It’s been a rocky charter season on Below Deck and the Valor crew is more than ready to say goodbye to their cramped quarters. Chief stew Kate spent a distracted season trying to keep her demanding relationship alive over often non-existent internet lines. Last week she finally brought her resting bitch face out of retirement and cracked the whip, hard. The rest of the crew (both those under her supervision and not) decided their time would be better served complaining about her than doing their jobs. Even chef Ben went against her, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with his infantile infatuation very serious love affair with one of her stews. But don’t count Kate out yet. I doubt their combined forces are enough to bring her down. And if she gets into any real trouble she can always rely on the Stud of the Sea to have her back.
Emily seems to understand that she’s there to do a job and wants to keep in Kate’s good graces. Sierra, on the other hand, can’t stop smirking every time Kate asks her to do something. I don’t know how Kate manages to get through the day without slapping her. I keep trying and I know she’s on my screen. The hand wants what the hand wants. Emily tries to shake her out of it but she’s intent on being a spoiled brat. It doesn’t help that Ben’s in the background bitching about how Kate doesn’t respect her stews. Shut up and reposition your ugly flowers, Ben. No one asked for your opinion.
Nico and Kyle are on the beach with the guests. They sneak away to complain. Kyle hates Sierra. Nico hates Kate. So much hate for two small men. Kelley and Lauren have a nice moment alone on the boat. Despite all the bickering they’re going to miss each other. Selfie time!
The guests are about to return so it’s time for Ben and Kate to fight about food. It’s the last charter and Kate wants to spoil the guests by having food waiting for them. They spent the day on the beach and as silly as it sounds, that makes you hungry. Ben wants to wait because they’ll probably want to freshen up first. As he’s done all season, Ben asks for Emily’s opinion. It’s obnoxious. Emily doesn’t want to get involved but when Ben pushes it she grudgingly agrees with him. The guests get back, starving. When Kate informs Ben he turns things around and acts like he always planned to feed them right away. Kate is just happy the guests get what they want.
Sierra asks Kate if she thinks the stews didn’t work hard enough all season. When Kate brings up the empty toilet paper rolls, Sierra claims she replaced all the rolls and folded them. Then why were they empty? Her attitude is stunning. Does she not realize this is a job?
The Captain joins the guests for their final dinner, even though he literally growled when Kate gave him the invitation. Kate puts it best. “I’m happy when the guests are happy. And, generally, if the guests are sipping on cocktails with Captain Lee, they’re a little more happy… Even if he doesn’t like it.” The hugely successful dinner even heals the rift between Ben and Kate.
Kyle tells Kate what Nico and Lauren say behind her back. Once the guests leave, she sits them down to discuss it. Nico is a total dick and storms out without listening. Lauren seems scared without her backup so she apologizes. Kelley is just grateful he’s not involved. He laughs thinking about how dangerous it is to have Kate as an enemy.
Ashley goes to the boat to collect Kyle. They argue from moment one. The previews implied Kyle asks her to marry him and I just can’t with another unhappy couple getting engaged. Sigh.
It’s the final night out. Things are going to pop off. Ben and Kate walk off for a smoke. It makes Emily paranoid. She thinks there’s still something between them. Ben is drunk and flirting so I can see why she questions it. Emily asks Ben about it again. He decides to be really mean to Kate just to make Emily happy even though she asks him not to. Mature. In his drunken ragy stupor he doesn’t realize that he’s also being mean to Emily but we all see it.
Kyle decides to propose to Ashley. Again. The last time she threw the ring in his face. True love at it’s finest. He buys Kate’s ring right off her finger and finds a public spot where Ashley will feel pressured to say yes. The romance is giving me goosebumps. He gets down on one knee and she accepts. The crowd goes wild.
Ben puts his grand plan into action. The switch in character from a few minutes before is so staggering that Kate can’t stop laughing. Emily hovers in the shadows, fascinated. Ben takes a big swig of champagne and blurts out, “I don’t like working with you anymore. That’s it.” Kate points out that they just finished working together so it’s kind of a moot point. She gets disgusted with the whole thing and walks away.
The next morning Ben brings Kate a rose. She’s not impressed. He tries to sweet talk his way out of the dog house but it’s not going to be that easy. “I think Ben wants to think that our friendship is salvageable but for me it’s not.”
It’s time for goodbyes. Nico and Lauren are best friends but she still holds out hope of something more. Sierra and Kate are awkward. It seems like Sierra is waiting for an apology but she doesn’t get one. Captain Lee tells Nico he has a good future in boating and Nico beams. Kyle leaves hand in hand with Ashley. Kelley tells Kate that he learned a lot from watching how she did her job. He gets the long stare from Captain Lee but it’s all a front. Captain Lee says he’d be happy to work with Kelley again. They hug it out.
Ben brings his apology tour to Emily. She takes it better than Kate did but admits she’ll still be wary. Ben carries his ugly (now wilted) bouquet onto the dock and leaves it as a surprise for Emily. How many times is he going to give her the same damn flowers? Ben gives himself a seven out of ten for maintaining a relationship while doing his job. Bravo!
Captain Lee and Kate have the most genuine goodbye of all of them. He tells her she still looks like a guest, not a stew. Then Captain Lee wraps things up sweetly. “Without a doubt, I still have the best damn job in the world.”
Program note: I’m not sure if there’s going to be a reunion (it’s not on my DVR schedule for next week) but Below Deck Mediterranean will be back in 2017.
