#Stedes a girl boss

[idontcarecarebear]

All the best girl boss friendships start off with a bitch you fucking hate and slowly start to care for.

[gay-arsonists-lullaby]

"I've killed mediocre men. I've killed exceptional men. But you're the worst kind: a mediocre man who thinks he's exceptional."

Can we all just agree that if no-nose Ricky wouldn´t have committed a string of violations of the Geneva convention while Zheng and Stede were having this fight, she would have absolutely beat him to death with that plank, or at least to the very brink of it?

[musecraft]

🪐 — spotify wrapped memes : @immobiliter ( beidou ) for stede # 38 ▶ speed drive by charli xcx

THE SENSATION OF EYES ON HIM was not altogether unfamiliar — but to have the gaze be not judgemental & snide but instead adoring, affectionate, even admiring ? that was something stede bonnet was not yet used to. & he found himself positively preening under the attention, hero worship for the-man-who'd-killed-ned-low in no short supply. but there is one familiar face amongst the crowd that is not smiling. & his drunken pride takes offense to her clear distaste, will not let a slight to his swollen ego go unchallenged. ❝ i see you looking with that side-eye. ❞ he calls out, a hush falling over the tavern at his words. clearly, beidou still held a grudge against him from the last time their paths had crossed. ❝ wow, you're so jealous. ❞

[sherlockig]

the more i rewatch ofmd the more i am convinced that stede bonnet was totally right for killing nigel badminton

its truly a good for him moment

[snake-snack-stede]

ricky: you’re stede bonnet omfg I’m fangirling fr

stede: 🤢 stop

every other character: omg hiii stede you’re the fucking boss

stede: hey girl 🤪 it’s me, the fucking boss

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

Oh shit!

alright so i have a read on this scene from e5 that i don't think i've seen anyone else make a post about, but it feels like the most straightforward reason for why fang was worried about blackbeard getting back early?? but since im seeing some "ed is usually very strict and cruel as a captain" takes (which i get why people might think that, but imo it doesn't feel like that's really supported by canon) i figured i'd make a post about it!

my interpretation builds off of two things:

based on what little we see of ed on his ship in e2 and e3, and based on ivan's "this is the most open and available i've ever seen him" in e6, it's pretty logical to assume that ed wasn't interacting with his crew all that much pre-canon. he probably had izzy deliver his orders, let his reputation keep everyone in line, and just hung out in his cabin by himself smoking opium wrong

i have said it before and i will say it again: ed is Pirate Beyoncé

so like, if you're a backup dancer for beyoncé, you're probably not actually interacting with her that much. you're probably getting all your instructions passed down from assistants or choreographers or directors or whoever.

but if and when you DO interact with beyoncé, you're gonna straighten up and pay attention and be on your best behavior because holy shit, it's beyoncé. if you're on a lunch break and someone walks into the room and is like "hey, beyoncé is looking for you," you're gonna say "oh shit!" and drop everything to go see what she wants.

that's what i think is happening in this scene!

back on ed's ship, actually being directly addressed by their captain is probably a rare occasion for blackbeard's crew. it's almost certainly a Big Deal, they probably see it as a chance to impress Thee Pirate Blackbeard. if blackbeard is looking for you specifically, you're gonna go report to him ASAP

and remember, this episode starts with stede saying it's only been a few days since the lighthouse fuckery. we haven't gotten to ivan saying "this is the most open and available i've ever seen him." so far, all they've done is run a few demo raids for stede's crew, and fang sat in for stede's dining lesson and carried out ed's order to skin the french captain. and this is before "you wear fine things well," so probably before ed started really letting himself enjoy himself on stede's ship.

so from fang's perspective, blackbeard aka Pirate Beyoncé went to a party and wasn't supposed to be back until nighttime. and this cute guy was flirting with him, and fang had some down time, so he stripped naked and had himself a fun little "draw me like one of your french girls" moment.

and for a second, when wee john walked in and said "the boss is lookin' for you," fang thought that Pirate Beyoncé was back early and was looking for him right now, and he was fully and completely nude.

idk about you guys, but i would also panic and go "oh shit!"

