Crossbones Episode 1.04 Antoinette

Selima, perhaps due to her recent indiscretion, attempts a moment of intimacy with Blackbeard - but he rejects her, finding her sudden desire curious if not suspicious. Afterwards, she consults with Rider - is it possible that Blackbeard knows about their affair?

On the other side of Santa Campana, Balfour reaches out to Lowe and expresses his desire to cease his addiction to opium and achieve a higher degree of wellness. Lowe institutes a rigorous rehabilitation program and, in the process of growing closer to Kate's husband, decides to end his affair with Kate. Later, while Balfour struggles through opium withdraws, Blackbeard visits to check on his status with the new chronometer - and to threaten him with a horrid death if his endeavor to achieve better health jeopardizes his work. Balfour promises to finish it on time.

The chronometer, however, is not the only thing that weighs heavy on Blackbeard's mind - he summons Lowe to engage in another chat about his headaches and disturbing visions; the latter appear to grow more real by the day (and recently involve not just the woman in white, but a young boy, too...). Lowe contends they function as a symptom of Blackbeard's underlying illness. This piques Blackbeard's interest and allows Lowe to trick him into inducing a seizure to prove his point, causing the commodore to fall unconscious. Lowe, gifted with a few moments alone, searches the room for any kind of clue - and finds one in the form of a map. Upon inspection, it seems clear: Blackbeard plans to attack the English in Jamaica.

When Blackbeard finally stirs, Lowe issues a tepid prognosis that a lingering brain injury may spell impending doom. Blackbeard believes he is dying - and the news propels him into action. Whatever his plan, he needs an army, and he brings Rider to Archangel Island where a group of warriors for hire stand ready to fight - for the highest bidder. After one of the soldiers beats Rider in a test of combat, Blackbeard agrees to purchase the whole lot, despite the fact Santa Campana lacks the funds. He promises payment and, in turn, approaches Lowe, Rider and Nenna with a new mission - they will steal a map from the Spanish that will help pay for the warriors on Archangel Island. But here's the rub: instead of outright stealing the map, they will break into the governor's mansion, Lowe will copy it by hand, and then return, leaving the Spaniards none the wiser. Rider and Nenna scoff at Lowe's inclusion, both distrusting of the surgeon, but Blackbeard insists as Lowe's sketching abilities remain tantamount to the mission's success.

Stealth occurs elsewhere on the island when Rose sneaks into Nenna's room in an effort to retrieve the jewel Nenna stole. But Nenna discovers her, and the resulting confrontation reveals Nenna may have stolen from the wrong woman - Rose purports to have a letter that, if she were to die of unnatural causes, would damn whomever killed her. Moreover, to keep quiet about Nenna's theft, Rose wants all her money in return.

Nenna keeps this to herself as she disembarks with Lowe and Rider in Cuba. They sneak into the mansion, and with Rider acting as lookout, Nenna and Lowe manage to locate the secret map in an office. Lowe copies it with ease and accuracy, slipping back out to the beach unnoticed - only to have Rider put a blade to his neck. Lowe refuses to give up the map and as Rider considers killing him, Nenna comes to Lowe's aid - and points her sword at Rider. He lowers his weapon and they return home... not friends by any means, but at least as co-workers.

They hand over the copied map to Blackbeard (who refuses to divulge why he wished to acquire it in the first place) and soon enough he finds himself in full disguise, posing as a captain with a single ware to sell - Balfour's chronometer. The buyer? Fernando de Portocarrero, the Spanish governor of Cuba, the owner of Blackbeard's prized map. Portocarrero pays a handsome sum for the device - the precise amount Blackbeard uses to purchase his warriors.

In Jamaica, recently promoted Captain Finnegan attempts to sell the other chronometer Blackbeard gave him to Jagger, following the commodore's orders. But Jagger recognizes him as a wanted pirate, takes Finnegan hostage and inspects every inch of the chronometer, quickly scrapping Jagger's story about raiding the Petrel as a total lie. Turns out Jagger engraved the original device with his initials, and his initials appear nowhere on this version. Hours of ruthless torture later, as he holds Finnegan's plucked eye between his fingers, Jagger decides if he is to locate Blackbeard, he must lure him out - and he's got just the bait...

The woman in white from Blackbeard's visions. In the flesh.