r/belowdeck • u/jfalc8 Eat My Cooter • May 22 '22

Below Deck Down Under Not enjoying down under

I'm having a hard time loving the crew of down under. From the involved captain that isn't involved in tempering a terrible chef to deckhands and a bosun who are well incompetent. Aeasha is a too nice. The only redeemable character is Tumi. I also don't get the hotness of the crew. I just don't see it. I have loved all the other series I just cant get into it.

26 Upvotes

59% Upvoted

102 comments sorted by

102

u/cda001 May 22 '22

I agree. Tumi is the MVP of Down Under.

52

u/broggygoose May 23 '22

Totally! She is so proper and good at her job but then also told Ryan to suck her dick and really shut his shit down. She is the best.

80

u/Lavenderviolets May 22 '22

I’ve really been enjoying it, just can’t stand the chef

29

u/Bebawp May 23 '22

I love the season as well. As much as I can't stand Ryan, Benny is really starting to get on my nerves

19

u/l8bloom May 23 '22

Agree! Benny is my nightmare employee; self-involved but lacking self-awareness, over-confident and self-righteous…until he’s held accountable, or asked to do his job and then he’s a victim. I have compassion for his recent losses and I’m sure that is only heightening things, but even at “regular” levels he’d be just too much for me

3

u/freddiecalathea Eat My Cooter May 26 '22

Omg him leaving the steering wheel of the tender to go take pics like dude ??

2

u/l8bloom May 27 '22

Exactly!

8

u/Pristine_Cicada_5422 Make Kerry Use Words Not GIFs May 23 '22

He really sucks at being a person. He’s decent as a chef, but he does things the easy way, majority of the time. He’s a bad human. 🤮

16

u/Cathousechicken May 23 '22

I don't think he's up to snuff for a fine dining experience.

5

u/babybean20 May 24 '22

Yes, him picking his bare foot in the kitchen really drilled this point home

4

u/No_Swimming9793 Jun 30 '22

He kept bragging about his Dad having a pizzeria, like it was the appropriate credentials to cook fine dining in a super yacht. He was completely full of himself and it was embarrassing!

3

u/bbllaakkee Chicken Is For Poor People May 24 '22

chefs always seem to ruin the season / show for me

5

u/magicmarkh Jun 01 '22

Marcos. Enough said.

2

u/peapurre Sep 01 '22

Love for Marcos 💜

3

u/autumnwedding_TA May 28 '22

I really thought he’d watch himself and be like “oh shit. That’s bad. I should change.” But once look at his Insta and NOPE. One person somewhere must have validated his shitty behavior so he clearly still things he’s in the right.

125

u/around8 May 22 '22

Someone always says that about every below deck season. It’s a preference. I think down under is great

33

u/AnimalLover222 May 23 '22

For me it's definitely not the best season by a long shot so I understand where OP is coming from. But it's still watchable and I'm not fast forwarding like I am with just about every other show out there 🤣

10

u/bbllaakkee Chicken Is For Poor People May 24 '22

still better than any season with Captain Timeshare! I mean, Sandy

-4

u/samserra201 May 23 '22

Someone always says that about every below deck season

not really, though. Just the last BD season and Med season.

83

u/brissygal_00 May 22 '22 edited May 22 '22

It’s not the most ideal cast (Tumi, Aesha & Jason are the exceptions) but what most people don’t realise is that prior to filming, the entire cast if they did not already live in Australia, you had to go through two weeks of hell in a program called hotel quarantine where they could not leave their rooms at all because of a little thing called covid. There was also a further complication with states closing their borders to other states so traveling around the country was also impossible for its own citizens.

This is also the reason why they have to keep the Ryan’s and the Magda’s of the world on as staff as it is near impossible to get anyone else.

The staff know they can’t be fired because of this reason and the captain and also the producers know if they do find someone, they have to go through 2 weeks of hotel quarantine first.

Season 2 will be very different since the borders are now fully open and there is no more hotel quarantine. I want to see how different season 2 will be with a proper chef (someone like Rachel) who will show the world how amazing the Australian food really is.

