Even though this is technically the third episode of Top Chef: Texas, it's the first real episode because they're finally getting to the Texas-sized challenges!
The first Quickfire has the chef'testants cooking up some rattlesnakes, the winner receiving immunity and $5k. Like me, Dakota is very fearful of snakes and looks like she's about to cry when hearing this and seeing the snakes writhing around in their glass prison. But don't worry, I'm sure they didn't have to actually touch the live snakes. There's no way in PETA hell that the producers will make the chefs bash in some snake brains on this show; A. because it's inhumane, and B. BECAUSE THEY'RE EFFING RATTLESNAKES!
The Elimination Challenge is a team effort tonight (not sure what it entails, though — the previews are giving me nothing). We get our first taste of drama tonight when Rick Ross (a.k.a.: Keith) buys pre-cooked shrimp (!ESCANDALO!) for his teammate Lindsay to use in her "really intense court bouillon" (no, that's not a sexy euphemism). As teammate, Sarah, aptly states: "Who would buy pre-cooked shrimp in a cooking competition?! The point is to COOK the shrimp."
Let the games and draaaamaaaa begin!