#aaron epstein

How many hours after the rescue is this question asked?

It was dusk when Stede was cut down from that rope, and this is the next morning. At no point between then and now does it appear Ed has spoken to Izzy about the situation with the crew, the damage, “the plan”. He even now only starts to formulate a defence using the weather. This isn’t ambivalence. Ed knows he has time, knows to the second.

So, if this is the first proper conversation with Izzy since the previous night, it means Ed’s been elsewhere the rest of the time.

I checked, and sunset in Nassau early September is around 7.30pm, so it’s that time roughly Stede boards the Spanish naval vessel. Let’s say they get Stede back to his quarters by 9pm at the latest. The conversation on deck between Ed and Izzy is clearly well after sunrise next morning, approximately 9am. Ed’s been around twelve hours watching over Stede before caring to have the ‘What’ve we got here?’ conversation with Izzy.

It’s clearly the first time the crew get a proper look at Blackbeard as well, so Ed hasn’t been visible much during those twelve hours. And it’s likely Ed hasn’t let Izzy near himself or Stede during that time. Izzy possibly only enters Stede’s quarters first during ‘Edward, you in here?’ because it’s a safe bet that’s where he is. He’s been in there half a day already.

Ed also hasn’t yet had a mooch at Stede’s possessions, which we see much later in the morning. Izzy tells the crew Blackbeard has important things to attend to, and he does - looking at all of Stede’s cool stuff! His excitement demonstrates this is the first time he’s seen the cabinet of curios, and he’s giddy over it. But Ed certainly hasn’t been taking a ship’s inventory to plunder because it’s not why he’s here.

We know Ed has no issue outsourcing things he doesn’t wish to do, so his sitting at Stede’s bedside by himself for twelve hours, means something. He only leaves briefly, then returns, and sits longer until Stede wakes.

There’s a well-worn trope of the patient falling in love with the nurse, and Ed is absolutely certain he’s going to be that person. As @roxyrondell said in a Discord “Ed made damn sure that he was the first person Stede saw when he woke up. Gonna make damn sure he gets to introduce himself his way.” I think this is true. And I like to believe that similar to Ed in 203, this is a moment of rebirth for Stede.

In his fever-dream, Stede wrestles with his conscience, full of self-loathing within his own kind of purgatory. He needs care, kindness, understanding. He opens his eyes and imprints like a duckling onto that care and kindness the moment he sets eyes on it. He can’t see Blackbeard, he can only see Ed and the understanding Stede craves.

We often say Stede knows immediately how to handle Ed’s soul, but Ed knows how to do the same for Stede. Within Stede’s fevered mind, Mary chides him for becoming a pirate, and sarcastically ‘congrats’ him for being stabbed. When we wakes, Ed treats him with the tenderness Stede fails to give to himself. Tells him he’s had a close call, and isn’t doing too badly at piracy.

Ed is so precious towards Stede here. His recovery is all Ed cares about the entire night. After all, the man in the bed is why Ed’s here in the first place.

from Aaron Epstein’s instagram brightened/recoloured by me

I am losing my mind over this photo. Look at Taika’s face:

Another breathtaking photo from Aaron Epstein on IG