Warning: This article discusses major plot details from Episode 1 of MGM+’s Treasure Island.
Hayley Atwell may be playing a supporting character on paper, but in the premiere of Treasure Island, Bess Hawkins is the person who makes the story move. The new six-part adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gives Jim Hawkins’ mother far more agency than she has in the 1883 novel. That choice makes Bess one of the most intriguing parts of Episode 1—and also one of the adaptation’s biggest creative risks.
Atwell’s Bess is not simply a worried parent standing behind a young hero. She is a practical, sharp-eyed innkeeper who reads people quickly, makes difficult calculations, and sees the treasure map as a possible way out of a life with too few options. Whether every viewer likes that reinvention is another question. But it gives Atwell something active to play from the first episode.
1. Bess makes the treasure hunt a choice—not an accident
In the familiar version of Treasure Island, Jim’s discovery of a map sends him into a world of pirates, danger, and adult secrets. The MGM+ version changes the emotional starting point by making Bess part of the decision-making. She is not simply swept along after Billy Bones arrives at the Admiral Benbow Inn. She recognizes that he is dangerous, but she also understands that his story about Captain Flint’s fortune could represent an opportunity.
That distinction matters. Bess’s interest in the treasure is not framed as pure greed; it grows out of scarcity, ambition, and the instinct to protect her family. Her choices can be reckless, but they are choices. The result is a mother who helps set the plot in motion instead of waiting for the plot to happen to her.
2. Atwell gives Bess confidence without making her invulnerable
Atwell’s strength here is the way she balances nerve with uncertainty. Bess can bargain, charm, and bluff, but the episode does not make her omniscient. Her ability to read people gives her an advantage; it does not guarantee that she understands what they will do next. That gap between confidence and control is where the performance gets its tension.
There is a particular energy to the way Bess deals with Billy Bones. Their flirtation is also a negotiation: both characters appear to be sizing up what the other can offer. Bess’s warmth may be genuine in moments, strategic in others, or both at once. Atwell keeps those possibilities alive without spelling out every calculation.
It is a useful contrast with Long John Silver. David Oyelowo’s Silver is frightening because he seems to have survived by turning patience and menace into tools. Bess’s power is more social. She tries to make people underestimate her, then uses the room they give her. The two characters operate with different kinds of leverage, which could make their future confrontations more interesting than a simple contest between hero and villain.
3. The map-burning decision puts Bess at the center of the suspense
One of Episode 1’s clearest statements about this version of Bess comes when the map is no longer a safe object to possess. Jim’s photographic memory gives the Hawkins family a way to preserve the map’s information even after Bess destroys the physical document. That move shifts the source of the story’s danger: the treasure’s location is no longer just a piece of paper that can be stolen. It is knowledge trapped inside Jim’s mind—and a reason for Silver to keep the family close.
The decision is bold because it forces the series to make Bess responsible for a major strategic turn. It also creates a potentially uncomfortable question: is she protecting Jim, or placing him in greater danger because she believes she can manage the consequences? The most compelling answer may be that she is doing both. Bess wants to secure a future for her son, but her appetite for a better life can make her gamble with the very safety she is trying to preserve.
For more on the premiere’s final reveal and why Silver is aboard the Hispaniola, read our Episode 1 ending-twist breakdown.
4. Why some viewers may think Bess overshadows Jim
Giving Bess more to do has a trade-off. Jim is still the coming-of-age protagonist, but the premiere spends substantial time establishing his mother’s motives, her relationship with Billy Bones, and her plans for the map. That can make Jim feel less like the engine of the story and more like a crucial piece on the board.
Some early reviews have raised precisely this concern. RogerEbert.com’s review argues that Bess’s expanded role pushes Jim into the background, while other episode coverage sees the mother-and-son partnership as one of the adaptation’s key hooks. These reactions are not mutually exclusive: Bess can be compelling and the balance between the two characters can still feel uneven.
The question is what the series does next. If Bess’s decisions force Jim to become more resourceful, the expanded role could sharpen his coming-of-age arc. If she continues to make the important moves while Jim mostly reacts, the adaptation risks weakening the very journey it claims to tell.
5. Bess is a reinvention, not a replacement for Jim
The strongest case for Atwell’s performance is not that Bess should replace Jim as the lead. It is that her presence gives the classic story a new emotional pressure point. A mother and son can want the same thing—a safer, better life—while disagreeing about the risks required to get there. That tension gives the treasure hunt a family dynamic that a more traditional adaptation might not have.
It also opens the door to a more complicated story about survival. Bess is capable, but capability is not the same as freedom. She can manipulate a conversation, yet she cannot control the pirates, the sea, or the political forces gathering beyond the ship. Atwell’s performance works best when Bess’s determination feels like a response to limited choices rather than a superpower that makes every obstacle easy.
Our related guide looks at another major change in the adaptation: how Jim’s photographic memory changes the treasure-map story.
Verdict: Is Bess the real star of Episode 1?
In terms of agency and immediate dramatic impact, yes—Bess is arguably the premiere’s most active character. Atwell gives her wit, ambition, vulnerability, and a willingness to make choices that carry consequences. That makes her fascinating, even when the script risks pushing Jim to the sidelines.
But “the real star” is a deliberately provocative way to frame it. Jim remains the story’s coming-of-age center, and Silver’s late arrival supplies the menace that makes the voyage feel dangerous. The adaptation will need all three characters to work. If later episodes turn Bess’s bold decisions into meaningful challenges for Jim, her expanded role could enrich the classic. If not, the series may end up with a vivid Bess Hawkins and a less convincing Jim Hawkins.
Frequently asked questions
Who plays Bess Hawkins in MGM+’s Treasure Island?
Hayley Atwell plays Bess Hawkins, Jim’s mother, in the 2026 six-part adaptation.
Is Bess Hawkins a major character in the original Treasure Island novel?
No. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel, Jim’s mother has a much smaller role than the expanded version played by Atwell in the new series.
Why is Bess so important in Episode 1?
Bess helps decide what to do with Billy Bones and the treasure map. Her ambition and practical instincts help drive the Hawkins family toward the voyage aboard the Hispaniola.
Does Bess overshadow Jim Hawkins?
Some early critics argue that the adaptation gives Bess so much attention that Jim’s coming-of-age story loses focus. Whether that imbalance continues will depend on how later episodes develop Jim’s choices and independence.
Where can viewers watch Treasure Island?
The series premiered on MGM+ in the United States on October 11, 2026. Paramount+ carries it in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Availability can vary by region.
Sources and further reading
- Playground Entertainment: official series page and first-look images
- RogerEbert.com: review of Treasure Island (2026)
- Ready Steady Cut: Episode 1 recap
- Paramount+: Treasure Island guide and cast information
By Shivam Das
