It has already been a dramatic few weeks on Deadliest Catch and now the captains are looking to strike it rich or strike out in the final days of king crab fishing. During the season’s penultimate episode, which aired October 15, the clock was ticking with a lot on the line.

Things were especially stressful for Captain Jake Anderson who was 8,000 short of his crab quota aboard the F/V Titan Explorer. To make matters worse the weather wasn’t cooperating and huge waves caused massive problems. On the positive side, deckhand Chino was back at it after being struck in the head with a crab pot. He showed that he is one tough dude, getting back out there under some intense conditions on the Bering Sea.

Once again, the crew’s safety became compromised, and they were forced to sit out a bit. There was a point where one of the pots was sent overboard. The break meant that Anderson had to make up for lost time in order to deliver for his bosses. Poor Jake was facing a real crisis. If he didn’t get the crabs to the dock in four days, he risked being out of a job. It was a nightmare scenario for the husband and father-of-three.

But luckily, he did manage to get a big haul to bring some hope that all was not lost, and enable him to live to fight another day. It must have been a big relief for him and wife Jenna.

Elsewhere, the 12 weeks on the water took its toll on the F/V Northwestern crew. Clark Pederson, Captain Sig Hansen’s son-in-law, in particular, was yearning to go home to his pregnant wife. But before going back to the harbor, they needed 6,000 pounds and $60,000 in king crab quota to finish the season.

Hansen suggested the idea of using fewer pots with more reach that would go deeper into the waters. This could result in a big payoff. He saw it as a high-risk, potentially high-reward situation, as they would be using valuable time and holding back resources. Pederson’s instincts were right or as Hanesen hypothesized, “He wants to go home so badly he is willing them into the pot.” The crew then got a little antsy with them for trying to make an edible wrap out of sandfleas they found. Gross!

The cliffhanger of the October 15 episode also saw the power go out on the Northwestern. With time running out, this could cause some serious issues on their journey back to land.

Monte Colburn continued to feel the pressure to finish retrieving the final 18,000 pounds for the season. He has taken full captain over the F/V Wizard after brother Keith Colburn suffered what was believed to be a stroke five days prior (in the episode that aired October 1). This latest episode gave no update on Keith.

Monte eyed a steep bank surrounding an underwater basin. Kevin checking in told him the last thing he wanted to do is chase bad ideas in desperation. Monte felt his only option was to go down deep into the black hole. He had a hard time finding some of the other pots, but the move ended up paying off as he retrieved a lost pot. There was a nice moment shared where Keith said, “Monte, I love you.” Who doesn’t love a little brotherly love?

Finally, the F/V Time Bandit seemed to be doing well on their way to finishing up their 11,000 pounds of golden king crab. Captain Jonathan Hillstrand started hitting the jackpot with pots filled with crab. With about 1,800 left to reach, he ran into a literal and figurative snag. A slack tank issue with the crab pump not pumping meant he could lose everything the crew worked to secure. They managed to get things going, but it looked touch and go as they tried to make it back into town.

We’ll see how the captains do during the Season 20 finale airs on October 22.