Deadliest Catch (2005–…): Season 13, Episode 2 - Seismic Shift - full transcript
- Andy: Me and my brother.
- Have been fishing together.
For nearly four decades now.
My dad had us out on boats
when we were 6 years old,
and he was 7.
Man: Yeah! [ Chuckles ]
- Andy: When we first got the.
- Time bandit...
- [ Chuckles ]
- [ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Nobody thought.
- We could do this...
[ Cheering ]
But we never looked back.
- -[ Laughter ]
- Yeah.
**
Andy: John's the kind of guy...
That ain't bad.
Works hard, plays hard.
Get a life ring!
- Get a life ring.
- And get on the bow!
My legs are shaking.
John has survived
through it all.
John: Get down!
- I think one of.
- The biggest questions.
You always ask yourself is,
"when is enough enough?"
When am I taking chances
"I shouldn't be taking?"
And my dad kind of always
just told me,
"you'll know when it's time
to hang it up."
No regrets.
* I'm wanted *
* wanted * - whoa! Oh!
* dead or Ali-i-i-i-i-i-ve *
whoo! Baby!
Untz! Untz! Untz!
Yeah!
[ Laughs ]
Captions by vitac...
captions paid for by
discovery communications
narrator: Just days
into king crab season...
Keith: You can't predict
the unpredictable.
The entire rule book just needs
to get thrown out the window.
Narrator: Exceptionally high
water temperatures have
pushed the crab out
of their normal grounds.
- This is the deepest.
- I've ever started...
No question about it.
- Narrator: Captains race out.
- To the deeper, colder water.
In search of their missing prey.
[ Talking indistinctly ]
- Bill:
- Everybody in town was saying,
"The water temp...
The water temp..."
So I'm spreading them out
in an area
- a little bit deeper.
- And a little bit further west.
Than I normally would.
Narrator: Some veteran captains,
who came up empty
on their old grounds,
are now following
the fleet west.
Bill: I'm just keeping
an open head.
Am I setting on the crab?
Not a clue.
Narrator: While those who were
first to the deep water...
Struck it rich
right out of the gate.
Oh, yeah!
- Sig: You can't always.
- Go into a season.
With the same strategy.
You can't be afraid
to switch it up a little bit.
And you got to get
the lay of the land.
It's always changing.
- [Beeps]
- [Feedback]
Oh, boy.
Oh, yeah! [Bleep] Wonderful.
Right now,
we've got weather coming in,
30, 35...
Gusts as high as 50,
scattered rain.
Ugh!
- Narrator: Now with.
- The first storm of the season.
Bearing down on the fleet...
- Sig: We've got a heck of a job.
- Ahead of us,
So right now, time is kind of
of the essence for us.
Narrator: It's go-time on
the Alaskan king crab grounds.
Slider her up in there!
Narrator:
Back in Dutch harbor...
Aah!
God bless America!
Johnathan: Gonna be late
for the first time...
Be late for a crab season.
- Narrator:
- Captain Johnathan hillstrand's
113-foottime bandit
is still tied to the dock.
I'm going to get out there.
Johnathan: You know, there'll be
a million pounds off the grounds
- and another million pounds.
- In everyone's pots.
- Everyone will be zeroed in.
- On the crab,
And then, we're gonna have
to pick up the crumbs.
I can't cry about it now,
but ship guard really
took its toll on us.
Narrator: Expensive delays
at the shipyard...
Welcome to our nightmare.
Have postponed.
Johnathan's arrival to Dutch.
Johnathan: But, anyway...
This is probably my last season.
I keep threatening.
I'm about ready to be
a non-crabber.
[ Inhales deeply ]
Narrator: After 37 years
battling the Bering sea...
Captain Johnathan
is going one more round
before throwing in the towel.
If I'm retiring,
I want to go out, like, big.
I just don't want to
just go right with the fleet
and just get a fleet average
and finish,
la da da da da.
- If it is my last season,
- I want to go out...
Ba-boom!
Brother, you here? Ouch!
It went for you.
I had it up to here,
dude.
- I got here.
- As fast as I could get here.
And I just broke - my kneecap.
Narrator: In his corner
to help ease his brother
through a final trip...
- I got my brother back.
- [ Chuckles ]
- Why don't you...
- Band back together!
- Want to do the honors.
- And pull us away from the dock?
- And then I'll take it.
- When you get...
I've never rode
this slick black Cadillac.
Captain Andy hillstrand.
Are they - cutting us loose?
- Cut her loose, boys!
- We're going fishing.
Yeah!
Yeah, baby!
Here we go!
We got some horsepower.
- Narrator:
- With captain Andy on board...
Yeah, glad to be back!
- Finally,
- we get to go fishing!
The hillstrand brothers
steam out together
for the last time.
I needed you!
You came back
when I needed you the most!
- Come back here.
- And help my brother out,
Give him all the help
he could get.
**
175 miles northeast
of Dutch harbor...
on the 125-foot
Northwestern...
Sig: Whoa-ho,
look at this one.
Look at this crab.
That's exciting.
Yeah.
Oh, holy...
It's crab!
Oh, yeah.
Oh, my god!
- Narrator: Energized.
- By big numbers.
For the last 30 hours...
[ Laughing ] Oh, my god!
- Narrator:
- captain sig and his crew...
Oh, my gosh!
Narrator: Are reveling
in some heart-pounding fishing.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
[ Laughing ]
It's... [ Chuckles ]
Narrator: Maybe not a great idea
for a guy eight months removed
from a heart attack.
Seven-zero, 70!
Sig: Oh, yeah!
I mean, I was almost
not gonna be up here.
Doctor first advised not to go.
I'm not here to hurt anybody,
and I'm not here to...
To push it.
But bottom line is,
if it's something that's fun,
that you like to do,
I don't see that as a negative.
And, you know, no stress.
That's the motto for me
this year.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Hopefully,
- we can get most of this on.
Before the weather blows,
and then see what happens.
[ Laughter ]
Oh, yeah!
[ Talking indistinctly ]
- Narrator:
- Despite an oncoming storm.
And his faulty heart...
Sig: We need to
just turn and burn,
load it.
Soon as you get her loaded,
shoop.
Narrator: The veteran captain
doubles down.
Sig: We're on great fishing,
and I'm not stopping.
Man:106!
106?
That is so nice, man.
Unreal.
Narrator: 10 hours later...
and after nearly two days
of continuous fishing...
Sig: Guys have been going
around the clock here.
- All of a sudden,
- you start seeing hundreds.
In your last string,
- and I think that's.
- A shot in the arm.
Narrator: Big numbers
keep flowing in
to the Northwestern's tanks.
Yeah!
Woo!
- Producer: Sig?
- [ Gasps ]
[ Coughs ]
Narrator: The grind is starting
to catch up with sig...
Right here.
Watch the rail.
- Narrator:
- causing him to miss a pot.
Nick: - Everybody's tired.
Taking a few-hour nap.
He hasn't been in bed.
[ Thud ]
Oh, my god.
Sig: It's right there!
Behind you!
Yeah, - this was an accident.
Sorry, I'm nodding off,
so I'm not paying attention
to [Bleep].
Yeah, it's gone. Nevermind.
Narrator: Still fading,
sig drove over the bag
severing the line
with the propeller...
Pretty sure we got it
in the wheel.
