Below Deck Down Underseason 3 has brought Tzarina Mace-Ralph back into the mix as the chef aboard Katina, but in her first returning season of the series,she’s changed a fair bit and become more of a villain than she was in her initial charter season. Tzarina, who started out duringBelow Deck Down Underseason 2as a new chef to the franchise, has become one of the more polarizing figures of the current season. In her first charter season, Tzarina was a well-mannered chef who knew her way around the galley, which worked for Captain Jason Chambers.
Throughout the run ofBelow Deck Down Under, Captain Jason’s had a tough time keeping his crews aboard the superyacht from season to season. While there’s bound to be turnover with each charter season, it’s not always predictable who will be returning andwho won’t on aBelow Decksuperyacht. The chefs, however, are typically a lock to come back if they did well aboard the superyacht during a charter season, as long as their schedule permits them to be part of another crew.Tzarina, who did well in her first season, was someone viewers hoped to see back again.
When it wasannounced that Tzarina would be coming backfor another season ofBelow Deck Down Under, viewers were happy to have that sense of stability in the galley. While many love the drama going on throughout the rest of the crew,Below Deckviewers usually anticipate that the chef will be a stable presencewho’s able to move through the challenges of the charter season with ease. Tzarina was no exception, but has become different thanBelow Deck Down Underseason 2 viewers remember in the time between the charter seasons, her personality shifting in a negative way.
With so much change in Tzarina, watching her onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3has felt completely different than watching her last season. The confident, concise chef seems to be losing her footing in some ways when it comes to the galley and all of her responsibilities, even though she’s been provided a sous chef to tackle the immense amount of cooking she does in a season. Rather than working through the issues she’s noticed,Tzarina has become a more critical version of the chef that was introduced last season, shifting her expectations from charter to charter without explanation.
Rather than focusing on the food, Tzarina’s stirring the pot in a completely different way this season.
6Tzarina’s Food Quality Has Become Inconsistent
She’s Not Performing To The Best Of Her Abilities
AsBelow DeckDown Underseason 3 has given viewers a new look at Tzarina in the galley, it’s become clear that a lot has changed since the last season of the series. One of the strangest parts of the season involving Tzarina has been about her food quality, which has become inconsistent in the most recent season, which wasn’t an issue in the past. Throughout her past showings onBelow Deck, Tzarina has been an ace in the galley, nailing meal service throughout the charter season.Tzarina’s consistency was a big reason viewers wanted her to return.
While Tzarina made it clear that she wascoming back toBelow Deck Down Underseason 3 with exciting ideas about how to improve her performance, and while her dedication to the guests has been positive, she hasn’t made the impact she expected. Relying on herself rather than looping her sous chefs into the mix,Tzarina has been difficult to work with and made inconsistent meals. Throughout the season, it’s been tough to watch her struggle knowing just how talented she can be.
5Tzarina’s Not Able To Take Criticism Anymore
She Doesn’t Do Well With Feedback
AlthoughBelow Deckchefs aren’t necessarily known for their ability to take feedback well, Tzarina was one of the best at handling criticism in her debut season. No chef is looking to take input or criticism on their cooking, especially when they’re in a superyacht setting. As the most knowledgeable on board about food overall,Below Deckchefs are often wary of the input they get from guests, butunderstanding of the criticism they hear from the interior team and the Captain, even though it can be tougher for them to swallow.
ThroughoutBelow Deck Down Underseason 2, Tzarina made it clear that she’s capable of taking criticism, even if she doesn’t enjoy it. Taking the feedback of her fellow yachties and moving into new charters with refreshed ideas, Tzarina seemed capable of handling the input of her colleagues, but things have changed this season. AsTzarina has consistently rebuffed others' feedbackand struggled to implement suggested change,it’s become clear she’s not interested in hearing what others have to say, regardless of their rank or knowledge.
