S04.E05: The Freak Comes Out at Night

[OnceSane]

Quote

Sierra makes a decision after a tense night with Ben; a new crew member joins Valor and takes an immediate shine to one of the stewardesses, Nico continues to pursue Emily, but his efforts may cost him his friendship with Lauren.

[rho]

Oh no! Please don't let it be a Lauren-Nico-Emily-distant Kelley love trapezoid :(

[Trooper York]

This is a ominous title. What could it mean? Who is the freak? Does it refer to a weird sexual hook up by some of the crew? Is Captain Lee a Werewolf? His hair is perfect.

[fifty8th]

Does the new deck hand look like the Steve Rogers before he became Captain America in the first movie with a beard to anyone else?

[RedHawk]

On 10/2/2016 at 6:08 PM, Trooper York said:

This is a ominous title. What could it mean? Who is the freak? Does it refer to a weird sexual hook up by some of the crew? Is Captain Lee a Werewolf? His hair is perfect.

In the season previews we saw a male castmember walking away (being escorted on shore) from camera apparently inebriated and pants-less -- could it be Ben letting it all hang out?

[bosawks]

"I'm pretty thick skinned as long as I'm surrounded by positivity."

Me too!  As long as you insult me by complimenting me we're all good.

[TexasGal]

^^Me three!  I'm super tough as long as everything is going my way!

Wow, that really is a heck of an accent on the new deckhand.

[annewithaneee]

For a second, I was thinking Kelley was being admirably sly as hell with Emily, explaining that Lauren was upset because Nico has a girlfriend, not that Nico is unattached-ish and has a thing for Emily. It was a pretty calculated move to not clue Emily in that Nico was feeling her, while also disqualifying Nico from the competition. But then he had to blurt out that "girls catch feelings" and that's why you have to be careful when working with them*, and it looks like he's going to dare to give Lee guff next episode. He might be sliding down in my estimation a bit. It was still a sly move, but I'm not sure I like him for it.

I'm sure that he's going to be an unmitigated disaster, but the new guy is way more my speed than clean-cut, waxed bro Kelley. I like them a little dirtbaggy with a few extra lbs and a functioning sense of humor. The little tidbit about his daughter got me, I think, as well as having a working class accent so unintelligible that he needs subtitles. 

I feel for Lauren. I think we've all been there, when a friendship and a crush are growing simultaneously and you feel blindsided by the clear unrequited-ness of it. You end up feeling embarrassed to be around the person, period, and you could tell she really didn't want her reactions on camera. I think she handled it well.

Emily's my favorite of the new bunch so far. I think the way she handled Nico's apology was perfect. She accepted it, but she reiterated why his behavior was unacceptable. Didn't love how she said "as a female" earlier in the hour, that's a pet peeve of mine, but otherwise she seems great. I feel like Sierra's teetering on the edge of sanity, but I'm glad that so far Kate has two cheerful, eager stews. She deserves that after putting in multiple seasons on the show. It's a better showcase for her chief stew abilities, which I think are pretty solid, just harder to tell when she's on 24/7 Rocky-wrangling duty.

*I hate these kind of generalizations, and it's extra gross when the gender ratios seem to be so lopsided for exterior crew. News flash: men and women can be friends and colleagues with no problem. Maybe not on Below Deck where there's a requirement for love rhombuses and as much grainy footage/faint audio of sweaty hookups as possible, but in life this isn't nearly as big of an issue to warrant a sweeping generalization. 

[Nanu160]

Emily has awesome hair. Sierra is really beautiful.

Ben is my Best Friend in My Head

[McManda]

Nico's reaction of pure horror to the chest/back waxing was pretty great. 

"Girls catch feelings"? Dude, is this 1854? Also ... the implication is that guys don't, which makes Kelley look like a douchebag. 

Sierra does look like she's hanging on the edge of sanity and could snap at any second. 

I kind of love that Ben is still annoyed with Kate dating Ro. Not because Kate is dating a woman, but because Kate is dating at all. His frustration amuses the heck out of me.

