Below Deck has been a beloved Bravo series since 2013. Like many other series on the network, spin-offs were necessary. Say hello to Below Deck Down Under. The series took the skeleton of the flagship series and brought it to the beautiful locale of the Great Barrier Reef. For some series, the first season can have some growing pains. Not Below Deck Down Under! Season 1 was one of the best yet.
Below Deck Down Under is the third spin-off in the Below Deck Cinematic Universe. Following the lives of the yachties working on a stunning mega yacht in Australia, the series took the best of the original series and made it even better. With a stunning backdrop, the first season of Below Deck Down Under set the tone for the series forever.
10 “The Plunger from Down Under”
Episode 3
The third episode of the season was one that truly set up many of the storylines of the first season. Benny Crawley had a roller-coaster journey while aboard the motoryacht Thalassa. Like many new crews, the first charter often has some bumps in the road, and there are some learning curves as you’re working as a new team. For the deckhand, he and Boson Jamie Sayed started their rocky road off with some tension. Jamie is a very militant leader and Benny is much more lackadaisical. Of course, there would be some personality clashing. Benny needs positive reinforcement and Jamie is not going to be the one to provide that; and by the end of the episode, Benny is ready to quit after feeling picked on. Speaking of learning curves in working conditions, it’s only charter two and the super sweet Chief Stew Aesha Scott is continuing to be tested by Chef Ryan McKeown. If the guests aren’t ready to eat, don’t put out the feed! Time for one of Chef Ryan’s signature temper tantrums.
Now to the fun and games. After a crew night out, Jamie and 3rd Stew Magda Ziomek get a little hot and heavy in the hot tub. But spoiler, Magda isn’t really available. She’s off the market as 2nd Stew Tumi Mhlongo reveals she has a boyfriend in Poland. Oops! Well, leave it to Jamie, who is going to clash with Tumi and deckhand Brittini Burton, who are available, as he’s ticked off that the only girl he’s attracted to isn’t available. It’s going to be a long charter season for Jamie! After trashing the yacht, the crew only has a few hours to clean up and Captain Jason Chambers is none too pleased. But leave it to Magda to begin her arc of not caring as she engages in a yoga session among the trash.
9 “Squid Games”
Episode 9
For the most part, the crew stuck to their archetypes. When it came to Benny Crawley, he felt like the leftout deckhand and Chef Ryan McKeown was the official villain of Thalassa. But the two were able to find a common bond over the loss of their parents, showing a new vulnerable side of both men. Through tragedy and trauma, an unlikely friendship is formed. This chat was a precursor to the crew night out. The crew just can’t have a peaceful and fun night out, but leave it to some unruly patrons at the club to cause a commotion. Chef Ryan comes to the rescue, even if it means he made a scene in the process. To be fair, he was called a loser and that bottle just so happened to fly through the air. Feeling like he’s the stand-up guy who came to the rescue of the women onboard, when he doesn’t receive the parade and fanfare, he begins to pout.
It’s time for Magda watch! Viewers were keeping a closer eye on Magda Ziomek and her constant contact with her boyfriend back home. Having spent hours talking to him the night before, Magda was not only unprepared for the day, again, she was exhausted. So a little nap leads to a five-hour sleep. Already having the ire of Chef Ryan, Chief Stew Aesha Scott now has Magda on her bad side. Aesha is forced to punish her by keeping her on service, meaning no phone for you! But when it’s time to go back to laundry, Magnda makes a massive blunder by washing a dry-clean only cashmere.
This is a very special charter for Captain Jason Chambers, as the charter guest is an old friend gearing up for a bachelor party. With all eyes on perfection, the crew is put to the test, but the festivities allow for the crew to let loose a bit. Well almost everyone. Aesha and Chef Ryan are still not seeing eye to eye. And Captain Jason sees that Chef Ryan is not up to snuff either. Sadly, he’s stuck with him as there’s no backup available. To make matters even worse, Captain Jason takes the guests out fishing where they want to eat their catch. Only Chef Ryan wants nothing to do with that. Even stepping up his game, his refusal to cater to the guests continued to strain his placement on board. Bonding over their distaste for Chef Ryan really brought Aesha and Captain Jason together.
