S06.E12: Check Yourself!

[howiveaddict]

If you were such a fantastic chief stew, why would you take a position as third stew?  And as someone said, why would you be available at a pin drop to come join this yacht.  Maybe she was chief stew on the rowboat that Rhylee is captain of.

[Reality police]

1 hour ago, queenjen said:

i am browsing Cameo for my daughter's birthday, and I was considering Kate. If I saw this pic of her, I would NOT recognise it as the Kate Chastain we all know and love. I'm useless at working out why, but please, someone else tell me what is going on? I don't have the skills to copy just the pic over, but here is the link:

https://www.cameo.com/kate_chastain

Who is this woman? 

this season, Kate is definitely looking gaunt and her hair is everywhere. I get the hair due to the humidity in the South Pacific. But the long nights and maybe some of her rumoured entertainments are having their way with her facial features.

Here is the full photo for you. Definitely taken a few years ago.

[HunterHunted]

4 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

By the way, I was wondering something.....when this charter arrived, did Capt. Lee say "Welcome aboard Motor Yacht Sienna"?" Oh my heck, I've been referring to the boat as "My Sienna" all this time! 

3 hours ago, dleighg said:

I definitely noticed that. "Motor Yacht"? Sounds really low-rent.

 

3 hours ago, beeziebee said:

I think he was differentiating it from sailing yachts.  Of course these people having owned luxury yachts themselves would see that, but maybe he was trying to give a nod to their familiarity with the yachting world.  

 

2 hours ago, Hagosaurus said:

That just clicked for me. On the stern it says M/Y Sienna. I guess it's Motor Yacht and not My. I always that it was odd that it said M/Y.

 

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Yes, Motor Yacht is used to deferrentiate it from a sailing yacht and is commonly used. 

 

Both Lee and Sandy have referred to their ships as motor yachts from time to time on their shows. As others have said, Motor Yacht is an actual official term to distinguish between sailing yacht. We've only seen motor yachts as the main ships on Below Deck and BD: Mediterranean. The closest Below Deck has ever gotten to a sailing yacht is last season when Lee wanted to reorient the yacht and needed the deck crew to move the tender. Nico released the tender from the yacht, but forgot the keys to the tender and it started to drift into the Maltese Falcon, one of the largest sailing yachts in existence.

[sara1025]

38 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

Kate was being very passive aggressive towards Laura since she arrived on the boat.  I think she has behaved that way with many of the stewardesses who have worked under her.  Look at her behavior with Amy on her first season.  Kate is a mean spirited person who plays the two against one game with her stews.  Bosses should not have to coddle their employees but they should always treat them with respect.  Her attitude when checking Laura's work was not meant to be instructive it was "let me catch your screw up so I can berate you for it".  Laura let her anger at Kate's treatment of her got the best of her but she wasn't wrong.  Kate needs to stop being such a passive aggressive bitch to her co-workers and underlings.  She jumped to slam Laura without considering the fact that maybe a guest had gone back to the cabin and left the towels on the floor.  Frankly, I would not put it past Kate to put the towels on the floor herself.  Laura has been on Kate's shit list from the moment she found out Laura had been a chief stew.  Like most passive aggressive people, Kate is a really insecure person.  Laura is in her twenties and is very attractive.  Kate is in her mid thirties and due to her drinking, looks like she is in her mid forties.  

Laura came on to the boat criticizing the work of Kate, so I can see why Kate had a problem with her from the start. I mean, Laura blamed Ashton's accident on Kate's "cut corners", seriously? A guy almost died because the stews didn't make the bed correctly? And instead of proving herself as a previous chief stew and doing the best work possible to show Kate, Laura decides to slack and blames it on the supposed fact that no one else seems to care on the boat, so why should she? And God forbid Kate asks Laura to take the argument away from where the guests can hear (and really, as a "professional", couldn't Laura wait until AFTER dinner service to start a fight?) Laura can sure dish out the insults and criticism but if anybody dares to criticize her in the slightest they're just insecure and jealous! Kate has definitely had her bitchy moments throughout the show, but I feel she is justified this season.

[laprin]

51 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

Bosses should not have to coddle their employees but they should always treat them with respect.  Her attitude when checking Laura's work was not meant to be instructive it was "let me catch your screw up so I can berate you for it".  Laura let her anger at Kate's treatment of her got the best of her but she wasn’t wrong.

 She jumped to slam Laura without considering the fact that maybe a guest had gone back to the cabin and left the towels on the floor.    

A few things:

Employees should not yell and cuss at their bosses - especially when they screw up. It’s  barely been two days. How much vitriol could Kate earn in that short amount of time? Laura came on board with an agenda and a script in her head.

Kate tried to be instructive with the glasses.  There is no manner in which Kate could have prevailed. Laura is averse to instruction because she’s a know-it-all. 

Did you see the pan to the towels on the floor immediately as Laura left? That was “production speak”  for that asshole Laura left the towels - not Kate or the guests. 

