Deadliest Catch is returning with a special nod to late crew member Todd Meadows.
Us Weekly can confirm the Discovery Channel series will kick off a brand-new season on Friday, May 8, by honoring Meadows with a tribute that reflects the profound impact his loss had on the crew and the fishing community.
In the episodes that follow, the series will look back on the events of the fishing season, including Meadows’ contributions along the way.
“With a new king crab population appearing far north, the fleet relocates 225 miles to St. George Island, facing colder weather and more extreme seas than any season before as they work to sustain their livelihoods in rapidly changing waters,” Discovery Channel teased for the new season in a press release. “For the first time in decades, the captains abandon familiar fishing grounds to chase a rare breed of Red King Crab lurking in the frozen waters of the far North. This elusive catch, worth a fortune, pushes the fleet into remote territory and tests their experience and resilience at the edge of the world.”
While Deadliest Catch was filming at the time of Meadows’ death, thanks to a vessel equipped with cameras, Us can confirm that out of respect for family and loved ones, the show will not show his passing.
Back in March, Captain Rick Shelford confirmed on social media that Meadows had died at the age of 25 during a fishing-related incident.
“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family,” Shelford shared in a statement at the time. “His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”
According to a death certificate later obtained by TMZ on April 6, Meadows’ cause of death was listed as “drowning with probable hypothermia” and “submersion of body in cold water.”
In the sneak preview for Deadliest Catch’s new season, viewers get a sense of how dangerous the conditions are as the cast tries to catch some valuable crab.
“When you’re talking about fishing in the north, there is no forgiveness,” one cast member says in the preview. “We’re talking shallower waters and bigger waves and subzero temperatures. But we got to chart a new strategy, fight through the pain.”
Deadliest Catch returns to the Discovery Channel on Friday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET. Stream old episodes on HBO Max.
