Image Credit: Rick Gershon/Getty ImagesDiscovery’s Deadliest Catch returned last night for the premiere of a season dedicated to “all souls sacrificed to the sea.” The one on fans’ minds, of course, is Capt. Phil Harris, who we’re watching fish his final season aboard the Cornelia Marie. The season could not have gotten off to a more tense start with Phil’s sons, Jake and Josh (pictured), fighting so badly that Josh was looking for a job on another boat. Phil and Northwestern captain Sig Hansen decided to swap Jakes (or, as Phil called them “cocky and cockier”). Had we not known that Jake Harris was missing time with his dad, maybe we could enjoy this idea more. It’s interesting to see the challenges of switching boats — Jake Harris already got clocked between the eyes because the cages on the Northwestern are different, and Jake Anderson fell into the tank on the deck of the Cornelia Marie and owes the crew a case of beer. (“Did you hurt your girlish figure?” Phil cracked over the intercom, laughing from his chair.) It’s also nice to see Jake Anderson feel so comfortable being himself around the Cornelia Marie crew. But you know, I worry about him getting as attached to Phil as he is to Sig, only to lose him. Thinking back to Jake finding out on the Northwestern that his sister had passed away still breaks my heart.
The other big drama that took place before we even left the dock: A massive blowup between Time Bandit captain Johnathan Hillstrand and Wizard captain Keith Colburn. Johnathan had heard that Keith was trying to poach crew members, and after a bleep-filled conversation with his co-captain brother Andy, confronted Keith at the captain’s bonfire. It was Phil who got between them after Johnathan shoved Keith to the ground. That battle ended with Johnathan saying, “You know what, don’t even f—in’ call my boat unless you’re f—in’ sinkin’.” On the one hand, that’s cold. On the other, it shows that even if you hate someone, you save them on the sea. Kinda spooky that Johnathan later heard the distress call for the capsized codfishing vessel Carly Renee. They were too far away to help, but, thanks to a cellphone camera, we got to see the Guardian rescue the four crew from a life raft. That voice on the footage realizing the Guardian was the only boat there to rescue them? As chilling as watching the faces of the Carly Renee crew change the more they talked about how they didn’t know what had happened: One minute they were smooth sailing on a calm sea, the next they were swimming. (“This weather here is storybook. I mean, this doesn’t ever happen to us. This is the flattest king crab season I’ve ever had,” Phil had said. “We’re gonna pay for that.” Said Sig: “This is pretty unexpected. The weather’s been unexpected, you know, the temperatures. What is this, some omen or somethin’?”)
Things to watch for this season:
• How many Capt. Phil quotes will end with him saying “I wouldn’t trade it for the world”: Last night, we got two: “If you want to be stressed out, if you want to be cranky, hungry, tired — run a crab boat. The funny part about it is, I wouldn’t trade it for the world” and “You can watch things happen, make things happen, or wonder what the f— happened. Now, we’re makin’ things happen. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Try to remember that — and his bonfire quote, “I shouldn’t be bitchin’, I should be livin’ life” — when he has his stroke and you hear one of his sons saying, “Dad, they gotta check your pulse…. Don’t worry, dad. It’s gonna be okay.” I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t show us that footage — just played us the audio. It’ll be equally gut-wrenching — maybe more so, because we’ll feel even more helpless.
• How Wizard greenhorn Joel Ziele will do? “Greenhorns are like toilet paper on the Wizard, man. They go quick,” Keith said. His take on Joel: “The guy just looks like he came out of the joint, man. Got that ax murderer look goin’ on.”
• How long Russell Newberry, who was fired from the Time Bandit and the Wizard, last on the Kodiak? Also, how will Capt. Wild Bill Wichrowski’s greenhorn son, Zach Larson, fair?
• How lucky are the Hillstrand brothers? The Time Bandit is gambling fishing the same secret spot for a third straight year — which you don’t do.
More Deadliest Catch:
Deadliest Catch returns: How soon will Capt. Phil make you cry?
Capt. Phil: More great stories from and about him
Remembering Captain Phil Harris
Capt. Phil told Deadliest Catch to keep filming in the hospital: ‘We need a great finish to this story’
I’ve been a fan of the show since it started airing, and I find it still hard to comprehend that Phil’s gone.
As to the switch between boats, maybe it’s a good thing giving Jake and Josh some breathing room. I did think it was hysterical that Edgar made Jake bite the head off the herring, though. Don’t condemn either Phil or Sig for switching. Learning about how things are done on another boat is a great learning experience and both of them will be better off for it. Hindsight is always 20-20 and I’m sure if Jake knew then what was going to happen, he would have found a way to spend more time with Phil.
I’m staying out of the whole Keith/Jonathan/Andy issue, I like all of them, so commenting on this one.
I will be okay thru the rest of the King crab season they’re showing, I just don’t know how I’ll do when it’s opilio season
In my area this was on the same time as LOST. ARgHHHH!!! I hope they rerun it.
The nice thing about Discovery is that they always do. Can’t wait to see it.
You need to PVR/DVR the one show whilst watching the other!
I thought it was laughable when Keith tried to pretend that there were an endless supply of world-class, experienced crabbers waiting on deck to fish with him (and that they are his friends) so why would he need to poach from the Time Bandit?
