Billy Bones
Background
Billy Bones is the boatswain on The Walrus in the West Indies.
During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 1 I. played by Tom Hopper
A merchant ship is being attacked by the Walrus. The Walrus catches up to the merchant ship and most of the remaining sailors on the merchant ship are killed. Gates tells Billy that John Silver wants to join the crew. Randall is petting Betsy when Billy introduces Silver to him. The pirates land at Nassau on New Providence Island and Captain Flint and Billy go to Harbour Island to see Richard Guthrie. They are let inside by the Servant and Flint finds out from Billy that the crew thinks he is weak.
Flint tells Richard about Vasquez who had sailed with La Casa del Contracion in Seville. Vasquez was tasked with getting an escort for the L'Urca de Lime, the largest cargo ship in existence. Flint asks Richard to help him recreate the information from the stolen page, but Richard refuses. Flint grabs him by the arm and starts to break Richard's fingers and Billy pulls his pistol on Flint. Captain Hume suddenly arrives with two seamen and asks Richard what sort of business he is conducting with Flint. Richard lies and says Flint is a sugar merchant and Hume orders Flint, Billy and Richard taken into custody and Billy grabs one of the seamen's rifles and the seaman fires, hitting Richard in the shoulder. Flint then grabs Hume and slams his face into the table and Billy knocks the other seaman unconscious.
Flint and Billy put Richard on a boat and Billy gets angry with Flint for lying to the crew. Flint tells Billy that a war with civilization is coming. They arrive at The Walrus and Flint speaks to the crew that includes Morley and apologizes for their small hauls and tells them the truth of what they have been chasing. He says that a crew member discovered their plans and betrayed them and accuses Singleton of being that person. Gates tells Singleton that he has a choice, a trial or combat and Singleton chooses combat. Flint and Singleton fight and Flint ends up beating Singleton to death. Flint seemingly pulls a piece of paper from Singelton's pockets and hands it to Billy to read. Billy opens the page, which is blank and lies to the crew and says it is the stolen page. Flint tells the crew that he will make them rich and they cheer him.
During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 2 II. played by Tom Hopper
Gates notices Billy is just staring into space and Billy shows him the page in his hand is blank. Flint tells Gates and Billy that the schedule is on the ship and one of the pirates is a thief. Gates realizes the only one that wasn't searched was Silver. Gates and Billy start to search for Silver, who sees them looking for him and Silver jumps into the water. Flint, Gates and Billy land on the beach and Gates asks where Silver went and they are pointed in different directions.
Captain Naft is having a knock off painting of Adriaen Hanneman evaluated by Frasier when he insists they are the same. Frasier points out the difference in their quality, but Naft insists they are the same again. Billy finds Gates watching the argument transpire and Gates tells Billy that they can't be pirates forever. A Boy tells Frasier that Rackham is waiting to speak with him. Gates and Billy follow Frasier to the brothel. Eleanor Guthrie goes to see Max and Gates knocks on the door. Flint, Gates and Billy enter the room and Max tells them where the schedule will be delivered. Billy and Flint arrive at the Wastes and they and Rackham and Captain Charles Vane begin to chase Silver. Flint and Billy catch Silver and he tells them that he burned the schedule after memorizing it.
During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 3 III. played by Tom Hopper
Silver writes out the contents of the page he burned and memorized in front of Eleanor and Billy. Silver finishes writing and hands the paper to Gates. Flint reads it and notices Silver left some details out. Silver admits that he left some parts out as he figured they would kill him and offers to join their crew for a piece of the prize. Flint asks him why he doesn't think they will kill him when they get the L'Urca de Lime and Silver tells him that he assumes they will be friends by then.
Billy and Gates go outside to argue and Billy wonders what will happen if Silver tells the wrong person that Singleton wasn't a thief. He suggests they try and figure out who may harbor ill will towards Flint still, but Gates thinks it will cause suspicion. Billy brings Silver to Randall and tells him to guard Silver and make him peel potatoes. Billy asks Logan, who is sharpening Joji's sword, if he has heard any of the crew grumbling. Silver has Billy follow him and points out Turk, and Morley and tells Billy they are what's left of the mutiny. Later, Billy goes up to Morley and threatens him and Morley tells him that to Flint, the crew is all disposable and tells Billy about Miranda Barlow.
During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 4 IV. played by Tom Hopper
Billy walks into Gates' office and tells him that it is time. They walk out onto the deck of The Walrus and Gates tells the crew that Billy will be their new quartermaster. Billy tells the crew that they will need to careen the ship. He asks the crew where they should do it and Muldoon suggests somewhere where there is plenty of rum. Froom asks if they will have a tent for fornication and Billy mentions that it is something they can discuss later. Billy asks De Groot his opinion and De Groot says The Walrus is unsuitable for the task of careening the ship and asks to find a more suitable beach. Flint says they cannot delay the careening or they will lose their chance at catching the Urca. Billy calls for a vote and all but Morley agree to it. Froom brings up the fornication tent again and after Billy talks about forgoing it, the crew becomes silent. A fornication tent is then set up. As the ship is being brought onto the beach, Billy remembers the conversation he had with Morley in which Morley told him of the time they were hunting a ship called the Maria Aleyne. He continues that Flint promised them the ship held immense wealth, but once they captured it, it had very little and while he was searching the ship he overheard a man and woman begging for their lives and afterwards saw Flint leaving after murdering them. Morley tells him that Flint murdered them for Miranda and good men will die for Flint's hidden agenda.
Billy walks over and tells Froom and Crisp that they tied the rope to the wrong tree and walks away. As Morley is walking he runs into Billy on purpose. He then complains to Billy that he didn't even raise a concern to Flint about the ship. Later, the wind starts to make the palms pull away from the sand. As everyone is running away from the ship, Randall sees Betsy hiding under the ship. Randall goes after her and the ship leans slightly and starts to crush Randall. Morley and Flint run to help Randall and Betsy runs away. They start to dig the sand under Randall while De Groot tells Billy that they have to cut the remaining rope to save the ship's mast. Silver runs over and throws his butcher knife to Flint who starts to hack at Randall's stuck leg. The ropes are cut and the ship lurches, Flint manages to pull Randall away, but Morley is crushed under the ship. Billy tells Gates that he regrets agreeing with Flint's idea about the ship and admits that he is afraid of Flint.