Below Deck Down Under Recap: Ides of March

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The situation for Wihan seems to be deteriorating, yet it’s not critical at this point. Despite multiple errors this week that clearly show Wihan is underperforming, Jason has chosen to be lenient with him. This leniency from Jason, given his strict approach towards Adam last season, appears to be unjustified. I’m not suggesting he should dismiss Wihan immediately, but when he once again overlooked him for the disco helmet at the tip meeting, it raised concerns about favoritism. This excessive focus on Wihan is slowing down the progress of the season, and it’s becoming monotonous. Something needs to change soon, whether Jason tightens the reins on him or one of his mistakes becomes so significant that consequences become inevitable.

The beach outing we discussed previously turned out not to be a catastrophe, as some might have thought; instead, guests managed to savor a delightful meal and spend time on the beach under Johnny’s guidance for photography. Meanwhile, Wihan and Harry relaxed on the boat. Alesia, who was praised by many readers for her quick thinking in refusing to create a cheese board for Wihan during her shift, decided to retract her home run and text him an apology for her rudeness. The solitude of reality TV production can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, as she had no way of knowing how accurate her instincts were. It’s flattering for her that she felt the need to apologize to him, but at least some people on the boat understand that their behavior influences the overall morale of the vessel. In another reality now, Wihan believes that Alesia texted him because she has feelings for him and wants to make him jealous.

In my humble opinion, I was prepared to write off this particular plot twist as mere dramatic license, but it presents an intriguing perspective that’s often overlooked in the annals of cinematic history. The character of Alesia, portrayed as a cunning seductress, seems to manipulate men for her own amusement, a trait Wihan perceives as malicious. She feigns affection towards one individual to ignite a sense of competition among the others, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a game rather than a romantic pursuit – in essence, Alesia embodies the classic archetype of the cruel tease. Harry, left speechless by this revelation, aptly summarizes it as, “This isn’t like ‘The Bachelor’; it’s more like being on a superyacht.

At the location where the Katina is moored, there’s a bit of a wave, causing Jason to relocate the boat. Meanwhile, Johnny grapples with untangling the anchor rope, while Wihan browses Adair’s phone photos from the beach party. On the deck, Harry remarks that it appears the anchor is taking too long to rise, but Wihan dismissively waves him off. From the bridge’s CCTV cameras, Jason spots Wihan and Adair lounging around and sends them a stern message over the radio: “What’s with you two just standing idle?

Despite his anger, Jason chooses to postpone addressing the issue with Wihan until after their guests depart, as they only have one more day left on the charter. In the interim, he becomes aware of other issues cropping up. When he stops by the galley to inquire about the beach picnic from Tzarina, she informs him that it was disorganized, even at its most fundamental level – the meal scheduling, the transportation from the catamaran to the van and then to the beach, and Wihan’s absence during the excursion, which he was supposed to lead. To make matters worse, the following morning, Jason encounters Adair in the crew mess after her shift, brewing coffee for herself and Wihan. Jason queries Adair if she’s taking a break – if not, then why does she have coffee? Isn’t it unusual to use a fragile cup while working on deck?

On the final evening of the charter, tensions between departments escalate almost beyond repair. Somehow, Wihan seems to exacerbate the situation, despite his best efforts to stay out of it. The night’s theme is Jungle Safari, and Tzarina prepares only one dish resembling soup (a growth!), other than… bat curry. Following dinner with the captain, the guests ask for a series of intense, Fear Factor-like challenges. I had noted last week that Caroline and her guests had the potential to be demanding, but they generally stayed in the background amidst all the season’s drama below deck. However, their request for these extreme challenges showcased their wealth and eccentricities. Later at drop-off, Caroline admits one of her objectives in visiting the Seychelles was to have some unique experiences, which speaks volumes about her intentions.

While Lara brainstorms ways to transform the sundeck into a stage for escalating tricks, Harry pitches suggestions. They devise a scheme where they poke holes in black plastic bags and cover containers with them, making guests reach inside to guess the contents. However, when Wihan attempts to assist, he appears reluctant; when Lara asks him to fetch the buckets, he lets out a heavy sigh and passes the task back to Harry instead.

At the start of the season, Wihan and Harry formed a strong partnership. Following an early misunderstanding concerning Bri’s affection, Wihan stopped viewing Harry as a rival and instead started seeking his advice on romantic matters. This might have been because he noticed that Harry is a well-liked, sensitive man. Being sensitive doesn’t make someone foolish, and it was comforting to witness Harry defend himself this week. It appears that no one, including the bosun himself, anticipated Harry’s change in attitude towards Wihan. The bosun often seems to forget that his actions have repercussions and that his team members look to him for leadership.

