Sadly, this is the last Below Deck Recap of the season unless we get a reunion. The Below Deck reunions have been sort of sometimey the last few seasons. However, I seem to recall (and my recollections during Covid are not to be trusted) that Rayna said the whole Heather situation was kind of swept under the rug at the reunion. So hopefully we will have a good reunion episode or two. Anyway, it’s time, here we go. I probably should have rewatched the last episode first because I don’t even remember any of this. I was in the middle of grieving and trying to pay attention. Tonight I am just cranky.
Apparently, Heather asked Eddie to bring the ice cream to the beach party dressed as Alexander Hamilton when the guests were just being served dinner. Now there is chaos and Rachel is furious because there is no place to keep the ice cream cold and the whole stunt is blown. Finally, Rachel hates Heather as much as I do. And almost as much as Rayna does. YAY! Meanwhile back on the boat, Kaylee apparently has nothing better to do than flirt with Wes. And vice versa. They decide to kick back on the swim platform. Then, Wes gets called to do his job.
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Oh Lord, the female guests are harvesting live sand dollars. When I was around high school age I went on a church youth trip to Jekyl Island. I found so many sand dollars. I put them in my bag and was so thrilled to be taking them home. In a plastic bag. On a bus. This bus soon began to stink to high heaven and my beloved sand dollars were discovered and tossed out. I did not fess up. But, I think everyone knew. See? I was not always the brilliant person who knows everything that I am today. 🙂 I learned a few things the hard way. Also in high school, I was also on an ECOLOGY CLUB TRIP on a bus and threw a Twinkie wrapper or something similar out the window. I KNOW! I didn’t have many friends in high school. LOL
Just Hop On The Bus Gus, And Set Yourself Free
Eventually, everyone, except the sand dollars, live and returns to the boat. It is there that we learn Rachel is buying a full sized Bluebird bus when she gets home. She plans to outfit it with a commercial kitchen and live on it. I kind of love her for that. The guests are drunk and requesting Captain Lee join them at dinner. He loves that so much. LOL. The deck crew is thrilled to have the slide put away for the last time. Jake is ready to get to his fiancé who is apparently meeting him in Miami. Fraser is also going to Miami. We need footage of this.
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Heather asks Jake and Eddie to be Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr at the dinner party. Captain Lee jokes that he wishes he was the one that got to shoot Eddie. Tough love there, Boat Daddy. Generally he hates the whole idea but that is what the guests want. Meanwhile, Rachel is exhausted and requests a quiet gallery for the final service. She’s over Heather. I’ve been over Heather. So, I commend her for lasting this long. I feel like I am just trying to get through this dinner to get to the crew night out. Silent galley is not happening and Rachel is pressed. But, the guests are very, very happy. And so is Captain Lee. I feel like she could skip the bus and move in with Captain Lee and Mary Anne instead.
Captain Lee Teaches Eddie How To Dock A Megayacht
I don’t care who docks the boat. Let’s just get these last guests off the boat and get to the last night out with the crew! Eddie is nervous about docking the boat. As it turns out there was an technical issue and he didn’t get the chance. Oh wait! It got fixed and he got to do it while Captain Lee talked him through it. He did great! At the tip meeting Captain Lee is happy with the crew. They got a $17,000 tip ad made $147,000 in tips for the season. WOW.
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Jake suggests they all jump off the bow. Jake jumps off in just a thong. Because, of course Jake wears a thong at work. The girls jump in their uniforms. Wes and Jake are already really wound up. Rayna and Jake are making out in the van before they even get there. Instead of a beach outing they are in the mountains and it is beautiful. Dinner starts off well. At least for a minute. Heather starts lecturing the crew about being concerned about Kaylee before she arrived. It was a whole lot more drunken than that.
It’s Time For The Rayna Versus Heather Implosion
Rayna starts poking at drunk Heather and shit’s about to go down. But, somehow it gets derailed by Eddie who was dared to jump into the fountain. Rayna vents to Fraser about Heather. He tries to diffuse her but that is not going to happen. And yet ,somehow it’s time for everyone to head back to the boat. Heather really tries to make up with Rayna but she is too far gone for that. She’s been stewing for weeks about Heather. I agree with Heather that she should have talked to her about it instead of telling her everything was good with them. Heather literally gets on her knees and begs for forgiveness. Rayna is not interested. Wow. Eddie and Jake literally have to force them into separate vans.
