How ‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’ Can Pick Up Some Wind In Its Sails For Season 2

The first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht has come to an end, and even though that charter guest didn’t have any drugs on him, maybe this season of the Bravo series could’ve used some. Despite the fact that Sailing Yacht was the latest addition to the proven win that is the boating franchise, including Below Deck and Below Deck Mediterranean, that didn’t stop this season from needing a bit of wind in its sails.

But let’s focus on the positive first. Sailing Yacht showed viewers a new side to the industry with these sleek sailing boats that move unlike any of the other motor yachts we’ve seen before. The way the wind would catch in those sails and the boat would be thriving, that was truly majestic to watch. There was an element of action and adventure to this series that the others can’t claim.

We also met Captain Glenn who was the perfect captain for this boat. His laid back attitude, willingness to jump up and fix a sail, and adorable admissions during his interviews made him an excellent leader for this show. He’s bringing something different to the table than Captain Lee and Captain Sandy, but he is also capable of showing the same support and sternness when necessary. He was a true delight.

And now, the waters get a little choppy. Viewers were excited to see Chef Adam return for the series after his two-season stint on Below Deck Mediterranean, but this didn’t feel like the Adam we know and love. He’s always been a self-proclaimed grump who just wants to be left alone while he makes his masterpiece meals —and the food did look incredible. But his romance with chief stew Jenna was not nearly the fairytale we hoped for. It was kind of the opposite, even. Their frustrations with each other were our frustrations watching their relationship hit several speed bumps. And the more they seemed to fall for each other, the meaner they became to their coworkers, especially Jenna, in order to have something to laugh about together. Considering how much time they spent together hugging and kissing and flirting in the kitchen, the only thing they were really cooking up was a bad taste in everyone’s mouths.

View this post on Instagram

Feeling the Sunday scaries creep in.

A post shared by Decider.com (@deciderdotcom) on May 17, 2020 at 3:08pm PDT

The only breakout from the interior was second stew Madison. Sure, she got herself worked up under the pressure of the job at times, but she still seemed to get the work done and had funny things to say in her interviews. She let viewers in on a big part of her life, she forgot to wear a bra to a beach picnic, and had the best facial reactions of anyone. Ultimately, she had the right mix of getting the job done and still being interesting for reality TV, which no one else on the boat really captured. If there’s another season of this show, bring her back as chief stew — it’s likely that would prevent the season from ever getting boring.

Then there’s Georgia. I’d love to know the details of the deal she clearly made with producers. Was it that they promised her 10 seconds of singing time in each episode in exchange for her pushing the forced “feelings for Paget” storyline? That never made any sense for a lot of reasons. If the two were close pals, that’s great. But he was clearly committed to Ciara, and despite their typical couple bickering, the two seem to be a strong match.

Deckhand Chris was nice and the kind of person you need to balance out a group of crazies, but everyone here was unfortunately normal(ish). Oh, but remember Parker? Wow does that feel ages ago. Perhaps it was because his time coincided with Jenna and Adam’s rocky road to love, but he never felt like an overly frustrating character in this mix. His behavior wasn’t that shocking, nor was his departure. Same goes for Byron, the first time an engineer has been a main cast member. We didn’t really learn more about what his job entails, we heard some witty one-liners from him, and he seemed cool enough. But that’s it.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 1 was just fine — even though that’s not a great thing in the world of reality TV. We watched it because the majority of this season aired while we were all stuck inside and it wasn’t as infuriating as the male privilege displayed at the end of the last season of Below Deck. It’s great that this franchise can air all year long, with Below Deck Med picking up in the same timeslot starting next week. But it’s got to find the humor of Below Deck Med or the competence of Below Deck and, ahem, sail with it. Jenna wasn’t a Kate or a Hannah, which would’ve been okay if those weren’t two very beloved skorts to fill. The romance wasn’t charming, the drama wasn’t salacious, the guests all seemed to be fine for the most part. That sounds nice and all, but nobody wants a boring vacation.

Hopefully there is a Season 2 because there’s a lot of potential here. If they can get the boat back up and running, and really, the cameras, it would be wise to lean likable in the casting for this show. We turn to Below Deck for an escape. The high-pressure of fulfilling guest needs while holding on as the boat tips to the side, and in extremely tight quarters, will produce enough drama. When we want fights, we watch Housewives, but Below Deck shouldn’t be frustrating, let alone infuriating. It should be fun. It’s just too bad no one seemed to have any this season.

Where to stream Below Deck Sailing Yacht