I like Kate
I think that her job would be a tough one and I think she does it well.
Great recap, LC! I wanted to slap Sierra & Nico too, gawd. I CAN’T with Ben and EMS, but Emily is fine. Would Captain Lee be so approving of Nico if he saw how badly he treated Kate? And…would Captain Lee REALLY work with Kelley again? Kelley and (much to my surprise Kate!!!) were my faces this season. Ben…not so much.
When capt Lee was on wwhl with Kate he said he’d definitely work with Kelley again and said he’s the one he sees the most.
The hand wants what the hand wants.. HA! Love that!
I would have been right there with you to slap the other side of her head. She was being a passive aggressive beyotch, as was Nico.
Unfortunately, I used to love Ben, but his behavior has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
He absolutely should have butted the fuck out of Kate supervising her team.
This season most certainly warranted a reunion . I cannot fathom why we won’t be getting one. Great recap Lady C.
I wonder if we aren’t getting one because of all the legal issues surrounding Kate and her ex Ro. I’m sure she couldn’t answer any of the questions that would be asked of her regarding their relationship.
I think it has probably more to do with so many Brits in the cast. Getting visas so they can work in the US is tricky. The same thing happened with Below Deck Med.
I would love a reunion..but they would want Trevor to make a drive by appearance.
I still like Ben. Always funny and bitchy. Ben and Kate will always be friends.. EMs way too young for Ben.
I agree Ben is way too old. However, EMs is by far more mature. I am disappointed there is no reunion. I thought this season was the best so far. I think the ratings were good.
I used to love Ben & hate Kate. now it’s been flipped. What a difference a season makes!
I can’t remember – wasn’t Ben kind of a dick to Hannah too on the Med?
This season has been a letdown. Emily was the only one who stayed the same throughout the season.
I used to like Captain Lee, but the Stud of the Sea must’ve gone to his head this year because he was more of a jerk than usual.
But then again, everyone made jerks out of themselves this year, except Emily.
Good recap for a shit show.
I disagree about Capt Lee..His being hard on Kelley was teaching school. Think Kelly turned out better and more mature.
As for the rest, well Kyle better than Trevor.. His work ethic I think was great, His personal , great. I like people that are honest…
Thank you Lady C!!!! I am a little sad this season is over. This and the Listings are one of the few Bravo shows that hold any hope in mankind for me. LOL. I get the competing on the listings and I certainly would have be on 20/20 by now if I was locked up with anyone in close quarters for a weekend never mind 6 weeks. The irritation and bickering is totally understandable.
Of course then there is the adorable Capt. Lee whom I LOVE on this show. This season was a bit different though. It seemed to go along fine then the next week there was CHAOS!!!!! As they say, all Hell broke loose. That was a little forced to me, like someone forgot the season was coming to an end and there is no reunion so we better create a “cliff hanger” with people to make us viewers come back.
Either way, you did a great job!
Now Bravo is touting Below Deck Med..please not Captain Mark. He was a nice guy.. but too complacent for me..
I really like Kate much more than I used to. She has grown on me. She realized I guess after seeing her treatment of Amy that you get more work out of your staff by positive reinforcement. Kyle acted like an immature boy this season. He was so amazed by Sierra till she didn’t want to date him then he wanted to act mean to her because she didn’t have the same feelings as him.
Thanks for the great recap Lady C. I will really miss this show. Kate’s one focus is always the guests; why Captain likes and can depend on her. Glad to see people realizing what a professional she is. She only had to babysit during the last charter and not the whole season as last year.
Ben’s fifty shades of gesso on blank canvas. Although the flowers are awful at least they have some color, albeit darker than Picasso’ blue period,obviously dyed and wilting. At least they didn’t melt like a snowflake who can’t take the heat.
Kate wrote a tweet that there would not be a reunion, but she said you can read how the reunion went by reading her new book. I can’t remember the name of the book, but it was on display next to her tweet. Nice recap Lady C. Oh, I forgot to tell you that there was a live feed of Ben and Emily the night of the finale. They seemed to be a couple and they were trying to chat about thevseason finale. Unfortunately, they could work it out with their new camera.
I put my email as requested, but I am pn my phone, so my real life name came up. I am known as Matzah60
“THE HAND WANTS WHAT THE HAND WANTS” #winning
Great recap, thanks! I used to really dig Ben but this last season was pathetic. What happened? And Kate actually seemed reasonable and together. Further proof that hell has frozen over…as if 2016 hasn’t given us enough already.
Thanks for the recap! I just could NOT with Sierra Storm in this last episode – the hand does want to slap her very much! She was so juvenile and petty. In her sign-off, she almost redeemed herself in my eyes by saying that she realized that she really needs to toughen up, but I then I realized she just meant to assert herself more instead of just shutting up and doing her job better when her manager gives her a critique! UGGHHHHH
Ben is all over the place, and his tantrum was comical. Emily may be younger, but she’s too mature for that man child.
Cap Lee <3
I really could not quite follow the ending of this episode with regard to Kate and Ben. Was the conflict all staged storyline or was Ben drunk and off script? Was he serious about his sniping at Kate? Or did it start out as just fucking with her because he thought that Emily would appreciate it?
Do any of my above questions even make sense?
I apologize. I was not fully coherent when I watched the show.
I did find Ben’s obsession with that flower arrangement ridiculous and sort of cute.
I found it difficult to work up a good head of hateful steam for Kate this season, even though she really didn’t seem to be trying as hard as usual to pretend like she was working.