S11.E09: Hell's Bells

[thewhiteowl]

 

Christmas at sea for the Time Bandit is disturbed when an unhinged deckhand terrorizes the crew. Jake Anderson awaits the birth of his baby, when an unexpected phone call throws a wrench in the plan. A greenhorn's season is cut short by a gruesome injury.

 

 

[merylinkid]

You just know that Jonathan was devastated about the injury to his nephew.   He is such a sensitive guy and then have it be a family member.   

 

Yaaay Jake got a ship.   But remember what happened the last night he kept something from the Hansens.   Just tell them.   They support him.   

 

I totally would not have allowed the cameras into the delivery room.   The whole world does not have to see me in labor.   Hope she got compensated for that.

[HoodlumSheep]

It was a slower ep this week. Poor Johnathan, he can't seem to catch a break. Felt bad for the nephew. A crushed hand...the kid's poor father too (you could tell how he was excited to have both his kids onboard). Poor Axl too. Too bad no one warned him of never putting his hand where it could get crushed.

That Danny? guy just seems...very off-kilter to me. At first he reminded me of Freddie (with how into crab fishing he was), but then he pulled out the Cookie Monster.

I' shall call him Cookie Monster from here on out, because otherwise I won't remember who he is.

Interesting choice for Sig to take on that guy from the Saga.

Also, I actually got a little irritated with Jake this episode. He was getting quite impatient, with the whole "the baby's got to come right now" sort of mind set. I know captaining the Saga is a great opportunity, but c'mon.

Also, Jake, the sooner you tell Sig the better. I'm sure Sig's reaction will be fine though. I thought Sig handled it fine the last time. He kept it very professional. Either Jake's in or he's out, and if he's out then a quick handshake and a short goodbye/good luck is probably all there's gonna be (although breaking the news to Sig might be handled over the phone).

I don't know. And typical Elliot, rambling on about how the NW is holding Jake back and all the typical nonsense.

Edited June 10, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[breezy424]

It was terrible to see Phillip (I think that's his name) get hurt and you could see how upset his dad and Jon were...and the rest of the family.

 

That guy Danny (is that his name?) was a jerk and I can't believe nothing more was done when he went after Phillip.  I hope he gets kicked off the boat.

 

I still can't believe how immature Jake is.  He acts like a teenager.  I really don't think (and Sig said this on the Bait) he's ready emotionally to captain a boat.

 

Yay, Edgar is back.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Despite being schooled by his Dad and most probably his Uncle Johnathan, special snowflake Phillip decides HE will be the arbiter of his initiation to crabbing.  Sorry, dude.  It has never been that way and it will never be that way.  You earn respect first by shutting your yap and by taking it.  Now that you've seen your uncle's TH saying that it was on you to STFU, you better let go of your resentment for Danny.  Turns out that Danny's contempt for your ability was proven rather dramatically as you had no clue how to handle your position when you mangled your hand.  Amazing, that.

 

Neal's fatherly attempt to blame Danny's badgering as putting undue pressure on his boy was so much hooey.  Hey, Dad, maybe you should have been telling your son to stay in his spot until he was schooled on other jobs?  Maybe you should have been counseling him that he was just the billionth, give or take, greenhorn who had to go through the ritual abuse?  Was it OK by you when your son turned into a lawyer, demanding that the veteran explain his words?  Really?  

 

How hilarious was Wild Bill when he told the crew what they could do with their insistence that he drink the blood?  "Fuck you!  That's Bill for, 'No.'"  Awesome.

 

Poor Jake with yet another rock and hard place position.  A yooooooge opportunity for himself and his family to captain the Saga, or stay to witness the birth of his first child, which was, to borrow a phrase, "not medically indicated."  The baby and mama would be just fine without his medical background, right?  It was very obvious he was thrilled at the prospect of being at the birth.  He was not trying to get out of it.  No way.  But, this career chance was super rare.  Man.  This guy.  Absolutely nothing ever comes easy.  God bless him and his family!