[ladyluscinia]

All the interviews about S2 are still not great, but I do want to grab a quote for us all:

Looking back at Izzy’s arc over the two seasons, Jenkins said that he doesn’t see Izzy as a pure antagonist in season one because on some level… Izzy was right in his hesitations about Stede. “His boss is falling for this manic pixie dream girl, and he’s got to keep his boss safe because that’s his job,” Jenkins explains. “And then he has to get this ship to operate like a normal ship would operate. And they’re all weirdos. So he’s got the worst middle management position. And on top of that, his boss is a lunatic.”

David Jenkins from this Gizmodo article

The man may have lost the plot, but he's still holding strong on his stance from S1 that all that toxic discourse that people projected on Izzy was mostly just shit they made up. The weird vibes-based mentor / father figure pivot has NOT canonized calling him Edward's third abusive dad. They gave him a redemption arc and killed him off, but Mr. Jenkins did NOT deem him the horrid villain that was ruining Edward's life.

It was all still just a souring workplace partnership and a lot of jealousy.

[izzysillyhandsy]

I haven't even watched the video yet, but...

Tattoo with a name and cut marks? Emerald ring related to a love Izzy didn't allow himself to express or experience fully? BACKSTORY IN S3????

All I ever wanted was more backstory dammit!

Did Izzy give up this love for Ed/Blackbeard? Why the cut marks? Did he think he had to cut this person completely out of his life? Did Izzy see no possible world in which he could have what Ed and Stede have?

God, this makes everything 100 times worse. "Done something to my bosses' brain" alright - he knew exactly how that felt, didn't he.

Who was this past love? Was it Ed's former first mate? The one Izzy presumably had to kill, just to be extra dramatic (probably not, but with this show you never know)?

Was Ed somehow involved in this? Did the no pets policy already apply? I know I love the drama (why else would I be an EdIzzy girl), but wouldn't it be ironic if Ed was the reason Izzy thought he wasn't supposed to fall in love - and then Stede comes along...

And I thought I'd lost interest in this show... just a tiny little crumb of Izzy backstory and I'm pulled right back in 😄.

(brb watching the video)

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Idea for a modern AU: Stede and Ed as the terrible, chaotic hosts of a terrible, terrible gameshow that they designed solely to make people uncomfortable.

At first the game show would be just Stede out there, looking very White and Presentable. And they'd always get the same brand of white guy for the show, one of the types who calls himself a liberal and holds the most wildly bigoted beliefs known to man and he'll say it in safe company but get really uncomfortable if you call him out. You know, the "I can't be racist, I have a Black friend and I voted for Obama!" types. Maybe a white woman who cries if you call her out for being racist every now and again to spice it up. Just the one contestant. And Stede would pull a little card out and would have a prompt like "your honest opinion about WOMEN" or "GAY PEOPLE" or whatever.

Stede would smile and grin through their contestant saying something bigoted and awful, and then Ed would come out with a mystery guest, and it would be the contestant's boss, or a family member, or romantic parner, or friend with a marginalized identity. And they'd be all "do you want to repeat what you just said about women to your wife? Ten million points and a Honda Civic if you repreat what you just said about how women are dumber than men and that's just science. You win a trip to Disneyland if you tell that to this group of third-grade girl scouts Ed is bringing on stage right now"

The show would end after their contestant had squirmed for a solid fifteen minutes. Stede would be all "what do you have to say to the women watching at home?" And the contestant would stammer through something like "uhhh you're not dumb" and they'd look at each other and Ed would go "well that was utter shit. What would you say to the women watching at home, Stede?" And Stede would have the cameras zoom in on him so he could go "I wouldn't say anything. I would listen"

No one in that room is having a good time. Studio audience dead silent except for quiet noises of discomfort. Ed and Stede have these huge shit-eating grins literally the entire show, absolutely thriving

[favouritefi]

homewrecker stede so real to me, like yea edizzys marriage was falling apart but if stede hadnt left ed then ed wouldnt have literally maimed izzy so that izzy couldnt leave. like izzy goes from “you’ve still got it boss” to “edward better watch his fucking step” over the course of the season bc ed was too busy being in love and like many teens in the throes of young love he forgot his responsibilities including caring for his dog. izzy is doing his whole gone girl “you are not the man i agreed to marry” spiel and ed is thinking “if no one wants me at my best then everyone is gonna get me at my worst” and neither of them are listening to each other which was a pre-existing problem but now its ultra bad because that stede-hole has given them both separation anxiety. anyway, heres how steddyhands can still win

[meteor752]

Episode 6 and 7 thoughts

This will now be a regular thing

Also im writing this as I go

Episode 6

So Izzy thought Ed was Roach. Huh. Does he and Roach talk regularly? <- Coming from a Rizzy shipper

“Do weeeee?” Fang I love you

Oh my god, Frenchie and Jim coming to Ed and Stede like they’re kids asking if their cousins can sleep over

The crew going shoppiiiiiiiiing!!!

