No one is ever safe in Black Sails. There’s an awful lot of scheming going on for one little island in the Bahamas.

Time to change

All things considered, it didn’t go too badly for Billy Bones in his new role as quartermaster. In record time he grounded the ship for cleaning, set up the fuck tent, and got the men to scrub those barnacles. Even the naysayer Mr. De Groot was impressed. Alas, even in the 18th century, people don’t always follow directions and the ship is nearly lost. Mr. Gates doesn’t blame Billy, but will Captain Flint?

Will the real Mrs. Barlow please stand up?

Who is Mrs. Barlow? According to Morley, she controls Flint enough for him to murder innocents aboard a ship on her command, and recklessly lose men in the process.

According to Richard Guthrie, she is really Mrs. Hamilton, the disgraced wife of a nobleman whose husband was driven insane by her infidelity with Flint. According to a young child who throws stones at her, she is a witch. Are any of these assessments the truth?

Judging by her interactions with Flint, the two of them at least physically desire each other, and they have a long history. Flint seems to control her destiny, something which she grows tired of. The real question is whether she will she go through with taking Guthrie up on his offer to escape with him to Boston and restart her life with a clean slate, or is it another double cross?

When Captain Vane wallows, he really wallows

Vane decides to deal with his change of position by getting strung out on opium. He hallucinates both taunting visions of Eleanor and a menacing pirate whose vision he follows into town. Apparently there is something he needs to reclaim. Despite his incapacitated state, he manages to kill the owner of Max’s brothel and two of his men with little trouble.

Rackham and Bonny have what in common exactly?

At least this week we got to hear Anne Bonny say something. Why she hangs around Rackham, who seems to be channeling a young Keith Richards and generally whining that life is tough, is a bit of a mystery. Bonny ought to cut her losses. Rackham claims to has brains as his biggest asset, but right now it seems like an awful lot of bravado from a wannabe. Tyrion Lannister, he is not.

Mr. Scott cuts his losses

Talk about having a bad day. Captain Hornigold warns Mr. Scott that the islanders are talking of overthrowing Eleanor. Eleanor doesn’t trust her father to negotiate with Captain Dyfed Bryson and is willing to assassinate him to get what she wants. In general, Eleanor’s judgment seems clouded by her attempt to hold onto her power on the island. It’s little wonder that Mr. Scott seems to change sides, and to throw his lot in with Richard Guthrie.

John Silver is in no danger of opening his own seafood chain

To the surprise of no one, John Silver is not a good cook. However, he continues to prove he’s an excellent two-faced weasel. He twists a conversation he overheard between Billy and Morley to make it look like Billy may be doubting Captain Flint. Will Flint risk the wrath of Mr. Gates and kill off Billy on the word of John Silver alone?

Max

Max’s sexual services are apparently what is keeping Vane’s eight-man crew around. She’s managed to tame most of them, but there is one whose “tastes” run towards violence. It doesn’t escape Anne Bonny’s notice, but for the moment she will do nothing about it.

Eleanor and Flint, more than business partners?

It seems like these two have a lot boiling just below the surface. It’s all just business so far, but there’s a sense that is going to change as they pursue the Urca D’Lima.