Fifteen months ago, Gordon Ramsay could be heard screaming a single syllable over and over at his kitchen staff while members of the media and other guests were waiting to be served. Now I finally know what the word was.

"Raw."

And I know why he was saying it.

The halibut.

The reference was to undercooked fish that had been brought to the pass for the seventh season opener of "Hell's Kitchen," which will have its premiere Tuesday. The restaurant had been quiet up to that point, a good 90 or so minutes spent mostly consuming wine and bread while waiting for appetizers and entrees. As we learn in Tuesday's opener, chefs on fish stations were struggling more than others on that first night, overcooking the scallops, undercooking the halibut and having no idea how long it takes to cook salmon.

This followed a series of incidents, all of which make it into the opening segment, that include a chef not knowing the difference between crab and lobster, one placing items into a cold saute pan and another starting a risotto with the stock first. Chefs are booted from the kitchen, the people cooking your food change duties, and a dish intended for your table has been dumped in the garbage.

Guess what? No diners are aware that any of these mishaps are occurring.

Chaos in "Hell's Kitchen," for real

In the past, "Hell's Kitchen's" producers have invited media to finales and shows late in the run -- episodes that are likely to have a complete service. The seventh season starts with a media frenzy that's staged but does actually include five or six food writers based in Los Angeles, myself included.

The show making it to air Tuesday is a frenetic version of what actually occurred. The new cheftestants entered on a red carpet with some of them playing up to the "media" presence. A few of us remarked to each other, "Do they honestly believe this is real?" And "yes" became the consensus answer.

Upon introduction, much was made of the number of places from which these chefs hail -- Maui, Hawaii; Philadelphia; Chicago; New York. Let's just say that, as a group, they were not chosen based on any glamour shots; this is still not "Top Chef." Just based on the tattoos, hairstyles and physical girth, they looked like a group of people who do not back down from arguments, an idea reinforced by the season's promos.

We media types returned for that first service, having heard Ramsay vow that the blue and red teams -- as always, split between men and women (yawn) -- would complete the service. First time ever. And, yes, they succeeded. It took three hours to get apps, entrees and desserts, but they accomplished the mission, for our table at least.

We did as we were told -- order various items and avoid ordering two of anything. And it was delivered in fits and starts. Of the four meals I have had in "Hell's Kitchen" -- one of which was a finale in which the loser's food was often inedible -- this was the best overall food, though I could see someone sending back my medium rare Beef Wellington for being much too rare.

Gordon Ramsay, the manic drill instructor

Like most seasons of "Hell's Kitchen," this one starts with the boot camp approach that Ramsay takes, scorching the chefs' egos and self-esteem through intimidation and, in this case, sleep deprivation.

He's an antsy guy, and he does little to hide it. Standing around between takes, he folds his arms and bounces, muttering "c'mon, c'mon, c'mon" while his expressionless sous chefs flank him in at-ease stances. When Ramsay can't take it anymore, he becomes gracious and starts extending thank-yous to everyone for being patient. Then he returns to bouncing.

But once the cameras' red lights switch on, Ramsay is in "go" mode. His energy can be felt from the dining room, even though the chefs seem mighty far from any of the dining tables. It just takes that one vocal explosion to thicken the tension, to unnerve the diners and, in a perverse way, give them the dish they most wanted to be served -- a taste of intimidation. "Raw." He said it a few times, the dining room getting quieter with each exclamation. It definitely altered the restaurant's vibe.

From the first "signature dishes" the chefs whip up, Ramsay says he gets a good idea who will be standing four, eight or 12 weeks down the road. Credit the producers with masking it well. There is not a season of this show that does not feel as if he is surrounded by a class of incompetents with only two or three chefs worthy of consideration. Who those chefs might be is anyone's guess at this point.

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