Is the playpen pool this season's slide? Also, is the playpen pool worth it? Are there that many things in water to be wary of to warrant creating a sealife-free zone?

[breezy424]

This episode was a bit meh for me.  I guess I don't enjoy these guys' egos when it comes to women.  That would include some of the guests and deckhands. 

I still really like Emily.  And it's fun to watch Ben and Kate kid around with each other.

[ketose]

45 minutes ago, McManda said:

Nico's reaction of pure horror to the chest/back waxing was pretty great. 

"Girls catch feelings"? Dude, is this 1854? Also ... the implication is that guys don't, which makes Kelley look like a douchebag. 

Sierra does look like she's hanging on the edge of sanity and could snap at any second. 

I kind of love that Ben is still annoyed with Kate dating Ro. Not because Kate is dating a woman, but because Kate is dating at all. His frustration amuses the heck out of me.

Is the playpen pool this season's slide? Also, is the playpen pool worth it? Are there that many things in water to be wary of to warrant creating a sealife-free zone?

It may be old-fashioned to say girls catch feelings, but Kelley got a lot of shit for falling for a girl before. it's not exactly a level playing field.

Emily seems to have very versatile hair. I have to say, I'm kind of digging her, too. At least Alaska face has an admirer now.

Nico freako. That made it to the reunion reel.

[Nanu160]

 there  is truthiness in Girls catch feelings. Lets be real

[ivygirl]

Pop Quiz! 

"Alaskan Face" describes an appearance or demeanor that is:

a) Bearded, grizzled, and windburned--perhaps bear like

b) Cold, rigid, and uninviting

c) Nordic and smiley

 

Still not getting all the guys' hype over Emily. She seems like a nice enough girl, good at her job, but she looks 16 so I'm still trying to figure out why the guys are slobbering all over her. 

Speaking of, Nico is messier than I thought. 

[Adultosaurus]

I only have to love Kelley for how he looks vs. the shit he says..so yay.  Nico is a boychild and Sierra (whose real name is probably Jennifer or Madison) is a bit of a non-starter so far...surely they will pair her with Ben or Kyle next episode which is what results in her "I feel so used" clip from the season preview.

[biakbiak]

"Single like a pringle," makes no sense. Pringles are clearly the most polyamorous of chips.

Are we sure that one dude isn't part werewolf? 

Quote

Didn't love how she said "as a female" earlier in the hour, that's a pet peeve of mine, 

The use of the word female bothers you? She was commenting on the sort of harassment females or women face. It wasn't like a douche bro using "females" as an insult.

[mbaywife123]

This is driving me crazy.....

Food impossible girl I know I have seen her on film before, WHERE??

[ilovetrashtv]

I kind of felt bad for Lauren, because she showed up looking frumpy and Emily looked adorable... but then I was more just embarrassed for her because she made such a scene. She should have played it cool and drank with everyone else. 

[Adultosaurus]

Has anyone else noticed a UK accent that creeps up with Nico?  I know he's Chicago, etc....but every once in awhile his use of Twat and clipping his verbs makes me wonder if he has some extra influence.  

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I like Emily, but her hair looks way too yellow and brassy to me. Perhaps a different shade of blonde? Lighter eyebrows? Less hipster glasses?

 

Also, mojitos are the best. 

[Adultosaurus]

32 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

 

You "like Emily" - but then you dis her on everything...so what about her makes you "like" her?

[annewithaneee]

44 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The use of the word female bothers you? She was commenting on the sort of harassment females or women face. It wasn't like a douche bro using "females" as an insult.

Not a fan of anyone saying "a female". Yes, there are much more offensive ways of using it, but just say woman. I don't remember her sentence verbatim but it was something like "as a female, I don't like it when a man...". I keyed in on the disconnect between female and man/men. Using it as a noun like that grates me even in an innocuous context, which is why I labeled it as a pet peeve. Not always rational, just triggers my metaphorical gag reflex.

