S11.E04: Super Typhoon Part One

[thewhiteowl]

 

With Super Typhoon Nuri closing in, the captains make hard choices to save the seasons; the Northwestern charges into the storm, Cape Caution retreats, and the Wizard gets a replacement deckhand.

 

 

[HoodlumSheep]

Well, looks like Elliot's good/average (ish) streak has already come to an end. It's still probably a new record. Also, I don't think a guy would go as far as purposefully breaking his arm just to het out of work Elliot. Also...Mr. Wizard? Does Elliot even know Keith's name? Who was in charge of the crane? Was it that Scott guy? Was he in previous seasons, because I don't remember him at all.

You could really feel the ominousness of Typhoon Nuri looming. Like, they even used ominous background music. And some of the footage even made me cringe (like when that wave hit the Northwestern). I'm glad that it looks like everybody plans on hightailing it out of there as soon as possible. It also looks like the crab have definitely hightailed it out of there too, seeing how sig was pulling out pots that were practically empty. I remember when we were hearing reports about the typhoon, and my mom and I found ourselves thinking about how the Deadliest Catch cast was probably out there fishing.

Edited May 6, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[NJ RadioGuy]

Between the bleeping of bad words, mumbling and poor audio pickups I was having a hard time figuring out the storyline of Jake Anderson going onto the Saga. Was it to checkup on the crewman in galley or on Elliott? Looked like Nick and Jake were trying to discuss the crewman's sobriety, but we kept flashing back to the empty chair in the wheelhouse and then Jake's comment about Elliott throwing it all away. The editors didn't do a particularly good job of conveying the storyline here. And what of that crewman who went into the wheelhouse to use the phone, telling the person on the other end of the line that he was wired for sound, so don't say anything embarassing....what was that all about? Like I said, I'm missing a few pieces of that segment.

[millennium]

We're all missing pieces.    There was more left unsaid than spoken in that episode.    In the Elliott/Jake exchange, for example, it sounded as though Jake told Elliott, "There's some talk" or "people are talking" to which Elliott replied, "You come up here and people say you're a drug mule."   And Jake said, "That's what they're saying" and then it became incoherent.   They parted amicably but back in the pickup, Jake says Elliott has everything a man could want at his fingertips, but he's letting it slip away -- this after Elliott's prolonged absence in town and Scott admitting he wasn't as sober as he should be.

 

Personally, I would have preferred to hear none of that exchange rather than just cryptic fragments.

 

Elliott suggesting the crewman nearly got himself pulped as a ploy to get out of work was flat-out repulsive.   The only people who suspect things like that are people who would do things like that.

 

I was truly surprised Elliott didn't try to pull some stunt like refuse to send the greenhorn over to Keith.   "Sorry, Mr. Wizard, but you broke my crewman so now I have to take your greenhorn to replace him.  Fair's fair."

 

I don't think I've ever seen Sig so shaken.   When that wave hit, he all but dove under his console.   Is the Northwestern one of the largest ships of the fleet?   I can't tell if it's camera angles or what but it always seems considerably larger to me than the other crab boats.

[Steff]

anyone else catch the crew member talking about selling the crab was like a drug deal?  And then IMO, we watched a drug deal go down with Elliott & his crew member. 

 

the crew guy sitting in the wheel house calling & mentioning he's miked up & also sounding like he was jonesing for something.  At the last second you see him realize there's a camera looking right at him.  Then we get him knocking on Elliotts door.  Next scene shows Elliott counting some money as the guy left his room.  With NO dialog between the 2 while in the room.  Then the guy takes off for a couple of hours & Elliott is missing for even longer.  Next time we see the crew guy he's snoozing sitting up with Jake A & Nick waking him up.  Also when Nick said "you like him too much" when the crew guy talked about really liking Elliott.  The cherry on top was Jake A talking about how Elliott was pissing away everything. 

 

I feel like I watched Discovery throw Elliott under the bus and run over him repeatedly.  And he deserved every *thump thump* as they drover over him.  I swear I feel like I watched a drug deal & then a fucked up Elliott running the boat.  He was checked out & not paying attention when the guy's arm was crushed/broken.  That vape pen he's sucking on could easily be filled with pot & not just tabacco.