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Suddenly, I am on Heather’s side again. Rayna is being awful. Wes tries to explain this to Rayna in the van and Rayna goes OFF on Wes. She says to Wes ” You white just like the other motherfuckers.” Wow. Wow, Rayna. I’ve had your back all season but this is some bullshit right here. They arrive back on the boat and everyone just wants to go to be. Rayna an Jake share a bed. So do Heather and Rachel. The next morning everyone is hungover and exhausted. But they have to pack all their shit and get ready to leave. Wes tries to tell Rayna how much she hurt him. She doubles down.
Everyone leaves one by one. Heather wonders if she should tell Rayna goodbye. No Heather, you should not. You owe nothing to Rayna at this point. You’ve literally tried everything to appease her. She’s insulted you, and she’s insulted Wes. She’s just lashing out at everyone. Pack your shit, hang with Rachel and let it go. But, Heather hugs her anyway and apologizes for the eleventy billionth time. Jake and Fraser head to Miami together taking their wine glasses with them. Rachel heads home to live in her bus. We end as we began with Captain Lee and Eddie. They are so cute together. I think they were tearing up. I was not. Okay maybe a tiny bit. Shut up.
I lived Heather all season and could not stand Rayna. Rachel is an all star and I certainly hope there’s a reunion. I miss Kate.
Exactly the same Nancy!!
I loved watching Captain Lee teach Eddie to dock the boat and explain how you need a plan ahead of time.
I guess I liked this crew okay. I would watch Rachel, Fraser, Eddie, and Wes again in a heartbeat.
Wouldn’t it be great if Rachel took her bus around the country and ran a food truck out of it so you could meet her and try her food? If anyone hears of that, you have to post it here so we all know!
Thanks for the recap, TT!
I thought the same thing. I would think there would be no other reason to get a full commercial kitchen installed on a bus. 🙂 So hopefully, it’s motor home and food truck in one and she comes to the ATL soon! I want FRENCH TOAST! And I don’t even eat breakfast.
I rarely comment anymore but I read the recaps, I am disgusted by Reynas behavior. Yeah heather is annoying and all but Reynas reaction to her was terrible. And how she went after Wes and Eddie showed her for who she is. It’s not a good look. Yes, again Heather is annoying and said something she shouldn’t have, she apologized repeatedly and Reyna said it was fine. Then it wasn’t fine and never was, it seems like she enjoyed her anger. That’s my take anyways
I agree. Heather said a word she have never said (although I hate when words are given so much power, But, I will never win that argument.) When she realized she offended Rayna she apologized. I can understand that Rayna is especially sensitive because of some trauma in her past. I feel that there was a lost opportunity for a civil conversation where Rayna could have shared that with Heather. Not that she has too, but she shared it on national TV. So she could have shared it with Heather. Heather appeared to be in denial at first, and then remorseful when she realized she had offended Rayna who was her friend up until that point.
Rayna’s behavior tonight was deplorable. ESPECIALLY with Wes. She wants to tell Wes he is not black? That is an issue mixed people deal with their entire lives. Not black enough for the black folks, not white enough for the white folks. That is his soft spot and she totally lashed out at him for no reason. And EVERYBODY LOVES WES.
There were a lot of mistakes made. But Rayna takes no accountability on her part.
I have been Team Rayna all season, but not after how she treated Wes. She should just continued to ignore Heather.
I do not like that word. I had a grandfather who used it, and could not understand (or want to understand) what was wrong with it. However, Rayna has flip flopped. She was ok w/Heather after Heather used the word EPISODES AGO, but decided it would be a good storyline and did an about face. She was horrible to Wes. She disrespected him as much as she claims Heather did to her.
Amen! You’re spot on when it comes to biracial people as I’m one myself. When someone takes the stance Rayna did, it can really make a person feel deplorable, not valued, and alone in society… my heart SUNK when she said that as I have encountered the same problems throughout my life.. its actually led me to depression at times… shame on her for such an ignorant display…. on the other hand, we have Traci Ellis-Ross, Drake, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and so many more biracial people to motivate us to be the best we can be!! Thank you TT for your comments on this!!
Thanks for your well put description of how awful it feels. Devaluing people because of their skin color is so devastating. It creates a very heavy energy. It’s just hate. All of it is unacceptable.
Totally agree about Rayna. It could of been a teachable moment but Rayna is an angry, immature person.
