Todd Meadows tribute opens Deadliest Catch season 22
Deadliest Catch opened season 22 on Friday with a tribute to todd meadows, the 25-year-old deckhand who died in February after falling overboard while filming. The premiere used footage he recorded aboard the Aleutian Lady before his death, while the accident itself was not shown.
Aboard the Aleutian Lady
Friday’s episode began with Meadows on deck saying, “We’re ready to get out there, and get fishing.” He also said, “It’s been one of my dreams and goals to make it up here,” before adding, “There’s a lot of risk that comes into it.”
Those scenes gave season 22 a different kind of opening than a routine fishing episode. The series follows king crab fishermen in Alaska as they work the Bering Sea, and the premiere leaned on Meadows’s own words rather than a retrospective package built after the fact.
Angela Meadows in March
In March, Angela Meadows told TMZ she did not want accident footage aired or money made off her son’s death. She said, “We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat.” The premiere’s decision to use pre-incident footage fits that line more closely than a graphic replay would have.
Meadows also spoke on the boat about why he was there in the first place: “But I just want my kids to work [toward] their dreams and goals and don’t let anything slow you down.” He added, “It’s gonna be fun,” and, “I’m just fortunate that I fell in love with it.”
Rick Shelford on the loss
Rick Shelford called Meadows’s death the “most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady,” and said, “His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.” He added that Meadows’s smile and laughter were something the crew would carry with them always.
A Discovery Channel spokesperson called the death “a devastating loss” and said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. Our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time.” For viewers, season 22 is now about more than a return date on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT; it is about how the show chooses to handle a death that happened while cameras were rolling.