[lilmarysunshine]

23 hours ago, Jets4274 said:

I’m over Rhylee’s going-out wear.  Everything from the see-through dress on the first club night to tonight’s overall ensemble with her cheap white bra and blue panties showing have been ultra trailer trashy slutty looks, but they’ve helped her get play from practically the whole male crew so maybe I should take notes.

To me there is nothing remotely attractive about her - I guess a decent figure. She looks OK in the TH but I think she looks older than her early 30s and her personality is horrible. She is just convenient, I guess.

[movingtargetgal]

Maybe it was production who left the towels.,  I never said that Laura was correct in the way she spoke to Kate.  Laura was fed up with Kate's passive aggressive and abusive behavior towards her and lost her temper.  How many times have we seen Kate bully her less favored stew.  Yes, Laura has only been on the boat with Kate a few days but Kate is very emotionally abusive to those who do not kiss her ass.  She is an extremely insecure person.  When Laura commented on the boat being dirty, I took it as a critique of the stew she replaced not of Kate.  Kate took offense and started in on Laura.  This is a pattern of behavior for Kate. When Laura made mistakes from being new to this particular boat, instead of being respectful and giving Laura instruction in a respectful manner, she used it to "put Laura in her place".  A good manager uses employee mistakes as a teaching moments rather than a gotcha moment. 

Kate is also very disrespectful towards the guest behind their backs.  Last night she called an Italian American a mobster and openly wondered how many people he has killed.  She also went into his cabin with another stew to criticize the wife's wardrobe.  I still remember when she held up a female guest' underwear and laughed with another stew (Kat) about it.  

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

When Laura commented on the boat being dirty, I took it as a critique of the stew she replaced not of Kate. 

Since the interior of the boat is 100% the responsibility of Kate, it’s pretty clear it was about Kate and she hasn’t been able to back it up with quality work or take responsibility for any issues it’s all blame everything else. Hell she even blamed a napkin. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by biakbiak

[movingtargetgal]

Laura was aware she was replacing another stew who was not doing her job and the interior had been short handed so I think she was talking about the things that fell by the wayside because of this situation.  

[biakbiak]

7 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

Laura was aware she was replacing another stew who was not doing her job and the interior had been short handed so I think she was talking about the things that fell by the wayside because of this situation.  

She didn’t say anything like that they had been short handed and she most definitely said that the boat was not up to any standards and way too many corners were cut that literally had absolutely nothing to do with losing a stew.

[MrsWitter]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

Hell she even blamed a napkin. 

 

Did anyone else notice how shady production made sure to zoom in on Laura carrying the champagne glasses the RIGHT WAY this time? Hand in the middle, just as Kate showed her! I loved it.

 

Maybe the primary in black isn’t going for Morticia Addams, but Stevie Nicks witchy vibes? I’d be down with that!

Edited December 20, 2018 by MrsWitter

[DebbieM4]

11 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

She didn’t say anything like that they had been short handed and she most definitely said that the boat was not up to any standards and way too many corners were cut that literally had absolutely nothing to do with losing a stew.

Exactly.  She's had her nose up in the air from the minute she set foot on the yacht, touting her own experience on much more glamorous boats and saying she's used to more attention to detail, higher standards, etc.   It's just been one criticism after another about the boat and how things are run.  I haven't heard her say anything about standards falling by the wayside because Caroline left.  She hasn't even alluded to that.  She's just been unrelentingly bitchy and critical because she thinks it makes her look superior.

Edited December 20, 2018 by DebbieM4

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, DebbieM4 said:

haven't heard her say anything about standards falling by the wayside because Caroline left.  She hasn't even alluded to that. 

Hell she even did the opposite when Kate was pointing out that the crew had several long working days because of being short handed before the last charter Laura stated that she had been working just as hard as them in the last few days before she got there which was ridiculous.

[HunterHunted]

2 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

Maybe it was production who left the towels., 

While she was on camera? The camera literally pans down while she's in the middle of turn down and catches the towel that was left on the floor. For this theory, that production left the towel, to be true, someone from the camera crew brazenly dropped the towel, while Laura had a clear sightline to see it.

The reason they would never do anything that blatant is because they could never use the footage of Laura's resultant argument with Kate. It has the potential to be a massive 4th wall break if Laura says it was Brent or Joe or someone from production. It's not that I don't think production can be manipulative (a number of guests have said that the dumb theme parties come from production), but I don't think they'd be this obvious.

Bravo and Little Wooden Boat were fine with showing Brent helping to rescue Ashton because the net result was good TV and positive. These shows have long been accused of manipulating scenarios, but to essentially be caught being manipulative on camera and in front of member of the crew is super sloppy and runs a major risk of torpedo-ing tons of footage and a major storyline. 

