Kate Chastain left Below Deck after Season 7. Following her exit, Bravo tried out two different Chief Stews, looking for their next Kate. Neither of these new hires stuck though. Then, in Season 9, we met Fraser Olender, who reminded us so much of Kate.
When Fraser first stepped onboard, he worked underneath Heather Chase, one of the potential new Kate’s, on Captain Lee Rosbach’s boat. However, Heather pretty much failed, while Fraser shined. Due to this, Fraser’s second stew position in Season 9 was leveled-up. In Season 10, Fraser became the first male Chief Stew on BD.
Currently airing is Season 11, where Fraser has once again returned as the Chief Stew. Even though this season isn’t over, we can already predict that Fraser is going to nail it. Also, as he is the first hire since Kate’s exit to last for multiple seasons, we feel like Fraser is quickly rising up to become the new Kate. We’ll explain why now.
Online, Fraser Has Kate’s Support
Right before BD Season 11 premiered, Fraser posted a hysterical promo on his Instagram account. In it, he is seen walking up to this season’s yacht. In the background, Fraser dubbed in the audio from Mean Girls. When we heard the first beat of “My name is Regina George, and I am a massive Diva” playing in the background, we died.
Kate loved Fraser’s post as well. “Best entrance in BD history,” she commented. In reply, Fraser wrote “ok I think I can die now after hearing that from you.” These two are clearly big fans of the other, which is just one of the reason’s why Fraser is the perfect new Kate on Below Deck.
Fraser Has Come a Long Way
In Season 9, Fraser clashed with his boss Heather, so he began gossiping about her to the third stew, Jessica Albert. Later on, he and Heather teamed up to chat about Jessica, who wasn’t pulling her weight. Jessica left early, and even though Fraser eventually got to a friendly place with Heather, he still wasn’t her biggest fan.
When Fraser was brought back as the boss in Season 10, it wasn’t smooth sailings. You see, Captain Lee had to leave the boat to tend to a medical issue, so Captain Sandy Yawn came onboard. Also onboard was Chef Rachel Hargrove. Both she and Captain Sandy found Fraser’s leadership skills to be lacking.
So let’s recap. In his first season, Fraser was a grunt, who gossiped a bit more than he should’ve. Then, in his second season, he was promoted, but his leadership skills weren’t solid. Currently, Fraser is once again in charge for his third season on-air, and this time, he’s killing it.
Finally, Fraser’s leadership skills are in-tact. In addition, he is shutting down the gossip and the drama onboard. We are living for Fraser’s growth, and we think that he is going to remain on Bravo, as Kate’s new permanent replacement on Below Deck. That is, until he marries a wealthy charter guest, because then, he’ll likely sail away into the sunset, never to work again.
Fraser Is Shutting Down Drama Left and Right
Already facing obstacles in Season 11, Fraser just beautifully (and professionally) attempted to shut down drama with this seasons current lead deckhand, Ben Willoughby. After Ben decided to gossip to one of Fraser’s stewardess, Barbie Pascual, about another stewardess, Cat Baugh, Fraser approached Ben with the quickness. “Can I ask one thing of you? Please don’t get involved on interior drama,” he stressed to Ben, who grossly just stood there, smirking.
As for his “interior drama,” Barbie and Cat are not vibing. In past seasons, we saw Fraser approach problems by pulling one person aside at a time. This season though, Fraser got both of his stews together for a meeting of their mad minds. He then cut the ladies off once things turned petty, because he is now a consummate professional.
“You’re gonna be a good stew, and you’re gonna get along. And if you can’t, I’m sorry, I can’t f*ckin’ help with that. You’ll both be gone,” Fraser sternly stated to his girls. We cheered.
We are loving Fraser’s bold moves. His ability to cut off the drama right at the head, right from the jump, is admirable. If you ask us, his staying power as the new Kate on Below Deck has (un)officially just been solidified.
Like Kate, Fraser’s Wit Is Top Notch
When it came to her one-liners and her wit, Kate was the best. She made us laugh throughout the messy storylines, so we’ve missed her snark. Enter in Fraser, whose humor rivals Kate’s. His wit arrives in a deadpan fashion though, as if he just wants us all to kill him now, which is, well, strangely endearing.
Already, Fraser’s hysterically quipped about one of the male guests, saying that “he looks like a rugged farmer, and my crops need cutting.” Likewise, his over-it line of “Mommy’s got to go to bed, because she’s a very tired, elderly girl” was equally fantastic. He also threw in a “bless her heart” when talking about Cat, which made us giggle. Overall, Fraser is all that Kate was, and possibly even more, which is why we are predicting that Fraser’s presence will span several further seasons on Below Deck.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT FRASER IS THE NEXT KATE OF BELOW DECK?
