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XXXVIII.
XXXVIII-20
Season 4
Number 38
Date Aired April 2, 2017
Writer Jonathan E. Steinberg
Robert Levine
Director Jonathan E. Steinberg
Previous XXXVII.
Next Rackham's Razor
"A story is true. A story is untrue. As time extends it matters less and less. The stories we want to be believe... those are the ones that survive."
―Jack Rackham

Flint makes one last push to topple England. Silver seals his fate. Rackham confronts Rogers. Nassau is changed forever.

Synopsis[]

The final episode opens on the estate in Savannah Georgia where the rich hide their troublesome family members to live in anonymity. One of Nassau’s captains, Tom Morgan, sits with the society man who owns the plantation and asks if they have a particular person incarcerated there. When the owner refuses to divulge any info, Morgan informs him that he represents Long John Silver, and the owner’s attitude abruptly changes.

On Skeleton Island, James Flint and Silver scramble to save as many of the Walrus’ crew as they can, while the redcoats continue shooting them from the longboats. Woodes Rogers orders his men to give no quarter, with just one exception; to capture Flint alive with his knowledge of the treasure. Things look bad until there’s a signal from the EurydiceJack Rackham has arrived. While Rogers heads out to sea, Rackham picks up the survivors.

Before giving pursuit, Rackham, Silver and Flint have a sit-down in the captain’s cabin to settle some of their differences. Flint demands to know where Rackham has been, and Rackham explains his meeting in Philadelphia with Eleanor Guthrie’s grandfather, but leaves out the details. Meanwhile, Flint insists on taking command of their pursuit of Rogers, which Silver grudgingly agrees to, leading Rackham to walk away in disgust.

XXXVIII-15

As the Lion leaves the inlet, Rogers is waiting for them, and Flint orders them to ram him. While climbing the rigging to turn the Eurydice’s broadside to them, Flint clashes with Billy Bones high in the crow’s-nest and among the sails. The fight is brutal and ends with Billy falling once again into the sea; Billy is later revealed to be marooned on Skeleton Island. Meanwhile, Rackham leads the mass of men fighting on maindeck. Through the chaos, he spots Rogers and the pair face off. Rogers seems to be getting the upper hand, when Flint joins the fray. Finally outmatched, Rogers is defeated and the pirates overtake the ship. With Rogers at his mercy, Rackham informs him that he will not be keelhauled; instead he has a far more humiliating end in mind.

While all this is going on, Silver goes below to searches for Madi, and meets… himself; a cowardly crewman who claims to be “just the cook.” The cook leads him to the cell where he’s finally reunited with his beloved, still alive.

XXXVIII-16

With Madi safe, Silver, Flint, and some men row ashore to retrieve the treasure. Only… Flint won’t take them to it until he can clear the air with Silver one more time. This time, Silver has something to say. Standing opposite him, gun pointed at his chest, Silver believes he’s seen Flint’s war for what it truly is: the senseless violence of a man with nothing left to lose and just wants to see the world burn. Flint bites back that Silver’s life with Madi will eventually prove hollow, and sooner or later, he’ll want proof that he mattered. However, Silver is resolute in his stance; the war against civilisation is over, and he begs Flint to yield willingly.

Jack returns to Philadelphia to bring word that Captain Flint is no longer a concern to them. He’s not dead, but retired. Mrs. Guthrie isn’t exactly pleased with the outcome, but Max and Rackham assure her that Flint is now not a martyr to the cause and will never be heard from again. Before the deal is struck, Rackham requests one more favour; to be involved in the writing of an affidavit against the disgraced Governor Rogers.

XXXVIII-13

On the Maroon Island, Silver explains the same to a devastated Madi, who wanted the war to echo across the New World as much as Flint did. Flint has been taken to the Savannah plantation, and money changed hands to have him incarcerated. As Flint is escorted to Thomas Hamilton, the man whose death had given birth to Flint, the old McGraw seems to re-emerge. Madi initially demands that Silver leave, but in the end she realises that Silver did the best he could for their partner, and returns to his side.

XXXVIII-5

Some months later, Rackham sits in the tavern in Nassau speaking with a young recruit for his crew. He explains that Nassau is now a legitimate flourishing port, while in the background the new Governor Augustus Featherstone shakes hands with yet more respectable business partner, with Idelle at his side. From the balcony opposite, Max looks on with a smile, the real power behind the throne. Rackham finishes, with a wink, that piracy of course is strictly disapproved of.

