Zeke Is Back, and 'Bering Sea Gold' Fans Are Totally Thrilled

If you had an upbringing like I did, then you might be a little traumatized by the idea of looking for treasure. My father literally went digging for gold in Albania and brought my older brother and me along with him, and while we found some cool coins, it wasn't nearly worth all of the expenses we accrued in the process.

Then again, I am a sucker for Matthew McConaughey's Fool's Gold because treasure hunting is cool, which is probably why so many people are obsessed with Bering Sea Gold and its cast members, like Zeke Tenhoff.

Although Zeke's had his ups and downs in the gold-searching business, Discovery says that he's "always been the boss" which is evident in the way he handles himself and his mining jobs on the program. Zeke's the kind of guy who's willing to do anything to find his gold — including reconnecting with an "old flame," Emily Riedel.

In previous seasons of the show, Zeke needed Emily's capital in order to run the dredge — and even though they had somewhat of a history with one another which resulted in some passionate arguments, the pair pulled off some profitable runs. The typical hotspots of gold began yielding less and less of the malleable metal, so Zeke and Emily decided to search again.

They headed to Sledge Island, a volcanic formation about 26 miles into the Bering Sea that's notorious for gnarly shipwrecks and plane crashes. What makes this particular part of the ocean interesting is all of the mythos surrounding it: The waters are generally uncharted and rumored to have tons of gold lurking down below. 

Even though longtime watchers of the show have seen some of his and Emily's tempered disagreements on camera, in 2017, the two were able to patch things up enough for not just the cameras, but for their respective gold hunting careers. 

Their romantic involvement, however, has ultimately fizzled, and even though Zeke is reported to be dating Sarah Dunn, it seems like the couple ultimately has either kept their relationship private, or they're no longer together. There isn't a whole lot of photos of them together on social media, either, so that doesn't help snoopy viewers know more about the man's relationship status.

Many thought that the original cast would be returning for the successful program's 11th season, but fans were a bit confused as to why Zeke didn't make an appearance. In fact, he's been missing from the show for the past couple of years.

Throughout Seasons 11 and 12, fans have continued to enjoy the show, but have wondered when (or if!) Zeke will ever be back on it. Luckily, we have good news!

In a promo posted for the newest season (which premieres April 30 on Discovery), eagle-eyed fans spotted that Zeke is finally returning to the show. "I need to get back in the water," he said in an early teaser for the season. "It's been a long time coming." Zeke isn't the only familiar face making a comeback to the show, either. Steve Riedel (Emily's father) is also making a triumphant return to the series.

We can't wait to see Zeke back on our screens once again. Will you be watching?

New episode of Bering Sea Gold air Fridays at 9 p.m.