[millennium]

anyone else catch the crew member talking about selling the crab was like a drug deal?  And then IMO, we watched a drug deal go down with Elliott & his crew member. 

 

the crew guy sitting in the wheel house calling & mentioning he's miked up & also sounding like he was jonesing for something.  At the last second you see him realize there's a camera looking right at him.  Then we get him knocking on Elliotts door.  Next scene shows Elliott counting some money as the guy left his room.  With NO dialog between the 2 while in the room.  Then the guy takes off for a couple of hours & Elliott is missing for even longer.  Next time we see the crew guy he's snoozing sitting up with Jake A & Nick waking him up.  Also when Nick said "you like him too much" when the crew guy talked about really liking Elliott.  The cherry on top was Jake A talking about how Elliott was pissing away everything. 

 

I feel like I watched Discovery throw Elliott under the bus and run over him repeatedly.  And he deserved every *thump thump* as they drover over him.  I swear I feel like I watched a drug deal & then a fucked up Elliott running the boat.  He was checked out & not paying attention when the guy's arm was crushed/broken.  That vape pen he's sucking on could easily be filled with pot & not just tabacco.

 

You bring up some good points.   I was so taken with typhoon, I forgot about that odd little meeting in Elliott's room.   I may have to watch that again.

[NEGirl]

Some good points taken up. I was only "half watchng" this week when the show was on. I also thought the trip to the Saga was for the crew member but it sure did seem like it was also about Elliott. I saw the scene with the crew member giving Elliott the money but as I was only half paying attention I did not put two & two together until reading this. Now that I think about it, it does look like a drug deal. Well, sounds like disco set Elliott up and he was dumb enough to fall for it over and over with the cameras in full view.  Elliott is one of those types of people who thinks he is beyond the rules and getting caught.  Disco showed a upcoming scene where they show a police car pull up towards a boat and say they have a warrant for someone.  I will have to watch this over again when it's on.

 

I remember one other time when a big wave hit the NW like that. It was the "get the fuck down" show a few seasons back when they were in a storm.  I believe the Wizzard is the biggest boat at around 150 ft, the NW is I think 128 ft. and the CM is around 125 ft. 

 

Well, it figures Elliott would blame the poor crew member for breaking his arm. What  an asshole-on and on he went about what a jerk the guy was and how much the poor guy had screwed him.

Overall, I thought this week was kind of boring. Next week appears to be better.

Edited May 6, 2015 by NEGirl

[BusyOctober]

There is NO WAY that guy Scott was sober when Nick & Jake were talking with him in the Saga galley.  He was definitely high or drunk.  Elliot continues to be the reigning a-hole of the Bering Sea.  I feel so bad for Elliot's dad.  He seems like he wants to do good work and help his dumb-ass kid be successful. But he just throws away opportunity  with both hands.  I hope Disco is putting a lien on his catch as payback for the rehab they probably paid for him to attend.  Might as well just loaded a few thousand dollars into a bait bag and toss it into the ocean...same result.  Someone on the Saga said it perfectly- Elliot always blames other people for the bad times.  After these last few seasons with that little POS as captain, I'd never step foot on his boat.  Future greenhorns and deck hands, beware!  The only people who'd want to work for Elliot probably aren't good enough to get on other boats or have drug/alcohol dependencies they know will be tolerated on a boat run be a fellow addict.

[AZChristian]

One thing for sure - Elliot wasn't handing that crew member a wad of cash to go buy Saga sweatshirts from the gift shop.

 

Disco:  PLEASE stop enabling Elliot to buy more drugs by paying him to be on DC.  It's an insult to REAL captains and crab fishermen.  Besides, he only knows two words, and one of them has to be bleeped, so his dialog is impossible to follow.

[justjen]

Am I missing something related to Elliot? At one point Jake said something to the effect "I think you're really cool and like you a lot." Do "really cool" and "like" mean something else in Alaska? Was Jake just putting on his best Jeff VanVonderen?

