Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Just when you think the crew is set and all job openings are filled, something always happens. On this episode of Below Deck Med, Tumi and Natalya have decided to put their differences aside and have a good charter, which is a welcome break from their constant bickering. But now, the deck crew is experiencing friction thanks to Max. The more he tests limits, the more he irritates Luka, Lara, and Haleigh. Will he figure out how to be a team player?
Max is causing more tension on the boat, and during docking, in her frustration, Haleigh tells Max to shut up. Haleigh is embarrassed by Max’s “help,” but there is hardly any time to process what just occurred because the guests are heading off the yacht. The guests are thrilled with Tumi and are somewhat pleased with Chef Jack… but the good news is they didn’t pick up on any of the drama behind the scenes.
Captain Sandy gathers the crew for a tip meeting. She discusses the concept of respect, and she is hopeful that the crew has learned their lesson after this last charter. Otherwise, some decisions will have to be made. Luckily, the crew receives a $2,000 tip, which makes all the headaches a little easier to deal with.
Everyone is amped to go out and party, and Natalya is stoked to have a night to flirt with Luka. She claims that Luka is the only thing getting her through the days, and it’s a good thing she is in an open relationship because that means most relationship rules are out the window.
The drinks get flowing, they toast to Tumi, and it seems like for the night, things are looking up for the crew. Kyle states that he is traumatized watching everyone start to get along after what they all went through during the last charter. As the night wears on, Chef Jack dances his way across the (very empty) dance floor, and a lot of tequila seems to be the answer to the stews’ problems. Natalya and Tumi have decided to hit “refresh.”
When they return to the boat, Jessika is by far the drunkest person. She makes her way to her bathroom and gets sick repeatedly while the rest of the group preps to rage some more. On the way to the hot tub, Lara randomly makes out with Luka and explains in her confessional that sometimes she just likes to make out… no other reason behind it, really.
Whereas Natalya… well, she totally has the hots for Luka. She is concerned about hurting her boyfriend’s feelings, despite being in an open relationship, and I have to give her credit for her late-night self-control.
The next morning, the crew is hurting… especially Jessika after her puke session. Kyle is not happy with Natalya because she weaponized him against other people when she told Captain Sandy about the texts between him and Tumi. According to Kyle, he is the only one allowed to gossip on this boat. Pshht…
As they clean up and prep the boat, no one can understand why Max is deliberately going against what Luka and the rest of the crew are telling him. In the meantime, Tumi, Luka, and Jack meet for a preference meeting. Roy Orbison’s son is back for this third charter, and maybe this time Roy Jr. will behave himself… however, when we learn that a cast member from Jackass is joining them, you know anything can happen…
Natalya volunteers to be the boat nanny for the little kids coming on board, and Tumi is crossing her fingers that all goes well, especially after Jessika leaves the boat to head to the hospital. That’s right – she left! Her crazy night of drinking has left her with a sore throat, and when Jessika goes to relay this message to Captain Sandy, off the boat she goes. That means the stews are down one AGAIN, but as Kyle puts it, they are all queens, so they will be able to handle this charter.
Luka surprises Lara and lets her know she is now promoted to the lead deckhand, but it makes me think that perhaps their late-night makeout sesh may have had something to do with his choice… JK.
The guests come on the boat, and the kids are full of energy. Natalya is doing a great job keeping them under control, and Tumi is thrilled not to have to take on THAT responsibility. A bad au pair job in her past is still haunting her…! The water toys are out, and Max is asking for his break already. Luka is not sure Max realizes that some days you may not get a break, and Max is not taking that too well.
Captain Sandy dines with the guests for Italian night, but when the seas begin to get rough, Luka and the deck crew make a decision that will ultimately tick off the captain. They’ve decided to bring the jet skis in while the guests are dining. No matter HOW GOOD the chef’s meals are, they are all distracted by the dangling water toys. The deck crew is scrambling as they are trying to get the tender on board. They had good intentions, but the nerve-wracking and dangerous situation they are now in as the tender dangles and sways with the wind is backfiring. Captain Sandy lets Luka know that he will never pull a move like that again, and instead, he should wait until the dinner service is over.
The guests are uncharacteristically chill, and Tumi hardly knows what to do with himself when they turn in for a relaxing evening. When Natalya gets ready for bed, she has an internal battle with herself… she so wants to make a move on Luka, but she has this “boyfriend” who is def sleeping with other women on the reg.
The good news is that Jessika is feeling better, and as per her text to Captain Sandy, she will be returning for the next charter. The bad news is that Max continues to dig his own grave when he wakes up late the next morning. Luka is losing patience with him, and so is Lara. Max claims that he is simply not a fan of the way Lara speaks to him, but she is getting fed up. Lara gets offended when Max asks her how many years of experience she has had, and although she doesn’t want to fight in front of the captain, their voices get louder, and Sandy takes notice. It seems like Max’s constant mouth-running is getting him into trouble, and he is irritating his fellow deckhands one by one.
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