S11.E11: Royal Rumble

[aqusdealer]

"Sunny is upset at Ben's wandering eyes; a new group of guests turn out to be royally demanding; Fraser reaches his breaking point with Barbie."

Airs: 4/15/24 

[PaperTree]

Oh my!  

[PaperTree]

I never thought I could despise Fraser more, but here he goes proving me wrong.

[iMonrey]

Captain Kerry hit the nail on the head when he said Fraser is putting his own agenda ahead of the boat's agenda WRT Barbie. That said, I'm not convinced this is entirely on Fraser. I trust Xandi's judgment and even she seems to think Barbie is at the root of a lot of the drama. Barbie came across as very fake when she was talking to both Kerry and Fraser, and even Kerry admitted her delivery isn't great. And that "toast" at dinner was definitely a bitch move.

Ben promoting Sunny as lead was a dumb move. The optics are terrible. LOL at the editors showing Ben's hypocrisy complaining about Dylan talking to other crew members when he did the same thing with Jared. The only right decision in this case was to promote no one to lead. They don't really need one. Bosun and lead deckhand were interchangeable in the early seasons. And I think this was mostly about Ben being afraid to piss Sunny off more than Dylan.

These new guests might be worse than the last ones. And what's up with the guest who doesn't want seafood or vegetables. WTH does she eat?

Brandon seems very familiar. Hasn't he been on this show before? Wasn't he the one who went swimming at night after the stew told him not to? And Captain Jason had to be woken up and pull him and another guest (a buxom black woman who was swimming topless) out of the water and threaten to put them off the boat? If that wasn't him, it was his doppelgänger.

Cheffy's gotta go. He's sweet but he's a mess and just not cut out for this. Getting help from the crew wouldn't fix it. They could organize that whole galley for him and then he still wouldn't be able to find anything. And he consistently ignores the preference sheets to his own detriment. It's not Fraser's job or anyone else's job to keep pointing that out to him.

[PaperTree]

Chef should walk.  You cook Fraser.  Let's see your brilliance shine.

Barbie should walk too.

Ben is the turd that just won't flush.  Sunny is going to get so burned, but she asks for it.

Worst guests ever?  Go away Brandon.

[snarts]

Happy that Captain Kerry easily cut through Fraser's BS about insubordination. He was butthurt that Barbie doesn't kiss his ring and he's intimidated by her confidence. Kerry could see this and his advice to both of them was spot on. Now that's leadership.

Why did Ben even have to pick a lead deckhand? Of course his judgement will be called into question when he's banging Sunny. That's on you, Ben. That said, Dylan can lose me with the misogynistic comments. Ben's the one he should be angry with, not her. 

Fraser's also played a significant role in allowing the chef to flounder. He's the chief steward, which means guest happiness should be his #1 priority. That includes the food. They should we working as a team to plan menus, like we've seen all the other Chief Stews do with the Chef. It's one of the reasons why they have a preference sheet meeting before each charter. Why didn't he say something before taking the fish tacos out to the seafood hating woman? Again, lack of leadership. 

[Baltimore Betty]

Guest Brandon thinks he is a Housewife.  Was he mad because the male primary asked someone what sort of party he was walking in to at some point in time? I do not find it so odd, I think most of us want more information about what sort of evening we are going to have.

The whole King and Queen thing was stupid.

The guest who does not eat fish or vegetables is not that hard to cook for, obviously she is a meat and potatoes kinda girl, chicken, beef, lamp chops, veal, stuffed loaded baked potatoes, lime cilantro rice, fettuccine Alfredo, probably anything fried, why is this so hard for Cheffy?  I will still ask why Cheffy does not make soups, gazpacho, Fench Onion, easy crowd pleasers and what happened to the seafood extravaganza (for the seafood eaters, chicken nuggets for the toddler traveling with them), that is always a crowd pleaser.  I have had 20+ years in catering and I find myself screaming at the tv.

Ben has painted himself in to a corner by way of his dick, Sunny should be bright enough to off load him and keep her role as lead deck hand because that is the more meaningful relationship on the boat.

Australian Paris enjoyed giving Dylan a hard time, she is too smart for that guy, he is cute but his personality is painful.

The crew are sitting in the primary's window and snickering about them having sex? Like they were sitting in the window? Did they think they couldn't be heard?

Fraser has got to look at himself in the mirror, he is making his job harder than it has to be and making a bad name for himself, please tell me it is for TV and not how he really is.  So we are supposed to believe on short talk with Barbie and all is well? Whatever, Barbie is a really good stew and Fraser would have been shooting himself in his foot if he let her go.

Next week the crew has to put together a red carpet movie premier (like what movie?) and a beach picnic, all while being called king and queen, that is enough to make me quit if I were on that crew.

 

[realitytvfan1017]

13 hours ago, PaperTree said:

I never thought I could despise Fraser more, but here he goes proving me wrong.

He's acting like a big baby and I like how Captain Kerry kind of called him out on it. He's taking everything so personal and is willing to bring down the service for the yacht and make the other stews jobs more difficult because of his personal issues. Fraser is no way ready for a management job. And I'm a big fan of Captain Kerry. He's my favorite captain.

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Captain Kerry hit the nail on the head when he said Fraser is putting his own agenda ahead of the boat's agenda WRT Barbie. That said, I'm not convinced this is entirely on Fraser. I trust Xandi's judgment and even she seems to think Barbie is at the root of a lot of the drama. Barbie came across as very fake when she was talking to both Kerry and Fraser, and even Kerry admitted her delivery isn't great. And that "toast" at dinner was definitely a bitch move.

Ben promoting Sunny as lead was a dumb move. The optics are terrible. LOL at the editors showing Ben's hypocrisy complaining about Dylan talking to other crew members when he did the same thing with Jared. The only right decision in this case was to promote no one to lead. They don't really need one. Bosun and lead deckhand were interchangeable in the early seasons. And I think this was mostly about Ben being afraid to piss Sunny off more than Dylan.

