Captain Glenn is in his Captain Sandy of Below Deck Mediterranean era. Prior to this season, I liked Glenn, but unpleasant shades of Sandy’s micromanaging have been exhibited by him lately. Plus his relationship with Gary is giving Sandy and Malia.
We pick up with Daisy still crying in her cabin as John impatiently calls her name while searching for her around the boat. “I’m so fucking frustrated right now that if I didn’t cry, I think I would set the boat on fire,†she tells us. Let it all out! Gary radios that the beach trip is delayed, and Daisy says that’s why sending a stew to shore isn’t a good idea. Mads, like the great stew she has been, prioritizes helping Daisy with her tasks.
Two hours after Alex and Lucy were dropped off at the beach, the guests (minus TJ, who opts for a nap) finally decide to head to shore, where they play in the ocean and snorkel. When Gary picks Ileisha’s food up from Mads, he asks if she’ll be riding back with him in the tender, so they can “have a little romantic cruise.†Gross! Also, I find it laughable that these guests came to Italy just to request American food.
The thought of chicken wings causing uproar has never crossed my mind, yet here we are. John says he isn’t a “pretentious guy†before complaining about how there isn’t a place to throw away the chicken bones. We then get a flashback from earlier of Daisy not telling Mads to pack an empty dish. Am I delusional, or are the producers trying to give Daisy the villain edit? As Lucy scrambles to find a solution, Alex says in a confessional that “somebody’s dropping the ball.â€
Then Jacob falls over in his chair, bringing everything on the table down with him. “This is a fucking shitshow,†Lucy proclaims. John continues complaining about the lack of a bone dish, even though it all ended up on the ground, and rambles about not enjoying the beach trip. Lucy texts Daisy about the situation, and Daisy says she’s “so over this.†I would be too! Daisy then makes Captain Glenn and Gary aware of what’s happening, and Gary tells her it’s “not that stressful.†Furthermore, when Daisy leaves, he tells Captain Glenn that he doesn’t understand why Daisy’s stressed, because he likes the guests. Um, probably because Gary’s busy living “in his own world,†as Daisy says.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ileisha — who’s already stressed, because the provisioners didn’t give her fish filet again — cuts her fingernail, which Captain Glenn helps patch up. Ileisha thinks she “should know better,†since she has previously had kitchen injuries. Accidents happen, and she should stop beating herself up about everything.
Once Alex and Lucy return, Gary gets annoyed because Chase hasn’t shown up for his shift and runs down to passive-aggressively clarify when he should be outside, which he claims is 2:30 p.m. Chase tells us he was originally told a different time, accompanied by evidence from a few days prior, when Gary tells Chase to be up by 3:30 p.m. I feel like I should be keeping score with these two.
In the laundry room, Gary poorly attempts to flirt with Mads. He tells her, “I just want to hang out and get to know you,†which he says is hard, because they’re always working or around people. “I don’t think Gary gets me at all,†Mads tells us. “I think the affection and love bombing is so cringey.†So! True!
After they sail, John invites Captain Glenn to join them for dinner, which he accepts but doesn’t tell Ileisha and Daisy about until the last minute. Lauren, after asking Lucy to steam some clothes, takes photos of the guys and their man-buns.
Back in the laundry room, Lucy accidentally melts part of Lauren’s dress while steaming it. After being told of the situation, Daisy says her anxiety is “sky high,†since she has to be the bearer of bad news. Thankfully, Lauren understands, despite being visibly shocked when told about the dress.
While setting up for dinner, Daisy asks Gary what he’d do if she walked off the boat, and he says they’d handle it well, because she “creates a stressful environment.†Lucy’s thoughts on this tension: “Negative energy can affect the crew, so I hope they sort their shit out.†Agreed, mostly for Daisy’s sake, but this is the best drama we’ve gotten so far.
Once everyone is seated and waiting for the first course, John tells Captain Glenn he can sense that everyone gravitates toward Gary because of his “charisma.†Readers, I laughed out loud. Ileisha falls behind on time following the first course, which Captain Glenn notices. During the 40-minute wait, Gary shares that he’s a mama’s boy, and John reveals that he owns three units in the Trump Tower in Chicago, which makes complete sense.
