I’ve Finally Figured Out Why There Are No Below Deck Franchise Reunions Anymore

Although they happen from time to time, Below Deck franchise shows now don’t typically have reunion episodes at the end of every season. While some seasons in the last few years have featured a reunion, they’ve been sparse and generally haven’t been able to feature either the whole cast or the whole cast in person. While Bravo hasn’t been able to bring together full casts, when they’ve had reunions the shows have done their best to bring together the entirety of the cast to discuss what’s happened within each season. Even with reunions, some seasons haven’t come to satisfying conclusions.

Despite viewers asking for more Below Deck reunions to rehash the drama and understand what was happening in some circumstances, the shows haven’t been delivering. Without much of an explanation, Below Deck viewers have had to make guesses on what’s been happening after the show, how relationships are going, and whether or not the dust has settled. Without the reunion episodes, Below Deck viewers are left in the dark, which tends to be more difficult than explaining what’s been happening. While some believe the reunions have been cut for budgetary reasons, I think it’s a bit less cut and dry.

Below Deck Reunions Are Too Difficult For Bravo To Schedule With The Working Yachties

The Yachties Are Usually On A Job

Although Below Deck reunions have been something viewers have been missing, there’s a reason behind their absence that makes it more understandable as to why they haven’t been produced. The Below Deck franchise works with yachties that typically work not just actively on the show’s superyachts but also other vessels with crews off-screen. The Below Deck casts are often hopping on different charters throughout the year to make sure they can make ends meet, meaning their overall availability is stretched incredibly thin. While they prioritize the show when they’re on it and during press days, it’s not their only priority.

Below Deck reunions appear to be too difficult to produce with working yachties, as they’re unable to find a time when all the yachties who worked aboard the superyacht for the season are ready and available to chat. With the reunion specials being sparse in the first place, Bravo likely chose not to push the issue of reunion episodes when they couldn’t bring the entire cast together in an easy, manageable way that wasn’t disruptive to their lives. On top of being more expensive, the reunion episodes were likely just tough to bring together, which I think made them obsolete.

The Below Deck Aftershow Isn’t An Adequate Replacement

The Newer Aftershow Doesn’t Give As Much Information

Although Below Deck doesn’t have consistent reunions, they’ve tried to replace them with a weekly aftershow that Bravo shares on their YouTube channel to break down the drama. While some Below Deck shows, like Below Deck Sailing Yacht, still have reunions and don’t utilize the aftershow format, the shows in the franchise that do are typically worse off. Though the yachties sometimes give more information during the aftershows than at the reunions, the videos are long and sometimes more overwhelming to get through than a reunion episode. Below Deck would be better to go back to its original standard.