These new guests might be worse than the last ones. And what's up with the guest who doesn't want seafood or vegetables. WTH does she eat?

Brandon seems very familiar. Hasn't he been on this show before? Wasn't he the one who went swimming at night after the stew told him not to? And Captain Jason had to be woken up and pull him and another guest (a buxom black woman who was swimming topless) out of the water and threaten to put them off the boat? If that wasn't him, it was his doppelgänger.

Cheffy's gotta go. He's sweet but he's a mess and just not cut out for this. Getting help from the crew wouldn't fix it. They could organize that whole galley for him and then he still wouldn't be able to find anything. And he consistently ignores the preference sheets to his own detriment. It's not Fraser's job or anyone else's job to keep pointing that out to him.

I do agree Barbie comes off a little immature and needs to work on how she deals with supervisors and other staff and the like with her passive aggressive issues. But I do think she is self aware and wants to work on it and she's a good worker, Fraser can't see anything except for his own wants and needs.

I don't know too much about Dylan's skills since he's  new to the ship except for the little he tells her so far. We do know he has more experience than Sunny but does he know the ship well enough yet? Was it important to pick a lead deckhand at this point and give Dylan a little more time to get to know the boat and then Ben makes his decision? Still it was a bad look for Dylan to talk about Sunny like that behind her back. 

I feel bad for Cheffy. I do think he could use a little more help from the deck hands because I have seen them help the chef more in the past but I do think this has gotten to him and gotten in his head and I don't know if he can come back from this. 

[iMonrey]

46 minutes ago, realitytvfan1017 said:

I don't know too much about Dylan's skills since he's  new to the ship except for the little he tells her so far. We do know he has more experience than Sunny but does he know the ship well enough yet?

Ben's excuse for promoting Sunny over Dylan was that she "knows the boat." But how much does Dylan really have to know about the boat aside that it's a boat? He's been on lots more boats than Sunny, and as the editors pointed out, he seems to know specific things on this boat that she doesn't know. He was showing her how to do stuff just two weeks ago. So "she knows the boat" doesn't really fly. 

3 hours ago, snarts said:

That said, Dylan can lose me with the misogynistic comments. Ben's the one he should be angry with, not her. 

Did he make misogynistic comments about Sunny? I only remember him pointing out that he had to show her how to do things. Which is true.

3 hours ago, snarts said:

Fraser's also played a significant role in allowing the chef to flounder. He's the chief steward, which means guest happiness should be his #1 priority. That includes the food. They should we working as a team to plan menus, like we've seen all the other Chief Stews do with the Chef. It's one of the reasons why they have a preference sheet meeting before each charter.

When has the chief stew ever planned menus with the chef? I don't remember Kate ever doing that with Ben, or anyone doing that with Rachel. That's not really the chief stew's job, it's the chef's. The chief stew has to do all the party planning and picnic planning, etc. At most the chef goes over what's being served when it's being served, so the stews know how to pronounce the dishes. Keeping track of food preferences is the chef's job. And we've seen plenty of times in past seasons when a guest has complained, and the stew and chef together go back to the preference sheets and realize something was missed. 

I know it's tempting to lay part of the blame for this on Fraser because he's being such an asshole this season, but this is not his fault. Anthony seems sweet and apparently makes wonderful food but, as Kerry said himself, "how many times does he have to be reminded to read the damn preference sheets?" If someone like the chief stew has to hold his hand and help plan every meal then he's simply not cut out for this job.

[snarts]

11 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Did he make misogynistic comments about Sunny? I only remember him pointing out that he had to show her how to do things. Which is true.

When has the chief stew ever planned menus with the chef? I don't remember Kate ever doing that with Ben, or anyone doing that with Rachel. That's not really the chief stew's job, it's the chef's. The chief stew has to do all the party planning and picnic planning, etc. At most the chef goes over what's being served when it's being served, so the stews know how to pronounce the dishes. Keeping track of food preferences is the chef's job. And we've seen plenty of times in past seasons when a guest has complained, and the stew and chef together go back to the preference sheets and realize something was missed. 

I know it's tempting to lay part of the blame for this on Fraser because he's being such an asshole this season, but this is not his fault. Anthony seems sweet and apparently makes wonderful food but, as Kerry said himself, "how many times does he have to be reminded to read the damn preference sheets?" If someone like the chief stew has to hold his hand and help plan every meal then he's simply not cut out for this job.

Dylan made some vile comments about vaginas and Sunny spreading her legs.

There's a ton of history where the Chief Stew and Chef worked together on menus. Kate & Ben went to dinner to discuss, she did the same with Matt and valiantly tried working with Leon & Kevin. Adrienne & Ben went shopping together to menu plan. Hannah menu planned with both Ben & Adam. She got frustrated when Ben wouldn't tell her his menu in advance.

Most Chief Stews want to know the menu before serving the guests while Fraser seemed more than happy to whatever out to the guests and then sit back and blame Anthony.  Guest satisfaction is a team effort, it's not about holding the chef's hand. Why do think they have preference sheet meeting with the department heads? To come with a game plan for the charter and that certainly includes their meals. 

[tvfanatic13]

What the heck was the guests' fight about? I could not follow that at all....