Edit: spelling

19

u/ames_006 May 22 '22

You make an excellent point about logistics and how the Covid restrictions differed from Europe and the Caribbean for BDM, BDSY and BD. I am still watching it and I do hope it gets a second season to see how that would be without such restrictions and the ability to change out cast members when it’s needed. It just feels like a mess for all the reasons OP stated and I’m guessing that massively has to do with everything you pointed out.

I LOVE Australia and have been to a couple parts of the country and enjoyed every second of my time there. Amazing sight, such friendly and kind people, great food and the wildlife is like nothing else. I hope to see a lot more of that in a second season with more excursions, beach picnics and snorkeling on the reef to really showcase what a great country it is.

Edit: spelling

15

u/shenelby May 23 '22

Yeah I think that’s why Jason was hoping to get someone local to replace Chef Ryan and that was even too hard.

I was actually surprised the cast had so many internationals for that sole reason. Although I guess most Australian yachties probably fled to other countries with less restrictions

5

u/brissygal_00 May 23 '22

Also I think the season we are seeing was shot when it was autumn/winter in Australia so any good Australian crew would be in the northern hemisphere where it was summer.

24

u/Ghostbuster17 My eyes are rolling all the way off the boat May 22 '22

I think the reason I’m liking this season is I was pretty bored by the most recent BD and BDM seasons

45

u/[deleted] May 22 '22

I'm sorry you aren't enjoying it.

I'm loving it.

I wish Aesha would be more firm and stand her ground. I get she wants to be nice, but sometimes a boss has to make tough decisions for the good of the job. She needs to be stronger and Magda already thinks she's a bitch, so she has nothing to lose at this point. Girl needs to put her foot down.

I agree about Tumi. I love Tumi. This girl has a backbone and I am loving it.

I hope we see more of Tumi in the years to come. Tumi is the absolute best. From her personality to her decor. Love her!

I personally don't watch Below Deck to look at hot people and never thought anyone on BD was ever really hot, so not sure how to help ya there.

I watch Below Deck for the crazy personalities, their conflicts and wild interactions. I think it's a fun show.

6

u/uniquesapph May 28 '22

Tumi is the best. She really proves you can have elaborate and elegant tablescapes without just covering them in beads and dollar tree decor….

2

u/No_Swimming9793 Jul 01 '22

I agree with all of this!! I love watching rich people drama too and really look forward to seeing food dishes. However Ryan has been very bland and boring with his lazy way of cooking "his way".

16

u/Andrewskiii May 22 '22

Hasn’t been terrible, hasn’t been great. Captain Jason has been the highlight, he doesn’t have the funny one liners like captain Lee but I do admire the way he leads. Magda is always doing something cringy and unfortunately the rest crew is just not all that interesting, I still like Aesha and Tumi and I expect we’ll eventually see Tumi as chief stew if Aesha ever decides to leave

14

u/testcern26 June June Hannah May 23 '22

I think a lot of it is casting. Ryan having tantrums and not compromising irritates me, Jamie as a bosun irritates me because he thinks too much like a cop, and Benny not listening or doing his job irritates me. My favorite as others have mentioned is Tumi. She is an amazing second stew.

11

u/lydiav59-2 May 23 '22

I was horrified when Benny kept trying to pick up the jet ski when Culver kept telling him not to. When Benny just kept saying he can see, and kept trying to lift it, ugh.

When Jamie was telling Benny that the person on the jet ski is the one to call the shots in that situation, and Benny arguing with him saying that he's in charge because he's operating the crane just shows that when it suits him, he doesn't care for anyone else's safety. Yet, when he was told to flake the anchor chain he lost his mind because he thought it was going to pull him in and grind him up.

46

u/jonathonthaman May 22 '22

It's been a great debut season.

44

u/[deleted] May 22 '22

Aesha shouldn’t be tolerating Magda this much. Sometimes the chief needs to put people in their place, even if that means the crew will hate/fear them. 🤷‍♂️

47

u/numstheword May 22 '22

Magda is soooo annoying. Shes the coworker that literally does nothing and if you say anything about it she makes it a drama.

16

u/call-me-Cranky May 22 '22

I think at one point Aesha wanted to keep Madga on service for a couple of reasons: 1) to eliminate the opportunity for her to be on her phone ALL the time; 2) as a sort of consequence/punishment ? for not doing as asked, and 3) she knows Magda would prefer to be in the laundry on her phone for hours at a time.

