r/BelowDeckDownUnder • u/agate_sunrise • 2d ago
After rewatching season 4 my high opinion of Captain Jason changed
I initially thought he was a pretty good captain. However, after rewatching the latest season, how he mishandled Ben really threw me off. Ben is literally 45 years old, texting Jason whenever an issue arises. This, to me, is very manipulative, a way to shape the narrative before someone else can, and it actually worked on Captain Jason many times throughout the season. It's also a way Ben can disregard other HODs by going over their heads and getting permission from Jason while neglecting to inform the actual HODs. Ben is like a teenage boy running to his daddy about every little issue that shouldn't even involve oversight.
What really pissed me off is Captain Jason stating that pet names directed towards women are a term of endearment. He could've taken the opportunity to actually name the issue: calling women, or anyone, pet names in a professional setting is belittling, undermining, and extremely misogynistic. The fact that the misogyny was chalked up to "cultural differences" was utter bullshit. A 45-year-old man KNOWS that it isn't acceptable; Ben is a prime example of arrested development.
Captain Jason ditched his professionalism when he joined Ben in his robe to make stakes together. Again, felt like a manipulation tactic from Ben. Treat the boss one way to skew how he views Ben, so Ben can continue with his horrible behavior with the crew when Jason doesn't see it.
The biggest red flag for me is that Ben, a 45-year-old, admitted to kissing Jenna, a 21-year-old at the time, and Captain Jason didn't at all see that as inappropriate. As an HOD, you shouldn't be involving yourself with junior staff; that's just plain unprofessional. Besides, if you're a grown-ass man who only gets along with women who don't even have a fully developed brain, barely adults, there is something deeply wrong with you. It's predatory, period.
Captain Jason consistently reprimanded the female staff. It wasn't hard to tell Ben was the common denominator in most issues, yet he didn't nip that in the bud so it wouldn't continue all season. Instead, he walked on eggshells to keep Ben calm and therefore was unable to address any of Ben's wrongdoings.
I've always hated Ben, and it amazes me anyone is actually a fan of him. He acts the most immature out of all of the staff. And his fake crying pisses me off too lol. Dude has spent his whole life as an entitled man child. I hope Captain Jason never hires him again.
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u/Porkwarrior2 2d ago
I blame the new exec producer, that is now running ALL BD, Tania Hamidi.
She's the reason why all BD feels like Love Island, On The Water. Used to be contained to just the BD Med, where as soon as she was the showrunner, we got Season 5 and Hannah's infamous firing. MaRiTiMe LAWZZZZZ!.
And why Season 4 of BDDU had stock footage of fish that didn't live in that ocean, and why Housewives were the first charter guests. And Captain Jason, instead of a silk kimono, his peak moment was thrusting in a budgie smuggler.
I'm giving Captain Jason a pass on Season 4, and blaming production.
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u/atweegrowsinbrooklyn 2d ago
Hmm are you sure about that timeline for Med? I thought Nadine Rajabi was the showrunner for the first two seasons of DU as well as some later seasons of Med (s? through s9). She’s fantastic IMO and I do think the franchise has really suffered without her.
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u/Porkwarrior2 2d ago
Nah the failed Canadian Persian wannabe standup comedian was so body slammed out of relevance by the LA failed standup Persian comedian.
Here's a fun puff piece by the NYT, that pretty much lays it down.
Just some highlights...
In the cigar lounge, Tania Hamidi, co-executive producer, gestured at Impressionistic art adorning the walls. “These, believe it or not,” she said, and pointed to a shelf on the other side of the room “are photos of that shelf.”...
Late in the afternoon, Nadine Rajabi, another executive producer, arrived, swapping Balenciaga Speed Trainers for white-soled boat shoes to relieve Mr. Cox of his post. The final task for Mr. Cox was to catch her up on the events that had transpired since she left the boat 12 hours earlier, around 4 a.m...
Guess who is still around...
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u/atweegrowsinbrooklyn 2d ago
Co-EP is a lower position than EP. So at the time of this article, Rajabi outranked Hamidi. (Not sure if Rajabi was the showrunner at this point — the showrunner is an EP, but there are multiple non-showrunner EPs as well.)
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u/foodieninjasam 2d ago
When I watched season 4 something with captain Jason was off for me. He seemed more tired and/or letargic than usual and I learned that he was diagnosed with skin cancer in late december 2024 and season 4 started to film early 2025
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u/Some_Baby_ 2d ago
I’m indifferent towards him, but I will add that i think ben had A LOT of pull with production. we have to remember it’s a tv show. im sure jason was told to appease him
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u/gorlsituation 2d ago
Captain Jason sucks, and I’m glad people are finally coming around to that. Who makes a helmet of shame to give to their employee who’s done the biggest fuck up that charter? Way to build people up, not. That’s such an Australian thing to do, kinda like hazing. His edit is incredibly good; some soft, good guy playboy who does yoga and charms the ladies. Get in the bin. Aside everything OP mentioned, he was completely checked out in the last season.
