SeriesFest 8 Event Spotlight: TBS’ ‘Rat in the Kitchen’ Screening

Written by Shae Rufe

This past weekend I was treated to a new show on TBS called Rat in the Kitchen, courtesy of SeriesFest. As it happens, cooking shows are one of my personal favorites, so when I found out it was hosted by Chef Ludo Lefebvre and Comedian Natasha Leggero, I had to check this screening out. The premise of the show is different than any other cooking competition. Six chefs are competing for $50k, the only catch is that one of them isn’t who they appear to be. One chef is a “rat”, and their job is to sabotage the other chefs’ dishes.
 
If chef Ludo doesn’t like the dish he’s been presented, then money moves from the vault to the Rat’s vault. At the end of two rounds, the chefs vote on who they think the Rat is among them. If they guess correctly, the chefs walk away with the remaining money in their vault. If they guess wrong, however, the Rat wins whatever money was in their vault. 

It’s a wonderful twist to the game of cooking competitions. Admittedly, I thought I was really good at picking out who the Rat was, based on my previous experience with “find the person who did it” shows. Turns out, this isn’t that easy. With all the chaos going on, the Rat goes undetected pretty well sometimes. There is also always a mislead, and that is always fun. Either way, this show is a full-on rollercoaster of entertainment. It’s the kind of show that won’t hurt your feelings and is just straight up fun. Trying to find the saboteur and watching as everyone conspires against each other is also fun. The contestants know from the start that one of them is a Rat, so it’s not a surprise in that sense. It creates a level of mistrust amongst everyone, even more so when they’re given dishes to prepare as a group or in pairs, forcing them to interact.

Most competition shows are notorious for having a judge that’s cruel, snarky, and mean. This show, however, lacks that. While Chef Ludo gives criticism, he’s never nasty to anyone. He often offers helpful advice and is kind to everyone, even if he doesn’t like their dish. It’s a breath of fresh air. Natasha is a hilarious addition, hosting the show with grace and the humor we have all come to love from her. The show itself is light in a sense that it’s just good fun and nothing stressful. Natasha and Ludo seem to have an on-screen friendship that seems to have translated over into real life. Their banter is carefree and, above all, natural throughout the show and in person. They complement each other nicely, and I’m not sure this show would work without them.

Rat in the Kitchen returns to TBS on May 19 and the previews look amazing! While a second season hasn’t been announced just yet, we can only hope it’ll happen soon. For anyone in Colorado, Chef Ludo’s restaurant, Chez Maggy, is open and has a very impressive menu. He is, after all, a Michelin star Chef, so expect nothing but the best!

---