Watch What Crappens #3159

Below Deck Med S10E16 Part 1: Ba Da Ba Ba Ba – Not Luvin’ It

Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam

Episode Overview

This episode, Ben and Ronnie dive into the sixteenth episode of Below Deck Mediterranean Season 10, part one of a recap extravaganza. The hosts dissect the ongoing (and often infuriating) crew drama—especially between Joe, Kizzy, and V—as well as Max’s endless incompetence, guest quirks, and the surprisingly deep metaphor of chicken nuggets. The discussion mixes classic Watch What Crappens irreverence with moments of unexpected empathy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Extended Season Fatigue and Max's Max-imum Incompetence

• [03:35] Ben: "I've had enough. I've really had enough of this guy. Now it's time for him to leave. He's just such a piece of... he's just like a garbage piece of... is he not?"
• The hosts express their exhaustion with this 18-episode (and counting!) season, questioning Bravo’s decision to stretch the show so thin.
• Ronnie, on the contrary, is so invested he’s furious about small things: most notably, the pivotal McNugget theft by Joe and Nathan, underscoring his emotional buy-in.
• [05:24] Ronnie: "July, this chicken died for those nuggets. And you guys are just throwing them like they're nothing."
• Max continues to frustrate, struggling with basic tasks—hooking up a jet ski, for instance. The hosts agree Captain Sandy is way too tolerant of his idiocy, finding amusement where there should be firings.

2. Team Dynamics & Sandy's "80s Sitcom Mom" Energy

• [09:14-13:22] There’s a raucous breakdown of a scene in which Nathan, perched above, shouts jet ski instructions at Max.
• Ronnie and Ben riff hilariously on "monk hair scream" (comparing Nathan's yelling to the rare sound of a rabbit in distress and the vow of silence of monks), adding vivid, comical imagery.
• Captain Sandy gets branded as having “80s sitcom mom energy,” managing the chaos with befuddled grace rather than decisive leadership.
• [12:00] Ronnie: “She just lets it go. She's like, yeah, Max is an idiot. Put him on balloon duty.”

3. Chef Josh's Existential Crisis (and Cartoon Inner Voice)

• [14:55-19:10] The hosts debate chef Josh’s imposter syndrome, which the episode illustrates with a cartoon avatar named Dominic.
• Ronnie is not impressed with the bit: “This bit isn’t going to amount to anything.”
• Ben appreciates that Dominic’s cartoon is thinner, hotter, and more stylish than his real-life version—contrasting it with his own Bette Midler x Jabba the Hutt x Columbo inner critic.
• Both agree Josh is a solid chef, but question his hair choices and why Andy Cohen insists on crew ranking shade on WWHL.

4. The Joe–Kizzy–V Triangle: Emotional Carnage & Hypocrisy

• [23:04] Both hosts are exasperated by Joe’s ability to pivot straight from “heartbreak” with V to openly flirting with Kizzy.
• [24:20] Ronnie: “The moment that she dumps him... there’s not like a moment of moping... It’s like right away, boom. Let’s be touchy feely with Kizzy. It just goes to show... all that crying... it’s aggravating.”
• Nathan is self-righteous about Joe’s behavior, which Ben points out is ironic given Nathan’s own flings with Kizzy right before getting back with his girlfriend, Gail.
• [25:40] Ben: “I love that Nathan’s now the moral center of the show. Like, hello, have you watched this season?”

5. Kizzy’s Search for Love—A Costco Sample Metaphor

• Discussion goes deeper on Kizzy’s motives, relating her romantic woes to “Costco samples”—giving away pieces of herself in hopes someone will “buy” her, only to be left empty.
• [32:47] Ben: “They’ll take what you’re offering, but they’re not taking you, because you’re not offering the right things... At the end of the day, people would have appreciate the free things they got from him. But he still felt empty when he went home. And I feel like that’s Kizzy.”
• The hosts debate whether Kizzy is a “hopeless” or “hopeful” romantic.

6. Lies, Excursions, and Shifting Alliances

• Kizzy takes guests on excursions, joking about making up facts, while V genuinely studies to give accurate information.
• Ben and Ronnie agree that while Kizzy’s flippancy is sometimes charming, her general disregard for others’ feelings and willingness to lie is more deeply troubling.
• [52:31] Ronnie: “That’s my issue with Kizzy. There are certain moments where she’s very blunt, and it gives the veneer of her being a truth-teller, but she’s not a truth-teller... she’s still a liar, okay. And she’s duplicitous. I’m sorry.”

7. Crew Confrontations & Denial

• Nathan confronts Joe about flirting with Kizzy, but Joe shrugs it off: “I’m just being myself,” minimizing the impact of his actions.
• Frustration mounts as neither Joe nor Max shows remorse or self-awareness, but both expect others to accommodate their “personalities.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Max’s Incompetence & Sandy’s Management
  • Ronnie [12:00]: “She just lets it go. She’s like, yeah, Max is an idiot. Put him on balloon duty.”
• On Eating Tomatoes Like Apples
  • Ben [21:36]: “You even get like a little tomato juice squirt on something, which you will if you eat a tomato raw. That’s gonna smell like a dumpster after a day.”
• Costco Sample Analogy for Kizzy
  • Ben [32:47]: “They’ll take what you’re offering, but they’re not taking you... he still felt empty when he went home. And I feel like that’s Kizzy.”
• On Asia’s Takedown of Kizzy
  • Asia (quoted by hosts, [43:47]): “She just steals other men cuz she’s very insecure.”
• Imposter Syndrome Musings
  • Ben [18:35]: "The voice in my head is like Bette Midler, Tyne Daly, Jabba the Hutt, and Columbo all rolled into one…"
• On Joe’s “Consistency”
  • Ben [50:58]: “I will say, Joe is consistent. Say a lot about Joe, but can’t call him inconsistent.”

Notable Timestamps

• McNuggetgate and Max discourse: 05:24–08:58
• Chef Josh’s inner Dominick: 14:55–19:30
• Joe-Kizzy-V triangle heat up: 23:04–25:40, 29:48–34:37
• Kizzy’s Costco analogy: 32:17–32:47
• Kizzy makes up tour facts: 51:34–53:36
• Nathan confronts Joe about flirting: 54:37–55:36
• Ben admits error on Chicken Nugget-gate (meta moment): 47:34–48:41

Tone & Style

Ben and Ronnie bring their trademark snark, absurdity, and endearingly passionate tangents to the recap. They move between biting humor, over-the-top metaphors (monk hair, rest stop burgers), and occasional real talk about relationships, self-worth, and emotional health—all while openly critiquing the cast’s behavior.

For Newcomers: Essential Takeaways

If you missed Below Deck Med S10E16 or just want the lowdown, Ben and Ronnie’s take is that:

• Max and Joe are exhausting, each blinded by self-involvement and getting slack from Captain Sandy.
• The love triangle is a hot mess of misplaced passions and double standards.
• Kizzy needs better boundaries and self-respect, as she’s “the Costco sample table” of the boat.
• Chef Josh’s talent is real; his cartoon alter ego is confusing but memorable.
• Amid chaos, the hosts’ delight in petty crew drama is as infectious as ever.

Catch Part 2 for more chaos, confrontation, and as always, plenty of Crappens cackling!