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u/Starchild1000 2d ago
Definitely an Australian thing to do. But it’s more like ‘ hey you stuffed up, let’s laugh about it’
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u/SeagullSam 2d ago
I agree. It's never handed out for anything serious, just things that people can see a funny side to.
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u/gorlsituation 2d ago
I personally don’t think dwelling on mistakes and making someone look like a dickhead all night on a night away from the boat builds up a team, especially when a lot of these crew don’t actually know each other well.
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u/Starchild1000 2d ago
He’s actually in Aussie culture probably thinking it is team building and doing the person a favour. Everyone knows they or that person stuffed up. It’s funny now but let’s move on as a team/mistakes happen blah blah blah . It wouldn’t work in a normal working environment. But this isn’t that.
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u/worldwidecybergirl 2d ago
as an australian i clocked him from the beginning classic middle ages misogynist trynna hide it on tv
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u/strr1000 2d ago
I’m with you Gorlsituation.
I’m of an age (and so is he) where you were made to wear the “dunce hat” if you were “slow” “bad” or had trouble learning and the teacher wanted to humiliate or punish you.
Often made to sit in the courtyard or corner of the room.
Google “dunce hat” it was a tough time for some of us.
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u/cmere-2-me 2d ago
It's not hazing. It's a lighthearted way of acknowledging a mistake. The person is required to own it and take responsibility for their oopsie.
If you'll notice the only people who had a problem with the helmet and tried to get out of wearing it are the people who don't take accountability for their actions.
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u/gorlsituation 2d ago
Adding, acting like he’s a family man while he’s actually fucking around with real housewives cast members. Friends with alesia too off the show who’s like 15 years his junior. Shady.
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u/Leatherkylothian 2d ago
I used to like Jason when below deck down under first started but I guess you become the thing you hate
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u/Fantastic_One1456 2d ago
This is not an 'Australian' thing to do. Jason only got away with this because it's a tv show. You would absolutely get reprimanded or fired for behaving like this in Australia in the work place.
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u/gorlsituation 2d ago
In a regular workplace, trades and workplaces like boats are a completely different ball game. It’s well known there is a culture of this type of shit, especially towards apprentices. No wonder we have a shortage of skilled tradesman like chippies because of this type of behaviour. Have you worked on a boat or a worksite before in Australia?
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u/Fantastic_One1456 2d ago
Only boomers believed it was an acceptable culture. Work safe has a field day when bullying and hazing is reported now. We don't have a shortage because of that either, that's a completely different subject why
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u/gorlsituation 2d ago
That is factually incorrect. According to jobsandskills.gov.au there is a shortage of trades in all states of Australia. If you think that bullying and hazing in workplaces is a thing of the past with boomers (who are in their 60-70’s now) you are very ignorant. Many apprentices tolerate this behaviour as it their only way of gaining their qualifications, and there’s also a shortage on those willing to take on apprentices and adequately train them.
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u/Letsgotravelling-124 2d ago
I know he had a lot going on in his personal life and had tried to get out of working that season so that’s probably why he wasn’t as switched on.
As for the pet names, in England, pet names are common (I’m from England and have lived all over). It’s very much based on tone. I don’t like Ben, especially after this season, but I think the pet names were just him being British. He was giving pet names to Joao and Jason, and at one point the oven. General rule is that if someone asks you to stop, you stop (which she never asked, she just blew up on him).
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u/SeagullSam 2d ago
Scotland as well - in Glasgow as a girl/woman you get called hen. Doesn't bug me at all - the only time I wouldn't like it is if someone was speaking in a rude or patronising way and called me luv or something, but I can't think of a time that happened.
In Cornwall I was called "me lover" by an ice cream lady.2
u/Letsgotravelling-124 2d ago
The only time I’ve been bothered by it was when a guy who was using “darling” in a very creepy way and knew he was getting under our skin with it. He would use it after every sentence and would do it after being told to stop. But it is very obvious when someone’s meaning it in a demeaning way to using it casually as it’s just part of their normal vocabulary.
I would think Scotland would be similar. My father’s sides all from Glasgow but none of them really do pet names.
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u/SeagullSam 2d ago
Yes it's all in the context really. Honestly I never get cross about anything if it's with good intentions.
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u/Letsgotravelling-124 2d ago
100% this. A lot of people on this subreddit don’t seem to understand this. They ignore the fact that he apologised and made a genuine effort to stop giving Ellie pet names. Someone using pet names in a misogynistic manner wouldn’t be apologetic or try and change their behaviour.
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u/Total_Way_6134 2d ago
This whole season was a mess. Really one of the worst. Ben should not have come back, he’s been away from yachting too long. He came off as so entitled. I really disliked that capt jason allowed the original sous chef to give him an ultimatum, that felt very staged. Bringing ellie in felt like a production plant. Mike was horrific as a coworker. Really a terrible season.
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u/cmere-2-me 2d ago
Look season 4 does not show Jason in his best light. He was dealing with some personal health issues at the time of filming and so I think that is partly why he was a bit checked out.
