Deadliest Catch is having a big year with a record 5.4 million viewers tuning in on Tuesday. The crab-fishing reality show is known for covering the perilous job of the rough crew of the Cornelia Marie.
Earlier this year, the crew suffered a loss when Captain Phil Harris passed away from complications of a stroke. Harris’ son Josh and Discovery Channel President Clark Bunting talk about what viewers can expect in upcoming episodes and how the brothers are coping.
Bunting spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what why the network decided the final six episodes would focus on Harris’ passing. “The storyline for Deadliest Catch is about the full arc of Phil’s life,” Bunting said. “It’s the full arc of going through not just what happened to Phil and the boys, but also the rest of the fleet, the captains sharing their experiences, and them becoming aware of the tragedy that happened.
It also appears that Deadliest Catch will have a seventh season. “We will continue next year,” Bunting said. “And what that story looks like…I think we just want to get this one put to bed and give everybody a little bit of a break to decide where to go next year.”
Harris’ oldest son Josh spoke to People about reliving his father’s death through the show. “Seeing it all happen again, it freaks me out a little bit.”
Harris also gives an update about his younger brother Jake, who before his father’s death admitted he had a drug problem and was later arrested for reckless driving in March. Josh says Jake received treatment in rehab and is on the mend. “I have my brother back in some aspects,” he said. “It’s still a battle, though, but we talk about things a lot, decide things together, and he’s thinking a lot more clear-minded.”
