it ONLY makes sense for the first three episodes to be ed-based, show him really spiraling, ivan and fang grow increasingly worried about him, start colluding with jim and frenchie to fix this, even izzy starts getting nervous about this monster he's helped create, ed is doing riskier and riskier jobs, we tangentially hear about stede tirelessly searching, trying to catch up with him, he has the revenge in his sights.

then, end of episode 3, ed takes a stupidly risky deal, he knew it was a bad idea, lashing out, trying to get hurt on purpose, as the English officer pulls his gun ed crumples, pathetic and trembling, deep purple bags under his eyes matching the makeup, the disheveled hair in his face, the uneven scruff. "do it" he pleads, falling to his knees with all the pain and exhaustion. his wounds are catching up to him. and as the officer raises his gun, he falls forward. struck on the back of the head with the butt of a sword. stede, romance-novel protagonist level beautiful, loose white shirt billowing, the beginnings of a beard making him all rugged and handsome. "now then, where's this kraken I've heard so much about?" ed grips his side, barely keeping his guts in, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, and whispers a broken "you came back?" and stede lets go, his face softens, so full of love it's agonizing as he rushes to ed's side, holding his wounds, shushing him as he guides his head into his lap, ed's almost blacking out and stede combs his hair out of his face, "oh, darling, never left"