Deadliest Catch - Phil's Stroke

I don't know if there's a reality show that has captivated me as much as "Deadliest Catch" has as of late. The entire drama surrounding Phil Harris' stroke while onboard the Cornelia Marie is an event unlike any other seen on television. I mean sure, sadly, it happens all of the time in real life. But it's very rare for a camera crew to capture an individual suffering from a stroke on television. If it were me in Phil's shoes, I don't know if I'd be comfortable having the cameras rolling while I was in such grave condition. But he allowed the cameras to keep filming - it's what he wanted. Even while he was at the hospital, the camera crews were still there. Even though he couldn't speak at the time, he wrote down on a piece of paper that he wanted his story to play out on TV, no matter what might end up happening to him. And sadly, he would succumb to the stroke. But he believed that his story needed to have a beginning, middle, and an end. And in the week's to come, we'll all get to witness Phil Harris' story come to a closure.

Not only do we have the emotional story involving Phil and the rest of the fleet's reaction to his condition, but there's also Jake Anderson's story while onboard the Northwestern. While out in the Bering Sea fishing, Jake learns that his father is still missing, yet his family and the related search parties have found his truck. Still, there's no sign of his father (and as of today, Jake's father still hasn't been found). It's just another blow to Jake's family life. For those who may have watched the show last year, his youngest sister passed away while he was out at sea. You just have to feel for the guy because he's having to deal with such terrible incidents being thousands of miles away from home. So far, he's dealt with the circumstances quite well considering.

While watching the show, you absolutely have to enjoy the camaraderie shown between all of the captains and the crew. Each boat is very competitive with one another in the fleet - they're all out to capture the most crab in a season. Yet, when something negative happens, whether it's a skipper dealing with a serious medical condition or a man going overboard, they all huddle together and are as supportive as can be. You know, there aren't many that are able to handle the immense pressure that exists with that particular job. It's one of the most dangerous professions in the world. So it's easy to see why they are all like family out there. When a ship is in distress, each boat is praying for a successful outcome. And when there's a call for a man overboard, if there is a vessel close enough, they're searching like mad to find that individual - because they don't last very long in the cold Bering Sea.

Next week we'll find out about Phil's progress in the hospital as he gets treatment for the stroke he suffered. For those unaware of the events surrounding Phil's stroke, he made incredible progress while in the hospital before losing the battle. Ultimately it was a blood clot that ended up killing him. It's likely we'll see his progress and more interaction between his two sons. I'm not sure if it'll be next week's episode or the following episode where he passes away. Whenever it happens, I know it'll be a very emotional event. Captain Phil was a favorite captain of many who watched the show, including me. And even though he's been gone since March, watching him during these episodes certainly made it seem like he was still with us. In the next few episodes, the reality on TV will truly hit home for us all.