Edited June 10, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[millennium]

Let's address the Elli-phant in the room: Elliott Neese is coming back.   You know it, I know it, Discovery knows it.   The whole "farewell to Captain Elliott" episode was just dramatic hype to suck in viewers and add a new chapter to the sorry-ass white trash soap opera that is Elliott.   The only question is when.

 

Jake's hand-wringing over possibly being late  for the ship was an insult to his wife and child.   The doctor said to him in the consultation, "You don't want to miss the most important day of your life."   And I thought, you're right, Doc.  But taking the ship is the most important day of his life, not this.  How many times was Elliott late reporting to the ship?  I lost count.  Would it have made that much of a difference if Jake was a little late?  I was embarrassed watching Jake's behavior during his wife's contractions, like he was waiting for her to give him permission to cut out (btw, what was with her earrings?)

 

That Danny guy?  Section 8.   What kind of whacko hits another guy out at sea when the other guy's father and brother are right there?  And when he's the nephew of the captain?   Shame on Jonathan Hillstrand for letting that happen on his ship.  That guy hit another crew member.   Has that ever happened on the show before?   I firmly believe Phil's hand-crushing accident was a direct result of the earlier confrontation.   I think Phil's mind was on Danny and his crazy puppet and what might happen next rather than focused on the job.   The situation reminded me of what happened on the Wizard a couple-few seasons ago when Freddy harassed a greenhorn and Keith stood back and let it happen.   It sickened me to see Danny gloating afterwards about how everything was working itself out.   The guy's dangerous.

Edited June 10, 2015 by millennium

[brgjoe]

Yeah, I get it that Johnathan would want his nephew to be treated like any other greenhorn -- to not have any special treatment and all that.  But that Crazy Cookie Monster Dude went over the line.  It's one thing to razz the kid.  It's another to slap him on deck like that.  If I were Captain Johnathan, I would have fired him on the spot for that.  You can't have that sort of crap going on at sea.  Surprised Neal himself didn't kick his butt after witnessing that.  Crazy Cookie Monster dude is trouble.  And I wouldn't be surprised if another "accident" happens while he's a part of that crew.

 

Glad to see Edgar return.  Hope he got that back fixed and he won't be in chronic pain anymore. 

 

Am glad to see Jake getting an opportunity to captain his own boat.  I do worry though about what he might be walking into over there on the Saga.  Then again, the crew might be so happy to get rid of Elliott that they would welcome Jake with open arms.  I guess we shall see.

[NEGirl]

This episode should have made almost everyone happy - no visible Elliott and lots of TB. That deck hand Danny was so f**ing crazy ! Johnathan was right, great back ground check by Andy. He probably  took whoever would work Christmas. John should have set him straight about his crazy behavior on deck, and told him to cut the crap or he was off the boat. I think Phillip got thrown off by the crazy behavior of the guy, which resulted in the injury. Phillip should not have to have taken the bullying from a crazy man.

Yes, there have been numerous fights before on deck:Dane and Freddy, Jake A. and Matt B.,etc.

 

God, I am so tired of Jake A's whining. What an embarassment for a then 34 year-old man. You only get to see your first child born once - that should be his first concern. He should have told Elliott his wife was in labor and he would let him know as soon as the baby was born. Glad the doctor refused to induce labor. It would not be the first time the Saga left a day or two late. I agree, I think Jake probably does fine. That crew of the Saga probably were thanking God they did not have Elliott as their captain.

Edited June 10, 2015 by NEGirl

[BusyOctober]

I felt bad for Jake's wife (Jenna??), but she better get used to be 2nd or 3rd on Jake's priority list.  Look at the relationship track record for most of the other captains.  Boat comes before family.  Since Sig & Edgar have managed to work out their marriages for the long term, I hope Jake can learn some of those skills from the Hansen's as well as his captaincy & fishing knowledge.  I know Jake put in years and time to do what he loves, but to be so disrespectful to his wife and child was out of line. Yes, plenty of women have delivered children without their partners being present. A soldier who is deployed is a valid reason.  Catching a plane to run a boat for that POS loser from the Saga is not a valid excuse for missing your kid's birth or skipping out on your wife who needs support.

