S05.E09: Viva, Loss Vegas

[Madhattter]

Count me among those who think this is such obvious producer manipulation. How convenient that Malia's yacht chef boyfriend is visiting and will arrive at exactly the time this charter ends. By Kiko, hello boyfriend chef.  I would hope the boyfriend would have more sense than to join that mess. Sandy is just so over-the-top with the micromanaging. And the constant hovering, be it around Malia's meeting with the deck team or around the guests when they are eating. She is essentially inviting them to criticize the food!  

[Jsage]

55 minutes ago, dleighg said:

And Pete was noticeably absent, but why did they show him at all? It seemed the times they did were completely unnecessary to the story line. Sometimes it was just to show him, alone, putting something away for example.

I agree. He can be in the background of scenes important to other storylines, but we don't need any individual scenes or comments from him. What I really don't like is that by showing these small snippets of him working, it's actually giving him a good edit. It makes him seem like he is a responsible deck hand who keeps his head down all the time. I guess we'll never know if that's really how he was, but with everything else we know of him, I doubt it.

[Pop Tart]

Spoiler

Not sure if this is officially spoiler material, but saw this and not thrilled. Not only is Bugsy chief stew and Malia's boyfriend the chef, but they've brought back Ayesha? That voice! I don't know if I'll keep watching. Though I probably will just in hopes they all crash and burn. 

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Pop Tart

[NannyBails]

I also think the whole situation with both Kiko and Hannah is producer driven and planned, based on the schedules of the people subbing in.

Did anyone catch Bugsy's talking head about when she was 14 and revealed her true feelings to a crush.  He didn't reciprocate and since then, she's guarded her heart?    Really, Bugsy?  

[dleighg]

Just now, NannyBails said:

Did anyone catch Bugsy's talking head about when she was 14 and revealed her true feelings to a crush.  He didn't reciprocate and since then, she's guarded her heart?    Really, Bugsy?

Oh I laughed at that too! When I was 15 my first huge crush preferred my best friend, who went out with him for months, as well as dating another cute guy in our school! She's still a close friend 40 years later, and I got over my tragic history and even eventually got married. I always give a side-eye to these "I put up barriers" proclamations. 

[snarts]

1 hour ago, janiema said:

I agree that Hannah’s suggestions for the Las Vegas dinner were not good but at the end of the day I think food choices and decisions should be discussed between the chef and the guests. Adding a middleman to the discussion is asking for trouble.

 

I agree, and Kiko had a direct meeting with the guests at their request.  Hannah coached him on that meeting and specifically told him to ask a lot of questions.  We've seen other chefs continuously touchbase with the guests on the daily menu.  That's something Kiko needs to become more comfortable doing if he;s going to work in this industry.

That said, he failed because of the leadership & toxic morale on the boat Sandy created.

Noticed while watching WWHL that Hannah had yet to see the actual episode.  She was asked about Malia's comments to Jess and in her talking head about the laundry situation and it was apparent she hadn't seen it yet.,  I know they film WWHL earlier in the night (as evidenced by the sunset in Andy's intro) before the live airing.  I know that they send them advanced copies of the episodes but maybe with Hannah in Australia, they're delayed? 

Alex had definitely seen the episode and he commented multiple times about Sandy's tirade in the galley in the middle of a charter. 

[OHW]

I'm so disappointed in how this season is shaping out. It seems the producers care more about the drama than showing a team working together to provide a great experience for the guests. I know there is usually turnover of one or two members but if the rumors are true, there will be 50 percent turnover just for dramas sake. Kiko tried his best and could have used some helpful advice instead of being micromanaged like crazy. He has such a great attitude, rare for this show.

Yet for some reason Pete is still on!?!? Also Sandy is insufferable now. I'm done with this season.

[RoxiP]

Either Captain Sandy is oblivious to negative attention or Bravo must be paying her a lot.  She is making herself more and more unlikeable as time goes by.

Hannah looked gorgeous - pregnancy becomes her.

Kiko may not be up to par as a super yacht chef but nobody deserves to work in such a toxic environment (believe me, I know from experience) where you are berated by your supervisor and others are able to hear.  It is so debilitating.

