Deadliest Catch: The actual episode about the death of Captain Phil Harris is the most popular episode of all time
Deadliest Catch: The actual episode about the death of Captain Phil Harris is the most popular episode of all time
Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” may have 19 seasons and counting under its belt, but some fans believe the show experiences a major turning point in Season 6, which aired in 2010. From the series premiere in 2005, audiences always get to know a bit about the captains and deckhands, but never anything too personal. Largely, it’s all about the dangers of the Bering Sea and filling the pots.
That drastically changes in the last few episodes of Season 6, when F/V Cornelia Marie Captain Phil Harris’ emotional last days are chronicled for the world to see. After suffering a stroke off-camera, Harris awakens from a medically-induced coma. As shown on “Deadliest Catch,” he’s able to spend some time with his sons — Jake and Josh Harris — before passing away on February 9, 2010.
On Reddit, when asked by u/megadeltasniper to name the peak of “Deadliest Catch,” u/bceagle responded, “Phil’s death might have been a turning point. The 2 episodes concerning his death broke ratings records. I think that’s when DC [Discovery Channel] pointed away from fishing and went to the soap opera approach.” U/TruthBomb2112 added, “I don’t disagree. It was riveting but it was also real. That’s what made it great for TV.”
Coverage of death was something previously unseen in reality TV
Phil Harris’ final moments on “Deadliest Catch” were, without a doubt, a significant and memorable event that made an indelible impact on the show’s history. Season 6, Episode 14 (“Redemption Day”) garnered 8.5 million viewers, making it Discovery’s third-highest-watched telecast at the time. Not only did this episode mark a turning point for “Deadliest Catch,” but it also served as a groundbreaking milestone for reality television as a whole.
According to the New York Times, this was the first time a reality TV show incorporated the death of a lead cast member into the story in such a way. Audiences are taken right to Harris’ bedside, where he spends his last hours sharing emotional words with his sons. If Discovery’s coverage of Harris’ demise exploited his pain for ratings, fans probably would’ve turned away from the show. However, filming was conducted in a tasteful manner (his actual death isn’t shown), all at the request of Harris. Cameraman Todd Stanley said, “We always talked about having a beginning, a middle and an end. Without one of those three things, you don’t have a story.”
Following these heart-wrenching scenes, the personal lives of captains and crew members are featured more heavily on “Deadliest Catch,” from Sig Hansen’s heart attack to Jake Anderson’s search for family history in Norway.
It may be difficult for some to think of “Deadliest Catch” as a reality competition show. There’s no traditional game show host livening the mood with jokes. The harsh physical conditions that the crab fishermen must endure atop the Bering Sea are extremely dangerous and often lead to some genuinely terrifying “Deadliest Catch” moments. However, the captains of each featured crew are indeed contestants, locked in a fervent battle with one another over who can obtain the best overall crab haul when they finally make their return to port.
With each fishing vessel attempting to come out on top of the market, tenuous alliances between each “Deadliest Catch” team can turn into fierce rivalries at the drop of a hat. Amid the high stakes and many variables of fishing for profit, it’s only natural that some captains employ a few less savory tactics involving manipulation and mind games. In fact, according to one particular “Deadliest Catch” star, telling lies is one of the best possible things someone can do on the show.
Nice guys (usually) finish last on Deadliest Catch
It’s no secret that working on “Deadliest Catch” is an even tougher job than you might think. Climbing up that totem pole can’t be done without getting one’s hands dirty, in more ways than one. A captain must bend their morals to ensure they have the best chance at victory. That’s why, according to series veteran Sig Hansen, lies are the most useful tool in a fisherman’s tackle box.
“Sometimes it boils down to who can lie the best,” the F/V Northwestern captain said in an interview with Tim Estiloz. “Even though you have your friends and they’re other captains, you’re still going to lie to them. You have to because your fishing secrets are your livelihood.”
Of course, some bouts of trickery doesn’t mean that opposing captains can’t support one another when the occasion calls for it. For example, Season 17 sees Hansen, Jonathan Hillstrand, and the other captains put aside their differences in order to team up and save the local fishery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Hollywood Soapbox, Hillstrand spoke about the camaraderie he feels with his fellow fishermen, even in the heat of competition. “Sig is real competitive and stuff,” the captain said. “I hope everyone does good. He doesn’t believe me when I say this. He goes, ‘Bulls***.’ I go, ‘No, I hope you do good, Sig. I hope I do a little bit better than you, but I hope we all do good.’”