Frenchie’s lil dancey dance added many years to my life

Ed being nice and giving kids mon- oh never mind, oh that’s a knife okay. Ed never have kids please

“Don’t pirate kids” well listen okay I don’t have HBO Max it’s the only way I can watch this show

MY QUEEN

Wee John you’re so beautiful and amazing and we don’t deserve you

Jim’s lil mustache, like yeah me too <- Non-Binary person

Stede looks so happy about seeing Wee John!! He’s so proud of his son!

Izzy is gorgeous. I’m actually so happy to see him explore more sides of himself, and to find things he can indulge in. This whole season has really just been Izzy’s big therapy arc

His hair makes him look a bit like Cinderella’s evil stepmother though

Oh he can sing too! Izzy!!! <- A person who did not like Izzy in season one

Wee John X Izzy? Roach X Fang?

YO THE

POLYCULE DANCING?!

Ed protecting Stede….just, immediately putting him behind himself…I just…

I rewatched that clip five times

“Because I only hang out with cool pirates” Stede’s face!!! He’s just like Oh Snapppp

Despite it all, Stede and Ed are still the cutest couple that has ever graced the TV screen. Like hell yeah, make fun of people together!

Ed keeps being protective…..okay I need a moment…

Roach you’re a lunatic and I love you

“Whatever this is it’s just gonna turn me on” Izzy you’re a shining star

Also I just now noticed that Black Pete and Lucius aren’t there. I’m guessing they eloped somewhere and are currently taking care of their adopted cat

Nope okay, literally the second I unpaused there they are. That’s the worst timing

Hell yeah my dudes, I hope you broke whatever bed you used

“I’m just doing it for the lolz” Yeah that’s sounds like something someone from the 1700s would say

I know this is a pirate ship but why do they just have so many knives and swords laying about

Who is this fanged torture queen, and how do I acquire her number?

Stede remains best employer, while Aziraphale is the best landlord. Can these two people just run the world please and thank you

Hell Cat Maggie is my soulmate

I feel like there needs to be a pirate workers union

The crew of the revenge is the best found family of all time

Stede Bonnet can rival Steven Universe in reforming villains, like he’s just such a genuinely nice dude

“Alright gang! Let’s talk profit sharing”

Oh protective Stede, alright let’s go mate defend your mans

Okay but why is Stede kinda 👀 in this scene

Oh Stede, love…

OH THEY FAWHKING

That French? Izzy speaks french?

I want to see that man get dicked down

I guess the revenge now has a pet goat

Episode 7

Okay Ed is a soft boy again, aight

NO NOT THE LEATHER JACKET

The anime toast in mouth thing. He’s officially been baby girl for a long while, but we’re really solidifying it

OH THEY FUCKED

Isn’t there an anime where a mob boss becomes a house wife? Yeah that’s Ed

Oh we’re telling him about the mermaid fantasy, okay

Izzy what the fuck, you’re amazing

“He’s jealous” my darling

The polycule is going strong, and I love the absolute lack of jealousy. This is the best representation I have ever had

Oh they’re going on a date! That’s so sweet actually

It’s really sweet that they’re talking about their time apart

Stede’s famous now? Good for him!

I need to stop falling in love with every pirate lady In this show. That being said, I hope we see more of the fangirl lady

I’m reinforcing my claim that Stede and Ed are cuter than anything that has ever been on screen

OH MY GOD SWEDE

The Söt Och Saftig, my love. Also this far in and this is the first time the character “The Swede” actually says something in Swedish

Scammer Frenchie is back in business, love that

Jim and Archie trying to get their boyfriend set up is very sweet actually

The character development of Izzy going from wanting Ed to remain “Blackbeard” to him saying if being a softie makes him happy then he should do that, like I get it now, I know why you all love this man

OH MY FUCKING GOD STEDE

Can’t believe Stede is an official Slut now

Open communication? Like genuine conversation about their relationship, and the pace they’re taking it? Ed being honest that he’s not ready for the steps they’re taking in their relationship?