8 “Unchained and Untamed”
Episode 2
The second episode of the season watched the crew find their sea legs with the first charter guests aboard motoryacht Thalassa. The TikTok-loving millennials are pretty easy charter guests, but when morning comes, Chef Ryan McKeown‘s true colors begin to shine through. There are very few chefs who love preparing breakfast on a motoryacht, but Chef Ryan made his stance known. There is one thing on the menu and one thing only: Eggs Benny. No other options. Unfortunately, this puts Chief Stew Aesha Scott in a predicament. And she’s only learning that this is the beginning of Chef Ryan’s reign of terror. He’ll continue his petulant attitude when he plates a lunch for a crew who is not ready to eat quite yet. Bad move Chef! Even worse move? Telling fan-favorite Aesha Scott how to do her job. While it is the viewers’ first chance to see her in the management position, she is exceptional at her job.
This episode gives more of an insight into 2nd Stew Tumi Mhlongo, who would eventually go on to become Chief Stew on Below Deck Mediterranean. Known for her impeccable tablescapes, Tumi begins to shine as the star on Aesha’s interior team. To be fair, it’s easy to shine when your other team member is Magda Ziomek. As a major set up episode, Captain Jason Chambers earns the moniker of “Captain Cutie” as well as revealing his past in the infamous 2019 dock crash. As tradition on Below Deck, it’s time for a tip meeting! And they did decent. To add his own tradition into the show, Captain Jason reveals that after each charter, he will “award” the crew member who needs the most improvement with a hilariously tacky disco ball helmet. And the award goes to…Benny Crawley! He’s bestowed this honor thanks to his freak-out during docking.
7 “Benny and the Jet Skis”
Episode 11
It’s nearing the last straw for Chief Stew Aesha Scott over Chef Ryan McKeown and 2nd Stew Magda Ziomek. Between Chef Ryan’s terrible attitude and Magda talking smack about Aesha, she was brought to tears. Having her first season as Chief Stew, Aesha is trying her best to prove her worth, but these obstacles are making it difficult. As Chef Ryan learns that it has been Tumi Mhlongo sharing “gossip” about him to Aesha, he goes on a tirade against her. Guilty much? When it comes to Magda, Aesha really wants to make it work. They have a chat where Magda admits to her words, but won’t take responsibility.
Captain Jason Chamber‘s biggest pet peeve is a messy ship. And what does his crew do? Leave a messy ship. So, it was time for an impromptu all-crew meeting to set them in their place. Especially when he finds bags of garbage filled with “maggots and lobster juice.” With no one fessing up for not taking out the trash, Boson Jamie Sayed learns as the leader, you have to take one for the team. Even if it was Culver Bradbury‘s massive oversight. Meanwhile, the tension between Jamie and Benny Crawley continues to rise. Perhaps the tension he’s felt is being projected onto Benny. These two are simply not meant to get along.
6 “Nice Girls Finish Last”
Episode 15
Chef Ryan McKeown and Magda Ziomek out. Chef Nate Post and Taylor Dennison in. Following the firings of the problematic chef and stew, there is new blood aboard Thalassa. Yet again, trying to mesh with the new chef is a problem for Chief Stew Aesha Scott. Their inability to get on the same page causes some immediate problems for the food service. Even if the dinner service isn’t going well, Benny Crawley has arrived to save the day. It’s the reawakening of his alter ego, DJ Lazy Susan. But he’s no match for the resident chief entertainment officer, Culver Bradbury. The two will have a morning tiff when Culver, who takes a break before Benny, who started working before him. This moment will allow for Boson Jamie Sayed to finally side with Benny over Culver for once. Jamie warns Culver he could receive the same fate as Chef Ryan and Magda, but truly, can Thalassa handle another firing before the charter season’s over? Things aren’t going to help his cause as the primary will share her social media with the CEO.