[rho]

1 hour ago, ilovetrashtv said:

I kind of felt bad for Lauren, because she showed up looking frumpy and Emily looked adorable... but then I was more just embarrassed for her because she made such a scene. She should have played it cool and drank with everyone else. 

Yikes! I was totally feeling that secondhand embarrassment. We've seen hints of her crush on Nico but I really hope the editing downplayed it because her reaction had me cringing. I hope she snaps out of it quickly because I like Lauren and her witticisms. Not so much a fan of the mopy unrequited love thing. 

49 minutes ago, Adultosaurus said:

Has anyone else noticed a UK accent that creeps up with Nico?  I know he's Chicago, etc....but every once in awhile his use of Twat and clipping his verbs makes me wonder if he has some extra influence.  

I noticed it too. I can't tell if he's picked up some affectation from hanging around the Bens and Emilys of the yachting world. But then sometimes he says dumb shit like "brah" which just sounds like poser surfer lingo. Either way, he's a drunk sleaze and I'm super happy all the girls shut down his advances.

[candall]

Without ringlets or glasses, I have trouble telling Emily from Sierra.

[trimthatfat]

Ugh, I know what it is to have a crush on someone and have it not returned. I really felt for Lauren. I'm sure she was hurt and embarrassed and it didn't help that she asked to be alone, but Kelley and Nico wouldn't let her be by herself.

I think Sierra is cute, but the hair is a big no. The color is awful, IMO.

[Sai]

6 hours ago, ilovetrashtv said:

I kind of felt bad for Lauren, because she showed up looking frumpy and Emily looked adorable... but then I was more just embarrassed for her because she made such a scene. She should have played it cool and drank with everyone else. 

I lost more respect for Lauren than I did for Nico.  Nico never said to her that he liked her more than a friend and Lauren never told him that she liked him more than a friend.  How was he to know?  He never led her on leading to her acting like he was cheating on her.  Her reaction was real high school, IMO.  I'm sure if she had told him she was starting to get feelings for him he would have told her he appreciated their friendship but didn't have the same feeling and he probably wouldn't have flirted with Emily so openly.  He was a bit of a horn dog last night but he was drunk.  He didn't go overboard.  Neither Sierra or Emily were angry with him.  He apologized immediately the next day.  He seems like a nice guy most of the time, unlike Trevor who was a total dick ALL THE TIME.

I like Kate.  She's quick witted and comes up with some great one liners.  She's funny.  I really like Kate and Ben together.  I wish they would hook up for real.  You can tell they like each other.  Even when they bicker they quickly make up and keep moving forward.  Neither one of them dwell on the argument.  I love people like that.

Kate laminating the back hair......eeewwww!!!  But it was funny.  My brother once laminated a fly.  It was bugging him all morning at work and when he was finally able to swat it he laminated it and wrote on it, you'll never bother anyone again.  People laminate some weird shit man, lol!!!  That's alright though.  I hate flies.  They'll walk around on a piece of dog shit and then come sit on your hamburger.  NASTY!

[ghoulina]

Well, thank goodness those awful charter guests are gone. I really feel for the crew on that one. I think I'd be traumatized, having to watch a pair of sasquatches get their hair waxed and being asked to show my "V". What is WRONG with those dudes??? 

The next group seems a lot easier to handle, even if the daughters look like they're the type to drink a lot and try too hard to be witty and irreverent. Still light years away from the last pack. 

Well, Nico really gets around, doesn't he? Tries to kiss two of the strews and apparently has a something going on back home? (Way to throw your bud under the deck, Kelley!) I bet he definitely lost Emily's interest by making her feel like just one of many. 

I do feel for Lauren, though. I really do. Granted, Nico did technically nothing wrong to her and she acted like a bit of a brat. But I've been there. I've been the best friend of the guy, who falls for anyone but me. It sucks. But Nico can't help who he likes and he does seem to genuinely care about her feelings. I was glad to see she simmered down and patched things up with him in the end. 

The new guy seems interesting. I found him a bit funny, and enjoyed the fact that even Ben couldn't understand him. But he seems like a hard worker, even if he doesn't have much experience. Hopefully the crew drama can be kept to a minimum. 

