Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13 Recap: Max Pushes Sandy’s Buttons

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13 recap
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo via Getty Images

Oh boy, is Captain Sandy about to blow a gasket in Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13? She’s certainly being tested when it comes to her crew this year. The interior are struggling, there are sicknesses left, right, and center, and now one of her deckhands has copped an attitude. Captain Lee would never have put up with this level of disarray. Here’s everything that went down in Below Deck Med Season 8, Episode 13: “High Steaks.”

How do you solve a problem like Lily?

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

Let’s face it, Lily isn’t cut out for life working as a stew on a superyacht. She’s got a great personality, but when it comes to work? This ain’t the job for her. Still, Captain Sandy is giving her “one more chance.” She’s excited to show that she can prove everybody wrong. And, at times in the episode, she does. Tumi even expresses her pride when she sees how well Lily has done with the cabins towards the episode’s end. But should it have taken this long? Is Lily even to blame, or should Tumi have spent more time training her?

“Sometimes, you just take the time with someone … the skill can be taught,” Captain Sandy muses. She’s not wrong, because there’s a clear upward trajectory. But it may be Jess who has actually put in the effort to make that happen with Lily, rather than the chief stew. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Tumi fan. I just don’t think she’s proving herself to be a great chief this season.

Repeat charter guests cause a headache for the crew

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13 recap
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

Billy Rodriguez is coming back on board, this time with his fiancé and six other friends. Last time he was with Captain Sandy, the boat lost its stabilizers, and Billy almost had a meltdown because the yacht’s slide couldn’t make it through customs. This time round? He and his guests are almost as awful, all over again.

Their main gripes come with Jack, the chef. He’s not had a single real complaint about his food all season. Now though? They’re coming from all angles. The steak didn’t come with enough heat options. The medium steak wasn’t well-done. That’s Jack’s fault, for some reason. And the Big Gay Breakfast’s special of Rainbow Pancakes? Not creative enough. That may be the only critique I agree with. They didn’t look great.

Still, these guests just seem to be complete jackasses. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come on the show simply to cause some drama, hoping that they’ll boost their own profiles. I’m not interested in a single one of them, frankly.

Kyle heads to the sick bay

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

Kyle misses the start of this charter due to illness. When he shows no signs of getting better, Sandy decides it’s best for him to get checked over by a doctor. This means Lara has to drive him to the shore so that he can get to a hospital.

After being checked, it’s decided he’ll spend the night on land, before returning to the yacht the next day. The guests actually miss Kyle, because they remember him from their first charter. So, when he arrives on day two, the primary appears to be thrilled. Well, as thrilled as this primary can seemingly get.

Unfortunately, it looks like the sick bug sweeping through the crew is going to continue into the next episode. Plus, Haleigh still isn’t back! I miss her dry sense of humor.

Max’s attitude stinks

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, Episode 13 recap
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

Max has been doing such a good job lately, I’d forgotten how badly his start on the yacht had been. Now, he’s returning to that bad behavior, moaning about not having enough breaks and even arguing about the schedule laid out for him by Luka and Lara, his superiors.

Is his time on the yacht going to come to an abrupt end? I wouldn’t be surprised. Moaning about a lack of food to Luka, in earshot of Captain Sandy, she chimes in. “There’s a lot of food … just ask the chef,” she tells him. He replies that Jack is too busy and walks off.

Lara then arrives in the bridge and starts talking about how Max’s attitude is stinking up the place. When she says she offered him pasta earlier but he refused, Sandy gets mad and calls him back to the bridge.

“There was food … you just didn’t want it,” she says. “Don’t ever lie to me again … what you need to do now is say sorry.” Max refuses and walks off to decompress. And that’s where we leave things! Awkward…

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8 returns January 8, 2024 at 9/8c on Bravo.

TELL US – SHOULD MAX BE FIRED FOR HIS ATTITUDE? HAS LILY IMPROVED ENOUGH TO STICK AROUND? IS THERE ANY SAVING THIS CREW?

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