Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8 wasn’t the greatest. It happens, as some seasons are just better than others. The interior department was BDM‘s downfall this time. Between the gossiping, the hysterics, and the deceptive changing of narratives onboard, certain crew members almost made this Bravo series unwatchable.
Thankfully, this charter season has ended. Therefore, these yachties should now be prepping their fits for the reunion. Or, selecting their best tops for our lesser-desired zoom meet-up. As these cast members are scattered across various time zones, and have work obligations that are hard to skip out on, these have become the norm for Below Deck reunions in recent years.
That said, some seasons have skipped filming a reunion altogether. Therefore, Zoom > nothing. Sadly though, it doesn’t appear as if this season will have a follow-up, as on last night’s Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen had on Tumi Mhlongo and Captain Sandy Yawn for a quick recap, which was also seen following Below Deck Down Under Season 2. These are lame attempts at a reunion, but, we still feel like Below Deck Med Season 8 deserves a true sit-down, as we still have all of the following questions that need to be addressed.
How Does Tumi Feel About Season 8?
Tumi killed it as a stew on Below Deck Down Under. When she crossed over to film Below Deck Med Season 8, she got a big fat promotion, which we were super excited to watch go down. This was Tumi’s first time in the Chief Stew position. As we all know by now, sadly, Tumi’s first run in charge was a shiz-show.
We’d love for Andy to ask Tumi open-ended questions, where she is asked to describe her reactions to her first season as a leader. At the top, we’d like to hear Tumi address what she would change. She made mistakes, and she knows this, we think, so moving forward, how might she behave in certain, yet similar circumstances, should they ever arise onboard again? Also, did Tumi feel as supported by Captain Sandy as she did by Captain Jason Chambers?
Listen, we know that Tumi is capable, but we also recognize that this season wasn’t her finest. Yet, Tumi shouldn’t be blamed for everything that went wrong in the interior department, if you ask us. Perhaps, if Tumi presided over a less toxic team, we might be able to see her thrive. But first, it’d be great to hear Tumi’s hot-takes on Below Deck Med Season 8, just to see if she truly realizes her errors made.
When Did Tumi Change Her Mind About Kyle?
All throughout BDM Season 8, Tumi and her second stew, Kyle Viljoen, were (mostly) tight. You see, prior to the season’s start, these two had Visa issues, which caused them to miss several days. This gave them a chance to bond sans cameras. Sadly, Kyle used this opportunity to poison Tumi’s mind on Natalya Scudder.
Currently, Tumi and Kyle are no longer tight. Our girl has seen the light! At BravoCon, red carpet reporters asked for an update, and Tumi quipped “Who’s Kyle?” Later, on WWHL, Tumi again expressed her distaste for her former colleague, stating that she thinks he was gunning for her job.
We need to know. What changed, Tumi? At what point did you realize Kyle wasn’t the friend that you thought he was on BDM Season 8?
When Did Tumi Change Her Mind About Natalya?
When Tumi and Kyle finally made it onboard, Nat had to step down from her position as the temporary Chief Stew. Now, Natalya is an extremely hard worker, and she was killing it, but this role wasn’t hers, so stepping down was inevitable. In the changing of the guard though, Tumi came in hot, and Natalya responded aggressively. Then, Natalya gossiped about Tumi, and it took several charters before many realized that Natalya’s ways were sneaky.
Eventually, the stresses of her workplace, paired with her land-based, open-ick relationship, saw Nat leaving this season early. However, something changed between Nat and Tumi post-filming, and their tensions now seem gone. “Oh, we’re good, “Tumi said at BravoCon, adding, “we’ll stay on a good note, I’m very confident.” Now, we need to know, what changed between Nat and Tumi once Below Deck Med’s cameras went down.
Where Do Jessika, Luka, and Natalya All Stand?
Every season seems to have a boatmance, and Below Deck Med Season 8 was no different. This boatmance was a square of sorts. At first, Luka and Natalya were flirting, but Nat’s open-relationship saw this coming to an end. Therefore, Luka moved on with Jessika Asai. Then, when BD alum Katie Flood‘s yacht was nearby, Katie reached out to her buddy Luka, causing Captain Sandy to label Katie as Luka’s girlfriend, right in front of Jessika.
Last night, Nat came back for a night off, and she and Luka made-out, yet, Luka returned to the yacht with Jessika, who also made out with Max Salvador, who was Lily Davison‘s boatmance, got all that? Now that this season is over, we’d love to hear where all of these yachties stand.
We’d also love to know why Chef Jack Luby was passed over, because this man can cook, and he’s hysterical. Ladies, run towards the funny ones!
Who From Season 8 Would Return if Asked?
Despite the drama in the interior department, the exterior department and the chef all showcased solid crew teamwork. They caused little to no drama, and they all worked fairly hard, despite Max’s need for downtime. Which, relatable, Max.
We’d love for various crew members to return, but who would even say yes? Any takers, Tumi, Natalya, Kyle, Jessika, Jack, Luka, Max, Lily, Haleigh Gorman, and/or Lara Du Preez?
TELL US – DOES BELOW DECK MED SEASON 8 DESERVE A REUNION? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED?
