In Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 episode 5, "Caught Between a Dock and a Heart Place," the love triangle between Bri, Ellie and Joe plays out and Chef Jono's standing on Yacht Mustique isn't looking good. Let's break down what happened.
Joe makes out with a stew
Episode 4 ended with Bri and Joe getting flirty and sexual at the post-dinner drinks and dancing. However, Joe had also been dancing and flirting with Ellie — and both women were into him.
Back at the boat, the crew made plans to go in the jacuzzi. Bri and Ellie, who share a room, were getting ready, but Ellie decided to skip the jacuzzi. "I don't want to do something I'll regret, you know, just getting caught in the flow of the moment," Ellie said, adding that Joe needs to take her out to dinner and treat her like a lady.
Bri and Joe continued getting close in the jacuzzi with most of their other crewmates there. Everyone saw how intense they were staring at one another and decided to exit so they could be alone. "I bet their clothes are off before my pajamas are on," Aesha said as she walked away. She wasn't wrong, because shortly after that the two started making out in the jacuzzi and Bri's bikini top came off. After that, the two went to their own cabins.
Meanwhile, things are also complicated with Nathan and Gael. The two have already gone beyond flirty this season, but Gael does still have boyfriend. Over text he expressed how he was hurt that he couldn't talk to her and needed more from Gael to feel secure. Based on her texts to him, Gael tried to be supportive and apologized.
However, in a confessional, Gael had some other thoughts. "I know I should be putting my relationship first. I just want him to have my back and support me. His actions are slowly just pushing me away, and it's definitely making me realize Nathan's just there for me. Like I've really beat myself up over this quite a bit," she said.
The day after
The next morning, Bri told Ellie about her and Joe. Ellie asked her if they had sex but Bri wasn't saying any more about it. "I do feel a little bit snaked by Bri," Ellie said in a confessional.
In the crew mess. Joe said good morning to Ellie, but she just hit him with an "uh-huh." In his confessional, Joe said there wasn't any tension on his end. He also said he would kiss Bri again and he would 100% kiss Ellie.
After preparing the boat for the next charter, Bri approached Ellie. "Is everything OK between us?" she asked. "Uhm, not 100%," Ellie replied. She thought she made it clear she was interested in Joe, and yet Bri kissed him even after Ellie took it upon herself to help her when as she was struggling as a stew. "[A]fter all of that, you give zero f**ks about me. You know, it's like breaking girl code over a random f***ing guy. So that's what I'm upset about," Ellie said.
"If I knew that it would hurt you, I would never have done it," Bri said. Ellie thought it was a snakey move, a sentiment Bri didn't find fair. Ellie wasn't going to use her position to make things uncomfortable at work, but this situation had changed their relationship.
Bri went to Joe's cabin to tell him she thought she ruined her friendship with Ellie. "I'm just, I'm feeling sh**ty," she said. "Was she like, interested? Or…?" Joe asked, and Bri nodded. In a confessional, Joe acknowledged how Bri and Ellie were in the same department and how he could impact the dynamics.
Bri decided to sleep in the crew mess that night, but Joe told invited her into their cabin, making a makeshift bed for Bri on the floor.
Captain Sandy overhears "spicy" comment
Three hours before the charter guests arrived, Aesha went to the hospital, as she believed her previously cut hand was getting an infection. As the second stew, Ellie headed up the interior team in her place. As provisions came aboard, Bri told the deck team where to place things, which Ellie viewed as overriding her.
Tensions continued in the laundry room. Ellie asked Bri to go through Jono's crate of citrus and throw out the rotten pieces. "That's, like, not a priority for me right now," Bri said, noting Aesha told her to stay in the laundry and get everything cleared. "The fact that Bri is feeling this empowered to speak this way to me is kind of shocking. Her job, which she doesn't understand, is to support me," Ellie said.
Ellie went to the galley to clear the citrus herself and vented to Jono about Bri and how she was speaking to her. "Oh, it's kinda hot in here," Jono said. Bri then entered the galley, where Jono informed her Ellie took care of the citrus and how it was "a whole thing."
"There's just so much unnecessary drama happening. Like it doesn't need to be like this," Bri said. "I'm just going to be like, 'I hope you have a good day, b***h.' Cause I'm gonna be spicy like that."
What Bri didn’t know, however, was both Ellie and Captain Sandy were nearby and overheard her. "Passively aggressively spicy? What does that mean?" Captain Sandy asked. "It means that I'm gonna be angry but kept-in angry but still do the right thing," Bri replied, breaking down into tears about the "unnecessary drama" affecting her. Captain Sandy then gave her some kind words.
Aesha returned to the yacht with stitches in her thumb before the guests' arrival. Catching up on the situation, Bri told Aesha she thought Ellie was power-tripping. Aesha offered to speak to Ellie about it, but Bri said she would rather handle it.
Thirty minutes before the guests were to arrive, Bri asked to talk with Ellie. Ellie felt Bri was telling her, who had a higher position on the boat, what to do. Bri said she wasn't and felt Ellie was having a power trip. Just then, Aesha radioed Ellie for something, so they quickly wrapped up their conversation. "I don't need to be on a power trip, darling," Ellie said, noting that Bri was playing the victim.
As they were getting the champagne, Ellie gave Aesha her side of the situation. They agreed to talk more about it once the charter was over.
Good lunch, bad steak
The day before, Captain Sandy had heard from the yacht placement company there was a "highly recommended chef" available in two days, so Jono had a lot to prove on this charter. It started off well with the first lunch, as the new guests loved his sushi, tuna tartar and cold Asian noodles.
But that evening's dinner was much more important. Steak and Beluga caviar were on the menu, as requested by the primary charter guest, Brianna. However, as the guests cut into their steaks, not all of them were happy. Brianna called it dry and said it wasn't good. The guests did love the dessert, though.
Ellie told Captain Sandy the primary wasn't happy with her steak, so she followed up with the yacht crew placement company to ensure the chef was still available.
New episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 premiere Monday on Bravo and then are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