What is this argument

I live for Lucius and Black Pete’s nicknames for each other

“I’ve only known you for a few hours Bonnet, but I’d fucking die for ya” Same random dude. Same

Izzy🥹

Zheng and Olu are really cute actually

Oh my god the polycule will end my fucking life

DONT BRING ED INTO THIS ZHENG

“That was really mean” YOU TELL HER STEAK KNIFE

Protective Jim my beloved

Oh my god

Roach and Fang friendship?

Roach is the queen of self care

[bougiebutchbitch]

now you got me obsessed with the dynamic where Izzy's all submissive and fucking begging for "daddy" to do what ever (or. not begging. trying his best not to be too vocally desperate..?) while the other person (steak knife in the tags but, yk, anyone who fits) is unable to look past Izzy being. Izzy. and still refering to him with honorifics while acting as the dom. but I also like the idea of Izzy *expecting* that, demanding it and also getting off on the whole thing of his dom still regarding his as their superior while Izzy's being all submissive to them.

fslgkjkhdflgsdfg NO NO NOOOOO I LOVE THIS SO MUUUUUUUCH

(adult content under cut!)

I have a big theory that Izzy is like. AGGRESSIVELY submissive. He moans 'Daddy' at someone (usually Stede in my fantasies but it could work with almost anyone except Ed, who I imagine REALLY isn't into daddykink lol). His partner's like :panic, panic: 'uhhhh what do I do with this???'

And Izzy just fuckin locks his legs around their waist and growls "DADDYYYYYYY" with a deadly glint in his eye. Like. 'Do you really dare not to be into this?'

And their partner gulps, terrified and horny, harder than ever. "Uhhhh... yes," they say, shunting their hips back and forth, fucking the murderous little bastard beneath them full. "Daddy's here! Daddy's here, and he's gonna punish his naughty little girl so good - "

"Yeah," says Izzy smugly, relaxing back on the bed, body language turning submissive again. "That's what I thought."

#

But also just - Steak Knife calling Izzy 'sir' and 'boss' and 'mr hands' and being incredibly respectful while fucking him sloppy-rough with Izzy being fully out of it in subspace .... HGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGg

[illocopon]

Tw: suicide mention, mental health, toxic relationships

Ok I get it, the first season was all fun and games and silly little gay pirates, so it's obvious and easy to point Izzy out as the antagonist -ahem, the English and Spanish navy, ahem-. So yeah, we have this little and agry fella, trying to bring our lovers appart, trying to boss around The Revenge as if he's the Captain and being mean to everyone around. Of course we thought he's the bad guy. But have we stopped and cared about what are Izzy's drives? HAVE WE??

Izzy Hands is Blackbeard's first mate. Not Ed's, as he says later on. The good functioning of the ship and the relationships between his Captain and the crew is his duty. And all of a sudden, his Captain turns mad and in love with someone who is weak and has nothing to do with piracy. Izzy is absolutely stressed, like a stray cat taking a bath for the first time. The time Ed and Stede spend together is lost time: not pillaging well enough, not hiding properly from the Army... So he blames it all on Stede, ignoring completely his boss' state of mind. Izzy's job is to make everything work and it's just not happening anytime soon. He's so desperate that he even takes a deal with the English army. He even forgives Ed when he punches him in the face, because he's convinced he deserved it. What else could he do?

*S2 spoilers ahead*

And in the second season, Izzy has regained power as first mate. But he's utterly destroyed, both physically and emotionally. He has sacrificed his integrity for this ship, and it's not paying back. Ed treats him like a dog and the crew is so profoundly mentally devastated that he cannot make it work anymore. And again, in desperation, Izzy keeps searching for solutions. It's his job, at the end of the day. He's too emotionally attached that he needs to stay, to make it work again like it used to. He's once again against the wall, he even asks to talk it through. Anything is working, so even Stede's ways were given a try. And this gets him shot in the leg, leading to losing it in a 50-50% chance to die.

So dying is the last frontier. He's not sacrificing his life to a suicidal boss that doesn't care who goes down with him. He almost gives up, but luckily he fails his shot. When the storm comes, he gets his revenge on all the damage that he has taken over the months, over the years; and yet again he's doing his job: he's protecting the crew from what's now the enemy, their current Captain.

