Below Deck Recap: Rookie Mistakes

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Instead of focusing on Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), this week’s discussion revolves around Low Value Providers (LVPs). I’m confident that the St. David won’t endure two more charters without someone being dismissed, and in my opinion, Caio is the one at risk. As “Fight Island” unfolds, Kerry discerns that Caio is far beyond his depth, despite his attempts to convince himself otherwise. Meanwhile, Solène appears to be the only crew member performing worse than the bosun. She lacks both talent and dedication as a yachtie, but her inexperience doesn’t necessarily mean poor performance. However, she seems uninterested in learning, and while this often goes unnoticed by others, Fraser seems oblivious to the slow pace of her development. At one point during this week, he even warmly embraces her for not throwing a tantrum when asked to make a bed.

Spending time with Kyle before the arrival of other guests, Solène confides in him about a bracelet she’s kept from her ex-boyfriend Dylan – a flamboyant deckhand from the previous season, reminiscent of Johnny Bravo. It’s somewhat unsettling to imagine these self-absorbed personalities together, but now it becomes clearer how and why Solène landed on the show. What makes Below Deck engaging is that yachting is their actual profession, prioritized over reality television, unlike in the later seasons of Vanderpump Rules, where their jobs are essentially reality TV roles with a job facade. This season, despite only being three episodes in, seems to stick to the franchise’s essence in a convincing manner: The conflicts arise from the genuine stress of the work rather than relying too much on repetitive personal feuds, as seen in Down Under.

Solène distinguishes herself from the other cast members and causes discomfort due to her indifference towards yachting. While it’s understandable to dislike one’s job, especially a demanding one, most of the cast have made their careers in yachting and take pride in their professionalism. It’s no surprise that Rainbeau becomes frustrated with Solène when she refuses to improve her work skills, as this not only adds to the second stew’s workload but also shows a lack of respect for tasks such as making beds or washing dishes efficiently.

Before the voyage officially begins, disagreements arise between Rainbeau and Solène as they prepare the cabins for the guests’ arrival. Rainbeau attempts to explain that a bed pulled tight and freshened with Febreze won’t require ironing, thus streamlining the process. However, Solène’s cleaning method is similar to a child doing chores: she prefers being told what to do and completing tasks at her own speed, disregarding how her pace affects the rest of the team. It seems hypocritical for Solène to argue with Rainbeau when Fraser had instructed them earlier that morning that the purpose of Solène working with Rainbeau was for her to learn how a stew thinks, and they had agreed to forgo formalities. The situation becomes even more aggravating when, later in the day, Rainbeau apologizes for raising her voice – she didn’t – and Solène brushes off her apology. Most surprisingly, they have this discussion in front of Kerry during dinner in the crew mess, who remains silent and observes without interjecting.

In this situation, Rainbeau is unfairly cast as the strict one for the remainder of the voyage. Initially, Bárbara modifies her behavior, complimenting Solène in public and downplaying her slow pace – it took her two hours to make a bed, she quips, but at least she did a good job. Because Bárbara treats her like a child, Solène is receptive to her instructions, which gives the impression that she’s improving. This causes Fraser to express his pride in her, revealing how effectively Solène has manipulated the crew by capitalizing on her inexperience instead of focusing on learning. Essentially, Solène has leveraged her inexperience as a means of power and retaliates against Rainbeau for failing to submit to it.

Despite my promptness in supporting Fraser, it’s astonishing how these issues are slipping through his grasp. In truth, he appears preoccupied; he has failed to prepare the captain’s uniform three times within a day. The first instance left Fraser irate, and he admitted in a private conversation that perhaps it’s time to stop relying on others and instead provide clearer instructions. After Kerry had to request his clothing for the third occasion, Fraser warned the crew that this shouldn’t happen again. However, he failed to investigate why it occurred or devise a plan to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Barbara feels responsible – given her laundry duties, it could be her fault. Nevertheless, it falls upon the chief stew to establish a system that prevents such oversights. Perhaps Fraser should handle the task himself or delegate it to Solène? Wishing to maintain a professional image?

