It's not gonna be
from a lack of trying,

that's for freaking
damn sure.

You can start to see
the stress on Courtney's face.

Yeah.

It's really low right there.

Winning this pressure test is
your ticket right to the finale,

and Leslie probably
has the upper hand

just by virtue of the fact

that he's been through
so many pressure tests.

I mean, it's like
his second job at this point,

and he seems to be
coming back.

Gentle, baby, gentle.

Gentle, gentle, gentle.

Less than 15 minutes to go.

Now is gonna be
the most exciting,

'cause that's when they have
to start assembling them.

And you just visually will
know whether you're going home

or going to join
Elizabeth in the finale.

Leslie's about to start filling
his Boston cream pie.

looks good.
Wow.

Yeah, pastry cream
looks nice.

Oh, my god.

- That looks amazing.
- Oh, no.

Oh, my gosh, she's
putting it in directly.

Just got to do it like this.

Oh, no.

Courtney's cakes
look a little uneven.

Like, her pastry cream is
oozing out from the middle.

Right now, Courtney
is completely falling apart.

Last five minutes.

Son of a bitch.

He's a mad man.

Last minute, guys.

finishing touches, please.

Come on, place in
the final for one of you.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three,

two, one.

And stop.

Hands in the air.

Good job.

Courtney's cheesecake
looks like

you googled
the perfect cheesecake.

It is completely flawless.

So the knife is going through
very nicely.

It's nice and smooth.

Okay, here we go.

How does that look?

I think it looks delicious.

The crust is crispy.

The cream cheese cake itself
is light, airy, rich, smooth.

- Very good.
- Thank you.

- Okay, Leslie.
- Yes.

Less aesthetically
appealing,

but, as we say,
it's all about the taste.

Ooh.

Yes, it looks a little...

See, that looks super creamy,
super, like...

- Yes, right there.
- Raw.

Let's taste it though.

The graham cracker crust
is a little...is burnt.

Tastes like burnt
chocolate chips cookies.

You know that flavor?

Yeah, yeah.

- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

Given the circumstances,

I would say you both did
a pretty good job

with those cheesecakes.

Thank you.

One looked much more like
the cake we were asking for

and tasted closer
to what we were expecting.

The best cheesecake tonight

belongs to...

Courtney.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

Courtney,
what do you think?

I was a little overexcited
with the blow torch.

Yeah, looks like
key lime s'mores.

- It's very sweet.
- Okay.

You know,
with key lime pie,

I love that sharp...
Tartness.

Acidic tang coming through,

and this is...
it's almost obliterated.

The only lime I'm really getting
is from the zest over the top.

Okay.

All right, so, Leslie,

anything I should know
about this?

Uh, no, this one I kind of,
uh, hit it on the mark.

The flavor's awesome.

It's got that zing to it.

The curd baked perfectly,
great texture.

You nailed it.
Great job.

Thank you, chef.

Key lime pie,
with everything,

it comes down to the details.

The winning key lime pie
belongs to...

Leslie.

Great job on
that key lime pie.

Thank you, chef.

I definitely won the key lime.

Now we got to go
to the Boston cream.

Whoever wins this
is going into the finale.

I'm watching this pastry cream
ooze out the sides,

and I'm just seeing myself

walking out of
the MasterChef doors.

So it comes down
to the Boston cream pie.

Courtney.

Courtney, Courtney, Courtney.

I know.

I'll just have
a little look at that.

Mine's quite even on the top,
at least...

I'm not talking
about the unevenness.

I'm talking about
the slurry and the sludge

That's oozing out of yours.

That should be
stuck together.

Thank you.

- Uh, Leslie.
- Yes, chef.

Lovely ratio.

Sponge slightly too thick,

but nice density
of pastry cream inside.

Wow.

Thank you.

Please, Courtney, Leslie,

come around to the front,
thank you.

We now have to work out
which one of you

moves on to
the MasterChef grand finale.

Please, give us a minute.
Thank you.

- Courtney is a mess.
- Yeah.

There's no creamn the,
is there?

Boston cream pie
is about the cream.

Yeah, it's like
a liquid center cake.

Leslie's had
a great pastry cream.

There's something really weird
tasting at the bottom.

It's like a weird bread.

He needed a little more sugar
or something?

Yeah, I think that probably
is what's wrong with it.

- Something major.
- Mm-hmm.

It all comes down
to the Boston cream pie,

and it seems like
Leslie's has the edge.

All right, Courtney,

You had highs and lows,

insufficient pastry cream,

pastry cream
slightly liquid,

top heavy, it terms of,
good ganache,

lovely sponge.