Uh, then why did you hire a greenhorn who’d never fished before?
EGO FAIL.
Yesss, thank you Matt! My thoughts exactly. Maybe they wouldn’t go thru greenhorns so fast if Keith wasn’t such an ignorant a-hole! Wonder why they lost Crosby? I don’t think there’s many experienced deckhands that would want to work on his boat after watching his idiotic life threatening moves last season.
True that. I loved it when Jonathan knocked Keith on his arse. He and his brother Monty are genuine unlikable jerks. Remember when Monty dropped all of their pots right on top of Phil’s and the Cornelia Marie’s? They go through crew members like toilet paper on that boat because those two a**hats treat people (including each other) like turds.
I found the whole thing to be a little childish. I’m sorry but regardless of what you think of the guy, he doesn’t deserve to get knocked over like that. Yeah it gets competitive but from what I hear (from friends in the Coast Guard stationed up there), the Hillstrands have pulled the same crap on other boats. So if we’re gonna talk bad about Keith, we might as well just get it out there that they’ve pulled the same crap so there you go. In any case, it was inappropriate and very low of Johnathan to push him like that. He’s not twelve he so he should use his words like a MAN would not a little boy. They’re no better than Keith. Sorry but it’s a fact.
On the Discovery Channel shows always air again 3 hours later. So I had my DVR set last night to record Lost at 9pm and Deadliest Catch at midnight.
Hey Scott, FYI on Lost: all the episodes are on ABC.com. I haven’t watched a live Lost but once this season. DVR’ed DC myself. Hope this helps.
You have to remember that Phil played as hard as he worked. I will miss him and wonder what will happen with the boat and crew. I hope it serves as a reminder to everyone that you shouldn’t take anything for granted.
If memory serves, Jake Anderson’s father went missing around the same time Phil was called to his reward… Curious to see if they deal with that the same way they did the sister. That poor kid’s had a lot to deal with the last couple years.
And he didn’t look so good. It looks like he aged so much in the last year that I wonder if his sister passing and his Dad going missing wreaked havoc on his well being.
to chew a head off a fish, they would have had to retrieve me from the side of the boat from throwing up just being at sea! Nasty~
But then I don’t do fish!
Capt Phil sending his son Jake over to the Northwesterner I think was great move. Jake will be reminded what it feels like to be low man on the deck and with no family around he will have to learn to get along with his new crew member. Learning another boat system can only be asset for him. I hope that Jake thinks of this as a gift sort of speak from his Dad and makes the most of it. Last year when Capt Phil gave Josh full share I felt at the time He was trying to get his house in order in case something happens. And continues to do so at the start of King Crab season by making this bold move attempt to help both his sons.
I was disappointed in Capt Jonathan, Should have investigated a little more. After all his deckhand said “basically”; I wonder under what conditions, after how many beers or drinks and could this conversation had beed taken out of context. I also think he should have taken this up with Capt Keith in private and given him a chance to explain.
I agree. He didn’t handle it very well. It sounds like it was taken out of context and I’m no longer a fan of the time bandit because of it.
I cant believe i missed the first 5 seasons of this show its amazing, i tried watching every rerun i could before the first episode of the 6th season and i cant wait to watch the second espisode.
Capt. Phil is/was absolutely one of my favorites. He will be missed and I cried already, last night.
As for Johnathan, WAY TO GO. It is about time somebody put Keith in his place. I was hoping his boat wouldn’t be on this year. He is arrogant and it almost seems that he tries to make people mad. He was done, in my book, last year, when he puts his pots right on top of Phil’s. Time Bandit all the way!
first and foremost,may capt phil harris r.i.p. sadly be missed by someone who navar met him but,respect what he did in life to everybody who wtched deadliest catch.why,though do we in anglesey,wales,g.b.dont see the first prog till next tuesday at 9pm.we are big,big fans like americans you know.god bless you phil,and thank you for all the exitment you gave me and the viewers from wales and the rest of britan.
It’s gonna be a rough season. esp. after my fav Capt. Phil is gone
i can see tempers flaring up due to the type of buisness they r in, but despite their differences they do depend on each other out at sea so they should remember that before someone really gets hurt or dies because of their codes and prides. bad karm goes along way
Keith may get away with screaming at his brother & his crew, but on shore it’ll get you shoved on your keester. Also note – that wasn’t a sucker punch. You never see a sucker punch. Johnathan was standing directly in front of Keith’s big mouth. Keith cr*pped on Phil last year setting pots over Phil’s string & this year he decided to take on Johnathan. Bout time somebody cut the little Napoleon down to size. I can’t stand the guy. He screams too much!
Appears we were having the same thoughts. I agree 100%.
It is great that the new season has begun, but sad knowing it will be the last few for Capt. Phil. I wish his family and crew all the best. As for Keith and Jonathan, well it is about time someone put Keith in his place. You can yell and scream at your greenhorns and your brother and it may work, but don’t try that on anyone else. To get up and yell “sucker punch Hilstrand” repeatedly sort of demonstrates my point. I hope you all settle this between you, but keep it off camera. Don’t ruin the show for all. Love the show, be safe.