Below Deck Mediterranean Season-Premiere Recap: A Hectic Start

by

Hi everyone! Welcome aboard the M/Y Bravado, Captain Sandy’s yacht, currently docked in Barcelona. Captain Sandy feels very comfortable here, as she lived in Barcelona for four years quite a while ago. She picked up so much of the local culture that, on her first day back in Spain, she’s already referring to soccer as fútbol. But that’s not even the most surprising thing that happens in the first few minutes of this episode. It appears that Nathan, this season’s bosun and known flirt from last season, is going to be a father. Is the mother Gael, the deckhand he had a brief romance with last season? Or is it Kizzi, a new stewardess who seems determined to kiss everyone on board (we really hope not)? Or could it be another woman we don’t know about yet?

The season immediately opens with a shot of a pregnant belly and a title card that takes us back nine months, setting up a central mystery around Nathan. The big question – beyond who is pregnant – is whether Nathan can successfully lead the show. Based on the first charter, things aren’t looking promising. Like his new deckhand, Tessa, Nathan wasn’t present for the first day of work; both suffered from food poisoning and had to stay at the hotel. They only arrived on the Bravado two hours before the guests arrived. This explains why the deck crew struggled so much throughout the charter.

But first, let’s meet the crew by reviewing their CVs. Thankfully, we have Aesha Scott returning as chief stew! She’s as energetic as ever and recently engaged – her boyfriend, Scott (hopefully he’ll take her last name!), was encouraged by Captain Sandy to finally propose. Also back is French deckhand Max, who just returned from a trip to Bali to find himself. He saw waterfalls, kept a journal, tried hypnosis, and realized that maybe working isn’t so terrible. The production team is calling him “New Max, Mentally Engaged Deckhand” as he makes his comeback. He’s so eager to prove himself that when Sandy asks him to oversee things while Nathan is sick, he jokingly declares himself the deck’s Robespierre – a comparison that doesn’t quite fit the historical figure. There’s talk of a guillotine and a lot of bossing around, which gives Sandy a decent first impression. However, she ultimately advises Nathan to wait a few charters before officially naming a lead deckhand. Now, let’s meet the new crew:

Josh (Chef)
This chef from Britain brings over a decade of experience from top-rated, Michelin-starred restaurants – a welcome change for Sandy after a challenging season with the self-taught Johnathan in Greece. Josh describes his past experiences with demanding chefs as abusive, finding those kitchens “too rigid” for his creative spirit. He quickly shows interest in Kizzi, one of the crew members. He’s a very expressive person who enjoys many art forms, including music and a flamboyant style – his most captivating talent. He even trained with a clown in Nicaragua! He has a bit of a pirate look, and it’s hard to tell what’s true when he talks. But honestly, I think I’m starting to like him?

V (Third Stew)
What is this woman’s complete name? (This information is readily available, but it’s crucial to honor how someone prefers to be addressed and even more important to respect a woman’s privacy.) V is from Cuba, originally from Florida, and this is her first job working on a superyacht. Considering Bri’s lack of experience last season and Solène’s turbulent time on the flagship, St. David, we’re all still recovering from dealing with new crew members. However, V quickly proves to be both helpful and enthusiastic. In the laundry room, where a somewhat shaken Aesha assigned her, we see her proactively writing and posting sticky notes on the washing machines – something Bri never thought to do. I’m optimistic about her, even though she does ask Aesha if it’s “okay” to work lunch service “in socks.”

Kizzi (Second Stew)
Kizzi has plenty of experience as a stew, making her a great second-in-command to Aesha. Thankfully, she also enjoys doing table decorations, which our chief stew appreciates. Kizzi is quite the flirt, and it seems to be working well with both the male and, judging by the episode preview, female crew members. She casually states, “They tend to like me,” and immediately sends Tommy three heart emojis. While I’m still recovering from the Solène situation, Kizzi at least seems competent at her job. What really concerns me, though, is the possibility she might have some psychopathic tendencies. When V shares the heartbreaking story of her boyfriend’s drowning, Kizzi responds with nervous laughter. She claims she doesn’t find it funny, it’s just a reflex. Aesha chimes in, “You’re just British.” Okay, but then she later reveals that the owner of a boat she previously worked on also died, and she says it was “awesome” because it meant no more work. Could she be a murderer?

Christian (Deckhand)
This episode doesn’t give us much insight into new deckhand Christian, other than he’s from Colombia and used to be a charter pilot whose business suffered during the pandemic. I’m disappointed there aren’t any Brazilians on the Bravado after two seasons of Brazilian dominance in the Below Deck world, but I am pleased to see two Latino crew members. Christian seems frustrated by Max’s bossy behavior and generally appears… normal. It’s probably unlikely that first impression will last the entire season, but we’ll have to wait and see. He bears a resemblance to Clark Kent, if you take away the glasses.