Leslie,
visually incredible,

great pastry cream,
ganache delicious,

but something very odd

came to mind
whilst tasting the sponge.

Why don't you just have
a taste of that, please.

Do you know what's wrong
with that sponge?

You put the salt
in place of the sugar.

I may have, yes.

The home cook who made
the best Boston cream pie

and the person who will now move
into the MasterChef finale

and face-off
against Elizabeth,

that person is...

Courtney.

Oh, my god.

Congratulations.

You did an amazing job.

I tried.

I made a simple mistake.

Not a problem.

Thank god.

I was certain
that I was going home.

Wow.

I feel bad for Leslie.

It was such an honest mistake.

Seven pressure tests.

Finally one got you.

Yeah, and you know what?

I figured my luck kind of
ran out after six,

but she just happened
to knock me off my pedestal.

Everyone in America who's
ever baked more than one cake,

including myself,

has made the same exact mistake

that you made tonight.

Leslie,
you have been phenomenal.

And for anybody out there
that ever tells me again

that cooking
is a young man's game,

you've turned
that around on its head.

Thank you, chef.

Come and say good-bye,
big man.

Thank you very much.

It was a pleasure
meeting you guys.

You guys are my idols.

Right,
two talented individuals.

Who is your money on?

I'm sorry, Courtney,

but I would definitely
put my money on Elizabeth.

Thank you, Leslie.

- Thank you again, chef.
- Well done.

All right.

I'm the stay-at-home dad
that came here to win,

and I was doing a pretty damn
good job up until the salt part.

This is a great looking pie.
You really nailed it.

Awesome dish.

You're up at the top
right now.

All of you, right now,
get your ass down here quickly.

That's what I call
a box of donuts.

Wow.

I learned a lot.

I mean, I didn't expect
to make it this far.

I met interesting people.

Some liked me.
Some didn't like me.

I can hear you.
I don't need to look at you.

I need you to look at me!

You're not sorry at all!

I did not expect
to work out my differences

with this young lady.

Not only are you
becoming a better cook,

you're also becoming
more likable somehow.

You're my idol.

I love you, man.

I love you too, Leslie.

Outside of getting married and
having my children being born,

this has to be one of those
great things in my life

that I will remeer fever.

Right now...

It's the MasterChef finale.

The world's biggest cooking
competition comes to an end...

Whoo!

... as Elizabeth and Courtney
go head-to-head...

What do you think
of Courtney's dessert?

It looks like second place.

... for the most coveted crown
in the culinary world.

Only one will walk away
with $1/4 million...

Give me my knife, baby.
It's on.

... their own cookbook...

Winning would
change everything.

... and the MasterChef title.

America's next MasterChef is...

Welcome to the finale

of the biggest culinary
competition of the year.

Tonight, the best two home cooks
in America

will battle it out here
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Only one will be crowned
MasterChef.

In our search

for the absolute best home cook
in this country,

we went to every corner
of this great nation.

MasterChef!

The best home cooks in America
entered the MasterChef kitchen

all united
by their passion for food.

You are the top 22.

They were faced
with ferocious challenges.

You got 60 guests, the bride
and groom, and they're waiting!

Hut!

I need you on the grill!

You're not sorry at all!

I'm not gonna stand here
and be abused.

Some wilted
under intense pressure.

- I need a medic.
- Medic. Quick!

You brought us a dish
that you didn't make.

- Others rose...
- Whoo!

Growing stronger
with every obstacle.

You're playing the game
at a high level.

But to crown the best,
we had to find the best.

The person leaving MasterChef
tonight is Christian.

Cutter.

Leslie.

Now there are only
two home cooks remaining.

Tonight,
they will do battle head-to-head

in the greatest kitchen
in America,

but only one will survive
what they're about to endure.

Only one will become
America's next MasterChef.

The first finalist
is Elizabeth...

A 31-year-old advertise executive

from Brooklyn, New York.

I grew up in the South,

and I spent my entire life
obsessing over moving to New York.

I work in advertising,

and I enjoy my career,

but I'm so ready to win
MasterChef and change my life.

This is the last apron.

- After a quiet start...
- Congratulations.

Elizabeth soon rose to become

one of the most consistent
competitors

in the MasterChef kitchen.

The winning mystery box dish...

Elizabeth.

From savory to sweet, comfort
food to exotic global flavors...

- Whoo!
- Elizabeth mastered them all.

Wow.

This is like taking
a trip to Italy.

Elizabeth has made MasterChef
history...

The blue team,
ladies and gentlemen.

Having never lost
a team challenge.

I'm going to turn this finale

into the key
that unlocks my culinary dreams.

This is the most important day
of my life.

She hasn't cooked
in a single pressure test.

