Interview with The First Female Captain of Bravo’s ‘Below Deck’ Franchise.
Bravo’s Below Deck and its newer offshoot Below Deck Mediterranean both show drama-filled dynamics between members of a ship’s crew. Each season, familiar and newer faces appear on our TV screens. In previous years, male captains oversaw young, attractive, horny-at-sea deckhands, chief stews, bosuns, chefs, et al. The stern and stone faced Captain Lee presides over the charters on the original Below Deck (an ongoing series) while its Below Deck Mediterranean counterpart introduced us to Captain Mark Howard last season (in May of 2016).
Since Lee has had more seasons, he is the most well known, distinguished for his quiet management style and ability to induce some fear and grand respect with a mere grunt of disapproval. As the shrewd observer, he entrusts his crew with the responsibilities of running a ship and makes his presence known when things are not operating as thy should. As strange as this may sound, a serious and no-nonsense paternal figure garners reverence on a reality show and Lee is much-beloved by Below Deck fans. So this season of Below Deck Mediterranean, when a female ship captain was introduced for the first time to Bravo viewers, reactions were mixed.
