Below Deck Down Under Recap: Sinking Ship

by

Hooray! It seems that “Below Deck Down Under” is back in action! After enduring four tough episodes filled with repetitive arguments about Wihan, it appears that tension is once again on the rise. I’m hopeful, given all the hints and potential plot developments in this episode, that we may see Wihan depart next week, or at least reach a critical point. This will depend on how persuasive Harry’s charms prove to be with the captain, as well as the sincerity of Johnny’s threat to sink the ship if Wihan utters another word.

As a devoted fan, let me express my thoughts before we delve deeper into the latest episode: Since episode 5, the character Wihan has been a point of focus for us, showcasing his poor work habits, inadequate leadership skills, and unbridled ego. His brand of villainy, though initially amusing, has been a source of frustration. He’s reminiscent of Harry and Marv from Home Alone when it comes to his mishaps. However, this week, the humor took a darker turn as Wihan’s misogynistic tendencies surfaced more prominently. This man seems to believe that women owe him something. His offensive comments, such as dismissing women past a certain age as merely talkative, and suggesting he should be less kind to girls if they speak ill of him after he has pursued them, are appalling. It’s alarming to think that this is his perception of being ‘nice’.

The structure of this week’s episode seems to convey a sense of excitement from its creation, deviating from where we last left off with Wihan talking to Jason after the K2r incident. Instead, it begins with Harry and Johnny acting strangely past midnight. As the timeline unfolds in reverse order, we flash back to Wihan’s argument on the bridge, 16 hours prior. This episode appears to offer more engaging content than the previous month, as Jason finally puts a stop to Wihan’s complaints. It’s the bosun’s job to ensure that the deck team completes all their assigned tasks; interestingly, Jason agrees with Lara about this. What a satisfying moment of vindication for her!

In my opinion as a movie reviewer, the character Wihan confounded Harry by instructing him to clean the sundeck first thing in the morning, even though it was already marked off on the team’s whiteboard. Granted, it wasn’t entirely Harry’s fault for overlooking this task, but at that point, Wihan could have suggested anything, and Harry would have resisted. To be fair, I understand Harry’s frustration, but for roughly 40 minutes thereafter, he was a veritable reservoir of petty complaints.

Why does Wihan seem to exude such sensuality? This inquiry stems from observing Wihan’s flirtatious behavior with Tzarina in the kitchen. I find myself intrigued by the force that compels Wihan to pursue affection from every woman aboard the ship. Wihan explains his actions quite casually, stating that he is simply a warm-hearted individual. He even goes so far as to kiss his mother on the lips. (For any readers who are Freudian analysts, I encourage you to share your insights in the comments.)

This week, Jason appears to function only partially, engaging in a quick conversation with Lara about her dispute with Wihan on the sun deck, then addressing the tension with Marina regarding their awkward encounter. Marina apologizes, which Jason accepts graciously, and expresses her annoyance at being assigned housekeeping duties for the remainder of the season. Jason, swayed by Lara’s perspective, advises Marina to make herself invaluable to Lara instead. This advice is helpful but does not alleviate her issues or address her dissatisfaction in any way. Although it is essential for Jason to have faith in his department heads and their decisions, it seems that he is avoiding his role as a leader by delegating responsibilities without taking an active part himself. Despite frequently instructing Lara and Wihan to lead, Jason appears to be forgetting that leading is also part of his job as captain.

During breakfast, a momentary miscommunication occurred between Lara and Tzarina, caused by last-minute changes in the guests’ dining schedule, leaving Tzarina in a bind and potentially reflecting poorly on Lara. However, this issue was soon resolved. As Katina prepared to depart for the port, tension escalated when Wihan and Harry engaged in an argument over the best approach for driving the tenders. Their disagreement grew heated, causing the entire crew, including the captain, to listen in. Eventually, Jason intervened, allowing them to dock the boat and disembark the guests. Meanwhile, Primary Billy expressed astonishment at a foam party he’d never seen before, making one question his experience with such events.

Harry and Wihan persist in their disagreement over an idle Jet Ski, with Wihan expressing frustration about Harry’s challenge to his leadership. During a team meeting, where each crew member receives $1,920 from the shared $25,000 tip, Jason voices disapproval of their quarrel over the radio and warns that he might need to take drastic measures if the deck team can’t pull themselves together. He doesn’t assign the disco helmet to anyone, but Adair unexpectedly requests to wear it at the bar. In each episode, Adair appears increasingly like an extraterrestrial attempting to mimic a member of the Below Deck cast. Jason also informs the crew that they will have the following day off, with a trip to a secluded beach planned, and given their current state, it’s certainly warranted.