When Izzy sees Stede again, he asks him to insult him, to unburden all his hate on him -but that's Izzy's coping mechanism, not Stede's-, he needs punishment, for he hasn't been able to complete his duty and to save Blackbeard from insanity to it's last consecuences. All he gets back is just nothing, and it hurts more than anything because he's left alone with guilt. No bad words, not even a side eye. He's broken and ignored.

Later on, when Stede's crew escape, they take Izzy with them -he would probably be killed or used to track them back- and he tries, for the first time, to thank Stede. Ignored again. He's not worth a thought. So he first falls in booze and then progressively into absolute madness, guiltyness and grieve.

He's not been loved once. Not even when he gave all his life to the one he loved. It was never returned back and now he's disabled for life, alone and aboard a ship where everyone hates him -or so he thinks.

I was so happy to see that the crew ended up understanding his pain and situation, taking care of him and making him a new leg all together. So fuck yeah. FOR THE NEW UNICORN. For the new and crafty Izzy, for the new and sensitive man how's yet to come to terms with some things. To Izzy Hands.

So what I really want to say is: stop hating Izzy. He's been through a lot of shit, has done questionable things to maintain his crew safe and he's a baby girl and I'm too emotional to end this with something that makes sense.

[nanoland]

ofmd s2 incoherent rambling ahoy: about the women

now that

WE WON THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

, i've had enough raw joy injected into my veins to enable me to actually discuss ofmd!

................. aaaaaand now that That Episode has soured my good will, i gotta say: i do not love how this show depicts women.

to be clear: taken on an individual basis, every actress did a terrific job and their time on screen was a delight. nothing but admiration on that front.

however. in terms of how they were WRITTEN. well.

okay, so it was. perhaps. a little Huh when in s1 you had the two most prominent lady characters being mary and jackie. and mary was a white hetero abled woman, and jackie was a black queer disabled woman.

and mary was sweet, and a mother, and long-suffering, and artistic, and her finally attempting to kill stede was the culmination of his being a shitty husband for years and years. and she got a whole arc to herself and a charming happy ending.

and jackie was.... well, JACKIE. 100% girl boss. tough as nails, takes no shit, puts arrogant men in their place, nose jar, etc. not much of an arc. no happy ending. she finishes the same way she starts.

AGAIN! not saying that Jackie is a bad character. she's a great character, steals every scene she's in.

but. the contrast, yeah?

but hey, we can set that aside because while mary and jackie were the most prominent women in s1, they weren't the ONLY women. you also had jaguar lady and nana. they were both tough as nails, and took no shit, and put arrogant men in their place. it's ok! it's ok.

then.... s2.

lots more ladies! awesome!

we got zheng, who is tough as nails and takes no shit and puts arrogant men in their place.

we got auntie, who is tough as nails and takes no shit and puts arrogant men in their place.

we got anne and mary, who are both tough as nails and take no shit and put arrogant men in their place.

yeah. see?

meanwhile the guys are all over the spectrum in terms of competence, power, intelligence, courage, etc. lucius is an intelligent coward, pete's a brave idiot, roach is a cheerful sadist/masochist with no fucks left to give, ed's the best pirate who ever lived (allegedly-_-) while also being the worst captain in the world, oluwande's kind and vulnerable, frenchie has Seen Some Shit, izzy is doggedly devoted to his job no matter how many times the universe signals that it's time to pack it in, stede's smart but naive and gentle but mean-spirited.

(NOTABLE EXCEPTION: archie! archie's weird and feral and resigned to life and gets her ass kicked and i love her. she's clearly not a girl boss. however, also the only woman on the whole ship.)

now, obvs we get to see the boys being more nuanced characters than the girls because, on the whole, we spend FAR more time with the boys than the girls.

and i'm not objecting to that! OFMD is a show about queer men. that's fine. that's GREAT. it's totally allowed to be that. queer men rock and deserve the world.

but. still. if you're writing ofmd, and you know that you're only going to be introducing a handful of women and not giving them much to do.....

.......you kinda need to double check to make sure you aren't giving 80% of them very similar personalities, yeah?

[londonspirit]

Our Flag Means Death has just wrapped up its sophomore season, and it’s time to say goodbye to our favorite pirates for, well, at least another year. Streaming service MAX hasn’t renewed the workplace comedy/action-adventure show for a third season, but if the numbers are anything to go by, they would be foolish not to start talking about it.