Tonight, can Elizabeth handle
the pressure of this finale?

The only hurdle
that stands in Elizabeth's way

is Courtney...

A 25-year-old
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It's very hard for me
to talk about this.

I've done things
that I'm not proud of.

Not being able to pay my rent,

I make the difficult,
embarrassing decision

to work in a gentlemen's club.

But cooking is the start
of a new beginning.

I'm gonna do something else

that I love and have
so much passion for.

I want to make
my family so proud.

Courtney made her mark

when she became the very first
home cook to win a white apron.

- Beautifully done. Great job.
- Thank you.

She impressed us with her
sophisticated European flavors

and techniques.

You could taste the love
that went into that.

As the pressure intensified...

Courtney,
I hope you're joking.

I did that.

She began to stumble.

They're salty.
Eh.

I'm sorry, chef.

But she always managed
to step back up to the plate.

Amazing.

You definitely got mojo back.

I want to change my life
around,

and winning this title
is what changes everything.

A win tonight

would take Courtney's talents
to a very different stage.

Elizabeth and Courtney,

congratulations on making it
here to the MasterChef finale.

And here to cheer you on are
all of your past competitors

that you beat to get
into this finale.

It's been a long time

that you've been on this journey
with us.

You've sacrificed so much,

especially leaving all
of your loved ones back home.

Elizabeth, what do you think

that they'd say about you right
now being here in the finale?

How proud they are of me.

Let's find out
exactly what they would say.

Please welcome your family
and friends from Brooklyn:

Your husband Ross,
your mom Melissa,

your brother Seth,

your friends Janine, Jess,
and Sarah.

Oh, my god.

Melissa, Elizabeth's
under immense pressure tonight.

Any words of encouragement?

Cook your ass off.

Courtney,
it's been a long time.

How much do you want
to see your family?

I want to see my family
so bad.

They want to see you
even more.

Here they are.

Hey.

Your mom Lisa,
your dad Dennis,

sister Collette,
Connor, your brother,

and your other brother Colby.

Oh, my goodness.
Look at you.

Is Cooper here?

Now we're complete, right?

Captain Cooper,
any final words of encouragement

you'd like to say
to your big sister?

Good luck.

Thanks, baby.

You guys are such

an inspiration for
these two amazing home cooks.

But now
it's time to say good-bye

and head up to the gallery.

Bye. Love you.

Overcome adversity.

Love you, baby.

Hey, you are the best.

For tonight's challenge,
we want one appetizer,

one entree, and one dessert.

Three identical plates
of each course,

One for each of us.

After you're done
cooking each course,

you'll serve your dishes to us
in the MasterChef restaurant

where we'll taste your dishes

and make some
very critical decisions.

You'll each have ten minutes
in the MasterChef pantry

to get everything you need
to cook us

the best three-course meal
of your entire lives.

Your ten minutes
in the pantry starts...

Now.

I want Elizabeth to win.

She's an excellent cook.

Unless she screws up,

I'm seeing her win
the whole kit and caboodle.

You can't possibly
count Courtney out.

Courtney works good
under pressure.

Elizabeth is the terminator,

and she's gonna shut
Courtney down.

She has to.
It is her fate to stop Courtney.

Somebody has to stop Courtney.

If it was my money
on the line,

Courtney got it.

Wow.
Here we go.

First up,

your appetizer course.

Elizabeth.

I'll be making
a grilled octopus

with a warm chorizo
and chickpea salad.

And Courtney,
what will you be making

for your appetizer tonight?

I will be making
a crispy pig's ear

with dandelion and fennel salad

and a quail egg.

You'll both have one hour

to make us those
stunning appetizers.

Ladies, your time starts...

Now.

Come on, ladies!

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

- Yeah, Courtney!
- Let's go, sis.

Elizabeth should definitely
be worried.

I'm not afraid of Elizabeth.

This is my battle to win,

and it's go big or go home.

Come on, Elizabeth!

There are no heels
in the kitchen anymore.

It's knives,
and it's time to do battle.

Let's do this.

Come on, ladies!

In this season's
MasterChef finale,

Elizabeth and Courtney

are battling it out
over a three-course dinner

that they'll serve
to the judges.

For their appetizers,
Courtney's dish

features a crispy pig ear salad
with fennel and a quail egg,

while Elizabeth has chosen
to make grilled octopus

with fennel, chorizo,
and chickpeas.

Looking good.
All right.

This is it... the battle
we've all been waiting for.

Elizabeth's appetizer,
for instance, tonight...

A delicious-sounding
braised octopus.

She's cooking it
in the pressure cooker.

If she's off
by even five minutes,

we could be eating rubber bands.

Courtney is going
out of the box.

