The first episode of Washington Black concludes in the Barbados 1829 timeline, where Phillip Wilde leads a young Wash into the woods and aims a gun at him. He pulls the trigger, and the screen cuts to black, leaving viewers in suspense. Here's what happens next in the new period drama, now streaming on Hulu.
Major spoilers are ahead from Washington Black episode 2!
Barbados 1829
The second episode opens with young Wash sprinting out of the woods and back to Erasmus’s estate. He bursts into Titch’s office, prompting Titch to rise from his seat and ask what’s happened. Wash’s clothes are stained with blood. He tells Titch that Phillip is dead, causing Titch to recoil in shock and alarm. Knowing that his brother, Erasmus, will harm Wash and blame him for the incident, Titch tells Wash that they must leave the island. They then sneak off to the Cloud Cutter, while Erasmus's men find Phillip's dead body. Fortunately, Titch and Wash successfully get away before Erasmus's men can capture them.
Their journey starts off smoothly, but things take a turn when a sudden storm hits, causing the Cloud Cutter to collide with a pirate ship. As the pirates confront Titch and Wash, the Cloud Cutter suddenly bursts into flames. The captain of the ship, Captain Alvarez, and his right-hand man, Barrington, join in the conversation before Barrington orders the other men to take Titch below the ship and lock him up. While Titch is away, he's forced to work on the ship's broken motor. Meanwhile, Wash grows closer to Barrington, who shares a similar background.
Wash is sent to assist Captain Alvarez later, while Barrington finally allows Titch to roam freely above deck. Titch speaks with a female pirate named Theodora and persuades her to change their course and head to Virginia to sell their molasses. However, Theodora still needs Captain Alvarez’s approval. Despite her efforts, she fails to convince him. He tells her that the plan is to travel back to Cuba.
It's later revealed that Captain Alvarez only wants to go back to Cuba to reunite with a woman. This angers Theodora, who then tells everyone. In the end, the other pirates decide to join her side except for Barrington. Theodora then orders that Captain Alvarez be removed from the ship. Barrington joins him.
Halifax, Nova Scotia 1837
Following a tense encounter with a bounty hunter at the end of episode 1, Medwin chooses to help Wash by hiding him in a secret location within the town. Medwin explains that the spot was once used by a close friend of his to shelter runaway slaves. Angie has now learned Wash’s true identity and feels hurt that he didn’t trust her enough to confide in her earlier. Medwin, on the other hand, had already figured out who Wash was. He instructs Wash to remain hidden in the secret location to avoid being caught, while he sets off to confront the bounty hunter and drive him away.
Later that day, Angie delivers some goods to Wash. This gives Wash the chance to apologize. They make up, and Angie notices his latest drawing. It's of Tanna. She tells him that she recently found out Mr. McGee has begun courting Tanna. However, this doesn't deter Wash. He begs Angie to pass along a message to Tanna, asking her to meet him later that night at Preston's Cove. Despite warning him about the risk of being caught by bounty hunters, Angie agrees to help.
It's nighttime, and Wash and Tanna go for a boat ride. Remember, Tanna still thinks Wash's real name is Jack. During their conversation, Wash tells Tanna that once his flying machine is up and running, he plans to fly it across the ocean to London and enter it in the Royal Science Expo. His ultimate goal is to win the competition. Tanna shares her dream of becoming a composer with him.
Once the boat ride ends, they make their way back to shore. Just as Tanna is about to share with Wash that she’s engaged, an officer approaches and demands to know what they’re doing. They come up with a quick excuse, and the officer leaves. Tanna and Wash then share a sweet kiss.
Elsewhere at a pub, Medwin meets with the bounty hunter after Wash. His name is John Willard. Medwin warns him that it’s in his best interest to take his bounty hunting business elsewhere, far from Halifax. But Willard doesn’t back down. He makes it clear he’s not leaving without his target, especially after learning that there's a good chance Wash is living there. Medwin then asks him why there's such a high bounty for Wash's capture, and Williard replies it's because he killed a white man. The second episode ends here.
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