There's One Surefire Way To Get Kicked Off Deadliest Catch
One of the most important things that is emphasized time and time again throughout Discovery's crab-fishing reality series "Deadliest Catch" is the importance of having a crew you can depend on. Due to the high risk of death and injury that comes with commercial fishing, each crew member on board must be dependable and skilled — otherwise, any episode of the series could end in tragedy.
The series' emphasis on reliable and competent deckhands is the main reason for the brutal treatment of Greenhorns (novice fishermen who have only recently joined the profession), as veteran deckhands constantly try to push their new recruits to the limit in order to find out how they'll fair in the harrowing conditions of the open ocean. Because their inexperience can put the lives of other crew members in jeopardy, a Greenhorn who fails to live up to the captain's standards will often receive a swift dismissal from service once the ship returns to port. In addition, there is also another surefire way to get yourself fired from one of the many boats we follow in "Deadliest Catch" — one which might even surprise some longtime fans of the series.
Refusing to appear on camera will get you fired from Deadliest Catch
During an interview with Headliner Chicago, "Deadliest Catch" star Captain "Wild" Bill Wichrowski explained that the one surefire way to find yourself removed from the boat is refusing to get in front of the camera. "There's other guys that don't want anything to do with the camera. And honestly, we're kind of a joint-operation boat. You have to be active with the camera and be a good fisherman." Wild Bill said. "You can't just go, 'Oh, I don't want to do this,' or we'll just replace ya. That's the way it goes."
Although it certainly makes sense that the ships featured on "Deadliest Catch" would want to hire fishermen who actively participate in the long-running reality series that helps to drive their business, it is still quite shocking to realize that the captains are willing to replace people simply because they don't like being on camera. Considering that the series constantly reiterates how important it is to find reliable, talented crew members to keep everyone safe, the fact that some deckhands could be fired regardless of their skill seems completely absurd.
Wild Bill's comments make it abundantly clear that engaging with the cameras is an essential part of being a deckhand on "Deadliest Catch" — adding yet another requirement to an already extremely demanding profession and making it certain that the one surefire way to get removed from the series is to avoid the cameras.