In April 2020, for those craving a reality TV escape from the hum-drum of quarantine, Discovery provided a spinoff of its hit show “Deadliest Catch.” Titled “Deadliest Catch: Bloodline,” the show followed Josh Harris, son of the late F/V Cornelia Marie Captain Phil Harris, as he trades the Bering Sea for the waters of Hawaii, all while using his father’s charts to guide his efforts.

Unlike the original series, which has been going strong since 2005, “Deadliest Catch: Bloodline” only ran for three seasons, until June 2022. That’s because, three months after the Season 3 finale, details of Harris’ dark adolescence came to light. More than 20 years prior, when he was a teenager, he was found guilty of the sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl who was a deckhand’s daughter.

A representative from Discovery at the time told Radar, “We’ve been made aware of this issue. Josh will not appear in future episodes of this series.”

Some fans are OK with never seeing Deadliest Catch: Bloodline again

Not only was Josh Harris fired from “Deadliest Catch: Bloodline” and the network as a whole, but Discovery canceled the entire spinoff series, putting everyone associated with Harris — including Casey McManus — out of a job. Discovery has also essentially scrubbed the series from existence, meaning it’s impossible to watch “Deadliest Catch: Bloodline” on any sort of streaming platform or On Demand.

For many fans of the franchise, not being able to rewatch the spinoff series isn’t a huge loss, as they found “Bloodline” to be scripted and repetitive. On Reddit, u/AAAFate said, “These charts they ‘found’ feel like manufactured TV to me. I don’t believe it one bit.” U/snotters said, “… you have about 30 seconds of entertaining footage where they’re fishing, interrupted constantly by Josh talking into the camera saying the same old thing, ‘We need to get this order done, hope my old man is looking down on us…’”

Even when the leading man doesn’t have a dark past, “Deadliest Catch” spinoffs tend not to boast much longevity on Discovery. For example, “Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns,” which saw F/V Northwestern Captain Sig Hansen head to the waters of Norway, only ran for one season. People want the original show, which is now engrained in pop culture to the degree that it’s referenced in projects like Disney’s new “Haunted Mansion.”

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

One of Discovery’s — and now Discovery+’s — flagship programs, “Deadliest Catch,” is currently knee-deep in its 17th season and rapidly approaching the 300 episode mark. In that time, the series has taken viewers on expeditions across the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, documenting the turbulent lives of the fisherman seeking massive crab hauls in the region. There’s no shortage of danger, drama, crushing failure, and heartwarming success on these adventures, hence why “Deadliest Catch” is now seen as a constant on the small screen and keeps viewers coming back for more.

Now over 15 years removed from its premiere, “Deadliest Catch” has undergone some significant changes, specifically in terms of its cast. For instance, one name that has risen to prominence is Captain Jake Anderson — a professional skateboarder and fourth-generation fisherman who arrived on the show during Season 3. Always eager to prove himself, he hasn’t had it easy on the high seas, especially when it comes to earning the respect of his peers, but he presses on all the same. This committed attitude led him to captain a famed ship known as the F/V Saga, taking over for its former captain, Elliott Neese.

For those keeping a close eye on the latest “Deadliest Catch” season, it’s apparent that The Saga hasn’t featured as prominently as it once did. Here’s what’s going on with Captain Anderson’s ship.

The Saga is back in action, but for how long?

For the first few episodes of “Deadliest Catch” Season 17, The Saga was nowhere to be found. Some fans questioned if Captain Jake Anderson’s vessel finally sank, and others pondered whether or not it was merely being repaired for unknown reasons. All of this speculation was put to bed when it reemerged in the episode “Restricted Zone,” which aired on May 25, 2021, with its absence never fully explained. Nevertheless, it has gone on to make a few more appearances to the delight of fans, once again putting its reputation as a rough and tough fishing boat on full display.

To put it mildly, the legacy of The Saga is one riddled with near-tragedy and incredibly close calls. As explained by Distractify, the 42-year old ship has become a never-ending restoration project for Anderson, seeing as it has nearly sunk on several occasions. One particularly infamous instance of this came during the 19th episode of Season 16, “Rogue Wave Juggernaut,” when The Saga’s rudder began to fail. This meant the crew had to fix it in perilous waters, or else they’d lose control, and it would inevitably sink. Thankfully the team avoided disaster, but this is just a small taste of The Saga’s misfortune.

It took longer than most had anticipated, but the F/V Saga is back out on the water and doing well. How long it will be able to do so remains to be seen, but it stands to reason that should issues arise, Captain Jake Anderson won’t allow the tenured boat to go down without a fight.