The Chicken Sisters

Mae compares waiting for the results of the chefs’ taste test to auditioning to be a host on Sparkling. She waits anxiously in a room at the local inn with Barbara, Andy, Amanda, and Nancy. Andy and Mae present their fried chicken to the chefs, as they tell them that they use the same technique Mimi used back in 1886, with a few modifications for their modern customers. Amanda then presents the friend chicken from Frannie’s, and both groups are told to taste each other’s chicken. Mae wonders how Amanda will respond, because she does not eat chicken. After Andy tastes the chicken, he pulls Mae to the side and tells her that both restaurants are using the same fried chicken recipe, even if they fry it differently. Mae accuses Amanda of stealing their recipe when she came into the restaurant a couple days prior. Andy tries to stop Mae, but she shares the accusation with Sabrina, who tries to record Mae on her phone. Sabrina tells Mae that they will confront Amanda.

After getting home, Amanda worries that she did not look as presentable as Mae. She then sees Mae and Sabrina arrive at her house. Sabrina records Mae confronting Amanda about the chicken recipe, but Amanda defends Nancy’s recipe and claims she does not use a recipe. Rather, Amanda remarks that Nancy cooks the chicken the same way Frank taught her, which is the same way his father taught him. Mae and Andy conclude that the chicken at Frannie’s used to taste different, and Andy confirms that he tried the chicken at Frannie’s before he got the job at Mimi’s. Amanda erupts in anger and blames Mae for not helping their mother with her hoarding issues, despite being known for her decluttering brand. When Frankie comes outside to see the commotion, she ridicules Mae for making a big deal out of the frozen food at Frannie’s. Amanda claims that she and her sister will work it out, and she then takes her daughter back inside the house.

Mae tries to convince Sabrina that Barbara’s house has nothing to do with Food Wars, but Sabrina claims that if the “higher-ups” want to see it, then she will film Barbara’s house. Barbara and Mae’s kids come to pick up Mae, who learns that Barbara’s dog has had puppies. Ryder comments that Barbara told them they could have a puppy if they stay in Kansas.

Later on, Mae sees a video on Facebook that shows the puppies inside Barbara’s house, and she receives a text from Jay chiding her for exposing “some poor hick’s” hoarding situation (213). He does not know that Mae’s mother has a hoarding problem. On the way to Mimi’s, Mae tells Andy and Barbara that the Food Wars crew went into her house, and Barbara starts crying and claims that she takes great care of her dog and the puppies. Mae asks Barbara how they got into the house, and Barbara claims that she does not know. Mae worries that Barbara bakes the pies for Mimi’s at her house, and Barbara does not respond when Mae asks about this. Rather, she tells Mae to call Sabrina to tell her that she takes good care of her dogs.

Arriving at Frannie’s before dinner, Amanda finds Gus and Frankie waiting on her to show her the video of Barbara’s house on Facebook. The caption of the video pokes at Mae for not cleaning up “the mess that hits close to home” (218). Gus figures out from Amanda’s reaction that she told Food Wars about her mother’s hoarding problem, and Amanda tries to claim that she was simply defending Frannie’s. Sabrina arrives at the restaurant, and Nancy attempts to speak to her without the cameras. However, Sabrina will not allow it. Nancy leaves the restaurant, claiming the show has gone too far, and Amanda is left to manage their dinner service alone.