R.I.P. Captain Phil Harris

What an exemplary job the Discovery Channel did with last night's Deadliest Catch finale. Everyone watching knew the inevitable tragedy that was to take place on the Cornelia Marie, so the suspense was thick. Without Phil, nor his sons Jake and Josh, having the benefit of knowing the pending tragedy, I thought the last moments they had together were poignant. Looking through old pictures of themselves from 20 years ago, laughing at the memories. Keep in mind, this was just 19 hours after Phil's youngest son, Jake, was caught stealing Phil's medication and then coming clean that he was an addict.



For those not in the know, Phil Harris was the captain of the most successful crab boat in the Bering Sea, and was the star of the Discovery Channel's most compelling program, Deadliest Catch. Before this season started, we found out Phil had died, but I, for one, had not researched how it happened.

After unloading the crab at St. Paul's Island, Phil suffered a stroke. He was carried away on a stretcher, that was hoisted off the deck with the crab pot crane. The camera then shot to a black crow that had perched on the Cornelia Marie's railing, letting us viewers know this was Phil's final moments alive. As the ambulance raced away, the camera switched to a soaring eagle, and then switched the camera shot to one taken from a helicopter circling ever higher around the docked boat, signifying Phil was leaving this earth.

I was not dry in the eye, that's for sure.