Trial lawyers have an old saying: “You never ask a question on cross examination to which you do not know the answer to.” Nakedly being manipulative on camera and in front of the crew is the equivalent of asking a question without knowing the answer. It only has the potential to screw up filming and the footage. If production was being manipulative, they would have planted the towel after Laura had finished with the rooms, but before Kate inspected them. There was time to do it, but they certainly wouldn't have dropped it while Laura was in the room.

Edited December 20, 2018 by HunterHunted

[walnutqueen]

5 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

Walnut Queen, can we be friends?  You may be the child that was taken from me at birth. 

Yes.

(PM me!!!)

But I am probably older than your mother.

 

ALSO: "like 10 of us went over a cliff; none of us died".

[langford peel]

9 hours ago, esco1822 said:

There is no chance they're getting rid of Kate and certainly not based on what's happening on the current season. It's quite obvious you loathe her and you have that right but you cannot tell me any of Laura's behavior toward Kate is justified.  Amy was an anomaly. The 3rds this year have been terrible and Kate has been more than patient with both of them. She's also a rockstar as far as Captain and the guests are concerned. You're more likely to see a new chief stew on the Med season than you ever are here unless Kate straight up quits. 

I think they should get rid of both Kate and Hannah in both franchises. They have had multiple chefs and bosuns and have even changed captains on Med. It is time for a change.

A professional leader does not denigrate the guests. You don’t mock their appearance, accents, clothing or ethnicity. That only leads to your staff treating them contemptuously and giving substandard service. You can’t constantly mock, belittle and haze every third stew regardless of their level of competence.  Amy was not an anomaly. Kate treats every third stew the same. Like shit. Every third stew was a target for abuse of one sort or another. A textbook case of an abusive toxic workplace.

Time for a change.

[sara1025]

22 minutes ago, langford peel said:

I think they should get rid of both Kate and Hannah in both franchises. They have had multiple chefs and bosuns and have even changed captains on Med. It is time for a change.

A professional leader does not denigrate the guests. You don’t mock their appearance, accents, clothing or ethnicity. That only leads to your staff treating them contemptuously and giving substandard service. You can’t constantly mock, belittle and haze every third stew regardless of their level of competence.  Amy was not an anomaly. Kate treats every third stew the same. Like shit. Every third stew was a target for abuse of one sort or another. A textbook case of an abusive toxic workplace.

Time for a change.

Why would Bravo get rid of someone with such a large fan base? Typically that's what keeps their shows going.

(By large fan base I mean Kate, not Hannah just fyi)

Edited December 20, 2018 by sara1025

[MrsWitter]

1 hour ago, sara1025 said:

Why would Bravo get rid of someone with such a large fan base? Typically that's what keeps their shows going.

(By large fan base I mean Kate, not Hannah just fyi)

 

Yeah, I think I’ve been pretty outspoken about how angry I was about Kate’s behavior this episode re:the guests (but she was spot on with Laura), but that doesn’t mean I don’t find her entertaining much of the time. I love that segment years ago when Kate described the different crew members in fonts. Kate can be really clever and funny. I don’t think she’s the nicest person or always appropriate, but I often enjoy watching her (especially as compared to Hannah, who I despise).

 

But really, if we were going to start firing reality stars because they were rude, inappropriate, mean, created a hostile work environment, crazy, liars, criminals, toxic or unprofessional, Bravo would have no shows left. They might have just a feature on Stephanie Hollman and her kids (her husband certainly wouldn’t meet the standard). And Amy from BD could hang out with Steph since they’re both from Texas. I’d be up for a Real Housedogs of (whatever city), though!

 

ETA: Here’s the Kate font clip for anyone who wants to revisit it.

http://www.bravotv.com/video/share/2818787

Edited December 20, 2018 by MrsWitter

[HunterHunted]

10 hours ago, esco1822 said:

Amy was an anomaly. The 3rds this year have been terrible and Kate has been more than patient with both of them. She's also a rockstar as far as Captain and the guests are concerned. You're more likely to see a new chief stew on the Med season than you ever are here unless Kate straight up quits. 

Amy was an anomaly because she was actually good at her job. The third stews are almost always awful on Below Deck. There was snotty undermining Sam. We had obnoxious spoiled tantrum throwing Rocky. Sierra was almost too stupid to live; she's the real life version of the apocrypha about turkeys drowning themselves in the rain. Sierra was so so dumb.* Entitled whiny Jenderella, who could be super late for her shift, but spend 20 minutes doing her hair as opposed to her job. We have Caroline who might be a hypochondriac or a malingerer, but she was paranoid, easily flustered, and turned everything into a performance about her pain and suffering. And now we have snotty, superior, and kind of incompetent Laura.

Kate was/is probably bitchier than she needed to be with her third stewards, but almost all of them have been incompetent and whiny. Hannah is actually quite lucky because she's only had one terrible third stew, Kasey the liar.

