For the past two seasons, Elliot Neese has been captaining the Ramblin Rose as the youngest captain on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. This season, however, Discovery has teased that Neese may have lost his job commanding the Rose.

A first-look trailer for the ninth season of Deadliest Catch was released this week, and Neese’s absence seems to be a large part of the storyline. His fellow sailors are seen wondering why Neese is missing as they prepare to embark on the treacherous crab fishing season on the Bering Sea.

Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern, doesn’t seem surprised that Neese hadn’t yet shown up, saying, “No owner’s gonna let a guy own a boat and not produce. You’re gonna lose your job.”

However, as with all things reality TV, what is shown is not necessarily the truth. It seems that the season preview is simply a teaser meant to build tension before Neese’s return.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Neese has gone a staggering $1 million into debt to own his own boat, named F/V Saga. Neese has even bragged about his return to the show via his Twitter account: