Below Deck Mediterranean Recap: Fight for the Top

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No matter what you think of this episode, it definitely wasn’t the typical Below Deck experience. We already see plenty of arrogant guys on TV, so dedicating a whole hour to them felt off. That said, I haven’t enjoyed this show this much in ages! It was refreshing to see the crew just watching the drama unfold instead of being involved in it, and their reactions were hilarious. They were clearly invested in figuring out what Joe was even looking for – love, a partner, or just someone to manage his money? Plus, the crew got a bit of a break. Joe and the women were so focused on getting to know each other quickly, they barely touched the yacht’s features. As Sandy pointed out, the deck crew could have skipped setting up the water toys altogether – nobody used them all day.

Before diving into Joe’s matchmaking contest, let’s look at the growing tension among the crew. Joe seems to have a powerful attraction, as he’s captivating both the women and causing friction between the guys. This week, Kizzi tells Aesha she’s ended things with Tommy and doesn’t regret it. She immediately makes her intentions with Joe clear, playfully asking if he’s kissing V first thing in the morning. Meanwhile, V confesses to Aesha that she likes Joe, but insists it’s casual. She even shares that Joe told her he’s “scared of her soul,” leading Aesha to believe things are going to end badly.

Things get even more complicated with the arrival of a new stew named Cathy. She’s wearing a short, pleated skirt and is a chief stew on another yacht – qualities that immediately make Kizzi feel uneasy. The male crew members are instantly smitten with her. Max tries to flirt, complimenting her eyes, but Cathy doesn’t pick up on his advances. He then reassures Kizzi he’s still committed to her, noticing she’s within earshot. Aesha is thrilled to have such an experienced new crew member, as it will significantly lighten her workload.

Max asks Joe who he likes, and Joe says it’s V, but he’s worried she’ll reject him because he doesn’t want a relationship. This is a typical tactic: Joe pretends V wants something serious to avoid commitment, and he’s clearly separating V, who he sees as ‘girlfriend material,’ from Kizzi, who isn’t. It’s frustrating, but Max encourages Joe to pursue V, hoping to eliminate a rival for Kizzi’s attention. Later, Kizzi admits to Aesha that she knows V will be hurt if she tries to date Joe. I’m noting this because their friendship will eventually fall apart over Joe, who is leading them both on, and it will be clear Kizzi knew exactly what she was doing. She even tells Cathy that Joe is ‘hers,’ implying V is quiet and easily won over, but that doesn’t ring true – it seems like Kizzi is feeling guilty. V doesn’t seem to realize what’s going on and isn’t picking up on Joe’s behavior, so she’s unlikely to end things before it’s too late.

Joe’s presence isn’t just straining the girls’ friendships; Max is also feeling excluded as Nathan gets closer to him. They used to be incredibly close, but Max now feels ignored. It was really upsetting to see Nathan reschedule Max’s duties, likely to have more time with Joe. Max has confided that, since his difficult relationship with his parents, he deeply relies on his friends for love and support, which is why he’s so hurt by this. He gets emotional even talking about it, trying to laugh it off with a shrug, like, “That’s life.” Later, he calls a friend to vent his frustrations. Max can be a bit much sometimes – he was arrogant towards Christian and can be difficult on deck – but I really care about him. He’s a sensitive and troubled person, and it’s sad to see him overlooked. Hopefully, that will change, as the end of the episode hints at.

This week, the crew is also competing to become Aesha’s most trusted team member. Kizzi is immediately concerned that Cathy won’t want to handle the less glamorous tasks, like laundry. However, Josh points out that Cathy knew what she was signing up for, and so far, she seems enthusiastic. She willingly tackles the laundry and even cleans up after the crew. Cathy shares that she grew up on the Isle of Wight and worked as a dentist-surgeon for most of her life, until she needed spinal surgery. Doctors gave her only a 20% chance of walking again, but she defied the odds and completely changed her life. She became a chief stew within two years of starting yachting – she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Kizzi gets anxious when working closely with Cathy. Cathy points out some issues with their shared tasks, and Kizzi feels personally criticized, even though she knows it’s probably her own competitive nature talking. Having grown up with competitive dance, Kizzi feels she needs to be the best, or she feels inadequate. She then makes some poor choices and is unkind to others, which almost makes me sympathize with her. There’s a complicated side to her. She’ll ask Cathy for help with simple things, like how to fold towels, and is genuinely sweet when they interact. However, she also notices a rip in Cathy’s dress and chooses not to mention it, which isn’t ideal, but ultimately doesn’t seem like a big deal. It’s definitely better than competing with a friend for someone’s attention. Josh eventually tells Cathy about the rip as she walks upstairs. Cathy takes it well, finding it odd that Kizzi wouldn’t have noticed after working together for hours, but jokingly suggests maybe Kizzi appreciated the view.

