Though we would like to believe his lack of reply is reflective of careful consideration in describing his beloved boss, who recently promoted him to Bosun after a particularly prickly second season, in reality it seems that Kelley was just truly at a loss for words. Is it a case of "If you have nothing nice to say don't say it at all?" Or has he been struck speechless, in awe of Captain Lee's greatness? The remainder of the season will undoubtedly provide Kelley with more opportunities to redeem himself.
As a deckhand, partly responsible for making sure the dockings and departures are seamlessly performed, it's maybe not surprising that Lauren would use these words to describe Captain Lee. She is often on the recieving end of his intense radio commands as the ship approaches a dock. Unfortunately, it seems that her fellow crew member and love interest, Nico, is still getting to know the fierce side of Captain Lee's personality traits. Recent episodes have shown Nico scolded by Kelley for jumping off the dock, putting his safety as well as the safety of the passengers at risk. Nico needs to get back on Captain Lee's good side (not to mention, Lauren's) otherwise we may see Captain Lee making the same headstrong desicion he did with Trevor.
Kyle is the newest edition to the crew, so we'll give him a little bit of a break, but describing Captain Lee as uneducated is simply incorrect when it's been made clear that he has some Deep Thoughts to share. It's undeniable that he is worldly in every sense as a Midwesterner from a large family who now travels widely. On the other hand, describing him as Mussolini/Soviet State seems...harsh. Lauren's "headstrong" is much more forgiving. Captain Lee hasn't quite proven himself as a dictator, but something tells me Kyle's descriptors provide some insight into future drama.
Even after following Nico's advice to "just think about it" the choice to describe Captain Lee as rocketman is puzzling. Does it refer to the famous Elton John song of the same name?
Captain Lee's soft side certainly emerges at the end of each charter when he gives positive encouragement for a job well done or allows crew a night off, but there are other ways he preves this description is accurate. For example, have you seen what he keeps in his suitcase? He enjoys playing guitar and includes a photo of his wife because it keeps him "grounded."
So how does he describe himself? Fair, honest, and hardworking is just what you might expect from a tried-and-true boy of the Midwest.
As a Below Deck veteran, Kate's rapport with Captain Lee is evident in the numerous times they are shown laughing in the galley, or (along with Ben) reacting to the eccentric requests made by charter guests. So it's no wonder she worked her signature humor into this salty innuendo. As for studly, Kate was no doubt inspired by the glorious "Stud of the Sea" promo.