Tessa (Deckhand)
Finally, there’s Tessa, who also got food poisoning and won’t be arriving until a day later. It makes you question what exactly was in the food at the hotel Bravo booked for the crew before the season started. Tessa is used to working on very large boats and initially thinks working on the Bravado will “be easy,” but that idea is quickly proven wrong.

What goes through the minds of the departing crew as they leave the yacht for the reality show cast? Do they feel satisfied, relieved, or just glad they won’t have to perform their difficult jobs with cameras hoping for something to go wrong? With the crew change complete and everyone on board, the first charter guests arrive.

The team is headed up by Carl, who’s described as a “serial entrepreneur famous in the web start-up world.” That’s the kind of language you’d expect to see on an iPad – they’ve switched to those instead of paper preference sheets (good for the environment!). Unsurprisingly, Carl’s first request is a dinner with a “bitcoin extravaganza” theme, and Aesha surprisingly adds a “chocolate fantasy/factory” twist. I guess she felt she needed to contribute. Honestly, how do you even base a dinner around a… currency, assuming that’s what it is? Aesha actually knows quite a bit about Bitcoin, even though she finds it a dull topic – her fiancé, Scott, is really into crypto. It’s a bit irritating, but if it means she gets a beautiful engagement ring and a nice home, I’m happy for her.

When these guests arrive on the Bravado, their initial reaction is generally, “It’s not the most luxurious yacht, but it’s perfectly acceptable.” They immediately inquire about the horsepower of the Jet Skis. They compare the cabins with twin beds to rooms in a Hostel. One of them is even considering purchasing a boat with a budget around $30 million. Carl broadcasts livestreams about cryptocurrency from his cabin. There’s something clearly off about them, both spiritually and ethically, but so far, they’ve been pleasant and courteous. They thoroughly enjoy the elaborate lunch Josh prepared, which features a diverse selection of food – everything from sourdough ciabatta and lamb chops to baba ghanoush and oysters.

Things run smoothly inside the boat as the Bravado sets off, but the deck crew quickly struggles. Nathan may not have had enough time to get to know his team or plan for the first charter, which makes it hard for him to communicate clearly. Sandy feels confident leaving the dock because she’s very familiar with the marina and trusts Nathan to handle things well. The boat departs successfully, although a platform remained extended because Tessa couldn’t retract it. She radios for the engineer while Nathan is giving Sandy directions – a mistake, as radios should be silent during undocking. Christian is left carrying a long rope without knowing where it should go.

The stressful separation of the ship leaves Nathan feeling anxious, and he skips organizing his team to discuss next steps. V described her plan for relaxing on a superyacht in a way that suits Nathan’s improvisational leadership: “just figure it out as you go.” While the guests are eating lunch, he informs his crew that he wants the water toys ready in 45 minutes, but he doesn’t explain how to get them out-or at least, how to do it quickly. He’s so hands-off that Tessa is left confused, saying, “He isn’t giving us any guidance.” He seems to assume his crew will just naturally know what to do, even though it’s a new boat for everyone. At the same time, Max, who has no experience managing others, is convinced his strict management style is the best approach.

Nathan needed the Nautibouys to be fully set up before he could lower the Jet Skis into the water. Although he pushed his crew to hurry, he didn’t offer any guidance or ask what the problem was. After an hour and 30 minutes, the guests were watching with amusement. Sandy told Nathan they needed to improve for next time, but reassured him that no apology was necessary, as everyone was still learning. However, that understanding and flexibility wouldn’t last. Getting the water toys in the water was difficult enough; keeping them secure and retrieving them proved even more challenging. The deck crew had trouble with the “whips” – the lines used to attach items to the boat – while Nathan shouted confusing directions from the tender. Then, one of the Jet Skis began drifting away because Christian hadn’t secured it properly, as he admitted. Max jumped into the water to try and save it, but Nathan already had it connected to the tender, so Max was told to swim back.

The guests are constantly entertained by the deck crew’s antics, but Nathan and Sandy are getting increasingly frustrated. Nathan is so stressed by the disorder that he expresses his concerns to the chief officer while they prepare to lower the Jet-Ski. Sandy arrives to assist and cautions Nathan to pay attention to the lights while operating the remote control – and he accidentally turns them off almost right away. Once the task is finally completed, Sandy wants to have a serious conversation. Nathan has a lot to consider; he needs to be much more proactive and focused. This might be difficult, as the preview reveals that Gael – the person he left Mustique with last season and traveled with for months – is sure to show up eventually. Of all the previews, I’m both most and least excited about the Bachelor-style episode featuring the man who arrives with a matchmaker and six potential partners and .

Read More

2025-09-30 05:56