Welcome back, fans. Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 got off to a rocky start last week. Joe and Nathan are already bickering, as are Kaylie and Jen, at least regarding Jen. But Joy has been handling her role in the galley admirably, so at least there's no drama in that department for now. Speaking of drama, things only get worse on deck, as seen in Below Deck Mediterranean, Season 11, Episode 2.
What happened in Below Deck Mediterranean Season 11 Episode 2?
Joe wants to prove his worth, but Nathan won't stand for it. However, when Joe receives a terrifying call from home, Nathan changes his mind and offers his former friend support. But life (and hot-tempered people) quickly change. After a misunderstanding, Nathan and Joe are at odds again.
Captain Sandy questions Nathan's choice as the best sailor.
Nathan needs a senior deckhand he "can trust," so Joe is out. Among the crew working inside the ship, Jen knows she's "the most qualified for the second stewardess position" because she has "several years more experience than Kaylee." But Jen suspects Kaylee is "competing for that second stewardess position by trying to portray herself as a carefree, cheerful cheerleader." Therefore, Jen doesn't "trust" Kaylee.
Nathan assigns Cooper to his "first ever anchor watch." Cooper is "very nervous," but as soon as the wind picks up a bit, he does exactly as Nathan instructs and wakes Captain Sandy. "He's so sweet," she laughs. She loves "how proactive Cooper is.".
Joe, too. He'd woken up an hour early to take over as the lead. "Now I'll have to let you go an hour early," Nathan says. He tells Joe, "Let's just stick to our schedules.".
Nathan then heads to the wheelhouse. He wants Luke to be his senior deckhand. Captain Sandy asks, "Why not Joe?" Nathan pauses, then says, "I trust Luke more than I trust Joe.".
«"You don't even know Luke. Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment when it comes to running the deck," she remarks. Captain Sandy is "having a hard time making a decision." She asks Nathan to wait until the second voyage before making a decision.
A broken tender and a disgruntled stew
Esha asks Kaylie to go ashore and set the picnic table. Kaylie does a great job. She returns to the yacht and tells Jen she "maybe I'll vacuum again." An irritated Jen replies, "Done," so Kaylie heads to the galley to help Joy decorate the cake.
But Kaylee heard Jen's tone. In her interview, she admits, "Jen's acting kind of mean right now." To make matters worse, Jen, who lives next door, is starting to plot to increase her assertiveness toward Jen. "But don't let it backfire on you," Kat advises.
Outside, Nathan's plans are already starting to go awry. While inspecting Luke, he crashes into their support vessel. It seems Captain Sandy was right, didn't he, Nathan? But Cooper soon informs Nathan that Joe complained about him, reminding Nathan that while Joe may be the best fit for the position of Leading Deckhand, for him personally, the matter remains open.
Anyway, this little skirmish made Luke hungry. Joy let him have one of her extra steaks. But it wasn't an extra steak at all. And now one of their guests is starving.
Luckily, Joy has another steak she can cook quickly. But she still tells herself as she moves forward: "Guests come first. Desire comes second." And also: "Don't follow your boyfriend. Follow your dreams.".
So far, I really like Joy. So does Esha. But, Esha jokes, Joy must have "ratatouille in her bun." Her goofy tone changes when Kaylee takes her aside and suggests Esha move her to the cabins to "make Jen happier.".
Esha wants everyone to try their best, "no matter where they are." So if Jen is already complaining, that's a bad sign.
To take his fans' minds off the drama, Cooper calls his grandmother on FaceTime. He invites his guests to wear bikinis, and one of them admits, "It just melted my heart.".
Joe gets a terrifying call.
In the morning, the crosswind picks up. Joe offers to give advice over the radio, but Nathan interrupts. They almost crash again, but fortunately, it doesn't happen.
The first guests of Season 11 depart, praising Joy and leaving a generous $25,000 tip. Nathan asks if Gael Cameron and their son can come aboard. "Of course," replies Captain Sandy. "Ash's Auntie" squeals when they arrive, as does everyone else except Joy.
Joe quickly recovers. But then he receives a note from home that completely shakes him. Karen, his mother, has breast cancer. In an emotional voicemail, she tells her son that she will fight the disease because "I'm your mom, and I'm not going anywhere.".
Joe steps away to call his sister. Finally, something in Nathan snaps. He follows Joe and offers his support.
Joe calls his mother. They're crying. Captain Sandy offers to connect Karen with a breast surgeon, and soon after, the surgeon calls Joe and offers his support.
The crew goes out for drinks. Luke and Joy flirt, much to the dismay of Jen, who also likes Luke. At the table, Joe tells Kat that it was a "crazy" sight on deck: Nathan with the baby, and also "Gal, who Gal and I don't really get along with, I just thought, 'What the hell is going on in life?'" Especially after that call from home, Joe says, it helped put things into perspective.
But Nathan only heard Joe talk about Gael. And now Nathan is angry, refusing to listen to Joe, leading to an unnecessarily tense ending to the second episode.
"Below Deck Mediterranean" continues Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo. It's also available on Peacock.
TELL US – HAVE YOU WATCHED SEASON 11, EPISODE 2, "BELOW DEC: MEDITERRANEAN"? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NATHAN'S LEADERSHIP? DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF SUPPORT FOR JOE? ARE JEN'S DISAPPOINTMENTS WELL-WRITTEN?