S04.E16: Sweet White Glove o' Mine

[OnceSane]

Quote

The charter guests request a White Party for their final dinner; Joao's ego gets him in hot water with Capt. Sandy; Jack enlists the crew to help him ask Aesha to be his girlfriend; Hannah's leadership skills are called into question.

Airs September 16, 2019.

[The Ringo Kidd]

I wonder if Ben will serve shrimp?

[pieinmyeye]

Hannah doesn’t want to do white glove service because it’s too much trouble.

[TexasGal]

Aesha didn’t think she should mention to Hannah that she’d already discussed the white glove service with Capt Sandy?  That’s craaaaAAAAAzeeeeeeee.  You know you can all hear it in her voice. 

[The Ringo Kidd]

Hannah isn’t really “White Glove.”

More like a catchers mitt.

[TexasGal]

Jeebus Christmas, is Jack 12?  What is this ridiculous will you be my girlfriend nonsense?  Of course she’s gonna eat it up.  She thought his stupid “poem” last week was so sweeeeeeeeet.

[snarts]

So Captain Sandy decided there wasn't enough drama so she decided to create some?  Imagine Captain Lee focusing on table decor.

Not gonna lie, Aesha & Jack are super cute together. 

By Ben's calculation, the interior is working 14 hour days. I don't see anyone else up cleaning at 3am. He's certainly not. Aside from running plates during dinner service  & having one stew on anchor watch, the deck crew appears to go to be lounging about once the water toys are put away. 

Ben's a great chef, but Hannah's right, he gets pissy when he makes mistakes and always blames someone else. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by snarts

[Duke2801]

And now I want eggs Benedict. I promise not to send it back twice, Ben! 🍳 

Awww I know they can be too much sometimes but I thought Jack’s “proposal” to Aesha was cute. 

[whydoievencare]

10 minutes ago, Duke2801 said:

I thought Jack’s “proposal” to Aesha was cute. 

I did too and I really liked how happy the rest of the crew was for them - I don't think Hanna could have had a bigger grin on her face!

[Lamima]

Jack did that so she'd finally bang him.

Hannah seems to be phoning it in. Maybe it's time to move on to another job. 

Picky eggs benedict lady was a bit ridiculous. Maybe she should have just had scrambled and called it a day.

Um, why did Aesha get to go to dinner and not have to stay on the boat, sorting table decor, like the other 2 gals? I'd have been irked if I was Anastasia.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Lamima

[PaperTree]

Micromanager Sandy really got on my last nerve tonight.

From "jelly" Sandy (eye roll) to the white glove whining to the constant hovering was too much.  The white gloves are tacky Sandy.  They looked like mitts.  Nice job by Aesha to forget to mention how jacked Sandy was about it.

She had a point with Jet-ski J-Wow.  Out of gas?  No?  Check the plug and battery.  Takes 2 minutes.  Just do it in front of her.  Really dumb to get in that fight with Sandy.

Guests had a good sloppy time in the water with all the toys.  The only thing they complained about was Ben taking forever to get dinner ready.  

Bad communication and timing on the breakfast service.

I feel for sleepy girl.  I don't like egg whites either.  Just scramble it up into a little naked omelet.

Travis managed to go out and not get plastered.  Impressive!

Typical work outing.  Everything is the fault of the people not there.  Ben can whine all he wants, but Hannah doesn't care about his problems.

[rustyspigot]

Captain Sandy goes to one Boat Show and is now the Sandra Lee of the High Seas with tablescapes.

Captain Sandy: I forgive you J-wow for your insubordination you little scamp. Hannah, you are a spawn of the devil for not bringing out four plates at once

Edited September 17, 2019 by rustyspigot

[Snickerdoodle]

Jack had some great lines tonight.  I really like his new title, "Chief Peppercorn Separator." He's turned over a new leaf for me.  I, too, thought his proposal? (if you want to call it that) was kind of cute.

Sandy was really micromanaging with the waverunner.  Jeez, let the crew try to fix it.  That's what you hired them for.  All of a sudden Joao has fallen out of favor with her and Travis is her new favorite.

