Also Just In Case Anyone Did Miss This Added Context That I Genuinely Can't Miss Is Like. The Thing About

also just in case anyone did miss this added context that i genuinely can't miss is like. the thing about izzy's betrayal, because i see a LOT of people say that izzy was just selling stede out is that as far as the British were concerned they were selling ed to izzy.

they were selling him. they were providing him to izzy as payment for services rendered to the crown. the show establishes from episode 1 that the british navy considers non-white people to be savages and slaves. episode 5 establishes that the french share this belief, with the french captain calling ed a donkey, which is an old slur for pacific islanders.

its to izzy's credit that i DONT think he gathered that this was what was occurring - he genuinely seems to think that he was "saving" ed from a fate worse than death (being happy and """emasculated""" with stede), but the way the british talk about ed - how they are remanding him to the custody of "captain" hands - demoting him while promoting izzy, the white man given "custody" over him with the expectation that izzy will keep him under control -

as far as the british are concerned, izzy has just bought the man they're selling, in exchange for the man they want dead. which is also why they're willing to turn him over. slavery is alive and well in the 1700s, and they're selling a man of color to a white man's "custody". he's friend to the crown, so he can name his price, and his price was ed.

but not ed's freedom - ed is not captain teach, captain blackbeard, he's entrusted to the custody of captain hands.

izzy doesn't seem to get it. ed absolutely does. this is the kind of shit he's dealt with his whole life.