MasterChef

Gordon: Let's go.

- Amazing. - Whoa!

Amazing. Come on!

Welcome back.

Wow. Thank you very much. Welcome, everybody.

This is the "MasterChef: Dynamic Duos" Grand Finale!

Now this season, for the first time in "MasterChef" history,

we sought out America's best culinary duos

from home cooks across the nation.

And let me tell you something, it's been quite the ride.

Let's take a look.

This year on "MasterChef," we made history...

This is "MasterChef: Dynamic Duos."

...as home cooks from all over America competed in pairs.

Husbands and wives.

- I love you. - I love you, too.

Mothers and daughters. Siblings.

Nothing like cooking bringing us together, right?

Best friends. Even a divorced couple.

Relax. You're starting to be very bossy.

To see if two cooks really were better than one.

- It's gonna require that teamwork. - Zest, zest, zest, zest.

- Two tablespoon of sugar, babe? - Yes.

Everything, y'all double check with each other.

- Yes. Yes. - Absolutely.

You know, like a true team.

- Yes. - We have a plan A to win, Chef.

- Game on. - Challenges were twice as tough.

- We want to see a three course meal. - No!

Get it. Where is it?

This was harder than giving birth.

And relationships were tested like never before.

- Jessica? Two piece asparagus. - What?

- I can't hear you! - They're on two different islands right now.

- Leave me alone. - I'm not sure you actually communicated.

Duck into the oven. Put him in. Just put him in, Tina.

But when the pressure of the kitchen proved too much...

- I want to get off the fried. - It's called the pressure test for a reason.

- Let me talk. Let me talk. - You stop now!

- Who cooked the scallops? - I did, Chef.

- Oh, boy. - We're a team. All the way to the end, yeah?

...the power of their partnerships pulled them through.

- This is beautiful. - Thank you, Chef.

What you did have was a great synergy.

You are definitely in sync.

I don't like cooking without you.

Now just three dynamic duos remain.

Will it be Rachel and Julio,

Tina and Aivan, or Jesse and Jessica?

Only one duo will win it all on the first ever

"MasterChef: Dynamic Duos" grand finale.

Now let's meet our incredible MasterChef duo finalists.

Right, first up, an aunt and a niece from Fountain Valley, California,

and Fairplay, Colorado. Give it up for Tina and Aivan!

Come on!

- ( cheering ) - Tina: I cannot believe it!

We're in the finale.

Aivan: Cooking in the MasterChef kitchen

in the finale is beyond my wildest dreams.

It's so crazy.

I made it!

Oh, they're so cute!

Tina and Aivan, let's have a look at this extraordinary journey.

Tasting this dish is like coming to your house for dinner.

- Welcome to my home. - Our family comes from Vietnam,

And in 1975, my grandma, aunt, uncle,

and my mom immigrated to the United States.

So growing up, we all kind of lived under the same roof.

And we're always in the kitchen,

always cooking, always making food.

Tina: My mother passed down her cooking skill to me,

and now we passed down to Aivan.

Aivan: And we came here to share our Vietnamese flavors

with the world.

It's authentic with profound flavor and impact.

We made my grandma's steamed bass.

We've made a barbecue short rib.

I love the beef. This is delicious.

- Thank you, Tiffany. - Aah!

"MasterChef" has brought us so close together

and has strengthened our relationship more than I've ever imagined.

- Thank you, baby! - Tina, you ready?

We get ready to "pew!"

We come from a family of resilient people,

so tonight we're gonna fight, and we're gonna put it all out there.

- Put the meat in now. Go! - Okay, I'm going! Whoo!

Tiffany: Look at that. Both at the same time.

Three dishes stand between us and winning "MasterChef,"

and I feel like if we trust our instincts, I think we got it.

I want that trophy. I can taste it.

We gonna make you proud.

Tina, Aivan, here to cheer you on tonight,

we have Aivan's father Hoang and Aivan's mother Christina,

who is also Tina's sister.

We also have Jessica, who's Tina's daughter.

All right, so, Christina, we have heard so much about grandma, your mom.

- Do you think that they have made her proud? - Christina: Very proud.

My mom unfortunately can't be here because she's in a nursing home,

but she's very, very proud.

