Black Sails gave us a number of surprises last night. Is a Flint betrayal by (spoiler) coming?

Last night on Black Sails we finally learned the fate of Billy Bones (Tom Hopper). Billy was last seen clinging to rigging in rough seas, and the next thing we knew, Flint (Toby Stephens) was screaming man overboard. Did Billy fall, or did Flint push him? That is the question of the hour.

Given his current location, it might have been easier on Billy if he drowned. He’s now stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. Billy is staked to the ground in leather bindings that are getting tighter and tighter as they bake in the sun. According to his torturer, men usually die after seven days of such punishment. Right now, Billy is on day five.

Assuming Billy fell, he could be a saint, hold his tongue, and die having travelled the road of the moral high ground. Let’s face it, this is probably unlikely. Piracy and moral high grounds rarely intersect. Altruistically roasting alive while his ribs crack one-by-one doesn’t seem like a smart choice, it just seems like a highly painful one.

Let’s assume Billy fell at Flint’s hand. There are two possibilities here. Number one is that Flint out-in-out gave Billy a shove. The second option is that Billy got into trouble on the rigging, and Flint didn’t lift a hand to help him. It wouldn’t have been attempted murder, but it certainly isn’t something that is going to endear Flint to Billy.

Billy does have men who were outraged at the thought that Billy was murdered by Flint, among them are Dufrene and DaGroot. Will Dufrene and DaGroot see Billy being alive as a chance to again retake the ship? Would they find a way to work with him in an underhanded deal?

All of this brings us to Billy’s current state. There is little doubt that Billy’s captor is the commander of a British garrison. Even if Billy has good reason to hate Flint, does he want to work with the British? His fellow pirates would probably take a dim view of that action. Billy would end up spending the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.

What happens when Billy learns that Flint killed Mr. Gates? Secrets aren’t long kept in Nassau. It’s inevitable that he’ll find out. Gates was like a father to Billy, and he may want to avenge Gates’ death. Siding with the British will help him in this quest. Billy might even be willing to lose his life if the hatred runs deep enough.

On the other hand, a double-cross might be Billy’s wisest move. He could pretend to cave into the demands of the British, and when the moment is right, he could then betray his captors. The only problem with this theory is that the pirates may view any cooperation with the enemy, despite the circumstances, a betrayal. Billy would be back to teh looking over the shoulder routine.

Given Billy’s options, what move do you think he should make?