[merylinkid]

I have a sneaking suspsicion that Elliott's dad co-signed the loan for the boat, so he is working just so the boat payments can get paid.    

 

Did I hear Elliott say to Jake that Jake could come work for him?   First of all, Elliott is not giving up that captain's chair, no way no how.   It's too much of how awesome he is, in his own mind.   Second, why would Jake come work for a terribly run boat like the Saga when he has the fine Northwestern?   

 

But wow, that storm is going to be scary.   Just seeing that first wave and it wasn't even the height of the storm was bad.   Also notice Sig's genuine concern for his crew, first screaming to get down, then frantically asking if everyone was all right.   Unlike Elliott's "Oh did someone get hurt on the boat?  Let me check on this."   I breathed a sigh of relief when word came up to Sig that everyone was accounted for and fine.

[kassa]

I think we definitely watched a drug deal, and I think Elliott's spin of the injury as a guy purposely injuring himself was panic over the fact that there are drugs on board and he has drugs in his system as do however many of his crew, and if Somebody decides to investigate, they're screwed.  And ironically, you could make an argument that Elliott is the guy who is purposely injuring himself to get out of crabbing.

 

I took Jake and Nick's visit as part intervention with their friend, and part sending Elliott the message that what he's doing is not only not a secret from the other fisherman who have heard talk but not a secret from the show, and God knows what's going to air, so he needs to straighten out pronto.

 

I doubt he's smoking drugs with his cigarette thing because I imagine that the camera crew would pull the plug on it if he were.  It's one thing to risk your lives to film on the Bering Sea with a captain who is doing his best to not kill everybody on board, it's another if the captain doesn't even seem to care if he does.  

[sigmaforce86]

I'd quote you all if I could.  Agree with everyone, Scott was calling Elliott both to give him a heads up that he was coming to his door and that he was live miked so no talking.  And immediately after Elliott had that wad of cash in his hand and it seemed like he was ready with a flimsy excuse "just going to buy crab pots guys, yup, paying all cash for 'em, nothing weird here".

 

Jake seems to have a lot of compassion and has been through substance problems himself but I need to see that wheelhouse conversation with sub-titles.  I think with Scott he was actually trying to help but his talk with Elliott was more of a we all know what's going on you're not fooling anyone sort of warning.  

 

Could the footage last night be enough for the Coast Guard or Police to search the Saga or demand they be able to review unedited film from TLC and see if more is going on?  Not sure how what qualifies as enough proof to justify a search or raid but wondering if what's been shown so far is implicating enough to get their attention.

[Neurochick]

anyone else catch the crew member talking about selling the crab was like a drug deal?  And then IMO, we watched a drug deal go down with Elliott & his crew member. 

 

the crew guy sitting in the wheel house calling & mentioning he's miked up & also sounding like he was jonesing for something.  At the last second you see him realize there's a camera looking right at him.  Then we get him knocking on Elliotts door.  Next scene shows Elliott counting some money as the guy left his room.  With NO dialog between the 2 while in the room.  Then the guy takes off for a couple of hours & Elliott is missing for even longer.  Next time we see the crew guy he's snoozing sitting up with Jake A & Nick waking him up.  Also when Nick said "you like him too much" when the crew guy talked about really liking Elliott.  The cherry on top was Jake A talking about how Elliott was pissing away everything. 

 

I feel like I watched Discovery throw Elliott under the bus and run over him repeatedly.  And he deserved every *thump thump* as they drover over him.  I swear I feel like I watched a drug deal & then a fucked up Elliott running the boat.  He was checked out & not paying attention when the guy's arm was crushed/broken.  That vape pen he's sucking on could easily be filled with pot & not just tabacco.

 

Yes, I caught that.  The guy on the phone was jonsing, you're right; and then when I saw the money change hands between he and Elliot; now I don't know if Scott was giving Elliot money, or vice versa.  I did wonder if Elliot was going into town to buy drugs; which was why he made that comment about "drug mule" to Jake Anderson.  Nick was talking to Scott about being sober and Scott said he basically wasn't sober.  To me it sounded like Nick felt that Elliot is a bad influence for someone trying to stay sober.  

