Below Deck Down Under Recap: Enemies to Enemies

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Around the middle of the charter season, the housekeeping team – Mike and Alesia – is still struggling to keep things tidy, resulting in low scores – only two stars – on guest feedback cards regarding cleanliness and comfort. However, the roles each crew member plays are becoming clearer. Mike, while frustratingly bad at his job, has fallen into a surprisingly entertaining role as the ship’s gossip, constantly gathering and sharing information – he reminds me of a character from a classic novel! His dedication to this role is almost charming, and I found myself laughing this week watching him discreetly listen in on conversations all over the Katina.

Each season of Below Deck typically features someone who plays the role of the ‘villain.’ Last season on Mediterranean, Joe and Kizzi shared that role. This season, Ellie and Alesia are vying for it. Despite working in separate areas of the boat and having limited interaction so far, their ambition and, frankly, desire for attention from the male crew members, have created a rivalry. What makes their conflict interesting is that they’re not only at odds with each other, but also seem to clash with everyone around them.

This week, Ellie and Ben continue to repair their relationship. Ellie is much calmer and even admits Ben didn’t mean to offend her with his affectionate nicknames. Ben explains he intended them as a lighthearted way to ease tension, but understands why she was upset. As a compromise, they’re setting up a “honey pot” – a jar where a dried bean is added every time Ben calls her “honey.” Ellie enjoys the idea of Ben being subject to a system usually used for children to learn cause and effect, while Ben is motivated to stop using the term. It’s a solution that benefits them both.

During their talk, Ben is much more polite and respectful towards Ellie. While she briefly admits to being embarrassed about her past actions, she offers a simple apology to Ben. They leave the bridge with Ben needing to reflect on things, but Ellie faces no consequences. It’s almost impressive! Ben is just happy to be done with the conflict and immediately heads for a relaxing bath, still wearing his robe when the crew discusses the tips. Jason jokingly calls him ‘granddad.’ Jason announces the galley issue is settled, but warns it won’t happen again. Before distributing a tip of $1,692 each from a total of $22,000, he criticizes the interior team for poor cleaning. Jenna receives the disco helmet.

I know Jenna is responsible for housekeeping as second stew, but it’s unfair to blame her for Mike and Alesia not paying attention to their duties. What’s more, Mike refuses to take direction from someone he sees as being punished. He’s either unwilling or too proud to realize Jenna is in this position partly because of him. Daisy calls a quick meeting with her team, reminding Mike and Alesia that Jenna is in charge when she’s not around. Daisy and Jenna are frustrated, unsure how to get Mike and Alesia to use their common sense. The problem is made worse by the fact that Mike and Alesia don’t believe they’re doing anything wrong. Later, Alesia complains to Daisy about being called “junior,” claiming she’s earned her experience. Daisy responds bluntly, saying Alesia has earned only “one stripe.”

Now that Ellie has dealt with her issues with Ben, she’s focused on getting João to notice her. She confidently approaches him in the crew mess and offers him a massage, explaining in a private interview that she honed her skills working as a masseuse for a very wealthy Russian. João, though hoping for Daisy’s attention, happily accepts. He’s hesitant to make a strong move on Daisy, fearing he might scare her away with his advances – he worries he’s been too cautious. When Jenna lets Daisy know that João confided in her about liking the chief stew, Daisy dismisses it, stating she doesn’t want to be part of a love triangle and is primarily there to do her job. Even if João was interested, Ellie’s pursuit is a major deterrent. The narrator notes that if Alesia had even a fraction of this maturity, she might not have alienated almost all the women on board.

It’s great to see a woman who’s self-assured, but watching Ellie try so hard to get João’s attention is really uncomfortable. I almost couldn’t believe it when she asked him about his workout routine and… well, his glutes. She told the other girls—Alesia, Jenna, and Betul—that she’s taking things slowly with João, and Alesia encouraged her. So, Ellie got annoyed when Alesia spent a lot of time talking to João at dinner. It felt like an overreaction, but Alesia hasn’t always been trustworthy. While Eddy and Jenna bonded over their shared religious upbringing during dinner, Alesia was already dancing with Eddy at the club. Jenna confided in Daisy and Betul, and when Ellie joined them, she made the situation worse, blaming it all on what happened at dinner with João. But the real problem is between Alesia and Eddy—she actually told him on the dance floor that he and Jenna wouldn’t work out and that he needed someone else. That was just mean-spirited.