Courtney made a pig ear.

Seriously, pig's ear salad?

Pig ears are, like,
99 cents a pound.

They used to be dog chews.

If you don't understand
how that ear breaks down,

you're gonna be left
with a mouthful of cartilage.

But if you get that right,
and you cook it beautifully,

it's gonna be the dish
of the night.

She's taking
the biggest chances

I've ever seen a finalist take.

- Yeah, Courtney.
- Whoo!

How you doing, Courtney?

Hey.
I'm doing really good.

We've been through
so many seasons of MasterChef,

we've never seen pigs' ears
in a finale.

Are you taking too much
of a risk here tonight?

No, I'm sending
a strong message.

Elizabeth should be very scared.

Good luck.
I'm excited to try that.

Thank you, chef.

I'm definitely interested
in Courtney's menu.

I mean, the pig ear,
I think it's a very awesome,

Trendy way to go,

but it's definitely a risk.

It's a very hard dish
to elevate.

Go, Elizabeth.

- Right, how you feeling?
- Good, chef.

Describe your appetizer.

I'm doing a grilled octopus

with a warm chorizo
and chickpea salad.

Why octopus?

There's nothing
more impressive than that,

and I want to start you
on a Mediterranean journey.

Pressure cooker.
How you feeling?

- It's always a little bit
of a hope and a prayer. - I know.

You just got to wait
for the last minute.

Quickly cleaning it, grilling
it, getting it on the plate.

It's dangerous,
but I'm gonna do it.

I'm just amazed
that you're leaving this

to the very last minute

because literally
12 minutes to go.

The octopus is not cooked yet.

Courtney started to plate.

Are you running behind?

No, chef, I'm gonna have
everything plated

and do the octopus
at the very last minute.

You are so daring.
Good luck.

Thanks, chef.

I think Elizabeth
has the better menu.

The octopus...
now, that's a challenge.

If you nail it, boom,
she's a shoo-in.

Oh, god.

Last ten minutes.

Let's go, ladies.

Courtney's strategy
is working.

She put the full-court press
on Elizabeth,

and I think Elizabeth
is beginning to buckle

under the pressure.

Elizabeth,
you've got to move faster.

- Yes, chef.
- Please.

Okay.

Here's the octopus.

Looks good.

90 seconds left, guys.
Let's go.

You've got to start plating,
Elizabeth.

This food is very beautiful.

Exciting.

Oh, my god.

Yeah.

Let's go!

Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

Hands in the air!

Now, please bring your dishes
down to the front.

Thank you.

Courtney, what do you think
of Elizabeth's octopus salad?

The plating's a little
haphazard, but it's okay.

Elizabeth, what do you think
of Courtney's pig's ear salad?

The pig ear
maybe looks a little beige.

Well, we will be the judges
of that.

Both of you, please follow us
into the MasterChef dining room.

Let's go.

It doesn't matter
what anyone else thinks.

It's all in the judges' hands
now.

Elizabeth, please present
your appetizers, thank you.

I'm taking a huge risk
with this octopus.

It's not something that
I cook at home all the time,

but today, in the finale,
big risk, big reward.

Elizabeth,
describe your dish, please.

This is a grilled octopus

with a warm chickpea
and chorizo salad

with a piquillo pepper
and heirloom tomato sauce.

So I was concerned
with the octopus

in the pressure cooker,

but I have to say
that this octopus

Looks better
than I would have ever imagined.

This is truly an octopus
that I can eat with my eyes.

Thank you.

I very much like the grill
portion of the octopus,

but I think
that you may have

slightly overcooked
the octopus.

But overall,
very punchy, very Mediterranean,

very, very strong dish.

- Thank you.
- The flavors are great.

I think that it's aggressively
spiced and seasoned,

which you've always done
throughout the competition.

I think that that shows
confidence in your cooking.

You know, if we received it
in a restaurant,

I think we'd all be pretty happy
with it.

Thank you.

Well, visually the dish
is so appealing.

When you're using all those
spices with those chickpeas,

then you got this perfect
foundation for that octopus

to sit on the top.

Great flavor on the char.

Love that flavor.

Amazed you got it done
in that short period of time.

Bold move,
difficult to pull off.

You did just that. Good job.

Thank you, chef.

Courtney, it's time
to taste your appetizer, please.

You've got a very high bar
to reach.

Courtney,
describe your appetizer, please.

A crispy pig's ear over
a dandelion and fennel salad

with a quail egg
and a guajillo chili sauce.

Is a salad
with some fried pig ears

enough for an appetizer

in the biggest cooking
competition in the world,

is the question
that I'm asking myself.

I believe so.

I believe
that the dish is well-balanced.

