S07.E03: A Whole Yacht of Scandal

[jewel21]

Quote

Two yachties are forced to confront their complicated past as Natalya pressures them about the status of their relationship. After a night of letting loose, a crew member on the exterior is worse for the wear, forcing others to pick up the slack. When a group of young charter guests come to party, the crew races to keep up with them. The bosun feels the pressure to perform when the deck team struggles to get the toys out in time.

Bravo Airdate: 07/25/2022

This season the episodes will be airing a week earlier on Peacock Premium.  You can comment on the episode once it is live there.  Anyone waiting for the Bravo airing, be aware there will be early comments on the episode - so don't enter if you don't want to be spoiled!

[aghst]

Quote

When a young charter guests come to party, the crew races to keep up with them.

No surprise, the crew gets plastered and struggle to prep the yacht for the next charter.  Raygan really gets loaded -- though she was the dancing queen all loaded up on shots -- and doesn't even bother getting out of bed, so the deckies are disorganized, trying to get busy on their own.

Tash just can't with Dave wanting to be a couple.  They were sneaking around on their previous boat, with her slipping into his cabin at night.  So he wants more from her and she just wants to keep it on the DL.  She doesn't want to be seen as a cheater even though she did technically cheat on her ex with Dave.

She sleeps in the guest cabin rather than spend the night in the same cabin with Dave, who's all up on his feels.

The charter guests are rich kids from Idaho.  The primary is a young real estate broker but it turns out her family owns several brokerages back home.  So it's a bunch of early 20s kids, including two guys who are particularly ready to drink all the time.

They like the food but when you're sloshed all the time, does it really matter if the food is any good?  Dave killed it, even got the primary who wouldn't eat octopus to like the dish.

The kids want to be in the water all the time, other than drinking all the time that is.

But the deckies struggle to put out all the water toys and the platform and the inflatables.  Sandy is blunt to Raygan, that she doesn't have food poisoning but a hangover and that she's not organized.  She's going to have to prove she can do the job.

Mzi even twists the dagger, telling Sandy about the lack of organization from the bosun.

So despite the chill from the previous night, Dave and Tash sneak into their bathroom before the guests arrive.  Behind closed doors, she tells him she's got 5 minutes but comes out 30 minutes later.

They can't quit each other!

But she doesn't want to be associated with him.  Kyle said they are cute as a couple, she doesn't want to hear it.

[MyMaui]

I'm already tired of the chef and Natasha drama.  Everyone knows you like each other.  Will this be the I want you let's go have sex one week and then push him away the next.

Raygan is just not good at this job.  Maybe she overstated what her qualifications were.  She gets trashed and ends up with a hang over.  Isn't on deck with her crew but sleeps in until she has the meeting for the guests arrival.  It was so funny that she actually said it could be food poisoning.  What work is she actually doing?  Come time for provisions and she suddenly has to use the bathroom while the other put the stuff away.  Same with the deck jobs.  Her head is spinning and she leaves.  After so long you either have to demote or remove.  

Spoiler

I'm hoping the accident in the previews next week is the last for Raygan.  Seems like she was giving the distances.  I'm assuming it's an accident from how they showed it.  And if it is, maybe it's karma for Sandy giving shade to Glen for his accident.  At least I think she was giving shade at him.

[snarts]

Chef Dave seems overly emotional. He was literally crying himself to sleep. He also seemed to quickly escalate the issue with Jason, he was ready to throw down right there in the stew mess.  If I were Natasha, I'd back away slowly. He seems way too invested for a casual hook-up.

Surprised Sandy hasn't called for Raygan's replacement already. She's definitely not long for this boat. I was quite amused by her drunken dance circles.  

Storm did look better with hair and the less bushy mustache.

[iMonrey]

I want to say Dave is kind of a raging asshole the way he was being with Jason, but I do think Natasha is kind of playing head games with him, and it's messing with him. I kind of feel sorry for him. 

