The drama with the deck team on *Bravado* feels like classic *Below Deck*. After a few seasons focused on personal conflicts, the *Mediterranean* season is bringing back the messy, work-related arguments we expect. Part of what makes *Below Deck* so interesting is how the cameras highlight the challenges of working on a yacht, especially since everyone is also playing a role. Some crew members, like Aesha, are genuine, while others, like Max, openly acknowledge they’re performing for reality TV. This all adds depth to the everyday struggles of the job – even a disagreement about cleaning the boat engines becomes a chance to show personality. I’m really enjoying how this season is unfolding.
Despite hints of romance and wild nights, the crew’s first evening out was surprisingly calm. This week’s episode starts with Christian and Max still arguing as they prepare the boat. Nathan steps in to mediate, pointing out they need to handle things more delicately. Afterwards, the crew heads out for dinner. On the way, Max confides in Nathan and Aesha that he’s struggling with Christian. Nathan tells him Christian needs to resolve the issues himself, and Aesha agrees, noting department heads don’t have time for extensive training. While Aesha is supportive, it’s a bit ironic considering she’s been successfully training a new crew member, V.
The only thing that could unite Max, Christian, and Nathan was Kizzi’s surprising announcement that she’s seeing someone. This came after Nathan, having finally managed to sit down and talk with her—leaving Max and Christian to argue—learned about her plan to get a Brazilian wax using a product called *Bravado*. The news of Kizzi’s boyfriend sends the boys outside for a cigarette to think. Max, sensibly, suggests they don’t believe it, encouraging them to make up their own version of events. This shared denial is enough to calm Max and Christian down, leading them to reconcile and even consider having a mature conversation—or at least sharing a drunken dance.
V is reserved and diligent at work, always seeking feedback and going the extra mile, but she truly shines at the club. There, she playfully competes with Kizzi for attention, and the two of them enjoy the dynamic. Kizzi emphasizes that her relationship with Tommy is about more than just physical attraction – she craves genuine connection and loves physical affection, even demonstrating with an enthusiastic handstand-twerking display for Aesha. I almost began to suspect Tommy wasn’t real, thinking Kizzi might be fabricating the story for drama, until he appeared on a FaceTime call. Though easily forgotten amidst the bustle of the boat, hearing Tommy question whether the crew knows about him clearly affects Kizzi. Despite all the activity, no one ever manages to relax in the jacuzzi.
Nathan, after giving up on trying to get Kizzi’s attention for the night – though he tells Aesha he’s not one to give up – calls his ex, Gael. He admits in a private interview that he misses her, but is trying to move past their complicated history. It’s confusing, though, that he’s FaceTiming her late at night if he’s trying to move on. However, the next morning, Nathan seems energized. Whether it’s talking to Gael or the effects of a hangover, he arrives for the next charter determined to do better. He’d previously been neglecting his leadership duties, but now he’s focused. He meets with his deck crew and clearly explains his expectations: faster work and more self-direction. He instructs Christian and Tessa to follow Max’s lead, making Max his main point of contact on the team (Christian impressively manages to stay calm despite Max’s obvious satisfaction with this arrangement). The first charter was difficult due to illness and a new boat, but now Nathan feels they have no more excuses.
The pep talk didn’t really resonate with the team. Almost right away, Sandy spotted watermarks on the engines and asked someone to wash them. While Nathan was discussing Tessa and Christian’s inexperience with the captain, Tessa stirred up trouble by telling Max that Christian had said the engines only needed a quick rinse, not a full wash. Max, understandably upset, confronted Christian, wanting an apology – he sees himself as the de facto lead deckhand. Christian, recognizing Max’s tendency to overreact, told him to just let his anger out. The conflict between them is causing chaos on deck, but it’s also pretty funny. Their fights are reminiscent of the silly arguments between the burglars in *Home Alone*. As they finally wash the engines, Max tells Christian not to call him ‘bro’ anymore, signaling a complete breakdown in their relationship. Nathan, sounding frustrated, warns them that any further fighting during the charter will be reported to the captain.