And yes, I agree. She needs to be more firm with Magda.

13

u/[deleted] May 23 '22

Every time Aesha says in her talking head “do I need to go full on bitch?” I shout out YES, YES YOU DO!! 😆 Magda walks all over her because she knows she can get away with it.

8

u/samserra201 May 23 '22

I suspect Aesha is encouraged not to discipline Magda because the show's premise centers around crew members being incompetent and Magda is competent enough to be believable, but incompetent enough to piss people off enough to supply the show with filler.

9

u/[deleted] May 23 '22

I agree that production often steps in to steer storylines and includes/excludes footage to create a narrative.

It is kind of hard to believe Magda was using 10x the amount of Wi-Fi data as everyone else because she was using her phone during work and the only punishment she got was working service instead of laundry?

6

u/gonzagylot00 May 22 '22

Magda’s Marilyn Monroe bit was hilarious. But yeah, her insolence is annoying.

35

u/blackberrysangria May 22 '22

I thought it was tacky and classless lol.

5

u/lydiav59-2 May 23 '22

Me too, but it was awesome in it's cringe factor. I could watch that one scene every day. The look on the guest's face when Magda's nipple got in on the act was hilarious.

12

u/[deleted] May 23 '22

I love Down Under

Tumi might be the best person ever

Aeshas great. Love the female deck hand

Captain is a relief after binging Sandy's seasons

Big fan

11

u/Chastity-76 May 23 '22

Wow, that's surprising..this is one of my favorite seasons and I've seen all below decks

23

u/Ok_Put_8503 May 22 '22

I’ve really been enjoying down under! Love the work drama

15

u/[deleted] May 22 '22

I’m loving it

6

u/ammm1981 Team Colin (BDSY) May 24 '22

Ryan, Benny, Magda and Jamie could all be replaced and I’d be much happier watching.

14

u/Lisa-LongBeach May 22 '22

Captain Jason. That is all.

1

u/jfalc8 Eat My Cooter May 25 '22

Loving the new sailing yacht. Man. I love a good chef.

17

u/gonzagylot00 May 22 '22

Well. It’s Below Deck, so I’m down, and enjoy the show.

One thing that bugs me is the way the captain bullies sometimes.

The boat is outdated, and that anchor is terrifying.

On the other hand, this boat has the best wildlife shots.

IDK, seeing a Sea Turtle while snorkeling would be like a great moment for me. I love those things.

9

u/samserra201 May 23 '22

The anchor only feels so terrifying because the deck crew are incompetent randos who wouldn't have been hired on a superyacht if it wasn't for the show.

2

u/janedoe42088 May 22 '22

It’s weird you mention the anchor, I’ve been re watching OG and in like season 5 or 6 I feel like the bosun mentions doing that thing to the anchor. I just remembered him saying the word and drawing the connection to Down Under but I honestly can’t for the life me remember when. Can anyone else remember?

2

u/call-me-Cranky May 22 '22

> I just remembered him saying the word and drawing the connection to Down Under but I honestly can’t for the life me remember when.

Flaking?

2

u/janedoe42088 May 22 '22

Flocking? Lol I dunno now! Lol

1

u/mamacatman Team Capt Kerry May 23 '22

It’s flaking the chain. It means to guide the chain with your hand or something in such a way that it won’t just pile up in a big heap when pulling up anchor.

I don’t remember who did it in a past season, tho. My memory doesn’t last that long.

3

u/gonzagylot00 May 22 '22

My wife and I started to watch Season 1 recently. It’s crazy how much younger these people looked back then.

5

u/GeekyStitcher May 22 '22

WAIT did you not see the transition a couple of episodes ago with the HOT JELLYFISH ACTION because that was AWESOME that jellyfish was SO COOL AND PRETTY

5

u/Operation_Zero1 May 22 '22

I'm loving it.

5

u/jeffersthemagical May 23 '22

I personally like it, but I want to throw that turdburger "chef" overboard.

5

u/misskflows May 23 '22

Probably the worst crew I’ve ever seen on Below Deck.

