Gates

Gates

Background

Gates is the quartermaster on The Walrus in the West Indies.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 1 I. played by Mark Ryan

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 is walking through the merchant ship telling the pirates what to pillage when Joshua tries to scare him. Gates comes to a door that is blocked and when he breaks it down, finds John Silver inside and the Ship's Cook dead. Silver offers to join the crew and says he is very good cook. Gates tells Billy Bones that Silver wants to join the crew. Gates relays to Dufresne what they found on the merchant ship and Dufresne tallies up what they can sell and tells Gates that each pirate will only make 8 dollars. Captain Flint shows Gates the Captain's Log, but Gates notices the page with the schedule is torn out. Dr. Howell tells Flint that Mr. Duffy has died. Singleton is about to torture Parrish when Gates pulls him away.

Gates tells Flint that Singleton has the votes to remove him as captain. The pirates land at Nassau on New Providence Island and Gates goes up to Mr. Scott and tells him that he needs to speak to Eleanor Guthrie. Elanor walks out of her office and tells the room full of pirates that she won't help anyone that runs away from the navy. Sanderson calls her a cunt and when Eleanor finds out how much Sanderson's captain brought in, she ignores the insult and calls Sanderson an earner. Gates tells Eleanor about Singleton trying to take over as captain and asks for a loan. Mr. Scott doesn't think Eleanor should give Gates the money, but Eleanor agrees to give him the money. Gates goes to see Mosiah and tries to convince him to vote for Flint. Later, Joshua tells Gates that Mosiah was murdered and he, Gates, Eleanor and Mr. Scott go to where Joshua found Mosiah's body and he tells them that Mosiah's last word was Vane.

Flint and Billy arrive at The Walrus and Gates tells Flint that the crew has gathered to vote on who will be captain. 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 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 Mark Ryan

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. Gates tells Flint they found the schedule. Eleanor 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.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 3 III. played by Mark Ryan

Flint and Miranda Barlow go outside and Gates has arrived at her house with a wagon and Richard inside. Silver finishes writing the schedule 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.

Gates goes to the fort and is brought to Captain Benjamin Hornigold by Phillip. Hornigold tells Phillip that the chair he is sitting on came from the Plymouth office of Sir Francis Drake and tells him that if Gates ever lays a finger on it, Phillip is to shoot Gates dead. Gates tells Hornigold that Flint is offering one share per crew member and two shares for use of his ship when they catch the L'Urca. Hornigold agrees to the offer and he and Gates shake hands. Rackham sits down next to Gates and casts doubts in his mind about him being the captain of Hornigold's ship during the attack on the L'Urca. While Dufresne and Flint are going over how much items the crew has, Gates tells Dufresne to leave. Gates suggests to Flint that they ask Captain Charles Vane to take part in the attack instead of Gates leading a crew. Eleanor, Rackham, Vane, Flint and Gates have a meeting and Flint immediately brings up that Vane killed Mosiah. After some haggling each party comes to an agreement on terms.

Eleanor hears Max screaming and runs out of Vane's tent and sees Hamund raping Max. Eleanor declares that Vane's crew from now on will be cut off from the island and its resources unless they elect a new captain and join Flint. Anne Bonny starts to walk towards Flint, but Vane threatens her. Eleanor tries to comfort Max, but Max tells her that Eleanor is the cause of everything by not leaving with her. Max then walks to Vane and says she will stay until her debt is paid.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 4 IV. played by Mark Ryan

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.

