The Rocky Mountain Collegian

April 28th, 2007

Genuine reality found in “Deadliest Catch”

PHOTO courtesy of badgerhillpress.com

We are now well into this season of the Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated series, “Deadliest Catch”, which returned earlier this month for a third season. I had never seen this series before, partially due to my aversion to reality television, as noted in my previous entry. I have now watched three episodes of “Deadliest Catch”, and I am proud to announce that I am officially hooked (thanks in part to my crab-pushing pals from class…this is for you, Romania)!

The Rundown (courtesy of Discovery.com):

• Viewers follow the brave captains and crew of eight crab-fishing vessels as they struggle against the treacherous weather conditions of the Bering Sea, doing one of the deadliest - and most lucrative - jobs in the world.
• Returning to “Deadliest Catch” this year are –
  • Captain Sig Hansen and his crew of the Northwestern
  • Captain Phil Harris and his crew of the Cornelia Marie, including sons Jake and greenhorn Josh
  • Captain Johnathan Hillstrand and Captain Andy Hillstrand of the Time Bandit
  • Captain Blake Painter and his new hand-picked crew, along with Rick Quashnick with his wife Donna, of the Maverick
• New to “Deadliest Catch” this season are –
  • Captain Keith Colburn and the men of the Wizard
  • Captain Greg Moncrief, who is joined on board by his wife Ragnhild, of the Farwest Leader
  • Captain Allen Oakley and his crew, including greenhorn Bryan Mezich, of the Early Dawn
  • Captain Corky Tilley and the crew of the Aleutian Ballad, with son Matthew and daughter Nicole on deck

Watch this show once, and you’ll most likely come to the conclusion that these guys are insane, and you’ll question why anyone would ever choose this as a career. But as Captain Sig said in an interview on “The Daily Show”, “It’s either fish or flip burgers”, adding that fishing is a part of their lives, something most of them have been doing since they were teenagers.

Watching them work is often nerve-racking, and this season opened with a devastating start as one fishing boat (not featured in the series) capsized. Only one man from a crew of four was rescued; the three bodies of the rest of his crew were recovered from the icy waters. Needless to say, it was a somber episode.

The images of the bodies floating in the water (though blurred considerably) were found to be quite jarring by some viewers and led to some questioning of the program’s ethical boundaries.

But it seems that these disturbing images are what make “Deadliest Catch” a reality show in the most authentic sense. The job is not particularly pleasant; they often stay up all day and all night, dealing with the perils of the harsh weather, hazardous equipment, and treacherous waters. One slip up could lead to deadly repercussions – and people really do die.

It would be a disservice to these brave souls to not show the grim reality that encompasses their everyday lives. These guys are remarkably bold and amazingly high-spirited considering that they are engaged in one of the deadliest jobs in the world.

Let’s just say that the next time you have yourself a King Crab dinner at some fancy-schmancy restaurant, you won’t be bitching about the price.

Check out new episodes Tuesday nights at 7 on the Discovery Channel.

See highlights from Season 2 in “Deadliest Catch Special: Best of Season 2″ this Thursday, April 26 from noon to 1:00 p.m., also on the Discovery Channel.

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