Sig Hansen’s 10 Best ‘Deadliest Catch’ Episodes, Ranked

Sig Hansen’s 10 Best ‘Deadliest Catch’ Episodes, Ranked

Deadliest Catch has been high-octane action since the program debuted on Discovery Channel in 2005. Depicting the lives of fishermen and their crews on various fishing vessels in the Barring Sea, Deadliest Catch has kept viewers on their toes as they watch the stressful scenes, episode after episode. Very rarely can one single person carry an entire franchise on their back for over twenty seasons. While the cast of Deadliest Catch has had some old reliable over the years, there has been one man who has served as the face of the franchise. And he goes by the name of Captain Sig Hansen.

Part of the draw of Deadliest Catch is watching the personalities embark on death-defying adventures, facing off against the elements on board and in the sea. The series can be an adrenaline high not only for those out on the waters, but also for those watching at home. Throughout his illustrious career on Deadliest Catch, Captain Sig Hansen has experienced some highs and lows, personally and professionally. Whether it was positive or negative, his life has been depicted on screen for the world to see. These are some of the best episodes to star The King.

“Cold War Rivals”

Season 16, Episode 1

At the start of Season 16, the entire Russian crab industry was rocked as the global market had a massive shift that created newfound competition. With crab prices increasing, every single Dutch Harbor was eager to take advantage of the historic cash grab facing them out at sea. Many of the Deadliest Catch captains saw this opportunity to increase their potential, going all out, full stop to fulfill their quota.

For Captain Sig Hansen, he took this opportunity to compete internally rather than externally. A life at sea runs in the family, and Captain Sig has had immense pride and joy watching his daughter, Mandy Hansen, follow in his footsteps. While there is paydirt in the Barring Sea, the slightly deflated stakes allowed him to give his daughter a chance at the helm. Father or not, her first decisions are frowned upon by the illustrious captain of F/V Northwestern. Despite her mistake with the crab pots, when Captain Sig has some difficulty locating their catch, a friendly, familiar competition is born. It’s father versus daughter. Who will not only find the crab, who will catch more crab.

Perhaps a shock to many, it’s Mandy who prevails in the end. The episode is a strong one for Captain Sig as it shows that even in the toughest environment, a teaching moment can be had. Even if it’s from his daughter. In an interview with TVInsider, Captain Sig revealed, “That kid impresses me so much. She sticks out with her fishing decisions and instinctive moves. She found crab, and I didn’t. She stepped up and told me she had made a move. Her decision-making has really changed. She did a little more here, and that surprised the heck out of me.” As they say, the rest is history. Mandy Hansen has continued to make a name for herself. All thanks to her father’s tuteledge.

9“Last Damn Arctic Storm”

Season 13, Episode 19

Not every iconic moment happens out at sea. And not every important moment is on the job. For Captain Sig, he has always been and always will be a family man. In the Season 13 finale, Captain Sig is off of F/V Northwestern as he’s still mourning the loss of friends and colleagues on F/V Destination after it was believed to have capsized. In the wake of tragedy, the season must go on, so Captain Sig leaves his younger brother, Edgar Hansen, in charge. Though he may not want to relinquish control, Edgar not only steps up, he fulfills the quota Northwestern needs to complete the season.

For someone who has a solid and strong exterior, watching his brother succeed moved both Hansen brothers. The episode truly became a family affair as the action then moved to the port as Season 13 ended with a wedding. Like any good reality show, there needed to be a little love on board. That quota was filled by Mandy Hansen and Clark Pederson. While Captain Sig may have taken some time to warm up to the idea of handing off his daughter to her future husband, he eventually gave his blessing for the pair to say, “I do.” Captain Sig noted that it was a positive way to end the mostly negative season. Through tragedy came celebration, showing a special side to the tough-as-nails captain. The couple have been happily together ever since, even growing their family. Speaking of…read on!

8“Sailor’s Delight”

Season 18, Episode 12

Only a few seasons later did Mr. and Mrs. Pederson expand their family. Season 18 was focused on Captain Sig’s journey to becoming a grandfather. Revolving around his time on the spin-off Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns, Captain Sig was eager to not only expand his business in Norway, but be able to be present in Alaska for the birth of his baby’s baby.

Like a perfectly scripted Hollywood movie, Captain Sig arrives just in time to meet Sailor Marie Pederson. Her name is in honor of the family business, as Mandy Hansen is a fifth-generation crabber. By naming her Sailor, it honors the family and the long-lasting legacy the Hansens have made.

7“The Bitter, Bloody End’

Season 8, Episode 16

Though he is the proud father of three daughters, Captain Sig Hansen has always had an affinity for being that father figure for some of the young men on his crews. Back in Season 3, a young greenhorn named Jake Anderson made his debut on Deadliest Catch. As one of the new hires on F/V Northwestern, Jake Anderson became quite close to Captain Sig, viewing him as a mentor and father figure, especially after the tragic loss of his own father, Keith Anderson.

With Jake Anderson going through a lot in his life, Captain Sig was there through thick and thin. Season 8 ended with a wedding. Jake Anderson’s wedding. Captain Sig was not only on hand to support his young protégé, but he was also there as the officiant for the nuptials. The episode showcased that softer side of Captain Sig as he highlighted just how proud of Jake he was through all the hardship and adversity he had faced. Captain Sig has always been there for Jake, even when he lost his own ship. He was there to give him a helping hand and rebuild at the start of Season 20. Truly a full circle moment.

6“Fire At Sea”

Season 12, Episode 14

Deadliest Catch truly showcases the stressful and high-stakes world of crabbing in Alaska. Danger may be around every bend. It’s how you handle the disaster that makes or breaks a man. When there are incredible highs, sometimes an expected low can halt any celebration. After Captain Sig and his crew pull in impressive pots, everything is put on pause as F/V experiences a mechanical emergency. Initially believed to be a power outage, the crew can be heard screaming, “Fire! Fire!” As part of a two-episode arc, Captain Sig is put to the test as he is forced to grapple with a potentially fatal situation. It’s a harrowing ordeal that pushes Captain Sig to his limits.

With the breaker box catching fire, Captain Sig not only has to be on hand to ensure it’s put out, but he also has to devise a plan to get home. Was F/V Northwestern dead in the water? Could they get home? Of course, they were going to, but not without uncertainty. This story arc displayed Captain Sig deep in action. While he instructs his crew to “stay calm,” there is a glimmer of fear in his voice. As he told TVLine, “Honestly, I think I was more afraid than anybody. I just wanted to stay calm.” Thankfully, he led them to safety, and it was merely a blip on his resume.

5“A Frozen Finish”

Season 3, Episode 12

There’s something about a season finale that gets Captain Sig Hansen to shine as the Deadliest Catch star that he is. For the Season 3 finale, the origin story of Jake Anderson comes to a triumphant conclusion. Captain Sig is a master at his craft. Crabbing literally runs in his blood. Knowing that the industry isn’t for everyone, he’s been seen to be wary of those young buck known as greenhorns. Season 3 was the debut of Jake Anderson and his journey on Deadliest Catch. As an ambitious greenhorn, Jake not only wanted to make a great impression on the captain, but he dreamed of earning his own Northwestern jacket.

Not everyone can wear one of those. As Sig states, receiving one is a rite of passage. Season 3’s finale saw that rite of passage realized as Captain Sig not only honored his young protégé with a Northwestern jacket. He gave him the one literally off his back. Seventeen seasons later, this moment may seem like a minor blip of the overall arc, but it has become a defining moment in the relationship between Sig and Jake. Their relationship has been one many other captains and greenhorns have aspired to have.

4“Now or Never”

Season 15, Episode 21

As we’ve discussed, crabbing runs in the family. Captain Sig Hansen truly wants to see his daughter, Mandy Hansen, follow in his footsteps. But he’s not going to just simply hand her the reigns. She needs to earn it. Pride is something that Captain Sig has a lot of. But nothing has brought him more pride and joy than watching his daughter succeed. In this Season 15 episode, Captain Sig was reeling from a mixed-bag season. The quote was far from full. Fearing that they may not reach it, he was forced to rely on Mandy to haul it all. It’s a lot of pressure to put on an employee, let alone your own flesh and blood. Mandy was running on her gut.

She had a feeling that if she laid out two parallel strings, it might save the season. Sometimes, you need to trust that gut because Mandy was right. Pulling up Mandy’s string, Captain Sig discovered a monumental moment, and a moment that helped to jump-start Mandy’s career. The haul helped net $1.8M worth of Opilio crab. It was such a celebratory moment that Clark Pederson did “crab angels” on top of the haul. Captain Sig was filled with immense pride, stating, “Mandy stepped up, and that’s the reward, what we’re seeing there. I’m so proud of her for that. That she not only learned but went by her own true gut.” To cap it off, Mandy officially earned her Northwestern jacket. She fulfilled her rite of passage.

3“Winter Is Here”

Season 15, Episode 7

The conditions during crabbing season can be brutal. But nothing compares to the near-death experience one of Captain Sig Hansen’s crew members experienced. In this Season 15 episode, Captain Sig was faced with a terrifying situation as his brother, Norman Hansen, experienced one of the most terrifying medical emergencies in the show’s history. While Captain Sig was in his quarters, Norman endured a tragic slip and severely struck his head while the vessel was docked.

However, the incident for Norman didn’t end there; he was laid on the deck unconscious with the crew, namely his brother Sig, who rushed to his side, covering him with a blanket as he instructed the rest of the crew to call emergency services. The situation was immediately heightened when Norman began to have a seizure while the camera caught the action. With his skin changing color to a terrifying blue, Deadliest Catch displayed how even the safest conditions on the dock can still cause injuries. Thankfully, with Captain Sig at the helm, his guidance prevented a catastrophic situation. Even knowing that his crab quota was on the line, his morals allowed him to focus on his brother first and foremost.

2“Brother in the Bight”

Season 18, Episode 6

It’s a race home for Captain Sig Hansen, as he’s eager to see his daughter give birth. But he can only do so if he pulls his quota. Almost as the unofficial backdoor pilot for Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns, Captain Sig had to adlib with the closing of the Alaskan King crab fishery. He was working on a new boat in new waters, forcing him to learn and adapt to a new terrain.

With time running out, luck was finally on Captain Sig’s side as a last-ditch effort found him near the Russian border. Being warned that this was unknown waters that had been untapped for several years, the risk was worth it. Captain Sig’s gamble paid off in dividends. Captain Sig was able to pull quota and embark on his journey back to the big family moment later that season.

1“The Widowmaker”

Season 12, Episode 18

You might be surprised that such a devastatingly scary and near-tragic episode would top a “Best of Sig Hansen” list, but the reality is, sometimes our best is when we’re at our worst. For Captain Sig Hansen, the two-part Season 12 episodes humanized The King in a manner that allowed viewers to get a glimpse of true reality. During a wrap-up interview about the devastating season, a medical emergency is documented as Captain Sig suddenly endured some sharp chest pains.

It ultimately was revealed to be a heart attack. And the cameras continued to roll on the captain’s request. He said to the team, “We’re doing your interview. I’m not dying, so let that go. I’m not gonna let my family see that.” Edgar Hansen is forced to call for medical help, which ultimately leads to Captain Sig being airlifted 800 miles away after arriving at the Dutch Harbor dock. While speaking with the cardiologist, it was revealed that Captain Sig suffered the potentially fatal “widowmaker.” Even Captain Sig himself had a hard time watching this essential episode. “I don’t even like to watch it,” he previously shared with TVLine. This moment proves that The King is only human. The stress of the job can take a toll on even the best of the best. Captain Sig Hansen’s heart attack is as real as reality television can get.