Below Deck Down Under Recap: Ad Nauseam

by

Hello, friends! Let’s dive back into our story this week, finding ourselves smack-dab in the midst of a breakfast pandemonium onboard the Katina. The Tzarina is grappling with filling egg orders amidst the hustle while her sous-chef seems to be at a loss; Lara, with a decade of yachting experience, is swamped by guest demands. Meanwhile, Harry, our deckhand, is learning the ropes of making cabin beds. However, it’s not just Lara who’s feeling overwhelmed – later in this episode, Bri mentions she has piles of laundry to catch up on due to “so much these past few days.” Granted, the Katina is larger than typical and the interior crew seems understaffed for the size, but truth be told, this is merely the second day of the first charter. One might wonder where these “past few days” are coming from – after all, the season has barely begun! Lara’s outburst could be less about the challenges of her job and more about the intrusive presence of cameras as she strives to keep up with them. I have a hunch that anyone would find it tougher to perform optimally under the watchful eyes, eager to catch a slip-up.

The subtle tension is skillfully depicted by the editors, who, attempting to decipher Lara’s psychological landscape, intercut scenes of her tears alongside reminders of her mistakes from the previous night on a split screen. This scene is effectively humorous; Lara seems reminiscent of a Stepford Wife, suggesting that her personal life has been subordinated in favor of her efficiency. In this episode, we gain two intimate glimpses into her life: Firstly, she confesses that her perfectionism stems from a childhood desire to win her father’s approval, an emotionally taxing issue that is quite common and could potentially be classified as a psychological disorder. Secondly, she shares details about her barn renovation project, where she intends to live peacefully with her dogs in quiet solitude.

All he needs to do is enjoy grilling some meat. “I go from being a dishwasher to making beach appetizers,” he says. “It feels a bit strange.” Is it really strange? What exactly are you seeking, Anthony?

Instead of dwelling on Mark’s inappropriate sexual comments, let’s shift our focus to the beach lunch instead. Anthony does an impressive job with the barbecue, although it can be a bit irritating at times. The beach is so stunning that it seems almost unreal. It’s currently 94 degrees with a humidity of 79%, which may sound extreme to most, but for Marina, it’s just another ordinary day. In a heartfelt confession, she shares her ambition to rise through the ranks as a chief stew and one day purchase a house for her grandmother.

On the ship, we reconnect with our friends Kronk (Johnny), who aims to make amends for his Jet Ski mishap by cleaning the deck. Meanwhile, the captain and Tzarina use this opportunity provided by guests’ absence to discuss the strain in the kitchen, even though Jason recognizes that Tzarina can sometimes be her own biggest obstacle. However, he still believes in her leadership. I, however, am doubtful about Tzarina’s ability to manage Anthony’s difficult personality effectively. The ongoing kitchen dispute is starting to dominate the narrative of the season, and I’m growing weary of it. Despite the new sous-chef position adding drama to the Below Deck series, I’d like to delve deeper into how other crew members are faring. Tzarina and Anthony’s constant bickering is becoming repetitive, and I’m eager for more entertaining tales from Kronk’s seafaring escapades!

Apart from other departments, they appear to be struggling a bit. Jason asks Wihan to adjust the deckhands’ shifts to 6 a.m., as their friendship with Jason and Aesha has set a high standard. Wihan is optimistic that he and the captain will become close friends by the end of the season. Marina manages things, making clericot for guests’ welcome drinks when they come back to the boat. This is similar to white-wine sangria made especially for tropical heat and poolside relaxation. It would certainly lift one’s spirits; Anthony could definitely use some! With her excellent performance, Marina joins the submarine excursion with the guests. The submarine looks like a toy sub, which is quite unnerving considering recent events. Exhausted, Marina intends to take a short nap, but her rest is disturbed by Blair, one of the guests, who insists dinner must be served at exactly 8 p.m., regardless of whether they’re present or not. I don’t quite grasp this. One, you’re not the primary guest. Two, if that’s your preference, why can’t you be ready by 8 p.m.? You are in the middle of the Indian Ocean; there’s no risk of trains being late or stuck in traffic. Are you unable to control your own actions?

The atmosphere in the kitchen slightly enhances, thanks to Tzarina. They even share a few humorous remarks about an unusual “surf-and-turf Texas-style barbecue hoedown” theme for tonight’s meal. I can’t help but ponder how many surf-and-turf dinners have been served throughout all seasons of Below Deck. Could it be a hundred million?