And to carry on her tradition, her recipe, it's amazing.

- She she would jump for joy. - Don't make me cry.

All right, next we have a husband

and wife duo from Naples, Florida.

Please welcome Rachel and Julio!

We're in the finale of "MasterChef." It feels amazing.

Julio: We went through so much to be here,

and we're so proud of our journey.

- ( cheering ) - Good job, guys!

Rachel Julio, let's take a look back

at what you've been through in this competition.

Lookit. Up there. Winner season 15? That's us.

Rachel: We've been married for two years, and since the moment we met,

food was the huge connection.

- Yes! - Let's go!

Julio: We want to be in the culinary industry.

And when "MasterChef" opened its doors,

we saw an opportunity to change our lives.

- Let's go! - My goodness! This is a delicious plate of food.

You've got the marriage right here.

A bit like you two. Well done!

We are known as the fiery Latino couple.

Julio: We immigrated from Brazil and Cuba

and we brought the knowledge

of so many cultures to our dishes.

Tonight's winning duo, Rachel and Julio!

We have been one of the best duos in the competition.

- Feeling confident? - Yes.

Tiffany: Chicken, lovely.

Joe: All the flavors are great.

The cooking techniques are great.

The winner is Rachel and Julio.

Yes! Let's go!

We've been so resilient. We persevered through every challenge.

My arms are gonna fall off.

We've had our ups and downs.

The rice is undercooked. Come on.

You got a blast that rice now. Let's go.

But just like in our marriage,

supporting each other made us stronger to climb back up.

Wow. Perfect risotto, which is no small feat.

Thank you, Joe. Come on, mi amor. We got this.

Our lives before "MasterChef" was just work to pay the bills.

- Move, move, move, move, move. - And when there is a chance that we get to do something

that we feel passionate about...

We're gonna fight to make sure that our dream becomes a reality.

'Ey, 'ey, 'ey!

Okay, Rachel and Julio, here to support you tonight,

we have Rachel's brother Michel and Julio's brother Renan.

Tell us what Julio was like as a little boy.

Was he always a passionate foodie?

Yes. He born for this time.

This time is yours, and I'm proud of you, my brother.

I-- I didn't want to cry,

but, damn, it's-- it's...

And finally, a couple from Boston, Massachusetts,

Jessica and Jesse!

Jesse: Cannot believe we're in the finale.

It's unbelievable.

- ( cheering ) - Go, Jess! Go, Jesse!

- ( cheering continues ) - We got this. We got this.

- Whoo! - Jessica and Jesse,

let's see how you got here tonight. Take a look.

- The double J, Jessica and Jesse. - We're doing it, baby.

- We're doing it. - We're doing this.

Jessica: Jesse and I met eight years ago

bartending together, and food has been our bond.

One of these duos just edged out the others. Zach and Michelle.

But we didn't get an apron to start and it hurt us.

Let's go!

And then we got our second chance to get a white apron.

- And we've clawed our way back. - Get the lamb on there. Gorgeous, baby.

- Jessica and Jesse. - Yeah! Yes!

And we knew ever since then that we're gonna prove

that we are the best duo in this competition.

- We do not want to let these aprons go. - We do not want to let go

- of these aprons. - We just got them.

We weren't gonna allow ourselves to get this far

only to go back home empty-handed.

- Do hard things. - Do hard things.

You took this challenge together as a duo. So good.

- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.

This competition has strengthened our relationship.

We at times have been full of self-doubt,

and we found confidence in each other.

We're both strong cooks in our own right.

But together I feel like we've proven we're unstoppable.

- Pork is cooked beautifully. - Tiffany: So good.

- Thank you, Chef. - Next duo entering into the finale,

- Jessica and Jesse! - Oh, my God!

Jesse: Winning the MasterChef title would be that validation

that me and Jessica are meant to be

in this whole culinary world together.

And I just know that we're gonna win the trophy,

we're gonna win the $250,000,

and win the title of MasterChef.

- Thank you. Love you. - Love you, too.

Jesse and Jessica, here to support you tonight,

we have Jessica's parents Richard and Laurie. Welcome.

Now, Dad, what do you think it means for both them tonight

to be standing here in the finale?