Below Deck Season 5 has hidden Gary King’s bad behavior for now (do they need an abuse scandal?)

Sailboat below deck Season 5 has taken a diplomatic approach to Gary King’s appearance on the show following sexual assault allegations, but do they ever address his bad behavior on screen? Gary, one of the longtime members of the Parsifal III crew, has been dealing with serious allegations of sexual misconduct since mid-2023. Although he has denied the allegations, his alleged behavior came to light when one of them Below decks franchise makeup artists spoke about her harrowing experiences with First Officer Sailboat below deck season 4, a year earlier.

Gary has been with the show ever since Sailboat below deck season 2. Many felt that his history of troubling behavior towards women throughout his time on the show was far from giving credence to the allegations against him. Although Gary has vehemently denied the interaction, it was something like that Below decks viewers have been struggling for almost a year. When the allegations became public, Sailboat below deck season 5 was already filming, so Bravo struggled with the situation. Instead of removing Gary from the season, they continued filming the show with him.

Wrapped when photographed Sailboat below deck in Season 5, it was not clear if the series would return to Bravo. The network was silent about their plans Sailboat below deck throughout the next year, even beyond Viewers are demanding an answer as to what would happen to the footage of the series featuring Gary. Knowing that he had possibly shown incredibly poor judgement, viewers struggled with whether they would be happy to see Gary in another season. Buzz surrounded the season for over a year until it was announced Sailboat below deck would come back and introduce Gary.

Gary hasn’t caused any drama so far this season

He has mostly been in the background of the drama

Although Sailboat below deck season 5 has so far only shown a few episodes, Gary has yet to be at the center of the series’ drama. While in previous seasons Gary has been the center of drama throughout the season, or at least the starter of the drama himself, he has been more subdued during the first few episodes of the season. Sailboat below deck filming for season 5 began just days after the reunion Sailboat below deck season 4 was filmed, and the reunion was difficult for the cast to get through the thick of the tension.

After the meeting, Gary and Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher had serious tensions between them due to Gary speaking to his friend and fellow yachtsman. Gary and Daisy, who were involved in a love triangle with former chief engineer Colin MacRae in the last season of the series, had some harsh words for each other during the reunion and Daisy was not at all happy with Gary’s behaviour. It was expected that Gary would get caught up in the drama when Daisy yelled at him during the event Sailboat below deck season 5 premiere but he has been much more subdued than expected.

Gary continues to feature heavily throughout the season

He is still presented as an authority figure

While Gary may not cause much drama throughout the season, it’s been interesting to see how Sailboat below deck has used the first officer in various roles. While many have sought to support Gary since the allegations, it has been clear that he is an integral part of the story Sailboat below deck season 5 Gary has appeared in the series often this season in a more professional role as usual. Working with the rest of the outside team, it has been clear that he is an asset to Deckhands.

Although Gary may not have been one Sailboat below deck viewers were interested in seeing, his time on the show has kept the sailboat moving forward. Gary and Daisy’s relationship may come up again in the series in the future, but for now it seems as if she will be appearing in a professional capacity rather than a relationship. It’s possible that Gary’s time on Parsifal III will be edited down to make sure he’s not still controversial.

Season 5 will focus on Daisy more than Gary

The story revolves around Daisy

With Sailboat below deck season 5 takes the focus away from Gary, but instead they put the spotlight on Daisy. Daisy’s time on Parsifal III, which also began during Sailboat below deck season 2, has been difficult all year. Although Daisy entered the series single and excited about the prospect of working on a sailboat as Chief Stew, her relationships changed as the series continued. Having developed a flirtatious relationship with both Gary and Colin over the years, Daisy took things further with Colin in the final season of the series.

The Chief Stew and Chief Engineer were having trouble juggling boating with their work lives, especially with Gary on the sailboat. The love triangle that developed between the three was strange, especially given the friendships they had previously formed, but Colin and Daisy eventually found a real relationship that waned after the season. During Sailboat below deck season 5, it has become clear that the breakup hit with Daisy and the season’s storyline has focused on her picking up the pieces after a serious heartbreak.

Gary’s sexual abuse allegations have not yet been addressed

Allegations of abuse may never be addressed

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Although Gary’s sexual abuse allegations surfaced during filming Sailboat below deck in season 5, they have yet to be mentioned on screen, and it is possible that they will never be mentioned in the series. Although Gary has denied the allegations and has worked hard to make sure he clears his own name, that doesn’t seem likely. Below decks the producers would be interested in opening up the behavior they have not condemned by leaving Gary on the show. Despite the fact that viewers are interested in hearing more about Gary first-hand, the allegations can be brushed under the rug.

With Gary an integral part Sailboat below deck cast members for season 5, it seems likely that keeping her relationships off screen is a move by Bravo. Instead of bringing the accusations back into the spotlight, Gary is likely to be able to move on from the problem without having to answer for any actions he may have taken. The Sailboat below deck the star is cut, but appears in the series despite his possible misbehavior.

Sailboat below deck airs Mondays at 9:00 PM EDT on Bravo.

Source: Below decks/Instagram