Speaking of Jason, he's making it hard to take his side when he's so openly bitchy, sassing back at Raygan. Yes, I understand she's useless and he's frustrated but she's still his superior and there are more respectful ways of saying he's not being instructed properly.

Every time they a photo of Storm he's got hair and he looks 100 times better. He just looks so odd bald, like a cartoon character or something. Conversely, Jason looked 100 times better with short hair in the photo they showed of his younger self. The man bun is ugly and from the brief shot we got of him with his hair down, it looks like a stringy mess.

Octopus and braised pig cheek? Did Dave say he ignored the preference sheets or that they didn't have any?

Noah, the youngest looking charter guest, doesn't even look old enough to drink. And he's drinking like a fish at a frat party.

Thanks to whoever pointed out I could get these episodes a week early on the Bravo streaming channel.

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Octopus and braised pig cheek? Did Dave say he ignored the preference sheets

I don't eat either of those (it's not a "preference"; I prefer not to eat particularly smart animals). He did say that he didn't take preference sheets very seriously, which is obnoxious. I'd be pissed (though it sounds like this preference was really more of a preference).

[aghst]

The chef, Natalya, Mzi, Jason and Storm are all hard workers, very little slacking among them.

Jason doesn't know what he's doing and needs some handholding.

Not sure how hard Natasha works but she seems organized.  Kyle may work hard but he likes to joke around a little too much with coworkers and guests.

Yeah Raygan is not long for this show.  She needs to organize them better and also do a lot of work herself because this boat seems to be more labor intensive than previous BD boats, the way the toys are stored and they have to use the big crane for almost everything.

They haven't even had to set up the slide yet either.

They like to project glamour and play up 5-star service for super yachts.  But more and more, these shows are all about glorified booze cruises, with a chef, overnights (most cruises have just one overnights) and expensive, unlimited booze.

The supposed costs of the charters makes viewers think they're attracting some refined clientele, professional, accomplished people.

But they're all loud drunks -- Bravo casting makes sure of that -- and increasingly they're casting more and more twenty something charter guests because they will be loud, drunk, say and do stupid things.

Increasingly the guests flirt with the crew and they make sure to have women who look great in swimsuits.  They've had cast members hook up with guests from the start of the original BD and they'd probably love to see it happen more often but they also cast crew members who are likely to hook up with each other, so cast and guest hookups don't happen as often.

[MyMaui]

I'm hoping that the octopus isn't going to be the new beef cheeks from the Below Deck with Leon.  We've see octopus twice now. His food looks really good but I don't see that it looks out of this world the way Sandy describes it to be.  The only chef that the food looked out of this world was Rachel.

Edited July 20, 2022 by MyMaui

[Welshman in Ca]

2 hours ago, MyMaui said:

I'm hoping that the octapus isn't going to be the new beef cheeks from the Below Deck with Leon.  We've see octapus twice now. His food looks really good but I don't see that it looks out of this world the way Sandy describes it to be.  The only chef that the food looked out of this world was Rachel.

Sorry but it's octopus not octapus & for some reason it's driving me crazy & I'm not usually a spelling nazi.

[Welshman in Ca]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

The supposed costs of the charters makes viewers think they're attracting some refined clientele, professional, accomplished people.

The fact that they feel the need to be on tv tells me that more often than not that the guests are just obnoxious, more money than sense idiots with no idea how to behave towards others. Of course there have been a few exceptions to this but my default setting for these charters is obnoxious idiots until they prove otherwise.

[aghst]

Bravo wouldn't cast guests who are low-drama.

Maybe they did at first but probably realized why not go for maximal drama, create really demanding preference sheets, which probably the guests they cast don't even care much about?

[iMonrey]

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Maybe they did at first but probably realized why not go for maximal drama, create really demanding preference sheets, which probably the guests they cast don't even care much about?

I can believe they have their food preferences, but I don't believe for one minute the guests come up with those ridiculous requests for white parties or pirate parties or toga parties. I mean, what would even make them think of asking for something like that?