*Sierra's the same imbecile who made Captain Lee's coffee with two sugars by putting 2 sugar packets, paper and all, into the coffee. They had to keep reminding Sierra to turn off the iron when she was done and to lift it up so that she didn't burn whatever she was ironing. Sierra's the idiot was trying to use the juicer for like 20 minutes without plugging it in.

[hisbunkie]

7 hours ago, Snewtsie said:

am of Sicilian ancestry and I also thought she might be in mourning. However, normally when someone is in mourning they would not take an extravagant vacation ...so I got nuthin’.

I wasn’t implying that the guest was in mourning, just giving a point of reference regarding Italian (actually Mediterranean) women wearing all black clothing. 

In this case it’s probably just a fashion choice. 

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Nico released the tender from the yacht, but forgot the keys to the tender and it started to drift into the Maltese Falcon, one of the largest sailing yachts in existence.

Was that the ship that the ridiculous guests wanted to do a "social visit" to with a bottle of bubbly? (And got shut down quickly)

[laprin]

2 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

I wasn’t implying that the guest was in mourning, just giving a point of reference regarding Italian (actually Mediterranean) women wearing all black clothing. 

In this case it’s probably just a fashion choice. 

Well, the camera adds 10 lbs and black is slimming. Maybe she’s just weight conscious. 

[luvthepros]

9 hours ago, Reality police said:

Here is the full photo for you. Definitely taken a few years ago.

Kate's pumped up lips have changed her look too. I wish she hadn't done that to her lips.

[Mr. Miner]

Laura's excuse on her second day, "I thought we weren't caring"...WTF?

[NannyBails]

49 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

Kate's pumped up lips have changed her look too. I wish she hadn't done that to her lips.

You beat me to this...    Is it possible for her lips to go back to normal if she stops the botox or whatever it is that is making them look duck-like? 

And regarding the whole Kate-Laura thing:  Laura definitely got on Kate's last nerve from the get-go, and I'm sure Kate is ramping up some of her reactions for TV. like the way she treated Laura at dinner.   That being said, if I went into a situation and thought that corners were being cut and not up to my normal standards, guess what I would do?  I would work extra hard!  So if I thought the boat was filthy, I'd be extra vigilant about cleaning so it would be spotless.  If I saw that beds weren't made up to my standards, I'd actually make them up to my standards.  I wouldn't walk in somewhere, say something is filthy, and then proceed to do a crappy job and then blame everyone else for my mistakes.    That being said, I'm not so sure the boat was filthy and below yachting standards.  The only thing I remember them showing was some bed corners that weren't tightly tucked in.   I'm sure if it were filthy, we would have seen that.

Anyway, I remind myself that neither Laura nor Rhylee would act in real life the way they are acting on TV.  If they did, they'd be fired.     It's one thing to ask questions so you understand what's expected of you or why procedures are in place, it's another thing to cuss at bosses, tell them to shut up and/or check themselves, and basically not do the job they are hired for.

I also wonder if people working on yachts constantly hook up with each other?   That just seems like a recipe for disaster.

[HunterHunted]

4 hours ago, dleighg said:

Was that the ship that the ridiculous guests wanted to do a "social visit" to with a bottle of bubbly? (And got shut down quickly)

That was actually on this most recent season of BD: Med, season 3. They also declared that meals served in bowls were for poor people and dogs. The yacht that they tried perform a "hospitality check" on was the al Lusail, which is owned by the Emir of Qatar. It was basically on its maiden voyage when those idiots tried to pop in for a visit with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

It's too bad we never got any footage of the crew trying to talk them out of it because it would have been hilarious. "You want to what? You want to show up uninvited with a $40 bottle of wine on the $300 million yacht owned by the sovereign ruler of a nation that has implemented Sharia law and has a not great record on human rights? Ok. Let's see how that works out."

48 minutes ago, NannyBails said:

I also wonder if people working on yachts constantly hook up with each other?   That just seems like a recipe each  disaster.

Nearly every crew member who has worked on a yacht prior to coming on Below Deck and BD: Med has said that the crew constantly hooks up with each other.

Edited December 20, 2018 by HunterHunted

[Kdawg82]

I feel so contradictory "liking" comments both pro and anti Kate. Yes, she's a bi**h. Yes, she wears that with pride. I believe her to be exceptional at her job. Most 3rd stews didn't want to WORK. I'd love to learn from Kate bc she has much to offer in knowlege of the hospitality industry, like 90% of which is how to HANDLE people. Bc let's face it, a trained monkey can scrub a toilet.  I envy the tact with which she handles CLIENTS. Not her subordinates.  Amy was rare in that she WAS the one that wanted to learn and she has natural charm. The others seemed like 16 year old rebellious teens who didn't want to hear anything. 

