Behind the Scenes: Treasure Island Episode 8

The final episode of Treasure Island was one of those rare moments in storytelling where the possibilities seemed limitless. We had arrived at the point where the world was open in every direction. The fate of characters could change in an instant. Allegiances might shift. Entire arcs could either close or blossom into new adventures. We wanted audiences to feel that sense of potential, that intoxicating pull of the unknown.

From the earliest days of developing the series, we had no intention of confining this story to a single season. Our vision was always to make this the beginning of something larger, an unfolding saga in which Jim Hawkins would continue to navigate the treacherous waters of the pirate world. He would be tested not just in battle or in cunning, but in spirit. This meant that our final episode could not simply tie loose ends and wave the audience off. Instead, it had to act as a crucible, a series of trials in which Jim’s true nature would be revealed.

The central question was this: what kind of man is Jim becoming? By the time the credits rolled, the audience needed to see for themselves where his loyalties lay, what he valued, and whether he could survive with his conscience intact in a world that rarely rewards decency.

The finale became a story of three great tests.

Test One: Loyalty to an Old Sea Dog

The first trial was a journey into danger. Jim’s path led him back to Long John Silver, hidden away in a cave where Flint’s treasure lay sealed behind heavy rocks. Silver was in a bad way. Time and hardship had worn him down, but there was still steel in him, still the wit to stir Jim’s curiosity. Together, they began to shift the stones, revealing not only Flint’s infamous hoard but something far more extraordinary.

What they uncovered was the legacy of the greatest pirates in history. Jewels, gold, and relics that told the story of centuries of plunder. It was a staggering find, the kind of discovery that could change a man’s life forever. For a moment, it seemed as though the lure of the gold might bind the two men together again.

Yet when the time came to decide Silver’s fate, Jim made a choice that was neither easy nor simple. He could have taken Silver with him. He could have left him to die. Instead, he walked away, leaving the old pirate behind but not in malice. It was an act of loyalty of a kind that only makes sense between two men who have shared danger, loss, and betrayal.

Test Two: Devotion to Family and Friends

Jim’s second test was more personal. Returning to England after his release from prison, he went first to confront Eliza. She had achieved what she once longed for: entry into the world of high society. Yet it was clear she had not truly been accepted. Perhaps she was not even certain she wanted to be. She was playing a part in a performance that brought her no joy. Jim pitied her. In that moment he understood that not every victory is worth having.

From there he travelled to the Admiral Benbow, the place where his journey had truly begun. Now boarded up and abandoned, it stood as a reminder of a life left behind. Jim searched inside and found Billy Bones’ old hat, a relic of another man’s hard life. Outside, he came upon an unmarked grave. Knowing whose it was, he carved Billy’s name into a marker. This was a quiet but profound choice, honouring the memory of the pirate who had once protected him over the family who had raised him.

Test Three: Maturity in a Cruel World

The third trial took place in Bristol, and it revealed the clearest signs of Jim’s growth. He stepped in to confront a bully in a factory who was beating children. He helped a clumsy friend find a place to sleep for the night. He even took in a stray dog, despite the disapproval it earned him from others. These were not grand gestures, yet each one was a small rebellion against the cruelty that surrounded him.

The truest measure of his maturity came when he encountered Blind Pew, the man who had played a part in the events that led to Billy’s death. Jim had every reason to take revenge. It would have been easy to end Pew’s life there and then, and in another time perhaps he would have. Instead, he chose to scare him away. It was not mercy exactly, but it was justice of a kind that left Jim’s own hands unstained. His parting words "now you see me", were both a mock to the blind pirate and a statement of becoming.

By the end of the episode, Jim Hawkins stood ready for whatever lay ahead. He was no longer the boy who had set out on his first voyage. He was not yet the man he would become. But he was prepared to face the future on his own terms.

Behind the Scenes: Reimagining a Classic

For us, Treasure Island was the most ambitious project we had ever undertaken. It was never intended as a straightforward retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel. Instead, it was a bold reimagining designed for an audience that appreciates the grit of Black Sails and the ruthless intrigue of Game of Thrones. We wanted a world where the romance of piracy was inseparable from its brutality, where every alliance was fragile and every victory came at a cost.

The production was about more than just recreating a familiar adventure. It was about finding the cracks in the myth and exploring what might grow in those spaces. Who is Jim Hawkins when the story does not end at the closing of the book? What happens when a boy who once dreamed of gold discovers that the real treasure is survival?

We hope this behind-the-scenes look at our finale has given you a sense of the care, ambition, and passion that went into this project. This is not the end of Jim’s story. Far from it. His journey through the pirate world has only just begun, and the next chapter promises to take him into darker waters than ever before.

Jim Hawkins will return.

All episodes of Treasure Island are now available to stream exclusively on OutWrd+. Immerse yourself in the full adventure, experience the grit, the danger, and the intrigue from the very beginning, and hear Jim Hawkins’ journey as it was meant to be told - cinematic, unflinching, and unforgettable.