[Book Junkie]

I already like Captain Kerry a lot, but now? I freaking LOVE Captain Kerry. He's hands down my favorite captain. I love that he mentors and tries to help his crew be better and gives really good advice on leadership, while remaining calm and rational.  And, I love that Kerry is often out and about on the boat supervising his crew. There's not much that he misses! Sandy plays favorites and talks out of both sides of her mouth, and just wants to be liked. Lee hardly ever left the wheelhouse, and whenever someone came to him to sincerely ask for advice on a situation, Lee would just yell at them and threaten to fire them because if he's got to tell them how to their job, then what does he need them for? Well, Lee. Sometimes supervisors, especially ones who are still in their 20s and don't have much supervisory experience, need a little help or advice and it's also YOUR job to lead your middle management. And because of this attitude and the fact that he never left the wheelhouse, he was always shocked by what was going on with the crew during the season. Kerry, meanwhile, knows the situation with Fraser and Barbie, and was able to call Fraser out and neutralize his pettiness, while also talking Barbie down and put her attitude aside. Could Barbie's attitude be better? Sure, but Fraser is way worse with his constant badmouthing of Barbie behind her back and to other stews that she has to work with and who have to work with her. Why? Because Barbie doesn't want to braid his hair and gossip? It's a job, Fraser, not a slumber party.

While I understand Dylan being upset that he wasn't made lead deckhand, I think Ben made a good choice. Dylan was already asking about/gunning for the position as soon as he got on the boat, not having done any work. He may have more experience, but Sunny is not a total newbie, is a hard worker, and has the respect of other crew members. Dylan annoys everyone. That being said, Ben should have stopped sleeping with Sunny as soon as he was made bosun. Sunny also needs to stop thinking Ben and her are in a relationship. No, honey. Just because you are attracted to someone and they are attracted to you, does not automatically put you in an exclusive relationship.

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, snarts said:

There's a ton of history where the Chief Stew and Chef worked together on menus. Kate & Ben went to dinner to discuss, she did the same with Matt and valiantly tried working with Leon & Kevin. Adrienne & Ben went shopping together to menu plan. Hannah menu planned with both Ben & Adam. She got frustrated when Ben wouldn't tell her his menu in advance.

That is true, Kate absolutely stepped in and worked with the chef and I see know reason why Fraser cannot go over the menus with Chef Frenchy, at this point it needs to be done, just to double check the preference sheets so there are no more slip ups.

The only thing that should or could throw a wrench in the plans is if a guest suddenly requests a turkey sandwich five minutes before dinner is served.

 

[65mickey]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

When has the chief stew ever planned menus with the chef? I don't remember Kate ever doing that with Ben, or anyone doing that with Rachel. That's not really the chief stew's job, it's the chef's. The

Kate did with chef Matt on season 6. Matt struggled through out the season. I think it was the start of the last charter  she spent the evening with Matt planning menus while the rest of the crew went out and partied. 

Oops sorry just read that this has already been addressed. 

Edited April 16 by 65mickey

[iMonrey]

5 hours ago, snarts said:

Guest satisfaction is a team effort, it's not about holding the chef's hand. Why do think they have preference sheet meeting with the department heads?

Mostly for out benefit. But also to spell out what each department head has in store for himself or herself. At the end of the day, food is the chef's responsibility, period. It's not his responsibility to call the provisioner for party supplies, or decorate the tables, or organize outings. Nor is it the bosun's. Everyone has their own job to do. 

I don't know, I'm just skeptical that things would be fixed or even significantly better if more people were helping the chef. Why hasn't Captain Kerry asked the crew to pitch in and help more? Kerry is borderline micromanaging every aspect of these charters, and even he puts the blame squarely on Anthony. 

5 hours ago, snarts said:

There's a ton of history where the Chief Stew and Chef worked together on menus. Kate & Ben went to dinner to discuss, she did the same with Matt and valiantly tried working with Leon & Kevin.

I know they often go over menus together, and Fraser has done this with Anthony too. My point is that it's not the chief stew's responsibility to double check what the chef is planning against the preference sheets. That literally would be like holding his hand and questioning his every move. Mostly the chief stew is just going over what is going to be served so they know what they are serving. If they have to stop at every dish, go look at the guest's preference sheet and check to make sure it's ok, then the food is always going to be cold once it's up there. And they would be doing the chef's job for him.

4 hours ago, tvfanatic13 said:

What the heck was the guests' fight about? I could not follow that at all....

From what I could tell, Brandon invited this guy to a club or bar where there was a drag show and the guy didn't know that until he walked in. He argued he should have been given a heads up about what he was walking into. Brandon argued he wouldn't need to be told ahead of time if he were being invited to sort of venue or event where there were black people. Which . . . apples and oranges but this guy is there solely to cause drama.

Brandon is in fact the same drama queen we suffered with on Below Deck Down Under. This dude is way too thirsty to be a reality show star.

[Baltimore Betty]

39 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Brandon is in fact the same drama queen we suffered with on Below Deck Down Under.

Whaaat? I cannot remember him on BDDU.  Oh dear, I do remember him, yuk.

Did the producers really think we wanted to see more of him? 

Edited April 16 by Baltimore Betty

[Giuseppe]

10 bucks says Brandon missed his flight on purpose so that he could make a dramatic solo entrance onto the boat and relish in all the "thank god you're here!" tongue baths he was surely anticipating.

[KristenR]

I guess they ran out of Bravolebrities to have as guests and had to branch out to other networks. Carmen, the primary, and two of the other guests, Joi and Clifton were actually all on Ready to Love together. Joi and Clifton are now married and regulars on Love & Marriage DC. But what's funny to me is that there was a whole rumor about the three of them being a "throuple." So now I'm watching this episode and I'm like, who's this man Carmen wants people to refer to as king? Why have I never heard of his existence on the other show? This is all very suspicious.

[psychoticstate]

Jeebus, Fraser is a salty bitch and complete crybaby.  He is not cut out for any kind of management position.  Don't complain to Captain Kerry about Barbie airing your dirty laundry when we watched you telling no less than Cheffy, Ben, Xandi, and Paris that Barbie had to go.   It's doubly frustrating to me because Fraser coddled and pandered to Cat's incessant whining and crying - and she wasn't even a good stew.  Stop taking everything so personally, Fraser, and just work with Barbie.  Major points for Captain Kerry for shutting down that nonsense. 

And shut up, Xandi.  No wonder you and Fraser are so lovey-dovey; you're both two faced and bitchy.  That comment about Paris being a "real stew" was completely unnecessary.  