She's a goner.
Narrator:
and the crab inside it
Losing the $1,000 pot
to the Bering sea.
Sig: Haven't had
one in the wheel in years.
He doesn't need
to stress on this.
- You don't stay up for 40 hours.
- If you don't have to.
- You know,
- it's not something you do.
- After you just had.
- A heart attack.
Edgar: Hey!
You all right?
You ready to tap out or...
[Beep]
Edgar: Weather's coming in.
Yeah, waves are picking up.
He's got to bail.
- It's not ego.
- It's not even pride.
It's just stubborn.
Stubborn is all he knows.
Looks like a bunch of hedges
on this side to me.
- Feel like I could.
- Go down the street,
An apartment over here,
but it's all dark
with big hedges
in front of it.
I'm not going to say anything
about the power
- not coming on.
- To the weather guy.
Said the weather guy is
next door to the power guy.
[ Mumbling ]
- I could tell the power guy.
- Just got in,
But my wife wants him.
- [ Yawning ]
- Which is none of his business.
**
It's none of his business.
**
Narrator: On thenorthwestern...
I'm not going to say anything
about the power
- not coming on.
- To the weather guy.
Narrator:
Grinding for over 40 hours...
- Sig: Said the weather guy.
- Is next door to the power guy...
[ Mumbling ]
Narrator: Captain sig Hansen
is staying awake...
but losing his mind.
Well, I'm going to wait around
for a few more minutes,
- see if we can get a bag.
- In the block here.
If we don't...
Something's gonna change
real quick.
I bet you the whole clear
has a bad something
from somebody somewhere
that's coming on.
They're still working
down there.
My timing slowed down here.
I started nipping off,
not good
find it.
Find it, find it,
find it, find it.
Come on.
He's not fine.
Hey.
You all right?
- You know you don't have.
- To haul these pots.
All right.
Sig: Yeah.
[ Cellphone ringing ]
[ Cellphone beeps ]
Hello?
Hey!
We're fishing here.
Doing good.
Just tired.
Yeah, I know.
Just tired.
[ Chuckles ]
I honestly don't know.
I don't know.
I've been... I don't know.
Been a long time.
- I mean,
- there's pots with hundreds.
There's pots with 80s.
It's so fun.
I will.
I promise.
I've got to go.
Okay, love you, too.
[ Chuckles ]
Did you call June,
Edgar?
She's the only one
you're going to listen to.
That's what I thought.
Okay. Okay!
- Well, button her up.
- So we can start going to sleep.
- Thank you, guys.
- Very nicely done.
Very nicely done!
That was awesome.
Everybody's freaking out.
And I don't understand why.
I know I made a promise.
I know I'm supposed to,
you know, stop.
I get it.
This is something
I got to do for me.
It's just something...
You can't just take it away.
**
Narrator: 50 miles southeast...
[ Bell rings ]
Andy: Hey, John!
John: Yeah, I'm up!
On the 113-foot
time bandit...
I'm trying to stay away
from the fleet.
- I don't care.
- If it's right or wrong.
I refuse to fish in the middle
of a bunch of boats.
[ Growls ]
- Narrator:
- in what he hopes will be.
An easy retirement tour,
captain Johnathan hillstrand
and his brother, Andy,
begin their hunt
in the familiar eastern grounds.
Since I'm this late,
the only thing I can hope is,
there's something out here where
we used to fish 13 years ago.
Narrator: Looking
to make up for lost time,
Johnathan is prospecting away
from the fleet,
on shallow grounds,
where he's had success before.
We're going
to set 24 miles?
About five or six pots
just so we know
if there's a biomass here.
If we find the females,
then we need to go
a little bit further west.
- And if there's nothing here,
- we need to go east.
They talk about climate change,
about warmer waters,
- so the crab maybe will go.
- Towards colder water.
[Bleep] Climate change!
They're on the bottom,
- and they can't get on.
- An airplane.
- And move to nome,
- where it's colder.
They're stuck here,
and there's a lot of them.
- I don't want to see.
- No lights.
I want to sail into
the black abyss, brother.
**
Guess we'll go southwest 50,
gusts of 70.
We'll see what happens,
you know?
Let's haul ass.
All right, guys.
First pot of the season.
Man: First pot of the season
going over!
Going over!
God bless America!
Yeah, baby! Bow!
- All righty.
- -right on. Right on. Right on.
The games begin.
Welcome back to crazy town.
- I forgot how crazy.
- It was out here.
- Thanks for coming out.
- I needed you.
- Narrator: With their first.
- Pots of the season.
Finally going into the water...
[Beeping]
Time bandit.
Hello, time bandit.
Wizard... Mr. Keith colburn.
Narrator: John and Andy
are reminded of an item
still on their to-do list.
How you doing, - Johnathan?
Hey, buddy.
I'm finally out here.
I'm setting.
I do have your king coiler
on board.
The time bandit was responsible
for transporting
the wizard's coiler
and sorting table
from Seattle to Dutch.
- I'm sure you're going.
- To be wanting that,
- But there's no way.
- I can transfer.
That big sorting table.
It's way too huge
to transfer at sea.
No.
- But delays in the shipyard.
- Prevented them.
From making
the delivery at dock.
Now they're gonna
have to do it
- the old-fashioned way...
- At sea.
My guys, the happiest sight
they're going to see this year,
- other than.
- A full pot of crab,
- Is going to be.
- Your boat near us.
Well, let me get this,
and I'll call you
in three hours.
And then, we'll pick out
a spot to meet up.
Okay.
Thanks, Johnathan. Okay.
So it's going to be 15 miles
out of our way for Keith.
So it hurts a little bit.
I'm not going to lie.
As the tides turn,
as the blocks turn,
as the prop turns,
- so are the days.
- Of your life.
[ Chuckles ]
Bitch.
Narrator: 190 miles northeast
from Dutch harbor,
on thetime bandit...
- Andy: Oh!
- There's thewizard!
[Beeping]
Time bandit.
Time bandit, wizard.
- Hello, John.
- Hey, buddy.
I got your coiler
and everything wrapped up
and ready to hand
over to you.
- Narrator:
- After setting their pots.
On the shallow
eastern grounds...
We're gonna call this
operation: Midnight rendezvous.
The hillstrand brothers
have had to make
a 30-mile detour
to complete
a Bering sea transfer.
Awesome.
But before handing
over the goods...
He's gonna be - a driving by.
We want to see some dancing
going on deck.
Johnathan extracts
one final payment
from thewizardcrew.
Colburn: Dancing?
Who said anything about dancing?
Oh, yeah.
We want to see some dancing.
I want to see how bad
they want a coiler.
- How bad do you want.
- This thing?
Standing by?
- All right, guys,
- hey, Johnathan's not.
Giving up the coiler
until we dance.
So you guys got to
get out there and dance, okay?
- I don't know what that means,
- just do something.
Woo-hoo!
We got one guy dancing,
but I only see one guy.
It's not looking like
they really want this coiler.
- Yeah, I don't think.
- They want it.
[ Chuckles ]
That's not a [Bleep] dance.
Come on, he says dance,
- like you got a gun.
- To your head.
There you go.
- See, now we're talking.
- [ Chuckles ]
[ Cheering ]
Yeah, shake it!
Shake it! Shake it!
Shake it!
