Who is Lucca? 1923 character explained

In the recent episode of 1923, Spencer agrees to work as a deckhand on a tugboat captained by an old man named Lucca. The tugboat captain, Lucca, is played by Peter Stormare.

When Spencer gets the letter sent from his aunt, Cara, he realizes he needs to get home as soon as possible to protect his family and legacy.

However, he cannot get passage to the US. There is one that would take Spencer and Alexandra to London, but it is not until three weeks later. Left with no other choice, Spencer decides to look for an alternate transport and meets Lucca.

Who is the captain of the tugboat?

While searching for another transport, Spencer considers traveling on a trawler, but he is told that traveling with a beautiful woman on a trawler is equivalent to inviting death. 

The captain of the trawler refuses to allow it because the deckhands will kill Spencer without a second thought and take Alexandra.

He then introduces Spencer to an old man named Lucca, who is transporting a tug to the Suez. He is the captain of the tugboat and is in need of deckhands. A tugboat is a small boat powered by an engine that is used to push or tow larger ships. 

Lucca could not find sailors because the sailors prefer more profitable merchant ships and whalers. Furthermore, he seems to be suffering from an illness, as he keeps violently coughing and spitting in a mug.

1923 Lucca
Lucca keeps coughing and spitting in a mug

Spencer is ready to work as a deckhand and pay Lucca an additional £30, the amount that cruise liners charge, to get to the Suez, a port in Egypt where he can get passage to anywhere.

Lucca takes one look at Spencer and figures out that he is a hunter, but he allows him to board his tugboat, as Spencer is willing to work and pay for the transport.

Lucca’s life experiences

Lucca has spent his life on the sea, and he has plenty of stories and experiences to share. He tells Spencer that he used to be a captain of a liner that was made into a hospital, allowing him to recognize Spencer’s wound from mustard gas at a glance.

Later, when they come across a ghost ship, he tells Spencer and Alexandra about the ships that have been abandoned. These ships have no one piloting them and are called ghost ships. He spends the day recounting stories about different types of ghost ships he has encountered.

At night, he teaches them the basics of handling the tugboat, as Spencer and Alexandra are entrusted with keeping watch while he rests. 

Lucca’s death

When Spencer and Alexandra’s watch is over, Spencer spots blood on Lucca’s bedding and handkerchief. He comes to the conclusion that Lucca has been coughing up blood all this time. 

1923 Lucca
Lucca coughs up blood in his sleep

Spencer decides against waking him up, but Lucca gets up on his own. Spencer offers to take his watch, as he believes Lucca needs rest. This offends Lucca, who is quick to remind him that it is his boat and that only he gives the orders. 

Hours later, when Spencer wakes up, he realizes that the boat’s engines are not running. He goes to check up on Lucca and finds him dead, covered in the blood he has presumably coughed up.

Lucca’s death places Spencer and Alexandra in peril. They are surrounded by nothing but water, with no one to pilot the tugboat and take them to land safely.


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