And you know, I definitely see what you mean. Those are great examples. But they're also examples, to me, of the fact that Will doesn't quite "get" Elizabeth--or more precisely, of how he thinks he knows her well, as he has all his life, and of how he reacts when he finds out (repeatedly) that he actually doesn't. He doesn't understand why she wants him to call her Elizabeth, why she took the medallion, why she kissed Jack, why she wants to dispense with her honor prematurely; and when he asks why, he doesn't really want to know the answer. He doesn't, to put it simply, understand the piracy at the heart of her character; and so he can't challenge her at that level, can't say "look at you, you're crazy, you're way over the line and halfway to Singapore, you're no better than Jack," which is, of course, the truth: one that she's only just beginning to come to terms with herself--and needs to.

That's what I mean by calling her on her shit, and that's what Jack can do for her that Will can't...and wouldn't, even if he could see it, because in his mind it's a condemnation, while coming from Jack, it's just recognition. And to make myself clear, I don't think that's because Will's stupid or not listening or because he doesn't love her, but because they are essentially so very different. I don't think she understands him any better than he does her. And unless they can bridge that gap, unless they can actually have that conversation, I don't think they can have a really functional relationship.