There are signs that controversialBelow Deck Sailing YachtFirst OfficerGary Kingis just getting started in the franchise, and may become a captain at the behest of theBelow Decknetwork. Gary King was first introduced inBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 2as Bosun, and he became the First Officer of Parsifal III in season 4, and has retained that title.BDSYis theBelow Deckfranchise’s third spinoff, with the OG show andBelow Deck Mediterraneanbeing its predecessors. Gary has been joined in all four seasons by Chief Stew, Daisy Kelliher, andCaptain Glenn Shephard.
Captain Glenn has been the figurehead of the spinoff since the beginning, and he and Gary have developed a tight friendship over the years, as Gary has worked on Parsifal III outside of the filmed charter seasons.Below Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5 recently ended, and it has fans looking ahead to the possibilities of the high-viewership spinoff. It doesn’t appear like Daisy will be absent from future seasons, as she is capable at her job and well-liked, but givenGary’s history and personal troubles, his future with the network is in question, especially since he has captain aspirations.
Gary King’s History On Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Gary Has Been A Playboy
Gary came ontoBravo’sBelow Deck Sailing Yachtin season 2 in a leadership position, and he consistently showcased behavior that was in poor taste with his position. Not only did he hook up with his Deckhand, Sydney Zaruba, but he then created a rift among the crew after he pursued Stewardess Alli Dore, making Sydney upset and jealous. In season 2 is also whenBDSYviewers got their first glimpse into Gary’s drunken habits, as well as his lackluster leadership, asmany of his teammates have questioned his authority.
When Gary came back forBDSYseason 3, it was more of the same, as Gary hooked up with several of his female crew mates, and caused drama out of each. Gary showcased that his irresponsiblity knows no bounds, and that he acts with impunity. Beneath Gary’s troubled ways, however, has always been his ability to smooth over Captain Glenn, and minimize the ugly situations he causes.Gary is also good with the guests and adds a layer of fun and intrigue to the crew, as he likes being the center of attention.
Gary got in the most trouble afterBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 4 aired, and a formerBelow Deckmakeup artist came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Gary. She alleged that he trapped her in his hotel room in the Summer of 2022 while filming for season 4 took place, and grabbed at her inappropriately while drunk. Gary has vehemently denied these allegations, gotten support from Captain Glenn, and got a slap on the wrist from Bravo network, who say they investigated the situation and took action as they saw fit.Gary only got uninvited from BravoCon 2023.
Gary controversially came back forBDSYseason 5. It was speculated that season 5 had already been filmed when the allegations came out, and there was too much footage of Gary to be edited out. Gary got a few moments of a redemption arc inBDSYseason 5, although his true colors were yet again on full display.
Gary drank with the guests on charter past the limit of what Captain Glenn had set,and then was angry when he got reprimanded. Gary also crashed the tender, and ended up hooking up with one of the stewardesses.BDSYviewers know who Gary is, and despite all his negative aspects, he keeps returning.
Gary Has Aspirations To Be A Captain
Gary Clearly Stated His Intentions
InBDSYseason 5, Gary made it clear on several occasions that he has the ambition to be a captain.
“I want to be a captain one day, and training people in any circumstance. So I’m going to use this to prove that I am a good leader.”
Gary, in fact, proved his poor leadership skills in season 5, as he’s done throughout his time in the franchise.Gary doesn’t take suggestions or pushback from his crew well, and never takes criticism in stride.He has often created divides among his deck team, as evidenced by alumni Deckhand, Chase Lemacks, sour opinions of Gary’s leadership.
By the end of season 5, Gary failed to acknowledge the poor choices he made in his leadership role throughout the season, and Captain Glenn glazed over them as well. Captain Glenn did bring up Gary’s hopes to become a captain, and gave inappropriate scaled-back advice to Gary, after all the damage he did during season 5, which serves the notion that Gary can do no wrong.
“What a season, not withstanding the lollipop fiasco and the drag night drinking. In your position as First Officer, you’re one of the gang, but you kind of have to separate yourself a little bit. You know you need to start kind of rising above a little bit.”
Were Gary to become a captain, he would need to"rise above"a lot more. Being a captain comes with innumerable responsibilities concerning guest safety, maritime law, and the general reputation of the vessel, the show, and the person as a captain.
If Gary Were To Be Fired It Would Have Happened Already
Does The Network Think Gary Is A Liability?
Gary has obviously been a liability as a crew member from the beginning, but theBelow Decknetwork doesn’t seem to see it as such.
Gary does make entertaining reality TV, and if they were going to remove him from the franchise, they would have done it already, given his many transgressions.
Since Gary is still a big part ofBDSY’s success regarding viewership and interest, the network is unlikely to take him off the screen.
Making him a captain ofBDSYor anotherBelow Deckshow in the future could prove to be unwise for optics and the show’s reputation, since Gary doesn’t learn from his mistakes and still has a drinking problem. However,there is always the possibility that Gary will curb his habitsat the behest of Bravo, and return in a captain role. It would be a risk to have Gary come on as a captain in the future, but it is not out of the question by reality TV standards.
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Gary Could Take Over For Captain Glenn
Or Be Captain Of A Different Spinoff
Captain Glenn is perhaps the least-interestingBelow Deckfranchise captain, and replacing him could reinvigorate the spinoff. Replacing him with Gary would free up the Bosun position, and also make way for more new crew members.Captain Glenn is already retired from mainstream yachting, and hisBelow Deck Sailing Yachtposition seems to be his only professional iron in the fire. Gary is a formidable figure in theBelow Deckfranchise, and since he hasn’t been taken off the show yet, bigger future roles in the show could be in the works, although nothing is certain yet.
Below Deck Down Underairs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.
