Mary reminisces fondly about the transformations in her life after assuming Stede's demise. The children have adapted seamlessly, she's found solace in a circle of affluent local widows, her painting career is flourishing, and her romance with her instructor, Doug, is blooming. However, Stede's unexpected reappearance serves as a harsh reminder of the past, threatening to undo all her progress. Nonetheless, Mary stands firm, informing Stede that she cherishes the life she's crafted and won't let him taint it.
As Mary prepares for her art exhibition, her widow friend Evelyn whispers a sinister suggestion: eliminating Stede, with her family's undertaker services readily available to conceal the crime.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Revenge, Ed grapples with the aftermath of their separation. He wanders aimlessly, draped in Stede's attire, penning melancholy melodies. Jim eventually finds his way back to the ship, reuniting with Oluwande in a tender embrace. The crew endeavors to console Ed, but he proposes a unique solution: a talent show to lift their spirits. Izzy, however, confronts Ed harshly, reminding him that he pledged loyalty to the fearsome Blackbeard, not this brokenhearted shadow of the man he once knew.
Stede, intoxicated with the spirit of the pirate tales he spun in the bar, stumbled into Mary's art exhibition, where his drunken antics caused a commotion. In the dead of night, Mary prepared a metal skewer, aiming for Stede's ear as he slumbered. But he awoke just as the blade neared, and the two found themselves in a heart-to-heart. They confessed their regrets for the misery they had inflicted on each other, and Stede inquired about the sensation of being in love, reminiscing about his bond with Ed. Mary wished that Stede would find love too, and he revealed that he believed he was already enamored—with Ed. Overjoyed, Mary hugged him tightly.
The following morning, Stede shared his ingenious plan with Mary. With the assistance of their children, Doug, Evelyn, and Evelyn's pet leopard, they orchestrated a ruse that gave Mary the liberty to be with Doug while Stede pursued Ed, seemingly having perished.
On the deck of the Revenge, Ed pondered over the red silk, ultimately discarding it overboard. He transformed into a sinister figure he dubbed "the Kraken," reverting to his cruel nature. Lucius was pushed overboard to drown, Izzy's pinky toe was severed and forced into his own mouth, and nearly all of Stede's "playthings" were discarded, including stranding most of the crew on a minuscule island. Only Jim, imprisoned until he agreed to join Ed's ranks, and Frenchie, tasked with sewing a bleeding heart onto the flag, remained. Yet, in solitude, Ed curled up on Stede's bed, weeping as he stared at the painting of the lighthouse. On the island, the stranded crew was saved from the brink of cannibalism by the timely arrival of Stede in a rowboat.
