N. 🐝

Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus

I mean, who needs a soul mate, anyway?

There are so many great scenes between these two, but today, I want to shout out the scenes that bring another character into the mix. I really like that there isn’t a clearcut divide between “Stede/Ed scenes” and “everything else,” because sometimes adding an extra character to the scene can take things up a notch and create even more dimension. Here are a few that jump out at me:

Frenchie is there in 1x05 when Ed bursts out on deck in distress after being mocked by the party guests. It’s an important scene for Stede and Ed—Ed lets Stede see him when he’s vulnerable and upset, and Stede asks Ed to trust him to handle it. This scene leads directly to “Stark Revelations” and more indirectly to, “You wear fine things well.” But I’m on record as loving Frenchie’s involvement in the scene. Him being there bridges the gap in Ed and Stede’s experiences as an indigenous man who grew up poor vs. a white man who’s always been rich. It gives us, “What’d they do to you, man?”, “They’re such dicks about spoons!”, and the quick look Ed shoots Frenchie when Stede urges him to stand down.

Roach comes along in 1x07 when Stede brings Ed his morning tea. On the Stede/Ed front, we get the delightful “a dollop of milk and seven sugars” line, and their conversation about Ed potentially leaving is what fuels the entire treasure hunt: Stede’s desire to keep Ed happy and engaged so he wants to stick around. Meanwhile, Roach unknowingly feeds into the “a ship only has one captain” angle when they both respond to his inquiry. I just love his apprehensive, “Who are we saying is captain right now?” And he adds to the comedy of the scene, with Stede ignoring Roach’s emergency to keep talking to Ed.

Of course, Lucius is present in 1x07 throughout the treasure hunt plot, which is great. While he has significant scenes with both Stede and Ed separately, like Stede ordering him to have fun and his “you don’t have to be a dick about it” speech to Ed, we also get good bits of him interacting with both of them. In particular, though, I’m thinking of the Blackbeard’s Bar & Grill (etc.) scene. It’s such a fantastic bit, a sweet reflection of how effortlessly Ed and Stede play off each other through their banter, culminating in the cute moment where Stede picks a bit of snake out of Ed’s beard. Lucius’s reaction shots heighten the fun of the bit, and most importantly, he’s the one who says, “This is happening.” The title of the episode, yes, but also a reassurance to the audience--You’re not seeing things. This really is happening. We’re gonna go there. Although I know plenty of first-time viewers had been burned too many times by queerbait and couldn’t fully believe it until the kiss in 1x09, Lucius tells us in this moment that we’re not seeing things.