David Jenkins, the writer/creator and sometime director of Our Flag Means Death, did a finale postmortem interview with io9, and we talk endings, piracy, and how comic actors and serious actors mesh. A quick warning, this interview is literally about the last episode of Our Flag Means Death, and contains spoilers. Proceed with caution.

So, here’s the thing; Jenkins and I have spoken a few times about Our Flag Means Death. He knows that I adore this show. He also knows that I adore Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill), the beleaguered first mate and jilted lover of the central couple of Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) and Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). He has also been keeping a secret from me for months: In this last episode of season 2, Izzy Hands dies.

“Are you mad at me?” Jenkins asked, almost plaintive as we said our ‘Hello’s under the auspices of the designated MAX PR person. “Oh, well. I’m not really mad at you, but I am disappointed,” I responded. “I think I’m sad at you.” This, he said, is worse.

At the end of the season, Izzy Hands dies in Blackbeard’s arms, giving Blackbeard permission not only to “be himself” but to leave piracy behind for good. It happened in the kind of cruelly random way that people often die in this genre of action/adventure stories. That didn’t make it any easier though. And at the end of the season, Blackbeard’s inability to save Izzy meant that there was simply no more reason for him to be a pirate anymore. Who was he doing it for? What more did he have to prove?

Regardless of the narrative reasons why Izzy Hands died, I was devastated. Did it make sense in the context of the show? Yes. Was it a deeply moving and incredibly well-acted moment? Also yes. Was his death made all the more affective because of how Izzy had been ingratiated, accepted, trusted, and even, at points, loved by his crew? Absolutely. So, of course I teared up a little.

Jenkins looked slightly sad himself, saying that “Ghosts exist in this world.” I told him not to make promises he couldn’t keep. At this point such a comment feels like it was made to make me, personally, feel better. I’m not sure Izzy could make a return at some point, nothing is certain about Our Flag Means Death’s future right now. It almost feels like Jenkins feels bad that he made me sad. I don’t know if he realizes how sad he’s going to make a lot of people.

This isn’t going to be an interview entirely about Izzy Hands, but he’s a big part of it—after all, his death is arguably one of the show’s biggest shocks yet. Looking back at Izzy’s arc over the two seasons, Jenkins said that he doesn’t see Izzy as a pure antagonist in season one because on some level… Izzy was right in his hesitations about Stede. “His boss is falling for this manic pixie dream girl, and he’s got to keep his boss safe because that’s his job,” Jenkins explains. “And then he has to get this ship to operate like a normal ship would operate. And they’re all weirdos. So he’s got the worst middle management position. And on top of that, his boss is a lunatic.”

Towards the end of season one, Izzy does have a turn away from ‘reasonably upset at Blackbeard’ to ‘serious antagonistic force’. But when he gets what he wanted–Blackbeard back to legendary form–it doesn’t really work out. “Be careful what you ask your God for, because you just might get it,” Jenkins warned. “Izzy gets it and it turns on him. That toxic relationship that he wished were all his, becomes all his… he’s crushed by it, and both he and Blackbeard both have to rebuild themselves.”

In Izzy’s case, the rebuilding is quite literal–his leg is amputated and replaced with a wooden prosthetic, carved from the unicorn figurehead of the Revenge. After this, he has to go through a transformation, Jenkins said he has to ask himself “What am I going to do with myself? You know, who am I going to be? After [the crew] makes him the Unicorn leg, I think he kind of sees like, ‘oh, this crew cares for me’. And I don’t think he’s ever felt cared for in that way.”

This season also saw a lot of Izzy interacting with Stede, often in more fun situations than the snipes back and forth in the first season. When asked about how Con O’Neill and Rhys Darby got along on set, Jenkins just laughed. “I really love building a show with really funny actors and then really serious actors. And the funny people are usually scared of the real serious people. And the real serious people are scared of the funny people. They terrify each other.”

For those that might not know, Darby is a stand up comedian and has been in many of Waititi’s darkly comic films. O’Neill, on the other hand, has been taking dramatic roles since his twenties, and has recently appeared in productions like The Batman and Chernobyl. “I think from the beginning people saw Con and were like, ‘Oh, man, I got to be like, really have to be in my game’,” Jenkins said, imitating Taika Waititi’s lilting Kiwi accent. “And then Con was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what he’s doing, he saying I should just follow along with the improvisations’—” again, imitating O’Neill’s raspy drawl. “And then they’re both so good that by the end of the season they’re not scaring each other as much. But that admiration remains, and I think that was very much true between Rhys and Con.”