Come on, bitches!
- That's dancing.
- That's what we're talking about.
[Bleep] Yeah.
Coiler back, baby!
Yeah, baby!
[ Laughing ]
[ Chuckles ]
- They're holding up signs.
- Over here.
[ Cheering ]
Shake it!
What the [Bleep]?
Thank you for that.
That [Bleep] haven't
smiled in days, dude.
Narrator: As one curtain falls
on the show...
- We're gonna go pick up.
- Our favorite.
- Full-share deck hand.
- Right now.
Another rises
on the $15,000 prize.
- Man: Looks like.
- They painted it pink.
Oh, no way.
You guys painted it pink?
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckling ] "Just so happened"
to have some pink paint."
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckling ] Oh!
I do.
It wasn't me.
**
Okay, getting it off.
It's a little nastier out here
than I thought.
Yeah, get it over the side
so we can get it in the water.
Now with the weather picking up
be careful with that.
- Be very careful so it doesn't.
- Hit the side of the boat.
The crews turn
their attention
to the serious business
of transferring
a 400-pound coiler
in building seas.
Oh, oh, oh!
- Got it!
- Got it?
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
It's in their hands now.
Yeah.
Narrator: The coiler,
kept afloat by three buoys
attached to a wooden palette,
is released to drift
towards thewizard.
- Okay, I got to try.
- And get around on this guys.
Whatever it takes,
try and hook it for me, okay?
Keith eases thewizard
into a position
that allows the crew
to hook the buoy.
- Excuse me.
- Excuse me.
Get it out there.
You got it.
All right.
We got a hold of it.
- Oh, man, it's rough out.
- Oh, my god.
Go easy!
So pull it up easy
and let it...
Get away from the boat, Gary!
- Oh, it's full of buoys. Okay.
- Oh, my god.
Come on, guys.
Oh, man.
I hope it doesn't break
against the side of his boat.
Monte: - Wire that thing up.
Andy: They should
hold on to the coiler
and take car of that.
Gary: Okay.
It's coming over. Clear out.
They got it.
You got her, baby.
Looking pretty good,
all the same, I got to say.
Oh, - it looks amazing.
- Narrator: With the package.
- Safely on board...
We officially have
the ugliest coiler
in the Bering sea.
Hi, where have you been
my whole season?
- Monte: Okay!
- Let's get it hooked up.
And get back to making
some money, guys.
Narrator:
The two friendly rivals
- can get back.
- To filling their tanks.
Thank you.
Thank you and thank the guys.
It was good to see you.
I haven't smiled
in a long time, my friend.
- Okay,
- thanks for the dancing.
Don't worry, man.
It's a long season.
- You're going to catch up.
- You'll be fine.
[ Sighs ]
Roadrunner,
wile e. Coyote out.
Beep, beep!
[ Seagulls calling ]
26 miles northeast,
in the teeth of the Gale...
on thesummer bay...
God dang, you know,
it is a lousy-ass night tonight.
- Narrator: Facing.
- The first storm of the season,
For the first year
at the helm of his new boat...
- Bill: It's a little different.
- Driving this thing.
It's longer, skinnier,
takes longer to turn.
So I'm not 100% on the boat.
Captain wild bill wichrowski
cautiously guides thesummer bay
towards the first string
of a new set.
Bill: We got 78, 79 pots
that we have to get.
You know, I'm a boat owner now.
- I've put a lot of money.
- Into this thing.
To get it where it is.
I really need this to pay off.
Let's go.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Hopefully, we run into some
big healthy king crab.
The first set was a total bust.
Narrator:
with his first set
Wild bill came up empty
by staying in the more shallow
eastern grounds.
One of the [Bleep] sets
I've ever had.
So I'm fishing a little deeper.
- Hopefully,
- the water's a little cooler.
Narrator: This time,
he set his pots further apart
and at greater depths.
Here we go!
Let's see what we got!
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- First pot...
- Let's see what we got.
- Zach: [ Sing-song ]
- I want some king crab!
Something, not overwhelming.
Hopefully, they're keepers.
[ Shouting ]
King crab!
**
Get another look,
- see what the hell.
- We end up with here.
Narrator: His appetite wetted
by his first few pots,
bill sets back.
Bill: I'll make it on 20s.
- We'll take what we can get.
- Right now.
- There's a lot happening...
- New boat, new weather,
Big weather, big tides.
**
[ cheering ]
- You guys know.
- The Bering sea is miserable,
But we got lots of crab!
Narrator: For now,
the colder, deeper water
is paying of.
Getting up there.
- Water's pretty [Bleep] out here.
- Right now,
- But we're finally getting crab.
- On the boat,
So it is what it is.
[ Cheering ]
Narrator: But on the Bering sea,
nothing comes easy.
Bill: Watch the rail.
- Watch it, watch it, watch it!
- Move now!
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Sorry, I didn't see that one
coming at all.
Hunter, are you okay?
This storm is kicking our ass.
Everybody's got
to be way careful.
Everything is a lot harder.
That's what makes this job
so dangerous,
weather like this.
[ Bleep ]
[Beep]
Whoa! Look out!
Watch the rail!
Watch the rail!
Hunter:
Hey, heads up! Heads up!
Holy [Bleep].
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Nick: Everybody okay?
I hope Tim's all right.
- Producer:
- Did you get hit by that wave?
Yeah, it [Bleep] hurt.
Narrator: A 25-foot rogue wave
rolled the boat,
taking down engineer Tim bowles.
Dang.
- I was looking out.
- In the distance on that one.
I didn't really see
that one coming.
I mean, - I'm doing what I can.
To keep an eye out
for these things,
it is a new boat for everybody.
**
I mean,
- I think we're risking it.
- A little bit.
Narrator: Unfamiliar
with his new boat in big weather
- everybody's fatigued,
- myself included.
- So I think we're gonna go ahead.
- And secure the deck.
And take a little break.
Narrator:
Wild bill shuts down.
We've run some crab aboard.
I mean, I'll be honest.
I was hoping for
about 30, 40% more than we saw.
[ Water rushing ]
Not the way you want to start.
And thanks, and sorry
for the water on deck.
It's...
It's a new boat.
Narrator: Thenorthwesterncrew
gets some well-deserved rest
on their piles of crab
while the Bering sea
does its best
- to keep the rest of the pack.
- From catching up.
[ Wind howling ]
Narrator: 190 miles northeast
of Dutch harbor...
- Johnathan: Rolling.
- Like a son of a bitch, Andy!
- Where the hell's this wind.
- Coming from?
Gonna be a bad one here,
I think.
Big wave.
Big wave.
On thetime bandit...
- The weather is not cooperating.
- Right now.
Delayed in the shipyard
and now by the first storm
of the season...
Johnathan: We're late, you know?
We're off to a very late start.
Not happy about that.
Captains Johnathan
and Andy hillstrand
beat their way
toward their first pot.
- Johnathan: You don't see.
- No one around us,
So if we do find
something out here,
these will be ours.
First pot of the season.
Stand by.
Pow!
Everyone be careful, guys.
This wind's been coming up.
- Throw in,
- let's see what we got here.
Eddie: Yeah!
- Freddy: First one of the season,
- brother!
Let's do this!
Let's do it, baby!
- Aw!
- Almost.
Narrator: Prospecting in an area
that paid off for them
in the past...