You might believe that.
I'm asking myself that.

- Oh, sorry. I thought you were...
- I'm not sure.

Is a salad with some
fried pig ears enough?

I believe so.

I believe
that the dish is well-balanced.

You might believe that.
I'm asking myself that.

- Oh, sorry, I thought you were...
- I'm not sure.

It's a typically Courtney
plate.

It's meticulous,
but just a little bit soulless.

Well, it's a really assertive,
opinionated dish.

The pigs' ears were very good.

Crispy, salty, rich.

You have a great balance
between acidity, heat, oil,

and it's certainly one
of the most well-dressed salads

that I've eaten
in recent history.

Thank you, sir.

I love the guajillo pepper
sauce.

It's explosive, and it goes
great with the rich quail egg.

Tastes great.

Thank you.

Visually it looks elegant.

Pig's ear cooked perfectly.

Shocked them, it sort
of solidified all the fat.

The way
you treated them was brilliant.

You deliver a punch
with flavor. Great job.

Thank you.

Ladies, you are clearly
on another level,

and we have some very important
things to discuss.

Please prep for the entrees.
Thank you very much.

- Yes, sir. Thank you.
- Thank you.

Thanks, guys.
Thank you.

Wow, I mean, Elizabeth,

great octopus.
I mean, the flavor, delicious.

Yes, it was slightly overcooked,

but technically,
she pulled it off.

Courtney, out of nowhere,
picks a pig ear.

It was a bold, bold statement.

- That's as gutsy as it gets.
- Brilliant.

Two more courses yet to come,

so there is lots
of culinary gamesmanship

still to come to this table
for us to taste.

Okay, it's time
to get started on your entrees.

You will each have 60 minutes
to make us the best main course

that you have ever made
in your entire life.

Your 60 minutes starts...

Now.

How do you follow
those appetizers?

Well, that's the thing is,
sometimes

after the appetizer
you have a clear leader.

- Right now, it's neck and neck.
- Neck and neck.

They're at ground zero again.

Come on, Elizabeth.

For my entree, I'm making
spiced lamb and quinoa saute

with a carrot puree
and a mint yogurt sauce.

Serving the judges an overcooked
or undercooked rack of lamb

is not gonna fly, so I just need
to absolutely nail the cook.

- Come on, Courtney.
- Whoo!

For my entree,
I'm doing something

that's very, very traditional.

I'm making a sumac duck breast

with spring vegetables
and farro.

- Whoo!
- Elizabeth!

- Right, how you feeling?
- Feeling good, chef.

How you gonna cook
the lamb?

I'm gonna sear it off
in a pan and then finish it

in the oven
until it's medium-rare.

Earlier tonight
you left things

right to the very last minute
for the appetizer.

I mean, are you gonna cut
yourself

a little bit more time
across this one?

Yes, I have plenty of time.

This is not like
a pressure cooker situation.

I'm in full control of the lamb.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

- Hello, Courtney.
- Hey.

With this duck, do you think
that ii gonna be

strong enough to go
against a lamb?

'Cause a lamb,
a Rolls-Royce cut, restaurant...

But you know what?
So are my duck breasts.

And I started
with the pig's ear,

and because it was so out there,
I wanted to do something

that was
a little bit more familiar.

- Ah, all right.
- All right, good luck.

Hey, Coop,
you want to see some fire?

Yeah!

I mean, I can flambe,
but I don't need to.

20 minutes to go.

Let's go.

Courtney's duck is out.

Both Courtney and Elizabeth
tonight, with these proteins,

have the risk of temperature.

If they don't nail
that medium-rare,

that will certainly
sink their dishes.

Gorgeous.

Looks perfect.

Nice, Courtney.

I think the pressure's
getting to Elizabeth.

Courtney's already plating,

and Elizabeth's lamb
is not even cooked yet.

It's still in the oven.

Tonight, I am struggling
with timing more than I have

any time previously cooking
in the MasterChef kitchen,

and I think
that it's the added pressure

of everyone watching
and everything that's at stake.

The lamb's out.

All right, do or die.
Here we go.

Beautiful.

Elizabeth, that looks amazing.

That one looks really rare.

Last three minutes.

Unbelievable.

Elizabeth is leaving everything
to the last minute

Just like she did
with the appetizer.

90 seconds to go.
Come on.

Very cool, Courtney.
Very cool.

Thanks.

- Looks good, Elizabeth.
- Looks good.

- Come on. Let's go.
- Let's go. Let's go.

Push, push.

Come on!

Come on, Courtney!

Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

Hands in the air!

Way to go, Courtney!

Please bring those stunning
entrees down to the front.

Let's go.

Elizabeth,
how are you feeling?