[MyMaui]

1 hour ago, Welshman in Ca said:

Sorry but it's octopus not octapus & for some reason it's driving me crazy & I'm not usually a spelling nazi.

I'm so sorry, here I changed it for you so it won't drive you so nuts

Edited July 20, 2022 by MyMaui
fixed the ' so it's correct

[Jsage]

5 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I can believe they have their food preferences, but I don't believe for one minute the guests come up with those ridiculous requests for white parties or pirate parties or toga parties. I mean, what would even make them think of asking for something like that?

I think it depends with the parties. For most charter groups, the producers probably give the guests possible party options. Then they just pick which sound best to them. Some really get into the theme and some are just meh about it. 

I do believe that some guests request the parties on their own. We've seen some come aboard with decorations, accessories, and outfits for themselves and the crew. Maybe it's because they've seen them on iterations of BD in the past and liked the idea. Or maybe they have theme parties all the time at home!

[rur]

1 hour ago, Welshman in Ca said:

The fact that they feel the need to be on tv tells me that more often than not that the guests are just obnoxious, more money than sense idiots with no idea how to behave towards others. Of course there have been a few exceptions to this but my default setting for these charters is obnoxious idiots until they prove otherwise.

Take a look at their table manners. It'll usually tell you everything you need to know about them. 

[aghst]

1 hour ago, Jsage said:

I think it depends with the parties. For most charter groups, the producers probably give the guests possible party options. Then they just pick which sound best to them. Some really get into the theme and some are just meh about it. 

I do believe that some guests request the parties on their own. We've seen some come aboard with decorations, accessories, and outfits for themselves and the crew. Maybe it's because they've seen them on iterations of BD in the past and liked the idea. Or maybe they have theme parties all the time at home!

They probably offer them things like weddings, vow renewals and unusual parties (other than birthdays, anniversaries).

But the producers probably put in things like beach picnics or dinners on top of forts or castles that the production team would have to arrange with the venues, to get licenses to film on those properties.

And they choose those things because the crew would have to lug a lot of stuff up the stairs, make them stressed.

Because honestly, many of these venues rent out the space for special events and they take care of things like having furniture for dinners and such but in BD world, they make the crew lug up all that shit.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I do believe that some guests request the parties on their own. We've seen some come aboard with decorations, accessories, and outfits for themselves and the crew. Maybe it's because they've seen them on iterations of BD in the past and liked the idea. Or maybe they have theme parties all the time at home!

Or maybe because the producers supply them with that crap.

If I were going to charter a luxury yacht for two or three days, I would just want to spend my time lounging on deck, enjoying drinks and fine food, and jumping in the water now and then. Maybe driving a jet ski, assuming it's not too hard to operate (I've never been near one). I'm a night owl, so me and my guests would probably keep the crew up pretty late, but we'd sleep in real late to make up for it. I'd have no interest in wearing togas or any other costumes or having theme parties. You don't need a yacht for that. I don't think a beach picnic sounds particularly enticing either. I'm thinking bugs and sand in the food.

[aghst]

Yeah but the producers want to film these types of activities.

People lounging on deck doesn't make for good TV, at least not good Bravo TV -- which consists of drunken fights and screaming.

And I guess the point is to give the crew tasks, like organizing the parties, taking part in them as performers, etc.

That's why I've always suspected this isn't like luxury yacht charters nor are those crew members who've had a lot of experience working such charters expecting BD to be like the jobs they've had.  They must want to go on TV for a relatively short period -- I think it takes 4-6 weeks to film a B season? -- have fun or so they think , hook up, party, etc.  Maybe build up their social media profiles too, become reality TV celebrities.

Remember, on real charters, the clients dictate how they spend their time.

On BD shows, the producers dictate how they spend their time.

[rur]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

That's why I've always suspected this isn't like luxury yacht charters nor are those crew members who've had a lot of experience working such charters expecting BD to be like the jobs they've had.  They must want to go on TV for a relatively short period -- I think it takes 4-6 weeks to film a B season? -- have fun or so they think , hook up, party, etc. 