 

I'm not sure that Elliot was high while he was driving the boat, however I wonder if Elliot is dealing drugs to make more money.  

 

I need to re watch that again.  That scene was very strange and almost seemed out of place on the show, but it did interest me because it felt really real.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Neurochick

[AZChristian]

. . .I need to see that wheelhouse conversation with sub-titles. . .  

 

Could the footage last night be enough for the Coast Guard or Police to search the Saga or demand they be able to review unedited film from TLC and see if more is going on?  Not sure how what qualifies as enough proof to justify a search or raid but wondering if what's been shown so far is implicating enough to get their attention.

 

I had closed captioning on.  Here's a quote:  "bleep, live mike, bleep, careful what you say, bleep, bleep, bleep."

 

It's ironic that The Bait included the female head of the harbor police.  Hopefully, after watching herself on TV she stayed tuned for the regular episode of DC.  There needs to be an inspection / raid.  I'm sure the Saga is not the only boat with crewmembers who abuse drugs, but they're so OPEN about it there.  Every crewmember knows Elliot is high . . . sadly, including his father.  I hope and pray he doesn't kill someone while/because he's high.

[kassa]

I think that as a community they have a weird mentality that so long as somebody's not using ON THE BOAT, all is fair on land. At least as far as notifying authorities.  

 

Nick was talking to Scott about being sober and Scott said he basically wasn't sober.  To me it sounded like Nick felt that Elliot is a bad influence for someone trying to stay sober.

 

 

I love Nick and we so seldom see him off deck (I used to love the first few seasons when he'd announce how many advil he needed.)  He seemed like a really caring friend, and yes, he definitely was telling the guy that Elliott was no good for his recovery, i.e. "you like him TOO much."

 

Jake A -- it must seem like his life since joining the NW is one solid reminder of why he needs to stay clean and sober.  Between Matt and Jake Harris and now Elliott and the crew member we just met on the Saga...  He's a kind man -- I loved him saying that everybody deserved as many chances as they needed.   

[Galloway Cave]

I'm retired LE and as I was watching the whole Saga saga, I saw it as a drug deal going down with Scott and Elliot. No doubt in my mind. When they got the injured crew member back into the galley, the first thing Elliot said to the camera was "I am stressed from some personal issues, I need to take a break myself" and walked off. In other words, he needed to take a hit of what ever drug of choice he had to calm down, rather than continue taking care of his injured crew.

 

Why did Elliot bring the pot onto the loader in the first place? As they were bringing it in, I thought to myself it would be easier for the new guy to just go over the side to the pot rather than risk a sliding launch. The seas were fairly calm at that point. I think it shows Elliot wasn't thinking correctly. 

 

I also agree with other posters that sending Jake and Nick was a warning shot from Disco to Elliot and crew that others know what is going on, and it is all on film and they have no problem showing it. It will be interesting to see if there is any fall out from last nights episode.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Galloway Cave

[kassygreene]

I don't think I've ever seen Sig so shaken.   When that wave hit, he all but dove under his console.   Is the Northwestern one of the largest ships of the fleet?   I can't tell if it's camera angles or what but it always seems considerably larger to me than the other crab boats.

 

The really big waves can sweep everyone and everything off the deck.  They can also swamp the boat, or roll it.  Big or even rogue waves are among the theories for what sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Andrea Gail.

 

Did you catch what they were saying about the water pushed everything right across the deck, including crabs into the bait box (happy crabs!).  They were lucky they weren't mid-hoist on a pot.  He was pushing to get his pots in before the storm arrived.  The storm, in the form of the first (and smallest!) waves, arrived before he could finish.  Stopping and heading for a sheltered anchorage is the smart thing to do.

[walnutqueen]

Jake A is very fortunate to have an uncle like Nick, and to be working on the Northwestern, among people who support his sobriety.

 

Shame on Disco for putting any of their employees at risk by filming with Elliot and the Saga.  I remember back when he was running the Ramblin' Rose there was talk among the cameramen/producer about how dangerous he and the boat were, yet they are still more interested in making TV than protecting their staff.  I wonder if the Disco employees get extra hazard pay for working on the Saga?

