What Happened to Edgar Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’?
What Happened to Edgar Hansen on 'Deadliest Catch'?
When it comes to the family on Deadliest Catch, sometimes it’s not just the chosen family that sets sail on these stressful missions. Sometimes, viewers can witness the dynamics of actual blood relatives. Since the very beginning, Deadliest Catch has focused on various fishing vessels, including F/V The Northwestern. Of course, The Northwestern is led by Captain Sig Hansen, and his crew included his brother, Edgar Hansen. But due to some real-life consequences, the once fan-favorite star of Deadliest Catch disappeared from the program.
Deadliest Catch has been one of Discovery Channel’s premiere programs since 2005. Following the dangerous journey of fishermen on the Bering Sea, Deadliest Catch viewers have seen the ins and outs of crabbing as they battle the dangers of the elements. But as much as fans love to see the stars’ passion for their craft, sometimes off-screen circumstances dictate their presence on the program. Such is the case for Edgar Hansen.
Edgar Hansen’s Origins Story on ‘Deadliest Catch’
Easily the most notable surname on Deadliest Catch, the Hansen family has been through the wringer throughout the 20 seasons of the show. Since the start, Captain Sig Hansen has been one of the prominent faces of the program and thus, the Hansen legacy became a major part of the series. In an interview with the Herald-Tribune in 2013, Edgar Hansen revealed that his dad had been fishing since the 1940s after migrating from Norway. The paternal Hansen saved up to buy the Northwestern in 1977. The Hansen name has been synonymous with Deadliest Catch. Part of the storyline has revolved around continuing the Hansen family name on the Northwestern. Between his daughter, Mandy Hansen, and his brothers, Edgar and Norman Hansen, Deadliest Catch was going to watch who would take over the family business.
During his heyday on the program, Sig’s brother, Edgar, was seen as a strong character and a great addition to the roster. He had been a member of the Northwestern crew for nearly three decades. He enjoys fishing but also has been a fan of boat racing. He has been on the sea in some capacity his entire life. Compared to the enigmatic Sig, Edgar was a bit more reserved and laid-back, even with a quick wit and dry humor. But this allowed there to be a balance and diversity of the personalities on the ship. Throughout the first 14 seasons, there seemed to be no question that Edgar would continue to be a major part of the show’s storyline. Perhaps he would take charge as the head of Northwestern. Unfortunately, when Edgar disappeared from the show, the mantel was passed over to his niece, Mandy Hansen, who has since emerged as a leading player on the program. But this decision made sense due to an action he took off the show.
Edgar Hansen Is No Stranger to Incident
Throughout his time on Deadliest Catch, Edgar Hansen had some memorable moments. And even before the show began filming, Edgar’s time out at sea was filled with incidents that he was always eager to share. He has shared stories about how he was cutting his own bait and ended up slicing his arm open while at sea. He severed tendons until he hit the bone. The fisherman has shared this story like it was a badge of honor, laughing his way through it. His brother, Sig, was not thrilled that this happened, losing fishing time to take his brother to town to get patched up. But this was a moment where Edgar knew that the boat came first.
Edgar often found himself exchanging words with his siblings, namely Sig. During Season 9, while sitting in the captain’s chair smoking a cigarette, his brother came in and berated him about tags for blue crabs. Sig belittled his little brother after Edgar seemingly went rogue after not discussing how much quota they had. Edgar just wanted to run the boat for blue crab. Their blowup was more than just two coworkers as personal jabs came into play, especially when Sig threw Edgar’s sobriety into the conversation. The past came to the present, and the boat came before family.
Why Edgar Hansen Disappeared From ‘Deadliest Catch’
By the time that Season 15 rolled around, Edgar’s familiar face was nowhere to be found. His last appearance on the show was in August 2018. What was the mystery behind Edgar’s disappearance from the show that made him a star? Due to an external incident in Sarasota, Florida, Deadliest Catch decided it was necessary to have him part with the series. Edgar Hansen pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, admitting he was “sorry” after the incident. “I committed this assault for the purpose of my own sexual gratification. I am very sorry for that conduct, and I have commenced treatment to ensure that nothing like this assault ever happens again.”
His plea deal included him serving a 364-day suspended jail sentence and a payment of $1,653 in fines and fees. At the time of the incident, the Seattle Times reported, “The prosecuting attorney’s office agreed not to pursue any charges that may arise in the future in connection with the case.” Additionally, it had been revealed that he had to undergo a sexual deviancy evaluation. Despite not serving any jail time, this was the end of the line for Edgar Hansen on Deadliest Catch.
Viewers Believe They Have Spotted Edgar Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’ Since His Departure
Despite not being a formal character on the show, fans with keen eyes believe they have seen Edgar appear from time to time in the background of the Northwestern. Even further, he appeared in a video posted by Mandy Hansen when the crew kicked off their season in 2018. While he may not appear on the show, it’s likely that he could still have worked on the vessel as this is a family business. Deadliest Catch would presumably not want to risk losing F/V Northwestern and Captain Sig Hansen if they demanded Edgar be gone from the crew. There is a lot of magic in editing!
The Reddit community has taken to the forums to share their further findings of where they may have spotted Edgar Hansen, potentially during this most recent season. On a recent thread titled “Does Edgar still fish on the northwestern?”, multiple Redditers commented on what their sleuthing had concluded. One user said, “Yes, you’ll see him blurred out on deck.” Another commenter said, “Yes, he was seen ondeck (Jake can be heard yelling “Edgar” when he was up on the pole fixing the Northwestern’s lights) earlier this season, although just his hands.” This statement was followed up with “And if you turn on closed captioning, the captions say “Edgar” whenever something he says makes it on air.” Perhaps a bit more care needs to be taken to prevent keen viewers from discovering the truth.
The Scandals of ‘Deadliest Catch’
Deadliest Catch has been no stranger to scandal and controversy over the years. Between lawsuits, arrests, and more, the off-camera actions have complicated how the show continued to proceed. In 2010, Matthew Schneider was one of 18 individuals arrested in a drug bust. He was caught in a giant operational sting launched by the Alaska police. When it came to Nick McGlashan, the young crew member was passionate about his work, but succumbed to substance abuse. After being fired in 2017, McGlashan passed away three years later due to a drug overdose. Similarly, Fishing Vessel Maverick captain Blake Painter was found dead in 2018 following an apparent drug overdose. Painter appeared solely during the first two seasons of the program. In 2011, F/V Time Bandit deckhand Justin Tennison passed away in his hotel room.
The owners of F/V Northwestern filed a lawsuit with the United States District Court in Alaska. They sued the producers of the show when former crew member Nick Mavar did not receive adequate medical attention. “The delay in competent and adequate examination, testing, and diagnosis caused (Mavar’s) appendix to rupture resulting in horrendous and chronic infections, surgeries, and cancer treatment that would not have occurred had the appendix been removed prior to rupture,” attorneys wrote.
One of the wildest scandals occurred off camera. Former F/V Wizard deckhand Joshua Tel Warner was a convicted bank robber before being a member of the program. A prominent member aboard Fishing Vessel Cornelia Marie, Josh Harris, went on to be a part of one of the most successful crews on the program. Along with his brother, they were able to purchase the boat following their father’s passing. But his time in the spotlight was diminished when he was let go from the program. He was dismissed from the show following his guilty plea involving a 1998 sexual assault of a minor. Hopefully, as Deadliest Catch continues to air, no other scandals will hit the program. But this is reality television. Anything is possible.