Some of my plating
was a little rushed at the end,

but I think
ultimately it looks beautiful.

Courtney, what do you think
of Elizabeth's dish?

I think that her lamb
looks raw.

Ooh.

No, it's medium-rare.

Please, Elizabeth, Courtney,

and the servers,
bring those stunning entrees

through to the MasterChef
restaurant.

Let's go.
Thank you.

Courtney started something,

and at this point,
the gloves are off.

My dish is about to knock
this bitch out.

It's on.

Let's begin tasting
the entrees with Elizabeth.

It's a spiced lamb

with red quinoa and rainbow
chard, a carrot puree,

and a mint yogurt tahini sauce.

I do feel, Joe,
that you particularly got a dish

where the lamb was a little bit
under where I intended.

I wanted to serve it to yo
a perfect medium-rare.

Well, if you were shooting
for a perfect medium-rare,

you didn't get there.

Mine's a rare
to black and blue.

Gentlemen, shall we?

Most people probably
would want their lamb

a little bit more cooked.

Mine was definitely rare.

If cooked properly,
it could be fantastic,

so a little bit of a letdown.

My lamb's cooked perfectly.

That rub on the lamb
is absolutely spot-on.

And what you've nailed here was
the quinoa.

Combined with the tahini and
that yogurt sauce, delicious.

Puree, wonderful. Good job.

Thank you.

Visually it's a beautiful dish.

I loved the pop
of the carrot puree.

Couldn't have seasoned it
any better.

I would absolutely order this
again

If I was in a restaurant
and got it.

It's a knockout.
Really, really smart dish.

Thank you, chef.

Courtney, will you please
present us with your entree?

This is a sumac duck breast
with spring vegetables

and farro
garnished with a pea tendril

and a chive blossom pickle,

and the sauce is a brandy
pan sauce with the duck fat.

Visually gorgeous, and I think
it tastes as good as it looks.

The duck breast is crispy
and bacon-like

and really amazing,
and the sauce,

buttery and rich, but ve
concentrated in flavor,

so you get a little bit
melting on each bite.

Overall, one of the best dishes
I think that you've put up.

- Very commendable.
- Thank you.

The farro is delicious.

It's very nutty.

It's concentrated.

The spring vegetables
were cooked perfectly.

It has the shallots.

Everything is really spot-on.

You know, it looks like
it came out of a restaurant.

I'm a bit of a stickler
when it comes to cooking duck,

'cause it's one of the most
difficult proteins to nail.

The duck, beautifully done.

Elegance matched with fragrance,
matched with great finesse.

Stunning, absolutely stunning.

- Thanks, Courtney.
- Yeah.

Both of you did amazing jobs.

A lot to discuss,
so why don't you go ahead

and get ready
to do those desserts?

Two phenomenal entrees.

Courtney's duck was ambitious
and very chef-driven.

It was well-thought out,

and execution was perfect.

Elizabeth's lamb
tasted delicious.

The flavors that she
was working with were great.

The seasoning was right there.

As always, we're looking at
the entire menu as a whole,

so nobody is gonna win this
based on

where we're at right now.

We got to see that dessert.

I think that I made
some small technical errors,

but I'm still here.

Everything is on the line
for this dessert course for me.

I got to nail it.

Elizabeth and Courtney,

this next course will seal
the deal for one of you.

Elizabeth, please describe
your final course tonight.

For dessert, I'm making
a grapefruit and olive oil cake

with a plum trio.

Wow.

Courtney, please.

I'm doing a cherry meringue
with salted chocolate

and spiced almonds.

Now, what happens
during the next 60 minutes

will change one of your lives.

Your one hour starts...

Now.

Come on, Courtney.

Courtney's strong.

She's very strong,
and she's a baker,

so with desserts, she's a force
to be reckoned with.

Courtney! Courtney!

Yeah, Courtney!

Elizabeth is the real deal.
I've watched her.

I've cooked with her.

And her cake's gonna be
a winner.

Elizabeth!

So what's the dish, Elizabeth?

It's an olive oil

and grapefruit semolina cake,
so it almost has, like,

that delicious kind
of cornbread texture.

Right, love it.

Courtney obviously has a lot
to gain by winning this.

She wants this bad.
This is a game changer for her.

You want it as much as she does?

I absolutely want this as much
as she does.

Just because I work in an office
and not a nightclub

does not mean
I don't deserve to win this.

Spot on!

Good luck, Elizabeth.

Whoo!

All right, Courtney.
So a meringue.

I mean, any professional chef
tonight would be

looking at the meringue and
saying, "What, in 60 minutes?"

They take literally hours
to dry out.

How are you gonna fast-track
these?

