S2 of OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH started with a dud for me. I was so unimpressed with E1 of this season that I didn’t continue to the following two episodes that all dropped together back on October 5th. When a friend told me the show picked up quickly after the premiere, I binged E2-6 in one sitting, and I’m so glad I did. I returned to this show for Stede and Ed, and the pirates delivered that.
There are a lot of fun supporting characters on this show, but my main interest is the relationship between the gentleman pirate Stede and his one true love, Blackbeard, aka Ed. Rhys Darby (Stede) first caught my attention as Murray on FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS back in 2007, a show that Taika Waititi (Ed/Blackbeard) was writing on, and I’ve been a fan of both ever since. There’s such a tenderness to their unconventional love story that defies every other will-they or won’t-they on-screen relationship. It’s funny because both of these men are master comedic actors, and OFMD has a lot of laughs. It’s also heartbreaking to watch two middle-aged men struggle to accept the best thing that’s ever happened to either of them and just be…together.
In the first few minutes of E6, CALYPSO’S BIRTHDAY, I thought it would be a filler episode, but I was quickly proven wrong. The birthday party acts as a device for a very big step in Stede’s pirating career. After being an absolute failure at being a pirate in S1, he’s come a long way due to his run-ins, some training from Izzy, and the support of his crew and Blackbeard. Stede and Ed reach an incredibly relatable turning point in their relationship that brought tears to my eyes. Of course, this show can’t live on profound moments alone, and the party provides a lot of chuckles and one character’s glamorous turn in drag.Â
E7, MAN ON FIRE sees Stede and Ed deal with recent events, but all is not well in the land of love pirates. Stede is finally getting the respect as a pirate he wanted back in S1, while Ed thinks of leaving all the plundering behind. The two characters have almost switched places since this time last season. I want them to find happiness so badly that I was put off by what felt like unnecessary obstacles thrown their way in E7. Â
On one hand, their relationship feels like it would be happening to a much younger couple who don’t have the life experience they do. On the other hand, it’s a stark reminder of the feelings that so many closeted folks struggle with when they’ve been denied being who they’re meant to be. I appreciated this, but this is also a show that has multiple same-sex couples that no one bats an eye over. The show has never depicted real life in the 18th Century Caribbean. Perhaps this is my bias toward “why can we just let them be happy?”.
E6 & 7, and for that matter, S2 overall, has made the character of Izzy (Con O’Neill) much more likable for me than he was last year. I generally wrote him off in S1 and wouldn’t have been mad if he’d been killed. Now I’m so glad he’s there, serving as the conductor of the opera that is OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. He’s proven to be an incredible friend and support system for Stede and Ed. Of course, this could all be a red herring, but I hope not.Â
The season finale of OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH streams on MAX on Thursday, October 26th, and all other episodes stream there now.Â
