S01.E01: Mercury Rising

[Bossa Nova]

Breathtaking and fresh BD scenery with the Norwegian fjords is fantastic. Tune in just for that. Its cold in them there Scandinavian waters ! There wont be a water slide anytime soon ! We are wondering what time of year this was actuallly filmed.

I like new Captain Kerry.  The crew  ? Meh. Not so much. So far.

I realized today after watching reruns of all Below Deck franchises, how important it is to have a strong and appealing, charismatic and skilled Chief Stew and/or Boson, and Chef, as they are the "glue" of the crew and drivers of the efficiency of the charters.

But on this newest iteration, none are appealing. So far. Not a good sign. Particularly the Chief Stew gal. She seems like a rookie. She might be overwhelmed and intimidated by the cameras. We shall see.

Edited November 2, 2022 by Bossa Nova

[MyMaui]

I agree the views are amazing.  I kind of missed them all meeting and greeting each other at the beginning.  For the voice of the chief stew is going to be hard to take for a few episodes.  I think I need to watch it again because it felt so chaotic.  I already don't care for deck hand from Texas.  He seems like a know it all. That was impressive that the stew could say the alphabet backwards and pretty fast too.

Holy crap can the first charter guests drink.  They had shots, champagne, spritzer drinks, beer, some other mixed drinks. I didn't see any food except for dinner.  I hope they had something to eat while drinking all that alcohol. So these stews seem to taste the drinks?  Two of them tasting how strong they were.  

I hope the dinner service gets better.  The chef and chief stew need to get on the same page but probably just need to know each others style.  I would have liked to see more of the chef's food.

[RoseAllDay]

+1 to the travel porn. Norway is absolutely gorgeous.

I’m already over Kyle, especially talking back to Lewis, and I’m calling it now that he gets his ass fired at some point. He will probably screw up an anchor watch, since he seems to know it all. That fender incident could have ended very badly. Like Nathan so far.

I’m getting BD Season 1 Sam vibes from Kasie, but the jury is still out.

Don’t ever recall seeing the stews sample the drinks before serving — way to get around the “no drinking on charter” rule, I guess — but quality control, LOL. Guests must have livers of steel. Champagne, shots, mixed drinks, more champs? 🤮

First dinner service always seems to be a shitshow, which isn’t really surprising. That’s choreography that isn’t innate.

Kerry seems to be a bigger hardass than Lee, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily.

[TeapotWakeen]

1 hour ago, MyMaui said:

The chef and chief stew need to get on the same page but probably just need to know each others style.  I

I don't know if I am getting face-blind as I get older, or if I have Tash and Natalya hangover, or what's going on, but I'm going to have to work to tell the chief stew and the chef apart! And don't the other 2 stews both have long straight brown hair? Ugh. I'm either going to have to watch-watch instead of playing-a-game watching or spend a part of the season confused! At least it's easy to tell the guys apart!

[MyMaui]

8 minutes ago, TeapotWakeen said:

I don't know if I am getting face-blind as I get older, or if I have Tash and Natalya hangover, or what's going on, but I'm going to have to work to tell the chief stew and the chef apart! And don't the other 2 stews both have long straight brown hair? Ugh. I'm either going to have to watch-watch instead of playing-a-game watching or spend a part of the season confused! At least it's easy to tell the guys apart!

I agree it will be hard they look so similar. The only thing that helps me is the chief stew voice to tell them apart.  It would be horrible if the stew and chef sounded like Nat and Tash .

[Oosala]

10 hours ago, Bossa Nova said:

But on this newest iteration, none are appealing. So far. Not a good sign. Particularly the Chief Stew gal.

Or as she says, Chief SHTEW.  Is she what they call an Essex Girl?  Telling the stews to do professional-level makeup and full blow-outs when greeting the new guests.  Is that a priority?  I thought it was funny when the other two stews were back and forth and contradicting each other about having worked together on a prior ship.  Seems the one with the narrow face is not very self-aware and, hugs aside, they are not friends.  The stew with the wider face reminds me of Clare from Derry Girls.

I haven't sorted out the deck crew yet but I know I don't like the cowboy.  Why was I not surprised when he said he was from Texas?  I mean no disrespect but there is definitely a certain .. vibe .. to some Texans.  Sorry/not sorry.  I don't like him.