In the anti-Kate piece, I think she needs to extend herself a bit to be inviting & polite to the 3rds. Yacht life seems incredibly lonely away from home and working your butt off amongst a few strangers. If you don't click with someone you work closely with, you may go batty. This is why a fragile person like Caroline can go mental. You have to have thick skin with a bitch like Kate in charge of you. *though Caroline also didn't want to work.* Once, a supervisor told me I was "pissing her off" my first couple weeks on the job in a small office and did the condescending thing where she uses my name every sentence. I was in tears. I was like 21. Now I'd react differently . Possibly turn into (heaven forbid) Rhylee! LoL

[langford peel]

1 hour ago, 100Proof said:

Comedians say they can't do their shows in colleges anymore from all the millennial whining over every goddamn word outta someones mouth

That's very true and I would be totally with you if everyone is fair game. But they are not. So if there are protected classes then everyone deserves to not be the targets. Even Italians from Jersey.

As far as Kate being a popular figure who Bravo would never fire that is really not true. There have been many Reality Show performers who had a significant following and fan base who were let go when the level of toxicity was greater than the drama they provided. From Jill Zarin to Brandi Granville to Chef Ben there have been mainstays who are let go when they decided to go in a different direction. Chef Ben is a case in point. He was arguably one of the top three stars of the franchise. He was even used to jump start the second series of Below Deck Med. Still his usefulness was at an end as his storyline was getting tired and boring. Isn't Kate's just as boring? Shouldn't they bring in some new blood to change the mix. Or is every season going to be about Kate bullying and getting the third stew to quit or get fired or melt down? How many times do we need to see that?  They have changed bosuns, chefs and even Captains. It is time to change up the chief stews to bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.

Edited December 20, 2018 by langford peel

[ghoulina]

3 hours ago, Mr. Minor said:

Laura's excuse on her second day, "I thought we weren't caring"...WTF?

Yup. That was direct dig at Kate and her management of the interior. After hearing that, I don't know how there can be any doubt as to how Laura is coming for Kate. 

 

1 hour ago, Kdawg82 said:

In the anti-Kate piece, I think she needs to extend herself a bit to be inviting & polite to the 3rds. Yacht life seems incredibly lonely away from home and working your butt off amongst a few strangers. If you don't click with someone you work closely with, you may go batty. This is why a fragile person like Caroline can go mental

But I think Kate really DID try to be inviting to Caroline. She realized that she and Josiah DID have more of a natural chemistry right off the bat; but she tried to be really inclusive with Caroline. Caroline came onto the ship already super insecure and paranoid. I don't think there's anything anyone could have done to make her feel better. Even Adrian and Chandler had issues with her. 

[100Proof]

31 minutes ago, langford peel said:

That's very true and I would be totally with you if everyone is fair game. But they are not. So if there are protected classes then everyone deserves to not be the targets.

I would disagree in general. How would one know any one group is getting left out of being 'skewered' unless they've heard every comedy act in the world.

Reminds me of this for some reason. Like when someone always winds up complaining about some social activist (take your pick, tho' its usually about animal rights because its the easiest concept).... 'how come you don't do something about helping people before animals'? Well... its because each person usually has only enough time and energy for any one particular cause that most appeals to them and can't be solving all the worlds problems. Plus, there are other people in the world taking up the mantle for those other causes.

IOW, Maybe any comedian or comedy show you've seen hasn't been able to lambaste every single thing on the planet, but am pretty sure that more or less every one and every thing does get made fun of.    ;)

29 minutes ago, lcarolynl said:

While I really wish you’d written this post with better spelling and more graceful sentence structure, I agree completely.

I generally type in a stream of thought manner. Believe me, I've been sparing you a lot of ...... "-----"..........."-------"........."----"

;-D

Edited December 20, 2018 by 100Proof

[langford peel]

You must be joking if you think there are not protected classes of individuals who can not be "joked" about without losing your job. Recent examples of TV stars losing their shows for a tweet or Comics being force out of high profile hosting gigs are in the news every day. You don't need to see every comedian to know that there are a bunch of sacred cows that you can not mock if you want to keep your job. So if everyone can't be mocked then nobody should be mocked. 

Even Italians from New Jersey.

I don't like it at all  but that is the rules that the networks play by so it has to be the same for everybody. Or else it is all bullshit hypocritical political correctness. 

Oh wait that is exactly what it is. 

Kate was wrong to mock the guests the way she did. They didn't do anything to deserve it. 
 

[100Proof]

28 minutes ago, langford peel said:

You must be joking if you think there are not protected classes of individuals who can not be "joked" about without losing your job. Recent examples of TV stars losing their shows for a tweet or Comics being force out of high profile hosting gigs are in the news every day. You don't need to see every comedian to know that there are a bunch of sacred cows that you can not mock if you want to keep your job. So if everyone can't be mocked then nobody should be mocked.

 

That's exactly the thing I'm railing against!  But somehow I think you've twisted cause and effect.... cart before the horse.... here. Quite frankly I'm a bit befuddled how you managed to do it and come to your conclusion.  Well, that's rhetorical. I do. Its just ass backwards is all. No disrespect.   :-D

Wait, hang on a sec, maybe I can explain...  those things that you say comedians and other assorted show biz people are losing their jobs over because they are being spared from mockery. Well, they USED to be able to be joked about BEFORE the pc police came along. So you see they are spared. And because that's happening NOW, you want to eliminate ALL groups from being joked about?

