The unprofessional behavior of Second Stew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich is to blame for Below Deck Mediterranean's lackluster ninth season. Ellie first appeared in season 7 as a midseason replacement. When she returned for Below Deck Mediterranean season 9, she quickly found herself entangled in a love triangle with Deckhand Joe Bradley and Third Stew Bri Muller. Ellie’s presence on the show took on a very negative light, and she emerged as the season’s primary villain.
Below Deck Mediterranean has faced harsh criticism for the current crew’s questionable performances. Several cast members were accused of being producer plants, including Bri and Chef Johnathan Shillingford. Despite the numerous mistakes made by the entire crew and warnings by Captain Sandy Yawn, the original cast remains intact. The lack of staff turnover made Ellie’s drama the central focus of the season.
Ellie Let Her Personal Drama Impact Her Work
Her Performance Suffered From Her Jealousy
During their pursuit of Joe, Bri and Ellie were wrapped up in a feud. The stews initially had a close relationship, with Ellie taking on the role of mentor for the inexperienced Bri. However, after they both hooked up with Joe, they turned against one another, and they allowed their drama to bleed into their work.
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Bri was hurt by Ellie’s betrayal and became distracted, struggling to keep up with her job. But Ellie took her anger to a different level. She became aggressive towards Bri, berating her while on the job. Ellie no longer offered Bri her support, and her negativity brought down both of their performances. The love triangle lost its entertainment value when it threatened both stews’ careers.
Ellie’s Obsession With Hierarchy Created A Toxic Environment
She Let The Role Of Second Stew Get To Her Head
During her attacks on Bri, Ellie repeatedly brought up the hierarchy of their ranks. As a second stew, Ellie felt she was above Bri and had the right to boss her around. She also used their ranks as leverage in their fight over Joe, suggesting Bri was in the wrong for going after a man her “superior” was interested in.
Chief Stew Aesha Scott was disgusted by Ellie’s obsession with the boat’s hierarchy. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Aesha admitted she was unaware of how unprofessional Ellie was acting while they were filming. Watching her behavior on Below Deck Mediterranean, Aesha thought Ellie was out of line for rubbing the alleged hierarchy in Bri’s face. Ellie’s obsession with outranking Bri turned their romantic rivalry into a power struggle, and it became uncomfortable to watch.
Ellie Questioned Chief Stew Aesha’s Decisions
Aesha Called Ellie “Juvenile”
Once she and Bri were no longer fighting, Ellie shifted her anger toward Aesha. Ellie took offense to the late addition of Stew Carrie O’Neill, who joined the crew with only two charters remaining. Ellie felt like Carrie was stepping on her toes, and she started bossing Carrie around and preventing her from following Aesha’s orders.
Ellie treated Aesha’s decision to add Carrie as a personal insult, proving just how self-centered she is.
Ellie's reaction to Carrie made it painfully obvious that she no longer had the crew and guests’ best interests at heart. The superyacht had been down a stew all season, which forced Aesha to work at an unsustainable pace. The crew desperately needed more help. Ellie treated Aesha’s decision to add Carrie as a personal insult, proving just how self-centered she is.
Aesha’s frustration with Ellie grew as the season progressed. Aesha noticed a pattern of Ellie increasingly questioning her decisions and disregarding her orders. In a preview for the upcoming season finale released by Bravo, Aesha is informed that Ellie was complaining about her leadership to the rest of the crew. Aesha commented that it was “juvenile” of Ellie to talk about her behind her back and questioned whether Ellie was ready to move up in her career.
Ellie Is Preoccupied With Her Desire To Become Chief Stew
She’s Lost Focus On Her Current Job
During the second half of the season, Ellie brought up her desire to become a chief stew. She asked Aesha for advice and was told to continue perfecting her current role. Rather than doing so, Ellie looked for ways to put herself above her co-workers. When reprimanded, she childishly blamed her performance on Aesha’s leadership. If Ellie wants to strive for the role of chief stew, she needs to heed Aesha’s advice, not question it.
Ellie’s career seems to be motivated by her quest for power. She used her position to diminish Bri’s role, and now she is challenging Aesha’s leadership. Aesha has little patience for Ellie “overstepping her role” and believes she has “a lot of growing to do” before she is capable of becoming chief stew.
Below Deck Mediterranean is available to stream on Peacock.
Ellie’s presence on Below Deck Mediterranean brought unnecessary negativity to season 9. She had the potential to build strong friendships with her castmates, but instead she chose to use her position to give herself false power. Ellie has shown no growth throughout the season, and she has yet to show any redeeming qualities that counteract her cruel, unprofessional behavior.
Source: Bravo