 

The crew on the TB must have slept with one eye open the whole time Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs Chiu was on board.  That guy seemed as high as that POS loser  from the Saga.  Not that I'd ever be on a crab boat in the Bering Sea, but I couldn't last 10 minutes in that guy's presence.  He's unstable and annoying as hell with all his antics.  It's a working fishing vessel A- hole, not a parkour course. Keep your feet on the ground and stop leaping around like a Capuchin monkey chugging down Red Bull & meth cocktails.

 

Hope the Hillstrand kid's hand is OK. Yikes, what a mess.

[Linderhill]

 

You only get to see your first child born once - that should be his first concern. He should have told Elliott his wife was in labor and he would let him know as soon as the baby was born. Glad the doctor refused to induce labor. It would not be the first time the Saga left a day or two late. I agree, I think Jake probably does fine. That crew of the Saga probably were thanking God they did not have Elliott as their captain.

I kept waiting for Jake to tell Elliot that he was waiting for his kid's birth, etc.  But no, we've got to drag that tension out.  I really didn't see that offer coming from Elliot until I saw The Bait highlight.  If Jake goes thru with captaining the Saga, he'll see what a different animal that boat is compared to the Northwestern.

[SweePea59]

Let's address the Elli-phant in the room: Elliott Neese is coming back.   You know it, I know it, Discovery knows it.   The whole "farewell to Captain Elliott" episode was just dramatic hype to suck in viewers and add a new chapter to the sorry-ass white trash soap opera that is Elliott.   The only question is when.

Right? Jake is just taking the Saga out for one tour, not a new full-time permanent gig. Jake's leaving Sig in the lurch, but Edgar's back so the NW has an engineer. Elliot will be back on the Saga next season and Jake will be back on the NW, unless he stays on the Saga as a relief captain. But I really can't wait to see how Jake does with the Saga. And I don't know if it was just editing, but it looked like Jake really did not want to be in the delivery room at all.

 

As to the rest of the episode, I could have done without all the footage of vomit.

[AZChristian]

Several on this thread have mentioned the crew of the Saga.  IMHO, there IS no existing crew for the Saga.  If they didn't all jump ship as soon as it got back into port, they're crazy.  Mike Neese may have stayed to keep an eye on Elliott's investment, but surely the others took off and applied for safer ships.

 

If EN comes back, he'll have a hard time rounding up a crew until he's been clean and sober (not just 90%; it HAS to be 100%) for a significant amount of time.  If he can't get a crew, he can't make any money.  (Unlike Josh who seems to think that staying in port is a good way to make capital.)

 

It's funny . . . after watching last night's episode, Mr. AZC and I had completely different views of the baby scenario.  He thought that Jenna was telling Jake to go.  I thought she was telling him that she was having a baby RIGHT NOW and he could just wait until the baby came before he should even THINK about leaving Seattle. 

[kassa]

Yes, I remember in early days of the show Sig saying that choosing a wife from a fishing family was a major factor in being a fisherman and ending up with any kind of family life.  I suppose it's similar to the military that way -- it's a way of life and an outsider is going to have culture shock and that will increase the bad odds.  

 

I'm going to call shenanigans on the Jake/Saga thing -- I'm thinking he was hired to do one trip. to round out a few weeks until Elliott could get back in.  Hence Sig saying he was taking "this trip" off.  I suppose the best way of finding out (short of waiting for next week) is to see the real life timeline of when the child was born.  Did Sig give him time off for the baby, or was he giving him time off for both?  

 

I can buy that he was anxious about getting up to the Saga, but I don't really buy that he would keep it from Sig.  

