I adore this moment and everything that follows.
Ed doesn’t judge Stede for killing Ned. Stede has just murdered someone—a thing that seems completely contrary to who he is, a thing that “good guys” don’t do. But, Ed never expresses disappointment in him for this. Just like he doesn’t get jealous of his pirate popularity in the next episode.
Instead, he’s concerned for him.
That means a lot in this relationship between two people traumatized by shame-based abuse. I think it goes beyond Ed thinking “who am I to cast stones?” as well.
I think Ed simply does not need an idealized “Stede Bonnet” — for this relationship to work. He loves Stede, full stop.
Which— by the way, I’m just saying— proves what Ned said to be absolute bullshit.
In the same way, Stede doesn’t judge Ed for The Kraken. He only ever expresses fear and care for Ed himself. (And the other people who got hurt by Ed.)
It really turns the performance-based-love narrative that they’ve both been taught on its head. And I love that. To me, it’s an important part of this love story.
It’s all about loving someone more than the concept of them… something that Stede’s father or Izzy and Calico Jack were never willing to do for Stede or Ed.
It’s about how love is not a transaction, it’s much more complex. Because people are complex. So love must grow/change with them, and they with each other, in order to love each other properly.
And, fortunately for us, that’s exactly what they want to do. They’re all in. <3