[spunky]

I like Sandy for the most part, but she’s horrible at managing sometimes. As a Captain, she should not be berating both her department heads in front of their subordinates. Then to make matters worse she brings up the situation with Joao in front of everyone only to tell him he’s forgiven, before tearing into Hannah publicly. How old are Jack and Aesha? Even in high school I would have found Jack’s proposal to be immature and tacky. Colin is such a good friend to have around. I thought it was only us Caribbean people who believed in sweating/burning out a fever.

Edited September 17, 2019 by spunky
Typo

[scenicbyway]

Seriously? Table decor?  The food is good, all the water toys are out so we’ve got to worry about the TABLE??!!!

[movingtargetgal]

Sandy has always LOVED the camera and her ego has gotten out of control.  Her micromanaging of Hannah and the interior staff is ridiculous.  She is showing off for the cameras.  Her hovering around the guests during every meal is so annoying.  If I were a guest, I would not want the captain hounding me for a critique of my food and the service after EVERY course.  If the guest is happy, Sandy starts making suggestions on what may be wrong with the meal.  She undermines her staff so she can show off and "correct the problem" for the cameras.  She is a control freak and a fame whore.  You know what I want from a captain of the yacht I am chartering, I want for her to drive the freakin boat!!!  If I have an issue with the food or service I will work it out with the Chief Stewardess because that is her job.

Ben is a whiny little bitch.  I am so tired of watching his tantrums every time he screws up.  At the white party, the guests were served a half a cup of soup and then they had to wait for over a half hour for their risotto because his timing sucks.  He has always had issues with that and he always blames everyone and everything but himself.

Hannah is right, white glove service is creepy.  It would make me feel like I was being waited on by mimes.  Mimes freak me out more than clowns do.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Normally, I'd take a captain's side, but I liked J-wow not listening to Captain Sandy, because she's such a fucking micromanager. She also can't pick a managerial style in general. She gives the crew hugs and wants to be their friend and then bitches when they don't take her seriously or listen to her. She treats alcoholic Travis like a baby, but then throws a fit about spark plugs. 

Hannah, maybe it's time to find a new job. You are beyond over this job and it couldn't be more apparent. Hannah looks about as competent as June in comparison to Kate when it comes to being a chief stew. 

I could do with less of Jaesha making out all the time. 

[Marley]

Jack and Aesha can be cute together but I also wonder if he asked her to be his gf so she would finally bang him lol. I wonder if they are still together. Googling it now it seems like Jack was in a relationship when he got on the boat which I forgot so it was all just like a big game to get banged lol.

Sandy is so unprofessional and just cones off thirsty as fuck. She seems like she’s a shitty manager.

As a guest pretty sure I wouldn’t notice or care about white glove service. Those gloves seemed small tho.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Marley

[Delete]

Hannah thinks white service is tacky, but white balloons are high class. M’kay. 

Sandy wants a non lovey dovey crew, but has embraced, kissed, and told several of them that she loves them.  M’kay.

imagine your first romantic night as a couple that includes Bravo cameras capturing every ooh, and ahhh.  They’ll have a sex  tape in high definition to bring out and show the future grand kiddos. 

[Lady of nod]

4 hours ago, snarts said:

So Captain Sandy decided there wasn't enough drama so she decided to create some?  Imagine Captain Lee focusing on table decor.

Not gonna lie, Aesha & Jack are super cute together. 

By Ben's calculation, the interior is working 14 hour days. I don't see anyone else up cleaning at 3am. He's certainly not. Aside from running plates during dinner service  & having one stew on anchor watch, the deck crew appears to go to be lounging about once the water toys are put away. 

Ben's a great chef, but Hannah's right, he gets pissy when he makes mistakes and always blames someone else. 

My thoughts exactly. Sandy is so thirsty for camera time that she sticks her nose in everywhere. She and Capt Lee are exact opposites, and his style is much more professional. And although I think Hannah has not done a great job this season,tearing into her should never have happened at the tip meeting . And popping up every time the guests sit down to eat is just annoying and unnecessary. And why is she disturbed that the stews all get along?