 

Cookie Monster guy is a straight up psycho, and they all knew it.  We've seen a lot of kooky fishermen over the years, so that's saying something.  I think Johnathan was fooled at the beginning, but he knew (which is why he went from "whoa, that wild and crazy guy!" to a grim "I've got to get through this trip.")

 

I'm not quite clear what the heck Neil does on board.  Cook?  Because it seemed like pleasant enough weather out there.  No reason why he couldn't have personally been training his kid(s) and keeping order on deck, even if he did nothing physical and just acted like a coach.  Staying off camera can't be it -- Norm stayed off camera for 8 years.  He could have kept the kids (and cameramen) out of trouble, freeing the other deckhands to do their jobs without babysitting (or abusing) them.

 

On a completely shallow side, Neil has cleaned up a hell of a lot over the years, hasn't he?

Edited June 10, 2015 by kassa

[Neurochick]

I think Neil is the engineer, I think he's the baby of the family.  

Edited June 10, 2015 by Neurochick

[NEGirl]

Jake's baby was due on Jan.15th and was born on the 22nd. Saw this on a web site.

Yeah, Neal is the engineer and the youngest.

I think Jenna wanted Jake with her, but, it looked like her Mom was there too.

Edited June 10, 2015 by NEGirl

[Linderhill]

 

ake's baby was due on Jan.15th and was born on the 22nd. Saw this on a web site.

Yeah, Neal is the engineer and the youngest.

I think Jenna wanted Jake with her, but, it looked like her Mom was there too.

that makes all sorts of continuity wonky with the way the timeline is being shown.

[terrymct]

You just know that Jonathan was devastated about the injury to his nephew.   He is such a sensitive guy and then have it be a family member.   

 

 

Jonathan was a wee bit slow recognizing that his new deckhand is a psycho, though.

[thewhiteowl]

I know Jake is impatient as hell to be a Captain but he really does not have much experience, does he? I know I would need a truckload of disinfectant, condoms and spermicide before getting into bed with Idiott Neese as well as a healthy dose of caution and penicillin but Jake is too anxious and immature to use any of that.  IMO.

I also think hiring Jake is a shady decision and Idiott Neese  is looking for a scapegoat but I guess we will see.

[sigmaforce86]

I thought Jake A was skipping that entire trip with the NW because of the baby - figuring once the ship leaves port if the baby is born they're not going to come back to pick him up and join halfway through.  If so he was free and could take the Saga job.  Unless I heard wrong or the timeline is off - and with him putting up a Christmas tree at the start of the episode but the baby wasn't born until 1/22 it sounds more like Discovery played it a little loose with the timeline editing

 

Jonathan was in a tough spot - hitting another crewmember is usually automatic firing, but you can't fire someone in the middle of the ocean and even if (to borrow a movie line) "the guys cheese done slipped off his cracker" he'd have to sort of coddle him along until the trip is done.  Unless he was a complete danger to himself and the crew.  I suppose they could have dumped him when they brought Phil in for medical help but if port doesn't have anyone they could have hired it would have left them two men down.   Has the Coast Guard ever removed someone from a fishing vessle in a straight jacket?  If not Cookie Monster man could easily be the first.

 

 

I know I would need a truckload of disinfectant, condoms and spermicide before getting into bed with Idiott Neese as well as a healthy dose of caution and penicillin

Edited to add - forget getting into bed; I'd want all that before I'd sit in his captain chair or touch anything in that wheelhouse!

Edited June 10, 2015 by sigmaforce86

[kassa]

I also think hiring Jake is a shady decision and Idiott Neese  is looking for a scapegoat but I guess we will see.

 

 

My guess is that it went this way -- Elliott is out, promises to complete 60 or 90 days of rehab in order to get back in the captain's seat/satisfy his insurers.  That leaves the Saga's other owners with a decision to make -- who drives the boat in the meantime?  The show informs them that if they'll take a chance on Jake, they will be able to retain the fuel subsidy that the boats get for allowing filming.  They might kick in a relief captain to sweeten the pot in case he's in over his head.

