VagueDisclaimer

I think Caroline and her supporters have inflated how much impact and her unsupported accusations actually have. Caroline has intimated a cover up regarding her entire appearance and dismissal on the show, she has tossed around a lot of hostile words regarding Lee, Kate, and Josiah. In the end, Bravo has dealt with much bigger and much crazier and aren’t wasting anything on her, imo. She’s a paranoid mosquito that keeps buzzing and buzzing, but isn’t affecting more than an itchy bump on the back of Bravo’s knee. To assume otherwise, just because Caroline needs to buzz louder as the attention drifts away, is kinda funny.

Midge left Baby Esther in the car when they arrived in the Catskills and didn’t remember she was there until “Jimmy” found the baby and asked if he should get her along with the rest of their luggage. I’m thinking Ethan and Esther will be just fine without Midge’s distracted, self-absorbed parenting style as long as Hilda gets to stick around. Or as long as the show doesn’t need it suddenly as a storyline, as if the kids haven’t been treated like furniture for 2 seasons...

Unlike other characters, relationships just brought out the worst in Ross and Rachel and not just the one they had with one another. And considering where these characters started on the show, it would’ve been more interesting, imo, to see them both end uncoupled. Still have Rachel get the Paris offer, but this time actually have Ross upset because she’d be taking his child rather far away, something he couldn’t imagine doing when Emily asked him to leave Ben. Have that be the conflict between Ross and Rachel in the finale and end it on a positive note of shared custody and mutual love and understanding between the two, with Ross finally respecting Rachel’s job and seeing that this is a huge opportunity she needs to take.

We like Kate because she’s snarky, because she has wit, because she does a good job without demanding gold stars, because she’s intelligent and recognizes when others are playing games, because she respects the captain and he respects her, because she doesn’t care if someone dislikes her as long as they get the job done, because yeah, she’s a bitch, but she makes it work, because she doesn’t whine and just gets shit done. Because she’s good TV, even after all these years, and that’s why I tune in to TV 🤷🏻‍♀️

There are things that are obviously production manipulation, but what we saw was Laura greet the guests, the guests talk about exercise, and Laura offers to do Yoga with them and trots off to wake Kate so she could do this and not do her actual job. Yes, she was thinking about those 2 guests, but she wasn’t thinking about the other guests, the rest of the staff, and the rest of her job. They just wanted to exercise, they didn’t ask for a yoga session and when Laura couldn’t do it, they went and worked out on gym equipment and had their yoga later, which would’ve been what Laura should’ve said. To me, production couldn’t have manipulated that stupidity, Laura managed that all on her own. It was an act done without any forethought or responsibility on Laura’s part and indicative of someone with poor managerial skills. I don’t believe production manipulates *that* much. More often, all they have to do is hire the people that will cause the most trouble/drama and they’re set.

Zelda’s delivery of “peek-a-boo” was hilariously terrifying. Every time Roz refers to her”cunning”, I bust out laughing. It’s just embarrassing, imo. Also, I’m always reminded of The Simpsons

When Laura called Kate aggressive, I laughed out loud. We’ve seen an aggressive Kate, her going over the rooms and pointed out what was not done to Laura was not aggressive. I honestly don’t get Laura’s problem. First, she walks on board and has deemed the work standards and boat standards garbage and below her. She’s quick to criticize everyone around her, even going as far as blaming the quality of the work for Ashton’s accident, but the moment anyone criticized anything she does, they’re jealous in some way. Then, Kate is happy to have her doing the laundry, but that’s insulting to Laura when she offers to follow Kate for lunch service and Kate declines. But when Kate tells Laura that she’s going with Ashton with the guests, Laura is also snarky about that. Laura was supposedly a tough stew when she was working, never disrespected her stew staff, but apparently going over the work of the stews is out of line for a chief to do. Also, Laura wanting to have it out and Kate saying fine, but let’s speak quietly and out of earshot of the guests is also grounds for practically whisper shrieking at Kate as Laura tells her to relax and check herself, “GOT IT”? Man, that “got it” was so Rhylee backtalk, if those two weren’t constantly trolling for deck booty, they’d surely be the best of friends. I think what Laura’s biggest issue, when I examine the above points, is her wanting to control the situation and Kate keeps snatching that away, because she can. Laura keeps trying to head the class and Kate has no tolerance for that. If Laura was actually doing this amazing job she says she is, then I think it’d be a different story and a different dynamic. Fact is, Laura is all talk and control issues and unfortunately, for her, only has talk to fall back on.

Caroline, you really need to take an internet break.

Is there a reason Chrissy Tiegan’s looks and career are of discussion in Caroline’s thread? Aside from sharing two tweets with Caroline, I’m fairly certain she’s off topic. Could we move the disparaging elsewhere? On topic, Caroline is now claiming she offered up her tips just like Ashton did but those dastardly editors have it out for her and they trimmed that from the show.

