Is Barbie and Kyle’s romance in Below Deck season 11 real and a promising bridge between challenges?

Is Barbie and Kyle’s romance in Below Deck season 11 real and a promising bridge between challenges?

Below Deck season 11 has introduced multiple boatmances, but is Barbie Pascual and Kyle Stillie’s romance the real deal? After seasons of dealing with boatmances that feel like they’re more out of convenience than actual emotion, seeing Barbie and Kyle’s relationship come together has been refreshing. Barbie, who works as a stew beneath Chief Stew Fraser Olender, has had her own struggles throughout the charter season aboard St. David that don’t have to do with her romantic life. Though Barbie is great at her job, she’s been having a difficult time getting along well with Fraser throughout the charter season.

Barbie’s behavior throughout Below Deck season 11 has been a topic of conversation, but it was primarily about her work until things started heating up with Kyle. Early on in the charter season, Barbie’s issues with former stew Cat Baugh were a struggle for the entire crew. After Cat’s departure, her issues with Fraser became more serious, but the two were able to squash their beef in the recent charters of Below Deck season 11. Kyle’s time on the exterior crew has been mostly calm, but his romance with Barbie has changed things for both the deckhand and the stew.

Barbie’s Feelings For Kyle Have Grown Throughout The Season

She Wasn’t Sure If She Was Interested Early On

While Barbie has been interested in Kyle throughout the season, her romantic interest in him appears to be more of a recent development than her general interest. Barbie did mention she found Kyle to be attractive earlier in the season, she wasn’t sure if she was interested in a romantic relationship with anyone, especially him. When original Below Deck season 11 Bosun Jared Woodin was a part of the crew, she felt she may have an attraction to him, but ultimately decided that she wasn’t interested in a boatmance. Though she wasn’t interested at first, Barbie began falling for Kyle.

As the pair got to know each other better, Barbie and Kyle’s relationship began to become more romantic. Though the pair had been flirty throughout their time together on St. David, things changed when Barbie’s issues with the rest of her team got worse. As Barbie got embroiled in more drama, she leaned on Kyle to try and keep herself going. The trust she was able to build in him throughout her drama was integral, and Barbie began to realize that her feelings for Kyle were deeper than she originally thought. The pair danced around their attraction, but gave in.

The Couple’s First Hookup Was Catastrophic

Barbie Was Ashamed That She’d Gone Against Her Father’s Wishes

Although Barbie and Kyle kept their distance physically for some time, they ultimately decided to take things to the next level. While they were both interested in taking things further, Barbie had some hangups about getting more physically intimate on reality TV. Barbie’s family is conservative, and her father specifically has issues with public displays of affection. She shared that though her mother is an open-minded sex therapist, her father is a more conservative man who she promised wouldn’t wind up seeing her getting physical on TV. After things went further with Kyle, Barbie struggled to reconcile with what happened.

The morning after their hookup, Barbie was visibly struggling with the decision she’d made, and though she assured Kyle it had nothing to do with him, it was still difficult for both of them to handle. Barbie was overwhelmed knowing that she would have to explain herself to her father, but she didn’t know how to talk about it with anyone, especially Kyle. She shared that she was disappointed in herself for letting things go too far, and knowing she’d have to explain herself to her father, she felt uncomfortable doing anything further with Kyle. She was confused and overwhelmed.

Kyle Wasn’t Sure Where He Stood Barbie Reconciled With Her Issues

He Tried To Be Kind About Her Stress

While Barbie was struggling to understand what she’d done and let herself be okay with it, she was also feeling irritated at Kyle for talking about the fact that they’d hooked up to other members of the St. David crew. While Kyle was just trying to talk about his excitement at having finally gotten more intimate with Barbie, she took it poorly that he’d talked to Ben Willoughby and Dylan Pierre De Villiers about it. Kyle was hurt by Barbie’s reaction to the fact that he’d spoken up about his own experience, but he didn’t know how to share that.

Instead, Kyle and Barbie began giving each other the cold shoulder a bit more than either of them meant to. They were both uncomfortable with the way things had gone after their night together, but they also both understood that their feelings for one another were real. Barbie and Kyle’s behavior mirrored each other in the worst possible way, both of them struggled to come together to actually talk about their feelings. After taking some time to cool off, they were both able to discuss where they stood, and decided that they wanted to keep their relationship going amidst struggles.

Can Barbie & Kyle Make It Work?

The Pair Truly Seem Interested In Each Other