It's probably also why the crew members who have a fair amount of non-TV charter service eventually always say about the (TV) boat being the most f'ed up boat they've ever been on. 

[iMonrey]

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Yeah but the producers want to film these types of activities.

Well that's my point, it's not the guests who are coming up with these ridiculous theme party requests, it's the producers. I think the guests do sit down with the producers and give their food preferences since so many of them have a lot of dietary restrictions and demands, but the theme party and beach picnic requests are all producer driven. They might go so far as run a number of possibilities by the guests to see which they're most up for, since they don't want some kind of dress-up party the guests object to and won't play along with, but it's still production's idea, not the guest's.  

[pasdetrois]

Someone commented that these "luxury yacht" experiences are really more like cruises. The tacky theme parties and so on. I have to agree.

[Emmeline]

The most physical work I’ve seen Raygan do it run over the outside railing with a rag.  Her first instinct when questioned about her professional incompetence is to blame someone else.

I am appalled by Natasha’s behavior.  She is really jerking Chef Dave around.  Were their hookups on the previous yacht purely physical?  She agreed to room with him and asked him if he wanted to screw.  I don’t blame him for being upset that she was flirting with someone else.  Sure, he could have handled it better but at least he apologized the next day.  Then he radio’s Natasha and asks if they can talk.  She asks him to come to their room.  He gets there and it seems as though she has the shower running telling him she has to shower while they talk because she only has 5 minutes.  28 minutes later they emerge, couldn’t tell if she looked wet but we all assume they hooked up.  Wow, Natasha is playing with this guy and I feel bad for him.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Emmeline

[Natalie68]

On 7/20/2022 at 8:17 AM, dleighg said:

I don't eat either of those (it's not a "preference"; I prefer not to eat particularly smart animals). He did say that he didn't take preference sheets very seriously, which is obnoxious. I'd be pissed (though it sounds like this preference was really more of a preference).

I would be furious if he didn't take the preference sheet seriously.  

[PaperTree]

On 7/20/2022 at 3:07 PM, Welshman in Ca said:

The fact that they feel the need to be on tv tells me that more often than not that the guests are just obnoxious, more money than sense idiots with no idea how to behave towards others. Of course there have been a few exceptions to this but my default setting for these charters is obnoxious idiots until they prove otherwise.

Indeed!  

I want to be rich.  I don't want to be famous.  Especially on some silly TV reality show.

[Tanukisan]

Like secrets that can’t be kept, these comments are in order of the episode broadcast….

So, Dave, you can’t keep your mouth shut.  Way to go, slag.  You are a total douche for how you treat Natasha.

I was trying to put me finger on it but I knew from the start Raygan attracted me for some reason – she has this Hazel O’Connor “Breaking Glass” vibe (no one here will get that).  But unfortunately that doesn’t make her a good deck hand.  Days are numbered, I think.  “What now – who writes the song – calls the tune – says what’s right and wrong?”  *sigh*

Natasha could commit the perfect crime by wearing big glasses and being mistaken for Natalya.

Sandy:  “’Cause that will make me mad”.  Yes, and we don’t want to see Captain Queeg any madder.

OK, wait, now Natasha takes a shower and invites Dave?  OK, I take it back – they deserve each other.

The yacht tour reminds me this is the most soulless boat to date.  No heart to it whatsoever.  Reminds me of a hospital.

Raygan is struggling as Bosun, but Jason is a mega-whiner. 

Dave:  “I don’t follow preferences.”  Well, mate, you don’t want a job, do you?  If I were the guest, expressed preferences, and were ignored – I’d demand you be fired.

Mzi is an unexpected little bitch, throwing his boss under the bus.  I expected more character from him than that.  If the Bosun isn’t doing her job, it will show.  It’s not necessary to snipe behind her back.