Jack and Aesha drove me crazy most of the season, but the "will you be my girlfriend" sign was sweet and the crew all seemed to be moved by it. The really seem to be the perfect match for each other's crazy. At least they're happy all the time. Good for them!

[The Ringo Kidd]

Another sub par set of meals by Ben. He just can’t seem to get his food on the table and keeps asking for help. His breakfast was nothing to brag about and all of his portions are very small. Where was the dessert on the meal at the White Party?

 Plus he served halibut again. That fish is horrible. It is the Tamra Judge of the sea!

[spunky]

5 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Normally, I'd take a captain's side, but I liked J-wow not listening to Captain Sandy, because she's such a fucking micromanager. She also can't pick a managerial style in general. She gives the crew hugs and wants to be their friend and then bitches when they don't take her seriously or listen to her. She treats alcoholic Travis like a baby, but then throws a fit about spark plugs. 

Hannah, maybe it's time to find a new job. You are beyond over this job and it couldn't be more apparent. Hannah looks about as competent as June in comparison to Kate when it comes to being a chief stew. 

I could do with less of Jaesha making out all the time. 

In a recent interview about himself his experience on the show with Bravo Insider. Joao stated that he knows he has a big ego, and that Sandy has a big ego as well. I found it funny she called him out for not listening to her and she was wrong. Maybe he was just cranky because he was literally sick and tired and just wanted her to go away.

[bosawks]

I realized that if Hannah started liking her job I would be annoyed.

I can't help but find "over it" Hannah entertaining, exasperating, but entertaining.

[terrymct]

6 hours ago, Barbara Please said:

Hannah thinks white service is tacky, but white balloons are high class. M’kay. 

Hannah didn't want to go to the trouble.   The stews are dialing in those table decorations.  They're not even willing to fling around a few glass pebbles anymore.

[Lamima]

On Andy Cohen show, Aesha said she currently did not have a boyfriend so I guess they didn't stay together.

[Jel]

I just started watching this show this year, and tbh, I couldn't really understand why so many people disliked/found insufferable Captain Sandy. I get it after this epi.

I'm no expert, but I believe there's more to "white glove service" than just gloves. It's old fashioned "invisible service" where food quietly appears and plates quietly disappear.  I understood what Aesha meant when she said it was synchronized. I don't think it would really work with that crew or be really appreciated by those guests anyway.  The guests seemed to like to interact with the crew, and that's not really done with that kind of service anyway.

Hannah, here's a free tip for your table -- white flowers! Some height, vases of varying sizes. More than a ratty old piece of satin in the center, but less that fake pearls and plastic "gemstones" scattered about.

[luvthepros]

15 hours ago, Marley said:

As a guest pretty sure I wouldn’t notice or care about white glove service. Those gloves seemed small tho.

I was looking forward to seeing what actual white glove service was like. The way Aesha described it, it sounds like a choreographed sequence of events. Aesha said she was actually impressed just watching the crew carry it out.

I've had white glove International dinner service years ago in first class on an airline. Basically, the airline crew had on dark blue jackets and white gloves but the service did not seem to be choreographed. What Aesha described sounded very impressive.

Edited September 17, 2019 by luvthepros

[Special K]

22 minutes ago, luvthepros said:

I was looking forward to seeing what actual white glove service was like. The way Aesha described it, it sounds like a choreographed sequence of events. Aesha said she was actually impressed just watching the crew carry it out.

I've had white glove International dinner service years ago in first class on an airline. Basically, the airline crew had on dark blue jackets and white gloves but the service did not seem to be choreographed. What Aesha described sounded very impressive.

In my imagination, there is one server per guest, the plates are placed down before the guests at the same moment (with white gloves, natch), and the cloches over the food are raised simultaneously with a flourish. 

Could be impressive, but I would think the staff would have to be practiced at it, since it would need look and be seamless.  And of course they would need the deck crew to participate.

There's also silver service (where servers serve each diner individually from platters) which can also seem luxe but also requires skill on the servers' part and has a lot of potential for disaster.

