And just like that … it’s all over. It’s been a whirlwind of a season, and I’m thrilled to see the crew make it through this incredibly emotional ride. Overall, this season was a banger, due in no small part to one of the most tight-knit and entertaining casts (excluding Luke and Laura, of course) we’ve ever had. But a lot of shit goes down before everyone disembarks Northern Sun, so let’s dive in.
We pick up with the Teppanyaki dinner situation, as Captain Jason tries talking Tzarina down from her anxious state with some words of encouragement. He even offers to do a test run of the flaming onion volcano she’s worried about. Find you a captain like Jason. Ultimately, Tzarina has no reason to worry because the dinner ends up going off without a hitch. The guests enjoy the meal and have a good time interacting with Tzarina, who manages to successfully flip a shrimp into Jason’s mouth.
Meanwhile, in the crew mess, the guys talk about their post-season plans, which naturally leads to the topic of Culver’s Med job that’s still up in the air. Culver says he hasn’t heard back from Captain Olaf but that he isn’t reading too much into it. As evidenced by past behavior, Culver just isn’t someone who cares about following through with plans. João claims it’s “unheard of” for captains to allow couples to join a boat together, which is hilarious coming from the guy who previously worked under Captain Sandy, who has hired couples in the past.
While the guests are saying their good-byes the next morning, Captain Jason slips Melissa a check to cover the costs of her damaged dress. This is when I learn that damage to guest property isn’t covered by the boat or production or whatever, which is sort of stupid, and that Jason reimbursed her out of the goodness of his heart. King!
At the final tip meeting, Jason reveals that the guests left a $17,000 tip, bringing their total for the whole season to a whopping $164,000, or $13,700 each, which is a lot for six weeks. Jaimee obviously gets crowned with the disco helmet because she ruined a dress that, according to Melissa’s husband, “fed a bunch of villages in India.” Jaimee’s relatable reaction: “I ruined the primary’s outfit and captain’s about to ruin mine.”
Then they’re off to a celebratory dinner with Jason, who treats the crew to a special evening at Flames of the Forest — which, according to a quick Google search, is held in one of the world’s oldest rainforests — to give them an opportunity to connect with the local culture. Everyone’s stunned by the gorgeous location to the point where it brings Aesha to tears. A man plays the didgeridoo for them, and then they dig into dishes that include kangaroo. This leads to the first drama of the night. When Jaimee mentions previously telling Culver to try kangaroo since it’s healthy, João uses it as an opportunity to take a shot at Culver, implying that Jaimee is too intelligent for him. He later continues by bringing up Culver’s initiative (or lack thereof) and how he should step it up when it comes to deck duties. I mean, I detect no lies!
João’s snarky comments continue in the van ride to the club, telling Culver he shouldn’t make promises to people in yachting since Jaimee’s now stuck waiting around for him to sort out the boat job. Facts, even though João’s only taking out his frustrations on Culver since he’s upset over the dissolution of his and Tzarina’s situationship. Culver argues that he should mind his own business and focus on his “relationship” with Tzarina, which she counters is nonexistent. She adds that João is back to being his “old” self after acting like an “angel” all season, which João doesn’t think is fair. Agreed, because although he’s definitely behaving poorly, it doesn’t seem like Tzarina was ever interested in giving him the chance to show he’s changed. Aesha claims his alter ego is back, and soon enough João gets hammered and decides to kiss Margot to piss Tzarina off, which is uncomfortable. They’re toxic for each other, and I hate that he involved Margot.
Elsewhere at the club, Jaimee continues heavily flirting with Luka while Culver is off doing his own thing. They step away from the group and head to the bar, where Jaimee repeatedly tells Luka how hot he is. Meanwhile, Culver explains to Tzarina that he and Jaimee are on great terms because he knows their relationship “well.” Cut to Luka and Jaimee kissing. I’m not one to condone cheating, but I can’t help but be a little happy that Culver is getting a taste of his own medicine. Karma is a bitch!
The next morning, everyone is feeling the fallout of their actions from the eventful night. After chatting on the dock, João and Tzarina come to the conclusion that it’s best if they end things. João breaks down in tears on the boat, telling Tzarina that he worked hard to stay away from being the super-drunk person he was last night. Leave it to Down Under to make me feel bad for João. Honestly, reality TV seems to bring out the worst in him, so it might be best if he steers clear of it from now on.
Then, the crew finds out about Luka and Jaimee’s smooch, and soon enough everyone except Culver is gathered in Aesha and Tzarina’s cabin gossiping about it. Jaimee pretends she doesn’t remember the kiss but admits in a confessional that she just wanted to keep the truth from Culver. Sis, you do know it’ll be on television regardless, right? After realizing that it won’t stay a secret for much longer, Jaimee confesses to Culver, adding that she was too drunk to remember the kiss until the crew refreshed her memory (this is a lie). He’s speechless and hurt but forgives her shortly after because he believes they have a real connection. How oblivious could one person be?
And then we’re saying our good-byes. Margot departs first, feeling proud of herself for ending on a “high note.” Captain Jason even offers her a gig working as a third stew on a boat in Thailand, which she declines in favor of giving herself time to heal, which is the right decision. Harry’s the next to go, and of every newbie this season, I think he’s the one I’d most like to see back. He’s a sweetheart who’s good at his job in a way that reminds me of Colin from Below Deck Mediterranean, so Bravo would be stupid not to have him back.
I’m not sure I’d be interested in seeing Tzarina return because, despite being a great chef who knows how to make guests happy, she might be too annoying to be tolerated for multiple seasons. Someone we will be seeing again soon is Luka, who’s off to Europe for what’s probably his gig on the upcoming season of BDM. His time here was short but sweet, so I’m excited to see what he has in store for us there. João tells us that his biggest takeaway was realizing that he isn’t ready for a girlfriend, but based on his Instagram he’s been in a relationship for over a year, so here’s hoping he actually learned from this experience.
Culver and Jaimee leave the boat together because Jaimee is spineless and feels guilty for making him sad. Girl, is he 12 years old? You guys have been dating for like, four days, just break up with him! I’d bet all my earnings from these recaps on Jaimee ending things with him immediately upon arriving at the airport after finding out that the Med job isn’t happening.
Finally, the only people left on the boat are Aesha and Jason, the power duo of all power duos. Aesha shares that the highlight of her season was Jason being there for her (he says the feeling is mutual), which makes me emotional. They’re the show’s beating heart, and the genuine care they have for one another and the crew is heartwarming. The episode fittingly ends with one last confessional, in which Jason fails to put in his contacts alone until Aesha helps him out. I love them so much, it’s unreal!
Cheers to another great season in the books! I’ll catch you all in the Italian Riviera for what will likely be another exhausting yet entertaining season of Mediterranean with Captain Sandy.