[tvfanatic13]

4 hours ago, snarts said:

In one of the worst examples of poor management ever, Sandy stands in the galley berating Kiko in front of everyone, basically telling him that he's gone after this charter.  You praise in public, criticize in private. Not to mention choosing to do it in the middle of a charter,  What if Kiko said, screw this & walked off?  She's lucky he didn't.

The guest experience should be everyone's #1 priority, especially the Captain.  Yet, she's standing at their table criticizing and swearing (Jesus F'in Christ) over the food.  Guests should be immune and sheltered from the crew drama, not brought into it.  Captain Sandy fancies herself the star of the show and wants to drive all the story lines.  It's ruined it.  I watched some of season one recently and it was so much more enjoyably entertaining.  Bring back Captain Mark.

Malia telling Jess that she's not 100% responsible for laundry & that the issue starts with her boss was way overstepping IMHO.  Stew #3 is always the laundry grunt. How would Malia feel if Hannah told Pete that he's not 100% for anchor watch or whatever and that Malia sucks a leader? Stay in your lane and stop doing Sandy's bidding.

Finally, WTF was Bugsy wearing?  She looked like a 10 year old set loose in Claire's!!

Everything about this post is so good that I want to marry it snarts! 

[ChristmasJones]

4 hours ago, CaliforniaLove said:

Captain Sandy is a special kind of asshole...

 

I wonder what we'd be thinking if we had seen all of this.  What is the reason the producers would have left this sort of material out?  It seems by leaving it out, Kiko looks like an innocent victim and Sandy is the big bad meanie.  That is the trouble with these shows.... there are threads of truth in what we see... but we never know how much is left out, and how it could change our perceptions if we were to see it.

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by ChristmasJones

[The Ringo Kidd]

22 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

 

I wonder what we'd be thinking if we had seen all of this.  What is the reason the producers would have left this sort of material out?  It seems by leaving it out, Kiko looks like an innocent victim and Sandy is the big bad meanie.  That is the trouble with these shows.... there are threads of truth in what we see... but we never know how much is left out, and how it could change our perceptions if we were to see it.

 

This only counts if you believe Sandy.  You believe that Sandy washed dishes? I don’t. She is a lying sack of shit. She would wake someone up to wash dishes.

She is just trying to cover her ass because of the blowback from her horrible behavior.

[blixie]

Eh helping washing his dishes doesn't erase the way she micromanaged and undermined him, and then humiliated him. And WTF to the cast member "taking" a job they can't handle rather than the production hiring a cast member who can't handle it? 

Kiko was for sure not ready to handle it, as Hannah mentioned the complex desires and demands of multiple guests vs. his previous job he only had to serve one master and he did that routinely day to day same person over and over. That is such a different way of working then on a chartered yacht week to week with different diners every week. This all seems like convenient bullshit tho, I think Kiko/Hannah's exits were built in, or at the least I hope Kiko DID quit because he had enough of fucking Sandy.

I love Bugs though and Hannah is such a mediocre over it Chief Stew. I especially liked Bugsy/Alex's terrible flirt game. Very cute. 

[SevenCostanza]

12 hours ago, Marley said:

Kiko is fucking up but Sandy is so fucking annoying. Like go away and drive the boat bitch. What a nice boss to take every chance to trash you to the guests. I’m sick of seeing Sandys stupid face lol.

I feel so bad for him.  I think he's sick of Sandy and ready to go at this point.  She's an annoying bitch and must be a nightmare to work for.

I thought those guests were really nice about the food.  You could tell they didn't really like it, but they kept it classy. 

[The Ringo Kidd]

Kiko should have packed up and left after Sandy said his prior nights dinner was not good either. 

They wanted a crises with the chef? Give them one.

This is so obviously scripted bullshit that it is not worth watching  anymore.

Edited July 28, 2020 by The Ringo Kidd

[Thisgirllovespasta]

Hannah has given up. You can just see she is done.

When I go to Vegas... we always hit an amazing steak house,order seafood towers and lobster.

Those nachos were made by Mila! I think she was seeking vengeance from last year! 😆

But seriously how did they go out this year and they look just like last year nachos minus corn???

