Welcome back, Below Deck Mediterranean fans! Last week, Luke quit his job, and Joe and Cooper stepped up to secure the yacht during a major storm. They saved the day, all without the help of Luke and their bosun. Speaking of, Nathan returned late the following morning, leaving Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 Episode 9 picking up on the heels of its TO BE CONTINUED… note.
What happened in Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 Episode 9?
With Luke gone and zero replacement deckhands in sight, Captain Sandy makes do with what she has. Her decision, however, sparks jealousy within the interior department. The exterior does not fare well, either. After an injury takes a second crew member away from this team, another deckhand steps into a leadership position, one that he is more than eager to prove himself in.
Aesha joins the floundering deck team
Nathan “was looking after some family things,” he tells a very understanding Captain Sandy. Next time, he has to call her, though, she says. Nathan understands. But in her talking head, Captain Sandy shows Nathan far less grace, saying, “This can’t happen again.”
Joe probably hopes it does, though. Either way, the deck team is screwed. They are down a deckhand, and yacht services has literally no one available for this charter. Thinking quickly, Captain Sandy asks Nathan if he would be willing to work with Aesha instead.
Nathan loves this idea. Aesha is okay with it, too, and she knows this will be “a great moment” for Kayley to step up into a chief stew role. Gen feels differently, naturally. “Zen Gen” from last week lasted for roughly .293 seconds, because already, Gen says, her aurora color is turning purple.
The new charter guests come aboard. One of them is allergic to champagne. Smartly, Gen greets her with a beer instead. Likewise, Kayley nails her first yacht tour, and the yacht gets underway, aided by Aesha.
But when the deck team starts pulling out the water toys, everything falls apart. Nathan chooses not to use the crane to save time, but that makes everything heavier. And he also gives Joe and Cooper one of his best “For f*cks sakes, man” sighs. “I hate it when he says that and we’re f*cking working our asses off,” Cooper tells Joe.
Cooper gets even more flustered with every preceding order Nathan gives. Captain Sandy approaches, and she thinks everything is wrong as well. Nathan no longer has his head in the game, she clocks. “If you’re here, you gotta get your sh*t together,” she tells him, because “this is charter number five.”
Tensions mount in the interior and exterior departments of Below Deck Med
Joy misses Luke. But Gen did not miss with her tablescape. Kayley, Kat, and Captain Sandy praise her safari-themed decorations. The guests do the same.
Aesha calls her fiancé in between shifts for wedding prep updates while Kat slips into a zebra costume. “You look like a garbage bag,” Joy tells her. Shortly after, Kayley makes her first mistake as a chief stew. She forgets to radio Joy, letting Joy know she is clearing the first course.
Even though this messes up her timing, Joy gives Kayley grace. “If I have to chew her, I will chew her softly. Like an old person with no teeth,” Joy jokes.
In the morning, Gen does her best to maintain a yellow aurora. But she finds Kayley’s choices “atrocious” and wrong. Kat loves her. But Kat is also annoyed by Gen’s negative attitude.
On deck, tensions are just as high. While getting out the water toys, Joe and Cooper exchange a look that ticks off Nathan. Nathan tells them to say their thoughts out loud next time. Shocked, they try talking to Nathan, but Nathan feels disrespected, so Joe and Cooper should consider this their “final warning.”
Goodbye, deck daddy, hello “deck d*ckhead,” Cooper sighs.
An injury sidelines Nathan from Season 11
Luke sends Joy a text, saying his life is joyless without her. Hey, at least it’s better than his departure speech last week. Nearby, Kat tells Kayley that she needs to talk to her soon about Gen.
Captain Sandy heads outside to monitor the deck situation. She realizes that something is wrong with Nathan. He tells her that his back is killing him, so she pulls him away for an Advil break. Should have used that crane, eh?
But it might not have helped. Nathan came on board having just recovered from a bulging disk. So he “probably exacerbated that,” Captain Sandy says. He is now a liability, so Captain Sandy sends him ashore for a scan.
This means Aesha has to wake up early, and Joe finally gets his chance to step into a bosun-like role. Shortly after, Aesha, Joe, and Kat take their guests on an excursion. Kayley greets them when they return with drinks, while Captain Sandy sends a mayday text, trying yet again to find a deckhand.
Downstairs, Gen pushes back when Kayley gives her dishwashing instructions. Her aura color is now red. But outside, things are thankfully running smoothly on “Joe Bradley’s deck.” It’s a good thing because Nathan has a bruised disk, and he can’t return to the yacht for an undisclosed period of time.
Below Deck Mediterranean continues Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo. It streams on Peacock.
TELL US – DID YOU WATCH BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN SEASON 11 EPISODE 9? DID YOU ENJOY WATCHING THE LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DEPARTMENTS? WOULD JOE MAKE A GOOD BOSUN? IS GEN DOING TOO MUCH, OR ARE HER FEELINGS VALID?