They're a nice, small size,

so they're not gonna need
as much time in the oven.

What is it with you
that refuses to play safe?

No reason to play it safe,

especially
when it's something this big.

You just got to go for it.

- Good luck.
- Thank you, chef.

Let's go.

Come on, Courtney. Come on.

- Yeah! Come on, Elizabeth.
- Go, Elizabeth!

Here we go.
The cake's out.

My cake is slightly
undercooked in the middle.

Oh, her cake
looks like a mess over there.

But I have a plan.

to use the outer edge,

so it's gonna be
perfectly moist.

Not too dry or overbaked,

but still cooked and edible.

Good.

I wanted to make sure
that the salt content

in my meringue is right,

So I take a bite of it...

- How is that, Courtney?
- It's good.

And then I realize I don't
have any extra meringues.

I ate one
of the judges' meringues.

Uh-oh, something happened.

I'm gonna look like I've given
them an incomplete plate.

Oops.

I have just quite possibly eaten
$1/4 million.

I ate one
of the judges' meringues.

Uh-oh, something happened.

One, two, three.
One, two, three.

I have just possibly eaten
$1/4 million.

Let's go, ladies.

Last two minutes.

Come on. Let's go.

That is beautiful.

Whoo!

30 seconds to go.

Come on. Let's go.

Come on, guys. Come on.

Whoo!

Looks beautiful!

Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

and stop.

Wow.

Well done.

Bring your delicious desserts
to the front of the bench.

Elizabeth, what do you think
of Courtney's dessert?

I think it looks
like second place.

Ooh.

After this tasting,
one of you two will be crowned

this year's MasterChef.

Let's get it on.

We're gonna bring
those desserts

into the restaurant.

Courtney, please bring us
your dessert.

Thank you.

I made for you
a cherry meringue

with salted chocolate
and spiced almonds.

Did we miss one?

'Cause it looks like
three complete piles,

and then
we each got one empty one.

I was so concerned with
how everything tasted together

that I ate one of the meringues

that needed to be the top
to the third.

Let's hope
it tastes better than it looks.

Is there salt in anything else

other than the chocolate
on this plate?

- The cherries.
- Something tastes salty.

- The cherries taste salty?
- Cherries maybe.

I put a little bit of salt
into the black cherries

just to bring out
that flavor of it.

That's either really brilliant
or really stupid.

But after eating it
and processing it in my mind,

I have to say
that I think...

It's brilliant.

Thank you, sir.

It is really elevating
the intellectual component

of a dessert to another level

and making me not only eat it
with my palate in my mouth

but also digest it
with my brain.

It's very intellectually
and physically satisfying.

Thank you, sir.

The presentation
obviously not what you wanted,

but the taste is delicious.

The pastry cream
with the vanilla bean

going through it and the salted
chocolate, all those are great.

The cherries balanced against
the sweetness of those almonds,

it's like this perfect harmony.

Kind of eye-opening.

I disagree with Joe.
Don't like salty cherries.

They taste
like they're in a brine.

Meringues taste delicious.
I'm amazed you got them

crisp on the outside, gooey
and just right in the center.

Cooked to perfection,
nailed them.

Pastry cream delicious.

The flavors are there,

the texture's there,

but it's just, sadly,
your clumsiest plate.

I don't agree.

I apologize for that, chef.

Well...
Thank you.

Elizabeth,
please step forward.

This is a grapefruit
and olive oil

semolina cake
soaked in a grapefruit syrup

with poached plums and just
a little ground pistachio.

The actual olive oil cake
I think is delicious.

I love the flavor.
It's got a great texture.

The puree is great.

The spiced pistachio
helps balance the sweetness.

A really delicious dish.
Smart choice with this.

Thank you, chef.

Yeah, I'm putting this
within the context

of being an Italian dessert

because my grandmother
makes olive oil cake like this.

It's spot-on.
It's delicious.

It's rustic.

The coulis, the poached plums,
the cake,

the yogurt on top, fantastic.

It's a top-notch dish.

It fires on all cylinders.

Thank you.

Elizabeth, you knew it
was undercooked in the center,

yet you did the smartest thing,

and you cut from the outside
of the cake in.

There are professional chefs
tonight watching that wouldn't

even have the intelligence
or the integrity

to stand back and readjust,

so I just want to commend you
on that.

Thank you.

The cake itself,
really delicious.

What makes it for me
is the pink grapefruit,

because that gives it
the tartness, cuts the richness,

and just really lifts
that citrusy indulgence.

- Lovely.
- Thank you.

We now have to make one
of the most difficult decisions

We've ever made
in this entire competition,

a decision that will affect
both your lives.

