Below Deck Mediterranean Recap: Take Two

by

Anyone who watches Below Deck knows the pattern: one minute it’s all about messy romantic relationships, and the next it’s back to focusing on the unique challenges of working on a yacht. The show has been on for over ten years, and some seasons have struck a better balance between these two elements. This season of Mediterranean does a good job of combining both, though it often presents work drama and personal drama in separate episodes. Last week was all romance, and the week before focused on issues within the crew. Despite its silly title, this week’s episode, “The Poo-petrator,” comes closest to getting the mix just right. Relationships are crumbling, a storm is brewing (again!), and with a crew member down, a new one arrives—and she’s sure to bring drama. The guests are demanding, and yes, there’s even poop in the shower.

The story continues with Gael arriving, guitar in hand, and immediately running into Nathan’s arms. He’s visibly emotional, even shedding a few tears. However, the heartwarming reunion is somewhat dampened by his recent online posts expressing hateful and racist views. Aesha and Sandy are pleased to see Gael, though not as moved as Nathan. Joe is wary, remembering Gael’s disapproval of his past behavior towards women, and Kizzi is clearly irritated. Gael then shares what she’s been up to for the last ten months: she’s become a certified scuba-diving instructor and earned her yacht master 200 ton license, allowing her to captain various smaller boats. She’s really grown, and Sandy believes she could easily run her own ship one day.

Gael seems to have matured, but it’s still unclear if Nathan has. Aesha tries to motivate Nathan, telling him it’s a fresh start. He’s overjoyed and excitedly runs around. After updating Gael on the situation with Joe, V, and Kizzi, Nathan confesses to kissing Kizzi during a night out – actually, on multiple nights. He claims they haven’t spoken since, which isn’t entirely accurate. Gael assures him that Kizzi isn’t bothered by it either way.

Gael is really wary of getting back together with Nathan. She’s still deeply hurt by their past breakup and gets emotional whenever she talks about it. She explained that after traveling with Nathan for a couple of months, he suddenly stopped contacting her for five days. When he finally reached out, he told her he wasn’t ready for a long-distance relationship. Seeing how excited Nathan is to be around Gael now is puzzling – it makes you wonder what’s going on with him! Even Sandy noticed he put on cologne for her arrival. He’s showering her with affection, telling her things like “I need you” and “I think I love you,” but she’s gently rejecting his advances. One night, she allowed him to cuddle for a short time before asking him to go back to his own cabin. If Nathan has truly changed, he’ll need to do a lot more than just follow Gael around to prove it.

Gael isn’t having any of Joe’s behavior – she can see right through him. He tries to talk things through, hoping to smooth things over after their difficult interaction last season. The problem was Joe’s tendency to control everything, which made Gael feel undervalued. He apologizes, and they manage to appear cordial, but both secretly admit they don’t trust each other. It’s particularly rich coming from Joe, but he actually criticizes Gael for kissing Nathan before officially ending her previous relationship. He unbelievably claims he has no respect for cheaters, stating, “Once a cheater, always a cheater.”

The producer challenges Joe, pressing him about his actions with Kizzi, seemingly to confirm he’s telling the truth. Joe struggles to explain what happened, offering a distorted account that minimizes his own behavior compared to Gael’s. He repeatedly emphasizes that he’s a “nice guy” and simply attracted to women. However, that’s not the most troubling thing he says. The worst comes the next day while preparing a picnic with Max. Throughout the episode, people ask Joe and Kizzi if they’ve heard from V, as it’s her birthday and the anniversary of Bon’s death. Joe sends V a text saying they miss her, but doesn’t mention her birthday, and Kizzi sends a similar message. She otherwise avoids the topic, saying Joe will contact V when she returns. While setting up the picnic, Joe tells Max he’s going to tell V about the kiss, claiming he’s honest and doesn’t hide things. This statement is particularly damaging, and he adds, almost as an afterthought, that he “just doesn’t want to hurt her.”

