The premiere episode is a fairly entertaining, voyeuristic look at a made-for-reality-TV crew, though it's a toss-up as to who's more obnoxious: the bickering crew or their first guests.
Like so many reality shows, Below Deck takes the idea of disparate types thrown together in a controlled environment and capitalizes on two seemingly inevitable results: Friction and sexual tension.
I found this show interesting in the sense that a train wreck or car wreck is interesting. The stewards seem very unprofessional, the guests on the boat are the guest from hell. This is a good time killer due to the local. It is sunny, hot, and it looks fun.
I am actually waiting for the second season of this; I found this to be a memorable guilty pleasure last summer and something a little different compared to the rest of Bravo's line-up. It was a nice break away from the Housewives to watch some overseas drama.
Certain elements of Below Deck, a listless docu-series that follows the staff of a 164-foot charter boat, seem so scripted--the stereotypical spoiled crew members, the neatly wrapped-up “plotlines”--that it’s hard to take seriously, even in the dubious cable reality show genre.
The real issue with this series is that the crew members aren’t all that interesting. There are the usual catfights and territorial disputes, as well as some hints that intra-crew sex might happen. But no one really stands out.
The dramas, at least up front, feel pretty mundane. Someone thinks the boss is being too strict and picking on her. Someone doesn’t think someone else is carrying enough of the load.
This series depends on the viewer developing an interest in the characters who are really characters. On shows like this conflict is good. It leads to some interesting viewing. This is a good series to drop in or drop out. The setting is very pretty, the actors young and good looking so I would say this is a good summer series.
This is sort of like all the other reality shows available now. The crew members are young and unattached. I found it interesting. I had never seen the interworking of a large pleasure craft such as this.
The letting is also very pretty.
This show could take place AnyWhere. Same old "real world" format just on a yacht. But we really don't learn much about being on a yacht or in the Caribbean.