I just think Hannah is lazy and phoning it in at this point.  If she really had objections to how white-glove service seemed ("tacky") she could have redirected Aesha's contribution to something that gave the same luxe effect.  Instead, I think the truth was when she said "I don't want to" or more to the point, "I can't be bothered exerting myself."

[The Ringo Kidd]

When Travis helps serve they have “White Knuckle” service because he is gripping the plate so hard as he is hungover and shaking so much he is afraid he is going to dump the shrimp in somebody’s lap.

[Marley]

Jack had a girlfriend during the whole show but was taking a break while being on the yacht to have fun. At least that’s what I read. So it makes the whole will you be my girlfriend thing even stupider and fake. He just wanted to bang her. Having fun sure whatever but doing the whole girlfriend thing is lame and kind of gross.

[HunterHunted]

White glove service looks best in very formal environments with lots of people and I don't think Sirocco quite works well with white glove. I actually agree with Hannah that white glove is a little old fashioned and naff. I'm a little irritated that Aesha waited hours to bring it up to Hannah and never mentioned that she already brought it up to Sandy.

However, the thing that really irritated me about the white glove service discussion is that this is another one of Sandy's clueless imperious orders with no fucking understanding of the logistics. She wanted white glove service for 8 guests. That means you need 4 people serving dinner. Any time they've tried to shift stew cabin duties to the deckhands, it's been a disaster. This means Anastasia has to stay below to do the cabins. I don't know how continuously Ben needed Travis in the galley to help with cooking. If he did need him continuously, that means you have to pull another deckhand. This leaves Joao alone to do all of the deck duties during dinner. Nearly every crew member is working in service of simultaneously putting plates in front of the guests. Great use of their time and duties.

Would Sandy be ok with that? Yes, but she would also insist that the deck crew do all of their regular evening duties and that's just impossible. It's more of her bullshit management of time and duties. Sandy can drive and park a boat like nobody's business, but she is and continues to be a shit manager.

Let me remind people that Aesha's last yacht held 12 guests and 28 crew members. Of course they could do white glove. Sirocco has 11 crew including Sandy, the first mate, and the engineer. They had 8 guests.

Hannah has never loved to do tablescapes or centerpieces. The tablescapes were certainly more enthusiastic when Bugsy and Brooke did them, but they were always really tacky. I've never understood why they can't just do flowers. Is it because it's October in the Mediterranean? The Mothership tends to use flowers in addition to the dollar store crap. I'm sure it's easier to find flowers in the spring in tropical locations.

Edited September 17, 2019 by HunterHunted

[The Ringo Kidd]

If Joao is really sick then Travis will have to step up. Will he be able to jump on the rocks to untie the lines when he has a Corona in his hands?

[esco1822]

Hannah looked like a deer in headlights when Sandy asked how the white glove service went. I'm not sure if she actually tried to pretend they did it or if that was editing but man, that did not look good. Aesha definitely should have given her a heads-up that Sandy gave her the go-ahead or at least when Hannah said no, should have said but the Captain is expecting it. Of course it's on Hannah for saying no but I do agree with her that it's a bit lame. If they had started doing it at the beginning and had perfected it, that would be one thing but doesn't it look worse if you try to pull of an unpracticed gimmick in your second to last charter and fail miserably? 

Sandy should definitely be having private conversations with Hannah and Joao if she has issues with their performance, which up until this point, she has not. I'd think she'd love having the camera spotlight to try to inspire them to to better for the last charter. She could then TH about how she tries to motivate instead of reprimand her crew at the end of a "long" season. Missed opportunity, Captain Hoveround! 

[slaterain]

Sandy has always annoyed me but this last ep pushed it over the top. Her gaslighting comment about how if she was a prick she would tell them to just f-n do it and then literally saying Joao should ask how high to jump. That whole conversation was everything wrong with Sandy's lack of any management ability. There is no constant with her. She hugs them one second and then berates them in front of the others the next. Then says all is forgiven to show that she is so great. Then moves on to berating the next staff member. And I would be so annoyed if the captain kept interrupting my meals that much!!!

