Is Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service His Best Show Yet Or Is It Just Another Kitchen Nightmares?

Gordon Ramsay’s known for his brand of unfiltered expertise, making him an exciting presence in the reality TV milieu, and in his newest effort for the Fox network, Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, he’s offering up a stealthier version of his usual Kitchen Nightmares fare, which may be even tastier. However, he’s still bombastic, hurling out painful truths when faced with outright laziness and incompetence. While the two shows have some similarities, the spycraft element of “Secret Service” makes the new series a unique addition to his impressive body of work.

Picture the reality icon Gordon in a shadowy Jason Bourne guise, on a secret mission, which is showing restaurant owners how to run their businesses efficiently and hygienically. He wants the usual – great food, inviting decor, and caring service. What this “kitchen ninja” doesn’t want is excuses. He creeps into eateries with the whisper-quiet movements of a seasoned Treadstone assassin, but the only thing he wants to kill is the weak mindsets of unsuccessful restauranteurs. Their dining establishments are a disgrace. However, he’s got ways of psychologically breaking them down. He rebuilds them as stronger entrepreneurs.

This Show Might Be Better Than Kitchen Nightmares

However, The OG Series Has Its Charms

Kitchen Nightmares debuted in the UK and it was truly amazing entertainment. The US version has a lot of charm too, although it doesn’t really have the same authenticity as the British version. Both shows are real and unscripted, but Gordon’s more low-key in the UK version – not as explosive and cartoonish. For the US version, he’s in his Hell’s Kitchen mode – really lashing out. In Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, he’s in the same frame of mind, as seen in a clip above.

While he’s sneaking into restaurants to see them in their raw state, he’s still the same old meme-worthy Gordon. The low-key days are over, and some might argue that he had a lot to offer when he wasn’t quite as prone to red-faced screaming fits. For his American audience, he really camps it up, and obviously, that persona pays big dividends.

With that in mind, Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service could possibly eclipse Kitchen Nightmares US, but it probably won’t be more entertaining than Kitchen Nightmares UK, which helped Gordon to become the successful TV star he is today. That British series had a lot of character – it didn’t seem too “Hollywood” and some of those UK episodes are modern-day classics, including the one where Gordon mocked a subpar chef’s “A-1 Chef” license plate, which cost him 2000 pounds.

Kitchen Nightmares Is A Tough Act To Follow

But Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service Still Looks Exciting

Comedy gold is what it’s all about. It’s about living vicariously through Gordon while he cracks jokes and loses his temper. Gordon is a confident man – he’s conquered an industry or two, with a few bumps in the road. He is sure of himself. So, when he decides to unload on restauranteurs, he knows what he’s talking about.

While the trailer teases some exciting Black Ops in the culinary realm, with Gordon’s situational awareness, to coin an SAS phrase, at an all-time high, it’s a repackaged Kitchen Nightmares, with an extra ingredient (sneak-ins or outright break-ins) added to the mix. Gordon’s putting a little more seasoning in the dish, but it might not be enough to really set him apart. If he can give this series a distinct identity, so people don’t feel like they’re watching a reheated Kitchen Nightmares, this new series could be the jewel in his crown.