We'll be crowning one of you
the new American MasterChef.

Please give us a moment.

Elizabeth's, first off.
The cake was perfect.

- Her best dish of the night.
- Right.

I'm super proud
of what I've done today.

100%, my menu's better.

It has more
of a connective thread,

and I believe my dessert

showed the judges
that I deserve to win.

But I think
that Courtney's dessert

really kind of showed
her thinking on another level.

Courtney's dessert

was the weakest performing dish
of our entire finale.

I disagree,
'cause it takes the parameters

of what is a dessert
and pushes it to the limits,

and if we're not here
to do that,

then I don't know
what we're here to do.

I took risks.

I was daring.

I didn't play anything safe,

and to me,
that's what a MasterChef is.

We judge based on the entire
spectrum of this menu.

App, entree, dessert...

Who has
the best collection overall?

So Elizabeth's menu.

For the first 2/3 of
this competition tonight,

her time management
was deplorable

except for the last 1/3

where she nailed it
on the dessert 100%.

Courtney's menu
was the opposite.

She did not go on
an ethnic or a regional theme.

Her menu was more enlightened
cooking and taking risks.

I've never seen two finalists
that were in the zone

as much as these two.

We are seeing home cooks come
through this kitchen who can,

will, and should
have an impact

on how the rest
of the world will eat.

So we agree we have a winner?

- Oh, yeah.
- Yeah.

- Yeah?
- Definitely.

Elizabeth and Courtney,

you came to this competition
as home cooks

with a burning passion for food.

Medic.

Oh, my god.
is he all right?

Elizabeth and Courtney,

you came
with a burning passion for food.

Medic.

- Oh, my god.
- Is he all right?

Find some water, please,
quickly.

- Oh, my god.
- Some water.

Get a chair.
Here we go.

Ross, you okay, bud?

- Here we go.
- Honey, are you okay?

There you go. There's a chair.
Honey, are you okay?

There's a chair behind you.

- Some water, please.
- He went white.

Oh, my god. I passed out.

It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.

Oh, I-I felt
like that was gonna happen.

It's okay.
Have some water, sweetie.

We haven't announced
the winner yet, okay?

So thanks for staying
with us, okay?

- When I pass out, I really pass out.
- Wait for me, bud.

You got to wait for me.

I'm so sorry. I am so sorry.

- Welcome back. Good?
- I'm fine.

My husband loves me so much
he passed out.

- Take a little sip of water.
- Okay.

- Take your time.
- Oh, my god.

I'm gonna have
a heart attack.

But Gordon Ramsay
saves the day yet again.

He gives him some water
and picks him up

and makes sure he's okay.

- You okay?
- I'm good.

Elizabeth and Courtney,

we are so proud
of the two of you.

This is my fate.

This is my future.

I think today I gave
a really winning performance,

and I do think I deserve to win.

It's clear that you have
both elevated your skill.

I am the epitome
of MasterChef.

You're here to change your life.

Yeah,
I worked in a gentleman's club.

That's behind me,
because now winning this title

is what changes everything.

Tonight confirmed that you two
are phenomenal chefs,

and that's why

we'd like you both
to come up here

and switch places with us.

Our decision wasn't easy.

It came down to the tiniest
of details.

That's how close
it was this evening.

But as you know,
there can only be one winner.

One of you is about to win

$1/4 million.

One of you will go on to
publish your very own cookbook.

And one of you

will claim this...

The most coveted title
in the culinary world,

The title of MasterChef.

America's next
great MasterChef is...

Congratulations...

Courtney.

Well done. Well done.

- Thank you!
- Oh, my god.

I've never given up.

I've been through the wringer.

I've made so many sacrifices,

and this validates all of them.

You said I was worthy,
daddy.

You're darn right, honey.

This trophy
means no more student loans.

My mom gets a kitchen,

and I have a secure future
in cooking.

Yeah!

Sorry, guys.
Oh, don't say that.

Ugh, why didn't I put
the lamb in sooner?

I'd be $250,000 richer.

But you know what,
Courtney deserves it.

But I did things

that I didn't think
I was ever capable of doing.

I'm really proud of myself.

Mwah!

Who's America's
next MasterChef?

Courtney!

Salud.

My mom looking at me

winning this title
means so much to me.

Louder!

I've had highs and lows.

I've come so far,

and I've made her and my father

and my siblings so proud of me.

- Whoo!
- Whoo!

Wow, what a night.

Now, if you think you've got
what it takes

to become
America's next MasterChef,

then please visit
fox.Com/MasterChef for details.

I cannot wait to see you.

I am America's MasterChef!

Yeah!

Sync & corrections: Ajvngou
www.addic7ed.com