Below Deck Down Under season 3 episode 12 recap: Nicolas confesses to Captain Jason while Alesia gets frustrated with Tzarina

Below Deck Down Under season 3, episode 12, titled Across Frenemy Lines, was released on Bravo on April 21, 2025. It continued from the previous episode, which saw Nicolas Cattelan unknowingly drink while on duty.

While Nicholas was scared that he might get fired, he came clean and confessed to Captain Jason Chambers. However, the Captain was impressed by the new deckhand's integrity and forgave him without any punishment.

The feud between the head chef, Tzarina Mace Ralph, and Chief Stew Lara Rigby continued in the episode, and following a confrontation, Tzarina said that she had had enough of the drama.

The episode's official synopsis reads:

"A deckhand is forced to own up to their mistake. Jason pushes Lara out of her managerial comfort zone. Tzarina struggles to find resolve with Lara. Alesia gets frustrated with Tzarina. The crew goes out and a new love connection is formed while a friendship starts to fall apart."

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What happened on Below Deck Down Under season 3 episode 12?

In the previous episode, Nicolas was helping Bri with the charter guest, when a guest offered him a drink. He accepted the drink and unknowingly consumed alcohol on duty. While he immediately realized his mistake, he was worried that he might lose his job over it.

At the start of Below Deck Down Under season 3 episode 12, Nicolas decided to come clean about his actions and chose honesty over evasion. Despite his worry over being fired, he confessed to Captain Jason and even made a Pirates of the Caribbean reference to ease the situation.

Surprisingly, the Below Deck Down Under captain was proud of Nicolas's integrity, rather than feel disappointed about the situation. With that, Nicolas was released and established himself as a likable and trustworthy team member.

Later in the episode, Nicolas revealed that he had a crush on Marina and believed she shared the same feelings for him. Marina, meanwhile, heard about Nicholas' situation from Adair and was charmed by his honesty. The two got close and by the end of the episode, they even shared a kiss.

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Alesia gets frustrated with Tzarina

After continuing to question Lara's leadership style, Captain Jason pushed her to give Marina a chance to handle all the charter guest service during a stormy day. While Lara was hesitant about it, she complied and was surprised to see Marina handling the service smoothly.

Lara asked Tzarina to attend the picnic lunch, even though she was reluctant as she had dinner prep duties awaiting her back on the yacht.

After feeling that she wasted her time on the picnic lunch, a frustrated Tzarina retired to the galley. When Tzarina's Below Deck Down Under sous chef, Alesia, offered to help, she was met by silence.

Later, Alesia vented her frustration about the situation to Bri and Lara, when she was caught mid-conversation by Tzarina. The latter confronted Alesia about it, leading to a heartfelt conversation where the two agreed to communicate better going forward.

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Lara confronts Tzarina

Despite Captain Jason’s critiques, Lara refused to take responsibility for her role in the growing tension. She even criticized Tzarina for downplaying the emotional toll that comes with working under pressure.

Later, Lara confronted the Below Deck Down Under head chef, when Tzarina said that she always had to suffer when she tried to avoid conflict with Lara. In the end, she stated that she was done with their whole drama, suggesting her patience was nearing its boiling point.

At the end of the Below Deck Down Under season 3 episode, the crew ended their charter and were a bit disappointed to receive a $15k tip.

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Below Deck Down Under season 3 episodes air every Monday on Bravo and are available to stream the next day on Peacock.