Overview of Watch What Crappens: Below Deck Down Under S04E17, “So Sous Me”
Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam recap a chaotic, highly entertaining Below Deck Down Under episode built around a disastrous whole-fish dinner service, simmering crew resentment, and a messy power struggle over promotions and respect. The hosts are especially fired up about Ben’s bad behavior, Daisy’s defensiveness, Jason’s management style, and Eddie’s increasingly ugly vibes off-screen. They also repeatedly praise this season as one of the best Below Deck Down Under has ever produced.
Host Banter and Setup
Pre-show chatter
- Ben opens by joking about selling his car on Carvana without any issues, which he finds suspicious because “nothing in my life goes smoothly.”
- The hosts talk about:
- taking the previous day off,
- eating too many sweets,
- their upcoming live cabaret shows in New York,
- and how excited they are for the final stretch of the season.
Season praise
- Both hosts say this has been a standout season:
- tightly woven drama,
- multiple overlapping conflicts,
- and a strong overall cast dynamic.
- Ronnie says Jason is unusually annoying this season, which he loves because it gives him something to be mad about.
Eddie side commentary
- The hosts dig into Eddie’s social media and say it confirms the “incel” read:
- manosphere content,
- reactionary political reposts,
- and generally gross, retrograde energy.
- That off-screen context makes his on-screen “good guy” act feel even more hypocritical to them.
Episode Breakdown
The fish dinner fiasco
- The central drama is a dinner service where the guests are served whole fish that need to be deboned tableside.
- Ben expects the interior team to help more, but the hosts argue:
- the request was unrealistic,
- the crew wasn’t prepared for that level of service,
- and Ben is mostly reacting out of ego because Daisy checked him on timing.
- Daisy leaves to make drinks during the deboning process, which Ben treats as sabotage.
- Ronnie and Ben both agree the guests were always going to have a rough time with this setup.
- Despite the mess, the guests ultimately love the meal and act delighted by the presentation.
Daisy vs. Ben
- Ben spends much of the episode complaining that Daisy disrespected him and undercut him.
- The hosts think Daisy is usually given a pass by the audience, but here she was also a little absurd:
- she left the deboning issue without enough backup,
- and she can be just as petty and reactive as Ben.
- Still, they think Ben’s behavior is driven by wounded ego and a need to feel dominant.
Ellie's possible promotion
- Ben pitches Ellie for a promotion to sous chef after she does a solid job with breakfast prep.
- Jason is skeptical and points out:
- Jenna has already been demoted,
- promoting Ellie now would create more shockwaves,
- and Ellie has not really earned that leap yet.
- The hosts mostly agree with Jason here:
- Ellie has improved,
- but she’s still too new and too shaky to be handed that title so soon.
- They also laugh at how Ben tells Ellie about the possible promotion before Jason has agreed, essentially setting her up for disappointment.
Breakfast service and crew tension
- Ellie does a good job with the continental breakfast spread.
- The guests react like it’s an extraordinary luxury, which the hosts mock as classic Below Deck exaggeration.
- Daisy and Ellie continue to clash over roles, communication, and authority.
- Alicia complains that Daisy sees something in Jenna that she doesn’t see in Alicia:
- the hosts respond that the “something” is competence and experience.
- Alicia’s desire to be second stew is treated as wildly premature.
Hot tub overflow cliffhanger
- The episode ends with a classic yacht-crew mishap:
- Alicia turns on the hot tub,
- walks away,
- and it starts to overflow.
- The hosts treat it as the perfect capper to a season full of small disasters escalating into bigger ones.
Notable Running Commentary and Jokes
Food tangents
- The recap spends a surprising amount of time on:
- sweet potatoes,
- tamarind sauce,
- harissa,
- Triscuits,
- crackers,
- and how annoying whole fish are to eat.
- Ronnie and Ben riff on bone-in fish, brunch platters, and why people are always shocked by a simple breakfast spread on yacht shows.
Elevator etiquette rant
- They go off on a long tangent about elevator behavior:
- specifically people who take an elevator down just one floor when a staircase or escalator is available.
- Ronnie strongly opposes it; Ben admits he’s that person and enjoys the passive-aggressive tension.
“Garden of Eden” dinner theme
- The charter dinner theme is “Garden of Eden,” which the hosts find funny and a little absurd.
- They joke that gay guests probably do not want to celebrate Bible imagery and suggest better party themes, including a Lowe’s-themed party.
Main Takeaways
- Ben is the main villain of the episode in the hosts’ view: petty, ego-driven, and manipulative.
- Daisy is flawed but understandable; she’s defensive, but Ben was also setting her up to fail.
- Jason is frustrating but entertaining, especially because his judgments are inconsistent and make the hosts actively angry.
- Ellie is improving, but not ready for a promotion, despite Ben trying to fast-track her.
- Alicia is overestimating her readiness, and the hosts think the show is making that clear.
- The season remains compelling because nearly every conflict overlaps with another, creating constant pressure and comedy.