[ghoulina]

8 hours ago, Nanu160 said:

 there  is truthiness in Girls catch feelings. Lets be real

Obviously everyone is different and blanket statements are never good, but - from my experience - girls find getting really close to a dude to be a pathway to something more. And the guys often find that getting really close to a girl SHUTS OFF the possibility of something more. I think Nico and Lauren bonded so instantly and for her it was like, "We're so much alike. This is awesome. I think I'm starting to fall for him". But for Nico it was like, "We're so much alike, this is awesome. It's like having my sister/best friend on the boat. I know I can trust her and have fun with her". 

When I was younger, I would always fall for my close guy friends, because we had so much in common. We liked the same music, loved to read, were dark and cynical. But they would keep falling for these bright, peppy girls that went to church or danced ballet and were nothing like us. It baffled me. I LOVED how alike we were. But one of those male friends explained to me that he thought this particular girl's "goodness" would bring out some good in him. 

So maybe men and women just look for different things in a relationship. I don't know. I do see how saying "girls catch feelings" is kind of a sweeping generalization and could offensive to some. But I wasn't really bothered by it, because I don't think that statement came out of thin air. And I don't think Kelley meant anything disparaging by it. Women tend to lead with their hearts, and men with their willies. This isn't a scientific fact or anything. It doesn't happen all the time. But we are wired differently. 

8 hours ago, ivygirl said:

Still not getting all the guys' hype over Emily. She seems like a nice enough girl, good at her job, but she looks 16 so I'm still trying to figure out why the guys are slobbering all over her. 

Personally (as a straight woman), I think Emily is "cute", but that's about it. But there's no accounting for taste. Everyone has different taste. And I actually find it quite refreshing that they're not going for the obvious "beauty" (IMO), that is Sierra - with her big smile and curvier body. I LIKE that two of the guys on the ship are into the quirkier girl with the glasses and boyish frame. Maybe they like her personality? 

 

6 hours ago, rho said:

I noticed it too. I can't tell if he's picked up some affectation from hanging around the Bens and Emilys of the yachting world. But then sometimes he says dumb shit like "brah" which just sounds like poser surfer lingo. Either way, he's a drunk sleaze and I'm super happy all the girls shut down his advances.

Some people are really susceptible to accents. I'm one of them. It's not conscious at all, but I will quickly adapt the accent of people I'm around, or where I'm living. I was born in the midwest and lived there until I was 14, but then spent about 10 years in the south (FL, GA, and NC). I had a pretty strong southern accent when I left, which I've since lost, but it will really come out if southern friends come to visit. We once had friends from AUS stay with us for 2 weeks and you should have heard me by the end of that trip! I don't mean to do it, really, it just happens. 

[pieinmyeye]

I thought hair shirts went out with the Middle Ages.

[Primetimer]

Love or something like it's in the air, and a new Dick's in the bottom spot.

View the full article

[rehoboth]

I want to thank Ben for saying that even he could not understand everything that Kyle was saying.  I pride myself at being very good never having a problem with accents but I could not get everything that Kyle said.  It's not me, it's you. ;-D

I find the love triangle/trapezoid/rhombuses to be the least interesting thing about this show.

(Previously TV, I think Kyle had worked on a trawler.)

Edited October 5, 2016 by rehoboth

[annewithaneee]

16 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

7 hours ago, rho said:

I noticed it too. I can't tell if he's picked up some affectation from hanging around the Bens and Emilys of the yachting world. But then sometimes he says dumb shit like "brah" which just sounds like poser surfer lingo. Either way, he's a drunk sleaze and I'm super happy all the girls shut down his advances.

Some people are really susceptible to accents. I'm one of them. It's not conscious at all, but I will quickly adapt the accent of people I'm around, or where I'm living. I was born in the midwest and lived there until I was 14, but then spent about 10 years in the south (FL, GA, and NC). I had a pretty strong southern accent when I left, which I've since lost, but it will really come out if southern friends come to visit. We once had friends from AUS stay with us for 2 weeks and you should have heard me by the end of that trip! I don't mean to do it, really, it just happens. 