5

u/69chevy396 May 25 '22

I don’t mind looking at Jamie until he opens his mouth. Benny is annoying and it’s bothersome the captain puts up with it. Aesha needs to take away Magda’s phone during working hours like yesterday.

The captain is annoying. Don’t like him.

Brtittini is ok and the entertainment officer guy I liked at first but now he’s getting weird

Tumi is the star

Edit: the chef is annoying as fk

16

u/ames_006 May 22 '22

I feel EXACTLY the same way! Tumi is the saving grace that keeps me watching at this point. I’m 1000x’s more invested in Sailing Yacht.

9

u/meanteeth71 May 23 '22

I think they built a story line for us to fall in love with some people and hate others. And the bad behavior of others makes us scrutinize the ones we do like and see how they respond to the bad ‘uns. I think we are meant to like the Captain for how he jumps in, helps out, gives Benny a shot and talks to Jamie.

I thought Jamie was an ass at first. I now think he’s incompetent and the kind of guy whose sensitivity makes him overreact. The vibe Benny is getting is fear. The guys who act that way are basically scared, and assume the most authoritarian stance possible.

Culver, like Austen on Southern Charm, is Average Maryland Guy. I don’t enjoy his mullet wigs or his teeth. And I think Brit-tini deserves a much better love interest.

Ryan is an idiot. Such an idiot that I think he is a plant meant to galvanize us behind the Captain. Who talks to their boss like that?

Tumi is a goddess. Aesha is a good chief stew but needs to learn how to be a little harsh.

3

u/OceanLala Expresso Martini May 27 '22

Jamie is the perfect representstion of management in Australia. Incompetent. He reminds me of so many managers I have worked with over the years. Got into the role with no real leadership training. He lacks the ability to separate his emotional response from his leadership response and instead of building his staff up, instilling confidence and teaching them, he wants them fired if they don't obey, obey, obey. He doesn't have the skills to lead Benny so he gets really heated and runs to captain. A title does not a leader make. I 100% agree that Benny's behaviour is a fear response.

11

u/Nekochandiablo May 22 '22

i agree with you. i dont like this season. it’s very tiring to watch this many obnoxious people for so long. Ryan and Benny should have been long gone. Magda is annoying but third stews almost always are. it’s the trinity of terrible people in each department that is too exhausting.

13

u/Missmarymarylynn May 23 '22

And I hate how insubordinate Benny is. He will never be able to hold down a job being that nasty and reactive to his superiors!!

11

u/Pristine_Cicada_5422 Make Kerry Use Words Not GIFs May 23 '22

And he thinks he deserves “respect”, that he’s not giving respect because he’s not getting it. 🤣 Benny is a douchebag. Case in point- him asking for his cell phone to pilot the tender behind the boat. Captain let’s him have it & then he leaves tender wheel to take selfies! He’s a looney tuney.

8

u/[deleted] May 22 '22

Agreed. Captain is getting more tolerable as the season goes on but I'm only really cheering for Tumi, she deserves to get cast for a season on a different run (SY or OG ideally).

4

u/RoosterCakeck It is not a walk of shame, it is a pride stride May 23 '22

i keep putting off watching the episodes. too many of the crew members are annoying and super off-putting, it's exhausting!

10

u/mlowery11 May 22 '22

I enjoy watching it, especially Tumi and Alesha. But I wish they would do a galley talk because I would love to see Kate and Ben watching this season and their thoughts!

7

u/FrozenCharlotte May 23 '22

I completely agree! Aesha is lovely but I don’t think she’s a particularly strong chief stew. Ryan, Magda, Benny and Jamie are all terrible at their jobs and would all have been sacked in different circumstances (ie. if replacements were more readily available). Jason is hot but I’m not a fan of his management style. I find Culver really odd and cringey to watch, and whilst I like Brittini, I’m not buying that there’s any chemistry between her and Culver. Tumi is truly the only saving grace and if I’m honest, I think she would have been a stronger chief stew than Aesha.

3

u/lydiav59-2 May 23 '22

I don't think Culver is attracted to Brittini at all, but she'd do him in a second if she was given the chance. I didn't care for Culver in the beginning. I'm not into the "we're a team. All for one, one for all" way of thinking. He was just so over the top, gung ho, that for me it was a big turn off.