Jack Freeman, a memorable guest from the notoriously difficult second season of *Down Under*, is back. Aesha immediately recognizes him as a handful – he expects the crew to unpack his seven suitcases full of 40 pairs of shoes – but he’s generally pleasant. His only unusual request is an elaborate eight-course meal. The crew manages to leave the dock without any major problems, and Josh successfully impresses everyone with his paella, despite being anxious about his Spanish cooking. Aesha is happy with Josh’s performance, but concerned he might get stressed out, which she notes is common for chefs.
It would be great if Christian and Tessa had even a little of Josh’s dedication to detail. Nathan leaves them in charge of the guests while he and Max go out on the smaller boat. He reminds them to make sure everyone is wearing the safety gear, like vests and helmets. Almost immediately, Sandy spots a guest drifting away on a foil board. This guest had already told Christian he didn’t know how to operate it, and Christian had just told him he’d figure it out. When the guest starts floating away, Tessa claims it’s not her job to help, even though that’s exactly what they were asked to do. Christian just stands there, looking confused, until Sandy yells at him to go help the guest.
Even the captain couldn’t get Christian to help. Sandy called Nathan to return to the main part of the yacht, and he used a small boat to rescue the guest who was stuck. The captain was frustrated and embarrassed by the whole situation, telling Nathan to never leave Christian and Tessa unsupervised again. Meanwhile, Aesha updated the galley crew on the deck team’s mishap. When Tessa revealed they hadn’t shown the guest how to use the equipment, Nathan firmly told her, “I did tell you to do it.” He then gathered the entire team, emphasizing they needed to improve their performance to avoid looking unprofessional. Tessa, feeling overlooked and unable to physically help as a ‘ghost’ on deck, was upset that she was being blamed. As she voiced her frustration in a private interview, the show cut to footage of Nathan clearly instructing his crew on their duties.
Following a busy afternoon, the guests prepared for a sophisticated white-party dinner featuring caviar and truffles. Kizzi beautifully set the table, and Josh served butternut squash risotto with salmon, topped with caviar and truffles. He accidentally left the truffles off one plate, which Max happily discovered and enjoyed as a snack. When Josh went to fix his mistake, a moment of suspense arose – where had the truffles gone, and would Max confess? However, Josh wasn’t worried; he’s always prepared for anything. Known for having backup desserts ‘just in case,’ he naturally had extra truffles on hand.
Jack started the night with a fancy request: caviar and vodka. It actually sounded good, and he kept ordering rounds. Then, when everyone else was ready for bed, he suddenly craved Szechuan chicken. Kizzi considered making it with Christian’s help, but Nathan intervened, worried they’d give Jack food poisoning and that it would distract Christian from important tasks they’d already planned. Kizzi ended up giving Jack chili instead, hoping he wouldn’t notice the switch since he was so drunk. It turned out he was too intoxicated to eat anything at all – he was already asleep when she brought the food to his room, which Kizzi found amusing. She’d been a fantastic help all night, except for a strange question she asked the next morning. When Tessa mentioned going to high school in Bali, Kizzi asked, sounding like she was auditioning for a reality show, if it was a normal school or if she’d been learning in huts.
As the sun rises on the second day of the charter, Josh kills it on three and a half hours of sleep while Christian continues to lose it. He didn’t fill the jacuzzi, though the task was on the job list, which he is incapable of heeding. It’s like he has never heard of what a to-do list is or how it works. Nathan is so at a loss reporting Christian’s failure to Sandy that it makes him laugh. Sandy is in a good position to commiserate, since when she tried to toss Christian an inflatable chair, he just watched it fall into the ocean. Sandy reminds Nathan that the bosun’s job is hard but has its rewards, something Nathan can tell himself while watching the Jet Ski’s hook hit Christian in the face. He might use it as a mantra as he watches Christian drift away on the Jet Ski, after failing to start it. He might repeat it to himself when he hears Sandy’s voice come over the radio: “We’ve got a deckhand floating away on a Jet Ski, what are you going to do about that Nathan?” It has its rewards, it has its rewards…
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2025-10-14 04:56