Edited December 20, 2018 by 100Proof

[snarts]

1 hour ago, langford peel said:

As far as Kate being a popular figure who Bravo would never fire that is really not true. There have been many Reality Show performers who had a significant following and fan base who were let go when the level of toxicity was greater than the drama they provided. From Jill Zarin to Brandi Granville to Chef Ben there have been mainstays who are let go when they decided to go in a different direction. Chef Ben is a case in point. He was arguably one of the top three stars of the franchise. He was even used to jump start the second series of Below Deck Med. Still his usefulness was at an end as his storyline was getting tired and boring. Isn't Kate's just as boring? Shouldn't they bring in some new blood to change the mix. Or is every season going to be about Kate bullying and getting the third stew to quit or get fired or melt down? How many times do we need to see that?  They have changed bosuns, chefs and even Captains. It is time to change up the chief stews to bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.

Ben wasn't fired, he quit.  http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/ben-robinson-exits-below-deck-kate-chastain-reacts Otherwise, he'd still be the chef this season

I don't find Kate (or Ben, Captain Lee, even Hannah) boring. I like the amount of cast changeover and regional diversity on both boat shows.

[HunterHunted]

@Kdawg82 I don't think there is anything contradictory about holding the opinions that Kate is a bitch, good at her job, but could stand to be a little nicer with her third stews. I think she also knows repeatedly having to micromanage her stews will only make the relationships worse. It's part of the reason why she gives her stews checklists for cleaning, unpacking guests' luggage, and turn down. Standing over their shoulders for every task makes the entire team less efficient.

She also pointedly says to Laura that she didn't think she had to train Laura because Laura was coming in there with chief stew experience and training. In other cases, she's done a bit of delegation to her 2nd stew to have a little bit of oversight of the 3rd stew. She did this with Amy and Rocky, but Rocky continued to act like a spoiled brat. Had I been Kate and awoken to how trashed (not thrashed) Rocky left the main salon when she was on lates, I probably would have excoriated Rocky so long and loud that people on the other side of the globe heard me. Kate didn't do that. What she did do was switch Amy's schedule so that she, Kate, would be up to observe Rocky's work and provide training about what Rocky should have been doing. Unfortunately, that was the episode where Leon's filthy oven had a fire. She also did a little bit of delegation to Emily to check Sierra's work. She also did the same thing with Bri and Jen. And the times where Kate has been really micromanaging, like Sierra constantly losing her radio, have occurred because repeated attempts to explain both the guest services and safety aspects of why you need to keep your radio with you never seemed to resonate with Sierra despite them having a near miss that put guests lives in danger only a couple of days before.

So yeah, I think Kate could stand to be a little nicer in general. However, her 3rd stews are usually so bad and entitled that they rarely deserve to be beneficiaries of a new kinder gentler Kate.

[esco1822]

4 minutes ago, snarts said:

Ben wasn't fired, he quit.  http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/ben-robinson-exits-below-deck-kate-chastain-reacts Otherwise, he'd still be the chef this season

Yup. His last couple of contract negotiations hit snags but in the end, the decision to leave was his. In my opinion, that is the only way Kate will leave the show--on her terms. I think she's great TV. 

[langford peel]

35 minutes ago, 100Proof said:

Well, they USED to be able to be joked about BEFORE the pc police came along. So you see they are spared. And because that's happening NOW, you want to eliminate ALL groups from being joked about?

Exactly. One rule for all. No protected classes. Or all are protected classes. 

Even Italians from New Jersey..

[100Proof]

17 minutes ago, langford peel said:

Exactly. One rule for all. No protected classes. Or all are protected classes. 

Even Italians from New Jersey..

Okay, I get where ya coming from

[missyb]

There are a  lot of instances where Laura looks directly at the camera. Example, when she is following Kate ( up or down the stairway) she practically gives an aside and says " here we go". I know she is kind of a zen , yoga girl but she comes off as someone who thought this was an opportunity for a stew to "get" back at Bravo Celeb Kate Chastain. I cannot imagine a real employee talking to Kate the way Laura takes her on. Check yourself ??? Come on. She was hoping to get public support for putting Kate in her place. Finally getting the best of Kate. There is a disingenuous feel to someone who comes on board as hot as Laura did.

1 hour ago, HunterHunted said:

So yeah, I think Kate could stand to be a little nicer in general. However, her 3rd stews are usually so bad and entitled that they rarely deserve to be beneficiaries of a new kinder gentler Kate.

Agree with your post. And Kate was actually very very patient with Caroline. Beyond. As if she had learned from her Rocky experience. To no avail. When you can't do the required job, ya got to go. It is a lot of work and being a man down while having to cover is exhausting.