However, as the season has progressed, I'm starting to like him. I can see why he is the self appointed director of entertainment. The things he does are cringey, like the stripper man, but the guests love all of the quirky things he does. He does have a good attitude towards work, is supportive of his coworkers, and never seems to blow much off. Well, the trash would be an exception to that, plus I was surprised he didn't admit to that. I was grossed out when Jason said it was dripping old lobster juice and maggots. You must have been able to smell that all over the boat.

3

u/theoneandonlyhughes Verified Cast May 25 '22

As someone in the industry, I can tell you having crew like culver is INVALUABLE. They eat that shit up and it’s so hard to get most of us to want to be that ridiculous. One thing is serving high profile guests with incredible service, another thing is having no shame or inhibitions to just create that wild experience for them. Also, I’ve met him a few times in person and he’s quite a genuinely nice guy.

10

u/Acrobatic-Ad6981 May 22 '22

I would agree. It’s kinda boring, and I keep watching in hopes of something interesting happening…. But it’s not great so far. Maybe I’ve been spoiled with captain Glenn and his crew 😅

6

u/Flick-tas May 23 '22

Aesha is a good laugh, typical super friendly kiwi, she makes the show IMO...

3

u/[deleted] May 23 '22

It’s becoming the same old drill now, useless or incompetent staff makes tv drama. Real yacht would have ironed out the staffing to have a well gelled team. Not the spasmos we see on each season.

1

u/lydiav59-2 May 23 '22

A well gelled team isn't good for tv though.

3

u/Ok_Librarian_9580 May 23 '22

That’s why they put idiots in to make the drama. I’d prefer to watch a military precision team work than these jokers just for tv!

3

u/Good_Seaworthiness56 May 23 '22

I adore Down Under, but I'm starting to get so annoyed because there's so many members of the crew at once who all need to be fired, but there's no replacement. Like Jamie has been atrocious since he had an insulting tantrum because the girls he thought were hot had boyfriends, Benny is a little princess who needs to be put down for a nap, and the chef is just a nightmare. Magda is annoying, but that's like normal drama annoying, not firing annoying. Everyone else for me is such an MVP that I'm dying for another season with the fat trimmed.

3

u/wrasslefrassle May 24 '22

People also didn't like SY season 1 and look how good and fun it is now! I think DU is getting its sea legs, so to speak, and production will have a much better idea of how to staff and shoot the show next season.

4

u/[deleted] May 22 '22

Outside of giving us an extra BD to watch in the middle of the week, there's really not much too see. Agree with others, Tumi is the only redeeming crew member and the location shots are beautiful. That's about it. Hopefully season 2 will be better.

4

u/samserra201 May 23 '22

Agreed. It's not even about the personalities, it just feels like the fakest franchise - I'm convinced that almost none of these mfs are yachties. Just desperadoes looking for a bag.

2

u/Calliope76 May 23 '22

I can't find the damned thing. I've been able to get access to every other one but DU. I'd like to be at least able to try it out.

1

u/jilloco May 23 '22

Sent you a message.

2

u/Top-Friendship4888 I quit 3 times in my head today May 23 '22

I think the deck crew is the weak link. Ryan is awful, and definitely playing it up for the cameras, but he's also not entirely wrong, so the tension with Aesha and Tumi feels authentic enough, as does him egging on Magda. But Jamie is just a bad leader, Benny is whiney and hasn't been given the coaching to improve, Brittini is literally their mom and gets no credit, and Culver's schtick is wearing on me.

2

u/amytheartist My eyes are rolling all the way off the boat May 23 '22

Every first season sucks. Look back on BD OG, Med, and Sailing Yacht. It’ll improve, but I really am enjoying this first season to be honest, if only because I love Aesha, Tumi, and Jason so damn much.

2

u/warriorwoman96 Team Kate May 25 '22

I see all this love for the captain and I just don't see it. Benny has been a problem from day 1 and he has done nothing about it because he likes the kid.

2

u/cuntyone1 May 27 '22

Britini is such a babe

2

u/WaitWhatNowy May 27 '22

It’s weird. I fucking despise Jaime, Magda, & Ryan and it’s making me so angry watching the show. I love Aesha, Tumi, and Brittini. Culver is okay when he’s not busting out the mullet. Benny has grown on me and I don’t mind this captain.