I do think it's hilarious that both Xandi and Fraser think Barbie has turned a corner -- yeah, she came THISCLOSE to quitting.  Otherwise, the only other thing that's changed in that Captain Kerry isn't having it with your games and meltdowns. 

I agree with @realitytvfan1017 about Cheffy.  He's letting the negative comments get into his headspace and affect his performance.  He needs some positive encouragement - which he is not likely going to get from Fraser.  Why on earth is Fraser being critical of Cheffy's food and saying the guests go for McDonald's, Burger King, etc?  Cheffy doesn't know that.  If you hear them say stuff like that, tell the chef!  Then he can make things like mac & cheese, burgers & fries, spaghetti & meatballs, etc.  Yes, Cheffy is struggling but Fraser is doing very little to help. 

Ben is an idiot.  So Dylan has more experience but Sunny "knows the boat."  What does that mean exactly?  Dylan isn't wrong here - Sunny has had one previous yachtie job; she likely wouldn't be getting the promotion if she weren't sleeping with Ben.  Ben said it himself - if he didn't promote Sunny, she'd be angry.  I'm with Dylan on this one.  And to whoever posted above, the only thing I recall him saying about vaginas is that if he (Dylan) had one, he would have gotten the promotion.  He's not wrong.  

Love the editing monkeys.  Right after Ben said that he and Sunny could separate work and pleasure, we see him rubbing her neck and acting more personal than colleagues, with Dylan right there, looking like he was going to hurl.  Then when Ben says Dylan going behind his back to complain is uncool, we are treated to a slideshow of Ben doing the same thing, multiple times, to Jared.  Ha!  

Sunny needs to get a clue.  Ben is telling her, but not in so many words, that she is a booty call.  As soon as the season ends, so does their "relationship."  That's clearly not what she wants so she needs to quit dancing around the issue and agreeing with him and saying things are now clear and have been settled, when they have not. 

In her THs, she said she and Ben were "dating."  Nope.  Not dating.  They're sleeping together.  Not the same thing.  She needs to either look at him as the fuck boy he is and see it as a temporary fling or break it off and deal with a very uncomfortable last few weeks. 

I wonder if there will be a reunion and if Kerry will pipe in on Ben promoting the girl he's sleeping with.  I'd love to hear his take on it.     

[gaPeach]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:17 PM, snarts said:

Most Chief Stews want to know the menu before serving the guests while Fraser seemed more than happy to whatever out to the guests and then sit back and blame Anthony.  Guest satisfaction is a team effort, it's not about holding the chef's hand. Why do think they have preference sheet meeting with the department heads? To come with a game plan for the charter and that certainly includes their meals. 

The bolded part is my doing.  This is so right as to what Fraser is doing to Anthony.  I normally love Fraser, but he is losing me fast on this season.  Barbie was kind of sassy at the beginning of season.  They did have a "talk" and I think Bambie is the only one that left that meeting that meant it.  She has been a hard worker and trying to please Frazer.  Now this.  It seems as though he is setting Anthony up, but I think it is more that Fraser is over his head and so preoccupied with Bambie he is letting this slide.  

This is a team effort all the way around. And Fraser seeing Anthony struggle does not prompt Fraser to see if he could help.  Instead, Fraser seems to enjoy Anthony's struggle.  I do think this is partly producer driven since we have seen time and time again the crew helping the chef when needed.  I don't think I have seen anyone help him at all this season.

[SemiCharmedLife]

On 4/16/2024 at 9:17 AM, snarts said:

 

There's a ton of history where the Chief Stew and Chef worked together on menus. Kate & Ben went to dinner to discuss, she did the same with Matt and valiantly tried working with Leon & Kevin. Adrienne & Ben went shopping together to menu plan. Hannah menu planned with both Ben & Adam. She got frustrated when Ben wouldn't tell her his menu in advance.

Most Chief Stews want to know the menu before serving the guests while Fraser seemed more than happy to whatever out to the guests and then sit back and blame Anthony.  Guest satisfaction is a team effort, it's not about holding the chef's hand. Why do think they have preference sheet meeting with the department heads? To come with a game plan for the charter and that certainly includes their meals. 

I remember these scenes where the chief stew collaborated/supported the chef.  Some chefs would not want that type of collaboration, but I think Anthony would welcome it.  I can't fault Anthony for not whipping up burgers and fries for these guests.  Most chefs wouldn't consider that yacht fare, unless specifically requested.  I wish Anthony would come up with a temporary menu and check with the guests when they arrive, since Fraser is obviously not going to be that helpful when it comes to going over menu planning with cheffy.

[aghst]

All these situations are so manufactured.

Barbie is just going to try better to get along with Frasier so problem solved, just attitude adjustment after all this fake drama?

Kerry:  Doesn't want to let another stew go, it's hard to find replacements and there are only a couple of charters left.

Also Kerry:  Threatens to fire Anthony the chef because guests with McDonalds and Burger King tastes -- why did Bravo cast them for the show, because they are fame whore who will make a spectacle of themselves on camera -- didn't like the fancy food.

Yeah I bet it's much easier to get a chef than a stewardess for just a couple of charters left in the season.🙄

If they really want to state their preferences, why don't they tell the crew to go out and bring back some fast food from shore?  There are probably plenty of those places.

Or just say burgers, burgers, burgers on the preference sheets.

It's funny when I saw those cheap crowns that Kerry gave them, I thought of the cheesy Burger King crowns they give to kids.

Biggest fake drama is the whole lead deckhand situation.  Kerry doesn't know Ben and Sunny are fucking in the cabins?  He's out to lunch.  Then they had Dylan go around and complain to everyone else, filming multiple scenes of him talking about how wronged he feels.

And you know it was the producers who put him up to it.

Then Ben doesn't like that Dylan is talking behind his back about what he's doing as Bosun.

