Top Chef

Eight new chefs face off against eight returning chefs in Charleston, S.C.; the new chefs enter the kitchen first to cook as many dishes as possible in one hour using a whole chicken; the veterans square off to re-imagine shrimp and grits.

The chefs join the judges for a traditional shrimp boil; the newcomers face off against the returning chefs to put a spin on a low-country family meal; after dining with chefs Carrie Morey and BJ Dennis, each team creates a family-style feast.

Padma and guest judge Chris Cosentino divide the chefs into teams to compete in a mise en place race; the teams must go head to head and create a seven-course progressive meal in which each dish features the same ingredient: the radish.

The chefs tackle a challenge based on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional seafood-filled dinner, using "trash fish;" the chefs serve special guests Gail Simmons, Richard Blais, Hugh Acheson, and Graham Elliot.

The chefs face a mountain of baking ingredients pointing to a biscuit challenge; barbecue master Rodney Scott tasks the chefs to prepare a whole hog and three side dishes for 150 barbecue lovers, including country music star Darius Rucker.

The chefs must make healthy, vegetarian versions of traditional comfort foods and are only allowed to grab one item from the pantry at a time; the chefs must create dishes that pay homage to the matriarch of Southern cuisine.

The chefs take up a challenge to cook dishes using ingredients corresponding to their zodiac signs; for a pirate-themed party, the chefs must race through the streets to collect their ingredients on a treasure hunt.

The eight remaining chefs divide into two teams to design a restaurant, create a menu and impress the judges and diners; chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara task the teams to take over the same restaurant space on separate nights.

Previous winner Michael Voltaggio gives the remaining chefs a blindfolded taste test; the chefs draw inspiration from childhood memories to create dishes for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital charity gala on Kiawah Island.

The competitors board a boat with Tom Colicchio, who gives them a lesson in harvesting shrimp; later, the chefs must create a dish with their freshly caught shrimp; the chefs are asked to prepare a brunch for the famed Charleston Hat Ladies.

The final four chefs cook impromptu dishes while simultaneously instructing mystery partners on how to create the same dish; when the judges compare dishes, the chefs are shocked to discover their secret partners are their visiting family members.

In Guadalajara, Mexico, the three remaining chefs face off against the winner of "Last Chance Kitchen;" the chefs must create a dish using goat, then they are tasked to pair their own cocktail with a dish that incorporates the notes of a margarita.

In Tulum, Mexico, the remaining chefs are challenged to make a dish showcasing the flavor of the habanero pepper; the chefs must create a dish using ancient Mayan ingredients and tools; the two chefs with the best dishes will compete in the finale.

The final two chefs face-off to serve the best meal of their lives; the finalists will cook a four-course progressive meal with the help of three sous chefs, comprised of two eliminated chefs and one from their restaurants back home.