[Carolina Girl]

15 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Both Lee and Sandy have referred to their ships as motor yachts from time to time on their shows. As others have said, Motor Yacht is an actual official term to distinguish between sailing yacht. We've only seen motor yachts as the main ships on Below Deck and BD: Mediterranean. The closest Below Deck has ever gotten to a sailing yacht is last season when Lee wanted to reorient the yacht and needed the deck crew to move the tender. Nico released the tender from the yacht, but forgot the keys to the tender and it started to drift into the Maltese Falcon, one of the largest sailing yachts in existence.

Actually, I thought "MY" was part of the name.  That the boat's name was "My Sienna" when in fact it was "Motor Yacht ("MY") Sienna.  I just felt like an idiot.  

[njbchlover]

24 minutes ago, missyb said:

There are a  lot of instances where Laura looks directly at the camera. Example, when she is following Kate ( up or down the stairway) she practically gives an aside and says " here we go". I know she is kind of a zen , yoga girl but she comes off as someone who thought this was an opportunity for a stew to "get" back at Bravo Celeb Kate Chastain. I cannot imagine a real employee talking to Kate the way Laura takes her on. Check yourself ??? Come on. She was hoping to get public support for putting Kate in her place. Finally getting the best of Kate. There is a disingenuous feel to someone who comes on board as hot as Laura did.

Agree with your post. And Kate was actually very very patient with Caroline. Beyond. As if she had learned from her Rocky experience. To no avail. When you can't do the required job, ya got to go. It is a lot of work and being a man down while having to cover is exhausting.

I agree with you - Laura, much like Rocky, is extremely camera-aware - she knows where to stand, where to look, and just get herself on camera.  I think she had a much more hidden agenda than the obvious "wanting to be on a TV show" one - and wanting to "take down" Kate may be that agenda.  In any other situation or workplace, speaking to a superior in that manner would probably result in immediate firing.

Also, I haven't noticed, but does Laura wear the same number of stripes on her dress whites that Kate does?  Doesn't the number of stripes indicate the earned rank of the crew member?  I find it very hard to believe that Laura is/was a chief stew - unless she was one on a cruise ship or another type of ship that did not require the stewards/stewardesses to pick up dirty laundry.

If Kate really wanted to test Laura's head stew expertise, Kate should take a full 24 hours off, and see how Laura performs.  Let Laura order all the provisions, do the changeover of the boat, set up the special entertainment the guests want, make sure that all is perfect for the incoming guests, greet the guests, etc.  Let's see who's better at it!  

Edited December 20, 2018 by njbchlover

[MrsWitter]

12 minutes ago, njbchlover said:

If Kate really wanted to test Laura's head stew expertise, Kate should take a full 24 hours off, and see how Laura performs.  Let Laura order all the provisions, do the changeover of the boat, set up the special entertainment the guests want, make sure that all is perfect for the incoming guests, greet the guests, etc.  Let's see who's better at it!  

 

While I would enjoy seeing this s-show, I think the rest of the crew would be pretty pissed with the $100 (or so) tip they’d all end up sharing with Laura in charge!

31 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

Actually, I thought "MY" was part of the name.  That the boat's name was "My Sienna" when in fact it was "Motor Yacht ("MY") Sienna.  I just felt like an idiot.  

I’m joining you at the idiot table, @Carolina Girl! I had no idea until this episode either. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by MrsWitter

[langford peel]

I thought the name of this boat was My Sharona.

Edited December 20, 2018 by langford peel

[fifty8th]

3 hours ago, langford peel said:

Chef Ben is a case in point. He was arguably one of the top three stars of the franchise. He was even used to jump start the second series of Below Deck Med. Still his usefulness was at an end as his storyline was getting tired and boring. Isn't Kate's just as boring? Shouldn't they bring in some new blood to change the mix. Or is every season going to be about Kate bullying and getting the third stew to quit or get fired or melt down? How many times do we need to see that?  They have changed bosuns, chefs and even Captains. It is time to change up the chief stews to bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.

So it looks like Ben's  usefulness is not at an end since he is back as chef on Med next season. From what I have read Ben took some time off from the show, he recognized how he came off his last season and needed to step away, that and contract issues.

I think that is what it comes down to, people acting bad and seeing themselves acting bad and stepping away, Eddie was a mainstay then acted like an ass so he stepped away, Kelley came back was great and has declined coming back since, Nico was told he was going to be the new face of the deck crew and imploded in his second season, whether he chose not to come back or Captain Lee (who was not at all happy at the reunion) said no I don't know.

[langford peel]

Maybe Kate can see how she looks in this series and can take some time off. Hannah too. Then we can get some new blood and different combinations. 

A break from the Kate mean girl antics would not be a bad thing. Why not have a new crew in a new location. Tahiti was the perfect place for that but it just didn't happen.

[dleighg]

Just now, langford peel said:

Tahiti was the perfect place

we have gotten precious few views of the amazing beauty there. Just a few moments here and there. 