[Neurochick]

I'm retired LE and as I was watching the whole Saga saga, I saw it as a drug deal going down with Scott and Elliot. No doubt in my mind. When they got the injured crew member back into the galley, the first thing Elliot said to the camera was "I am stressed from some personal issues, I need to take a break myself" and walked off. In other words, he needed to take a hit of what ever drug of choice he had to calm down, rather than continue taking care of his injured crew.

 

 

Oh, I forgot about that part, yes, Elliot told the producer that and then went off.  Yes, he probably went to get high.

 

I remember back when he was running the Ramblin' Rose there was talk among the cameramen/producer about how dangerous he and the boat were, yet they are still more interested in making TV than protecting their staff.  I wonder if the Disco employees get extra hazard pay for working on the Saga?

 

I said this about another reality show.  This show is just that, a show and a show is about getting ratings and making money.  

[Runningwild]

I just watched it again on FB. I love the crewman looking at the camera in surprise. How stupid, desperate do you have to be to conduct a drug deal on camera. Elliot, you are a mule!

[millennium]

I just watched it again on FB. I love the crewman looking at the camera in surprise. How stupid, desperate do you have to be to conduct a drug deal on camera. Elliot, you are a mule!

 

And an ass.

[merylinkid]

But what about Disco posting it on their Facebook page?   Wow.   Disco must really love the Elliott drama.   They had this footage months ago.   They could have invoked the morals clause of his contract (you know there is one, it's pretty standard) and just cut him from the show.

[NEGirl]

Disco has been doing the Elliott baiting since right after he first came on the show. He by far(with the except of anything pertaining to Phil) gets the most responses. The people just go on and on.

Question - did anyone else see the coming attraction scene with the police car pulling up towards a boat and saying they have a warrant for someone?

Disco will continue to hang Elliott out for all to see because it gives them ratings. If the publicity gets too negative, they will drop him like a hot potatoe.  I think Elliott was too high and pompus to think about the camera.  He is used to having the cameras there and has become comfortable with them and probably forgot they were on. I think he also thinks he is above the law. Next week should be interesting.

[OSM Mom]

If that wasn't a drug deal last night, I'll eat a raw cod. Elliott is a first-class asshole and needs to be in jail. Not running a crab boat. And just as a side note, I'd never seen an air cast like they had on the hurt crewman. Very cool. And when Sig is that scared, you know that was one seriously scary wave.

Edited May 6, 2015 by OSM Mom

[Turtle]

I knew was buying drugs in room 608, and I knew Elliot was off getting high, but I didn't connect that the two were related. Was the guy in that room Elliot? I thought he was just some random drug dealer, where Scott went to buy his drugs, and figured Elliot had another supplier.

I really wonder their TV contracts all look like, as far as when/ where the cameras can follow them. If it's only on the boat, with the ability to give acces to other stuff in a one-off basis, then I don't understand why Scott would agree to let the camera follow him yo a very obvious drug buy. And if their contracts require full access if the show wants it, why didn't we see the camera following Elliot to wherever he disappears to? I guess it's possible that they all have personalized contracts, but it still doesn't make sense.

Sig was so freaked out. Watching him trying to settle himself for several minutes afterward really hit home how terrifying that must be, even for someone so experienced. Sig can be a real ass, but he also seems to care about his crew. Ahem, Elliot.

[NEGirl]

Well, we never saw any drug sale, just the exchange of money. Disco has sure said what they think it was. I would guess since no drug sale was seen maybe disco is not liable to do anything.

[Galloway Cave]

 

I knew was buying drugs in room 608, and I knew Elliot was off getting high, but I didn't connect that the two were related. Was the guy in that room Elliot? I thought he was just some random drug dealer, where Scott went to buy his drugs, and figured Elliot had another supplier.

