Below Deck Mediterranean Recap: Abandoned Anchor

As a seasoned viewer of reality TV shows, I’ve seen my fair share of love triangles and relationship dramas. But this latest episode took it to a whole new level. The tension between Gael, Nathan, and her poor boyfriend was palpable, and I couldn’t help but feel for the poor guy as he sent sad text after sad text.

As someone who has gone through the rollercoaster ride of relationships, I cannot express enough how disheartening it is to constantly be met with fear-mongering and negative predictions, only for things to turn out just fine in the end. It’s like being forced into a grueling workout session for my glutes, complete with endless clenching and unclenching. The most distressing moment of this week came when I read Gael’s boyfriend’s text message: “Could use an update. Thanks.” That is not the kind of message you send to a colleague you dislike or the cable guy who promised to arrive hours ago. No, that’s the type of message you send to someone you no longer care about. The period at the end of that text, a simple punctuation mark as it may be, felt like a cold, hard slap in the face for Gael and their relationship. More on this unfortunate situation later.

As a seasoned sailor with decades of experience on the high seas, I can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the crew of that stranded yacht. I’ve been there before – the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize a simple mistake has led to a potentially costly predicament. It brought back memories of a time when I forgot to secure a life raft properly, only to have it drag against our hull during a storm, causing significant damage.

As a seasoned event planner with years of experience under my belt, I can tell you that unexpected hiccups are an inevitable part of the job. In this particular scenario, I’ve encountered a situation where the anchor issues have caused a three-hour delay for our boat trip, putting the guests’ flights at risk.

As we approach the port, which is a two-hour sail away, it becomes clear that taking the tender wasn’t a viable option due to the worsening wind. This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered such a predicament. I can feel the tension building as Joe struggles to drop a fender and secure the boat. It’s a frustrating experience, one that leaves me feeling deflated.

Iain lacks skills not only in managing a group, but also in expressing romantic interest. He believes he’s been subtly pursuing Ellie for some time and is now prepared to declare his feelings. Sadly for him, Ellie has made it clear that she’s not interested. Although it may seem harsh from Ellie, her actions are understandable. When Iain pays Ellie a compliment on her lipstick, she seeks advice from Joe about her outfit instead of engaging with Iain. Feeling left out, Iain attempts to join in: “I agree. Bodysuit.” As the guests leave, Sandy is praised for running a well-organized event. Despite the obvious delay, the guests leave a generous tip of $25,000, unwilling to appear stingy on camera.

At the internal team meeting, Marsha Doll Model Aesha emphasizes the importance of mindful speech among team members. Ellie voices her concern that they don’t have the luxury to be excessively cautious with their words. She suggests focusing on improving how we respond to each other, specifically referring to Bri. Although the disagreement isn’t completely settled, Aesha remains vigilant and so does the rest of the team.

A windlass repair team arrives on the scene, while an emergency response unit takes care of fetching the anchor. I’m bummed out that we don’t get to witness the anchoring being brought back up. Later on, “Zea Marina” notifies Sandy via text that the anchor has been delivered there. The name of the marina is a pleasant coincidence, reminding me of Zea who works there and how you might label a contact in your phone for rescue situations. Despite the cost savings compared to purchasing a new anchor, the expense still amounted to $40,419.93 – meticulously calculated by Bravo’s accounting team. This experience is yet another reason why owning a boat may not be worth it.

The team’s social night is at Six d.o.g.s, a club whose name I can’t figure out the significance of, unlike the passive-aggressive menstrual cycles of Gael’s boyfriend. Nathan and Gael take turns licking salt for tequila shots. Jono accurately reads the situation: “Something is going to happen.” Back on the boat, Gael frets about being a heartbreaker, but she believes Nathan is unique. Yes, he’s different because he’s in front of her now. She could spare her boyfriend some pain by ending the relationship before kissing another man, but she seems too timid to make the breakup. The following morning, Gael shares her boyfriend’s sad texts with Jono. Jono asks, “Do you think you’re making an effort?” I commended him for his insight. However, Gael believes she is trying because she’s constantly on her phone. Jono suggests they might need a break. She doesn’t want to disappoint her boyfriend, but it’s definitely past that point. She reveals that growing up, she never received encouragement like “good job,” only “you can improve.” Perhaps the analogy is that now she’s searching for an improved boyfriend? Or is it that she realizes ending things cleanly before kissing a colleague would be an improvement? Whatever her motivation, she has discovered that absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder.

As a moviegoer following the love triangle between Joe, Ellie, and Bri, I’ve been on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating some developments. However, it seems that Joe decided to confide in Aesha about his dilemma, who suggested he take a break from both women for the sake of professionalism. Being the dedicated man that he is, Joe agreed, feeling a pang of disappointment but knowing it was for the best. He then explained to Bri that he didn’t feel up to pursuing anything at the moment, and she graciously accepted his decision. Alas, all the tension and anticipation built up seemed to deflate as swiftly as air escaping from a balloon, leaving me craving more excitement in their love story.

When Joe wasn’t present, Ellie’s sexy lace bodysuit failed to draw the attention of the man she desired. Iain, sensing an opportunity, made things awkward with his comment about countless people complimenting her. She tried to end the conversation by expressing her preference for being quiet. Iain, claiming to be just as reserved, persisted in talking. In his drunken state, he admitted to struggling to connect with people. Ellie offered him valuable advice: asking people about their own experiences and actively listening. However, instead of following her guidance, Iain asked Ellie about himself, only if she was interested in him. Uninterested, Ellie went to dance and Iain followed, continuing to talk and disregarding her cues.

Again, Bri is overlooking Sandy’s laundry, making it the fourth or fifth such occurrence. The captain doesn’t find this severe enough for termination, but Bri requires improvement in this area. Bri suspects Ellie might be meddling with her tasks, so she intends to document each incident as evidence. If this suspicion holds true, we may witness Ellie reorganizing things. I wouldn’t mind if this minor competition eventually leads Bri to excel in her duties.

Sandy is preoccupied with monitoring the wind and wildfires north of Athens, leaving her no time to search for her missing shirt. The past events lack suspense, as the fire won’t reach their yacht, the Mustique. However, an unexpected development arises when a large superyacht anchors near them, causing uncertainty about the consequences. Although Sandy would usually avoid such conditions, she decides to leave due to the approaching smoke. With the wind calmer now, they set sail, but from the water’s perspective, it appears they are heading directly into the yacht. From above, the situation seems less daunting, like exiting a spacious parallel parking spot. However, the Mustique is close to the other boat’s mooring lines, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger ending. I used to be hooked, waiting with bated breath for the next installment. But now, I’m no longer being drawn in.

2024-07-22 18:00

Below Deck Mediterranean Recap: Abandoned Anchor

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