Behind the Scenes: Treasure Island Episode 7

When we set out to reimagine Treasure Island, we knew there would come a point where we’d leave the map behind. With Episode 7: Silver & Blood, that moment arrived - and it hit like a cannon blast.

This is, without question, our most emotionally charged and narratively daring chapter so far. A story once rooted in adventure and buried gold now twists toward something deeper: loss, loyalty, and the painful forging of identity. In Silver & Blood, we reframe one of literature’s most iconic rogues and make our boldest divergence from Stevenson’s original tale.

The Tragedy of Long John Silver

In the novel, Long John Silver is infamous: charismatic, cunning, and always two steps ahead. Stevenson hints at a wife waiting for him in the England - a detail that feels almost tossed aside. We chose to draw that thread tighter and twist it.

In our version, Silver doesn’t just have a wife - he has everything to lose. His love, Anaya, and their daughter were forced to flee when the British came hunting for him. It’s a love story told in shadow, but one that reshapes everything you thought you knew about the man. He’s not just a pirate seeking treasure - he’s a fugitive, a husband, a father, and now, a man with a past he can never return to.

This reimagining casts Silver in a far more tragic light. It deepens his choices and complicates his motivations. What drives a man to double-cross, to kill, to survive at any cost? Sometimes, it’s not greed - it’s grief.

Doctor Livesey’s Death: A Creative Risk

But it’s not just Silver’s past that shifts the story’s course.

The death of Doctor Livesey is, without question, the most audacious creative liberty we’ve taken on this journey. Some listeners may have felt shocked - maybe even betrayed. After all, in the original novel, Livesey is a stabilising force, a moral compass, and one of the few adults Jim can truly trust.

So why kill him?

There were two reasons. First, it serves as a clear message to our audience: this is no longer the story you thought you knew. No one is safe. No path is predictable. And second - it forces Jim Hawkins to grow up.

Livesey was Jim’s guide, his mentor, and often his conscience. With him gone, Jim stands alone at a crossroads. The boy who once fetched rum and eavesdropped in taverns is gone. What remains is someone who must make impossible choices without the benefit of wisdom beside him.

In the wake of Livesey’s death, his final words echo: “Find your way home.” It’s both a literal and metaphorical challenge. Where is “home” for a boy who’s seen too much? And who will he be if he makes it there?

A Boy No Longer

The episode ends in a moment of quiet resolve. While the survivors prepare to sail, Jim heads into the caves, flintlock in hand. The same flintlock Livesey once held. The boy with wide eyes and trembling hands is gone. What’s left is a young man - wounded, hardened, and forever changed.

It’s a pivotal moment not just for Jim, but for the story itself. Silver & Blood sets the tone for what’s to come: no more games, no more illusions of adventure. This is about survival, legacy, and the choices that mark us forever.

Behind the Scenes: What Comes Next

Silver & Blood is the calm before the final storm - and the fire before the ashes. In the final episode, everything we’ve built toward will collide: betrayal, redemption, and the ultimate question of who lives and who dies with their soul intact. If you’ve followed Jim this far, you won’t want to miss how his story ends.

We'll be back soon with the final behind the scenes look at Treasure Island to explore how we wrapped up the story and how we paved the way for more adventures to come.

The OutWrd Team.

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