Summary
Below Deck Mediterraneanseason 9 has been a hit forBelow Deckfans, but the show should invite a few villainous alumni back for season 10. After working as the Chief Stew ofBelow Deck Down Underfor two seasons,Aesha Scott returned to her franchise roots to lead season 9of the Mediterranean-basedBelow Deckspin-off. The show desperately needed a revamp afterBelow Deck Medseason 8 let downthe audience. Aesha and a new cast of yachties have successfully revitalized the series with new friendships, boatmances, and plenty of drama.
Below Deck Medseason 9is better than season 8, and the show has its dynamic crew to thank for that. Captain Sandy and Chief Stew Aesha served as two familiar faces for seasonedBelow Deckfans, while the rest of the new crew has cemented themselves as entertaining personalities. Aesha’s stews,Bri Muller and Elena “Ellie” Dubaich, started the season strong but feuded about their liking toward deckhand Joe Bradley.Below Deck Medseason 9 has been nothing short of entertaining, but a fewvillains fromBelow Deckpast could return for season 10 and make the show even better.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
8João Franco
Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 3 & 4, Below Deck Down Under Season 2
João Franco acted out during his stint onBelow Deck Med. He behaved badly when drinking alcohol and blamed his actions on his alter-ego, “Jezabob.” João took out his anger on the women on his crew and specifically called Aesha a “Russian prostitute.” He should have been fired, but Captain Sandy gave him another shot in season 4, where his behavior improved. After appearing inBelow Deck Medseasons 3 and 4,João became a fan-favorite crew memberinBelow Deck Down Underseason 2.He’s redeemed himself with the audience but will always be remembered as a villain.
7Natalya Scudder
Below Deck Med Seasons 7 & 8
Natalya Scudder’s less-than-great showing inBelow Deck Medseason 8 likely prohibited her from being asked back for season 9. Throughout the entire charter season,Natalya feuded with Chief Stew Tumi Mhlongo. Kyle Viljoen perpetuated their conflict by feeding them information about the other. If he had stayed out of their relationship as Chief Stew and Stew, Tumi and Natalya could have gotten along. Nonetheless, this didn’t happen, andthe stew showed off her negative side onBelow Deck Medseason 8. Neither was innocent, and Natalya fought with Tumi at any given chance.
Their feud taintedBelow Deck Medseason 8. Each time they vowed to improve their relationship, they resorted to their old ways and fought with one another.Natalya ranted to her co-workers about her Chief Stew, and Tumi often found out what she was saying because of Kyle. He created chaos among theBelow Deck Medseason 8 crew, leaving the season stale and overdramatic. If Natalya returned for season 10, she’d need to have a better attitude and show more respect towards her superior stew.
6Lexi Wilson
Below Deck Med Season 6
Lexi Wilson was a controversial crew member duringBelow Deck Medseason 6. She had a negative attitude and treated most of the crew with no respect. Lexi stirred up a lot of drama by fighting with Malia White and Katie Flood, but most of all, whenshe got into a physical altercation with deckhand Mzi Dempers.Her behavior worsened when the crew would go out and drink. Lexi revealed the loss of her father three months before the charter season. Her actions weren’t justified, but Lexi could return forBelow Deck Medseason 10 in a better headspace.
5Mathew Shea
Chef Matthew Shea, fromBelow Deck Medseason 6, came off as dramatic duringBelow Deck Medseason 6. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders working as the chef, and at times, the pressure got to him. Chef Matthew couldn’t handle the nerves of his job and left the superyacht to calm down on multiple occasions. Captain Sandy swore she was going to fire him, but he improved by the end of the season.Matthew continued to thrive as a private chef afterBelow Deck Medseason 6, and the show would benefit from his expertise.
4Adam Glick
Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 1 & Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 2 & 3
Adam Glick made waves as one of the first chefs onBelow Deck Med. He’s infamously remembered for disobeying the guest’s requests. Instead of following a request to omit onion from dishes, Chef Adam included onion with all meals. Hewas asked multiple times to stop incorporating onion into his dishes but refusedto do so. Luckily for the chef, he wasn’t fired and went on to appear in three different reiterations ofBelow Deck. Chef Adam’s stubborn personality was a headache for the crew but proved to be entertaining for the audience.
3Malia White
Below Deck Med Seasons 2, 5, & 6
Malia White may be the biggest villain fromBelow Deck Med. She made franchise history as the first woman to become Bosun underneath Captain Sandy during season 5. However,Malia was credited for Hannah Ferrier’s infamous firingduring the same season. After serving as a deckhand inBelow Deck Medseason 2, she returned to the show in season 5. Malia learned Hannah had a vape pen and an unprescribed Vallium onboard, told Captain Sandy, and was fired. The Chief Stew was a massive fan-favorite crew member, and many fans blamed her firing on the Bosun.
Even with backlash surrounding Hannah’s firing, Malia was brought back forBelow Deck Medseason 6. The audience turned on her afterBelow Deck Medseason 5, butshouldn’t be blamed for Hannah’s exit.Malia could surely redeem herself if she was given the chance to return inBelow Deck Medseason 10, but it’s unclear if the show would want her to back. She was a great Bosun who made history within the franchise and should be remembered for her accomplishments instead of Hannah’s exit.
2Elena “Ellie” Dubaich
Below Deck Med Season 7 & 9
Ellie Dubaich was briefly featuredinBelow Deck Medseason 7 before she joined the cast of season 9. She stepped in for Kyle when he suffered an injury during one charter of the season. After her short appearance on the show, she returned forBelow Deck Medseason 9 as Aesha’s second stew. She started the season strong and showed third stew Bri Muller the ropes of life as a stew on a superyacht. However, their relationship fell apart whenBri hooked up with deckhand Joe Bradley, whom the second stew was interested in.
They let their attraction to the deckhand ruin their friendship and professional relationship. After their hook-up, Ellie talked down to Bri and made her feel less than.She exerted her power as a second stew over the third stewand acted like she was the Chief Stew of the Mustique. Aesha attempted to step in and urge them to treat each other with kindness, but Ellie didn’t care what the Chief Stew had to say. She was incredibly upset that Bri pursued someone she found attractive but hadn’t formed any sort of boatmance with.
1Kyle Viljoen
Kyle was quite the pot stirrer in both of his seasons ofBelow Deck Med.He prompted Natalya and Tumi’s feud in season 8of theBelow Deckspin-off. Before they stepped onto the Mustique, he spread gossip to each of them before they got a chance to meet. Kyle warned Tumi about Natalya, which led to a contentious first meeting between the stews. Instead of leaving himself out of their drama, he continued to tell them what they were saying about each other behind their backs.
Kyle didn’t need to pick sides in Natalya and Tumi’s fight, but he should’ve removed himself from their drama. He’s one of the shadiest crew members to appear onBelow Deck Med, andhe forfeited his friendship with Tumi because of his love for chaos.It could be controversial to bring Kyle back forBelow Deck Medseason 10, but the show has invited individuals back with worse behavioral issues. He’d have to work hard for a comeback in season 10, but it’s possible.
TheBelow Deckproduction team should bring back a few past alumni to capitalize on the success ofBelow Deck Medseason 9 in future seasons. It would be wise to invite back Captain Sandy, Aesha, and the majority of the season 9 crew alongside a few villains from the show’s history. Redeemed crew members like João or others looking for redemption like Lexi could be the perfect addition to the cast ofBelow Deck Medseason 10.
Below Deck Mediterraneanairs Mondays at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo, then streams the following day on Peacock.
Below Deck Mediterranean
Cast
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and France, with some repeating.