So they immediately cut to scenes of Ben trash-talking behind Jared's back when Jared was bosun.

See the producers don't mind at all making these cast members look like petty hypocrites, drama queens, etc.  That is the point, to make people look bad so there's plenty of drama.

Then in the finale it will be a kumbaya moment with each cast member having their exits, about how they grew and so on during the season.

[Baltimore Betty]

The problem with Fraser and Barbie is, Barbie would be fine just doing her job, she is good at it and the guests like her, fine just do that then but Fraser wants to be the boss but also he wants his team to ki ki with him after hours no matter what happens during the work hours. 

It is hard to ki ki with someone when they disrespect you thru out the work day and then won't listen to why you felt disrespected but still wants the ki ki time.

Kerry was smart in shutting Fraser down when he wanted to fire Barbie, whether it was production saying she stays or what, getting rid of Barbie will not help Fraser realize he was a large part of the problem.

3 hours ago, aghst said:

Then in the finale it will be a kumbaya moment with each cast member having their exits, about how they grew and so on during the season.

A temporary kumbaya moment at best because Ben will continue to sleep with a crew member(s) next season.

Sunny needs to understand what a charter season romance means, in a nutshell it means nothing in the real world and should either treat it that way or never sleep with anyone else on a charter season ever...until next season if she has one.

Nobody learns anything from their season.

 

[Chickabiddy]

I may be sitting at a table for one on this point,  but I like what Barbie did with her toast at the table. Fucking Fraser has been running around the boat, talking shit about Barbie behind her back to anyone who will listen. And I commend Barbie for bringing it out in the open and trying to take some control back in the situation. She even acknowledged her part in the problem and stated that she wanted to do better and make things right. I think it was a boss move, and sometimes strong, assertive action, particularly from women, can make people feel uncomfortable. 

I mean, Fucking Fraser called Barbie a horrible person to her face in the previous episode, but runs to Captain Kerry all butt hurt and trying to get Barbie fired because she acknowledged the issues upfront on a night out and said she wants to make it better.

And I don’t trust Fucking Xandie either because she has been living in Fraser’s back pocket where it is safe and comfortable. Fine, we all do what we got to survive, but it makes me doubt her take on the situation. Forall we know, she may be looking to take down the competition. 
 

and for those who say there must be hidden footage somewhere of Barbie really mouthing off to Fraser, do you really think Bravo would leave footage of high drama and rude behavior on the cutting room floor? No way. They live for people behaving badly on camera. And as we’ve seen, they have no problem putting together incriminating footage. to call people out on their shitty behavior. Ben,  anyone? This is also why I don’t think there’s any footage of everyone rushing to Anthony’s help in the kitchen. If Chef were getting the kind of help that other chefs have gotten on the franchise, we would be seeing footage of it as proof that he’s totally out of his depth and needs to be fired.

and an effort to end on a more positive note, I do love me some Captain Kerry. He’s a damn sight smarter than Captain Sandy, and he actually tries to get involved and lead the crew unlike Captain Lee. For what it’s worth, he gets top marks in my book.
 

 

[iMonrey]

On 4/17/2024 at 3:06 PM, gaPeach said:

I do think this is partly producer driven since we have seen time and time again the crew helping the chef when needed.  I don't think I have seen anyone help him at all this season.

I don't see how this could be "producer driven." I can't see the production folks telling everyone "Don't help Anthony! Let him suffer, it's funnier that way!" In the first place it affects everyone's tip if the guests don't like their food so I can't see everyone going along with it. In the second place it doesn't serve Anthony or his future career to be made the fool and not ask for help if he needs it. Finally, you've got Captain Kerry going around checking toilet paper corners and sink stoppers, and he's smart enough to shut down Fraser's hard-on to fire Barbie, so I don't see him just letting this business with the chef go on if there were any earthly thing he could do to fix it. 

I honestly don't understand why anyone finds it so hard to believe Anthony simply isn't cut out for this line of work and is in over his head. By his own admission he is dyslexic and that might be why he has so much trouble regarding the preference sheets. Getting crew members to wash dishes or chop vegetables isn't going to fix that (and just because we haven't seen them doing that doesn't mean they aren't.) 

RE: Fraser and whether he should be more help, he could certainly step in and insist he plan every meal with the chef, I suppose, but even I would hesitate to do that in his position because it's basically saying "you can't do your job so I need to take over." It's not going to make Anthony look any better if he needs Fraser to double check everything he does to make sure he gets it right.

[Chickabiddy]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I honestly don't understand why anyone finds it so hard to believe Anthony simply isn't cut out for this line of work and is in over his head.

Because Anthony had one bad charter with a group of uber demanding people with 67 food restrictions, all egged on by supreme harridan Jill. Barbie owned her part in the lunch fiasco by writing confusing notes for chef. Rachael had a few rough breakfasts when the chief stew took sloppy, confusing notes. No one wanted to boot her foul mouthed ass off the boat…lnotbafter she walked off and quit  in a huff.  
 

And Anthony is struggling now because he is not supported or getting encouragement from anyone. We have Fucking Fraser walking through the kitchen and muttering shit about Anthony to everyone instead of being constructive. He tattles to Captain Kerry and gets him all spun up.  As someone with a French mother, who lived in New Orleans for many years, loves finr dining, enjoys cooking, and enjoys food porn more, Anthony is one of the best chefs we have ever seen on any of these franchises. On top of that, he makes beautiful food for the crew, and we never see them having to order out food because the chef is too busy preparing food for guests.. We see that a lot on Below Deck Med and quite a few times with Ben previously on this show. Why can Anthony get the same benefit? 

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I. can't see the production folks telling everyone "Don't help Anthony! Let him suffer, it's funnier that way!" In the first place it affects everyone's tip if the guests don't like their food so I can't see everyone going along with it.

