The 2009 King crab season begins with tensions at an all time high. One deckhand threatens to quit, while another sets his pre-mature sights on the wheelhouse. When the captains gather for their annual meeting, a line is crossed.

It's week two of King Crab season and a storm looms as the fleet hauls their first crab. One greenhorn cramps up after just a few pots, while two junior deckhands are tested on unfamiliar boats. But it's the veteran deckhands that really try the skippers' patience.

It's the third week of hunting King crab and Captain Phil and Captain Sig's experiment in trading junior deckhands comes to a close. The young crew members are tested by big waves and cruel pranks until the end. Meanwhile, conflict between skippers and deckhands continues to rage unchecked.

Captain Sig and Captain Phil liaison to reclaim their junior deckhands with a high seas transfer. But when the young crew members submerge themselves in the bitter, treacherous tides - the plan quickly spins out of control.

Time Bandit draws good numbers in its last pots of the season and meets its quota, but must traverse the dangerous False Pass to get to their processor in Akutan. Northwestern offloads its last king crab, then goes off to St. Matthew's Island to hunt blue crab for an extra payday, but empty pots only bring regrets and drama. Captain Bill continues to suffer low crew morale on Kodiak as they hit bad weather and continue to hit bad fishing. When deck boss Adam cops an attitude again, Bill has to lay down the law with him one last time. Cornelia Marie is still suffering some bad fishing. When Jake Harris starts to get lazy and distracted, Captain Phil has to straighten out his more experienced son. Right at the end of the episode, Time Bandit is facing a rogue wave at False Pass...

A white knuckle, boat-crippling passage stands between the Time Bandit and their final offload. A maniacal skipper continues to risk mutiny in the far northern reaches of the Bering Sea. Meanwhile, Captain Phil has to deal with an major engineering glitch that threatens Cornelia Marie's entire King crab catch.

An ice storm arrives on the winter crab grounds; skipper Phil Harris faces hefty repairs and untimely delays when the Cornelia Marie runs aground.

Ice bashing takes its toll on the fleet; an exhausted crew tries to keep up with the skipper's maniacal pace on the Northwestern.

The Coast Guard is summoned regarding a heart attack; the Time Bandit faces an emergency; the Cornelia Marie tries out difficult fishing grounds in the Bering Sea.

The Coast Guard helicopter continues an attempted a rescue in dangerous seas. The deck of the Time Bandit becomes a deadly gauntlet of heavy, falling ice chunks while on the Cornelia Marie, the skipper's son reveals a dark secret.

On the Time Bandit Captains Jonathan and Andy contemplate their future. Jonathan in particular is starting to ponder retirement, and has decided to take three weeks off. Believing Jonathan's son, Scott, will eventually captain the boat, they agree he is not yet ready. They decide instead to train Mike Fourtner as a relief captain, due to his greater knowledge and experience. On the Wizard, bad fishing causes Captain Keith to resume using chewing tobacco, which he promised his children he would give up. Keith calls home and gets a pep-talk from his daughter renewing his resolve to quit. On the Northwestern, the fate of Jake Anderson's father still weighs on his mind. Eventually, Captain Sig tells him to call his mother, who relates the news she earlier told Sig that his father's truck was found, but he is nowhere to be seen. On the Cornelia Marie, Captain Phil ponders Jake Harris' addiction on the steam to Saint Paul, seeing a lot of his own formative years in his younger son. He determines that Jake must put aside hard living for hard work to do what Phil knows he is capable of; one day taking over the business. Later, at Saint Paul as they offload, Phil shares some old photos with Jake and Josh, putting the earlier confrontation with Jake aside for the moment and remembering happier times. Phil then retires to his stateroom before the offload is complete. When offload is complete, engineer Steve Ward comes up to the wheelhouse to get Phil's signature. Unable to reach him on the shipboard phone, Steve goes to Phil's stateroom and find him collapsed on the floor. Phil has suffered a massive stroke, unable to move the left side of his body but still conscious. Jake breaks down as paramedics work on him, then move him off the boat by crane before loading him into an ambulance. Josh rides with his father to the island's care center, certain to be medevaced later.

Josh remains behind to handle affairs on the Cornelia Marie as Captain Phil is medevaced to Anchorage. Captain Andy starts training Mike as relief captain, to the jealousy of the other deckhands. Word of Phil's stroke begins to reach the other captains, sending shockwaves through the fleet.

Drama dominates the crews of the fleet during the mid-season grind. Jake and Josh Harris suffer a new falling-out with their father's life hanging in the balance.

A power struggle for the captain's chair erupts between Mike and Scott on the Time Bandit; Edgar Hansen schools his greenest deckhand; ominous weather awaits the fleet while Phil Harris fights for his life.

Captain Phil Harris loses his battle for life while the boats - unaware of the news - battle the biggest storm of the season. Eventually, eldest son Josh breaks the news to the fleet and reactions are intense and unforgettable.

Saluting Captain Phil Harris, who died on Feb. 9, 2010.

Tension runs high on the Northwestern, as Edgar Hansen is fed up with the 22 year marathon of pain, confronts his older brother Sig. Josh Harris returns to the Cornelia Marie and the Opilio Season ends with a harrowing mayday.