Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8 has finally wrapped up. I say finally because this season seemed to drag on and on and on and…you get the point. With a combative interior and leaders thrust into positions that they might not have been fully ready for, it felt sloppy. I had high hopes for this season, yet I must admit, it just wasn’t my favorite.
Hear me out. There were several great crew members onboard. That said, the toxic ones overshadowed a lot of the scenes, making this season fall somewhat flat. Seriously, one bad yachtie can kill the vibe for an entire crew, and this season had two, in the same department. On this, we are calling a spade a spade, pointing out which crew members won this season, and which ones held it back from being a must watch on Bravo.
Captain Sandy Yawn – Winner
Captain Sandy Yawn has starred on this popular Below Deck spin-off since Season 2. Overall, she’s had many highs and lows. Yet, when you look at the bigger picture, she deserves way more of our credit than our crap. In addition to kicking tail as a women in a male-dominated industry, it seems like she’s also listening to her naysayers from seasons past, as these days, her micromanaging and meddling has decreased significantly.
I mean, Captain Sandy didn’t even know that Luka Brunton and Jessika Asai were an item. She also didn’t hover over the chef, or any of the crew members for that matter. She trusted people to do their jobs, and when they didn’t, she simply laid down the law privately in her wheelhouse. For these reasons, we are giving Captain Sandy a win for her leadership skills on Below Deck Med Season 8.
Ruan Irving – Loser
Ruan Irving was the Bosun, yet he only lasted one episode. Basically, his Yacht Masters certificate was flagged as a fake. Therefore, Captain Sandy dismissed him while it was sorted. Then, Ruan decided to walk, as a death back home made him weary about filming anyways.
Ruan addressed his paperwork problems online, explaining that he’d been scammed. We didn’t get to see much of him this season, so as of now, we will just say that Ruan was a losing yachtie, as he didn’t even make it out to sea for a single charter.
Tumi Mhlongo – Draw
I was so excited for Tumi Mhlongo to cross over from Below Deck Down Under. Yet, she struggled during her first season as a Chief Stew. Sadly, Tumi started off on the wrong foot, and we wish that she had formed her own opinions about her team, rather than listening to Kyle Viljoen, who was in her ear, pitting her against Natalya Scudder. On the other hand, Tumi did her best to communicate with Nat once everything came to a head, even when Nat’s hands were flying in her tired face.
Yet, when Tumi spoke once using her hands, Nat couldn’t handle it, and behaved as if she were being attacked. It was all hard to watch, but it was also a big learning curve period for Tumi. What she deserves now is another season in which to prove herself, and what she does not deserve is hate. For these reasons, we are labeling Tumi as a draw for BDM Season 8.
Jack Luby – Winner
I could work alongside Chef Jack Luby all day, as he’s funny, witty, and he sees right through the BS onboard. This is all great, as chefs are typically the ones causing the moody drama on Below Deck, not calling it out. Chef Jack also prepared amazing meals, while easily laughing off his impossible guests, such as the one who couldn’t eat her eggs outdoors. For these reasons, Chef Jack was a solid winner of BDM Season 8.
Natalya Scudder and Kyle Viljoen – Losers
I’m putting Kyle and Nat in this same section, because together, they combined to be the exact definition of toxic employees. They were both gossips, and they each manipulated various truths, in order to pull others over to their ways of thinking. The fights between these two were so bad, Nat left this season early, as between sparing with Kyle and worrying about her equally poisonous open relationship back on land, she was fried. I wish both well, but I’d also be ok if neither ever returned to this franchise, because they both lost me this season on BDM.
Jessika Asai and Lily Davison – Winners
Jessika and Lily Davison rounded out the interior team. Besides Lily’s inability to clean a cabin for most of this season, both of these women were good humans. Neither caused drama onboard, and both were able to roll with the punches whenever toxicity entered into their department. While neither brought enough drama to likely warrant their return, I am still calling BDM Season 8 a win for their resumes.
The Entire Deck Team – Winners
Luka, Lara Du Preez, Haleigh Gorman, and Max Salvador made up the deck team. All of these crew members were great. Despite Max’s love of naps, and even his inability to listen at times, his off the wall comments, his love of a good time, and his ability to just drop and worm his body through the yacht all made up for a lot. The other male on this team, Luka, also shined as the leader, after he was thrust into the Bosun position for the first time in his yachting career.
The ladies on this team stepped up to the plate multiple times to complete any task that they were given. Lara even earned a promoted to the Lead Deckhand position. Truly, Lara saved Season 8 with her high work ethic and hysterical wit. Basically, I would love to see any of these deckies return, as they were all winners on Below Deck Mediterranean.
TELL US – WHO ARE YOUR WINNERS AND LOSERS OF BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN SEASON 8?
