Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi challenge the six weary chefs to earn as many points as possible in a shift that's all about risk-taking. Judge Marcel Vigneron decides their fate, and whoever harnesses their fine-dining cooking skills and displays the keenest palate will earn the golden knife, and with it, the right to make the riskiest, most important decision of the entire game.
Host Tituss Burgess welcomes VIP guests Esther Choi and Judy Joo, who request something spicy for dinner from the remaining four chefs. After their impressive fiery dishes, the competitors are asked to use even more of their precious resources to make something icy cool to soothe their guests' burning mouths, but it's worth it in order to stay in the game and stay out of Room 13.
The eight remaining chefs must temporarily put individual ambition aside as co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask them to battle in two teams of four. The winning team gets some well-deserved rest, but as the clock approaches midnight, the losing team must compete against each other making their best late-night eats. Judges Brooke Williamson and Ayesha Nurdjaja will send two chefs home.
In the final shift featuring elevation, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the exhausted finalists to dig deep and create an elevated breakfast, lunch and dinner. But as these chefs have come to learn, these last challenges will not quite be what they expected! Judges Antonia Lofaso, Graham Elliot and Jet Tila decide which chef will walk away with $75,000 and the title of Last Chef Standing.
Hour 13 of this extreme culinary competition features unrelenting twists and turns for the exhausted chefs. First, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi challenge the nine remaining competitors to turn snacks they find in the breakroom into dessert. Then, after being given only two minutes to shop for a lumberjack breakfast, the chefs must turn their breakfast ingredients into a different meal entirely for judge Brooke Williamson. And that's just the beginning!
The final five exhausted chefs are a mere four challenges away from the title of Last Chef Standing and a prize of $100,000. Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi present the competitors with an epic obstacle course that pushes them to the edge of their limits. Legendary judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Jet Tila, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten decide which two chefs will be clocking out, and three chefs will be left standing.
The four remaining chefs have survived 20 challenges and beat out 20 other chefs to arrive at this moment. In the final hours, hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi revisit an old challenge where the chefs must cook the best dishes of their lives. Whoever can stave off the final daggers of exhaustion and impress a superstar panel of judges will walk away with a $50,000 prize and an unforgettable trip to Hawaii.
Frustration and fatigue mounts in hour 16 as co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the eight remaining chefs to work in teams to make a soup and sandwich, all while handling three culinary curveballs that threaten to ruin their chances at survival. After the first challenge, one team is safe while the other team is left to keep on battling. Judges Carlos Anthony and Brian Malarkey decide who will move on to shift seven.
Host Kal Penn welcomes back competitor Kanchan Koya, but with both of her Flavor Favors used up, she has a difficult road ahead and can't call on Chef Esther Choi or culinary expert Nilou Motamed for help. Kanchan has her eyes on the $50,000 prize as the cloches reveal a traditional tea and a familiar but puzzling exotic meat, which she's game for. Tensions are high as the "Spice Mama" faces some very expensive taste tests!
The fallout from the sixth shift settles, and two culinary titans battle with a spot in the finale on the line. Then, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi give the remaining chefs a very limited time to execute two exacting dishes. Judge Andrew Zimmern decides which three chefs advance to the final shift, and the bottom two chefs face off in a unique challenge that will test them in ways never seen in this arena.