As far as new stew Taylor goes, she begins to bond with deckhand Brittini Burton, until Brittini learns that she might have a little crush on her man, Culver Bradbury. That’s certainly not going to fly! Despite revealing that she may have a thing for Jamie Sayed as well, she reveals that she’s no stranger to hooking up with multule crew members in a single charter season. Anyway, the two will have a moment to bond the next charter night as they watch the primary in the hot tub topless…with her brother. Not uncomfortable at all. So, remember how Brittini had a thing for Culver, and she was worried about the new stew Taylor? Really, her competition was the primary charter guest, who Culver just so happened to invite out to the club. That was a bad move on the CEO’s part, and Culver truly did deserve that disco helmet this episode.
5 “The Pirate’s Booty”
Episode 4
As the crew gets settled under Captain Jason Chambers, he starts to assert his authority aboard Thalassa. Some may consider it an overreach, but It’s nothing compared to Captain Sandy Yawn over on Below Deck Mediterranean. This episode is pretty iconic as deckhand Culver Bradbury establishes himself as the unofficial chief entertainment officer. And after watching Culver, who wouldn’t want him to be a part of your charter? Chef Ryan McKeown, meanwhile, establishes himself as the official “dgaf” officer. Following a meager breakfast and a botched beachside lunch, Chef Ryan ruffles Chief Stew Aesha Scott‘s feathers. Despite his attitude, the rest of the crew is able to make up for his mistakes with a wacky tacky pirate-themed dinner.
The entire crew gets in costume to truly give the guests the full experience. Leave it to CEO Culver Bradbury to truly embody the pirate life. His ability to go all out provides top-tier enjoyment that sets the bar for the rest of his journey this charter season. Unfortunately, Culver’s dip in the hot tub with the guests crosses the line of fraternizing with the guests. As much fun as everyone had on the final night, the deck crew flounders in the morning as they are unprepared for docking. Thanks to Captain Jason’s desire for perfection, the deck team gets a lashing away from the rest of the crew to put his foot down. Will they heed his advice the rest of the charter season? Mostly!
4 “The Tipping Point”
Episode 6
If you couldn’t tell, the theme of Below Deck Down Under is all about Chef Ryan McKeown and Chief Stew Aesha Scott butting heads. After doing his own thing, Aesha tried to get him back on course. It doesn’t work. So who has to go have a word with the chef? The primary. If the primary comes into the galley, expect a hangry lashing. But he’s still completely unphased. What will phase him is his complete disregard for the charter guests’ wishes. One guest doesn’t eat any fish, which is the entirety of the meal. Another guest wants eggs. Knowing his distaste for making breakfast, surely you know how that ended. Due to Chef Ryan’s misfire at dinner, 3rd stew Magda Ziomek is ready to save the night by performing as the ghost of Marilyn Monroe. It was completely uncomfortable. But shockingly, it secured a bigger tip! When it comes to the nautical-themed dinner, Chef Ryan does the bare minimum and almost gets away with it. Until he gets annoyed when one of the lobsters is sent back as the guest doesn’t want to tear the crustacean apart themselves.
There is a lot to do as Chief Stew, and one thing that Aesha didn’t have on her resume was a barista. When she tries to show the charter guest her process of making the almond milk latte, he is mortified. But because Aehsa is exceptional at her job, she gets a frother onboard. Meanwhile, on deck, it’s a race to the yacht as Benny Crawley, on the smaller tender, and Boson Jamie Sayed, on the larger tender, nearly crash the tenders. A major no-no. Captain Jason Chambers places the blame on Jamie, which adds to the already rising animosity against Benny.
The reason this episode ranks so high is that the infamous back-and-forth between Chef Ryan and Aesha in the galley. Finally getting to the point where she’s found confidence to speak to Ryan about his lack of care, Aesha will ask how many yachts Chef Ryan has worked on. His retort, “I don’t know, how many vaccums have you pushed, how many f–king frying pans did you flip? You stick to vacuums, I’ll stick to cooking.” The tension is rising, and it’s never going to simmer. Oh, and the charter guests decided to give some of the crew a personal tip. With deckhand Brittini Burton and 2nd Stew Tumi Mhlongo being left out, it causes some raw emotions to arise. Thankfully, Captain Jason and the crew rally and pool their tips as they are a team.
