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The real competition begins!

Heidi and Finley are joined by special guest Emilia Kim as the top 20 home cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen for the first official challenge—elevated stadium food representing four global territories.

We break down the top dishes (a South Indian potato bonda, a Spanish tortilla, yaji chicken tenders, and a Jamaican beef patty), the bottom dishes, and the moment that had everyone talking: Band-Aid Gate. Plus Heidi reads an excerpt from her brand new release Scars So Lovely, and Finley teases her upcoming June release A Perfect Pairing.

Roses and wooden spoons all round (but this time, not for Joe). 🌹🥄

Check out Emilia's awesome food-filled channel at @theemiliakim

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The fourth and final qualifying round is here, and the Americas brought the heat — literally. Spice levels, bold protein choices, and one professional wrestler who put Joe Bastianich in a headlock on national television. It was a lot.

This week Heidi and Finley recap the Americas auditions—from Tkaiya's pineapple glazed jerk chicken (glaze left tragically on the counter), to Jake's mole negro dessert that required literal diagrams to execute, to Maria's moqueca de camarão that had the entire studio shrieking with joy. Plus Captain Coby and his legendary Cajun seasoning, Andrea's stunning salmon rooted in indigenous Alaskan tradition, and Brittany Bay—professional wrestler, Barbadian food ambassador, and the woman who made Joe regret every decision he's ever made.

The qualifying rounds are officially over. All four teams are set. And Heidi and Finley have absolutely no idea what's coming next—but there's already a Band-Aid on a plate on Reddit and they have thoughts.

Also: Scars So Lovely is OUT, Soren is everyone's book boyfriend, and Finley is wearing a shirt that just says RAW. She's owning it. As she should.

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NOTE: OOPS HEIDI TOTALLY SAID EPISODE 4 AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THIS IS EPISODE 3!!

Eight home cooks representing the continent with arguably the best-smelling kitchen of the entire qualifying round. Five aprons. And one moment where Gordon Ramsay decided the best way to celebrate a contestant was to physically remove his clothing.

This week Finley and Heidi recap the Africa auditions—from Nora's braised lamb tagine in 45 minutes flat (she forgot to time the meat and somehow got away with it), to Rita's jollof risotto that had Joe Bastianich declaring it better than any Italian he'd ever tasted, to Dave, the man who gave up Beyoncé for anchovies and absolutely made the right call. Plus the girls weigh in on the ongoing tension between tradition and elevation that keeps showing up in the judging—and Finley's wooden spoon goes to the ovens.

Also: Scars So Lovely is almost here, Soren is everyone's new book boyfriend, and two kind young gents offer to place banana peels to sabotage other MasterChef contestants on Heidi's behalf. Truly a rose-worthy gesture.