 

It would be a stupid decision to turn down free fuel for the season if you're struggling, as I'm sure they are, as a new business.

[clod]

I doubt the cameras will be on the Saga with Jake.     Too much chance that the captain will return.    I wonder if cameras are a factor to Jake?

 

Jake missed a trip because of the baby coming.     If he misses another trip because he took a job on the Saga, I think his spot on the NW will be gone for good.

Edited June 10, 2015 by clod

[Lonesome Rhodes]

It wasn't "just a day or two."  It was potentially a week.  Canneries don't cotton to that kind of delay/uncertainty.  The chance to be a captain for even a single season on a crabber is ridiculously precious and rare.  The baby's future was not affected in any manner whatsoever by his missing the birth.  Blowing a career opportunity, such as the one right in front of his father, absolutely would.

 

If Phillip had done what his uncle and dad had taught him, which was to STFU and just take it, the slap, as it occurred, would never have happened.  Danny may have later pulled a stunt like that, but Phillip was a plain fool to challenge him.

 

Johnathan was loving life when he saw the energy and experience that Danny was bringing.  He was pissed that his greenhorn was not appropriately deferential.  I've seen far worse verbal abuse towards greenhorns on this show in the past.  Who told Phillip that he had any say in judging his work on deck?   Nobody, that's who.  Yet, he felt entitled to do just that.  He has never learned that it is not the name you are given, it is the name you make, that counts.  Right, Josh?

[Neurochick]

I thought Elliot didn't want the cameras on his boat.  Or was he strung out when he said that?

[SweePea59]

I think we'll get to see Jake A. on the Saga. I'd bet Disco worked something out. And probably to Elliot's advantage! Obviously plenty of people want to see Jake redeem himself after the Kiska Sea. This is a big human interest story. 

 

And then Elliot will have to borrow Sig's crowbar to get Jake out of the Saga's captain's seat!

[walnutqueen]

Well, if Elliot was truly done with Disco forever like he promised us all, he wouldn't have allowed them to record his phone conversation with Jake, now, would he?  :-)

[millennium]

Mike Rowe's Christmas-laden narration wore thin pretty quickly.   And he didn't even say the one thing I was hoping to hear:

 

"Dutch Harbor.   After a two-week stint as the world's worst mall Santa, Wild Bill Wichrowski returns to the wheelhouse of the Cape Caution ..."

[AZChristian]

Well, if Elliot was truly done with Disco forever like he promised us all, he wouldn't have allowed them to record his phone conversation with Jake, now, would he?  :-)

I'd imagine that the contract between Elliott and Disco heavily favors Disco.  Since Elliott can't even drive the boat right now, he may not want to deal with a lawsuit from Disco and/or having to give Disco back some of the money they've already given him.  Besides, if there's even a SCINTILLA of a chance that Disco would go back on the Saga with Elliott in the chair, Elliott has to play nice.

 

Not that he's smart enough to figure all of that out, but maybe his business partners (or whoever holds the note on the Saga) didn't give him any options.

[MelinaBallerina]

I am a little confused with the Time Bandit - I thought Andy had the boat for Opies and Jonathan for Kings.  So why is Jonathan taking the boat out for Opies??

[RustbeltWriter]

There's being hazed and then there's being assaulted. If Danny couldn't accept Phillip standing up to him he should have backed down and just done his job, which is fishing, not hazing the new guys. I think Jonathon talks a good game about being tough but all I saw was him sitting on the sidelines until his nephew was hurt. He should have fired Cookie Monster as soon as he laid hands on Phillip. There's no place for that anywhere..

[NEGirl]

Russell Belt -I agree. Danny is crazy as hell. I think Johnathan did not fire him because he had no one else to work during Christmas. Looks like it will come back to haunt him tonight.