Before leaving their quarters, individuals discuss with one another. Lara confides in Bri about her struggles working with Wihan. Harry (rather bluntly) voices his displeasure towards Wihan’s radio communication, prompting Wihan to explain that he’s attempting to be more assertive with the crew. However, it seems he’s only doing so because Harry is irritating him. Wihan suggests to Harry that if there are issues, they should be addressed directly, but otherwise, let him handle the ship. Johnny expresses his strong allegiance towards the bosun, and he and Alesia plan to spend time together in his bed later.

As Adair prepares for her date with Wihan, I’d forgotten all about it. Their evening at the sushi restaurant is awkward, and during their time together, Wihan texts Tzarina, admitting he finds Adair hard to read. Unbeknownst to him, the real reason is simply that she’s not particularly interested. It seems a volatile mix of jealousy, intoxication, and boredom sparks Tzarina into causing trouble. She publicly accuses Wihan of groping her before their date, revealing he’d been texting her during it. This sets off a flurry of criticism about Wihan’s infidelity. In a hint of things to come, they speculate on what Wihan might do if Alesia presented an opportunity.

When Adair and Wihan come back, Lara doesn’t hesitate a moment to share with Adair everything Tzarina had told her. With an indifferent expression, Adair lets out a deep sigh, “That bothers me.” Lara, in an attempt to rally support, gives a quick pep talk, but it seems unnecessary as Adair’s interactions with Wihan haven’t appeared to sway her opinions or feelings towards anything or anyone. Caught up in the gossip whirlwind she initiated, Tzarina attempts to get Johnny to reveal more about Wihan. However, Johnny thinks Wihan is doing well; it’s Harry who seems lacking in drive. Determined to continue her onslaught, Tzarina rushes to share with Harry what Johnny said about him.

However, it’s not just Tzarina who gossips excessively. Johnny’s loyalty would be admirable if it weren’t so overly trusting. He confides in Wihan everything that was discussed about him at the table, which leads Wihan to advise him to “stop being so kind to women.” Interestingly, Wihan also assures Johnny that he will never make advances towards Alesia. To be fair, Johnny tries to warn Wihan to be more mindful of his actions and respect women’s feelings before affectionately greeting everyone with a neck kiss. Currently, Johnny is the only ally who stands by Wihan on this matter.

Angered by what he had heard, Wihan confronts Harry in their cabin, warning him cautiously and ordering him to halt his actions, though he didn’t specify exactly what Harry was doing. Harry, aware of Wihan’s reference to his gossiping about the deck team with the interior crew, becomes defiant and on the verge of quitting, shedding tears as he confides in Tzarina about Wihan’s outburst. Johnny eventually appears, but Harry brushes him off, harboring resentment towards him for not intervening during his confrontation with their boss.

While the other girls lounge near the hot tub, dressed eccentrically as angels, Lara and Tzarina exhibit an overly affectionate behavior towards Harry. In this instance, I’m not as emotionally affected by his tears as I was when he lost a nail to the Jet Ski hook. I still support Harry over Wihan, but their excessive coddling of him seems inappropriate and self-indulgent. They guide him towards the master bedroom, seemingly treating him like a fragile bird that needs care. Not once does it cross anyone’s mind, not even Harry’s, to contact Bri (though we see her crying at the end of the episode, suggesting something happened). As Lara and Tzarina ascend with him, Johnny attempts to interject again, but Lara makes him take a roundabout path through the back stairs so as not to disturb the sensitive boy further.

As Johnny rearranges things, already irritated by Lara’s indifference, Alesia heads into Wihan and Johnny’s cabin for the prearranged snuggle session. The cabin seems to be straight out of a reality TV show, with its dim lights and the scene that unfolds. Assuming it was Johnny in Wihan’s bunk, Alesia chats with him, not realizing it wasn’t him but Wihan. Wihan remains quiet initially before embracing her. It’s hard to believe she didn’t notice the mistake, but they were all pretty tipsy. However, there’s no way I could believe that Wihan didn’t immediately recognize that it wasn’t Adair or even Tzarina next to him.

The scene unfolds like a tense movie moment, where Johnny walks in on Wihan and Alesia in bed together. All night long, he had been standing up for Wihan! Contrary to his previous promise, just hours earlier, Wihan vowed never to make a pass at Alesia. Everyone warned Johnny that Wihan might try something, but he was skeptical. When Alesia explains it was a mistake, Johnny seems to accept her words. However, his anger is directed solely towards Wihan. He doesn’t say much more than he’s leaving and if Wihan utters one more word, the situation could escalate dangerously. The tension in the room grows palpable until it becomes frightening: Johnny slams a powerful fist into the cabinet before covering the camera with a shirt. I hope Johnny can find redemption; I want him to prevail. We’ll discover what happens next week, as the title card hints at the continuation of their fight.

Read More

2025-04-08 06:54