‘Below Deck Med’ Preview: Why There’s Still Hope For A Hannah-Less Season 6

I’m keeping an open mind about this season of Below Deck Mediterranean. I think most would agree that Season 5 wasn’t the best season in the show’s run so far — that goes to Season 3, of course — but there is still promise for Season 6. After all, this Bravo series remains a dependably fun summer show and there are plenty of signs that prove this year could be a reset in the right direction.

For me, a big part of the show was former chief stew Hannah Ferrier: her humor, her snark, her bluntness. Her exit last year wasn’t that fun to watch, as we were used to her delivering funny lines and silly moments and can-you-believe-this-shit observations.

This time around, it seems clear those responsibilities will fall to the deck team. Deckhand Mzi “Zee” Dempers’ cheerfulness can be felt through the screen as an early bright spot in this crew, Lloyd Spencer’s mustache is a character all its own, and David Pascoe’s lack of hesitancy to laugh at the shit show around him are all good signs that at least one department is keeping the railings shiny and the sense of humor alive on this show. They’re being led by Malia White as bosun who appears to be much more focused on the actual work this time around than the bunking situations. If the trailer is any indication, plus her newly single status, she could even be ready for some actual good times.

The same goes for Captain Sandy, who is seen learning to twerk in the trailer. Twerk! Many found her to be a tense micromanager in the way she dealt with Hannah and her lack of interest in table decor, but perhaps with a new chief stew, she’ll take another step back and have one less thing to be stressed about. Oh wait, scratch that because Chef Mathew might already be bailing in the first episode. Or at least he has to dip out before the charter guests even arrive due to a knee injury and what appears to be some major anxiety (hope he declared any meds!). But what would this show even be without its neverending chef drama?

Perhaps we’ll be able to appreciate Captain Sandy as the high-ranking female leader she is, especially considering she seems to trust Malia’s leadership, and hopefully the same goes for new chief stew Katie Flood. We don’t get to learn too much about her or see her in action a whole lot in the first episode, and the revelation that she dated Season 4’s Jack Stirrup is an interesting one! But she seems to be focused on the tasks at hand, despite there being rocky waters ahead with second stew Lexi Wilson. Luckily, third stew Courtney Veale is very much here for a good time, as it sure was refreshing on this past season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht to not have incompetent stew drama or have to hear about an overflowing laundry room. Been there, done that.

However, this season could prove there is a lot that hasn’t been done. Multiple crew members spinning off of a Lazy Susan in the crew mess, for example. Despite being filmed in Croatia last fall, first impressions are that this crew took advantage of the time and opportunities when they were allowed to party (as most yachties seem to do) which could add the right kind of drama back into this show: less maritime law, more making out.

Below Deck Med, even more than the other franchises, has always felt like a cool refreshing breeze of escape, even if we are watching from home and not a mega yacht this summer. I feel happy that Hannah is content with her family in Australia, cautiously optimistic that this could be an interesting season of the show, and hopeful that there’s a lot of fun in store.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Monday at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo, with episodes streaming a week early on Peacock.

Stream Below Deck Mediterranean on Peacock and Bravo Now