In the end, it’s Rainbeau who bears the burden of the imbalance within their work environment. Fraser assigns her to the late shift for the charter, and when she tries to guide Solène on working more efficiently, she is reprimanded instead. This leaves tasks incomplete for Solène before bedtime, forcing Rainbeau to pick up the excess work. By 2 a.m., she’s in tears, and by 2:15, she’s experiencing a panic attack. It takes her until 3 a.m. to finish everything, though she informs her team that she completed the tasks at 2:15 so she can wake up early and assist with turn-ups. Rainbeau is resilient, sharing stories of her upbringing where stoicism and physical fighting were valued as emotional outlets, and how she’s learned to suppress her emotions by keeping them bottled up. However, she needs to express her overworked state to Fraser, so he can recognize the issues within his department and provide Solène with the constructive criticism she requires — not praise, but pressure, similar to what Kerry applies to Caio.

Regarding the five-day voyage aboard a chartered yacht featuring adult film stars, it begins smoothly despite some hair-raising moments like navigating a narrow bridge during a stormy sea, which gives Kerry quite a scare. However, the vessel successfully moors without any major incidents. The crew is tasked with transporting Skyy and his seven companions to three islands, ensuring there’s always something going on, such as crafting a giant phallic sand sculpture on a nudist beach – an endeavor I suspect Kyle will relish.

The situation appears to be running smoothly, except it seems Caio may not realize or doesn’t care about creating a break schedule for his crew members. On the first day of the charter, it was necessary for Jess to point out that no one had eaten lunch, and her statement about being hungry seemed to catch him off guard, as if she should have figured out when to eat on her own. Later, Jess informs Damo that she plans to discuss the crew’s dissatisfaction with the chaotic break schedule with Caio, and will escalate the issue to Kerry if needed. When Jess eventually brings it up with the bosun, he takes it in stride, stating he is “open to suggestions,” but the break issue is just one of several minor mishaps affecting the deck crew.

On the second day of the voyage, they navigate towards Anguilla, where Caio shares a great snorkeling location with Kerry close to their anchoring spot. Upon Kerry’s proposal to guide the guests there, it becomes apparent that Caio had given incorrect information about the location. Kerry feels embarrassed about having to correct himself in front of the guests, as this fear of appearing foolish is his primary concern. If Caio had been more competent on the job, perhaps Kerry wouldn’t have reacted so strongly.

During the snorkeling trip, Kyle notices their banana float drifting away from the boat. Later, Caio brings the guests back to St. David thirty minutes earlier than scheduled without any prior notification. These events culminate in Kerry summoning the bosun to the bridge and questioning whether he is truly capable of handling the job. Caio responds affirmatively but Kerry remains uncertain.

It’s unlikely that Sky and his guests could perceive all the behind-the-scenes activities from their perspective. Despite being boisterous and attention-grabbing, they were courteous and amusing, although their demands for a bottle of lubricant in each room did not sit well with housekeeping staff. Lawrence and Anthony excelled as a team in the kitchen, serving a scrumptious lunch and an exceptional menu for the French cabaret-themed dinner on the opening night.

In the galley, Lawrence sets the rules for both the menu and cleaning. By the end of the second day of the charter, Anthony expresses that he’ll miss Lawrence. Lawrence has prepared some of the most visually appealing and delicious food in the entire Below Deck franchise, making it a shame we won’t get to witness more of his culinary prowess. After Lawrence departs, Kerry offers Anthony some encouragement, which Anthony appreciates as he now must step up and prove himself.

To wrap up, I’d like to highlight what struck me as the two most puzzling moments during this episode. The first was when guest Marcel inserted his entire fist into his mouth at the post-dinner talent show, which was certainly surprising. However, nothing prepared me for the sight of Solène washing her feet in the crew mess sink, that was truly unexpected.

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2025-06-17 04:54