 

[dleighg]

18 minutes ago, blixie said:

Kiko was for sure not ready to handle it, as Hannah mentioned the complex desires and demands of multiple guests vs. his previous job he only had to serve one master

Is it my imagination or do the guests micromanage the meals more than in previous seasons? It would take someone with 6 arms to manage all the different desires individually, IMHO, as opposed to doing more buffet style offerings. That's a lot to load onto one chef's shoulders. 

[The Ringo Kidd]

The last time I went to Vegas I went to a fancy restaurant and they were featuring fancy French fries with exotic dipping sauces. You could make a meal based on that for sure.

I do have one rule. You know it is a top class restaurant when they serve a desert from the “Odd Couple.”

Since I have not seen any chef serve Baked Alaska, Cherries Jubilee or Bananas Foster we can conclude that yachting is not fine dining.

[TeeMo]

For all her love of micromanaging you’d think that Sandy might have checked in with Kiko about his dinner menu earlier in the day especially if she was unhappy with the meal the night before. She should have called him in that morning and explained (in private!) why she felt the chicken with potatoes was not appropriate for the setting and asked what his plan was for that night’s dinner. It was absurd of her to stand in the kitchen looking horrified at each fried dish as it was walked by her and then talk to him about now bad it was in front of everyone else. That Mila (was that her name?) was both a terrible chef and a crappy person and crew member so ruthlessly chewing her out would have been warranted. While Kiko clearly needed some constructive criticism and instruction to step up his game, he did not deserve to be humiliated. By all accounts he seems to be a hard worker and good crew member who is just over his head.

[CaliforniaLove]

There was something about the way Hannah said to her boyfriend "I'll be home soon enough & we can get back to regular life" (or something along those lines) that seemed like it was meant to be nearer in the future than the regular end of the season. 

A Vegas theme is such a crapshoot. I think of going to a "nice dinner" (that can be anything - steak, Italian, seafood), just as much as I think of pizza slices & fried Twinkies downtown at 2am. Next time I'm there I plan to hit up White Castle or Wahlburgers. 🤷‍♀️

[dosodog]

45 minutes ago, Thisgirllovespasta said:

Hannah has given up. You can just see she is done.

When I go to Vegas... we always hit an amazing steak house,order seafood towers and lobster.

Those nachos were made by Mila! I think she was seeking vengeance from last year! 😆

But seriously how did they go out this year and they look just like last year nachos minus corn???

 

Those nachos looked like the first nachos I tried:  Doritos, covered with slices of American cheese.  Microwaved.

It was the 80s.  I was 16.  It was a new delicacy. We had no idea what we were doing.

Neither did Kiko.  I'm betting nachos aren't in his cookbook:

https://www.thesurferscookbook.com

Just like Mila, I'm left wondering how you mess up nachos. 

[jrzy]

16 hours ago, PaperTree said:

Exacty!  Hannah should have asked the guests what their idea of a "Vegas night" dinner was and informed Kiko accordingly.  

That's exactly what I was thinking,  the guests were up front about their particular tastes so why didn't our chief stew ask them?

Poor Kiko,  he was doomed from the start.  And I have just about had it with Sandy , she kept going on about her reputation,  doesn't she realize its already been ruined?  She will be forever known as the camera hogging captain appearing on the fame whore channel known as Bravo     

15 hours ago, esco1822 said:

I live Kiko but to be fair, everything he served could have been elevated fairly easily. People love fancy nachos and truffle fries but what he put out didn’t look appetizing at all. Some variation of chicken and waffles probably would have killed too. I think he just wanted to put out everything on the preference sheet at once but really didn’t bother with presentation. That was Sandy’s pet peeve previously so he should have killed it and that is on him. He could have also just made anything he wanted and given it casino game related names. King crab is an easy one. Clams Casino. Duck “roulettes.” That kind of thing. I honestly think he just cracked under the weight of Sandy’s pressure.

That's a great point,  the food did look pretty mediocre, and the nachos were just sad sad sad.

