Following the disastrous lunch, Gordon's conflict with owner Joe turns into one of the most heated ones the show has witnessed yet.
Tropes
- 0% Approval Rating: The staff listen with utter glee as Gordon verbally tears Joe to pieces. The staff, whom Ramsay acknowledges are far more aware as to what the actual flaws of the restaurant are, especially Joe's arrogance, quietly praise Ramsay and mock Joe. One of them even remarks that it feels like Christmas has come early. Then after Ramsay leaves, Joe gives a speech to his staff angrily and harshly denouncing Ramsay... until he realizes that he has customers that can hear him, at which point he does an immediate 180. And it's quite obvious his staff aren't buying into it at all.
- Pretender Diss: This exchange:Gordon: Defensive, ignorant, and in complete denial...
Joe: Guess what? If I'm all that, you're my twin.
Gordon: What?
Joe: Yeah, 'cause I've been called you here many other times, so let's get over bullshit.
Gordon: (softly in Joe's ear) I can cook, Joe. - Small Name, Big Ego: Joe insists that his restaurant is the best cooking anywhere between Los Angeles and New York. He plants fake positive reviews of his restaurant online. He fails to see anything that's wrong with his cooking, despite him making amateurish mistakes. His food is deliberately overpriced because he wants to feel upscale. He expects Ramsay to go around town promoting the restaurant because he feels the only problem it has is lack of publicity. When Ramsay presents to him complaints about the food from customers, Joe becomes sarcastic (though he never badmouths customers in front of them). Joe considers himself an equal to Gordon Ramsay. When it becomes clear Ramsay refuses to give in and do as Joe pleases, Joe suddenly goes quiet as he's cooking and ignores Ramsay. Not learning a thing after Mill Street Bistro closes down, he opens another restaurant with an identical approach. note
- Tranquil Fury: Joe reaches his limits with Gordon Ramsay. After an hour of top-of-lungs yelling between Joe and Gordon (this was a two-parter), Joe suddenly, and unnervingly, becomes completely silent and reverts back to how he cooked before Gordon arrived, ignoring anything Gordon tried to tell him and walking around Gordon like he was a mannequin. You can tell from Joe's scowl that he's overflowing with rage.
