It’s fascinating how the show plays with narrative lenses and allows the viewers to reassess Stede through Ed.
It’s said Stede should be killed for incompetence in episode one. Badminton calls him pathetic and mocks him mercilessly. We see the disdain of Stede’s father, and how ostracised Stede feels within his marriage. Jackie thinks he’s a loser within minutes. Blackbeard’s interest in Stede is ambiguous. Stede’s own self-loathing is evident. The only kindness we glimpse is Olu, Buttons and the indigenous islanders, none of whom seem to truly know or understand Stede.
Interestingly, Izzy seems to clock something of the power of Stede early and the threat to his status quo. Izzy does as much as he feels able to keep him from his Boss. It’s not quite clear though at this stage as to the reason why.
Finally, Blackbeard arrives on the Revenge, and gives us an entirely different lens in which to evaluate Stede Bonnet even before they’ve properly met: this guy is fucking fascinating.
The viewer needs to reassess who Stede is from this point on. And it makes us look at ourselves and go, ‘oh…OH!’