3 “New Kids on the Block”
Episode 14
At the end of episode 13, Captain Jason Chambers was eager to get Thalassa back to normal. With immense turmoil all over the ship, changes had to be made. The first major change was to fire Magda Ziomek. After her poor attitude, usage of the cellular service, and constant bickering with her boyfriend, it was the end of the line for Chief Stew Aesha Scott. The next change was the fate of Chef Ryan McKeown. With the cliffhanging leading to whether Captain Jason would fire him, the chef got the chop. And to say that he didn’t take it well is an understatement. He did not leave on a high, calling Captain Jason an assortment of names on his way out. The hilarity of the situation might have been watching Magda shockingly react to his firing. Perhaps they both had a few too many sips of delusion-aide.
With two positions needing to be filled, thankfully, Captain Jason was able to bring in Chef Nate Post and 3rd stew Taylor Dennison. When it comes to Chef Nate, he was left a mess. Literally. With a disaster in the galley, he had little time to get acclimated with his new crew. Oh, and with the dishwasher down, not a great time to come onboard! With so much trouble below deck, the exterior team continues to have their own set of problems. Boson Jamie Sayed is still unsatisfied with Benny Crawley. And then it moves over to Brittini Burton, who he gives the silent treatment to. All because of the “B” word. Perhaps this team is not the best to work under his working style.
2 “Drink While No One’s Watching”
Episode 17
It’s the end of the first season of Below Deck Down Under, and it certainly goes out on a high. Between the beautiful vow renewal ceremony and Culver Bradbury‘s near blackout night on charter, the season finale was certainly eventful. Despite the drama during the season, the final crew ended up having a strong dynamic. Many of the season’s starts had some strong story arcs that proved that individuals can grow. Like Benny Crawley, who took on the title of Zen Ben. His turnaround from start to finish was one of the best of the season. For 2nd Stew Tumi Mhlongo, Chief Stew Aesha Scott shared that she was so much more than a second. She knew! Tumi would go on to be a Chief Stew for the franchise in the Med! Captain Jason Chambers, telling Brittini Burton, the next female captain, was one of the most touching compliments he gave to the crew.
Captain Jason wasn’t too sure of Jamie Sayed and Culver Bradbury’s future in yachting, though Culver would come to the rescue for season 2. The season proved that this franchise had legs. While there’s always some hold over season after season, the first season truly made stars out of Captain Jason Chambers and Chief Stew Aesha Scott. Thankfully, they would return together for Season 2. Their bond is easily the best friendship in all of Below Deck.
1 “G’Day Mate!”
Episode 1
Below Deck Down Under had some big shoes to fill when it became the new kid on the Below Deck dock. Viewers were greeted with a familiar face: Chief Stew Aesha Scott from Below Deck Mediterranean. At the helm was the new stud of the sea, Captain Jason Chambers. The two Australian yachties instantly became the stars of the series. The megayacht that viewers would be watching this season was Thalassa, a stunning 50-meter white boat. As tradition, the season welcomed a brand-new crew. On deck were Boson Jamie Sayed, joined by deckhand Culver Bradbury, Brittini Burton, and Benny Crawley. In the galley was Chef Ryan McKeown. And the interior was led by Chief Stew Aesha Scott with 2nd Stew Tumi Mhlongo and 3rd Stew Magda Ziomek.
Captain Jason revealed that, unlike Captain Lee Rosbach, he’s going to make things a little more fun and light-hearted. He wants his crew to have fun when the guests are not on board. When the crew meets with their respective teams and coworkers, tension already arises between Chef Ryan and Aesha. We should have seen the outcome from day one! She wasn’t going to be besties with Cheffy, but she was more than willing to try with her interior team. Then the first charter of the season was an American expat with a group of young millennials who happened to be foodies. But this season couldn’t start out without a disaster. The hydraulics began smoking. But nothing compares to Captain Jason’s pre-show crash. Even with a stuck yacht, here comes Aesha to the rescue to entertain! When night strikes, Captain Jason alerts the team that low tide could destroy their season if the boat doesn’t leave the dock. Will they make it? The answer is revealed on episode 2, but if you made it this far, you know the result!