The lack of follow through for Phoebe and her family storylines frustrates me. For all the buildup with her dad, we got one scene and not another word about him. The revelation of her mom and then she disappeared as soon as Phoebe decided to carry Frank’s kids. And Frank and his family practically disappeared too, outside of, what? Two post- birth eps? They weren’t there or even mentioned for Phoebe’s wedding. Ursula was the only relationship that I was okay with them basically dropping, as they haven’t ever and seemingly would never get along. But everyone else has potential and it was just kinda wasted, imo,

I mean, in your situation, it was something that was contained and was a fix that you could handle. Ashton going overboard how he did was something that everyone needed attention drawn to all over the boat and was not a situation she could’ve handled on her own, nor did she. I mean, I’m glad she got one announcement over the channel, but making everyone aware is hugely important and part of the job. You shout that loud and more than once. All of this.

Captain Lee posted his post-ep thoughts, for those interested: https://www.thecaptlee.com/below-deck-s6-episode-11/ Thanks for these links. Ross appears to be more traumatized by the whole incident than Ashton. And good lord, Laura is grating on land as well.

Some tweets regarding ChickenGate:

Just give it a couple hours, it’ll get unlocked again. And then wait some more and it’ll be locked again. It’s her seemingly current favorite kind of passive aggression.

What does Laura need to stand up to Kate about at this time?

Why can’t she just shut up...ever? God, she’s embarrassing.

I’m going to defer to Captain Lee’s seriousness and everyone else’s sobering responses to what Ashton went through and not question a thing about how potentially awful it all could’ve been. It was scary to watch, Ashton said he was preparing to lose his foot and bleed out, so yeah, not questioning a thing. I’m so glad that Brent the Camera Guy was there. I’m disappointed that not one of the deck crew was on things as quickly. I appreciated that Lee didn’t rest on chewing them out, though, and did a play-by-play with video footage. Really seeing it, I’d hope that it taught everyone something. And when I say everyone, I mean Rhylee, because everyone else seemed to get it and Rhylee was back to her fight to be right, as opposed to actually taking a breath and hearing ANYTHING. So far, Tyler is playing the best kind of newbie. He’s not resting on prior experience, he gets that this is a whole other situation, keeping his head down and listening and learning. Good on him. On the other hand, Laura is still the worst kind of newbie, constantly chattering and resting on that prior experience and disrespecting her fellow crew. She’s also full of excuses. She did a poor turn down service, because she hasn’t been a third stew in so long. Hm. Then how does Kate know what’s required? If you’re the boss, you need to know and oversee the responsibilities of those under you. So, if Laura was a Chief, she’d still know. Oh wait, she did a poor job, because “I thought we weren’t caring. I thought that was the vibe.” Which is just back to her blaming a lumpy napkin for dropping the glasses. Laura takes no responsibility. Laura wakes Kate up so she can do Yoga instead of the job she needs to do for more than the 2 guests who want t work out. Laura has the audacity to say the reason Ashton got hurt was because of the “cutting corners” happening on the boat TO ASHTON. I’m very cool with tossing Laura overboard. On a positive note, Ashton was injured, in a lot of pain, faced his own mortality, and that barely squashed his spirit. He was flirting with the Dr who came to check on him, flirting with Laura later, and back on deck the next day with barely a complaint. I loved everyone doting on him, all of their caring came off very genuine, and the joy that they all showed seeing Ashton back to work was contagious. Ashton trying to hand off his tip after thanking the crew for taking care of him made me tear up a bit, I admit. I also admit I could not help comparing Ashton’s behavior and attitude with Caroline’s. Even off the boat, she’s still comes up lacking.

Well, if he hasn’t advised her to get off Twitter and to not harass former guests and famous people, then I’m going to say she doesn’t have the best in her corner.

To be fair, facial hair in the 90s were pretty much scraggly, greasy messes ;)

I was thinking that the talking heads everybody does are done in post-production and that Ashton did all of his post-accident and he’s as silly and cheerful as ever. What a trooper. It’s a shame we won’t have him around, he has good energy and work ethic.

Oh I fully believe that, if there’s a reunion show, they’ll be sure to invite her. The stink that Caroline would throw if she isn’t invited might actually be worse and Andy salivates over this kind of drama, especially if it’s at the expense of real psychological issues. But I do see her being a problem in this sort of situation, as I said. I think Rocky has better self control, funnily enough, but we’ll see. They might only bring Caroline and Chandler out for a portion of the show since neither finished the season. I AM curious how strong Caroline’s words will be without her “fans”.

The difficulty with having someone like Caroline is that she has decided that anything and everything is about her and I feel fairly confident she’d overpower the reunion show. I mean, sure, Rhylee would talk over everyone as well, but with Caroline, I just don’t think she’ll be able to handle any of it and no way could Andy control that. I’m just imagining every word out of Kate’s mouth, whether directed at Caroline or not, will just send her spinning faster and faster until she morphs into the Tasmanian Devil and take the whole set down.

Andy tweeted the above to one of the many people who were wondering where Ashton was.

I disagree. She was glad to have someone experienced and at first, on paper, Laura was great. But it’s a very different thing to bring experience and respect for those at a job you JUST started and experience and judgment and criticism for those at a job you JUST started. Laura chose the latter and that would rub most people the wrong way. I’m sure there are plenty here who will defend such behavior and would welcome such an attitude at their own places of employment, though. I’m still hoping Laura just came off too strong in her introduction and I look forward to seeing her proving how experienced she is. And maybe less of her just talking about it.

It really doesn’t.