The crew that lasted until the end of Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5 seemed a bit hastily put together. Captain Sandy Yawn was grasping at straws at one point in the season to fill the chief stew and chef positions. Bugsy Drake took over for Hannah Ferrier, but it was unclear whether she was coming back for another season. Chef Tom Checketts was not suited for yacht life, as evidenced by his ego-driven rages. And now that he is no longer dating Malia White, he has no reason to be slumming it without a sous-chef on the high seas.
Then there is always a re-shuffle when it comes to deck hands and the interior staff, so it was inevitable that viewers would be introduced a whole lineup of new people. Why have anyone on screen past their shelf-life when you can bring in new characters and new dramas? But does anyone that’s not in a management position even want to come back for more? Based on the turnover each season, it doesn’t seem so.
E! News gave Below Deck fans a first peek at the new season. Well, Malia is back as bosun. Except she’s single now and thank goodness it’s not a two-for-one deal with her. And she won’t be fighting to have a cabin with her boo. But Malia will be having conflict with her mentor Captain Sandy though, who chastises her for not filing an incident report when a deck hand sustained an injury.
Malia defended herself by saying, “I’m not a chief officer.” Sandy retorts, “I don’t give a f–k. You should’ve come to me that he was hurt.” What does maritime law dictate regarding this situation?
Katie Flood boasts six years experience and is coming in strong as the new chief stew. It’s unclear whether she hates the job as much as Hannah did, but she seems a lot more engaged and focused at least.
“Guess what?” Katie tells the camera, “I’m your chief stew now. This is how you’ll do it.” This management style does not seem to agree with a former Miss Bahamas who is on board as a stewardess. Lexi Wilson is clearly not ready to accept the hierarchy on board. Katie tells her, “right now, I’m pissed off with you.” Lexi waves her off in response and takes a call. “I’m like, leaving, hey mom. I’m quitting this boat,” she can be heard saying. Rounding out the interior team is North Wales native, Courtney Veale. This laundry lover will have more than one deck hand vying for her attention.
RELATED: Below Deck Mediterranean Stew Bugsy Drake Gives Update On Alex Radcliffe And What Their Relationship Is Like Today
The chefs on Below Deck Mediterranean were never consistent. Ben Robinson was the regular on Below Deck, but Med has never had that continuity. Or luck. Apparently Mathew Shea’s first dinner doesn’t bode well for his reputation, and it takes him the rest of the season to build it back up again. Well, presumably, he doesn’t get fired but he will have Sandy breathing down his neck.
David Pascoe has the most experience of all the deck hands. He also has his hands full wooing more than one lady, and it will lead to trouble. After a career of driving tour couches in Europe, Lloyd Spencer had to find more covid-friendly work. He and Mzi “Zee” Dempers will have to tackle a steep learning curve as they are both starting new in the industry. Hopefully Malia will follow Captain Sandy’s advice that, “to lead people is to invest in them.”
Now that Malia is taking her promotion in stride, Sandy is mentoring another fledgling. Sandy lets Courtney into the bridge to steer at one point. She, in return, is shown teaching Sandy how to twerk. Courtney will be in good company. She and Malia twerk the night away, while riding the lazy susan in the crew mess. Malia’s only explanation is, “this is what happens when I’m single.” Well it’s certainly more fun than dealing with Tom’s meltdowns last season.
RELATED: Hannah Ferrier Ignored Captain Sandy Yawn When She Tried To Send Baby Gift Following Below Deck Firing
Malia is all about having a good time and avoiding drama this season. She advises her deckhands, “boat romances, they’re dangerous.” Zee ignores that right away and hooks up with Courtney. “Love at first sight, over at first night,” Zee jokes.
The Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew got really sloppy with their hookups, will there be any love triangles here? Well, Dave tells Zee, “we might be competing for the same girl.” Is that girl Courtney? Or is Lexi wronged in some way? She is shown raging at Zee and aggressively pushing him. “Everybody is being so f–king dramatic. Stop being a kiss ass,” she screams.
As this crew sails the seas of Croatia again, Sandy will officiate a wedding, a deck hand will go to the hospital with chest pains, and the boat will pull through a massive storm. Cheers to a season that premieres on June 28 at 9pm.
Watch the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 6 trailer below.
? All aboard! ? New crew, new yacht, new season! Check out the link here for a #BelowDeckMed sneak peek & don’t miss the Season Premiere June 28 at 9/8c! https://t.co/n85mhEGQRG pic.twitter.com/aO6DQ9TzVH
— Bravo (@BravoTV) May 27, 2021
TELL US- WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST THIS SEASON? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CREW?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
