The Deadliest Catch Review

A couple of months ago when my then very pregnant daughter and son-in-law visited us here in Boca Raton, my son-in-law asked if we minded if he watched a show on TV that night.  Well who am I to say no?  I mean after all he is the father of my then soon to be born grand daughter Sofia, right?  Have I told you just how cute she is? Okay, Okay, I know I'm just one more bragging grandpa.  Grandpa?  How can that be? Oops, I digress.

"So Peter, what's this show about?  King Crab fishermen on the Bering Sea?  Yes, I can hardly wait." (Stifles yawn).

It's Tuesday night and it's 9PM and we tune in to the Discovery Channel.  The intro music is Bon Jovi singing Dead or Alive.  Okay, so it did draw my attention.  An hour later, while battling an adrenalin rush I can feel the addiction gripping me.  I grabbed the Tivo remote, rated the show 3 thumbs up and demanded it to record every episode.

Have you seen this show?

It centers on the King Crab fishing season and the men and boats who descend on Dutch Harbor, Alaska in the chain of the Aleutian Islands each October.  The season may last as little as a few days, but the action battling the elements and the violent Bering Sea are over the top.  Plunging temperatures, winds of 50mph and seas of 30 feet make each episode a gut wrenching adventure.  The action is filmed from the perspective of the captains and deckhands of each ship.  That's right!  You'll be right in the middle of it.  When that frigid wave breaks over the front of the ship drenching the crew, you'll shiver along with them.

Why do they do it?

This is probably the highest dollar catch in the fishing industry.  In as little as 5 days as much as $75MM of King Crab will be caught.  Deckhands of the most successful ships stand to earn upwards of $40,000 during this short season!  For the successful captains a season equals a fortune.

Danger at every turn

This really is "the Deadliest Catch".  The conditions are brutal and dangerous in the extreme.  Each show is filmed in real-time with little of the footage staged.  Last season, when a rogue wave threw a boat over on its side, you were right there, inside the ship sharing in the panic.  When a deckhand goes overboard and has but minutes to live in the freezing waters, you are there for the rescue (or sadly, near rescue).

The look of sea gold

When an 800 pound crab pot is retrieved filled with as many as 150 giant King Crab the sight is mesmerizing.  The crab are dumped to a sorting table where females and immature crabs are returned to the sea while the crusty old males are sent to the holding tanks.

A Story of Ships and Crews

Through the series you become increasingly familiar with the ships, captains and their crew-members.  Among my favorites are Captain Phil Harris and the crew of the Cornelia Marie, which includes two of his young sons.  The family dynamic is intense at times.  While Captain Phil is always struggling with one problem or another he always.......nah, that would spoil it.  You'll have to watch it.

Then there's Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwesternand his crew.  A third generation crab captain, Sig and his brother run a tight ship.  Sig is a very charismatic captain on the show and an awful lot of time is spent with him.

And finally, their is Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the Time Bandit who slowly has become my favorite.  He seems to combine the joys and wonderment of a little boy with a code of chivalry of a Knight.  You'll just have to watch to understand that one.

Two seasons in one

Actually, after the King Crab season is filmed, the crews come back in January for the Opilio Crab season.  What's an Opilio Crab?  Well I guess after Dutch Harbor residents, those most familiar with this species are Florida snow-birds who hover over the "snow crab" legs at the all you can eat buffets that cater to this species (Florida Snow-Birds, homo ancient newyawkus, that is).

Just picture the boats in the most northern reaches of the Bering Sea in January.  Whoa!

My Viewpoint

Okay, if your idea of reality TV is watching bimbos and surfer dudes eating worms you might want to pass this one by.  But if you like your reality TV real and you get caught up in adventure and danger, this series will keep you glued to you TV.  During the frequent Discovery Channel marathons of Deadliest Catch, make sure you're stocked up with provisions.  It can be a very long day or weekend.

Enjoy!

 Rudi