XXXVIII-18

In the end, Rackham leads the young kid aboard his ship, and introduces him to Anne Bonny as Mark Read; Bonny just rolls her eyes. Below them on the maindeck, some of the crew unfurl Rackham’s flag… the Skull & Cross-Swords. Disappointed, Rackham feels it might need one more change.

Memorable Quotes[]

"Victory here today changes everything for everyone forever. And it is most likely to happen under my direction. "
―James Flint
"There is something in the air between you and your friend up there. It's just tension between steadfast partners. Or it's something else. We could suffer under the weight of our respective questions. Or would you like to start trading answers?"
―Jack Rackham
"P-please, sir. I'm just the cook."
―Cowardly Cook
"Don't worry. No one's going under the ship today. Though, the thought had crossed my mind. No, I'm quite certain I can do better than that."
―Jack Rackham
"You must know this. You're too smart not to know this. They paint the world full of shadows and then tell their children to stay close to the light. Their light. Their reasons, their judgments. Because in the darkness, there be dragons. But it isn't true. We can prove that it isn't true. In the dark, there is discovery, there is possibility, there is freedom."
―James Flint
"We will have been for nothing. Defined by their histories distorted to fit into their narrative until all that is left of us are the monsters in the stories they tell their children."
―James Flint
"The pirates will be leaving here. The chiefs. But I will stay. And I will wait. A day a month a year forever in the hopes that you will understand why I did what I did."
―John Silver
"Because what's it all for if it goes unremembered? It's the art that leaves the mark. But to leave it, it must...transcend. It must speak for itself. It must be true."
―Jack Rackham

Trivia[]

  • Tom Morgan is a fictional character from Treasure Island. An ex-pirate from Flint's old crew.
  • Featherstone's success in leading his crew to Skeleton Island despite their guide's death should not be shock, given that he was introduced as one of the best navigators on the island.
  • In episode V, Logan remarks that boarding bow to midships is "fucking suicide." In this episode, Rogers tries exactly that (although he isn't given a chance to actually board the ship), highlighting his increased instability.
  • During the final battle, Silver's discovery of the cook hiding below decks echoes his own introduction in episode I during the Boarding of Parrish's Ship.
  • After the final battle, as Flint and Silver row towards the shore to dig up the cache, the camera pans towards the set of shovels in the boat. This echoes Flint's "oars for shovels" monologue in episode II.
  • When Silver is holding Flint at gunpoint, he says "this is not what I wanted," the same words Flint said in VIII. as he held Gates' dead body and Peter Ashe said in XVII. after Rhett shot Miranda.
  • In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Anne Bonny walks past a man on the sidewalk who is reading a newspaper- the American Weekly Mercury. The Mercury was a real life newspaper in colonial Philadelphia, but publication only began in 1719.
  • The Latin inscription on the gate of the plantation says “Not for themselves but for others.” This is the state motto of Georgia. The colony that became that state was founded by James Oglethorpe, who in real life founded the colony with debtors, who were imprisoned in horrible conditions in England. This is reflected in his portrayal on the show (although he would have been 19 in real life in 1715), in which he owns an estate where he uses convicts as laborers, including troublesome relatives of wealthy families who need to disappear but get to live out their days humanely.
  • In the final establishing shot of Nassau, the layout of the main street appears to have reverted to its pre-Season Three appearance, where it ends in a dead end of a densely packed street, instead of leading on to the town square and the Governor's Mansion.
  • The book that Mrs. Hudson reads to her children at the end of the episode is A General History of the Pyrates. In real life, the book was written in 1724, and was extremely influential in shaping popular conceptions of pirates.
  • Anne is wearing her hat from Seasons One and Two again in this episode. It is revealed in Rackham's Razor, the prequel graphic novel written by Toby Schmitz, that Jack gave her the hat when they first met.
  • Mary Read is introduced going by her real life alias of Mark Read. In real life, Mary Read was known for being the second female pirate to sail with Rackham's crew.
  • During Mary Read's scene with Jack in the Tavern, the Parson's Farewell is playing faintly in the background.
  • The final shot of the series shows Jack Rackham's famous Jolly Roger design- the skull above two crossed swords. However, the design presented differs from the common depiction by adding D-guards to the swords. However, the implication could be that Rackham being Rackham, would continue to be finicky about the flag's design.
  • Jack's remark about the flag, "it's fine," is the exact same phrase he used to describe his first flag when Linus Harcourt asked if he thought there was something wrong with it in XIV.

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Characters[]

First[]

Deaths[]

  • Lieutenant Utley
  • Pirate Rebel

Locations[]

Organizations[]

Ships[]

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