Thank you for the great recap TT!
If they got $17,000 tip how does that equal $1,400 each? Are they including the behind the scenes engineers?
Yeah, usually the …what I call ACTUAL crew members…like the engineers and such also receive tips. Sometimes we meet then on the first episode of the season. Or when there is a fire in the kitchen or something. I thought $17K was low for the season but I think it was a short trip. I still think in REAL LIFE IT IS AN INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO TIP. I could not do it even if I had the money. I’m still whining about the cost of Cottenelle toilet paper IF THEY EVER HAVE IT IN STOCK AGAIN.
Lol about the cottonelle I’m a charmin girl myself!
But yeah that’s a helluva lot of money!
Charmin is to soft. Cottenelle has ridges. That’s why having to deal with whatever brand is left, if there is any at all is annoying.
The Reels bamboo toilet paper is the best EVER. I ordered some from Target. So far, my 2-day LOCAL delivery by FedEx is 8 days behind. Motherfuckers!
Cottonelle iis too dusty! Seriously, I noticed extra dust on the tp holder and baseboards.
Loved it up until then.
The cable guide shows it’s a 1 hour reunion next week. It’s labeled “Reunion”, no part 1 or 2, so I guess the 1 hour is all we get. My friends and I are going to drink every time Rayna rolls her eyes 🙄🙄🙄
Well, we want a full report on THAT!!! That sounds amazing, what a great idea – you’ll be shitfaced!!
So Rayna lashes out at Wes then blames being drunk for her insensitivity and expects that to be acceptable. Yet she does not give Heather that very same consideration because Heather was drunk at the time? While I do not condone calling ANYONE such a highly charged, offensive word, Rayna has been passive, aggressive, clueless and two faced. Never telling Heather directly but telling everyone else. Letting Heather think she was forgiven when clearly she did not. And ANY goodwill Rayna may have elicited was totally erased in how she talked to Wes. And then not to apologize the next day when Wes was very clear that what she said offended him? Rayna acts like a spoiled entitled brat. And I will be happy not to never see or hear from her again.
MINOR technical correction. Heather didn’t actually call anyone the N word, she just repeated what Rayna said about someone. I forget who Rayna was even talking about at the time. The were drunk and Heather said it a sort of a way of agreeing. Should she have NO. She should never have utter the word in any circumstance.
In the second instance she was singing a rap song that Rayna was singing. My point is her intention could not have been in any way meant to insult someone. But she did. So she apologized. Rayna “forgave her” and didn’t mean it. I wish we could just erase the word from everywhere. The whole “I can say a word and you can’t” rule isn’t really working out that well.
Yeah. Double standards. There ya go.
Yes, I have a friend who has been in a relationship for years. She’s white, he’s black. She said it annoys the F out of her how he and his friends go around saying that word left and right then get fighting mad if anyone white sings it along with a song, says it, etc. I agree – wish the word was just nonexistent.
I agree with TT’s comment here so much! A white person shouldn’t say that word–but it was totally obvious Heather did not call anyone that and did not mean any ill. She echoed/agreed with Rayna in the first instance and repeated a rap lyric in the second. Then apologized profusely! Rayna, on the other hand, deliberately said something offensive to Wes, meaning to hurt him, then refused to apologize. We see her true character. I wondered, as someone above brought up, if she was just using all this as storyline. At any rate, what she did was despicable.
Jake is quite the character.
Rayna attacking Wes for his race was inexcusable. Yes, Heather was wrong but Rayna made a very personal attack against Wes who has only been kind to Rayna. In my mind, what Rayna said to Wes was much worse than Heather repeating the n word.
Every single problem Rayna had she blamed on Heather. Lazy, “but Heather ticked me off”. Bad attitude, “but Heather said the n word”. Rude, “but Heather disrespected me”. Tired, “couldn’t sleep ’cause Heather is a racist bitch”. Mad, “because Heather gave me a faked ass apology”.
That said, I was not a Heather fan, hope she doesn’t come back.
She was so fake, telling the guests how much she loved waiting on them hand and foot. I hope she doesn’t come back too. And did anyone notice how tame this group of charters were, no out of control partying? The crew had it easy IMO.