4Tzarina’s Prioritizing Drama Over Maintaining The Galley
She’s Not Handling Her Sous Chefs
AsTzarina’s time onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3 has continued, it’s been clear that there’s a lot more on her mind than the meal services she’s going to prepare for the charter guests. Tzarina has been interested in more of the social dynamics this season, catering to her cravings for human interaction more than to create the perfect dish. ThroughoutBelow Deck Down Underseason 2,Tzarina was reliable to bring the right dishes to the table when it came time for meal service, ignoring the dramahappening aboard Northern Sun.
In the current charter season,Tzarina has become embroiled in drama more than once, getting involved in enough that it seems odd for her character. Tzarina has show interest in a boatmance this season, and thoughformer bosun Wihan Du Toitwasn’t interested, it was clear that she would’ve pursued things had he wanted to move forward. On top of that, Tzarina’s had drama with Chief Stew Lara Rigby throughout the season, which has caused more chaos than she’s used to. Rather than focusing on the food, Tzarina’s stirring the pot in a completely different way this season.
3Tzarina’s Refusing To Accept The Help She’s Being Given
She’s Not Utilizing Her Extra Hands
After some strugglesthroughoutBelow Deck Down Underseason 2, Captain Jason and theBelow Deckteam decided to move forward with help for Tzarina in the form of a sous chef aboard the superyacht crew. While sous chefs aren’t common onBelow Decksuperyachts, they are common on superyachts in general because of how much responsibility the chefs have to handle. With around the clock service needed,having a sous chef around is the best possible solution for the crewshould they need to handle something food-related in the middle of the night.
Despite having another set of hands aboard,Tzarina has struggled to let go of control in the way she needs to to succeed. While it’s been clear that Tzarina has been able to do well on her own when it comes to meal service, having a sous chef in the mix brings in an element to Tzarina’s galley that she’s not a fan of. It’s been tough to see Tzarina have to manage someone she doesn’t have the capabilities of managing, especially when hercurrent sous chef Alesia Harrisis incredibly good at what she does.
2Tzarina’s Struggling To Connect With The Team
She’s Feeling Isolated On Board
AlthoughTzarina has been one of the more socialBelow Deckchefs in the past, her interactions with the crew have changed considerably this season. AsBelow Deckchefs are often more isolated than the rest of the crew when it comes to social interaction, it can be tough to maintain the role throughout the charter season.Working in the galley can be lonely for the chefs, but it’s also something familiar enough to themthat they don’t typically find themselves struggling to make interpersonal connections when they want to.
AsTzarinahas moved through her time onBelow Deck Down Under, it’s been clear that her social life has taken a bit of a hit between seasons. DuringBelow Deck Down Underseason 2, Tzarina was able to make friends with members of the interior team like Margot Sisson, doing her best to ensure that she was getting a fair amount of socialization outside of the galley. In the current season,Tzarina has been isolated from the crew in a way that’s made her genuinely unhappy, even though she’s been the one at the hands of her isolation.
1Tzarina’s No Longer Invested In Her Work
She’s Coming Off Frazzled & Uninterested
Although it appears thatTzarina is still happy to be servingcharter guests from the galley and creating intricate meals to be a highlight of their time aboard, it’s become clear that the tougher, more monotonous part of Tzarina’s job hasn’t been fulfilling to her. As she’s moved through the current charter season, Tzarina’s lacked enthusiasm in a way that’s become quite obvious. DuringBelow Deck Down Underseason 2,Tzarina was excited to be taking on even the most mundane of meal services, creating dishes that weren’t necessarily elevated, but would make the guests happy.
This season,Tzarina seems like she’s been struggling to make even the more intensive dishes requested from the charter guests. While she may not be moving through the charter season with as much creativity as she wants, Tzarina’s abilities are something the guests are typically complimentary of, which should be something she enjoys. Instead, over the course of a season, Tzarina has struggled to maintain her composure and changed completely from theBelow Deck Down Underchef viewers once knew.
Below Deck Down Underairs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on Bravo.
