Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8 Was A Let Down (And How Aesha Scott Will Make Season 9 Better)

Summary

• Aesha Scott’s return to Below Deck Med as Chief Stew is expected to bring a fun and refreshing energy to the series.
• Season 8 of Below Deck Med was full of drama, with broken relationships and crew members not respecting Chief Stew Tumi.
• Aesha’s skills and experience as Chief Stew will likely make Below Deck Med season 9 much more entertaining and successful.

Below Deck Mediterranean season 8 was a let down, but with Aesha Scott as Captain Sandy’s new Chief Stew, she’s sure to make season 9 much better. Aesha started her Below Deck journey on Below Deck Med season 4 working under Captain Sandy and Hannah Ferrier. She had a great relationship with Hannah, one of the best Below Deck Chief Stews. She appeared on Below Deck Med season 5 before becoming the OG Chief Stew of Below Deck Down Under. The Kiwi native worked alongside Captain Jason Chambers and made the spin-off series incredibly successful.

Aesha and Captain Jason grew a friendship in Below Deck Down Under seasons 1 and 2. She was a reliable Chief Stew for him and the rest of the crew members. Now, she’s circling back to her Below Deck roots as Captain Sandy’s Chief Stew in Below Deck Med season 9. Aesha belongs on Below Deck Down Under, but she’s likely going to shine as Chief Stew for Below Deck Med. After a few lackluster seasons, Aesha will revamp Below Deck Med and bring a fun, light energy to the once thriving series.

The Below Deck Med Season 8 Crew Fought Too Much

Kyle Viljoen Perpetuated Drama Among The Crew

The Below Deck Med season 8 crew was incredibly prone to drama. The season was doomed before the crew members stepped aboard and started filming. As a returning crew member, Kyle Viljoen meddled in the relationship between Chief Stew Tumi Mhlongo and Natalya Scudder. He messaged Tumi and warned her about Natalya before they got on the boat. Kyle and Tumi arrived late in the season, so Natayla stepped in as Chief Stew in place of Tumi. Once she made it on the boat, conflict arose when they got in an argument about Natalya’s leadership tactics.

As a friend to both Tumi and Natalya, both women ranted to Kyle about each other. He didn’t choose sides between either of his friends and perpetuated their feud. After one of their fights, Tumi texted Kyle and said, “I know you’re mates with her, but Nat needs to stay in her lane.” Instead of defending Natalya, Kyle texted Tumi, “I’m sorry to hear this — I did tell you she’s something that came for all of us.”

Tumi’s perception of Natalya was tainted before she even met the stew, all because of Kyle.

Kyle was a drama starter on Below Deck Med season 7. Captain Sandy gave him another chance in Below Deck Med season 8, but she should have known that he would cause major conflict on the boat. All the crew members were prone to drama, which made them fight far too much. The season was overshadowed by Tumi and Natalya’s feud. If it wasn’t for Kyle, Tumi and Natalya could have had a great friendship and working relationship on Below Deck Med season 8.

The Stews Didn’t Respect Chief Stew Tumi

Tumi Should Have Been Treated Better On Below Deck Med

As Chief Stew, Tumi did not receive the respect she deserved. When Tumi arrived on the boat, she critiqued how Natalya had run the boat as her temporary replacement. This set Natalya off, and they began arguing almost immediately. She was incredibly defensive in her first interaction with Tumi, which set them up for failure for the rest of the season. From there, Natalya began complaining about Tumi to her fellow crew members. Their mutual friend, Kyle, did virtually nothing to diminish their conflict. It wasn’t his job to squash their beef, but he could have stood up for Tumi.

Natalya bad-mouthed Tumi in her confessional interviews. Aside from sharing her visceral feelings about the Chief Stew with her crew members, she called Tumi “a f***ing bitch” in a confessional. It was incredibly disrespectful for Natalya to talk about her Chief Stew like that, even if it was behind her back and not to her face. She never gave Tumi respect, and Captain Sandy had to step in and warn them about their behavior. After overhearing an argument, Captain Sandy told Tumi and Natalya that she would fire both of them if they couldn’t act cordially.

Below Deck Med Season 8 Had Issues From The Start

There Were Broken Relationships & A Lot Of Lying Going On

Below Deck Med season 8 had clear issues from the start. Because Tumi and Kyle were late to the boat, giving him time to meddle in her relationship with one of her stews, Natalya. Tumi had a preconceived view of Natalya before she met her. They got off on the wrong foot after their first interaction after Tumi said “The organization is a s*** show” while Natalya was filling in as Chief Stew. Aside from Tumi and Natalya’s season-long feud, Bosun Ruan Irving created a major controversy with Captain Sandy at the beginning of the season.

Ruan caused confusion in Below Deck Med season 8 after claiming to be a yacht captain. When he joined the season, he said he had over 10 years of experience in the yachting industry. In the premiere episode of Below Deck Med season 8, Captain Sandy learned that there had been some problems with Ruan’s paperwork. The Officer of The Watch informed her that Ruan’s medical license was “not certified,” and that he only had pictures of his paperwork. Captain Sandy also found out that he had forged his Yachtmasters.

“In this post, because it is so highly regulated, an MCA officer can board the vessel at any time and it is all about a safe operation of the vessel. From life rafts to certificates that we have to hold.”

Ruan claimed that while he was working on another boat, “the ticket expired” so the crew members “needed to get a ticket done quickly.” Because of this, he told Captain Sandy that “a guy came on the boat, and he issued us our tickets.” However, his excuse did not fly with Captain Sandy, and she fired him immediately. By the end of Below Deck Med season 8 episode 1, the crew had already seen its first member fired. The drama started early, and it continued throughout the rest of the season.

Aesha’s Skills & Experience Will Make Below Deck Med Entertaining Again

Aesha Will Bring New Energy To Below Deck Med

Aesha’s history of yachting and experience on various seasons of Below Deck will breathe life into Below Deck Med season 8. When she appeared in Below Deck Med season 4, Aesha became a quickly beloved crew member. Her endearing nature and bubbly personality made her easy to get along with, and she had a great work ethic that served her well as an employee. She formed a close friendship with Chief Stew Hannah, which naturally made Below Deck fans take a liking to her.

Aesha had a strong showing during her two seasons of Below Deck Med, but she excelled in Below Deck Down Under. The Australian-based spin-off series could have been a disaster without a strong Chief Stew. Tapping Aesha to fill that role was a genius decision. It allowed her to gain much more experience operating the interior. Captain Jason trusted her fully because of their close friendship. All members of a crew need to have positive working relationships to ensure the success of the yacht. Captain Jason and Aesha’s relationship was genuine.

Captain Jason’s trust in Aesha was on full display during Below Deck Down Under season 2. During one of the worst moments in the franchise’s history, she stepped in and ensured the safety of Margot Sisson. One night when Luke Jones was drunk, he tried to climb into Margot’s bunk naked. Aesha and Below Deck production got him out of Margot’s bunk and made sure she was okay. After the incident, Aesha went to Captain Jason and told him what happened. He listened to Aesha and fired Luke instantly.

Aesha always looks out for the best interests of her crew members. She is a very honest and hardworking Chief Stew, and she will bring her spark to Below Deck Med season 9. It was a game-changing move for her to return to Below Deck Med. However, it will likely pay off and benefit the spin-off greatly.

Below Deck Mediterranean

season 9 premieres Monday, June 3 at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo.

Source: Bravo/YouTube