I’m sad to see the season end. I loved Rachel 2.0. She kept her cool, was the voice of reason when it came to calming people down, and her food was amazing. She and Eddie could have spent the season hating each other but they worked through their past issues and acted like adults. Heather & Rayna, not so much. I understand Rayna suffered a terrible trauma but her behavior was irrational. I spent the entire season not liking Heather and was annoyed that Rayna made me have to feel sorry for Heather last night. What Rayna said to Wes was beyond hurtful. I love Fraser, Wes, and even Jake and would be happy if they came back next season with Captain Lee, Eddie & Rachel. I’m looking forward to the reunion but wish they’d give us more than just 1 hour.
I feel sorry for Rayna. She’s so young. What a heavy burden of hate, contempt, and lack of forgiveness she appears to be carrying. I pray for happiness, forgiveness, and love for her.
Tamara, what would be your favorite crew if you could have your pick? Inquiring minds want to know!
I do believe that Rayna may have some PTSD from her attack by those asshole white dicks. So, I WAS inclined to sympathize with her. At first, I was REALLY PISSED at Heather for using the n-word. Until I rewound my recording and realized that Rayna said it first TO HEATHER about Jake. So, once she IMPLIED to Heather it was OK to use the word in “mixed” company, Heather had every reason to INFER it was OK, between “friends.” I doubt Heather would EVER say it elsewhere. Rayna being a cuntsatchel to Wes pretty much proved she is fake AF and was using that for a storyline. She is a borderline Borderline Personality Disorder case. Fucking LAZY eye-rolling twat!
Rayna disappointed me so much. I tried understanding her point of view and giving her the benefit of the doubt with her behavior based on her past experiences but her treatment of Wes was inexcusable! What she said to him was way worse that Heather using the N word. Heather shouldn’t have said it, but in no way was it used towards Rayna or in a derogatory way. What Rayna said to Wes knowing his background and how he felt was so much worse (IMO). You have to look at someone’s intentions and Raynas were to hurt him where as Heather is just vapid and had no clue.
Love Rachel’s redemption season and I hope that bus rolls through Detroit!
This season was really good overall. Personally, I preferred Francesca over Heather, but Heather proved herself as a capable chief. Once her working relationship with Fraser improved, I enjoyed them. The deck crew was great too. I enjoy Eddie a lot but next season I want a new bosun so that the next time Eddie returns he can be in an even higher role. Maybe even fill in for Captain Lee?
Heather was wrong for saying the word but honestly the context made it not as bad. They were drunk and joking around. Heather apologized then they had the conversation on the couch a couple episodes ago. Rayna keeps saying everything is good then out of nowhere gets mad again. In the galley, Heather just gave her a compliment and Rayna doesn’t respond. Then at dinner is the same shit, Rayna was constantly being passive aggressive but not so passive about it. The situation outside of the cars was a mess. I thought Heather getting on her knees was a bit too much but granted they were all drunk. Rayna was mad before she even got drunk, so the alcohol isn’t an excuse. I was really upset when she lashed out at Wes. Because even though he said he was mixed in the first episode, I forgot that. Wes shows up in the world as a black man so whatever Rayna was saying was idiotic. Wes does understand the meaning of the n-word and he also understands that Heather said it when she was drunk and that she apologized.
I wonder if they will have a reunion. There isn’t that much to discuss. The only problem is the Heather/Rayna thing. Plus, the other stew who left vs Heather/Fraser.
Rachel definitely redeemed herself regarding her behavior this season. Also, I guess she was accustomed to the whole filming situation, so she wasn’t as flustered or turned up like the new cast members. I loved watching all her meals, even breakfast was over the top. It was total food porn
I enjoyed this season but the closing leaving the boat scenes always feels so cheesy and forced. “I am off to my next adventure” “I am going to buy a van” Or whatever they say along those lines. It’s like they feed them the same closing lines every season, every franchise.
I wonder when we are going to see the new below deck series. Any word on that from your sources TT?
I didn’t know there was a new one. Below Deck Sailing Yacht is up next.
I heard there were two new series Below Deck Australia and Below Deck Iceland. I think one was supposed to be on Peacock and the other for Bravo. I know they definitely were recruiting guests for the Iceland version. Tamra from RHOC posted the flyer a few months ago and said they wanted to have her on but she just had surgery at the time so it didn’t work.
I have also seen the Australia version be called Below Deck Down Under and the Iceland version Below Deck Norway.
News to me. But Below Deck with Captain Lee is the highest rated show on Bravo and they keep trying and failing to replicate it. I’ll try to remember to ask my source.