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.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 5 V. played by Mark Ryan

Flint gets upset that The Walrus isn't catching up to the Andromache and orders all the sails be raised. De Groot warns against raising all the sails and Logan and Dufresne measure their speed. Billy agrees with De Groot, but then changes his mind when Flint stares at him. Gates then gives the order to increase the sails and they increase their speed. Billy gives a speech to the crew including Joshua and tells them of Flint's plan of attack using Beauclerc. After the speech, Gates tells Billy that he did a good job. Captain Bryson starts firing at The Walrus causing lots of injuries and damage to the ship. Beauclerc snipes Mr. Burnett the helmsman on the Andromache. Mr. Harris goes to take the helm and is also sniped by Beauclerc and the Andromache lurches and loses the wind. The crew of The Walrus board the Andromache and Gates tells Flint that Bryson is in a reinforced hold.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 6 VI. played by Mark Ryan

Muldoon hands Lars, who is having soot put on him by Gates a bomb and gives him instructions on how to use it. Billy talks to Gates about how Richard was supposed to be under guard by Miranda, and yet somehow managed to get free. Lars sneaks towards the bunker, but is spotted by Hayes and shot dead. Billy shows Gates the letter and tells him that he knows what happened on the Maria Aleyne.

Gates tells the crew of the plan to have four men dangle over the side of the ship to cut a hole in it in order to place a charge inside. After getting no volunteers, Flint choose Paxton, Bobby, Dooly, and Logan. Logan argues with the order and tries to get Billy to stand up to Flint. Gates knocks Logan unconscious and tells the crew that while they are in battle Flint's orders are the law. A pirate whistles to Flint and shows him the rag the slaves placed in the porthole. The slaves are thrown a spike from the porthole and the crew of The Walrus start to rhythmically chop at the Andromache. The slaves attack and kill their guards and then charge into the bunker and Mr. Scott opens the door of the bunker allowing The Walrus crew to come in.

As a couple of The Walrus crew are gathering supplies they accidentally set off Bryson's explosives. Flint worries the Scarborough might have seen the explosion and orders The Walrus to take off even with only a few cannons loaded on board. Flint and Billy go to cut the spire of the Andromache loose from their ship. The Andromache starts firing at them and Flint yells man over board and tells Gates that Billy fell into the water. Dufresne lists the dead including Old Jim Carver, Sebastian Frakes, and Billy Bones and their bodies and a sword are dropped into the ocean.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 7 VII. played by Mark Ryan

Gates sees Dufresne getting a tattoo and with a newly shorn head and Dufresne says it is part of an initiation to become The Walrus' new quartermaster. Gates asks Flint when he is going to confront Miranda about Richard escaping. Gates confronts Flint about the letter Miranda wrote in which she thought Flint would betray them. Flint tells Gates that he thinks Miranda wants to leave and is desperate enough to say anything in order for him to leave too. Gates accuses Flint of getting rid of Billy Bones. Gates says that he is bringing his concerns to the crew and Flint tells Gates that he plans to take a portion of every crew members loot and that everyone is lied to. Gates then tells him that he will help attack the Urca, but will then part ways with Flint. As they are about to set sail, Gates remembers back to when he spoke with Dufresne the night before when Dufresne told him that the crew plans on killing Flint after they take the Urca over the death of Billy. The Walrus and the Ranger then leave port.

During the events of Black Sails: Season 1 Episode 8 VIII. played by Mark Ryan

Gates, Silver and Flint have a meeting in Flint's cabin and Flint has Silver write down the last of the Urca's schedule. Flint compares what Silver wrote down to notes of inlets he has and realizes the course leads to Division Bay. Flint then hands Silver coordinates to give to De Groot. Flint and Gates have a drink together and reminisce about old times. The Walrus and Ranger arrive at Division Bay and Flint briefs his crew. Once they get view of the bay. no ship is there. Dufresne tells Flint that the crew has agreed to dock the ships and send out search parties for the Urca. Dufresne tells Gates that De Groot has insisted that once they dock, that Flint is immediately put on trial. Gates disagrees with the plan and insists they put Flint on trial when they return then hands Dufresne a letter. Logan spots sails and yells it to the crew and yells out that the ship is a Man-o'-War. Flint comes up with a plan to make it appear like the Ranger is attacking The Walrus and then ambush the Man-o'-War as it gets closer. Gates tells Flint he needs to speak with him and they argue about the plan. Gates tells Flint that he is taking the Ranger and tells Flint about De Groot and the others plan on hanging Flint. Gates tells him that when they return to Nassau that he will have Flint and Miranda secretly taken to Boston and as Gates is leaving Flint grabs him and breaks his neck.