YAY! Below Deck with Captain Lee Stud of the Sea is back! That means it’s time for a Below Deck recap. On very rare occasions, I have interacted with Captain Lee and recall at one point him mentioning some health conditions. But, I was not aware at the time that the show was about to begin filming at the time. So on tonight’s episode, it apparently all unfolds on camera. Or at least we know he is being treated for something.
We start with Eddie meeting Captain Sean who will be an interim captain while Captain Lee deals with some health issues back home. Eddie is First Officer which is a position we do not normally see on the show. Captain Sean is no Captain Lee. I’m just saying. Heather, the Chief Stew arrives on the boat and greets Captain Sean by saying, “Hi Sean!” I dislike her already. That’s CAPTAIN Sean to you. Oh she is so annoying already. I hope she chills out soon. But it doesn’t look likely.
Everyone Annoys Me
Fraser is a stew and despite this being only his second season in yachting he already knows everything there is to know according to him. I get a pretentious gay guy feel from him. Jessica seems like she might be a kind decent person. She is a stew. Rayna is a deckhand who already has an eye on Jake who is also a deckhand. Rayna used to work on fishing boats in Alaska. The third deckhand is Wes. He’s a sailor. So he is new to megayachts. Captain Sean has an meeting with all the crew. He tells them all not to piss him off and if he needs to run shorthanded, he will. They are all afraid of him already. lol.
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In the stew meeting, Jessica says she loves doing laundry. That’s a new one. That makes her third stew. Fraser is second stew. The provisions come before the chef shows up. Crazy, “eat my cooter” Rachel is the chef this season. She is a bottle purple/redhead now. And clearly still batshit crazy. It’s time for the guests to arrive. I am not sure they are even ready. Captain Sean walks around to inspect the boat, and apparently, fluff pillows on deck. Theses are a bunch of single black women. The fact that there are no men with them however does not stop them from being fashionistas.
Utter Incompetence
Fraser’s strengths apparently lie more in making perfect corners when making a bed than actually making drinks. He is mystified when asked to serve a chocolate martini. Also, a storm is brewing between Fraser and Heather. Rachel also hates Eddie for last season. But seriously? Rachel WAS the problem last season. However, her food is good and the guests are loving it. The interior is a mess and that is totally on Heather and her lack of direction. After dinner there is a whole other area set up for their pajama party. They don’t get wasted drunk and go to bed around midnight.
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The beach set up goes tits up because Captain Sean thinks he is some sort of decor designer. But the time he gets all he wants done, and yes he is on shore doing it himself, the sun will be going down. This season looks like a hot mess. I forsee a LOT of people getting fired this season. They all kind of suck at their jobs.
What we learned this episode boys and girls is that without Captain Lee there is no show. Also, the casting this season seems terrible. Sorry, there was not much to say about this episode. I kept waiting for it to start.
Thanks for recapping I bowed out about 15 minutes in
I fell asleep at about the same time you bowed out. It’s not the same without Captain Lee.
I think I’m out, too.
With the exception of the remaining RHOBH reunion, I think I’m going to be officially off the Bravo teat. 🙌
It was really boring without Capt Lee. Capt Sean is annoying AF. I’m not feeling Heather or Fraser so far. Rachel’s food does seem amazing, but damn she is bat shit crazy. I know that’s kind of a characteristic of chefs, but she’s battier than most (or is it shittier??? Lol)
It’s CRAZIER! As in she’s CRAZIER and has a disgustingly filthy mouth. I am ashamed to realize a female has so little self-respect… Rachel could be a top of the line Chef that women would aspire to mimic if she cleaned up her act, layed off the alcohol, stopped the come-hither gyrations and farts. You have a wonderful talent and could be a likeable lady. Rachel, you are pretty… Act like you’re proud of yourself… JUST BE…
Your comments are spot on, Dixie. You need to sign up as Rachel’s therapist. You could do her a world of good.
Heather is no Kate, not even close
GRRRRR. Oh how we miss you Kate. Capt. Sean is a little person wanting to look big…please return healthy and SOON Captain Lee. Eddie, fans and the show need you…
Heather is no Kate, not even close
GRRRRR. Oh how we miss you Kate. Capt. Sean is a little person wanting to look big…please return healthy and SOON Captain Lee. Eddie, fans and the show need you…
I was wanting Captain Lee but I’m not hating on Captain Sean. I didn’t really want to see Rachel back, but there’s Eddie as First Officer.