Every time the scene cuts to that little podium/pedestal that looks like it has white tape splashed all over it reminds me of how sterile this boat is.  Yuck.

Next episode – so, like I predicted last episode, your days of not hitting things are over, eh, Queeg?

[SemiCharmedLife]

I really liked Natasha and felt she has many talents as a chief stew, but I'm not pleased with the way she is treating Dave.  He had too much to drink and acted rude and jealous toward Jason, but seeing him cry himself to sleep was disturbing.  I'm glad he apologized to Jason and Natasha the next day.  I think he is In over his head.  I can't believe Natasha's feelings for him are as strong.

[TexasGal]

It definitely seems like Natasha is toying with someone who is too emotionally fragile to deal with it.  That is not going to end well.

[Welshman in Ca]

11 hours ago, Tanukisan said:

I was trying to put me finger on it but I knew from the start Raygan attracted me for some reason – she has this Hazel O’Connor “Breaking Glass” vibe (no one here will get that).  But unfortunately that doesn’t make her a good deck hand.  Days are numbered, I think.  “What now – who writes the song – calls the tune – says what’s right and wrong?”  *sigh*

You may be surprised.

[mytmo]

Raygan is an escape artist escaping from any work to be done.  Hearing Dave cry was off putting.  Is this his first boatmance?  From what I've seen long term relationships are rare and Capt. Lee is the only one that was successful.

[Lassus]

I would like to put in a brief defense of Dave's preference sheet comment.  I know how it came out, but to me it sounded a lot more like "I don't following preference sheets religiously and exactly without any possibility of deviation".  Honestly putting out seafood for everyone when ONE or two people said they didn't like it - and then try it anyhow - does not yet tarnish him to me as a thoughtless, arrogant chef.  (And I say that even as someone with a moral issue against eating cephalopods.)

Edited July 26, 2022 by Lassus

[Chatty Cake]

I get the feeling the show brought on Raygun just to prop stupid Malia after the fact. They keep flashing back to her last season which nobody cares about. I don’t remember her for being a great bosun, I remember her having a fit because she couldn’t bunk with her man so she snitched like a rat on Hannah. I am hoping they don’t bring her back when they fire lazy Ray.

Chef needs to prepare delicious food and back off Natasha. Knowing her, she will probably like him more if he ignores her a bit. She seems like a game player.

[65mickey]

The thought crossed my mind that Malia will be the replacement for Raygan. That is if Raygan is fired.  

Just what the boat needs is an emotionally fragile chef whose obsession with a stew makes him cry when she rebuffs his advances.  He had a fling with someone who was involved with another man at the same time. This was not the great love affair of all times and he needs to quit acting like a love sick puppy. It is so off putting to see a grown man act like this. 

[Lassus]

53 minutes ago, Chatty Cake said:

I get the feeling the show brought on Raygun just to prop stupid Malia after the fact.

I know this board thinks Margaret Thatcher and Aileen Wuornos failed to achieve the level of twisted evil in Malia's soul, but she did actually know how to do her job at least.

[65mickey]

Malia redeemed herself last season when she actually did her job as opposed to the season before when she spent her time in the galley babysitting her boyfriend the chef and trying to keep him from having a meltdown. 

[Chatty Cake]

I don’t think Malia did that great last season. That one guy hurt himself pretty bad and she didn’t bother with reporting it.  I do have no choice but to admit she is better than the shit show that is Raygun. Man Bun is an insubordinate douche, but I almost don’t blame him at this point.

[SemiCharmedLife]

I have a sinking feeling that they are setting up Raygan so that Malia can waltz in and save the day.  This has been done before with Chef Ben taking over for an appalling chef- Mila?  All the signs point to it.  

[Chatty Cake]

4 minutes ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

I have a sinking feeling that they are setting up Raygan so that Malia can waltz in and save the day.  This has been done before with Chef Ben taking over for an appalling chef- Mila?  All the signs point to it.  

Ben was a fan favorite though. Viewers hated Malia. Sandy likes Mzi, maybe she will promote him and bring in another deckhand.