[100Proof]

[lcarolynl]

I don't think Kate is going anywhere. The work is short time and big money. Captain Lee loves her and most of the audience loves her. I really only see one poster here that can't stand her and wants to see her go. Multiple postings from one corner don't equal multiple postings from multiple corners. 

I think Kate and Captain Lee are a package deal and they are too successful to discard.

I, for one, love her. I love her on TV, not necessarily to meet and hang out with.
She is smart, witty, sassy, competent, cool under pressure, and seems to be trying to improve herself a person and a leader. I don't think she'd treat an Amy-like third stew today as she did in her first season, the show's second season. She's seen and lived through a lot of incompetence by this time. I thought the way she tried to supervise Caroline was a genuine attempt to be a kinder, gentler Kate. I think she genuinely wants a fun crew because she's living through it. She actually enjoyed Jen despite Jen's incompetence because Jen was funny, and funny goes a long way with Kate. Neither Caroline nor Laura are fun or funny.

Now, let's get to Laura's "take down" of Kate. WTF was she trying to say? I understand words like, "I felt demeaned the way you spoke to me in front of the crew at dinner" or "I felt disrespected when you used Rhylee instead of me for lunch service" or "This place is a mess" or "We are cutting corners everywhere such as ......" or "When you said/did XYZ I get the impression we just don't really care about service" but WTH does "Check yourself" mean? What does "Get your act together" mean? What did any of it mean? 

Laura is, among other things, a terrible communicator and neither Kate nor the viewer had any idea what the problem was that had Laura losing her cool. She would be a horrendous chief stew, she's bad enough as a 3rd stew.
 

[kassa]

On 12/19/2018 at 11:51 AM, Skycatcher said:

Did anyone else notice, when Laura told Kate she needed to check herself, how dark Kate eyes got. 

 

Yup. A combination of "it's on, bitch" and "you have no idea how you're coming off because you've been in this business 45 minutes, so dig your grave, reality star wannabe!"

On 12/19/2018 at 3:04 PM, HunterHunted said:

How is Laura so unprofessional that she can't understand why Kate would move to have the conversation where it cannot be overheard by guests? Ross had to do the same thing with Rhylee. 

 Rhylee is running on self-righteous indignation. She will NOT be disrespected!

Laura, on the other hand, came in to the show with an agenda (airtime, foil to Kate), and in this particular scene was ready to roll out her speech. Only Kate kept interrupting her. Not fighting back or yelling, but insisting ever so visibly reasonably that the conversation should move elsewhere. So Laura would get a sentence out then have to pick up and start again. Laura's speech about Kate getting control of herself and checking herself works against an angry defense/counter offense. It falls flat against calm, reasoned neutrality.

It's the gold standard response to somebody trying to bulldoze you in public - let them throw everything at you while you look puzzled and concerned for them.

23 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

Another bit of info that will boil your Feminist blood...post widowhood, women in European Countries were addressed in writing as. “Mary Smith Widdow of Jones”. Males continued with their own names. Good ole days?

In colonial America it was "relict of _____ Jones!"

22 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

  She jumped to slam Laura without considering the fact that maybe a guest had gone back to the cabin and left the towels on the floor.  

 it was more than one cabin, and more than the towels. Kate rearranged the toiletries/counter while muttering. As a poster above suggested, I think she did the beds and intended to duck back in and do the bathrooms, but didn't say as much when Kate asked her. She as much as implied it I think by first denying the towel had been there then changing tacks and saying she just hadn't finished. 

Kate has had serious issues with coworkers in previous years, but I don't think this year has been untoward. Casting gave her her ideal 2nd while cursing her with worse 3rds. And since she gets along with the Chef, that doesn't leave her with many people to be snide about, and that's why they pay her. 

Even with the guest slagging... It's harsh, but it's the show. The guests get a luxury cruise and promotion of their name/brand for cheap(er) in exchange for strong odds of being an object of ridicule. Otherwise it would just be The Bachelor: Yachties." Think how much slagging is in the talking heads. They sit in that chair until they give a usable quote. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by kassa

[DebbieM4]

17 hours ago, MrsWitter said:

 Kate can be really clever and funny. I don’t think she’s the nicest person or always appropriate, but I often enjoy watching her (especially as compared to Hannah, who I despise).

 

 

I agree completely.  Kate has her faults for sure, but she often makes me laugh and she's entertaining.  She also seems to be very, very good at her job,  Hannah, on the other hand, is a hot mess.  Not interesting, and often painful to watch.  I despise her too, and would be thrilled to see her gone.

[Honey]

On 12/19/2018 at 8:20 PM, Hagosaurus said:

That just clicked for me. On the stern it says M/Y Sienna. I guess it's Motor Yacht and not My. I always that it was odd that it said M/Y.

I've heard Captain say "Welcome to My Seanna", and refer to it as "My Seanna" many, many times.