Below Deck Down Under Recap: Throwing in the Towels

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Hello there! After a rather dull episode 2, we’re back on track with intrigue and excitement aboard the Katina this week. Romance blossoms among the crew during their first night out. Contrary to expectations, neither Tzarina nor Anthony’s relationship takes an unexpected turn under the influence of alcohol – a letdown for Bravo fans perhaps, but the love triangle between Bri, Harry, and Wihan certainly heats up! In a surprising twist, it was Harry who stole a kiss from Bri at the club, not Wihan as many had anticipated. It seems everyone – including Bri, Wihan, and Harry himself – were taken aback by this move. Now that Harry has made his mark, I’m ready to throw my support behind Johnny: he’s just a fantastic guy!

Surprisingly, everyone retires for the night upon arriving back, foregoing what could have been additional amusement and, maybe, a glimpse of Captain Jason in a slender silk robe that I initially believed was a figment of my imagination. In the morning, Harry resumes the custom from last season of charming his admirers by brewing them coffee and sharing a moment with Bri in the crew mess. The chat was pleasant, albeit a tad uneasy. To safeguard my chances with a guile reminiscent of an Edith Wharton heroine, Wihan directly queries Bri about her feelings for Harry. “I truly appreciate his character,” she replies, echoing a phrase she will use repeatedly throughout this episode. In an attempt to explore other potential connections on board, Wihan decides to shift gears and investigate chemistry with someone else.

After donning appropriate attire, Jason converses with Tzarina concerning the strain within the galley. She voices concerns over Anthony’s arrogance and constant griping. Jason believes Anthony should tone it down, while he also feels Tzarina should exhibit stronger leadership as the department head. I concur with his viewpoint: perhaps if Tzarina asserted her authority decisively and instructed Anthony to adapt, it could help him understand his position better. This method seems more practical than dwelling on what could have been their camaraderie reminiscent of the British.

Intrigued by the fearless spirit of Brazilian women, I find myself questioning Bri about her reluctance towards taking the lead with Harry, should she harbor feelings for him. Catching us up on her romantic journey, Bri shares her past: a relationship with an Adonis from Amsterdam who desired a settled life in rural New Jersey, a lifestyle that didn’t align with Bri’s wanderlust. Up until this point, I admit, my admiration for Bri was somewhat subdued – she is indeed stunning, but her personality had yet to fully unfold. Gaining insight into her emotional past breathed life into her character.

As the girls prepare the cabins for the upcoming charter, Harry requests a cabin change, citing a need for more space since he’s sharing with Anthony and Johnny, while Wihan is bunking alone. Will Bri become the topic of their midnight whispers?

During that period, department heads convene for the preference sheet discussion. The upcoming trip is led by Erik, a well-known figure who goes by Erik, an entrepreneur, life coach, and social media influencer. Despite his brash persona, his wishes are quite appealing: cocktails at sunset on the beach, emphasizing local cuisine, and a diving adventure. For this voyage, Bri will handle operations while Marina takes care of housekeeping. Tzarina delegates the responsibility for beach hors d’oeuvres to Anthony, as part of her strategy to involve him more within the team and demonstrate to Jason her leadership skills.

Anthony appears enthusiastic about his job until Tzarina assigns him the task of unloading provisions, which causes another outburst from him. It seems that this man doesn’t understand that most jobs involve completing tasks that can be tedious or annoying. I haven’t worked in a professional kitchen myself, but I’ve read Bill Buford’s book “Heat” and watched the movie “Ratatouille,” and I don’t think there’s a head chef anywhere who would let their sous do what Anthony expects Tzarina to. Because he is asked to unpack provisions and prepare beach canapes in addition to the crew lunch, he feels taken advantage of. It does seem like a lot of work, but then again, working on a superyacht seems to always involve hard work. When Anthony asks Tzarina for help with reducing his workload, she tells him that he doesn’t have to go to the beach to serve the canapes; they could prepare them ahead of time and give them to the stews, and he could take a two-hour nap instead. Anthony finds this suggestion condescending, which it truly is. Tzarina’s mistake is pretending that she isn’t being passive-aggressive; it would be much better if she were honest with him. Anthony has a poor attitude, but Tzarina doesn’t know how to steer their disagreements towards productive solutions. After overhearing their argument, Jason listens in, and later Anthony calls a friend to vent. He considers leaving the boat by reaching out to another chef to ask if they know of any boats hiring, while Tzarina cleans the galley.