I guess I’m in the minority, but I thought Captain Sean was funny. I wouldn’t want to be Eddie, but I think Captain Sean might be kidding with some of the firing threats. I’m not sure yet what I think of the interior, other than that they don’t gel yet.
You’re not in the minority. I liked Captain Sean too. I hate to see Captain Lee having health issues.
They showed the engineers who actually do the work and their faces are saying “what morons this time.” Captain Sean: “I was meant to get the yacht here and now you’re stuck with me.” I’m liking this guy.
There seem to be quite a few inexperienced crew members this season. So far I’m not a Heather fan. Rachel is too crude & crazy for me. I had to let my dog out and missed what the guests said to Frasier that annoyed him and made him call them Republicans. What did they say?
They said something about wanting to kill or shoot someone because they were tired of waiting to go to the beach. He said something about them asking for a gun because they are republicans.
Thanks, Weasel. That was a strange comment for them to make and an even stranger reaction from him.
Not impressed 😕 at all 🙄 👎😫! 🗣Please call the Stud of the Sea Capt Lee immediately!
Otherwise this will be another shoe at risk of facing the chopping block!! ☠💀💣💥
Uggg how did I miss this was on tonight?!?! I must still be thinking of the amazing Andre Bocelli concert I went to last night. I have Italy on my mind….
I used to love Eddie until he hooked up with rocky. It wasn’t the hookup that made me lose all respect for him it was his denial, lying and how he treated her like a dirty little secret.
Wondering how many charters it will take for Rachel to abandon ship?
Doesn’t sound like I missed much.
The moment when Eddie admitted that he and Rocky had indeed hooked up is my all-time most shocking moment.
Why? We heard them on camera! LOL.
I love Rocky. I am her biggest and perhaps only fan. I kinda like Leon too. Captain Lee has never disliked two people more. 🙁
The episode was so frenetic. Heather and Fraser were all over the place, Eddie’s running his butt off. It was ridiculous that the Capt decided to be exterior designer for a beach picnic, completely ignoring the guests’ requests to just GET TO THE BEACH!
Is “Captain” Sean in the mold of the micromanaging Captain Sandy?😆
It was one of the oddest Below Deck’s I’ve ever seen. The entire beach decorating fiasco was insane, especially since the guests were very vocal about wanting to get to the beach. They seem like a pretty demanding group of charter guests.
Well, I guess I am in the minority, because I was SO happy to see Rachel!
I swear a lot myself (not quite as colorfully as she does) and don’t really understand why people get so upset by it.
She is hilarious and unpredictable and great tv.
I’m glad it’s back. I hate Sandy, and I said I wouldn’t watch her season and I stuck to it…So. I’ve missed this show a little bit.
Yeah, Capt Shorty is a pretty weird dude. And I feel bad for Eddy. Excuse me, let me do the first 10 things you asked for before you ask for something else please!
And does Fraser keep anything to himself? Or does he say every single thing he is thinking under his breath? That’s gonna get old!
Fraser- is it the mike making him have whole conversations with himself the whole time?
Also surely he has watched any reality show and knows that when the cast is able to watch they will absolutely rip him to shreds after hearing every single thought he had in his brain.
Methinks Capt. Stan has a napolionic complex because he was wayyyyy too involved. I think it’s a Delaney sort of thing – trying to get as much air time as possible. Was not impressed with him at all. He flirts with Rachel, takes control of a beach set up and oblivious to the guests demands. Obviously not a charter captain. Glad Capt Lee will be back soon.
Yeah, him telling Rachel she was glamorous multiple times was odd. And if that were me, I would wonder if he is using that word as code for something insulting.
If that’s the case, I’m sure she would tell him to go f himself. LOL
Heather doesn’t seem like she is good at direction. I am team Fraser so far. Heather does a lot of delegating before just jumping in and helping. Also its impossible for him to go do the rooms by himself and also help serve & make drinks.
I miss Franchesca but I guess it was hard for her to come from Australia.
Sean is a total hardass. I never realized how much the other Captains hands off approach made the show. Hell even Sandy is more relaxed than Sean, when has the Cap. actually gone to the beach to do the set up.
This season seems like everyone will have an orgy? Or most of the boat will be sleeping with someone else
Thanks for recapping. Please announce when Captain Lee returns. I don’t like the new Captain dude. He bugs me. Your recaps are more entertaining than the actual shows in many of the flailing bravo universe relics that are on life support.