[movingtargetgal]

33 minutes ago, esco1822 said:

Hannah looked like a deer in headlights when Sandy asked how the white glove service went. I'm not sure if she actually tried to pretend they did it or if that was editing but man, that did not look good. Aesha definitely should have given her a heads-up that Sandy gave her the go-ahead or at least when Hannah said no, should have said but the Captain is expecting it. Of course it's on Hannah for saying no but I do agree with her that it's a bit lame. If they had started doing it at the beginning and had perfected it, that would be one thing but doesn't it look worse if you try to pull of an unpracticed gimmick in your second to last charter and fail miserably? 

I think Hannah knew that there was no way the crew would be able to pull off a decent white glove service.  I would imagine that the crew would need to rehearse this in order to pull it off.  There was no time to do this properly.  Did the boat even have eight pairs of white gloves for the crew?  Besides, Hannah was right, it is really old fashioned and lame, especially in such an informal setting.  

1 hour ago, HunterHunted said:

Hannah has never loved to do tablescapes or centerpieces. The tablescapes were certainly more enthusiastic when Bugsy and Brooke did them, but they were always really tacky.

I think Bugsy and Brooke are artistic and did fantastic (but tacky) tablescapes.  It is a weak point for Hannah.  For me it is not a big deal because I am a great organizer and can get a great meal on the table, however, I am hopeless when it comes decor.  My best friend has a gift for make amazing tablescapes.  For her it is second nature.  I think Hannah is smart to delegate this task to the other stews 

[jmcd44]

I really loved Jack last night-I thought he was cute with the peppercorn and asking Colin to write a rap.  I thought the girlfriend-boyfriend thing was cute too-it reminded me of a summer camp romance (maybe more physically advanced).  You know you only have a few days left, but it is still sweet.  He also ran up the stairs to help serve when Sandy asked.  

I'm not sure I would notice tablescapes, but I would notice 25 minutes in between courses-I don't care how special a risotto is.  And I say this as a fan of Ben.

[The Ringo Kidd]

At least Ben didn’t serve Grouper.

Because Grouper Sex is the Kelly Dodd of the sea.

[Special K]

It might be the editing, but both Travis and Jack seem to be doing better at their jobs since they stopped being roommates.  I know there are a number of other forces at work, but it's also possible they were bad influences on each other.  Or maybe not "bad" but that they were giving each other permission 24/7 to be immature before?

[jumper sage]

15 hours ago, TexasGal said:

Jeebus Christmas, is Jack 12?  What is this ridiculous will you be my girlfriend nonsense?  Of course she’s gonna eat it up.  She thought his stupid “poem” last week was so sweeeeeeeeet.

I liked it!  I get it!  It is the end of the season and the crew is DONE.  This little escape is just that, an escape from the usual work.

15 hours ago, snarts said:

Imagine Captain Lee focusing on table decor.

I just saw the commercial for his season and I can't believe he did it.  He has gone Hollywood.

[Special K]

For the record, I thought the "proposal" was adorable.  With romantic gestures, you just have to know your audience.  Jack knows his audience!  They seem perfect for each other or at least they seem to be really enjoying each other.  It's hard to begrudge them that.

[dleighg]

22 minutes ago, jumper sage said:

This little escape is just that, an escape from the usual work.

all the crew seemed to be having a really fun time with it. It seemed quite authentic.

[biakbiak]

Yeah I mean the girlfriend thing was clearly just for the show because he had a serious girlfriend before the show, they said they could hookup with other people while he was filming the show, and than immediately got back together after they stopped filming so I think it was just a bit of fun because of the monotony of the job.

[terrymct]

5 hours ago, luvthepros said:

I was looking forward to seeing what actual white glove service was like. The way Aesha described it, it sounds like a choreographed sequence of events. Aesha said she was actually impressed just watching the crew carry it out.

I've had white glove International dinner service years ago in first class on an airline. Basically, the airline crew had on dark blue jackets and white gloves but the service did not seem to be choreographed. What Aesha described sounded very impressive.