That room was Elliot's cabin on the boat. That is why the camera was there filming him. The sticker is partially torn off, it is the number that is on his clothing and hat (I assume some sort of advertising for a company). Scott called the dealer in town and let him know he was coming (and told him not to talk because Scott would be miked). Scott went to Elliot's cabin and got money. Then there was the scene with Elliot leaving the boat, then we see Scott asleep in the galley. Elliot was then late back to the boat. This is where the choppy editing makes the whole situation confusing. Did Scott buy the drugs and hand them off to Elliot while onshore? Did they both buy drugs? I get the feeling Elliot had Scott do the deal so that he could keep his little captain hands clean.

[merylinkid]

You know Disco is getting exactly what it wants.   Regardless of what else happened this episode, all we are talking about if Elliott's alleged drug deal.

 

From now on, his name, his stunts, anything to do with him shall not cross my keyboard.    

[Tielsmomma]

If you have closed captioning on your TV (and all of you should), turn it on when watching the show. It is invaluable - will definitely help you follow the dialog.

[Neurochick]

I just watched it again on FB. I love the crewman looking at the camera in surprise. How stupid, desperate do you have to be to conduct a drug deal on camera. Elliot, you are a mule!

 

I just watched it too; looked like the crewman gave Elliot the money?

[NEGirl]

Yep, you are right, Disco must be loving this with all this talk going on. That was a stationary camera that picked up the exchange of money between Elliott and and Scott. I still can't believe they were dumb enough to do that with cameras all over the boat.  Since there was no drugs exchanged and probably due to liability reasons, disco gave us what they had on camera leaving the rest for all of us to make a decission.  Since this all went down last Oct., and there has not been any news about anyone's arrest, which, would have been on the news or tmz, it's safe to assume there were no arrests.

[LGGirl]

There was no doubt in my mind Elliot was high when that crew man broke his arm. My first thought was if Elliot was careless and caused the accident.

Jake A is just a sweetheart. I only hope good things come his way.

[kassa]

The way I saw it, the crew member gave Elliott the money and Elliott went and made the buy (or got it out of his own stash somewhere on the beach).  Hence his distracted "I have something to do" to the crewman.  

 

Elliott's choice of the word "drug mule" in the discussion with Jake was interesting, I think. At first I thought he was saying jokingly look out, they will say YOU are a drug mule, but in retrospect I think he knew he was under suspicion and in that haze of addict belief in his ability to con people, thought joking about it would make him look innocent and was referring to accusations that HE is.  

Edited May 7, 2015 by kassa

[AZChristian]

I saw on my Facebook news feed that someone found a bag of cocaine in a Nature Valley Granola Bar.

 

The first thing that popped into my mind was an image of the deckhands on the Saga getting whiplash when Elliot spins the boat around to head back to land to look for a Sam's Club where he can buy up all the Nature Valley Granola Bars they have in stock.

 

I'm so warped.

[NEGirl]

AZChristian - lol - I saw that too. Can you imagine being on the assembly line when that happens and trying to get back your stash?

I  think Elliott is so pompus he thought he would never get caught and probably feels he is above the law. He has been doing this since he was 16. Has he ever been arrested for drugs?

I also think he freaked out when the guy got hurt because he was high and worried about the consequences when he got to Dutch Harbor. That whole boat had to know what was going on.

Edited May 7, 2015 by NEGirl

[terrymct]

Disco has been doing the Elliott baiting since right after he first came on the show. He by far(with the except of anything pertaining to Phil) gets the most responses.

 

The camera people must be sick of Elliott at least as much as we are.

[JTMacc99]

The camera people must be sick of Elliott at least as much as we are.

i think I've watched maybe 10% of the Elliott stuff over the last two seasons. I was a little annoyed that they screwed up my "FF though Elliott" policy by having him interact with not one, but two different crews in this episode.  It made it a lot harder to FF, then stop to see what Nick and Jake are saying, then FF. And then I had the same problem with the Wizard.  FF, see what Keith is saying, FF, stop briefly to see who got hurt, FF, Keith, FF again.  Very inconvenient.

 

That was scary stuff with the Northwestern.  And the crew amazes me with their basic attitude of "Woo boy! That was a big one."  On the one hand, I would be glued to my TV to see more footage of the boats running from that storm, but I hope they're all safe and sound when it hits.  On the other hand, the last thing I want to see is all of them in port and getting in trouble in town because the storm grounded them.