So if Anthony’s struggle is affecting everybody’s tip, wouldn’t it be in their best interest, particularly Fraser’s, to jump in and help him? This is exactly why Kate had intensive tutorial sessions with Chef Matt one season because she was pissed that his shitty cooking was gonna hurt their tips. She didn’t do it out of love or the goodness of her heart. If they’re truly worried about the chef ruining their tips, the logical solution is for everybody to jump in and lend a hand, unless the story line is to let Anthony fail enough to get fired. Why have we seen the crew help out with clean up and prep on other shows in the franchise and not this one?  And why would they leave that footage out. It only would prove the point that Anthony is truly in over his head.  Maybe Anthony is being set up to fail, or at least struggle. 
 

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Finally, you've got Captain Kerry going around checking toilet paper corners and sink stoppers, and he's smart enough to shut down Fraser's hard-on to fire Barbie, so I don't see him just letting this business with the chef go on if there were any earthly thing he could do to fix it. 

Right, but Kerry already said it would be next to impossible to find a replacement for Anthony. So if Mr. Fixit isn’t trying to fix it, maybe it is a story line.

 

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Getting crew members to wash dishes or chop vegetables isn't going to fix that

But it would certainly help. Have you ever seen a fine dining kitchen in action? There are sous chefs, line cooks, sauciers, expediters food preppers, pastry chefs, and dish washers. Having a sous chef to help with prep and clean up would give the chef more time and mental to menu plan and perhaps work around his challenges with dyslexia. I doubt any company could get away with firing an employee because their dyslexia interfered with their reading without first trying to make reasonable accommodations first. The first solution can’t be, “His  dyslexia, prevents him from reading the preference sheets, so let’s throw them overboard.”’  Not a good look in this day and age. 

After watching this show for years, I am seeing a pattern of the guests getting more demanding with food requests and restrictions, and the support for the chef decreasing. If the boat is big enough for four stews, the chef needs an assistant in the kitchen, particularly if they are serious about 7 star service. But we all know they are more interested in seven star drama, then actually providing a refined, elevated experience. And we all know that it what the producers are paid to do - gin up the drama, the tension, and the  failure. Can’t have any dramatic firings if everyone is supported and successful in their  jobs. 😉

Edited April 19 by Chickabiddy

[SemiCharmedLife]

1 hour ago, Chickabiddy said:

 Maybe Anthony is being set up to fail, or at least struggle. 
 

Right, but Kerry already said it would be next to impossible to find a replacement for Anthony. So if Mr. Fixit isn’t trying to fix it, maybe it is a story line.

I completely agree with your post.  We have had storylines in the past where the chef is set up to fail so a returning chef can waltz in and save the day. I hope this is not the case.  I would love to see Anthony get some help/support and continue to make his amazing dishes.  

[aghst]

Yeah it's inconsistent.  We've seen seasons where there are deckhands constantly in the kitchen, washing dishes if nothing else.

Or what about BDSY, Colin was in the kitchen almost the whole season one year, not just washing dishes but doing sous-chef work, like prepping some ingredients or something.

So it seems like a choice whether to help the chef or not.  As someone pointed out, usually on big yachts, there's a crew of several chefs, not one trying to scramble and please every guest.

We all know the preference sheets are massaged by the producers.

In this charter, these are fast food people and they just put up generalities like "no seafood" and "no vegetables."

A chef might find people who aren't interested in trying new things to be stifling.  But on this show, they're expected to come up with dishes with florid descriptions and Bon Appetit plating.  So Anthony made fancy ceviches for people who just want a Big Mac.

If that's not a setup, what is?

 

 

[psychoticstate]

On 4/18/2024 at 10:01 AM, Chickabiddy said:

I may be sitting at a table for one on this point,  but I like what Barbie did with her toast at the table. Fucking Fraser has been running around the boat, talking shit about Barbie behind her back to anyone who will listen. And I commend Barbie for bringing it out in the open and trying to take some control back in the situation. She even acknowledged her part in the problem and stated that she wanted to do better and make things right. I think it was a boss move, and sometimes strong, assertive action, particularly from women, can make people feel uncomfortable. 

I mean, Fucking Fraser called Barbie a horrible person to her face in the previous episode, but runs to Captain Kerry all butt hurt and trying to get Barbie fired because she acknowledged the issues upfront on a night out and said she wants to make it better.

And I don’t trust Fucking Xandie either because she has been living in Fraser’s back pocket where it is safe and comfortable. Fine, we all do what we got to survive, but it makes me doubt her take on the situation. Forall we know, she may be looking to take down the competition. 
 

and for those who say there must be hidden footage somewhere of Barbie really mouthing off to Fraser, do you really think Bravo would leave footage of high drama and rude behavior on the cutting room floor? No way. They live for people behaving badly on camera. And as we’ve seen, they have no problem putting together incriminating footage. to call people out on their shitty behavior. Ben,  anyone? This is also why I don’t think there’s any footage of everyone rushing to Anthony’s help in the kitchen. If Chef were getting the kind of help that other chefs have gotten on the franchise, we would be seeing footage of it as proof that he’s totally out of his depth and needs to be fired.

and an effort to end on a more positive note, I do love me some Captain Kerry. He’s a damn sight smarter than Captain Sandy, and he actually tries to get involved and lead the crew unlike Captain Lee. For what it’s worth, he gets top marks in my book.
 

 

Make that a table for two.  I'll join you.  

Fraser was just salty because while he was going around airing their dirty laundry to anyone who would listen - including Paris who was brand-new and knew no one on the ship - he wanted to play victim.  Honestly, he's been playing run-tell-dat all season, which is not a good look for a chief stew (although it does bring the drah-mah).   Calling Barbie a horrible person to everyone and then even agreeing with her when she said she can be a nightmare just proves that Fraser is not management material.

I said basically the same above about Xandi. Don't trust her, don't particularly care for her.  She seems like a self-serving snake in the grass.