Honestly, I’m completely baffled by the dynamics unfolding here. Mike is obsessing over why João isn’t making a move on Ellie, and then immediately broadcasts that João actually likes Daisy – seriously? Meanwhile, poor Jenna is trying to avoid Eddy, and ends up a mess in the van, upset about feeling like she’s competing for attention from guys who aren’t even that great. But Alesia? She’s just… somewhere else. Completely drunk, she decides to corner João on the dock and basically asks him if he’s interested in Ellie. João is understandably confused, and honestly, so am I – what’s Alesia’s angle? It looks terrible to Ellie and even briefly to Daisy, who sends João a pretty wild text. Everyone’s jumping to conclusions about Alesia trying to steal João, but it feels so forced. I can’t figure out what she even wanted from that conversation. It all just feels like someone’s stirring up drama for the sake of it.

Ben and Jason had a peaceful and relaxing evening on the Katina, cooking and enjoying time together, which left them feeling refreshed. Meanwhile, most of the crew woke up with hangovers and regret, especially Eddy, who was visibly upset and cried himself to sleep. The next morning, Jenna tried to reconcile with him, and they kissed and made up, though it felt insincere. Alesia is certainly manipulative, but she isn’t solely to blame for what happened – it takes two to be involved. It’s too simplistic to just blame Alesia and let the men who participated off the hook. I was starting to sympathize with João until I remembered all of this.

João’s interaction with Alesia was strange and unintentional, but he’s struggling to handle the situation with Ellie well. He’s been leading Ellie on, even though he’s told others he’s interested in Daisy and knows the chief stew will likely find out. That night, Ellie came to his cabin to discuss things, and they ended up kissing in his bed. He claims he felt trapped, though he admits his behavior was awful. It’s frustrating because João had been maturing into a more responsible person, and this feels like a step backward. He acknowledges he should have stopped things before they escalated, but he didn’t.

While in bed, Ellie confided in João about her heated argument with Alesia. The two had a confrontation, with Mike secretly listening in. Ellie had been giving Alesia the silent treatment, which led Alesia to ask what she’d done wrong. Ellie accused her of being disrespectful to women and self-centered, explaining in a private interview that Alesia “ruined everyone’s night” and someone needed to speak up. Always eager to stir things up, Mike then told Alesia that João had confided in him that he actually prefers Daisy over Ellie. This news caused Alesia to dismiss Ellie’s outburst as irrational. When Alesia shared the conversation with Jenna, Jenna admitted to also feeling disrespected by Ellie. Alesia offered a half-hearted apology, and the tension between them manifested in a silly fight over a multi-colored penis plushie—a gift from the charter guests that they kept moving between their beds throughout the episode.

As the usual chaos unfolds, the department heads are meeting to discuss guest preferences. New arrival Tyler, a socialite from New York, is funded by his wealthy and private partner for what he calls the ‘trip of a lifetime.’ He’s even bringing his makeup artist with him to throw a surprise drag show for his friends. This charter is expected to be challenging, so the crew is glad to have a night to rest and prepare. Daisy plans to relax with a glass of wine in her pajamas, seemingly unfazed as Ellie excitedly tells her she’s baking a birthday cake for João.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Ellie, as everyone but her seems to realize she’s not João’s first choice. She puts on a brave face, but it’s clearly a way to cover up her insecurities. When Daisy asks Ellie to switch positions with Jenna on the dock – Jenna being second stew has a higher rank – Ellie is hurt. Having been a second stew herself, she likely feels like she’s been demoted. She confronts Jenna in the galley, asking if Daisy requested the swap, pointing out that as a sous-chef, she and Jenna are equals. Jenna calmly challenges this, reminding Ellie that she’s technically a galley-hand. Ben knows Jenna is right – “chef assistant” is just a softer term for galley-hand – but he doesn’t want to make things worse, so he tells Ellie he noticed the switch but it’s not a big deal.

The guests have requested a beach dinner with a “lost at sea” theme. While Daisy is a little uneasy about being on the beach at night, it proves to be worthwhile. Jenna creates a beautiful tablescape, and everyone enjoys the pleasant sea breeze and stunning sunset. This is a great idea, and more guests should consider it (sorry, Daisy!). While making drinks, Daisy asks Alesia about the ongoing conflict with Ellie, but decides to stay out of it – she wants no part in the drama between Ellie and João. Alesia, clearly upset with Ellie, tells Daisy that she’s heard João is interested in Daisy instead, hoping to stir up trouble. It’s surprising she thinks this is news. This whole situation is getting old – can we please move on?

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2026-04-07 04:56