[Lassus]

32 minutes ago, Chatty Cake said:

Viewers hated Malia. Sandy likes Mzi, maybe she will promote him and bring in another deckhand.

I am one of the few people who is pro-Malia, and I'm definitely seeing more a Mzi promotion than a Malia return.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Lassus

[SemiCharmedLife]

I could see a promotion for Storm, but I don't think Mzi is ready to be bosun.  I wonder if the producers would consider a demotion for Raygan- that could produce added drama if she had to work on the deck and take orders from one of her previous crew.  

Anything but Malia returning, please.

[Welshman in Ca]

10 minutes ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

I could see a promotion for Storm, but I don't think Mzi is ready to be bosun.  I wonder if the producers would consider a demotion for Raygan- that could produce added drama if she had to work on the deck and take orders from one of her previous crew.  

Anything but Malia returning, please.

I like Malia & thought she did the right thing when reporting Hanna's drugs, prescribed or not, all be it  for the wrong reason.

[SemiCharmedLife]

1 hour ago, Welshman in Ca said:

I like Malia & thought she did the right thing when reporting Hanna's drugs, prescribed or not, all be it  for the wrong reason.

Get ready for a happy surprise, then, because I have a feeling she is coming back when Raygan gets her walking papers.

[Lassus]

15 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

Get ready for a happy surprise, then, because I have a feeling she is coming back when Raygan gets her walking papers.

I'll publicly eat my words afterwards if incorrect, but I think a lot of this sentiment is the weird hatewatch obsession the board has for her.  I don't think she'll be anywhere near this season.

[65mickey]

You may be right about Malia not returning but I don't see how Raygan can continue on as bosun.  My dislike for Malia comes not from her skills at her job and her work ethic which I think are good. I am not too fond of her as a person., but she would be a huge improvement over Raygan. 

[snarts]

37 minutes ago, Lassus said:

I'll publicly eat my words afterwards if incorrect, but I think a lot of this sentiment is the weird hatewatch obsession the board has for her.  I don't think she'll be anywhere near this season.

Hatewatch obsession? More like "love the show, hate some of the cast" No different than any other show I watch, with the possible exception that these cast members are actually deserving of my vitriol. 

[Mr. Miner]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:52 PM, Lassus said:

I am one of the few people who is pro-Malia, and I'm definitely seeing more a Mzi promotion than a Malia return.

I'm seeing more of a Storm promotion.

[dleighg]

26 minutes ago, Mr. Miner said:

I'm seeing more of a Storm promotion.

yeah, didn't Sandy go out of her way to complement him on the whole thing with the dolphins and taking charge of the distances?

[Lassus]

It probably could be either, but I think that Mzi has more experience and I feel like maybe Sandy would take that into account.  (But, to be fair, I actually don't even remember Storm's CV, so maybe I'm wrong.)

Listen, maybe there will be a Raygun redemption arc, it's still early - 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Lassus

[Chalby]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:11 PM, Tanukisan said:

Like secrets that can’t be kept, these comments are in order of the episode broadcast….

So, Dave, you can’t keep your mouth shut.  Way to go, slag.  You are a total douche for how you treat Natasha.

I was trying to put me finger on it but I knew from the start Raygan attracted me for some reason – she has this Hazel O’Connor “Breaking Glass” vibe (no one here will get that).  But unfortunately that doesn’t make her a good deck hand.  Days are numbered, I think...

You are my long-lost family. I paid big $$ for a bootleg VHS copy of Breaking Glass.

[Chalby]

On 7/28/2022 at 4:37 AM, Lassus said:

I'll publicly eat my words afterwards if incorrect, but I think a lot of this sentiment is the weird hatewatch obsession the board has for her.  I don't think she'll be anywhere near this season.

I must be one of the few... Even with her perseveration on pleasing Sandy, Malia is still one of the better Below Deck bosons and castmates. I enjoy her professionalism