ETA:  It looks like the Texan chews with his mouth open.  THE biggest turn off in the world.  That and his know-it-all attitude.  God, I really don't like this guy.  And his name is Kyle!  What are the odds.

Edited November 2, 2022 by Oosala
I always have to.

[iMonrey]

It helped to watch it again this week, I have a pretty good handle on who is who.

You can already tell Kyle, the cowboy deckhand, is going to be trouble. First charter and he's already disrespecting the bosun, the captain and at least one of the other deckhands. And did he say his mother was in and out of prison when he was growing up? Yikes. There's a backstory.

Meanwhile, Nathan says he has to provide for his seven sisters and his mother. Geez. Makes you wonder if his mother kept having more kids hoping to finally get a boy that would support them all. At least he seems nice.

I like the captain and I like the bosun, although the latter might be a little too nice. Have a feeling Kyle will be walking all over him.

Jury's out on the stews. I don't get why someone who was allegedly a chief stew on a former charter would take a position as a second or possibly even third stew on the next. 

I looked up their location. They are towards the southern end of Norway so not too far up, but still - the sun doesn't go down until 10:00? Wow. That would be weird. 

[Grrarrggh]

9 hours ago, Oosala said:

Or as she says, Chief SHTEW.  Is she what they call an Essex Girl?  

No, she's from South London, not Essex, which is an entirely other county. I could make a few guesses based on her mentioning she went to an all-girls secondary, but they'd only be educated guesses. Though she could also technically be from Kent and just said SE London... 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Grrarrggh

[Tanukisan]

Like a Viking horde storming your village uninvited, these comments are in the order of the episode scenes broadcast…

First impressions:

Norway – So far the hands down winner of the series.  What a gorgeous place.  Any photography of the area makes you wonder why they didn’t just make a show about Norway instead of another boat full of doomed people.

Captain Kerry – Aussie.  Seems sensible.

Chief Stew Faye – Brit.  Chavette.  Seems more at home on Coronation Street than a yacht.

Stew Oriana – Answers her cell phone during a meeting.  She and Kasie have a history and are already talking trash about each other.

Stew Kasie – Delusions of grandeur?  We’ll see.  Seems to sample her drinks as much as she mixes them.

Chef Jess – Inherited a filthy galley.  Seems more comfortable posing on the beach for pics than in the kitchen.  Does weird yoga poses in the galley.

Bos’n Lewis – Seems dedicated but not a firm authority.

Deckhand Nathan – Provide for seven sisters?  Sheesh!

Deckhand Kyle – Jughead.  Cowboy?  More like rodeo clown.  Seems like everyone in this franchise named “Kyle” is a problem.

Deckhand Mike – Confident.

The Boat – not remarkable.  Apparently, storage is awkward.  Chef is not impressed.

Kasie, talking about brushing her teeth:  “I just like oral health”.   Kyle:  “I just like oral.”  Real class, dude.

Kyle continues to unimpress as he tries to shoo away Nathan, who’s trying to tell him what needs to be looked after during anchor watch.

What will happen next week?  Will the chef continue to impress?  Will Oriana stop being sick?  What’s the over/under on how long Kyle will last?  Stay tuned!

[MyMaui]

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

.You can already tell Kyle, the cowboy deckhand, is going to be trouble. First charter and he's already disrespecting the bosun, the captain and at least one of the other deckhands. And did he say his mother was in and out of prison when he was growing up? Yikes. There's a backstory.

I like the captain and I like the bosun, although the latter might be a little too nice. Have a feeling Kyle will be walking all over him.

It's funny how the captain knew Kyle would be an issue with the watch.  He told Nathan that Kyle will know everything but I want you to tell him.  Just as the captain predicted he was and listened to nothing.  I agree the bosun is a little too nice for now.

Wasn't it Kyle who told the bosun that it was going to be an issue if he wasn't on the tinder.  Then when he told him about the issue with the captain and not seeing.  Kyle's response was he was the hardest working?   I'm honestly hoping he messes up so bad just to see a smack down by the captain.

[LDH74]

Kyle to Lewis: You better take me on the tender bitch

Lewis: takes him on the tender.

Um no Lewis, you take someone else, to prove a point. Grow a pair!