The crew then goes upstairs to prepare the gelato station and awards ceremony celebrating the guests that John requested. Daisy’s annoyed that, rather than helping out, Gary takes a cigarette break, which Colin says is a “dick move.†When Gary finally joins them, Daisy confronts him and Colin backs her up. In a confessional, Gary says he doesn’t “give a fuck†and can smoke whenever he wants, because “I’m the chief officer here,†and he thought Colin would be on his side. Chase gives us his two cents and says that if he were a department head, he’d be working rather than wasting his time fighting.
Gary, tasked with hosting the awards ceremony, presents the guests with elementary-school-level certificates like “Straight-A Student†(Anastasia) and “Best Accent†(Natalia). Meanwhile, in the crew cabins, Daisy vents to Colin about how she “feels so much pressure†and has a lot to manage. He comforts her, and Daisy expresses her appreciation for Colin’s support. “If it weren’t for Colin, I’d feel so alone,†she says, adding that she’s surprised by Gary’s behavior, given how close they’ve become. You’d expect him to be more considerate after all this time.
The next day is guest drop-off, for which I’m thankful. As Captain Glenn prepares to dock the boat, John asks him to take photos. When Captain Glenn tells him to hold on, John is unable to take a hint and continues asking questions about docking and rambles about his rich pals who own yachts.
As the crew awaits the guests on the dock, Gary says this was the “best charter yet,†which Daisy thinks he’s only saying to piss her off. Once the guests depart, Daisy talks to Ileisha about how annoying the guys are (true) and how she feels like she “did a shit job this charter†(false).
Captain Glenn focuses on this charter’s issues at the tip meeting — most significantly, TJ’s injury. He then directs his attention to the interior, calling Ileisha out for the long wait between courses before telling Daisy he took issue with the plate clearing and saying that they aren’t “100 percent there yet.†She says they’re trying their best “with the resources we’re given,†and Captain Glenn says a solution must be found: “I don’t mean work harder, but I definitely mean work smarter.â€
When Captain Glenn presses a teary-eyed Daisy about the interior’s issues, she says she’d rather talk about it later, then gets up and leaves. Gary checks on and comforts her while she expresses how tired she is, which Captain Glenn overhears. “Don’t get me wrong, Daisy annoys the fuck out of me, but I feel very protective over Daisy,†Gary tells us. Then stop trying to push her buttons! Meanwhile, Colin says he doesn’t get why Daisy’s crying, because nothing bad was said, which, sure, but she literally just confided in Colin about her feelings the night before, so I don’t understand why he’s suddenly acting confused.
Captain Glenn tells Daisy he doesn’t want her to feel like he’s picking on her, and she says she feels bad when something’s criticized — even if it isn’t personal. Daisy tells us she “feels off my game,†which I’ve sensed since the start of the season. When she returns to the saloon, Colin says he wants to “back Glenn up†and explains that his constructive criticism is intended to help the crew improve, which Daisy feels is directed toward her. Colin feels “taken aback by her defensiveness†and talks about how he just dealt with a stressful first charter, but she didn’t see him crying. “This isn’t about you, Daisy,†Colin says. “It’s about the whole crew.†So why bring up the broken engine? The men on this boat are tiring me out.
Then Captain Glenn reveals the $23,000 tip and that a tasting menu at a local restaurant has been organized for the crew. Once everyone separates, Daisy tells Lucy that the guys “have no fucking clue what sort of pressure I’m under.†No matter how much they make it seem like they know what’s happening, the dudes lack any consideration for the weight constantly placed on Daisy’s shoulders.
Outside, Colin complains to Gary and Chase about Daisy’s attitude and says he was trying to back her up, though he made it clear at the meeting that he was supporting Glenn. Gary then brings up Daisy’s reaction to his smoke break, but Colin tells him he was in the wrong. He adds that Gary needs to “lead by example,†and Gary tells Colin to “grow a pair of balls.†Now, this is the drama I’ve been waiting for!