There is something that sticks out to me about the lines before Lucius lays out the situation for Ed in This Is Happening. The particular dialogue I’m thinking about is this:
Stede: There’s still a few scraps that didn’t completely burn!
Ed: Ah, give it up Stede. All adventures have a natural conclusion, and this one’s more than fitting.
Stede: No I think I can fix this! Come on, the day’s not fully ruined.
Ed (to Lucius): Gawd, he’ll fucking be moping all the way back to the ship.
Lucius: You don’t have to be a dick about it.
Ed: What.
Ed’s expressions are so interesting to me in this!
When Lucius talks to him he clearly hadn’t considered that Stede might have done all this stuff for him, nor that his attitude might impact Stede’s, nor I even think, that Stede might be concerned with if he’s cool enough for Ed. And that last point I claim because to Ed, Stede has everything that he’s wanted, fine things, and also! Stede is the unwitting seducer! He’s so smooth without meaning to be! Ed’s face, to me, goes through a combo of like “what the fuck are you doing, talking to me like that; I’m suspicious of your new information (that Stede designed the outing for him) and where you’re going with this; you better not be insulting him by calling him bizarre; wait what do you mean he likes me; shock and reflection.” I think the shock and reflection are a combination of “I also can’t believe you just said that to me,” and “oh shit, I can do something about this,” AND “oh shit, I can/should/get to act on what I’ve been feeling.”
The thing is, I don’t think Ed uhhh, understood that he could positively affect this situation? Or something? Whether that’s because he’s still in his own head about the whole adventure or not, I’m not sure. But I do love to read into it further. I think for Ed, his having a bad time turned around when they had their snake snack and he had some nice flirting time with Stede. If this dialogue had happened without that lunch break, I definitely would have interpreted it as him just being done with the whole outing before it began. And I think without the map burning, he would have mostly-contentedly gone along with the adventure for a while longer. (but that wouldn’t have developed his sense of the relationship or moved anything along, and we’ve only got 10 episodes, people!)
But the map burning adds a layer of distress for Stede, which I suspect upsets or puts Ed on edge. What I mean is, he’s not actually putting Stede down because he dislikes Stede, I think he dislikes that Stede is upset, and is putting down/dismissing his own feelings and Stede’s in an attempt to not deal with his discomfort. He was having a bad time, then it got better, and then it got worse because Stede was upset. And Ed is not looking forward to more of Stede being upset. I would guess that part of that is because he doesn’t know how to deal with Stede being upset (I think that’s shown partially in the next episode with Calico Jack, though I’d argue a lot of Ed’s awkwardness is due to Jack’s presence and trying to smooth things over but still! I think him not knowing how to deal with Stede’s unhappiness also plays in).
For sure I think another part of the scene is, Ed performing toxic masculinity by trying to put Stede down or diminish his emotions to another man (though notable not to Stede’s face, because again, I don’t think it’s about Stede, it’s about Ed not knowing how to deal), and then realizing that if he lets Stede have his emotions and also reassures him (i.e. not performing toxic masculinity and allowing emotions to exist and be felt), then he gets a more preferred outcome. He also supports Stede’s initial desires, after realizing the day was made for him and it makes all the difference, to Stede. Because of course Stede’s distress is about his fear of losing Ed, not the map itself. He’s worried the day has been ruined, with no outing/exciting adventure to carry out to keep Ed’s interest.
But I think it also has a romantic angle (apart from the obvious of him letting go of being a dick because he and Stede like each other). Or maybe romantic isn’t quite the right word. But basically, I’m wondering if Ed has ever even had the opportunity to positively affect someone’s mood in this particular way, by showing them kindness and reassurance. Certainly he’s garnered awe and respect in those around him, and those can be positive. But it’s not the same. This show is about pointing at toxic masculinity and sexism and homphobia and saying “hey, this hurts literally everyone involved”. The Blackbeard persona is the embodiment of Masculinity that is violent and fear-based and removed from human connection. Ed is lonely and bored and isolated. Izzy is the only person close to him, and clearly doesn’t actually understand him. We don’t know much of Ed’s past, but how many opportunities, in the pirate world, do you think he had to comfort a friend or develop a close relationship with someone based on vulnerability? Pretty sure the answer is Zero, and Stede is the first person. Pretty sure that’s one of the main conceits of the show. If Calico Jack is an indicator of the ideals of toxic masculinity in piracy, and an indicator of Ed’s past between childhood and now, him having a clear disdain for emotional closeness is some good evidence towards my assumptions.
Ed is initially awkward when he approaches Stede, and it could also be because he’s being watched by Lucius, but he does seem a bit unsure of himself and has to hit a stride, once he starts to try to reassure Stede. Which also speaks to me of an unfamiliarity. But once he’s succeeded, and sees that Stede’s spirits are raised, he’s Mr. Heart Eyes and comfortable and happy.
Anyway, I think this bit is a new experience for him, and it makes it that much more lovely to see him more comfortable with comforting Stede in Act of Grace on the beach. In fact, he does it twice, once about the beard, and next on the beach, and both times are so understanding and gentle. And I agree with meta I’ve seen about him feeling relaxed because he’s free of expectation, which plays into it. And I also think he’s comfortable, at that point, with the idea of being able to sit with Stede in his unhappiness, as well as Ed’s ability to positively impact Stede’s emotions. And this scene with the map was necessary for him to extend that gentleness to Stede later.