As they cook, Tzarina queries Anthony about his childhood. “Did you ever get arrested?” I couldn’t help but chuckle at such an unexpected question. The meal, inspired by Tzarina’s visit to… Arizona, will be served family style, meaning the chef will arrange several meat dishes and vegan options on the table. Tzarina tells Anthony she’ll explain the dishes to the guests and offers to highlight the ones he prepared since he declined joining her upstairs. However, he doesn’t want her to give him credit; not because he’s anxious about the food quality, but because he feels it’s not up to his standards. “If it were my menu,” he says, he would have been grilling outside for a more interactive barbecue experience. Not a bad suggestion. I wondered why he didn’t propose it earlier until I recollected his disdain and tiny, fragile ego.

7:55 pm saw Marina emphasizing that Blair had requested dinner at 8 pm regardless of readiness, but Lara opted to postpone. This left Marina a bit frustrated due to Blair’s stubborn demand, but she eventually acknowledged Lara’s judgment as the guests didn’t arrive until around 8:30 pm. When they did, Mark caused a stir by showing up in leather chaps with no backside. The evening turned out smoother compared to the previous one, with Harry appearing shirtless on a blow-up horse and Adair leading a hoedown, bringing joy to everyone. However, this season’s charter has been rather challenging. As the night ended, Lara offered Bri some useful housekeeping tips, while in their cabin, Anthony grumbled to Harry about Tzarina being too unclean, in contrast to himself, who considered himself the Perfect Man.

Marina told Blair that dinner would be served at 8 pm, but Lara decided to wait. This made Marina a bit annoyed because of Blair’s persistence, but she eventually agreed with Lara. The guests arrived late and Mark showed up in strange leather pants without a backside. Despite the initial awkwardness, the night turned out better than the previous one, as Harry appeared riding an inflatable horse and Adair led a dance. However, this season has been tougher than usual. As the night ended, Lara gave Bri some cleaning tips, while Anthony complained to Harry that Tzarina was messy compared to him, who thought of himself as perfect.

Luckily, the final day of the charter experiences a cool-down, with temperatures at a comfortable 90 degrees. When Lara requests Adair’s assistance in helping Bri with the cabins during breakfast, Adair bravely queries the chief stew about why they need to remake the beds if the guests are departing within two hours. Although her question was not unwarranted, Adair overlooked the fact that many aspects of luxury service often don’t align with logic, such as having food served well before it’s time for consumption.

Meanwhile, the deck crew gears up for their first windy docking, which the captain predicts will be a test for the team. They fail. Too many voices overlap on a noisy radio, and if it’s confusing for Jason to untangle Wihan’s convoluted directions, there is no way I — a person who doesn’t drive cars, let alone boats — can totally understand what went wrong. Ultimately, they come in too close to the dock, and one of the fenders rips; damage one for the season and strike two for Wihan on this charter. The bosun’s mistakes earn him Jason’s traditional “encouragement award”: a disco helmet the recipient must wear out that night so they can “reflect” on their mistakes, one of Jason’s methods of keeping high standards on the boat while maintaining a good sense of humor. His postmortem with the deck crew is representative of his best qualities as a leader: He communicates where Wihan went wrong without undermining his authority as a bosun, and while still imbuing the team with a sense of their potential to do better.

Fortunately, it begins to drizzle as the guests depart, leaving them content with their memorable trip. While Mark praises the food as exceptional, Anthony remains skeptical. They part ways by generously tipping $20,000, averaging $1,540 per individual, creating a joyful atmosphere among everyone. The staff finally sheds their work attire for casual going-out clothes. Bri dons a stylish white top that has the boys smitten. Wihan is already smitten with her, referring to her as “the most beautiful girl onboard.” Earlier in the trip, Bri had politely declined Harry’s advances, who considers her out of his league regardless. Justice for Harry! He’s charming, handsome, and quirky, and last season, he defended Margo when it was crucial. Why must kind-hearted individuals always come up short?

During dinner, we depart the team with Tzarina stepping away for a tension-easing cigarette. Upon returning, she queries Harry regarding Anthony’s recent discussions. He informs her that Anthony grumbled about the cleaning tasks. This causes Tzarina to express frustration: “It’s part of his sous-chef job duties.”

Meanwhile, Anthony deceitfully tells Lara things like “I don’t value ego” and “I don’t need guidance.” Last week, I suggested Tzarina should tone down her pride, but now I find myself sympathizing with her. Anthony is difficult to handle. For the past two days, he’s claimed he wants to collaborate but has shown no real signs of teamwork. Moreover, he’s been criticizing Tzarina to others while she’s been diligently working with him.

The upcoming episode previews Harry facing a potentially risky predicament, which concerns me. However, I suspect it’s one of those typical Below Deck twists where they make it seem like the boat is in grave danger, but it turns out that what he almost collided with was merely a leaf.

Read More

2025-02-11 06:54