Kizzi quickly learns her kiss with Nathan wasn’t a secret – he tells Aesha within minutes. Kizzi is deeply upset, admitting she hates herself when questioned about it, and even Gael wonders if Nathan feels remorse. However, Nathan seems to be recovering quickly, claiming V gives him “relationship vibes” he’s not prepared for – a surprising statement considering he recently said V was changing him. He asks Kizzi if she feels bad, but avoids admitting any wrongdoing himself, which feels unbelievable. Meanwhile, the most genuine connection seems to be developing between Cathy and Max. Cathy cries while telling a friend how much Max’s affection means to her – something she never does – and it’s clear they’re really growing closer. It’s sweet how Max affectionately calls her “my little Cathy,” and I’m hoping they continue to thrive.

The guest preference sheets aren’t looking good. A major guest, Carlyn – who owns seventeen real estate companies – is bringing her brokerage team on charter. Unfortunately, they all have different dietary needs: some are vegetarian, some eat fish but not other meat, one is vegan, another needs gluten-free food, and yet another can’t have dairy. On top of that, the boat will be stuck at the dock overnight due to a storm. Sandy quickly informs the guests upon their arrival but assures them they’ll check the weather first thing in the morning to set sail. The most prominent guest seems to be a man named Joaquin, sporting a mustache and clearly ready to have a lot of fun – he’s already taking tons of photos and ordering margaritas.

The day was a bit of a letdown, with the weather preventing anyone from swimming and keeping the boat in port. That evening, the guests and crew prepared for a dinner party with an ’80s theme – not Josh’s favorite, as he prefers the ’70s. A clip from his outlandish ’70s-inspired music video, featuring a clown costume, highlighted his preference. Josh managed to satisfy Carlyn’s request for “Asian” cuisine, providing a wide array of dishes like sushi, raw seafood, caviar, and more. Meanwhile, Kizzi’s night took a turn for the worse when a guest requested no service in his cabin. Things escalated when she asked Cathy to investigate a terrible smell in another cabin, and they discovered a piece of human waste in the shower. Kizzi announced the discovery over the radio, barely able to stifle her laughter, saying, “All crew, there’s poop in the shower!”

The entire crew quickly became fascinated with the blocked shower. Josh grew increasingly frustrated, as it was pulling the stews’ attention away from dinner service. Kizzi, despite being disgusted and even feeling sick, was willing to handle the situation. Things got worse when she removed the drain cover and found even more waste inside. She immediately ran to get Aesha, who is known for being unfazed by unpleasant topics – she jokingly claims a high tolerance for “rectal issues.” However, even Aesha was shocked by the extent of the blockage. Being a natural leader, she volunteered to clean the drain herself. She and Kizzi worked together, carefully quadruple-bagged the mess, and moved on.

It takes a remarkable lack of consideration for others to do something like this and then assume someone else will clean it up. Aesha kindly suggests the guest hoped no one would notice, but I suspect they simply didn’t care if someone had to deal with their mess. After dinner, Aesha tries to figure out who was responsible for this unpleasant act. The next morning, before heading to Calella Lighthouse, the show’s editors include a clip of Carlyn admitting she’s been experiencing diarrhea – a possible hint about who caused the problem?

Max is upset that Nathan asked him to set up the picnic with Joe, seemingly to create more alone time with Gael on the boat. While Max is overreacting to being assigned work, his annoyance makes him notice Nathan actively trying to win Gael back. Nathan later admits he intentionally scheduled extra time with Gael on the boat. Luckily, most of the crew welcomes the break from work – Kizzi especially enjoys getting some fresh air. Despite being called a “beach picnic,” the lunch will actually be held by the lighthouse, which overlooks the beach. Gael manages things on land while Aesha questions Nathan about his relationship with Gael and whether they’ll try to rekindle things. Nathan wants to, but Gael is unsure. The episode ends on a somber note when Cathy receives devastating news: her stepfather, who raised her, has passed away. She’s understandably heartbroken, but her mother offers strong support, encouraging her to lean on the crew for comfort – and Sandy and Aesha are quick to offer it.

Read More

2025-12-23 05:56