There’s something truly nauseous about watching Culver embody the spirit of Keith Stone. Seeing what Culver believes to be his finest creation enlist the rest of the male crew members – minus Captain Jason of course – to put together a Thunder From Down Under-esque group called “The Magic Seamen,” is a montage of events that will haunt my dreams for the rest of time. At least we got to see Luka with his shirt off. Here’s everything else that went down in Below Deck Down Under Season 2, Episode 16.
Is objectifying men okay?
The charter guests were rowdier than ever, as the deck crew wore only their Budgy Smugglers. There were attempts to lick nipples, and comments about penis size. All in all, a moment that would probably be uncomfortable for a lot of men, even if they’re trying their hardest to get a big charter tip. So, I was pleasantly surprised when co-primary guest Melissa pointed out the double standard. If the guests were a bunch of men speaking to women in that way, how would they look? It’s a worthwhile conversation to be had; especially with the backdrop of this season which has seen several instances of sexual misconduct on board the Northern Sun. Sure, the amount of men assaulted or harassed by women is disproportionate in comparison to the opposite, but that doesn’t ever mean the behavior is okay.
Thankfully, Melissa’s words of warning seemed to do the trick. The guests calmed down just a touch, and the guys put on their shirts. One of the most intoxicated found her way onto the bridge, and it took a moment for anybody to realize where she’d gone. João looked terrified as he went to check up on her, and quickly called for Captain Jason to take over. “He didn’t even take one for the team!” Jason said in confessional. “He just left!” Fortunately, Jason made it to the next morning without being eaten alive.
Aesha has a rough morning
There’s nobody I love more from the Below Deck world than Aesha. But even as the President of the Aesha Scott Fan Club, I have to admit, she had a terrible morning on the second day of this charter. Her first mistake was the lack of communication with Tzarina during breakfast preparation. Tzarina was left standing around, waiting for orders, before being asked why her food hadn’t come up to the guests yet. Her second mistake was telling the guests they were absolutely fine to drink alcohol before going on their diving expedition. A huge no-no, as taking someone out on a professional dive who has been drinking is actually against Australian law. Don’t drink and dive, folks. Unless Keith Stone’s in the vicinity. Then you must do whatever it takes to get away.
But this is Aesha we’re talking about. When called out on the mistakes, she doesn’t make excuses and run away from her responsibilities. She owns them and asserts that the same thing will never happen again. Plus, it’s clear Tzarina isn’t that mad at her, and more frustrated at the fact their jobs made them clash for the first time. She still opens up to her about her walls being up around João, despite him being the perfect gentleman this season. Tzarina likes what she sees, and she hopes it’s genuine. Below Deck Down Under fans do, too.
Jaimee’s wandering eye
Despite making things official with Culver by literally ticking his ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’ checkbox, Jaimee’s looking elsewhere. It’s a tale as old as time on Below Deck. Luka’s arrival has thrown her for a loop. He’s everything she’d usually go for, and she doubts he “lives at home with his mum.” Ouch! No shame in that nowadays, Jaimee. The cost of living for a lot of people has priced a bunch of this entire nation out of owning their own properties. I’d be intrigued to see if she comes from privilege. Not that Culver’s exactly scraping by; the dude’s family owns a farm. He’s a momma’s boy, and that’s not something he has to be ashamed of. Still, when Luka follows her on Instagram, she follows him back. The guilt is creeping in, and so it should! She and Culver are official now!
“Have no fear, Keith is here!” Now there’s something to be ashamed of. The crew is setting up for Neon Night, and the interior outfits are to be celebrated. They’re a mismatch of color, and would likely induce a headache upon anyone who looked at them for too long. Exactly what they were going for, I imagine. Captain Jason has been reeled into dinner, and Harry is enjoying choreography from Culver way too much. Of course, the horny housewives on board love it when the men take to the floor to entertain. They don’t even mind being slapped in the face with Luka’s baguette. João notes that Culver is in the wrong industry, because he’s “sh*t at his job, and he’s a great entertainer.”
Time for a tantrum
The guests leave, and say they had an excellent time that would have been perfect, had they gone diving. Still, they left a chunky tip of $20,000, which split down to $1,666 per crewmate. Would it have been more if the guests had gone diving? Perhaps, but it’s a staunch improvement on the tips left behind on the previous handful of charters. “Totally my bad,” Aesha admits. But Captain Jason thinks the helmet should go elsewhere. João takes it, for leaving him in the bridge with a drunken guest.
Margot then asks to speak to Aesha, and while the conversation is a sweet one, where she says she wants to prove herself and complete her journey on a positive note by being given a final chance on service, it leaves Jaimee feeling pissed. After overhearing the conversation, she cops an attitude a little later on when Aesha breaks the news, saying she would have appreciated being told right away. When Harry then pushes the point that Margot deserves this shot for all of her hard work across the entire season, Jaimee throws a tantrum. Aesha’s on Harry’s ass for not knowing how interior works, but I’m with him on this one. Why shouldn’t Margot get a chance? He’s confused, and so am I. Is Jaimee’s annoyance actually with herself? She’s wound up in a relationship she doesn’t want to be a part of, and she wants Luka’s baguette.
Below Deck Down Under continues Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – DID THE GUESTS OBJECTIFYING THE MEN MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE? WHY DO YOU THINK JAIMEE IS SO ANNOYED?