[scrb]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

Is it my imagination or do the guests micromanage the meals more than in previous seasons? It would take someone with 6 arms to manage all the different desires individually, IMHO, as opposed to doing more buffet style offerings. That's a lot to load onto one chef's shoulders. 

Yeah it would be interesting to compare preference sheets in earlier seasons with those now.

You might have had people saying barring specific ingredients like onions but otherwise give the chef the discretion to come up with something.

Now are people saying I want x, y, z?

But every potential disagreement or conflict is a story opportunity so they're probably accentuated and encouraged.

 

[scrb]

6 hours ago, Madhattter said:

Count me among those who think this is such obvious producer manipulation. How convenient that Malia's yacht chef boyfriend is visiting and will arrive at exactly the time this charter ends. By Kiko, hello boyfriend chef.  I would hope the boyfriend would have more sense than to join that mess. Sandy is just so over-the-top with the micromanaging. And the constant hovering, be it around Malia's meeting with the deck team or around the guests when they are eating. She is essentially inviting them to criticize the food!  

It's obviously her role though.

Lee is detached, pretending to see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, except on the reunion and WWHL.

Sandy is hovering and encouraged to do so.  They could hire some "quality control" person to check in on guests constantly.  You get that on some flights in business or first class.  But on these BD shows, you can see such a person clashing constantly with the chef and the first stew. Oh gawd, hope I didn't give them any ideas.

Finally you have Glen who's somewhere in between, doesn't raise his voice or escalate things.

So all the BD shows run the gamut from completely hands-off to busybody.

None of this is an accident.  They wanted to differentiate the shows in more ways than by craft, crew or location.

[The Ringo Kidd]

What is Malia going to do when her chef boyfriend is criticized?

What is she going to do when Bugsy goes to the Captain to rat him out?

[Stuffy]

Yeah I don’t believe Sandy’s comment because she was already busted lying. Sandy said she would’ve fired Lara if Hannah told her about Lara putting her hands on her. Then they showed Hannah telling Sandy in the extra footage. They’ve shown most of the crew washing dishes except for her. In that episode where they were all helping out (including deck crew), I just remember her standing there hovering. My memory could be bad, so if anyone remembers her helping feel free to mention it. 
 

I like Hannah, but she messed up with the menu suggestions. Fried chicken, nachos, and shrimp cocktail were all on their sheets, but she shouldn’t have suggested all of them.  She probably thought if he did what they asked for they’d be happy, but that’s not how it turned out. I doubt she was expecting those nachos. If you’re going to do nachos because it’s on their sheets keep it to lunch, then they need to be loaded including a protein. I’ve had some really good loaded Italian nachos with chicken, veggies, pasta chips, and an Alfredo cheese sauce.  I’ve also had Italian nachos with pepperoni too. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Stuffy

[RoxiP]

The guests seemed very happy with the food from the night before.  Sandy mentioned the steaks with the gravy over them which if I remember correctly was served for lunch, not dinner.  The only complaint I heard about dinner was the one guest was served sea bass (or something like that) and one of the other guests said they would have preferred to have had that instead of the chicken they were served...well then you should have asked for it!  

The chef would hate me if I ever went on a super yacht - I don't eat fish and I love burgers, fries, steaks, Italian food, etc.  Super yacht poison apparently.

[Snickerdoodle]

7 hours ago, snarts said:

In one of the worst examples of poor management ever, Sandy stands in the galley berating Kiko in front of everyone, basically telling him that he's gone after this charter.  You praise in public, criticize in private. Not to mention choosing to do it in the middle of a charter,  What if Kiko said, screw this & walked off?  She's lucky he didn't.

If Kiko was a nasty person he could totally screw everyone over by making sub par food for the rest of the charter. 

That said, if I knew I was being fired at the end of the charter, it would be difficult for me to be motivated.

[jmcd44]

5 hours ago, NannyBails said:

Did anyone catch Bugsy's talking head about when she was 14 and revealed her true feelings to a crush.  He didn't reciprocate and since then, she's guarded her heart?    Really, Bugsy?  

Michael J Fox did not love me back when I was 10. I learned to love again. 

