weary as the day is long

ph. Danko Maksimovic - Essen, Germany (2026)

In a flashback we see him standing at the mirror, taking off his nightgown and looking at himself as if asking “who am I?”. There's a candle behind him, it's light mostly hidden, like the real Stede is in his old life.

We then see him in his hallway, bag and coat in his arms, lit by that bright candle standing proudly in the foreground.  Light.  Clarity. Stede openly starting that journey to discover who he is.

Then, as he turns full circle, we see him on the Revenge in the early morning as dawn breaks.  A new day, a new life.  

It’s a wonderful transition and this is where the show really knocked me for six.  Stede was so brave in that moment, leaving everything he knew for a life he has dreamed of yet really knew nothing about. But he was strong enough to take that risk and it is why I will always love Stede Bonnet with my whole heart.  That moment changed me.  All of us are travelling through our lives as best we can.  We have responsibilities, obligations, and we can let ourselves be overwhelmed by them – forget even who we were before those responsibilities took over.  Stede’s bravery encouraged my own.  In seeking out a new life, a new community and friendship, Stede Bonnet encouraged me to do the same.  I returned to an old community and in this show I also found a new one, with new friends. It’s no exaggeration to say that this show made my life so much richer and I will be forever grateful.

René Follet (1931–2020)

illustration for the short story “Le gibet aux 3 pendus” by John Flanders

ink & gouache on paper, 1991