The first night of the charter, Josh’s summer vegetable risotto was a hit, although some of the women didn’t finish their meals. This wasn’t about the food, though; they were more focused on trying to get Joe’s attention. Let’s rewind to Joe’s arrival. During the initial meeting, the crew expressed concern that Joe was playing games with the women, especially since the primary Joe was about to arrive with six potential matches. The preference sheet revealed that Joe would gradually eliminate women throughout the charter, narrowing the field down to just a couple. Joe and his matchmaker, Amy, would be picked up at the dock, while the women would arrive later by tender.

This whole situation is wild, and it starts with Amy. She comes across as harsh while showing guests around the Bravado, and Aesha quickly notices something feels off about the matchmaker. Despite the odd setup, the crew is surprisingly enthusiastic about the charter, with Sandy eagerly listening to gossip from Amy and Aesha about how the relationships unfold. While waiting for the guests to arrive, Aesha wonders what would motivate Joe to do this – does he have a history of bad relationships? But honestly, he’s incredibly bland. One of the potential dates, Anna, even jokes he’s not attractive, and Kizzi, who has a bit of a mischievous side herself, points out he’s also older. (He’s 47, which isn’t old, but let’s face it, it’s not exactly the age for this kind of thing.)

Joe and Max head to pick up the potential dates, and the flirting begins immediately. Once everyone’s on board, they briefly greet Joe before gathering in the main salon for a funny impression of Vanessa Lachey. Then, each woman gets a quick one-on-one ‘speed-dating’ session with Joe on the sundeck. It’s all a bit over-the-top, but thankfully Aesha and Josh don’t have to worry about serving a formal lunch. The women are a diverse group – you’ve got a Harvard graduate, a former bodybuilder, an opera singer who’s a Trump supporter, and Mariely, who’s Brazilian and proudly tells Joe her country has both mountains and beaches. But Anna really stands out – she’s probably the worst possible match for Joe, but she’s incredibly funny. Even Leah, the opera singer, admits she’s more interested in enjoying the yacht than finding a relationship with Joe.

As a total Below Deck fan, I’m loving the strategy happening this season! Some of the crew are really trying to gather intel – I even saw Nathan casually eavesdropping on Joe and Brooke’s chat by the sundeck. But it’s not all spying; there’s definitely some flirting going on too. Kizzi is a pro at getting what she wants – she played the ‘I need a hug’ card on Joe and it totally worked! Joe was even complimenting V for her hard work, which is nice to see. Later, Kizzi dropped a bomb in the galley – she’s single and looking for trouble! Max and Josh were instantly hyped, but poor Joe clearly knew he was in for a messy situation.

After dinner, Amy brought everyone together to listen to Leah sing, though Anna spent the performance texting. Before bed, Amy checked in with Joe, who had a tough decision to make the next day: he needed to eliminate two women and choose two others to join him for a mosaic class. The next morning, we found out his choices. Josh was hoping Joe would eliminate someone with dietary restrictions, and that’s exactly what happened: Joe chose to eliminate Leah, the opera singer, and Brooke, a Harvard graduate who avoids gluten. Amy didn’t seem pleased with his picks, and Aesha was surprised he didn’t eliminate Anna – everyone was, actually. Max revealed he’d overheard Anna making some unpleasant comments. For the mosaic class, Joe selected Alicia (who Aesha is supporting) and Mariely – let’s go!

Joe and Nathan both confess their interest in Kizzi, now that she’s single. Meanwhile, Cathy warns Kizzi that she’s starting to like Max too, and Kizzi might end up losing both Joe and Max. Nathan believes Joe is already deeply involved in a potential throuple. Aesha tells Nathan and Max that V is interested in Joe and encourages him to enjoy himself responsibly, making the same point directly to Joe after he and Kizzi share a flirty outing. They bonded over wanting a casual, fun connection, but Aesha anticipates trouble and urges Joe to be upfront with everyone about his intentions. She points out that he repeatedly finds himself in these complicated situations and needs to consider his role in them. The narrator also shares their personal investment in the unfolding relationships, expressing support for Mariely and finding amusement in Anna’s drama, and wonders who everyone is rooting for.

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2025-11-11 18:56