Andy: We got a lot
of money to make up,
so if these pots
don't have something in them,
we're not looking too good.
Narrator: The brothers are
banking that the crab
- are nestled.
- In their old honey hole.
Let's go!
Get them! Get them!
**
We got a pot coming up,
and Freddy's clapping.
- -[ Laughter ]
- -[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Yeah, baby!
- Yeah!
- Andy, we got crab!
- Oh, yeah!
- Oh, yeah!
- We got crab legs!
- Oh, yeah!
- Got crab legs!
[ Cheering ]
- That's a good sign there,
- my friends!
- That's a real good sign,
- Johnny.
- Oh, my lord.
- Oh, my lordy lordy lord.
That's a real good sign.
Thank you!
That's a good pot.
- Those are big.
- Look how big they are.
- Those are big boys, too.
- Those are big boys.
Wow!
- That's probably a crab an hour.
- Right there, baby.
Thirty?
- Yeah!
- Three-zero.
[ Cheering ]
[ Chuckles ]
All right, - I like that.
- Thirty crab.
- That works.
- All of a sudden,
- we got 30 crab on board, Andy.
- Yeah, way out.
- In the middle of nowhere, too.
Okay.
So, I'm hoping, brother,
this next pot's got 60.
I want to at least see 50s
or 60s before I set.
- Narrator:
- Encouraged by signs of life,
The veteran captain counts
on the next few prospect pots
to confirm his strategy.
[ Shouting - indistinctly ]
Johnathan:
Oh, are you kidding me?
No one ever said
it was going to be easy.
So, hopefully, it'll work out
to where the next one's better.
[ Grunts ]
Please, god.
- Oh, man!
- Come on, baby.
It's coming up
pretty fast.
Please, god.
- After all the troubles.
- We've been through.
And after all the delays,
we could use a break,
couldn't we?
Freddy: Oh, baby. Oh, baby.
Come on, baby.
Come on, baby!
There's a couple - in there.
There's some females.
What are those little crab
doing way out here?
This is all rubbish.
One crab!
One... zero-one.
2016 king crab.
It's coming real slow.
Guess we're
gonna start stacking.
Narrator: As his pots
continue to fizzle out...
Get in there, girls.
Go make more babies!
Narrator:
The storm continues to grow.
Look at this [Bleep].
[ Water rushing ]
- I'm getting this done.
- Tonight.
Oh, we got a big one coming,
John, big one coming!
Watch out.
Narrator: In a race
with the building seas,
captain and crew hustle
to get their pots on board.
Nothing's going to be easy
about this string.
- Guess nothing's easy.
- About this season.
Or this year so far.
And it's a blizzard...
Snowing.
Snowing and blowing.
Woo!
Yeah, baby.
It's pulling hard.
Look at this big white wall.
Watch out.
Hang on. Hang on.
Huzzah!
Hang on, hang on.
Thank you.
Okay. [Bleep] Me.
[Bleep] Say, "hang on,"
they think I'm joking around?
Holy [Bleep].
Eddie: He never says it
unless there's a big one.
Yeah.
[ Talking indistinctly ]
I just don't want
no one to get hurt.
- Andy: Now you got a pot.
- Coming over.
No need - to be getting hurt.
- Now, look at the size.
- Of that wave.
Holy...
- Yeah,
- I don't know about this.
I'm very confused right now,
and the sea is confusing.
I'm tired as hell.
I'm about ready
to throw in the white flag.
But I can do this.
We can do this thing.
This is what we signed up for.
It's what we're going to do.
[ Grunts ]
Watch out, Freddy!
Freddy: Ohhh!
Sig: Stress was a big factor
in my predicament last year,
with a heart attack.
Trying to take it
a lot more easy
and trying to prioritize things
differently.
There's still that
unknown factor, but...
- You know,
- and I think I dodged a bullet.
So I got to believe that
I'm meant to do this.
I still got a few more years
left in me.
[ Water rushing ]
Narrator: On thetime bandit...
I'm very confused right now,
and the sea's confusing.
I'm tired as hell.
- I'm about ready.
- To throw in the white flag.
But I can do this.
We can do this thing.
This is what
we signed up for.
- This is what.
- We're going to do.
- -[ Grunts ]
- Watch out, Freddy!
Freddy: Ohhhh!
Johnathan: Hang on.
What the [Bleep]
Is that [Bleep]?
- Where the [Bleep]
- Did that come from?
You guys okay?
[ Bleep]
- Oh, yeah.
- We got a man down.
You guys okay?
All good.
- You okay?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- Yeah. All good.
- Producer:
- We're good. Everybody's good.
[Bleep], man!
That was barely moving.
- Let me see how many.
- Fingers you got.
All 10?
All 10 fingers.
- Yay!
- One, two, three, four,
- Five...
- All 10 fingers!
Narrator: A 35-foot rogue wave
slammed into the bow,
taking the captain and crew
by surprise.
- I don't know where the [Bleep]
- That wave came from,
But it was doing,
like, 30 knots.
It was like getting hit
by a [Bleep] train.
It had to have been
a pretty big wave.
There's some big ones out here.
Definitely got to be careful.
Johnathan: We don't need
that [Bleep] happening to us.
That was [Bleep] up.
That was [Bleep] up.
Narrator: With conditions
going from bad to worse...
Hey, Freddy,
- we're just going to put this one.
- In the launcher.
Leave this one in the launcher.
- Narrator:
- Johnathan shuts down.
And waits
for the weather to break.
So let's take care
of the crab,
batter down, and come on in.
And get a well [Bleep].
I'm not going
to hurt nobody, dude.
You can't tell
where they're coming from.
There's a random rogue wave,
it could take all of us out.
So if he says
it's too rough out,
it's too rough out.
- This is just getting ridiculous,
- brother.
Narrator: Johnathan hoped
for an easy last season
before calling it quits.
[Bleep], man.
It's just disappointing.
**
The Bering sea may have
other plans.
Alls I know is we spent about
$350,000 in the shipyard...
That sucks.
- And we need to be.
- Making money back right now.
Sucks!
* I'm a better man *
* than my father used to be *
* learned to live this life *
* without dependency *
* but days like this *
* the world falls
on my shoulders *
nothing's getting
easier...
Twenty-five years
of this boat.
This season's been
really tough.
I'm trying to get everything
to go together.
I've just been doing this
for too long, I think.
I've already chased
the [Bleep] crab
for 37 [Bleep] Years.
**
* can you feel it rumble *
* got to see it tumble *
big pink!
* down *
you know what?
We got a [Bleep] up ride here.
Keep the guys safe first.
- The crab pots will.
- Keep coming on board.
As long as they're fine.
* make it burn and crumble *
* gonna bury the rain down *
bill: I want to get the crab.
I'm not one to say
I don't want to do it,
but I want to keep these guys
from getting banged up.
I'm still learning this boat,
and I hadn't had that much time
dodging the big ones
on this thing.
* I'll be standing tall *
* open arms *
* till this storm flies over *
Edgar: It's better to be
safe than sorry.
After having a heart attack,
you don't play around with it.
Your lifestyle...
Needs to be changed.
Your stress level needs
to be changed
* you can feel it rumble *
* don't you see it
tumbling down *
why am I out here?
Getting one more time
with my brothers.
I want to go out big!
