S14.E15: Greenhorn Overboard

[thewhiteowl]

2018.07.31

A greenhorn's life hangs in the balance as the crew of the Summer Bay scrambles to rescue one of their own.

[kassygreene]

The Disco link is finally up here, if you miss the broadcast.

The captain, crew, and most especially the greenhorn of the Summer Bay are seriously lucky BAMFs.  For all the screwing around and attitude that makes it to the final edit of most episodes, this was straight up professional.

[walnutqueen]

14 hours ago, kassygreene said:

The Disco link is finally up here, if you miss the broadcast.

The captain, crew, and most especially the greenhorn of the Summer Bay are seriously lucky BAMFs.  For all the screwing around and attitude that makes it to the final edit of most episodes, this was straight up professional.

Yes, it was lucky the kid managed to grab that buoy and hang on for dear life as well.  The quick response by the crew was a testament to why safety drills are so important - they knew exactly what to do, and how to do it.

[kassa]

I've had my issues with Bill, but even knowing the kid would be all right, my heart went out to him.  He was utterly destroyed.  They said they got him back in 2 minutes or something but it must have felt like hours.  Every man on that boat probably still has nightmares.

[estellasmum]

I've had my issues with Bill, too (I believe he would trade Nick for Zach as his son in a split second), but kudos his crew. I was really impressed with how (relatively) calm, speedy, professional and encouraging they were as soon as Spencer hit the water. There was definitely luck involved, but a lot of skill in that rescue. That being said, my daughter echoed exactly what I was thinking when she said that he was lucky he wasn't on Jake or Josh's boat, because she doesn't know if they would be able to get him out.

[kassa]

Possibly stupid question... why don't they keep a life ring to the right of the launcher, or on the sorting table? 2-3 times we 've seen people go over and the crew has to run in the opposite direction to get it, then run back to throw it. 

[kassygreene]

Probably too exposed to the elements, and therefore it could be knocked loose and washed away, or even just degrade from the more direct exposure to saltwater.  The Saga took a wave earlier that knocked the coiler off its bolts - water is heavy (you can fire a bullet into a bucket full of water, and it won't penetrate the bottom - so a cop once told me), and waves are moving at high velocity.  And also you would want clear access - the area at the whatsis that pulls up the pots  is where this happened, and there is a lot of stuff there - hooking the ring on something would be easy.

Also, people can go overboard from any point, so central is best.

I'm just free-associating here; I'm sure there are good nautical reasons and Coast Guard regulations.

[Neurochick]

The thing about Bill is, I've always had a sense that what you see is what you get when it comes to Bill.  He's not like Josh Harris who is trying to be something he's not. 

I think Bill is closer to Nick than Zach, which is fine because I don't think Bill was much of a dad to Zach when he was growing up.  But I remember last season, how Bill took Nick to rehab when he could have just fired him for being high.  I think there are three other crewmen on the Summer Bay who are sober.

[AZChristian]

2 hours ago, estellasmum said:

. . .  he was lucky he wasn't on Jake or Josh's boat, because she doesn't know if they would be able to get him out.

Jake would still be sitting in the captain's chair screaming, "Oh my God! I gotta call Sig so he can tell me what to do!"

Josh would be looking into the camera, talking about what the old man would do in this situation. Then the camera would cut to the Phil shrine picture.

[toodywoody]

Holy balls. Bill looked to be in tears.  So lucky to be on Bill's boat. I know others don't like him but I have always liked him because he is the way he is. They all piss me off from time to time but I like the older captains the best because they have seen some shit.

[meep.meep]

I don't watch the show very often but managed to catch this.  Holy balls indeed!  Wild Bill aged 20 years in 5 seconds.

So this has to be what Discovery has been silently hoping for all these years - a successful rescue caught on camera.

[Libby]

Years ago, a man went overboard on a boat that only was on the show for one season. I think that it was the first season of the show.

That too was a successful rescue. I think that that captain handled the situation much better than Bill. He calmly told his crew, over the radio, what to do, step by step. He was extremely calm, soothing, and steady.

I like Bill. However, I don't think that he handled the situation particularly well. He just screamed at the crew to get the man out of the water. Then he just stood in the wheelhouse shook up and frozen.

I thought that the crew performed well. I don't think that the captain did.

[terrymct]

14 hours ago, Libby said:

Years ago, a man went overboard on a boat that only was on the show for one season. I think that it was the first season of the show.

That too was a successful rescue. I think that that captain handled the situation much better than Bill. He calmly told his crew, over the radio, what to do, step by step. He was extremely calm, soothing, and steady.

 

The kid who fell off the stacks, wasn't it?  I think the Hillstrands saw him fall and helped to rescue the guy.

[kassa]

19 hours ago, Libby said:

Years ago, a man went overboard on a boat that only was on the show for one season. I think that it was the first season of the show.

That too was a successful rescue. I think that that captain handled the situation much better than Bill. He calmly told his crew, over the radio, what to do, step by step. He was extremely calm, soothing, and steady.

I like Bill. However, I don't think that he handled the situation particularly well. He just screamed at the crew to get the man out of the water. Then he just stood in the wheelhouse shook up and frozen.

I thought that the crew performed well. I don't think that the captain did.

I remember that.  For some reason they had a camera on board but the boat wasn't a regular part of the series (possible that they covered many more boats and just used whoever was best).  I agree that he was spectacular.  He systematically told them what to do in the most eerily calm and controlled voice.  Bill just basically prayed aloud. And I'm not knocking him so much for it, but the first guy certainly set the bar as high as it can go.  The captain was pretty young as I recall.  Of course they/we all were, then!

(The same deckhand who went over in the first season then tore his leg apart falling through deckboards on... the Saga, was it?  Pre-Elliott?  I really hope that guy got the message and has a nice job on land now.)

[kassygreene]

There are chase/escort ships for the show as well as the ones we follow.  That's where many of those POVs from off the ships come from.  I believe the Time Bandit was one of those in the first season.

In one of The Bait episodes (Bering Sea Troubles, I think), they mentioned a guy who went overboard in 1999, from The Wizard.  They never found him, because, among other things, it takes several minutes to turn a boat as big as The Wizard around.  

Edited August 3, 2018 by kassygreene

[jacourt]

It was Jonathan Hillstrand that was in the wheelhouse and Andy was trying out a new camera and saw it happening.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Two main reactions.

1) I have always liked and respected Bill.  He is a hardass on his crews precisely for moments like this one.  Failure to prepare is to prepare to fail.  If they don't take care of details, catastrophe can result.  Then, when catastrophe does result, the crew needs to react with a second nature.  There is no room for debate or questioning.  Good on those guys.  

2) Didja notice the stark, and most welcome, contrast in how Disco edited the incident?  It was super straight forward.  There was not a lot of commentary.  I keep insisting that TV is better when it just lets cool things be.  Screw the hyping.  This ep demonstrated the power of less is more.