So I picked up a crown upper gasket kit and so far it has pretty much everything it it for doing a head job. I was looking at the exhaust manifold gaskets and while one seems to be metal plated on one side. The other just seems to be missing that metal plating/cover. So I guess I'm asking if I got a bum exhaust gasket

 

Not sure but that brand is a cheaper brand kind of a generic brand some decent parts some just cheap crap but most any company now offers the same so its hit and miss regarding quality these days. No guarantee of quality by any brand even at higher prices you still get China crap.

These days you must inspect anything you buy check for quality it sucks.