Below Deck Down Under Recap: Work Sucks, I Know

by

It’s only been two episodes into Wihan’s fall from grace, but I’m already feeling like I could pluck every hair off my head. He seems to be trapped in an alternate world where his immediate whims are the only things that matter, and it doesn’t help that he’s being idolized as if he were Marlon Brando. This just makes him more unhinged. I worry we might be slipping into Anthony’s territory with his overbearing presence; the show risks becoming repetitive if our sole focus is who Wihan will ultimately hurt. In contrast to the past couple of weeks’ captivating, multi-layered episodes, “The Captain’s Lounge” felt a bit dull.

The story begins with an extended Jet Ski mishap captured on a GoPro, making me question if Bravo was trying something new and unconventional. Fortunately, Johnny and India manage to disembark in shallow waters without much drama. The actual capsizing incident isn’t the main concern – Johnny manages to reassure India, and the scrape on her leg is so trivial it doesn’t require a Band-Aid. However, the following events are problematic. As Johnny will explain to Wihan later, the Jet Ski tipped over due to a water leak that had been filling it up. Over time, more water accumulated in the Jet Ski, making it too heavy to be hoisted onto the Katina by a crane. It takes four strong men weighing 200 pounds each to pull the damaged Jet Ski onto a floating platform, from where it can be towed away. According to Jason’s calculations, this operation is estimated to cost close to $20,000.

As I watched the events unfold, it was evident that Wihan found the whole situation amusing. He shared with Adair that this moment would be a source of laughter in years to come, all while Johnny grappled with an impending mental breakdown in his cabin. Adair had previously confided in Harry that she didn’t want to gloat by saying “I told you so,” but acknowledged that they and Johnny had warned him. I initially thought the Jet Ski incident might deter Adair from Wihan due to his perceived incompetence, but her nonchalant attitude during dinner service that evening changed my perspective.

As the hubbub winds down, Wihan stalks down to the galley, where Tzarina greets her “favorite man in the whole wide boat,” whom she loves, with another bear hug. Not now, Tzarina! Wihan is summoned by an exasperated captain to the bridge. When Jason seems confused by the fact that the Jet Ski tipped by itself, Wihan clarifies that there was a leak in it. Jason warns him not to try to cover up his mistakes; a leaky Jet Ski shouldn’t have gone in the water. Given the way that conversation went, it’s bizarre that the next day, Jason awards Johnny with the disco helmet. Everything that happened was Wihan’s fault, and Johnny went above and beyond to make India feel taken care of, which even Jason admits. Is Jason playing favorites with Wihan or what? What did he do to earn such confidence, besides making 500 mistakes in, like, three days?

If you have any concern for your tasks at all, an eventful afternoon could leave you feeling stuck, but not Wihan. He pulls Harry aside to complain about his romantic troubles. The show’s editors seem to be on a mission to prove how inept Wihan is at work, frequently cutting to scenes of him engaged in activities other than working – capturing sunset shots, snacking, panting, having an unexpected fit of laughter over Adair’s rubber boots. It’s not that we expect everyone to adore their job, but the unprofessional attitude Wihan displays in a leadership role is so astonishing it could be considered a form of artistry. Some might say his reluctance is a methodology.

Instead of constantly discussing Wihan, let’s shift our focus towards dinner now. For tonight’s local delicacy, Tzarina has prepared something quite surprising – curry! Isn’t that interesting. The diners, unaware that Tzarina has been preparing curry every night since joining the Katina, seem to adore it (they did ask for it, after all). However, the service is a bit chaotic. Despite being pleasant and entertaining, these guests are quite messy. Marina requests Adair’s assistance, and here Adair demonstrates one similarity with Wihan – she tends to meet the bare minimum requirements.

In simpler terms, Adair chooses not to clean the bathrooms, stating bluntly that it’s not her responsibility. Despite the lack of clear instructions or guidance, no one appears to be directly managing her effectively. Adair often receives mixed signals from the bosun, who is more interested in courting her than supervising, and the chief stew, who seems to overlook her until she’s needed urgently. While it’s true that Adair could use a bit more initiative, the following day, Jason emphasizes to Lara and Wihan that they are responsible for assigning tasks and keeping open lines of communication.

