Chief Stew Lara Rigby was set up as the villain inBelow Deck Down Underseason 3, and while I empathized with her at first, I think the edit was spot on.Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph is being unfairly framedas a villain when she’s done nothing wrong.Below Deck Down Underseason 3has been a rollercoaster ride from the start, with Captain Jason Chambers now being forced to fire three crew members onboard due to a myriad of mistakes.
Now, Lara’s trying to turn Chef Tzarina’s new Sous Chef, Alesia Harris, against her. Alesia and Chef Tzarina worked swimmingly together at the beginning of her first charter, but now that Bosun Wihan Du Toit is gone, Lara needs a new victim for her villainous whims. It’s almost laughable that Lara is willing to launch an entire feud over blue plates, but that’s just who she is. I don’t think Chef Tzarina is in the right, butLara’s villain edit is deserved.
Lara Is Setting Tzarina Up To Fail
She’s Never Satisfied And Tries To Control Everyone
Lara has been a bully to Chef Tzarina all season. Both women have very different leadership styles, and it’s becoming increasingly clear Lara’s controlling behavior has put Chef Tzarina in a position where success feels nearly impossible. She literally had to beg for Lara to leave Alesia alone in the last episode.
Lara’s gone as far as dictating menu presentations for themed nights, a move that irked Chef Tzarina. Instead of collaborating,Lara’s tendency to bypass Chef Tzarina and make executive decisions has felt like a territorial battle more than a team effort. I was shocked when Lara gifted a new lipstick to deckhand Alesia because it was so obviously a calculated move to win her loyalty. To add to that, in Lara’s confessional interviews, she cruelly compares Tzarina to Weird Barbie, and it becomes clear Lara hasn’t been rooting for her colleague’s success.
Lara Won’t Let Marina On Service
Captain Jason Has Asked Her Multiple Times
Lara finally, begrudgingly, let Marina Marcondes de Barros into service after Captain Jason asked her to do so multiple times. Marina has been nothing but a hardworking, eager, and talented Stew all season, but Lara likes to keep things consistent and rigid. She makes snarky comments in her confessional aimed at Captain Jason, and it’s clear thatLara expects Marina to fail. Like most villains, Lara considers herself to be the good guy in every situation.
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Chef Tzarina has given Alesia more responsibility as she rises to the occasion onboard the Katina, which is indicative of a nurturing and positive boss. Lara, on the other hand, seems to view Marina, Adair Werley, and Brianna Duffield as her minions. She’s definitely in charge, but a shift in attitude would make for a more collaborative interior team.
Chef Tzarina Is Getting A Villain Edit, But It’s Actually Lara
Chef Tzarina Is Just Sticking Up For Herself
Chef Tzarina has been getting a villain editthat makes her look unhinged, overly emotional, and chaotic. However, I think it’s obvious the villain is Lara. She bulldozes everyone in her path to get her way. Lara doesn’t like listening to Captain Jason, yet talks about order and hierarchy aboard a motor yacht. She’s catty and mean when she doesn’t get her way, and didn’t even offer Chef Tzarina a proper apology. I’ve changed my mind; Lara is the bad guy onBelow Deck Down Underseason 3.
Below Deck Down Underairs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.