Following a series of mishaps, Harry makes a comeback. He leads the special “Fear Factor” event, hosting the tasks, and later confronts Wihan about the chaos on the deck team. Requesting a well-defined written schedule detailing everyone’s shifts and duties, he then voices his concerns to Captain Jason. He explains how disorganized the crew’s schedule has been and how the bosun’s negative attitude is impacting team spirit. The next day, he takes action with Bri: With Lara’s approval, they tidy up the guest cabin for their night off. Welcome back, Harry!

Once dinner service commences, Adair requests Wihan’s aid for the cabins, and he agrees readily, even though it’s her who is asking. Although Adair remains somewhat skeptical about Wihan, she chooses to be patient and observe if a connection will develop over time. To put it mildly, keeping track of Wihan makes life easier for Adair. He is exceptionally gentle with her – throughout service, he persistently urges her to rest even while Lara is requesting assistance – and as long as she grants him enough to think they might be compatible, he’ll continue to focus more on her attention than her productivity. Some might view this as ungenerous, but Adair’s patience with the situation is wearing thin. She appears happier than anyone else to adhere to Wihan’s pretend-to-be-busy rule.

Rather than concentrating on bedrooms and restrooms, the deck crew views being out of the captain and guests’ view as a chance to play loud audio clips from their phones and share jokes about the unusual noises turtles make during mating. Poor Marina, simply trying to carry out her duties, storms off to another cabin in frustration. Lara tries to call Wihan and Adair for help with dessert service, but they either have their radios turned off or are deliberately ignoring her calls. When they finally arrive at the kitchen, Tzarina immediately reprimands Wihan. His lackadaisical attitude is causing stress within the interior team – if he doesn’t assist with dish preparation, then Lara needs to step in, which disrupts the entire service flow.

The following morning, Wihan discusses Tzarina’s comment with Lara. Growing increasingly patient like Mother Teresa, Lara expresses her concern that the crew feels aggravated watching the deck team socialize while they labor, and also notes that the disorganized state on deck is affecting the overall efficiency of the boat. Concerned for him, she brings up the altercation between Jason and Adair in the crew mess, which could reflect poorly on Wihan. However, it’s challenging to impart unwelcome truths, so Wihan angrily departs instead.

In the evening, once the visitors depart, Jason summons Wihan to the bridge. I assumed Wihan was about to face some consequences: From the beach picnic, the CCTV footage, Coffee-gate, and Harry’s complaints, it appears that Jason has plenty of evidence to investigate the situation with his bosun. Instead, he instructs Wihan to take charge of his team and minimize the “negativity” or risk having the captain intervene and treat him like a deckhand instead of a department head. Despite being stern with him, Jason concludes their conversation by expressing confidence in Wihan’s abilities: He believes Wihan has the qualifications to perform the job effectively, so he should just do it. At the team meeting — Caroline and her guests were satisfied with their tropical adventure, so they left a tip of $24,000, which averages out to $1,840 per person — he presents Marina with a helmet because it’s her birthday. What?

Subsequently, Jason touches upon the recurring issue of miscommunication among the crew members, allowing the department heads to quarrel about it. It appears peculiar that he doesn’t engage in one-on-one discussions with Tzarina and Lara before speaking with Wihan, which could lead to a more fruitful dialogue. Instead, Tzarina and Lara reiterate their long-standing concerns to someone who seems unbound by their allegiances and shows no inclination to heed them. Wihan insists that his team requires ample rest due to the physically demanding nature of their work outside with cranes, rather than spending their days making beds. Frankly, such a situation makes one consider intervening directly in the television broadcast.

Fortunately, other unrelated events unfold this week: Alesia finds herself courted by Johnny, who receives and accepts Jason’s permission for a date with her during their free time. Marina, tired of her role in housekeeping, questions if Lara favors Bri over her. However, when Lara spends late nights decorating the crew mess for Marina’s birthday, it makes her feel cherished and appreciated. It’s unfortunate that Wihan has the opportunity to learn from Lara how to be a compassionate yet assertive leader, but he chooses to disregard her advice instead. With growing friction between departments and three budding romantic entanglements, next week’s social gathering promises to be the crew’s most tumultuous yet. Perhaps it could inject some excitement and revitalize the season from its current monotony!

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2025-03-25 04:54