Erik and his group show up, one of them without a shirt on. Lara guides them around the boat, showing off the retractable balcony in one of the bedrooms. However, she radios Wihan to close it because they’re about to leave, but he doesn’t hear her since his radio is on his bed while he’s in the restroom. As a result, the balcony remains open when they set sail, which upsets the captain. He’s upset not only because of the open balcony, but also because Lara and Wihan aren’t effectively communicating. Meanwhile, Bri is struggling to figure out how to close the balcony, while Adair has to rush downstairs to do it. Despite it being his mistake, Wihan seems irritated at Lara for lowering the balcony in the first place, as it’s one of the boat’s most unique features. It turns out that guests have been paying a lot of money to charter this boat without realizing they could jump into the water from their room!

Before dinner, Tzarina assigns Anthony responsibility for the octopus dish while she handles the crew’s meal to give him a head start on the appetizers. Though her subtle jab about his lazing around consumes his entire afternoon, her kind actions are overlooked and disregarded. Anthony’s appetizers impress the guests; swelling his pride, he doesn’t hesitate to criticize Tzarina’s cooking, considering it unsophisticated. His notion of refinement, by the way, revolves around arancinis and tartare: delicious yet hardly innovative. Meanwhile, Erik instructs the beach team on how to tap into their leadership potential, but calamity befalls the ship, the Katina, at the same time.

In actuality, it wasn’t a mere distraction: While securing the Jet Skis, Harry accidentally jams his thumb, causing his nail to detach. The medic advises him to watch out for infections and to get an examination if the pain persists, as it seems quite severe. This injury not only causes him intense pain but also makes even simple tasks three times more difficult, potentially hindering his work. With this new challenge, Jason begins considering a quick replacement for the deckie position, while Johnny contemplates seizing the opportunity to take on the role of lead deckhand. However, everyone is concerned about Harry, as witnessing him cry could expand the Grinch’s heart to thrice its size.

Despite being high-end yachting, the show’s continuity is crucial. I can’t help but chuckle when Anthony’s sous-vide packet ruptured, causing his octopus to boil and spoil it completely. Who’s the master chef of the Seven Seas now? Tzarina, who seems more virtuous than me, remains untroubled. In fact, she prepared two additional soups tonight. Erik began dinner with a heartfelt prayer that was worth jotting down: “I’m grateful for my good looks and the impact I make in this world. Life is fleeting; stay true to your purpose until the end. Amen.

As the evening comes to a close, Johnny heads to his room for a weight workout, while Wihan requests Marina, a certified diver, to join Jason and the guests on a diving trip the following day. Marina’s enthusiasm is palpable, both at being asked and by whom, and she quickly accepts. Unsurprisingly, Lara feels somewhat irritated that Wihan took one of her two stews for the entire afternoon without consulting her first; however, as a mature individual, she keeps her frustrations to herself. By the end of this episode, Jason has grown tired of Anthony’s antics as well. The term “little baby” guy is not my favorite type of man, and it seems that by the close of this installment, even Jason has had enough of Anthony.

In my opinion, last night’s episode was a testy one as I found myself unwittingly stirring up trouble when I inquired about Tzarina and Anthony’s rest. Tzarina mentioned she had offered Anthony a break, to which he retorted that he didn’t feel treated like a human, and lacked respect for Tzarina as a chef. Frankly, it seems there’s an undercurrent of tension rooted in the dynamic between them. I couldn’t help but ponder if Anthony would behave differently under a male chef, though I hesitated to voice that suspicion to avoid appearing judgmental. However, his disrespectful attitude towards Tzarina, despite her condescension, is becoming increasingly apparent.

To be honest, Jason suggested firing him due to his insubordination, but Tzarina seems reluctant to take decisive action. I find this frustrating, as she’s the one in charge and should assert herself more forcefully. She shared her journey of climbing up the culinary ranks, making me question why she isn’t being stricter with Anthony. It’s high time for a confrontation – tell him where he stands! Take action!

Initially hesitant to act swiftly, the Tsarina inadvertently handed excessive power to Anthony. The chef he’d previously spoken with offered him a new position on another vessel, which he informed the Tsarina he would work two more charters on the Katina before departing. This idea that he could persistently defy his superior and decide to leave at will was too much for Jason, who stormed into the kitchen to inform Anthony that if he wanted to leave, it wouldn’t be in two charters, it would be immediately. He should pack his bags and go. No one would miss him! The show hints that this situation will continue, but I hope this turbulent phase comes to an end soon. There’s a possibility we may lose another crew member next week due to the fact that unfortunate Harry had to be taken to the hospital after a sleepless night of pain.

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2025-02-18 06:54