When I go to Vegas, I do everything from sliders in the cabana to celeb restaurants to liquid lunches. I think Kiko should have clarified what a Vegas dinner meant to the guests. And now I want nacho lasagna AND chicken and waffles. I wish Kiko had packed up and left-sorry to the rest of the crew, but I would be happy to see Sandy panic.

Sandy is a monster. I'll believe she let him go to bed to clean the galley as much as I believe her apology video for her asshole COVID behavior. If a boss ever just sat feet away while I was meeting with my team when I was NOT on probation or in training? I would have to find a new job. I cannot stand micromanagers-or in this case a boss creepily staring in admiration, 

I did love Hannah telling Bugsy she looked like her table decorations. That was Kate-level and I loved it. 

I also think Alex is adorable. It is nice to have a male deck crew member who seems decent. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by jmcd44

[Mr. Miner]

I thought Sandy looked disappointed that the guests liked dinner the night before. By then the LV night meal could have been outstanding and it wouldn’t have mattered. Then when she’s reaming Kiko the previous night’s meal was “crew food”, she had already made up her ego inflated mind. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Diane Mars]

1 hour ago, Stuffy said:

Yeah I don’t believe Sandy’s comment because she was already busted lying. Sandy said she would’ve fired Lara if Hannah told her about Lara putting her hands on her. Then they showed Hannah telling Sandy in the extra footage. They’ve shown most of the crew washing dishes except for her. In that episode where they were all helping out (including deck crew), I just remember her standing there hovering. My memory could be bad, so if anyone remembers her helping feel free to mention it. 
 

She did. Last season, LOL (while cutting ham and telling her dad (?) was a butcher (?) and that she did it a lot, when younger, if I'm not mistaken 😉)

ETA : TBH, I'm sure that she's helping. For real. But that seems irrelevant to the editors so... Wait and see why ^_^  !

Edited July 28, 2020 by Diane Mars

[tvfanatic13]

3 hours ago, The Ringo Kidd said:

What is Malia going to do when her chef boyfriend is criticized?

What is she going to do when Bugsy goes to the Captain to rat him out?

Sandy will never criticize him. Puh-lease!

i just rewatched and when Malia called the deck crew for a meeting on the deck, Sandy’s head spun so hard before running up there I would have thought she snapped her neck. What a twunt. 

[MartyQui]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

Sandy is hovering and encouraged to do so.  They could hire some "quality control" person to check in on guests constantly

Um, I think that is supposed to be what the Chief Stew does...

[65mickey]

I hope to God Malia and her boyfriend don't pull a Jenna and Adam slobbering all over each other. It's bad enough having to watch Jess and Robb smooching every chance they get. 

[nytonc]

Bravo Sandy!! You sent Kiko to bed early and washed dishes. A truly supportive manager wouldn’t feel the need to itemize her helpfulness and then complain about getting a bad edit. Hannah royally fucked Kiko with the menu suggestions. I was surprised Sandy didn’t immediately jump on the blame Hannah train. Sandy needs to put her dick away and stay the hell out of the galley. Her micromanagement would wear anyone down. How does she expect Kiko to serve great meals when she’s constantly hovering and criticizing?  She’s exhausting. At least Sandy was happy with the table setting. I thought it looked like someone vomited up Christmas. . 

[Mstk3000]

6 hours ago, Snickerdoodle said:

If Kiko was a nasty person he could totally screw everyone over by making sub par food for the rest of the charter. 

That said, if I knew I was being fired at the end of the charter, it would be difficult for me to be motivated.

If I had been him I would have been tempted to quit on the spot after the public berating.  He is a professional and a good team player for not doing so.

[Kiss my mutt]

I would add staff psychologist and possibly chief engineer for all we know.  I used to cut sandy more slack than a lot of people but I’ve had it up to here (points above my head) with her. 
Jess’s lips are distracting. A but overdone and all that lip gloss. 
Aww, Kiko is a Libra like my husband. Such good people, but I have to tell him to shit or get off the pot sometimes to make a decision. Kiko had a rough childhood, his story was heartbreaking. He’s a sensitive soul and I’m pissed Sandy brought him to tears.

 Sometimes I like Bugsy but then she just seems like an an annoying person to be around for any length of time. 