[ Seagulls calling ]
- Have been fishing together.
For nearly four decades now.
My dad had us out on boats
when we were 6 years old,
and he was 7.
Man: Yeah! [ Chuckles ]
- Andy: When we first got the.
- Time bandit...
- [ Chuckles ]
- [ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Nobody thought.
- We could do this...
[ Cheering ]
But we never looked back.
- -[ Laughter ]
- Yeah.
**
Andy: John's the kind of guy...
That ain't bad.
Works hard, plays hard.
Get a life ring!
- Get a life ring.
- And get on the bow!
My legs are shaking.
John has survived
through it all.
John: Get down!
- I think one of.
- The biggest questions.
You always ask yourself is,
"when is enough enough?"
When am I taking chances
"I shouldn't be taking?"
And my dad kind of always
just told me,
"you'll know when it's time
to hang it up."
No regrets.
* I'm wanted *
* wanted * - whoa! Oh!
* dead or Ali-i-i-i-i-i-ve *
whoo! Baby!
Untz! Untz! Untz!
Yeah!
[ Laughs ]
Captions by vitac...
captions paid for by
discovery communications
narrator: Just days
into king crab season...
Keith: You can't predict
the unpredictable.
The entire rule book just needs
to get thrown out the window.
Narrator: Exceptionally high
water temperatures have
pushed the crab out
of their normal grounds.
- This is the deepest.
- I've ever started...
No question about it.
- Narrator: Captains race out.
- To the deeper, colder water.
In search of their missing prey.
[ Talking indistinctly ]
- Bill:
- Everybody in town was saying,
"The water temp...
The water temp..."
So I'm spreading them out
in an area
- a little bit deeper.
- And a little bit further west.
Than I normally would.
Narrator: Some veteran captains,
who came up empty
on their old grounds,
are now following
the fleet west.
Bill: I'm just keeping
an open head.
Am I setting on the crab?
Not a clue.
Narrator: While those who were
first to the deep water...
Struck it rich
right out of the gate.
Oh, yeah!
- Sig: You can't always.
- Go into a season.
With the same strategy.
You can't be afraid
to switch it up a little bit.
And you got to get
the lay of the land.
It's always changing.
- [Beeps]
- [Feedback]
Oh, boy.
Oh, yeah! [Bleep] Wonderful.
Right now,
we've got weather coming in,
30, 35...
Gusts as high as 50,
scattered rain.
Ugh!
- Narrator: Now with.
- The first storm of the season.
Bearing down on the fleet...
- Sig: We've got a heck of a job.
- Ahead of us,
So right now, time is kind of
of the essence for us.
Narrator: It's go-time on
the Alaskan king crab grounds.
Slider her up in there!
Narrator:
Back in Dutch harbor...
Aah!
God bless America!
Johnathan: Gonna be late
for the first time...
Be late for a crab season.
- Narrator:
- Captain Johnathan hillstrand's
113-foottime bandit
is still tied to the dock.
I'm going to get out there.
Johnathan: You know, there'll be
a million pounds off the grounds
- and another million pounds.
- In everyone's pots.
- Everyone will be zeroed in.
- On the crab,
And then, we're gonna have
to pick up the crumbs.
I can't cry about it now,
but ship guard really
took its toll on us.
Narrator: Expensive delays
at the shipyard...
Welcome to our nightmare.
Have postponed.
Johnathan's arrival to Dutch.
Johnathan: But, anyway...
This is probably my last season.
I keep threatening.
I'm about ready to be
a non-crabber.
[ Inhales deeply ]
Narrator: After 37 years
battling the Bering sea...
Captain Johnathan
is going one more round
before throwing in the towel.
If I'm retiring,
I want to go out, like, big.
I just don't want to
just go right with the fleet
and just get a fleet average
and finish,
la da da da da.
- If it is my last season,
- I want to go out...
Ba-boom!
Brother, you here? Ouch!
It went for you.
I had it up to here,
dude.
- I got here.
- As fast as I could get here.
And I just broke - my kneecap.
Narrator: In his corner
to help ease his brother
through a final trip...
- I got my brother back.
- [ Chuckles ]
- Why don't you...
- Band back together!
- Want to do the honors.
- And pull us away from the dock?
- And then I'll take it.
- When you get...
I've never rode
this slick black Cadillac.
Captain Andy hillstrand.
Are they - cutting us loose?
- Cut her loose, boys!
- We're going fishing.
Yeah!
Yeah, baby!
Here we go!
We got some horsepower.
- Narrator:
- With captain Andy on board...
Yeah, glad to be back!
- Finally,
- we get to go fishing!
The hillstrand brothers
steam out together
for the last time.
I needed you!
You came back
when I needed you the most!
- Come back here.
- And help my brother out,
Give him all the help
he could get.
**
175 miles northeast
of Dutch harbor...
on the 125-foot
Northwestern...
Sig: Whoa-ho,
look at this one.
Look at this crab.
That's exciting.
Yeah.
Oh, holy...
It's crab!
Oh, yeah.
Oh, my god!
- Narrator: Energized.
- By big numbers.
For the last 30 hours...
[ Laughing ] Oh, my god!
- Narrator:
- captain sig and his crew...
Oh, my gosh!
Narrator: Are reveling
in some heart-pounding fishing.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
[ Laughing ]
It's... [ Chuckles ]
Narrator: Maybe not a great idea
for a guy eight months removed
from a heart attack.
Seven-zero, 70!
Sig: Oh, yeah!
I mean, I was almost
not gonna be up here.
Doctor first advised not to go.
I'm not here to hurt anybody,
and I'm not here to...
To push it.
But bottom line is,
if it's something that's fun,
that you like to do,
I don't see that as a negative.
And, you know, no stress.
That's the motto for me
this year.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Hopefully,
- we can get most of this on.
Before the weather blows,
and then see what happens.
[ Laughter ]
Oh, yeah!
[ Talking indistinctly ]
- Narrator:
- Despite an oncoming storm.
And his faulty heart...
Sig: We need to
just turn and burn,
load it.
Soon as you get her loaded,
shoop.
Narrator: The veteran captain
doubles down.
Sig: We're on great fishing,
and I'm not stopping.
Man:106!
106?
That is so nice, man.
Unreal.
Narrator: 10 hours later...
and after nearly two days
of continuous fishing...
Sig: Guys have been going
around the clock here.
- All of a sudden,
- you start seeing hundreds.
In your last string,
- and I think that's.
- A shot in the arm.
Narrator: Big numbers
keep flowing in
to the Northwestern's tanks.
Yeah!
Woo!
- Producer: Sig?
- [ Gasps ]
[ Coughs ]
Narrator: The grind is starting
to catch up with sig...
Right here.
Watch the rail.
- Narrator:
- causing him to miss a pot.
Nick: - Everybody's tired.
Taking a few-hour nap.
He hasn't been in bed.
[ Thud ]
Oh, my god.
Sig: It's right there!
Behind you!
Yeah, - this was an accident.
Sorry, I'm nodding off,
so I'm not paying attention
to [Bleep].
Yeah, it's gone. Nevermind.
Narrator: Still fading,
sig drove over the bag
severing the line
with the propeller...
Pretty sure we got it
in the wheel.
She's a goner.
Narrator:
and the crab inside it
Losing the $1,000 pot
to the Bering sea.