I was so hoping Captain Lee would show up this first charter–just late. Frazier is giving me Josiah vibes–like he knows what he is doing. Heather seems awfully young, 25 I think it was said but her communication needs to be pulled together. As for the others I haven’t quite gotten the names straight yet. Love when Eddie called Captain Lee his “boat Daddy!” Except for Eddie (and Rachel) this was a whole new crew and it seemed like a different show. I agree that Rachel is a little too explicit out loud. Like I used to tell my class, “You can think anything you want but when you say it out loud I have to do something about it.” Hope Captain Lee returns soon and for a long, long time to come!
Capt. Sean was pretty likable on WWHL. Very down-to-Earth and self-deprecating, but not to an obnoxious degree. He did NOT want to be hogging the camera — he had not watched a single Below Deck episode. Neither had he seen any other Bravo shows. He did give a very strange, and funny, answer to the question about micromanaging.
I was disappointed that Chef Rachel didn’t make it. I love her when she is not wasted. Jerry McConnell filled in, which makes perfect sense because he is always up-to-date on all things Bravo and can fill in last minute.
Not impressed with Heather so far, but several BD alums know her and think very highly of her. Capt. Sean says they quickly start getting it together, but I THINK MAYBE someone may not make the cut.
Did anyone else find this oddly edited?
It seemed very oddly edited, Nanette. I did enjoy Capt. Sean on WWHL, and his answer about micromanaging was hilarious.
Re:
Rachel – obviously she’s very talented in the galley but she has one of the filthiest mouths I have ever encountered. Look, I swear like a sailor sometimes but she just makes really crude remarks and it diminishes her. This isn’t sexist – I’d say the same about a guy. It shows a lack of sophistication and perhaps education if you can’t speak without rattling off a slew of curse words. The “all chefs are crazy” is true – just some are crazier than others.
And can we hold off on the judgment of Heather & the others right now? First charter is always a bit of a clusterfuck. No one really knows anyone else’s skills despite what their resume says. I can just say there must be some reason why, at 25, Heather is a Chief Stew.
I can swear too, but not in front of cameras or at the work. She seems to put out good food, but I wouldn’t want to be in the galley with her.
I need more than one episode to judge everyone.
Since Rayna was involved with fishing boats in Alaska she must know Rhylee?
I actually was on Wes’ sailboat in st Thomas! He was so sweet ill be surprised if brings much drama
Thanks TT for the recap. For some reason I totally forgot it was even on. Maybe because I really don’t watch bravo much anymore. Looks like I didn’t miss much. I’ll wait till there is word that Capt Lee is back before I start watching again. He is really the only one in all the Bravo shows worth watching. Although I love Craig and his sewing gig. I’ll probably watch Winter House. I couldn’t bring myself to watch Capt Sandy at all last season after the whole Hannah mess and I stopped with BH during the Dennis mess. I can’t stand all the mean production driven crap and the rich criminals. I tried SLC season 2 but after watching episode 1 + 2 I’m pretty sure think I’m done with that one…I’ll just jump in there to see Jenn get arrested and try BH if Erika ever departs. These shows are too stressful anymore. I need my Capt Lee!
They couldn’t have delayed this season for Captain Lee? I know he will be on the boat eventually, hope it’s not too many charters without him.
They could not delay the season, all of the guests have booked international flights for the days they were assigned.
He’ll be back next week. Never fear.
So good to hear TT- I’ll definitely watch next week. Thank you!
Hopefully we get to see more of ST Kitts because it’s a beautiful island. My parents are originally from there and a lot of the family still lives there. I love the monkeys.
I read Captain Lee’s book and really enjoyed it. He’s brought himself up from nothing with hard work and determination. I’ll be very happy to see him back.
I didn’t like seeing Rachel back. She was rude to her colleagues including Captain Lee, a horrible drunk, and a terrible example of a woman in a respected position.
But I love St. Kitts and will be interested to see what they do on their special days there.
I like Rachael. She’s so funny. Not a good drunk. If the guests can’t hear her vulgar words in the galley, it shouldn’t matter. Her food is amazing.
To be fair, it looked as if Captain Sean was quite right about setting up that lower-deck area nicely. The sofas in an attractive arrangement, the step machine facing the sea view – it was way better than what Eddie’s crew had done.
Having said that, it was insane for him to spend all that time shifting stuff around the dock/beach/whatever it was. Take two deck crew, oversee the arrangements and you could get it done lickety-split.