[RemoteControlFreak]

On 7/28/2020 at 12:57 AM, oakville said:

I was outraged that Captain Sandy made Kiko cry. Doesn't Sandy remember the fiasco last year of having the fake Russian chef who made disgusting nachos & making a 3rd stew , Anastasia chef ?

Sandy never double checked her references. She wasn't a Cordon Bleu chef.

Kiko is a Below Deck Hall of Fame Chef.

Sandy didn’t “make him” cry. Yes, she micromanaged but the criticism of his cooking was deserved. He seems like someone who was chosen for Below Deck more for his TV show appeal than his cooking experience. 
 

Actually, on rewatching, she’s a terrible manager. She still didn’t “make him cry,” but she did nearly everything wrong.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by RemoteControlFreak
Edit

[njbchlover]

15 hours ago, dleighg said:

shouldn't alex and bugsy have at least googled a bit about the town they were going to? Crappy tour guides who say "I know nothing about this catheral."

Yes, they should have, or Hannah (or Captain Sandy, since it seemed like she was the one who arranged this) could have set up a walking tour with a local guide.  There's this tour company, "Tours by Locals" that is fantastic.  They offer all kinds of touring options, especially walking tours of many cities that have a tourism industry.   It is basically what the name says.  All guides are people that live in the area and are very proficient in their knowlege of said city, and all the attractions.  You can do custom private tours, or join with a group.  Custom private tours are the best way to go, because you communicate before hand what you want to see and do (ride the trolley, tour the churches and go shopping in this case), the hours of the tour, etc.  Often, the tour guides have relationships with certain shop owners and you sometimes get a discount on merchandise.  

I've used them several times and have been very, very happy with the guides.  

[njbchlover]

10 hours ago, SevenCostanza said:

I feel so bad for him.  I think he's sick of Sandy and ready to go at this point.  She's an annoying bitch and must be a nightmare to work for.

I thought those guests were really nice about the food.  You could tell they didn't really like it, but they kept it classy. 

So far, I think this is one of the classiest, most kind and gracious group of charter guests ever on any iteration of Below Deck.  I hope it doesn't change.

I was especially impressed when they were toasting (I think), and someone said "Here's to living our best life", and one of the women corrected that to "Living our blessed life".  I'm not religious or anything, but I just thought it was a very nice thing to say - like, they all worked hard to get where they are in life, and are feeling blessed that it happened.  To me, that is class.  

[njbchlover]

8 hours ago, RoxiP said:

The guests seemed very happy with the food from the night before.  Sandy mentioned the steaks with the gravy over them which if I remember correctly was served for lunch, not dinner.  The only complaint I heard about dinner was the one guest was served sea bass (or something like that) and one of the other guests said they would have preferred to have had that instead of the chicken they were served...well then you should have asked for it!  

The chef would hate me if I ever went on a super yacht - I don't eat fish and I love burgers, fries, steaks, Italian food, etc.  Super yacht poison apparently.

I'm right there with you, on that super-yacht serving that kind of food!!  (As long as Sandy is NOT the captain!!)

[Jack Sampson]

16 hours ago, snarts said:

In one of the worst examples of poor management ever, Sandy stands in the galley berating Kiko in front of everyone, basically telling him that he's gone after this charter.  You praise in public, criticize in private. Not to mention choosing to do it in the middle of a charter,  What if Kiko said, screw this & walked off?  She's lucky he didn't.

He might never work in the industry again.  That's supposedly unforgivable.

I lived in Vegas for a while after college - EVERYONE should do it, it was so much fun!  A Vegas dinner can mean almost anything but I doubt they're expecting the "cheap buffet" Vegas.  Most likely they're talking about thick steaks, great seafood and crazy desserts all with over-the-top presentation.  It's all about the presentation, they're trying to distract you from the fact that you just lost your kid's college fund in the casino.  Kiko's food wasn't good and it lacked any flair.  Like we discussed last week, Kiko should have planned a menu, he's not the kind of chef who can whip something up.

 

16 hours ago, dleighg said:

what exactly happened with the jet ski? Why were they yelling Stop Stop before it crashed? Was it just because it was going too fast?