Yeah this is totally a thing! I've struggled with speech my whole life - I was in speech therapy throughout elementary school for not saying my vowels correctly, got that more or less fixed, then got a whole bunch of orthodontia and started sounding vaguely Canadian for a few years even after the various braces and appliances were removed - and for me personally I think that influences my adaptive accent. I'm not naturally as good at controlling my sounds. I'm a Hoosier, but I never had anything like a classic Midwest accent until I had a best friend/roommmate from Chicago for a couple years. I almost immediately drifted into a "da Bears" dialect, and it's basically still there, but blended just enough around the edges that people ask me where I'm from and give me the side-eye when I explain I'm from here. I don't even say my first name 'correctly'. I pronounce Anne like "Ian", basically, which was fun when I worked a call center job. People seemed to just accept that they were talking to a demented Chicago lady named Ian.

That said, I only noticed Nico doing this when he chucked himself headlong at Emily in her bunk. I think he was drunk and was maybe trying to imitate her, or his sexy voice got accidentally British? Maybe he's done it at other times and I missed it, but I thought it was funny and a bit endearing.

[pasdetrois]

I love the northern English accents - am looking forward to trying to decipher every week.

How do yachts handle drinking ages while cruising around in different geographic locations? A couple of the latest guests seem underage (by US standards).

[ryebread]

9 hours ago, ivygirl said:

Speaking of, Nico is messier than I thought. 

Yeah. I agree.  I noticed it for the first time last week when they were on the jitney back to the boat and he told Trevor that he was going to make him lick his nuts.  Ick.  It would have been classier if you'd just kicked his ass.

Freako Nico.  If the Sperry Topsider fits....

[Neurochick]

9 hours ago, ivygirl said:

Still not getting all the guys' hype over Emily. She seems like a nice enough girl, good at her job, but she looks 16 so I'm still trying to figure out why the guys are slobbering all over her. 

Thank you.  To me Emily looks like a thirteen year old with bad teeth, all she needs is the school uniform and braces.

[HunterHunted]

2 hours ago, trimthatfat said:

Ugh, I know what it is to have a crush on someone and have it not returned. I really felt for Lauren. I'm sure she was hurt and embarrassed and it didn't help that she asked to be alone, but Kelley and Nico wouldn't let her be by herself.

I think Sierra is cute, but the hair is a big no. The color is awful, IMO.

I think a lot of people can empathize with Lauren. She just needed some time alone to process her feelings and reevaluate why she thought that Nico had reciprocal feelings. Unfortunately, I've found that men like to solve problems. Both Kelley and Nico saw that she was upset and tried to fix Lauren's problem. If Lauren was a little closer to the other women, they would have realized that Lauren needed some time to think about her feelings and mourn.

I also want to contrast how Lauren dealt with her rejection with how Bryan and Bobby of Below Deck: Mediterranean dealt with theirs. Bryan became an abusive jackass and started lying about him rejecting Tiffany. Bobby started complaining and accusing Jules of making him fall for her. Lauren just wanted time to herself and to not bring the mood down.

I think part of the reason that all of the guys have decided that Emily is the lust object is because they've all realized that Sierra is really dumb. Really very dumb.

I thought that Kelley telling Emily that Nico had a girlfriend was sneaky and low down. I actually rewatched other episodes where Nico talks about his "friend" in Chicago. He's been clear that it's early in the relationship to call them anything. 

[candall]

It's interesting to have the woman in a mixed gender friendship engage the wrong gear. 

Several posters have mentioned relating to that situation, but it would be more typical, on Below Deck, to have the guy wake up one day and confide to the camera his realization:  "Hey, I wouldn't mind hitting that."

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

Well, thank goodness those awful charter guests are gone. I really feel for the crew on that one. I think I'd be traumatized, having to watch a pair of sasquatches get their hair waxed and being asked to show my "V". What is WRONG with those dudes??? 