Sig: Haven't had
one in the wheel in years.
He doesn't need
to stress on this.
- You don't stay up for 40 hours.
- If you don't have to.
- You know,
- it's not something you do.
- After you just had.
- A heart attack.
Edgar: Hey!
You all right?
You ready to tap out or...
[Beep]
Edgar: Weather's coming in.
Yeah, waves are picking up.
He's got to bail.
- It's not ego.
- It's not even pride.
It's just stubborn.
Stubborn is all he knows.
Looks like a bunch of hedges
on this side to me.
- Feel like I could.
- Go down the street,
An apartment over here,
but it's all dark
with big hedges
in front of it.
I'm not going to say anything
about the power
- not coming on.
- To the weather guy.
Said the weather guy is
next door to the power guy.
[ Mumbling ]
- I could tell the power guy.
- Just got in,
But my wife wants him.
- [ Yawning ]
- Which is none of his business.
**
It's none of his business.
**
Narrator: On thenorthwestern...
I'm not going to say anything
about the power
- not coming on.
- To the weather guy.
Narrator:
Grinding for over 40 hours...
- Sig: Said the weather guy.
- Is next door to the power guy...
[ Mumbling ]
Narrator: Captain sig Hansen
is staying awake...
but losing his mind.
Well, I'm going to wait around
for a few more minutes,
- see if we can get a bag.
- In the block here.
If we don't...
Something's gonna change
real quick.
I bet you the whole clear
has a bad something
from somebody somewhere
that's coming on.
They're still working
down there.
My timing slowed down here.
I started nipping off,
not good
find it.
Find it, find it,
find it, find it.
Come on.
He's not fine.
Hey.
You all right?
- You know you don't have.
- To haul these pots.
All right.
Sig: Yeah.
[ Cellphone ringing ]
[ Cellphone beeps ]
Hello?
Hey!
We're fishing here.
Doing good.
Just tired.
Yeah, I know.
Just tired.
[ Chuckles ]
I honestly don't know.
I don't know.
I've been... I don't know.
Been a long time.
- I mean,
- there's pots with hundreds.
There's pots with 80s.
It's so fun.
I will.
I promise.
I've got to go.
Okay, love you, too.
[ Chuckles ]
Did you call June,
Edgar?
She's the only one
you're going to listen to.
That's what I thought.
Okay. Okay!
- Well, button her up.
- So we can start going to sleep.
- Thank you, guys.
- Very nicely done.
Very nicely done!
That was awesome.
Everybody's freaking out.
And I don't understand why.
I know I made a promise.
I know I'm supposed to,
you know, stop.
I get it.
This is something
I got to do for me.
It's just something...
You can't just take it away.
**
Narrator: 50 miles southeast...
[ Bell rings ]
Andy: Hey, John!
John: Yeah, I'm up!
On the 113-foot
time bandit...
I'm trying to stay away
from the fleet.
- I don't care.
- If it's right or wrong.
I refuse to fish in the middle
of a bunch of boats.
[ Growls ]
- Narrator:
- in what he hopes will be.
An easy retirement tour,
captain Johnathan hillstrand
and his brother, Andy,
begin their hunt
in the familiar eastern grounds.
Since I'm this late,
the only thing I can hope is,
there's something out here where
we used to fish 13 years ago.
Narrator: Looking
to make up for lost time,
Johnathan is prospecting away
from the fleet,
on shallow grounds,
where he's had success before.
We're going
to set 24 miles?
About five or six pots
just so we know
if there's a biomass here.
If we find the females,
then we need to go
a little bit further west.
- And if there's nothing here,
- we need to go east.
They talk about climate change,
about warmer waters,
- so the crab maybe will go.
- Towards colder water.
[Bleep] Climate change!
They're on the bottom,
- and they can't get on.
- An airplane.
- And move to nome,
- where it's colder.
They're stuck here,
and there's a lot of them.
- I don't want to see.
- No lights.
I want to sail into
the black abyss, brother.
**
Guess we'll go southwest 50,
gusts of 70.
We'll see what happens,
you know?
Let's haul ass.
All right, guys.
First pot of the season.
Man: First pot of the season
going over!
Going over!
God bless America!
Yeah, baby! Bow!
- All righty.
- -right on. Right on. Right on.
The games begin.
Welcome back to crazy town.
- I forgot how crazy.
- It was out here.
- Thanks for coming out.
- I needed you.
- Narrator: With their first.
- Pots of the season.
Finally going into the water...
[Beeping]
Time bandit.
Hello, time bandit.
Wizard... Mr. Keith colburn.
Narrator: John and Andy
are reminded of an item
still on their to-do list.
How you doing, - Johnathan?
Hey, buddy.
I'm finally out here.
I'm setting.
I do have your king coiler
on board.
The time bandit was responsible
for transporting
the wizard's coiler
and sorting table
from Seattle to Dutch.
- I'm sure you're going.
- To be wanting that,
- But there's no way.
- I can transfer.
That big sorting table.
It's way too huge
to transfer at sea.
No.
- But delays in the shipyard.
- Prevented them.
From making
the delivery at dock.
Now they're gonna
have to do it
- the old-fashioned way...
- At sea.
My guys, the happiest sight
they're going to see this year,
- other than.
- A full pot of crab,
- Is going to be.
- Your boat near us.
Well, let me get this,
and I'll call you
in three hours.
And then, we'll pick out
a spot to meet up.
Okay.
Thanks, Johnathan. Okay.
So it's going to be 15 miles
out of our way for Keith.
So it hurts a little bit.
I'm not going to lie.
As the tides turn,
as the blocks turn,
as the prop turns,
- so are the days.
- Of your life.
[ Chuckles ]
Bitch.
Narrator: 190 miles northeast
from Dutch harbor,
on thetime bandit...
- Andy: Oh!
- There's thewizard!
[Beeping]
Time bandit.
Time bandit, wizard.
- Hello, John.
- Hey, buddy.
I got your coiler
and everything wrapped up
and ready to hand
over to you.
- Narrator:
- After setting their pots.
On the shallow
eastern grounds...
We're gonna call this
operation: Midnight rendezvous.
The hillstrand brothers
have had to make
a 30-mile detour
to complete
a Bering sea transfer.
Awesome.
But before handing
over the goods...
He's gonna be - a driving by.
We want to see some dancing
going on deck.
Johnathan extracts
one final payment
from thewizardcrew.
Colburn: Dancing?
Who said anything about dancing?
Oh, yeah.
We want to see some dancing.
I want to see how bad
they want a coiler.
- How bad do you want.
- This thing?
Standing by?
- All right, guys,
- hey, Johnathan's not.
Giving up the coiler
until we dance.
So you guys got to
get out there and dance, okay?
- I don't know what that means,
- just do something.
Woo-hoo!
We got one guy dancing,
but I only see one guy.
It's not looking like
they really want this coiler.
- Yeah, I don't think.
- They want it.
[ Chuckles ]
That's not a [Bleep] dance.
Come on, he says dance,
- like you got a gun.
- To your head.
There you go.
- See, now we're talking.
- [ Chuckles ]
[ Cheering ]
Yeah, shake it!
Shake it! Shake it!
Shake it!
Come on, bitches!
- That's dancing.
- That's what we're talking about.
[Bleep] Yeah.
