Below Deck Down Under Season 3 introduced us to our first Sous-Chef, Anthony Bird. At first, his presence excited fans, as a sous-chef adds an entirely new element to this franchise. But the joy was sadly short-lived, as Anthony hated this second-in-charge gig, and his distaste for orders, his department head, and also menial tasks. So, when a solo chef gig opened up for Anthony onboard a different yacht, he jumped, but Captain Jason Chambers told him to dive faster and get off his yacht now, please.
At the end of episode 3, Anthony was told to exit. Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph then kicked into a higher gear. They had charter guests onboard, after all. And their meals were now her responsibility alone, so prep and prepare she must.
All new stressors aside, however, I think Captain Jason made the right call here.
A power play was forming onboard, so Captain Jason Chambers needed to take back the upper hand
Every job has a pecking order, yachts especially. But Anthony saw himself as a solo chef. Was this his position, though? No.
Therefore, Anthony rang up a friend to find another yacht that wanted only him in their galley. This friend then found Anthony a solo gig, causing Anthony to announce his exit in the galley while Tzarina worked. After telling Tzarina that he could work through one or two more charters before bouncing, Tzarina quietly threw in the towel.
She went to the wheelhouse to fill Captain Jason in on this mess. Unknowing to them, Captain Jason had been lurking around the galley, listening to Anthony pushing back against Tzarina. So when Tzarina hinted that she was ready for this man to leave now, Captain Jason agreed.
The muted tantrums Anthony threw were annoying for Tzarina and Captain Jason alike. You do not get to show disrespect and then write your exit ticket off of Bravo. So, well done, Captain Jason, for righting this power play struggle on BDDU.
Anthony Bird undermined Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph often
It became clear in Episode 2 that Anthony was not loving his new gig with Tzarina. Anthony hated doing the dishes and cleaning, wanting instead to be utilized more in the galley. So, he asked Tzarina to work with him collectively instead of giving him the grunt-styled work in the galley.
However, Anthony was not hired for a collab position. Tzarina is the only main chef on board. Every menu, provision order, and recipe is on her, not on them. But Anthony could not wrap his head around this new narrative.
Instead of falling in line, Anthony began doling out sarcastic quips left and right at Tzarina. While cleaning, he moaned and groaned. While organizing, he made sure to mention that he could handle heftier tasks. And when Tzarina prepared her meals, Anthony often noted that he could have done better.
No matter what Tzarina did or assigned, Anthony questioned her leadership. His lack of respect for Tzarina was frustrating to watch. So, thank you, Captain Jason, for saving us all from 1 or 2 additional charters of this mess.
Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph tried to be kind, but Anthony Bird kept squabbling with his superior
Time and again, Tzarina gave in to her sous-chef’s laments, tasking Anthony with weightier assignments, like an entire beach picnic for their charter guests. Instead of being thankful that he had a great boss who heard his wails, Anthony grew frustrated, asking why Tzarina did not join him on the island to help him serve their clientele.
Taking a seat in her cabin to start preparing menus, Tzarina asked Anthony to clean and prep the galley. In his confessional, Anthony stressed that he was being taken advantage of. While Anthony worked, he began to grow irate. So he knocked on Tzarina’s door, asking her if she could give him “a little hand” with his tasks.
Tzarina listened, and then she calmly gave him his needed out, which was wild, as he had begged her for challenging assignments. “Doing guest food is optional,” she decided, unless he still wanted to do this, she noted. In that case, Anthony could continue cooking for the guests, but if he felt burnt out, he could have “a 2-hour lie down” in his cabin.
Proving he was only trying to make her bend to his will, Anthony turned down both her ideas, stressing that he desired to work, and her idea of a nap felt “patronizing.” Tzarina killed Anthony with kindness, but Anthony refused to let his tantrums die. Unbeknownst to them both, Captain Jason heard many of these instances, which is likely why he decided to support Tzarina by sending Anthony away quickly.
We were all rooting for a sous-chef on BDDU, but we support Captain Jason Chambers’ decision to remove Anthony Bird ASAP
Anthony wanted to be the main (and only) chef onboard BDDU Season 3, even though this was not the role he was hired for.
All Anthony needed to do was temper his pride and perform his job well. If he had done this, maybe, just maybe, the Bravo fandom might have taken to him. If so, Anthony might have been asked to return to any series within the Below Deck franchise. Anthony could have even become a fan-favorite chef, popping into multiple galleys in need on Bravo.
But Anthony played his cards awfully (if you ask us). He had a new, niche position, which he could have used to his advantage. But he dropped the ball, thanks to his ego. Instead of taking this potentially gifted horse by its reigns, Anthony kicked his horse until it finally reared back, courtesy of Tzarina and Captain Jason.
As an aside, one thread on Reddit claims his new gig was also a bust. So … that.
Below Deck Down Under is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – DID CAPTAIN JASON MAKE THE RIGHT CALL IN SENDING ANTHONY PACKING EARLY? IF NOT, WHY?