Instead of a bar-hopping night, the guests preferred an evening where the Katina would transform into the islands’ most vibrant club. Despite the leisurely pace of Seychelles’ nightlife, Lara and Jason devised a plan to turn the venue into a sensation. Following dinner, Lara led the guests to the private “Captain’s Lounge,” where Jason was already present, dressed only in a skimpy kimono. The guests were taken aback by the sight of the semi-clad captain and even more so by Wihan’s lap dance performance. How often should we witness Wihan’s exposed, pasty backside, as one might say? Enough! While he danced, Marina daydreamed about their wonderful date, although he had been disregarding her since then. Adair appeared slightly disgusted. I eagerly anticipate watching her large, expressive eyes when she discovers that Wihan has harbored feelings for her all along.

Over time, Bri and Harry’s relationship seems to be heading towards rough seas. Bri wishes he would take more responsibility, which she may have hinted at when talking to Tzarina in the galley, a conversation Harry accidentally overhears. However, Harry chooses to feign ignorance, so he insists that things between him and Bri are not just fine, they are outstanding. Meanwhile, Bri desires confirmation that their relationship is advancing, but she remains uncertain due to his behavior.

On the final day of the charter, as Marina tidies up, she walks Adair through a cabin inspection checklist to prepare her for future tasks. This is a heartwarming moment: Adair expresses regret for her previous attitude and Marina acknowledges how valuable her assistance has been. It seems this display of kindness and goodwill may have stemmed organically from Adair, although any influence from Wihan or Lara remains unclear in the narrative. Meanwhile, Wihan is once again brainstorming ways to express his feelings to Adair, while Johnny, indifferent to Wihan’s predicament, jokes that he’d rather dye his hair pink than get romantically involved on a boat. Aisha and Gai are content with their journey and leave a generous tip of $15,000, which amounts to $1,250 each for the crew.

After the guests depart, the team prepares for their evening socializing. They all don coordinating gold attire, which leaves us puzzled as to why. Reminiscent of a maritime Sisyphus, Lara tries in vain to persuade Tzarina to reconsider her actions. “Don’t be so eager,” she advises. “You deserve someone who truly appreciates you!” Despite Lara’s well-intentioned words, it’s clear that Tzarina is the type of person who rarely listens to advice. Her persistence in pursuing Wihan is admirable, if not a bit exhausting to witness. Just before they leave, the new assistant chef arrives, Alesia, a 25-year-old from London. She appears pleasant and quickly gets along with the other women; however, her casual admission that she thought the Seychelles were in Jamaica raises concerns. She exudes the enthusiasm of someone who accidentally auditioned for ‘Love Island’ instead of ‘Below Deck‘.

As I proceed, a wave of secondhand embarrassment sweeps over me, making me wonder if “The Office” theme tune might suddenly play from my speakers. Lara and Bri, acknowledging Tzarina’s lack of reason, offer her advice on winning over Wihan in the bathroom. Her plan involves pulling Wihan towards her chest. To everyone’s surprise, Wihan, who seemed quite at ease in Tzarina’s embrace, confesses his feelings for Adair to both Marina and Tzarina. It’s strange to me that every crew member is aware of Wihan’s affection for Adair except for her. The game of ‘whisper down the lane’, which was so prominent in last week’s episode, seems to be over. Alternatively, it could be that Adair is uninterested.

I find myself contemplating a change in my hair color to pink, as I’ve been finding it hard to resist trying to kiss Alesia since her arrival. She politely declined my advances, but it’s clear she hasn’t completely dismissed the idea of me – it’s just too soon for us given that she’s only just discovered Seychelles, a place unknown to her mere hours ago. Meanwhile, Tzarina seems to be making unwelcome advances toward Wihan on the dance floor. The contrast between her persistence and Laura’s pushiness towards Adam last season is striking, as Wihan appears to be unsure about fully rejecting Tzarina. On the boat, the Katina, Wihan kisses her, then feigns reluctance and retires to bed. Even if things were to go Tzarina’s way, who would want a partner that required persuasion to like them? In what universe is this desirable?

Despite her position, Tzarina isn’t alone in her obliviousness to the ongoing situation. The misunderstanding between Bri and Harry escalates significantly when Bri leads him to a guest cabin to “display the sand” left by previous guests, which Harry acknowledges before returning to his own quarters. Frankly, Harry, I’m still hoping for their success, but he needs to take responsibility. I get that Bri is frustrated with Harry’s dismissive attitude, but she could communicate her concerns more effectively or fully embrace the elementary school dynamics of their relationship and ask another girl to talk to him. Ultimately, someone needs to make a move for this pseudo-romance to last through another evening.

Read More

2025-03-11 05:55