Coiler back, baby!
Yeah, baby!
[ Laughing ]
[ Chuckles ]
- They're holding up signs.
- Over here.
[ Cheering ]
Shake it!
What the [Bleep]?
Thank you for that.
That [Bleep] haven't
smiled in days, dude.
Narrator: As one curtain falls
on the show...
- We're gonna go pick up.
- Our favorite.
- Full-share deck hand.
- Right now.
Another rises
on the $15,000 prize.
- Man: Looks like.
- They painted it pink.
Oh, no way.
You guys painted it pink?
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckling ] "Just so happened"
to have some pink paint."
[ Chuckles ]
[ Chuckling ] Oh!
I do.
It wasn't me.
**
Okay, getting it off.
It's a little nastier out here
than I thought.
Yeah, get it over the side
so we can get it in the water.
Now with the weather picking up
be careful with that.
- Be very careful so it doesn't.
- Hit the side of the boat.
The crews turn
their attention
to the serious business
of transferring
a 400-pound coiler
in building seas.
Oh, oh, oh!
- Got it!
- Got it?
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
It's in their hands now.
Yeah.
Narrator: The coiler,
kept afloat by three buoys
attached to a wooden palette,
is released to drift
towards thewizard.
- Okay, I got to try.
- And get around on this guys.
Whatever it takes,
try and hook it for me, okay?
Keith eases thewizard
into a position
that allows the crew
to hook the buoy.
- Excuse me.
- Excuse me.
Get it out there.
You got it.
All right.
We got a hold of it.
- Oh, man, it's rough out.
- Oh, my god.
Go easy!
So pull it up easy
and let it...
Get away from the boat, Gary!
- Oh, it's full of buoys. Okay.
- Oh, my god.
Come on, guys.
Oh, man.
I hope it doesn't break
against the side of his boat.
Monte: - Wire that thing up.
Andy: They should
hold on to the coiler
and take car of that.
Gary: Okay.
It's coming over. Clear out.
They got it.
You got her, baby.
Looking pretty good,
all the same, I got to say.
Oh, - it looks amazing.
- Narrator: With the package.
- Safely on board...
We officially have
the ugliest coiler
in the Bering sea.
Hi, where have you been
my whole season?
- Monte: Okay!
- Let's get it hooked up.
And get back to making
some money, guys.
Narrator:
The two friendly rivals
- can get back.
- To filling their tanks.
Thank you.
Thank you and thank the guys.
It was good to see you.
I haven't smiled
in a long time, my friend.
- Okay,
- thanks for the dancing.
Don't worry, man.
It's a long season.
- You're going to catch up.
- You'll be fine.
[ Sighs ]
Roadrunner,
wile e. Coyote out.
Beep, beep!
[ Seagulls calling ]
26 miles northeast,
in the teeth of the Gale...
on thesummer bay...
God dang, you know,
it is a lousy-ass night tonight.
- Narrator: Facing.
- The first storm of the season,
For the first year
at the helm of his new boat...
- Bill: It's a little different.
- Driving this thing.
It's longer, skinnier,
takes longer to turn.
So I'm not 100% on the boat.
Captain wild bill wichrowski
cautiously guides thesummer bay
towards the first string
of a new set.
Bill: We got 78, 79 pots
that we have to get.
You know, I'm a boat owner now.
- I've put a lot of money.
- Into this thing.
To get it where it is.
I really need this to pay off.
Let's go.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Hopefully, we run into some
big healthy king crab.
The first set was a total bust.
Narrator:
with his first set
Wild bill came up empty
by staying in the more shallow
eastern grounds.
One of the [Bleep] sets
I've ever had.
So I'm fishing a little deeper.
- Hopefully,
- the water's a little cooler.
Narrator: This time,
he set his pots further apart
and at greater depths.
Here we go!
Let's see what we got!
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- First pot...
- Let's see what we got.
- Zach: [ Sing-song ]
- I want some king crab!
Something, not overwhelming.
Hopefully, they're keepers.
[ Shouting ]
King crab!
**
Get another look,
- see what the hell.
- We end up with here.
Narrator: His appetite wetted
by his first few pots,
bill sets back.
Bill: I'll make it on 20s.
- We'll take what we can get.
- Right now.
- There's a lot happening...
- New boat, new weather,
Big weather, big tides.
**
[ cheering ]
- You guys know.
- The Bering sea is miserable,
But we got lots of crab!
Narrator: For now,
the colder, deeper water
is paying of.
Getting up there.
- Water's pretty [Bleep] out here.
- Right now,
- But we're finally getting crab.
- On the boat,
So it is what it is.
[ Cheering ]
Narrator: But on the Bering sea,
nothing comes easy.
Bill: Watch the rail.
- Watch it, watch it, watch it!
- Move now!
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Sorry, I didn't see that one
coming at all.
Hunter, are you okay?
This storm is kicking our ass.
Everybody's got
to be way careful.
Everything is a lot harder.
That's what makes this job
so dangerous,
weather like this.
[ Bleep ]
[Beep]
Whoa! Look out!
Watch the rail!
Watch the rail!
Hunter:
Hey, heads up! Heads up!
Holy [Bleep].
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Nick: Everybody okay?
I hope Tim's all right.
- Producer:
- Did you get hit by that wave?
Yeah, it [Bleep] hurt.
Narrator: A 25-foot rogue wave
rolled the boat,
taking down engineer Tim bowles.
Dang.
- I was looking out.
- In the distance on that one.
I didn't really see
that one coming.
I mean, - I'm doing what I can.
To keep an eye out
for these things,
it is a new boat for everybody.
**
I mean,
- I think we're risking it.
- A little bit.
Narrator: Unfamiliar
with his new boat in big weather
- everybody's fatigued,
- myself included.
- So I think we're gonna go ahead.
- And secure the deck.
And take a little break.
Narrator:
Wild bill shuts down.
We've run some crab aboard.
I mean, I'll be honest.
I was hoping for
about 30, 40% more than we saw.
[ Water rushing ]
Not the way you want to start.
And thanks, and sorry
for the water on deck.
It's...
It's a new boat.
Narrator: Thenorthwesterncrew
gets some well-deserved rest
on their piles of crab
while the Bering sea
does its best
- to keep the rest of the pack.
- From catching up.
[ Wind howling ]
Narrator: 190 miles northeast
of Dutch harbor...
- Johnathan: Rolling.
- Like a son of a bitch, Andy!
- Where the hell's this wind.
- Coming from?
Gonna be a bad one here,
I think.
Big wave.
Big wave.
On thetime bandit...
- The weather is not cooperating.
- Right now.
Delayed in the shipyard
and now by the first storm
of the season...
Johnathan: We're late, you know?
We're off to a very late start.
Not happy about that.
Captains Johnathan
and Andy hillstrand
beat their way
toward their first pot.
- Johnathan: You don't see.
- No one around us,
So if we do find
something out here,
these will be ours.
First pot of the season.
Stand by.
Pow!
Everyone be careful, guys.
This wind's been coming up.
- Throw in,
- let's see what we got here.
Eddie: Yeah!
- Freddy: First one of the season,
- brother!
Let's do this!
Let's do it, baby!
- Aw!
- Almost.
Narrator: Prospecting in an area
that paid off for them
in the past...
