Captain Lee Leaves ‘Below Deck’: Inside His Last Episode

This is a preview of the pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To get the full newsletter in your inbox each week, Sign up for it here.

This week:

Crying While Watching Below the table…

It can be difficult to empathize with reality TV stars. But I’ve never felt more in tune with anyone than I did with the cast of Below the table, when they cried while Captain Lee said he was leaving the show.

Lee Rosbach has been at the helm since then Below the table premiered in 2013. He’s the ideal version of a no-nonsense boss who operates from a warm place; the reason he expects so much from his crew is because he loves them deeply and believes in their great potential.

While anyone who watches Bravo has different opinions about the cast of their favorite show, one thing always agrees: Captain Lee is the best. Now, it’s devastating to see him go.

I will never admit how many times I cried while watching Bravobut Captain Lee’s farewell episode ranks among my saddest viewings.

Since Season 10 of Below the table premiered, Lee was transparent about his health issues. He is struggling with neurological problems affecting his mobility. “My mind is there. My heart is there. My body just wouldn’t cooperate,” he said on this week’s episode. “I never give up. But this time I have to.”

He displayed incredible grace and humility when making the announcement to his crew. “Perhaps I stayed longer than I should, but I was pretty stubborn,” he said, blaming himself in a subsequent confession scene for being a burden to their success.

As the captain of a ship, it is clear that Lee is a father figure to the people he works with. But that also extends to the viewer. As he choked on his passing, you could hear everyone watching in real time wailing, “Daddy!!!”

As television, the sequence is beautifully produced. It’s touching to watch Rachel, the season’s chef, and Fraser, its main stew, sobbing into each other’s arms. In the previous season, Captain Lee was incredibly generous with Rachel, as she battled some personal demons that could get her fired, and it was great to see her blossom after. when he gave her a second chance. Fraser is Below the tablehis first openly gay chief stew, and when you watch the show, you can see how proud Captain Lee was to give him that opportunity. In their reaction to his passing, you could tell that they recognized these things too.

Great to see Bravo deliver Under the Deck: The Mediterranean‘S Captain Sandy Yawn to replace Captain Lee as he recovers. It lends a sense of gravity guaranteed to the moment. It didn’t just swap Captain Lee for a TV-ready substitute, who happened to be called. The network has taken over an extraordinary person like him, both on the water and in the fan community.

It was a good episode and, I suppose, a fitting ending to this year. I should have guessed that I would end 2022 and cried a lot while watching an episode of Below the table.

Edie Falco is all of us

This week, Edie Falco said what we were all thinking: “avatar 2 must have appeared years ago, right?” The difference is, Edie Falco actually stars in the movie.

In fact, there was a lot of time between Avatar was first released 13 years ago and the sequel that finally hit theaters this month has been a chewy joke. However, that is not a joke, as it is a fact. When the trailer plays before the movie show Black Panther: Wakanda forever, My jaw hit the ceiling. It’s not just because the footage is stunning. That’s because I can’t believe it exists.

Falco understood that. She Appears on View mode this week to promote her role in Avatar: The Road of Water. During the interview, she revealed that she filmed the movie a long time ago so she assumed it was gone out and failed at the box office. “I thought, ‘Oh, I guess it’s been released and doesn’t work very well,’ because I didn’t hear anything.” To her, that’s more believable than how long the movie took to finally be released.

It was a perfect talk show moment. It’s candid, humble, and mocks the importance of Hollywood itself in a way that I suspect all actors wish they could do. (See it here.)

Week at Drew Barrymore

It’s the best gift of 2022 when in any given week, Drew Barrymore will appear in a new viral video.

The Drew Barrymore Program is the ultimate weird talk show, a perfect blend of total nerds and heartwarming seriousness that only works because it’s so authentic Drew. These clips from her show go viral because they’re so weird, yes, but they’re also shared out of pure love: We’re so grateful she has this background.

This week is a treasure trove for Drew fans. It started with a clip of Barrymore appeared on Horoscope, in which she is seductively self-aware of her own stupidity. As she follows about a dozen different tangents, Ziwe seems to have gone beyond the split point. Then, at the end of the week, came a clip of Barrymore interview White Lotus Aubrey Plaza starwho expressed a desire for Barrymore to be her “mom”, while the presenter told her she wanted Plazza to be in “my womb”.

About 70 percent of my laughter this week is from these videos. I hope they have the same effect on you.

Name a more iconic trio

My Christmas present to you Is this a photo? by Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour and Liza Minnelli hanging out together. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone.

What to watch this week:

Life: After you definitely watch Bill Nighy in Really love this week, check out his amazing performance in this movie. (Currently showing in theaters)

women talking: Easily one of the best movies of the year. Give it all the Oscar nominations. (Currently showing in theaters)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story: It’s finally on Netflix! Long live Kate Hudsonnaisance! (Now on Netflix)

What to skip this week:

I want to dance with someone: Instead, do yourself a favor and just watch YouTube videos about Whitney Houston. (Currently showing in theaters)

Babylon: Save your Margot Robbie stanning for Barbie doll. (Currently showing in theaters)