The chefs open their appetizer baskets to find bitter-sweet chocolate, figs and mussels. The contestants know that three of them will face the bitter disappointment of being "chopped," while only one can claim sweet victory.

Things get prickly when the competitors open up the appetizer baskets to discover a spiny surprise. Then in the Entree Round, the judges sympathize when one chef faces a serious snapper snafu after everything literally falls apart. And when one of the finalists takes liberty with the rules when finishing up a complex dessert, the transgression could mean the difference between victory and disgrace.