I've had choreographed service at Emeril's restaurants in New Orleans.   As you're sitting there chatting, a waiter comes quietly up behind each person at the table.   The plates all come around you on the proper side and slide simultaneously into place in front of each diner.   It's awesome.  Whoosh!  The meal arrives.  Your main waiter is more of a conductor, giving little signals to the other staff keeping everyone operating together.   The main waiter doesn't put plates down or pick used items up.  Always to the side and the only one talking to you.  

It's awesome but has to take some practice.

[Otherkate]

A long, long time ago, I somehow got hired to be a "back waiter" at a fine dining establishment that did choreographed, white glove service. We had a "captain" waiters who was in charge of the rest of of his team (as mentioned re: Emeril's) and there were 3 back waiter on each captain's team. There were about 8 teams in the restaurant and we only handled 3 tables at any given time because of how intense the service is. Doing it successfully is all about numbers (the ratio of servers to guests) and a lot of practice and a captain waiter who is a pro (my captain had over 25 years of experience in fine dining.) In fact, there was only 1 female captain waiter in our restaurant and it was a HUGE deal that she was there. The whole scene is crazy and a lot of these pros go from place to place depending on seasonality, but they are very specialized in that type of service. Anyway, all that to say that no way in hell is this crew set up to deliver that kind of experience. It's a joke and totally unfair to expect if of them. Typical Sandy. (This is my first Below Deck season, but I feel pretty comfortable saying that at this point.)

As an aside, I was absolutely TERRIBLE as a back waiter and was told so by one of the other drunk captains one night after work. My captain was too nice and it turns out I was pretty much an albatross on his neck for the season. Hah! Also, all the pros who were good at it were always snorting mountains of coke before every service so, I think the pressure gets to you!

Edited September 17, 2019 by Otherkate

[scenicbyway]

First, why is Sandy in every scene?  I expect her to come of the bathroom in Jack and Aesha's room next.

Why did Aesha go to Sandy instead of Hannah about the white glove service? And, for someone who's watch the table, how did Sandy not know they didn't do "white glove" service. I wonder if she even knows what that is?  There's no way they had the staff to pull off that kind of service.

I don't think Joao was talking back or being disrespectful to Sandy.  He already knew (and presumably the engineer or 1st officer had already checked in with the deck crew about the jet ski) by the time Sandy showed up they knew the spark plug was not the problem.  Then after it's not the problem and she's observed them she tells them the ski is broken for the rest of the season.  Really? And that they were so disrespectful.  Whatever.  She was late to the party and was mad when she couldn't be the main event.

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

And, for someone who's watch the table, how did Sandy not know they didn't do "white glove" service. I wonder if she even knows what that is?  There's no way they had the staff to pull off that kind of service.

I think she was covering her *not* knowing what it is by instantly agreeing to it. Did she think it just meant "wearing white gloves"? Because that's exactly how Aesha was presenting it.

[The Ringo Kidd]

I sure hope Jack was wearing a glove!

[PaperTree]

28 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

...the thing that really irritated me about the white glove service discussion is that this is another one of Sandy's clueless imperious orders with no fucking understanding of the logistics.

Thanks.  I knew it had to be more than just slapping on some white gloves.

Did they ever say what is exactly wrong with the jet-ski?

I did a little digging and it seems they use 1.5 liter 4 cylinder, 4 stroke engines, probably with electronic ignition - no spark plugs.  Priced from $10K to $20K.

If you run out of oil though, the engine will seize  🙂 

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, PaperTree said:

I did a little digging and it seems they use 1.5 liter 4 cylinder, 4 stroke engines, probably with electronic ignition - no spark plugs.  Priced from $10K to $20K.

If that's true, wouldn't it have been hilarious for Joau to say "Sure Sandy, can you show me where the spark plugs are?" (I do think he was a bit of an ass in how he responded -- but my choice would have been nominally polite, but ultimately embarrassing to her)

Edited September 17, 2019 by dleighg

[Caseysgirl]

I know nothing about captaining a ship, but it does seem that Captain Sandy has more precarious adventures ( having to go back to port; unexpected weather changes; changing locations in the middle of night) than Captain Lee. Is that her location or is she less skillful than he is?