“I forgot what a pain in the ass it is to start over!” confesses veteran captain Sig Hansen with his signature gruff good humor. In the September 13 premiere of Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns, he and his clan relocate from Alaska to their ancestral land, Norway, after the Bering Sea’s red king crab fishery shut down.
In the September 27 episode, Sig and his co-captain/business partner, daughter Mandy, are on the verge of bringing a crab species previously considered a throwaway to the European market. Fast work! The Hansens have a long history of determinedly working together for success.
“For generations, fishing has always been about ‘the family,’” says Sig. “[Here] I’m reminded of my history, my past, and our culture, everywhere. I’m proud of where I come from. It’s helped mold me into who I am.”
To create an equally proud future, Sig has welcomed his go-getter son-in-law (with him on the Birgerson) and his longtime right-hand man, Jake Anderson, helming the Stalbas. But in this episode, Jake gets a surprise: a king crab jackpot with a possible payday of millions that could tempt him to go solo. Check out the moment he poses the idea to Sig in the TV Insider exclusive clip, above.
Will Sig turn Viking warrior? Hansen says of his team, “We never clash on the boat when I’m in charge, but when we’re on land at home, opinions come to light!”
Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Discovery Channel
