'Deadliest Catch' Season 16 Episode 4 Review: Positivity, experience and science highlight a thrilling chapter
Contains spoilers for 'Deadliest Catch' Season 16 Episode 4: 'Shotguns And Fist Fights'
It is human to feel tired. It is okay sometimes to take a backseat, cool the heels, and blow some steam when things go south. But at the end of it all, it's about keeping the back straight, getting that chin up and going back to rocking the world, or in this case - catching the crab. This piece of advice was something that Jake Anderson of the Saga-Bandit needed after sailing for days without some crabs in the bank. 'Shotguns and Fist Fights' has enough drama, and some science too.
Sig Hansen's Northwestern and Scott Campbell Jr's Seabrooke get some screentime and some major crab haul. Emphasis on the word major as they rake in enough crabs from just about every pot they haul up. Did you also know that crabs have a thing for red color? Guess that marine biology knowledge paid off when Mandy suggests they haul in pink and red net pots to see how the crabs respond. Science says crabs are attracted to ultraviolet light - especially bright colors. So the brighter and shinier the net, the better the lure.
The move pays off as Northwestern hits the golden patch. They reel in pots filled with crabs ensuring some large profit. The drama unfolds between the deckhand and the engineer of the Seabrooke as an argument turns to them trading blows, much to Junior's chagrin. He eventually manages to get them to cool off and they resume their fishing. Luck strikes as the crew hit paydirt. For Junior, this is a moral victory. After being on the sidelines for four years, he's back in the thick of the action.
There's a bit more the audience learns about Jake, whose wife is pregnant. The man has been out at sea for a major part of his life and is dependent on the crab fishing to make sure he gives his wife and his child a safer and stable life. With the lean run in terms of getting in the crabs, the pressure mounts and despite fellow skipper Johnathan Hillstrand trying to up his spirits, Jake gets bogged down and so do the crew who are shown to be suffering from sheer physical exhaustion.
Experience pays off for Saga-Bandit when Johnathan steers the ship towards one of his favorite spots, "The Gooseneck" where he finds crabs in large numbers. The hunch pays off as the crew hit the purple patch, reeling in crabs in excess with each pot. Moral of the story: Patience and positivity is needed when the chips are down.
That said, that piece of advice won't probably do Wild Bill Wichrowski's Summer Bay any good as they run into a leaky valve issue forcing them to dock. Getting thin numbers hasn't helped either and things look bleak for the crew as they are the last on the list of crabs captured.
Fans will be mighty pleased as there is no sight of Captain Steve "Harley" Davidson. The man has been dubbed a crab thief and has faced the wrath of fans since the season opener. Positive attitude, experience and science highlight a thrilling chapter. If this episode, which doubles up as a moral science lesson, and was aimed at Sig and Jake fans, then it's accomplished its mission.
'Deadliest Catch' airs 8 pm ET on Discovery.