Summary
Chief of War sows further discord between Ka’iana and Kamehameha in Episode 7, proving one correct over the other. But at what cost?
Despite being the shortest and most contained episode of Chief of War thus far, “Day of Spilled Brains” might nonetheless be the outing that best sums up the story’s essentials. In brief: The white man can’t be trusted. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of colonial history already knows this to be true, of course, but Episode 7 is about the natives of Hawai’i realising just how true it is for themselves. King Kahekili isn’t even glimpsed here; the focus never wanders to neighboring kingdoms. The true enemy, the encroaching devastation and greed of the outside world, has already arrived.
You can tell it’s all going to go wrong because the episode’s opening, a joyous celebration for the birth of a child, is so jovial. If you don’t count Ka’ahumanu having to assure Kamehameha that she’ll be pregnant with his baby “soon”, despite knowing that she won’t be, it’s all fun and games. Mostly, anyway.
The audience knows that Marley and Captain Metcalfe have come ashore with a handful of men and ill intentions. We also know that Kupuohi is watching closely when Ka’iana and Ka’ahumanu sneak off to meet with the spy Ka’iana sent to keep an eye on Keoua, directly contrary to Kamehameha’s instructions. The fun and games persist all around, but the idea of any lasting peace seems frustratingly elusive. Politically and even relationally, Hawai’i is on the brink of collapse.
Ka’ahumanu still believes that Kamehameha’s fondness for peace and Ka’iana’s aptitude for war will both be equally valuable in the battles to come, but the waters are getting a little muddied by her obvious fondness for Ka’iana. Their allyship becomes increasingly flirtatious throughout “Day of Spilled Brains”, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Ka’ahumanu explaining the British customs John Young taught her, including curtsying and kissing the queen’s hand, aren’t just cultural lessons, let me tell you. And while Kupuohi doesn’t really have a leg to stand on when it comes to getting snarky about extramarital relationships, her underlying point is relevant to the overall message. Ka’iana, in his trousers and waistcoat, speaking English and carrying his guns around, is a key vector for the sickness that is pervading the lands and invading its shores.
That sickness takes human form in Marley and Metcalfe. Both are caught snooping and chasing a young native boy around, but they play nice and pretend they’re only interested in fair trade, and Kamehameha believes them. Ka’iana, crucially, does not, and neither does Tony, especially after that whole attempt to take him as a slave. Ka’iana’s advice to Kamehameha is to do what his uncle did to Captain Cook and his men — kill them and send their flayed bones as a message. But it falls on deaf ears. After establishing a law that prohibits killing people on a whim, it wouldn’t do for Kamehameha to be seen breaking it immediately. Namake sides with his chief, not his brother, which probably has more to do with Kupuohi than his political affiliations, but nonetheless, Ka’iana and Tony feel they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands.
Ka’iana, Tony, and Nahi sneak aboard Metcalfe’s ship and confront Marley in the darkness, but Kamehameha, obviously tipped off by someone, blows their cover. After talking Ka’iana out of doing anything rash, he explains his plan to send John Young with glad tidings and a polite missive to depart the islands. Ka’iana doesn’t think it’ll work, and he’s right. But the damage of his insubordination is already done either way. He instantly blames Namake for ratting him out, but it turns out to have been Kupuohi, leaving Nahi furious and Ka’iana dismayed that the family he fought so hard to return to his collapsing around his ears.
Chief of War Episode 7 ends on a deeply tragic note. As mentioned, Metcalfe doesn’t take kindly to John Young’s polite request for him to leave. Instead, he sails to the next bay, which is the small village where Vai and her family are. He orders the cannonballs to be loaded with nails and opens fire on the shoreline, killing many men, women, and children who had assembled to marvel at the ship. It’s a massacre that claims the life of almost everyone present, including, it seems, Vai, who has been sorely underused since her introduction back in Episode 3. Ka’iana can’t make it in time, and neither can any of Kamehameha’s reinforcements.
So, Ka’iana was right — but at what cost? He’s very unlikely to take this well and will likely turn even further away from Kamehameha as a result. With none of his family onside except Nahi, and his only ally the chief’s wife, his hands will be tied, and he will likely once again take matters into his own hands, further exacerbating the conflict. In all this, Keoua and Kahekili will no doubt see a perfect opportunity to strike a divided kingdom.
Still, at least Marley went overboard. Every cloud.
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