Oh, man. That did not go down the way I thought it would be. Don’t read this if you haven’t watched this episode yet, I’m going to get into it.

The push and pull for Nassau took some serious turns in this penultimate episode of the season. Silver and Flint had a really interesting conversation once they got back to the hideout island. Flint’s questioning of Silver’s  choices in handling that mini-mutiny was more advice than questioning. Flint is always quick to judge and admonish, but this was much more of a peer to peer talk than I think we’ve ever seen before. A welcome to the horrible side being a captain speech if there ever was one.

Being spotted by Hornigold pushed Flint’s hand, giving away their secret hideaway and army. This moves the start of the war to an accelerated timetable. The people of the island must mourn the death of Mr. Scott, the father of their home who fought and protected them for years from far away and undercover.

Now, for the bananas portion of the episode, the pirate’s plan on Nassau for Vane. Their movement to get his trial out into the open, thus delaying it to buy them time to figure out how to spring him collapsed and caught on fire in one quick move. Eleanore just blindsides everyone by doing the complete opposite of what they wanted. No delay, no pauses, no negotiations, she gets Vane on the gallows in a single day. This is a mind mind-boggling rise  from a woman who was once damned just months before. Sent away to die, she comes back as a suspicious-at-best advisor, gets in with The Man and takes his command when he gets sick. This is some Game of Thrones level of political maneuvering. She’s telling important men wearing powdered wigs what to do like she was born into English royalty.

Amazing episode for Vane. Zach McGowan crushed every scene given to him. His disgust and breakdown of Pastor Lambrick when he comes to see him talk about repenting to help him find “peace” while he still can. When he waves off Billy Bones last ditch effort to get him out. His awesome speech on the gallows and then when the cart starts to move he walks off of it. One of the most badass exits I’ve ever seen. They fixed it so he would suffer so his fellow pirates come over and aid him in a faster death! Stunning. The crowd completely changes, once jeering and throwing food at him they are shocked into disgust. A martyr has been made, the foundation of a revolution set!

Phenomenal episode and all hell is going to break loose in the finale.