[MyMaui]

34 minutes ago, LDH74 said:

Kyle to Lewis: You better take me on the tender bitch

Lewis: takes him on the tender.

Um no Lewis, you take someone else, to prove a point. Grow a pair!

That  is the scene.  Exactly.  The only response to him was "Bitch you are staying here"  Set the tone....set the tone.

[iMonrey]

Quote

The Boat – not remarkable.  Apparently, storage is awkward.  Chef is not impressed.

I actually thought the boat was a big improvement over the ones in Med and Down Under. Very nice looking interior. But the water in the hot tub looked green. Might have just been a reflection though.

I can't imagine having all those different mixed drinks without getting really sick. These guests must have cast-iron stomachs.

[tvfanatic13]

Did they serve the Jell-O shots before they set? If not, several hours must have passed before they weee served. 

[Oosala]

23 hours ago, Tanukisan said:

Chief Stew Faye – Brit.  Chavette.  Seems more at home on Coronation Street than a yacht.

Thanks Tanukisan.  She's a chav, not an Essex girl.  Either way, my ears are bleeding.

[aghst]

Kyle the Texas boy seems to be this season's Benny from BDDU.  Has his own agenda, which doesn't coincide with work.

Again I suspect he's being encouraged to play up the rebel role, as Benny seems to have been, being defiant against his superiors.

I don't know about this captain.  Sounds like he got his job being a golfing buddy of Lee so he may mainly be interested in getting the sweet TV money that Lee got.  Doesn't mean he's not competent or even good at the job but maybe he's going to play for the cameras a bit too much.

Was it this episode or another BD show where the guests are asking the stews which male crew members they like?  That's a central preoccupation with all BD shows and now they're getting "guests" to move that plot along.

Yes Norway is beautiful, but they're more likely to run into bad weather, even in the summer, than say Malta.  Wonder how much of it they will show and whether some charters they don't get to do all the extreme sports like zip lining off a fjord 2000 feet or something.  I don't know if they have things like paragliding or zip lining up there.  Seems like more popular things are like climbing up to the Troll's Tongue.  But they're setting off from Alesund which is more to the north.

Also, the yacht was docked but the guest boarded to the rear of the yacht by tender while still in port?  What's up with that?

[iMonrey]

Quote

Also, the yacht was docked but the guest boarded to the rear of the yacht by tender while still in port?  What's up with that?

They showed the gangplank and said it wasn't safe for the guests to cross.

[Blindfox]

Kyle should have his worthless ass fired before the next charter. His mom was in prison, and at first I was sympathetic, but now I think the oppositional apple doesn’t fall far from the defiant tree.

First there was the flat out demanding to be taken on the tinder and the threat to Lewis. Lewis, in my opinion, fell down on the job by letting that go. Part of his job is to be in charge and to be respected. Then there was the talk with Lewis about Kyle making the lunkheaded mistake of leaving that thing in front of the window, where Kyle pointed to himself and said, “Is this the face of someone who cares?” Seriously??!! Lewis again did nothing in response. Then there was Nathan was trying to show Kyle what to do and he said, “Watch this,” and Kyle responded, “Or what?” 

He’s weird and possibly dangerous. Lovable cowboy my ass.

[nokat]

The reason I liked Below Deck Down Under was the beautiful underwater shots, and I feel the same about this show.  I want to see beautiful Norway. I'm hoping the adventure lets us see more.

Also, the English pronunciation of Fjord, fee-ord, is probably not correct.

Edited November 6, 2022 by nokat

[nokat]

On 11/4/2022 at 8:59 AM, iMonrey said:

They showed the gangplank and said it wasn't safe for the guests to cross.

It would add fun to the show though. "You've bee such an ignorant twatwaffle, it's time to walk the plank." Oops.

[psychoticstate]

I'm totally down for this new BD franchise.  Have never been to Norway but not going to lie -- after watching this, I checked to see how far of a flight it would be for me.

I absolutely appreciated not having the whole "meet and greet" thing that is usually shown.  Waste of time, IMO.  Just get down to business.

Kerry is clearly no-nonsense a la Capt. Lee.  Has the Aussie accent a la Capt. Jason.  Not hating it.

So far I can't keep the deck crew's names straight.  Hopefully I'll get it this week.  I do remember Kyle though because he's an ass clown.