 

I really wonder why the main guest (who seemed like a decent sort -- certainly showed no signs of being a jerk) is hanging around with that group.

[ivygirl]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

Personally (as a straight woman), I think Emily is "cute", but that's about it. But there's no accounting for taste. Everyone has different taste. And I actually find it quite refreshing that they're not going for the obvious "beauty" (IMO), that is Sierra - with her big smile and curvier body. I LIKE that two of the guys on the ship are into the quirkier girl with the glasses and boyish frame. Maybe they like her personality? 

Oh totally... Different strokes and all. It's just a disconnect *for me* as I watch from home. Not used to seeing a girl who looks like her--which is to say, very young looking and not drop-dead gorgeous or even superficially "sexy"--(playfully) fought over... And she probably has a vibe in person that you don't pick up from TV, which plays into it as well. 

[ryebread]

19 minutes ago, dleighg said:

I really wonder why the main guest (who seemed like a decent sort -- certainly showed no signs of being a jerk) is hanging around with that group.

I think Mr. Chow is the head zookeeper.  Something is sketchy about their business dealings.  The jerks he travels with are the animals in the zoo.  He rewards them handsomely for performing whatever sketchy tricks they do to make him money. 

Mr. Chow probably isn't that decent at all.  He's just a less crass, craftier version of the others.

On a lighter note, I LMAO when the deckhands said that when the 2 sasquatches were doing push-ups, they looked like humping walruses.  And then imitated them.

[FanOfTheFans]

10 hours ago, Adultosaurus said:

Has anyone else noticed a UK accent that creeps up with Nico?  I know he's Chicago, etc....but every once in awhile his use of Twat and clipping his verbs makes me wonder if he has some extra influence.  

Yes, I noticed that last night. 

[Thumper]

10 hours ago, ilovetrashtv said:

I kind of felt bad for Lauren, because she showed up looking frumpy and Emily looked adorable... but then I was more just embarrassed for her because she made such a scene. She should have played it cool and drank with everyone else. 

Funny.  I thought Lauren looked kind of "boho relaxed" and Emily (who I also like) looked a little "trying too hard."   But then I am old and never had a figure for the skimpy.

What does "girls catch feelings" even mean???  

I love Captain Lee.

[Adultosaurus]

The drinking age in BVI is 18 but I think it's generally accepted 18 overall once you are in International waters.  I MAY have been really shitfaced (stupidly) on a senior cruise in high school ;)

[ryebread]

Kate and her frazzled hair, can have a seat with the, "Finally. I get 2 sweet, complacent stews so now I can be nice. So, yes, my pissants, by all means have a swim."

I watched a bit of season 2 yesterday and she was a HOSEBEAST to Amy - who appears to be as sweet as can be.  And Kate was as dismissive and awful as I'm sure she is in real life.

She actually said to Amy, "I already tried to be nice to you.  I don't want to anymore."  And when Amy was struggling with her work load Kate said,  "If you were nicer, I'd help you.   But you weren't."  LOL. Can someone fill me in on what Amy did that was so awful?

Darlin', being a yachtie isn't why you can't stay in a relationship. I think your unpleasant personality has a lot to do with it.

[ryebread]

17 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I love Captain Lee.

I can't decide about Lee. I'm waiting for his rose colored glasses to come off about Kate.  He made some remarks to the press after she was arrested (the last time) that he was disappointed but he would wait to see the outcome.  Two stories and all that. 

His one liners and facial expressions make me laugh.  He needs to stay looking sharp wearing uniforms, though, because his attire at step and repeats needs work.

