Season 9 of Below Deck Mediterranean has just begun, and there’s already drama
Season 9 of Below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea It’s just getting started, and there’s already drama stirring up controversy among the cast (and fans). In the Season 9 premiere, Mustique’s influential guests ordered some cheesy late-night snacks. Specifically, nachos with guacamole, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese. Stew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich tried to wake Chef Jonathan “Jono” Shillingford several times, but he demanded his right to rest.
Chef Jono had an exhausting first day like everyone on the Mustique crew. The provisions disaster meant they couldn’t get the lobster by dinner time. Which forced him to change the meal at the last minute. Despite the pressure to improvise what he ate, Juno’s meal was a hit. Guests repeatedly praised the chef’s talents. This may have prompted them to order those late-night snacks. But it also left Juno exhausted by the end of his shift, and unwilling to get out of bed.
When she was informed of this the next day, Captain Sandy Yawn sided with the chef. The drama continued in episode two, with Sandy insisting that the stew should never wake the chef. Judging by the reactions to this debate, it will have a ripple effect on the crew’s struggles throughout the season. Well, that and the intense flirting between Dechands.
Chef Jonathan tells boss Stew Aesha that he hasn’t gotten out of bed
In the second episode, Captain Sandy and head stew Aisha Scott try to get to the bottom of the snack problem. While Eli was exhausted, Juno was proud to stand his ground. “Standing up for myself has always been an issue for me, especially when I grew up in the closet,” the chef said.
When speaking to Aisha, Juno admitted that Ellie was annoyed by guests who also ordered drinks. But he continued to defend his right to sleep, considering how early he had woken up that day. However, as Aisha pointed out, midnight snacks were on the guests’ list of preferences. She advised him to prepare better in the future.
Why did Captain Sandy side with Chef Jonathan?
Captain Sandy calls the lack of preparation the problem, and instead insists Juno sleep more. “Usually a chef will prepare something for stews to put in the oven and heat up,” she explained. “He had no experience at that point [to know that]“But to be fair, Juno has many years of experience in the yachting industry.
While Elena was upset at being reprimanded, Captain Sandy admitted that “Elena did what she thought was right.” But she warned, “Elena will know not to wake him up again.” Hopefully, Juno also knows how to prepare more next time.
Captain Lee disagrees about the chef getting out of bed
Captain Lee Rosbach also participated in the discussion when a fan asked: “Is that true ‘Never Wake Up the Chef’?” “If the guests want it and the stew can’t handle it, of course you wake the chef,” Captain Lee replied. “No, that’s not true, at least not on my boat,” he continued. However, some long-time fans have felt that Captain Lee is overly critical of Captain Sandy and the way she runs the boat.
Has the problem of getting out of bed been solved?
In the second episode, Captain Sandy repeatedly warns the crew to never wake Chef. At the end of their stay, valued guests left a rave review, despite the many obstacles. Once again, they had more praise for Juno’s food.
To avoid a repeat of what happened on the first night, Captain Sandy has Juno agree to make the panini in advance so the stew can be heated up. In the end, Juno apologized to Ellie for how things turned out. “The lesson is I’m going to set things up,” he said, adding: “I sympathize that you were in a crazy situation, and I don’t want that to ever happen to you again.” Hopefully he’ll also apologize for saying, frustrated with Ellie’s attempts to wake him up, “Bitch, are you stupid? And that won’t be good for you.”
We’ll have to see if Juno and Ellie can work out their differences once they get to know each other better. After all, Below Deck Med has a whole new cast taking the drama into season nine. As Aisha said, the first day on a new boat is usually a “bad show.” This, along with dangerously dropping goalposts, was perhaps the biggest problem. At one point, Ellie said she stayed awake for 25 hours.
Catch Below Deck Mediterranean is now streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – Do you think Chef Jonathan had to get out of bed to prepare snacks for the guests? Or do you agree with Captain Sandy never to wake the chef?