On 4/18/2024 at 6:28 PM, iMonrey said:

I don't see how this could be "producer driven." I can't see the production folks telling everyone "Don't help Anthony! Let him suffer, it's funnier that way!" In the first place it affects everyone's tip if the guests don't like their food so I can't see everyone going along with it. In the second place it doesn't serve Anthony or his future career to be made the fool and not ask for help if he needs it. Finally, you've got Captain Kerry going around checking toilet paper corners and sink stoppers, and he's smart enough to shut down Fraser's hard-on to fire Barbie, so I don't see him just letting this business with the chef go on if there were any earthly thing he could do to fix it. 

I honestly don't understand why anyone finds it so hard to believe Anthony simply isn't cut out for this line of work and is in over his head. By his own admission he is dyslexic and that might be why he has so much trouble regarding the preference sheets. Getting crew members to wash dishes or chop vegetables isn't going to fix that (and just because we haven't seen them doing that doesn't mean they aren't.) 

RE: Fraser and whether he should be more help, he could certainly step in and insist he plan every meal with the chef, I suppose, but even I would hesitate to do that in his position because it's basically saying "you can't do your job so I need to take over." It's not going to make Anthony look any better if he needs Fraser to double check everything he does to make sure he gets it right.

Anthony admitted that he was used to working with sous chefs, as are most chefs in restaurants. To expect him to cater to charter guests that ALL seem to have separate and different dietary restrictions/preferences is insane.  And those restrictions/preferences are what I would say is producer driven, more than what's going in the galley. 

While washing dishes and chopping vegetable may not cure all the problems, it would certainly help with Anthony's peace of mind.  If Fraser is so freaked out about the state of the galley, why doesn't he offer solutions instead of continuing to beat Cheffy down?  Ask the deck crew to lend a hand with dishes.  He knows Cheffy is dyslexic so why not put heads together with Cheffy and the rest of interior to come up with a plan/chart/whatever to help him keep the preferences straight?   I mean, some of those preference sheets certainly could be confusing.  Instead of yakking with Xandi and criticizing Barbie, Fraser could use that time to work on real solutions that will benefit everyone.  

[sugarbaker design]

Funniest moment was when His Highness tried tuna ceviche for the first time!

[maggiemae]

Fraser is more concerned about himself than the performance of Barbie and Anthony. He is unwilling to do anything to help them and has no problem complaining to Captain Kerry about them.

And the rest of the crew. Which is so wrong.

But what is really odd, to me, is that he can't see that and seems to think Kerry will snap his fingers and find great replacements for them instantly.

All I see is Fraser running around muttering or doing yoga on the beach. Or complaining to someone.

Edited April 22 by maggiemae

[iMonrey]

On 4/20/2024 at 7:24 PM, psychoticstate said:

Anthony admitted that he was used to working with sous chefs, as are most chefs in restaurants. To expect him to cater to charter guests that ALL seem to have separate and different dietary restrictions/preferences is insane.  And those restrictions/preferences are what I would say is producer driven, more than what's going in the galley. 

Well, that's sort of my point: being a chef in a restaurant with a sous chef and other staffers is completely different than being a solo chef on a luxury yacht. Which Anthony is apparently unqualified for. The fact that all the guests have different preferences isn't so much "producer driven" as it is a fact of luxury yacht charter guests. Someone who is experienced at being a chef on a chartered yacht would come up with one or two things everyone could eat, not try to do eight different things at once. 

This isn't a problem with producers stepping in and making unreasonable demands on behalf of the guests just to stir up trouble. Guests are capable of stirring up trouble all on their own. This is a problem with Anthony because he does not have the yachting experience to do this job. You can be a great cook/chef and still be unqualified for this particular job.

Yeah, people could be helping out more, but that's like saying if the bosun is in over his head people should step in and help him or if one of the stews isn't up to snuff the other staffers should take up the slack. 

You can either do the job, or you can't. 

In terms of production interference, I guess you could say casting deliberately hired someone who was unqualified, as they have been known to do on the regular, but I think that's about the extent of it.

Edited April 22 by iMonrey

[aghst]

Preference sheets are completely fictions massaged by producers.

Remember the theme parties they want?

Completely fake.  You can tell in some cases the guests weren't even into the things they supposedly asked for.

In this case, they got a bunch of fast food eaters and they asked for vague things and got "5-star" dishes and plating and they didn't really care.

Why were such guests cast?

To make the crew look bad.

 

Do you really think Bravo and producers leave things to chance?  They go for the things they know has worked for them in the past.

Do you think any reality show producers just let guests and cast do whatever and hope for the best, hope there's enough drama and potential viral moments?

No they rely on what got them the most attention and ratings in the past and try to recreate them over and over.

That's why there will always be theme parties, always be staff shortages, always be firings, always be beach picnics, etc.

 

[sugarbaker design]

10 hours ago, aghst said:

Preference sheets are completely fictions massaged by producers.

Do I think guest submit sheets with likes/dislikes with glamor shots?  No, of course not, that's a conceit done by production for the viewing audience.

Do I think guests submit a list of dietary restrictions to the chef?  Absolutely!  But that is done, undramatically, via email.

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, aghst said:

Preference sheets are completely fictions massaged by producers.

 

And you know this how? Do you know someone who works at Bravo or something?

I'm curious to know why you even bother to watch this show if it's as scripted as you seem to believe it to be.

[aghst]

13 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

And you know this how? Do you know someone who works at Bravo or something?

I'm curious to know why you even bother to watch this show if it's as scripted as you seem to believe it to be.

Because I'm not gullible?

Because it's obvious that some of the things on the preference sheets are obviously a big surprise to some of the guests?

 

 

[Chatty Cake]

Considering the way Fraser was treated by the awful Sandy last season, I’m surprised he’s being such a diva. I remember Kate helping the chef with the beard when he was struggling. There’s no reason for fraser not help this chef rather than complain about his anxiety looking at the mess.