Edited October 5, 2016 by ryebread

[Adultosaurus]

I am SO glad other people are watching this and want to chat about it - my "people" think this is a bridge too far and won't venture down below the likes of Real Housewives of Wherever.  :)

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, Adultosaurus said:

won't venture down below the likes of Real Housewives of Wherever.  :)

do some think this is lower class than RH? I *will not* watch any of those because it just seems to be people yelling at each other and getting drunk. Here you've got the getting drunk but combined with making fun of charter guests :) 

[Adultosaurus]

1 minute ago, dleighg said:

do some think this is lower class than RH? I *will not* watch any of those because it just seems to be people yelling at each other and getting drunk. Here you've got the getting drunk but combined with making fun of charter guests :) 

I figure there's always something scraping the bottom (Love at First Kiss, 90-Day Fiancee for examples) - but there's no shame in my game...I love me some trash tv.

[Uncle Benzene]

1 hour ago, HunterHunted said:

I thought that Kelley telling Emily that Nico had a girlfriend was sneaky and low down. I actually rewatched other episodes where Nico talks about his "friend" in Chicago. He's been clear that it's early in the relationship to call them anything. 

Dirty pool, absolutely. Especially given that Kelley really doesn't know what he's even talking about (based on what we've been shown, anyway.) But even regardless of that, he intentionally (IMHO) mischaracterized "the deal with Lauren" so that he could slip that little piece of "information" in there. Not cool, Kelley. Pretty shitty, in fact. And I hope Nico calls him out on it. I'd hate for it to sour what seems to be a really pleasant working relationship between the two of them (and among all the current deckhands, for that matter) but I really don't want Kelley to skate on that.

And "girls catch feelings" is particularly rich coming from Cryin' Kelley. It's a shame, because until now, I was really getting the impression that Kelley has gotten his shit together for the most part. And I guess I still do think that, but he sure does still have some really lame attitudes about anything and everything related to dating/relationships/etc.

Meantime, I hope we've seen the last of "Freako" but I do respect Nico for being supremely self-aware about it, and I don't think he seems particularly proud of it. Seems to me he realizes that it's one of those aspects of his personality that occasionally seems like a good idea at the time, when he's lubed up and feeling particularly confident, and sometimes the results are positive, but it's just as likely to lead to some spectacular crash-and-burn situations and regrets the next day. Been there, I get it. But he gets points from me for being honest about it.

I'm 100% giving Lauren a "pass" (not that she needs one, especially from some guy on the internet) but again, been there. I agree that there was "nothing wrong" with Nico trying to slide up next to Emily, and I also think he'd have been a lot more discreet about it if he had had any inkling about what was in Lauren's head at the time. He's a nice guy, and he clearly respects and really likes Lauren (also, I've got a hunch we haven't nearly seen the end of the Nico/Lauren stuff... I think he's gonna change his mind at some point.) But he didn't know. That doesn't really matter though when you're on the wrong end of that. Perhaps Lauren shouldn't have been blindsided by it, but she clearly was. And in that moment, it's next to impossible to not at the very least be in a bad mood for a while. Which I think is all it really was. And you damn sure don't want to have to sit there and helplessly watch it play out. So, yeah, I get it. I guess it came off as "high school" to some, and I guess I get that too, but hell, isn't Lauren in her mid-20s? I had embarrassingly little chill about stuff like that well into my 30s.

And of course, yet again, Ben does what Ben does. Smooths it all over with a non-apology apology while basically letting himself off the hook for his part in the drama. On the other hand, I think a big part of the reason he repeatedly gets away with that is because people just can't help but to instinctively understand that he really didn't, and doesn't, mean to hurt anybody's feelings. He's got a good heart, and genuinely does regret it when his demeanor in the galley rubs someone the wrong way. I just still wish he'd own it though, for once, as opposed to skating past it all the time (except with Kate.)

And, just for old time's sake, FUCK YOU TREVOR!

[ryebread]

3 minutes ago, Adultosaurus said:

I am SO glad other people are watching this and want to chat about it - my "people" think this is a bridge too far and won't venture down below the likes of Real Housewives of Wherever.  :)

That's funny because my husband will get up and leave the room when I have the Housewives on. 

But Below Deck he will tolerate.  He likes boats.  Last week he made me look up how many feet are in a 'shot' of anchor chain because he heard Lee call out "Gimme three shots."  Ninety to a shot, btw.

I wish more people watched and would chat about it, too.