The waves were a little high and the crew wanted to bring them back in.  He slows down and starts a turn, but they were leaning too far and fell.  It was a gentle fall and they were both wearing life jackets but Malia had to make a dramatic save.

Edited July 29, 2020 by Jack Sampson

[Kiki777]

That was funny - Malia being all dramatic and the guest was like ‘ok thanks’ bobbing with her life vest on.  Though I should probably say that’s more on production making it dramatic.

Still loving Alex.  His goofy cute sweetness does make up for Colin’s absence.  Though wouldn’t it be nice if they were both back next season?  It could help cancel out the toxicity of Sandy.

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, Kiki777 said:

That was funny - Malia being all dramatic and the guest was like ‘ok thanks’ bobbing with her life vest on.  Though I should probably say that’s more on production making it dramatic.

was that the guest who said she couldn't swim? She certainly looked like she was doing a credible breast stroke with the life vest on.

[Kiki777]

1 minute ago, dleighg said:

was that the guest who said she couldn't swim? She certainly looked like she was doing a credible breast stroke with the life vest on.

Not sure if it was the same guest.  She was very calm as Malia swam out, and stayed calm as Malia pulled her in.  Either way, I really feel like it was producer shenanigans to recreate the drama of Ashton’s accident a couple seasons back on BD original. 

[MartyQui]

I agree with the above...these weren't guests who are going to the all you can eat buffet in Vegas...they were probably expecting Michael Mina or Nobu level food.  I had one of the best meals of my life at a restaurant in Vegas...very, very fancy.

[The Ringo Kidd]

I thought Malia diving in was contrived and drama queen central but Sandy holding up a 10 sign to grade the dive was really a little much.

[Lizzing]

Hannah is the absolute worse to ask about food choices--she's never been good at even parroting what the chefs tell her the dishes are.  They just re-ran S1 of BDM and Ben went about apoplectic at her half-assed description of moussaka.  Kate knows food--though I'm pretty certain she only eats junk food--and could credibly coach Matt.  If Kiko had Kate coaching him, he would have done better.  Or even Courtney, as she would have recommended seafood towers at every turn.  However, inasmuch as Hannah screwed up and should have just kept her mouth shut, Kiko should have looked past the first page Google gives when searching for "Vegas food". 

Sandy needs to get some therapy for her deep insecurity.  

[Eater of Worlds]

To be honest and petty, one of the best things about Pete being in the background is no longer having to watch him chew.  I have no idea why it was so off-putting.  He didn't chew with his mouth open, it was more like he rapidly just opened and shut his jaw up and down without the back and forth motion that most people also do.  The way dogs and cats chew because they literally can't move their lower jaw any other way but up and down.

[TeeMo]

11 hours ago, njbchlover said:

So far, I think this is one of the classiest, most kind and gracious group of charter guests ever on any iteration of Below Deck.  I hope it doesn't change.

I was especially impressed when they were toasting (I think), and someone said "Here's to living our best life", and one of the women corrected that to "Living our blessed life".  I'm not religious or anything, but I just thought it was a very nice thing to say - like, they all worked hard to get where they are in life, and are feeling blessed that it happened.  To me, that is class.  

I so agree! I also feel like their interest in the crew and their own interior drama is much more playful and genuine than we sometimes see from guests. They teased Alex and Bugsy a bit but it was super light hearted and not at all creepy and gross like it sometimes is. They seemed to look at the crew as interesting people with their own lives and not just robots there to cater to their whims which is so nice to see on this show where so many of the guests are self absorbed nightmares. 

[Thisgirllovespasta]

43 minutes ago, Eater of Worlds said:

To be honest and petty, one of the best things about Pete being in the background is no longer having to watch him chew.  I have no idea why it was so off-putting.  He didn't chew with his mouth open, it was more like he rapidly just opened and shut his jaw up and down without the back and forth motion that most people also do.  The way dogs and cats chew because they literally can't move their lower jaw any other way but up and down.

I purposely went back and had to watch. Him chewing reminded me of my grandpa who had no teeth and gummed his food when he ate. Yeah, not a pretty sight.