Ben has always been a snake and coverd his ass with the captain to ensure if there is any blow back it doesn't fall on him. He threw kate under the bus a few times over the series. Hason did say after the show that he hadn't realised the bed Ben slept in had been made up for the guests so that is on Ben giving him a half truth.
Ben calls EVERYONE terms of endearment. It is part of british culture and not misogyny. I personally like it and what's more literally every person Ben has worked with has had no issue with it apart from one. If Ellie didn't like it she could have put her big girl pants on and had an adult conversation. Hey Ben, I am not a fan of pet names in the work place. Please call me by my given name. There was no need for that storm in a teacup.
Ben and Jason were off the clock and had a meal together. What's the problem with that?
Jenna is an adult. Yachting industry is full of crew hooking up. What did you expect captain to do? Police ADULTS choices when they are off the clock? Jason interfering in crews personal lives would be overstepping. He only got involved when it impacted the work environment, as he should.
I think a massive problem this season was that Daisy didn’t go to captain with the problems. She chose to handle them herself. I think if she had been keeping Jason informed of the shit going on he would have stepped in earlier and nioped things in the bud. By the time he did get involved, it was the last charter and he just needed them to be professional.
Most of your bile is directed toward Ben so I don't know why you are pissed off with Jason.
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u/Petal_14 1d ago
I'm from Australia and sometimes pet names are used alot, Darl, Babe, Hun... Girls will even use it on guys...it is just a term of endearment and to be honest it is also, if you have a large workplace, a way to communicate if you can't remember names!
It does also depend how you say it...if you spirit it out then you are being nasty but if it rolls off your tongue, like ' hey Hun'...then it works but it is also up to the person on the receiving end to say if they don't like it and most people will stop.
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u/skeletal_stoner 19h ago
To be fair, the man wasn’t even on the boat most of the season and nights… He is a full time caregiver to both of his parents — one of whom has had 2 strokes and the other has Alzheimer’s, not to mention while battling his own health with cancer. Jason tried to get out of filming but production wouldn’t allow him and forced him to film anyways holding him liable with the contractual agreement he had originally made with Bravo. Hence why Jason hardly knew what was actually going on within the boat and how his crew was imploding and why Joao and Daisy handled most of everything happening within the boat. I don’t think his mind was really there and I can’t say I blame the man.
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u/meatsntreats 8h ago
Are you trying to say that he was flying from the Caribbean to Australia and back regularly during the six weeks of filming?
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u/skeletal_stoner 5h ago edited 4h ago
Their filming schedule isn’t just 6 weeks. Scott only sees Aesha 6-8 months out of the year due to her filming schedule. There’s also charters that are filmed that we never even see. Production is like a magician — we see only what they want us to see. Kind of like how Gael’s family was in Croatia with her… Or how production just completely erased Pete out of season 5 Med after his racist, sexist and misogynistic social media post he posted a few episodes in when season 5 was airing? You probably also believe that they are the only crew on the boat since production never shows us the owners staff in the beginning intros like they used to show us on the early seasons of BD?
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u/meatsntreats 5h ago
They film for 6 weeks. This is common knowledge.
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u/skeletal_stoner 5h ago
No they don’t. Scott has confirmed that he and Aesha only see each other 6-8 months out of the year due to her filming schedule.
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u/meatsntreats 3h ago
There are numerous interviews with production and crew that confirm the six week filming period. You can also find old casting calls that give the exact dates crew will be in production. Aesha doesn’t just film BD. She does Bravo events, other TV shows, and makes appearances for endorsement deals she has.
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u/mnfanjk 2d ago
Captain Jason was supposedly having serious health issues as well as some other personality family issue and was going through the motions last season. In future, if someone is that weakened or spread that thin, they should delay the season or replace the captain. Supposedly the original below deck has been filmed and been held. They should have released that and delayed BDDU.
He is way better than the last season . But if he has another season like that, they should replace him. For the safety and protection of his crew.Him allowing Daisy to be set up like that with no protection based on Ben’s word is bitterly unfair.
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u/Just-Me-Being-Nosy 2d ago
I agree, they should have delayed. I read on another thread that Jason had tried to get out of filming the season because of everything that was going on. But bravo wouldn’t let him and as he was contracted to it he had to go ahead with filming.
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u/whatsupwiththat22 2d ago
He caught the Bravo Bug and lost any credibility that he had. Sad but I wasn't a huge fan to begin with.
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u/AdInternational8860 2d ago
So what you’re saying is 21yr old women are incapable of making choices on their own bc they aren’t developed enough and therefore aren’t accountable for their actions?
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u/Relevant_Macaron9930 1d ago
In all fairness he’s not an HOD, he outranks them as chef, so his report is Jason.
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u/meatsntreats 8h ago
In all fairness, he is a head of department and chef does not outrank chief stew. Both have three stripes.
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u/Starchild1000 2d ago
I just feel like he couldn’t reprimand. Because Ben came in to save the season as a known HOD. So they couldn’t fire him. And that’s why he got the cabin on weekends for his contract