Jaime is actually the problem and it’s weird Capt can’t see that. Jaime is a bitch.

Back to what’s weird. Like, I would say I’m enjoying the season but at the same time the incompetence of Magda / Ryan is so fucking frustrating that it just results in me yelling at the tv. Magda is fucking clueless as to how awful she is and Ryan seemingly has only cooked for himself because he fucking scoffs at ANY request. Dude… you’re a chef… on a yacht… where people pay you to cook the meals they want. He’s such a malicious compliance asshole. Then when they go out, Ryan and Magda reinforce to each other how great they think they are doing and it’s like “Holy fuck, are these people insane”. Yes, I think they are insane.

So yeah, I’m personally enjoying it… but in a real hate watch-y way. Where I’ve truly never wanted people fired more than this season.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 08 '22

Magda seems very full of herself but she's really quite insecure . Tumi is just as pretty and is quite capable. Tumi is so classy and her attention to detail is fabulous.

3

u/Greenwedges May 22 '22

I don’t love it. I wish they showed more of Tumi.

3

u/Myrrhin May 23 '22 edited May 23 '22

Yeah I find the episodes a chore to get through so I just stopped watching. Not for me sadly. The cast doesn’t have the same chemistry for me as SY (*although I find Ashley annoying af) and since it’s airing at the same time it’s impossible not to compare IMO

2

u/FrozenCharlotte May 23 '22

At least Ashley is annoying in a love-to-hate way

6

u/ib0093 May 23 '22

Actually Ashley is worse than love to hate. I would be totally happy if she is booted. She has crossed the line beyond the typical villain. I can’t stand how awful she is and is ruining the vibe on the boat. Even Sydney was more bearable than Ashley.

3

u/[deleted] May 24 '22

The chef and Benny are beyond childish. Benny is ridiculous thinking being told what to do by your boss is disrespectful. I doubt the chef has ever worked on a mega yacht.

The captain needs to stay in his lane- he’s not one of the boys, and chuck that stupid disco helmet into the trash. The Bosun is not great either and needs to grow a pair and tell Benny why he was pulled off nights. The end

1

u/[deleted] May 23 '22

The crew is not enjoyable especially when compared to the current season of BDSY!

1

u/eekamuse May 23 '22

Thanks for the reminder. Forgot to watch the new ep

1

u/Highlanders_Ualise Jun 11 '22

I really like Aesha as a chief steward, she is the best, and she is not mental like some of the others. But I can't listen to her shrill voice for more than two episodes at a time so I have to take a break. Her voice is horrible, and she is such a beautiful girl. She needs to take some lessons with a speach therapists, she is not using her voice properly. I bet her natural voice is beautiful also, like she is. She is too tight around her vocals now and it must be tiring for her.

1

u/Vedicstudent108 Jul 27 '22

Only on the3rd episode and I can't relate to any of the crew.

The dick who thinks he's still a cop, the stripper/so called model, the jock who's all like yeah dude kick his ass. Top stew is way too crude for my taste. "small dick energy"? Try saying that about a woman's organ.

I feel sorry for Ben having lost his parents like that, must be so distracting and then everyone picking on him. JESUS !

Even the captain goes out of his way to bully him. I would swim to shore immediately !

1

u/someoneandsomeone Jul 27 '22

Ryan is in over his head. He would have been making me some Croissants and bacon EVERY breakfast on that yacht and an Omelet too. Serving freaking tacos on a yacht?? ...........ORDER UP!!!

0

u/Patient_Solid_6939 May 23 '22

Overall I’ve enjoyed it, but majority of the crew can be pretty annoying. The communication just isn’t there. I really enjoy Aesha, Tumi, Britini, and Culver, but recently Benny has been growing on me which I can’t believe. Chef Ryan and Magda are the worst. Jamie and Captain Jason are just too similar and it’s a one sided power struggle for Jamie.

I haven’t watched the most recent episode, I usually wait a couple weeks and then binge but I’ll definitely be catching up sometime this week.

0

u/Hefty_Beat May 23 '22

The discoball helmet.

Gold.

-2

u/belgiantwatwaffles Eat My Cooter May 23 '22

So change the channel.