Don't understand why Oriana (?) the dark headed stew would go from being a chief stew to a second or possibly third.  And she gets sick just before the charter guests arrive?  Drama!  

She and Kacie don't like each other.  Drama!  I will say Oriana (?) does come off like a know-it-all.  

Faye seems competent, I guess, but I don't think having your makeup and hair done is a priority.  Sure, you should look put together but I think good meal service is more important.

I do like Chef Jess so far.  She seems cool so far.  Hopefully she won't disappoint.  

I will never understand why some of these charter guests come on board as if they're pregaming for Nascar or like sailors on leave.  You're in Norway, you're on a luxury yacht that costs a shit ton of money.  I'd want to be clear and levelheaded to enjoy all that -- and the food!  I was starting to feel queasy with all the different drinks and type of alcohol they were downing.  Ugh!   At that rate, I think the ship will be out of liquor by morning.  

I can't wait to see more of Norway.  So, so gorgeous! 

[Michichick]

On 11/2/2022 at 5:38 PM, iMonrey said:

Jury's out on the stews. I don't get why someone who was allegedly a chief stew on a former charter would take a position as a second or possibly even third stew on the next. 

To be on TV, is my guess.

[Mr. Miner]

On 11/4/2022 at 10:02 AM, aghst said:

Again I suspect he's being encouraged to play up the rebel role, as Benny seems to have been, being defiant against his superiors.

Somebody tell Bravo that watching an insubordinate douchebag is not enjoyable. I hate him already!

[Nunyabiznis]

On 11/3/2022 at 8:10 PM, tvfanatic13 said:

Did they serve the Jell-O shots before they set? If not, several hours must have passed before they weee served. 

If you order Jell-O shots randomly on the boat, you have to expect that they will not be set. It’s not like they have those already prepared!

Also who the f*** would even order Jell-O shots on a luxury yacht???  It’s not a frat party, people.  They have high end liquor on board!   Get a martini, not a sex on the beach.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Nunyabiznis
Added more thoughts.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Faye seems competent, I guess, 

I don't think she does. I don't understand the communication problem she's having with the chef. Except last week she said something akin to "me and radios don't get along." So, she's apparently not listening to her radio and hearing the chef or talking to the chef, which is crucial to a successful meal service. I can understand why this is driving the chef crazy. 

[maggiemae]

Seriously. For a chef, when the food is ready to go...it needs to go asap. How many times do we need to see guests hangry or complaining of cold food?

Plates, and silverware, are also an important part of being ready.

[Emmeline]

I’m confused, the guests told the captain that Kyle tried to kiss Kasie during the excursion?

Edited November 18, 2022 by Emmeline

[rur]

1 hour ago, Emmeline said:

I’m confused, the guests told the captain that Kyle tried to kiss Kasie during the excursion?

Yes, they told him he kissed her, but one of the guests was honest enough to acknowledge that they had been egging them on. 

[Bossa Nova]

Texas boy was a walking cliche. 

And not in a good way. 

Glad he is gone. 

And good on his bunk mate, deckhand (cant think of his name right now *)... for going to the Captain and speaking up about the threats from Texas boy. Professional and courageous. 

*Nathan.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Bossa Nova

[Bossa Nova]

I just read that Texas boy, Kyle's, last name is "Dickard".

Not touching that. 

[Chalby]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:59 AM, nokat said:

Also, the English pronunciation of Fjord, fee-ord, is probably not correct.

How do you say it? I've always said fee-yord but quickly, almost as one syllable. How's it supposed to be pronounced?

[beerophilia]

On 11/4/2022 at 8:59 AM, iMonrey said:

They showed the gangplank and said it wasn't safe for the guests to cross.

I'm guessing the gangway wasn't safe for guests to cross because there was a small wooden crate propping it up on the top of the ship's railing. 

 

[Rabbit Hutch]

I've now watched the both original BD and part of BDM, and thus I've begun this one.  Not as invested in this crew as much yet, but I like Captain Terry.  He's got a no-nonsense approach to his boat and crew, and yet he seems to want to be of help to the crew when it is warranted.  Although Captain Lee is my fave, Terry could give him a run for his title.  😉

Norway is an absolutely beautiful country.  I'm drooling over the scenery.  😍