[iMonrey]

6 hours ago, aghst said:

Because I'm not gullible?

No, and there's nothing wrong with being cynical. It's a "reality" show, after all. But you seem convinced that every little thing is fake, scripted, b.s., etc. It's all made up, they're all actors, nothing is really happening, everything is pre-determined. So I ask again . . . why do you even bother watching this?

I've done a deep dive, as much as is possible for a show like this, and am reasonably convinced that production does not interfere with the day-to-day goings on to the extent you seem convinced that they do. I've read and watched interviews with crew members like Captain Lee, Captain Glenn, stew Aesha, engineer Colin, and unless they are lying through their teeth - which I hate to think they are - then nothing is made up or "scripted." 

There have been countless crew members fired, made to look the fool, look awful, etc., and not once has anyone come forward to claim it was all just an act directed by the producers. And these are people no longer associated with Bravo. If I came across looking half as bad as some of these people, believe me, I'd find a way to get word out there that it wasn't real and I was just being ordered to do something.

Do they hire people they know are incompetent because they want them to cause trouble? Sure. That's what they did with Anthony. They knew there was a good chance, at least, he wouldn't be able to hack it. Same with Cat, probably. Do they suggest theme parties and beach picnics to the charter guests? Sure. They want to simulate what an actual charter with spoiled, rich guests is like for a crew as much as possible. But once they turn them all loose on the boat, everyone is on their own.

6 hours ago, aghst said:

Because it's obvious that some of the things on the preference sheets are obviously a big surprise to some of the guests?

The primary on this charter definitely knew what was on his preference sheet, and made it known to Fraser. I'm sure some of the guests forget what they even put down, who knows how long ago they filled the damn things out. That doesn't mean producers are actually filling these things out for the guests and then telling them to pretend they don't like vegetables or are vegan or won't eat fish or are gluten free. None of these people are good enough actors to pull that off.

[Yours Truly]

On 4/18/2024 at 8:53 PM, Chickabiddy said:

Because Anthony had one bad charter with a group of uber demanding people with 67 food restrictions, all egged on by supreme harridan Jill. Barbie owned her part in the lunch fiasco by writing confusing notes for chef. Rachael had a few rough breakfasts when the chief stew took sloppy, confusing notes. No one wanted to boot her foul mouthed ass off the boat…lnotbafter she walked off and quit  in a huff.  
 

And Anthony is struggling now because he is not supported or getting encouragement from anyone. We have Fucking Fraser walking through the kitchen and muttering shit about Anthony to everyone instead of being constructive. He tattles to Captain Kerry and gets him all spun up.  As someone with a French mother, who lived in New Orleans for many years, loves finr dining, enjoys cooking, and enjoys food porn more, Anthony is one of the best chefs we have ever seen on any of these franchises. On top of that, he makes beautiful food for the crew, and we never see them having to order out food because the chef is too busy preparing food for guests.. We see that a lot on Below Deck Med and quite a few times with Ben previously on this show. Why can Anthony get the same benefit? 

So if Anthony’s struggle is affecting everybody’s tip, wouldn’t it be in their best interest, particularly Fraser’s, to jump in and help him? This is exactly why Kate had intensive tutorial sessions with Chef Matt one season because she was pissed that his shitty cooking was gonna hurt their tips. She didn’t do it out of love or the goodness of her heart. If they’re truly worried about the chef ruining their tips, the logical solution is for everybody to jump in and lend a hand, unless the story line is to let Anthony fail enough to get fired. Why have we seen the crew help out with clean up and prep on other shows in the franchise and not this one?  And why would they leave that footage out. It only would prove the point that Anthony is truly in over his head.  Maybe Anthony is being set up to fail, or at least struggle. 
 

Right, but Kerry already said it would be next to impossible to find a replacement for Anthony. So if Mr. Fixit isn’t trying to fix it, maybe it is a story line.

 

But it would certainly help. Have you ever seen a fine dining kitchen in action? There are sous chefs, line cooks, sauciers, expediters food preppers, pastry chefs, and dish washers. Having a sous chef to help with prep and clean up would give the chef more time and mental to menu plan and perhaps work around his challenges with dyslexia. I doubt any company could get away with firing an employee because their dyslexia interfered with their reading without first trying to make reasonable accommodations first. The first solution can’t be, “His  dyslexia, prevents him from reading the preference sheets, so let’s throw them overboard.”’  Not a good look in this day and age. 

After watching this show for years, I am seeing a pattern of the guests getting more demanding with food requests and restrictions, and the support for the chef decreasing. If the boat is big enough for four stews, the chef needs an assistant in the kitchen, particularly if they are serious about 7 star service. But we all know they are more interested in seven star drama, then actually providing a refined, elevated experience. And we all know that it what the producers are paid to do - gin up the drama, the tension, and the  failure. Can’t have any dramatic firings if everyone is supported and successful in their  jobs. 😉

Yep!

I do have to agree that there is a noticably absent amount of help for the chef this season. Enough that it does stand out a bit. I mean there have been numerous seasons where, maybe not every charter, but a number of charters, where you see the chief stew request assistance from the deck crew to wash dishes, serve and there have been times where you have had standing instructions to check in with chef if possible to see if he may need extra hands in the kitchen during dinner prep and/or service. Granted it isn't an official duty but over the seasons and franchises it's been something that's been offered depending on what's been happening with the chef, or the stews in the galley during demanding charters. It is a thing. Enough of a thing that when we as viewers see the chef struggling we automatically wonder how the crew is going to chip in to help (at least I do) so seeing it not happen in this instance does raise a bit of an eyebrow.  

[snarts]

^ Especially since the deck crew have been noticeably not busy all season.  There doesn't appear to be an anchor watch, they aren't putting out the slide or any water toys, there haven't been many excursion involving them. 

Most of the time, we get shots of them hanging out together in the crew mess or near the swim platform. Some are already off duty in their cabins sleeping during dinner service.