Below Deck Down Under recap: crew almost goes up in flames in finale

It's getting hot aboard the Thalassa superyacht: the Below Deck Down Under recap, the last of the series' first season, features a Mardi Gras-themed party, a lesbian vow renewal, yet another tantrum from bosun Jamie Sayed and, oh yeah, a full-on fire.

While there was a lot of hijinks in the Below Deck Down Under season 1 finale, it was that barbecue flare-up that had viewers talking, particularly about second stew Tumi Mhlongo's very relatable reaction. 

While setting up for the charter guests' "El Mardi Gay" themed night, the crew is tasked with helping out chef Nate Post prep for dinner by turning on the barbecue so he can grill up some octopus. When deckhands Brittini Burton and Benny Crawley switch the appliance on, however, it ignites a flame that rises higher than Jamie's annoyance at Taylor accidentally spilling her drink on him during the crew's finale night out. 

The pair are slightly singed, but thankfully not injured. "What the f*ck just happened?" Crawley yells. "Was the gas too on?" Burton asks. "My eyelashes are burned off, though." "It's all right, we're alive," Benny responds but is clearly shaken. 

He goes to the bridge to get the medical kit and alert Captain Jason Chambers about the incident. "Bottle gas on a boat is probably one of the most dangerous things. It could have been a lot worse than what it was," the captain says in a confessional. "Not only Benny dodged a bullet but everyone in the vicinity dodged a bullet."

One crew member who, in fact, dodged the fire was Tumi, who was near Benny taking photos of her party tablescape when the dangerous blaze occurred. The sheer speed at which she removed herself from the situation — not to mention that she didn't even pause to check on the folks behind her — had many Below Deck viewers cracking up, with several saying they would have done the exact same thing.

It's a fittingly fiery end to the first season of Below Deck Down Under, which spent many weeks circling the question of who would eventually get fired from the boat. We didn't realize they meant literally!

Fans react to that Below Deck Down Under blaze:

Below Deck Down Under is a Peacock Original series. Those wishing to watch episodes of the show will have to subscribe to Peacock Premium, which offers either a $4.99 ad-supported or $9.99 ad-free plan.

Fans in the UK hoping to watch Below Deck Down Under just need to make sure they are subscribed to either Sky TV or NOW TV as both platforms provide subscribers access to Peacock content.