Below Deck Mediterranean season 9’s crew worked together cohesively throughout the first charter of the season, but the second has already proven there are cracks in the foundation of a quickly crumbling team. Led by Captain Sandy Yawn, the crew of Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 began working together during the first charter aboard Mustique, after only having a few short hours to get to know each other. With the interior and exterior teams working to get things under control with a lack of provisions and a group of guests who were more demanding than they expected, things weren’t easy.
The interior team, led by Chief Stew Aesha Scott, had their own issues between Stews Elena Dubaich and Bri Muller as the former tried to teach the latter more about the generalities of their profession. While Aesha was able to guide both Elena and Bri through the charter, Elena still found herself at the center of some drama with Chef Johnathan Shillingford when she woke him up to help with late-night snacks for the guests. On the exterior team, Bosun Iain Maclean trusted Deckhands Joe Bradley, Nathan Gallagher, and Gael Cameron to handle the decks, but didn’t anticipate interpersonal drama.
The Mustique’s Crew Got Along During The First Charter
They Had Common Issues To Deal With
During the first charter, the crew of the Mustique had to work together to overcome some unexpected hurdles and in order to do so, they had to work together. While the crew had only arrived aboard Mustique hours before the charter began, they had to get themselves up to speed on the policies and procedures of the superyacht and prepare for the charter guests quickly. With some incredibly difficult charter guests aboard the superyacht, the crew had to deal with their demands on top of the issues they had with their provisions not arriving on time.
With such serious issues, the crew had no choice but to deal with each other and work together seamlessly for the charter to go well. Even with some minor mistakes, the guests were able to enjoy themselves during their charter. While there were problems that the crew had to work to rectify, they got along smoothly during the initial charter out of complete necessity.
Chef Johnathan Shillingford Caused Drama With Stew Elena Dubaich
He Was Upset She Woke Him Up To Help Her
Although there were only a few problems during the first charter, one that carried over afterward was the issue between Chef Jono and Elena. During the initial charter, the charter guests provided information about what they wanted on their preference sheet, including a plethora of late-night snacks for them to pick on after they’d been drinking and lounging in the hot tub. The chef said he’d prepare snacks ahead of time, but when Elena was tasked with getting snacks ready for the guests late at night, there wasn’t anything she could easily reheat or prepare.
Elena attempted to wake the chef in order to get some help, as she was the only interior team member available to help with the guests. While she felt it was the appropriate thing to do, Chef Jono refused to wake up to help her, turning her down multiple times before Elena went back to the galley to take care of things on her own. When Captain Sandy heard about Elena waking up the chef, there were repercussions for the Stew when she got called out in front of the rest of the crew for allegedly breaking one of the cardinal rules of yachting.
The Exterior Team Is Already Lacking Trust In Bosun Iain Maclean
His Micromanagement Wasn’t Helpful
During the second charter, things started out somewhat less overwhelming for the crew of Mustique. While the charter guests weren’t more demanding than the first group, the primary was a friend of Captain Sandy’s, making the stakes of the charter higher. Captain Sandy shared that the primary was used to a luxurious lifestyle, so she’d be looking for a high level of service and a high caliber of food and entertainment. Despite the fact that the crew felt they could deliver, Captain Sandy was clear they’d need to be on their best behavior.
While the meals from Chef Jono were an issue of their own, things became potentially dangerous when the exterior team took the guests out into the water on rafts, paddle boards, and other water activities. Though the majority of the women were safe, Deckhand Nathan took one of the guests out a bit too far and it wasn’t noticed until it was too late for them to be brought back in without assistance. Both Nathan and Joe tried to get Bosun Iain’s attention for help, but another boat picked Nathan and the guest up before the Mustique’s crew could get to them.
After the incident, Captain Sandy wasn’t happy with Iain, even though it was Nathan’s mistake that caused them issues. With Iain not paying attention to his crew, Sandy reprimanded him and explained that he needed to keep a better eye on them. While Iain wasn’t happy with the crew, they began to struggle with his higher level of micromanagement. Annoyed that they were being managed so closely after working well together, the exterior team didn’t feel they could trust Iain’s judgment.
The Interior Team Is Poised For a Love Triangle With Elena & Bri
Both Women Are Interested In The Deckhand
While the exterior team is experiencing issues in their work, the interior team is potentially looking at some interpersonal issues between Stews Elena and Bri. The pair have been working together seamlessly throughout the first charters, with Elena fostering a sense of leadership with Bri, who’s struggled working as a Stew in the past. Even with their partnership, Elena and Bri do have a bit of animosity between them, but things appear like they’ll be getting worse in the coming episodes when the Stews both go for the same Mustique crew member.
During the first crew night out, Elena and Bri both got flirty with Deckhand Joe, and while he didn’t seem like he was intentionally flirting with both women to cause drama, the attraction hasn’t toned down. Throughout the most recent episode, both Elena and Bri were shown to still be flirty with Joe while they were also building their own relationship. While their bond has grown, it’ll be that much more difficult when they’re both interested in the same guy on Below Deck Mediterranean in the near future.