Andy: We got a lot
of money to make up,
so if these pots
don't have something in them,
we're not looking too good.
Narrator: The brothers are
banking that the crab
- are nestled.
- In their old honey hole.
Let's go!
Get them! Get them!
**
We got a pot coming up,
and Freddy's clapping.
- -[ Laughter ]
- -[ Shouting indistinctly ]
- Yeah, baby!
- Yeah!
- Andy, we got crab!
- Oh, yeah!
- Oh, yeah!
- We got crab legs!
- Oh, yeah!
- Got crab legs!
[ Cheering ]
- That's a good sign there,
- my friends!
- That's a real good sign,
- Johnny.
- Oh, my lord.
- Oh, my lordy lordy lord.
That's a real good sign.
Thank you!
That's a good pot.
- Those are big.
- Look how big they are.
- Those are big boys, too.
- Those are big boys.
Wow!
- That's probably a crab an hour.
- Right there, baby.
Thirty?
- Yeah!
- Three-zero.
[ Cheering ]
[ Chuckles ]
All right, - I like that.
- Thirty crab.
- That works.
- All of a sudden,
- we got 30 crab on board, Andy.
- Yeah, way out.
- In the middle of nowhere, too.
Okay.
So, I'm hoping, brother,
this next pot's got 60.
I want to at least see 50s
or 60s before I set.
- Narrator:
- Encouraged by signs of life,
The veteran captain counts
on the next few prospect pots
to confirm his strategy.
[ Shouting - indistinctly ]
Johnathan:
Oh, are you kidding me?
No one ever said
it was going to be easy.
So, hopefully, it'll work out
to where the next one's better.
[ Grunts ]
Please, god.
- Oh, man!
- Come on, baby.
It's coming up
pretty fast.
Please, god.
- After all the troubles.
- We've been through.
And after all the delays,
we could use a break,
couldn't we?
Freddy: Oh, baby. Oh, baby.
Come on, baby.
Come on, baby!
There's a couple - in there.
There's some females.
What are those little crab
doing way out here?
This is all rubbish.
One crab!
One... zero-one.
2016 king crab.
It's coming real slow.
Guess we're
gonna start stacking.
Narrator: As his pots
continue to fizzle out...
Get in there, girls.
Go make more babies!
Narrator:
The storm continues to grow.
Look at this [Bleep].
[ Water rushing ]
- I'm getting this done.
- Tonight.
Oh, we got a big one coming,
John, big one coming!
Watch out.
Narrator: In a race
with the building seas,
captain and crew hustle
to get their pots on board.
Nothing's going to be easy
about this string.
- Guess nothing's easy.
- About this season.
Or this year so far.
And it's a blizzard...
Snowing.
Snowing and blowing.
Woo!
Yeah, baby.
It's pulling hard.
Look at this big white wall.
Watch out.
Hang on. Hang on.
Huzzah!
Hang on, hang on.
Thank you.
Okay. [Bleep] Me.
[Bleep] Say, "hang on,"
they think I'm joking around?
Holy [Bleep].
Eddie: He never says it
unless there's a big one.
Yeah.
[ Talking indistinctly ]
I just don't want
no one to get hurt.
- Andy: Now you got a pot.
- Coming over.
No need - to be getting hurt.
- Now, look at the size.
- Of that wave.
Holy...
- Yeah,
- I don't know about this.
I'm very confused right now,
and the sea is confusing.
I'm tired as hell.
I'm about ready
to throw in the white flag.
But I can do this.
We can do this thing.
This is what we signed up for.
It's what we're going to do.
[ Grunts ]
Watch out, Freddy!
Freddy: Ohhh!
Sig: Stress was a big factor
in my predicament last year,
with a heart attack.
Trying to take it
a lot more easy
and trying to prioritize things
differently.
There's still that
unknown factor, but...
- You know,
- and I think I dodged a bullet.
So I got to believe that
I'm meant to do this.
I still got a few more years
left in me.
[ Water rushing ]
Narrator: On thetime bandit...
I'm very confused right now,
and the sea's confusing.
I'm tired as hell.
- I'm about ready.
- To throw in the white flag.
But I can do this.
We can do this thing.
This is what
we signed up for.
- This is what.
- We're going to do.
- -[ Grunts ]
- Watch out, Freddy!
Freddy: Ohhhh!
Johnathan: Hang on.
What the [Bleep]
Is that [Bleep]?
- Where the [Bleep]
- Did that come from?
You guys okay?
[ Bleep]
- Oh, yeah.
- We got a man down.
You guys okay?
All good.
- You okay?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- Yeah. All good.
- Producer:
- We're good. Everybody's good.
[Bleep], man!
That was barely moving.
- Let me see how many.
- Fingers you got.
All 10?
All 10 fingers.
- Yay!
- One, two, three, four,
- Five...
- All 10 fingers!
Narrator: A 35-foot rogue wave
slammed into the bow,
taking the captain and crew
by surprise.
- I don't know where the [Bleep]
- That wave came from,
But it was doing,
like, 30 knots.
It was like getting hit
by a [Bleep] train.
It had to have been
a pretty big wave.
There's some big ones out here.
Definitely got to be careful.
Johnathan: We don't need
that [Bleep] happening to us.
That was [Bleep] up.
That was [Bleep] up.
Narrator: With conditions
going from bad to worse...
Hey, Freddy,
- we're just going to put this one.
- In the launcher.
Leave this one in the launcher.
- Narrator:
- Johnathan shuts down.
And waits
for the weather to break.
So let's take care
of the crab,
batter down, and come on in.
And get a well [Bleep].
I'm not going
to hurt nobody, dude.
You can't tell
where they're coming from.
There's a random rogue wave,
it could take all of us out.
So if he says
it's too rough out,
it's too rough out.
- This is just getting ridiculous,
- brother.
Narrator: Johnathan hoped
for an easy last season
before calling it quits.
[Bleep], man.
It's just disappointing.
**
The Bering sea may have
other plans.
Alls I know is we spent about
$350,000 in the shipyard...
That sucks.
- And we need to be.
- Making money back right now.
Sucks!
* I'm a better man *
* than my father used to be *
* learned to live this life *
* without dependency *
* but days like this *
* the world falls
on my shoulders *
nothing's getting
easier...
Twenty-five years
of this boat.
This season's been
really tough.
I'm trying to get everything
to go together.
I've just been doing this
for too long, I think.
I've already chased
the [Bleep] crab
for 37 [Bleep] Years.
**
* can you feel it rumble *
* got to see it tumble *
big pink!
* down *
you know what?
We got a [Bleep] up ride here.
Keep the guys safe first.
- The crab pots will.
- Keep coming on board.
As long as they're fine.
* make it burn and crumble *
* gonna bury the rain down *
bill: I want to get the crab.
I'm not one to say
I don't want to do it,
but I want to keep these guys
from getting banged up.
I'm still learning this boat,
and I hadn't had that much time
dodging the big ones
on this thing.
* I'll be standing tall *
* open arms *
* till this storm flies over *
Edgar: It's better to be
safe than sorry.
After having a heart attack,
you don't play around with it.
Your lifestyle...
Needs to be changed.
Your stress level needs
to be changed
* you can feel it rumble *
* don't you see it
tumbling down *
why am I out here?
Getting one more time
with my brothers.
I want to go out big!
[ Seagulls calling ]