The decision to have Izzy die wasn’t one that Jenkins took lightly. “It was hard. It was hard to kill off Izzy. It was hard to tell Con that he was going to die. And he was so lovely about it. But, at the same time, he took it hard,” Jenkins said. “Like this thing we built together is going to die. It’s one thing to write it, it’s another thing to produce it, and to see Con carry that knowledge through the episodes, knowing what was going to happen to that character. Con took it really seriously.”

Jenkins also thinks that Izzy was able to say exactly what he needed to at the end of the show. “I think he gives his own eulogy. It’s about belonging to something. And that we do this for each other, you know? He came to view piracy as a thing we do for one another. And being on a crew is something you do for each other… he gets to a place where he eventually sees that it works because everybody is helping each other. Everybody cares for each other, and there needs to be some structure, but for him, it became less about dominance and more about belonging to something.”

The final shot of the season is actually Izzy’s grave, outside of Ed and Stede’s cottage. “I think him being buried near them is a lovely image,” he said. “And there’s a reason that that happened. I think they both were sad to see their friend go. And I think they’re both thinking, ‘let’s make this work not just for us, but in memory of Izzy’.”

One of the prevalent rumors about Our Flag Means Death this season was that it was originally supposed to be 10 episodes rather than 8. But Jenkins says no; it was always going to be 8. They were looking for ways to cut budget, and moving the production to New Zealand and cutting down the episodes really helped with the bottom line, as well as being better for the cast and crew. “It takes so much to make one episode happen. Every department is strung out by the time you get to the end of the season,” he explained.

“The story of Stede and Blackbeard is a three-season story,” Jenkins said, looking ahead to where the show could go from here. When asked if the ending of season two–Frenchie taking over as Captain of the Revenge, Stede and Ed in a shack on the beach, preparing to open their inn, and Izzy Hands buried in front of their home–was a kind of “safeguard” in case the series didn’t get that third season, Jenkins shrugged. “In a way,” he said. “The first season ends on such a downer, so it made sense to end the second season in a kinder spot.”

But he says that he “still has questions” about what happens next. The Republic of Pirates has been destroyed, Izzy’s killer is still out there, and does Frenchie have what it takes to captain a pirate crew? Our Flag Means Death is not a complete story yet. “I think there’s plenty of story left for season three, but I think that it was important to end this as if it was the end of the show, and on upbeat note and avoid the kind of “kill your gays” trope. I don’t want to see Steve and Ed punished for giving it a go. I want to see them really say, ‘yeah, we’re going to we’re going to try to have a relationship’.”

When asked how he would approach the third season , Jenkins thought about it for a few seconds before answering. “I would very much like to see pirates come to America. Historically, they were in New York City and the Carolinas. And now, in the story, the Republic of Pirates is gone… I think that stories about piracy are a little bit like stories about the West. They’re stories about these things that are going to end inevitably,” he said this sadly, like the inevitability comes from looking back on the past and thinking the present couldn’t come out any other way. It’s a bit of a eulogy. “In some ways, I think then seeing them have to deal with some of these things in a country that’s coming together would be good. And I think it would be a good way to end the season, and see how they adjust to it.”

The final scene with Izzy and Blackbeard is incredibly, desperately sad, and clearly required a lot from both O’Neill and Waititi in the moment. “When Izzy died, I said, ‘Would you like to play music on set?’” Jenkins recalled. “ He went ‘Yeah’. And so I made an Izzy Death playlist and put it on during the takes.”

This is the second time I have been teased with an Our Flag Means Death playlist. The first time was from music supervisor Maggie Phillips after the first season had ended. I had to ask for this playlist, but Jenkins didn’t want to share. He mentioned Carole King, implying that “Bitter with the Sweet” was played. I was not doing well with this information, especially after I put my face in my hands. He tried, once again, to console me but I was lost in my Izzy Hands feelings. Maybe taking the good with the bad was personal advice. Or, more honestly, I just think he felt a little sad too.

[julibellule]

“Morning, boss– I finally got a response from Mrs Fuck-Face, you know the one with the ridiculously ‘80s perm? Yeah, so she clearly has some information on Mr Henson’s land dispute case, but I think some super light blackmail might– wait. Oh my god. Who are you texting? WAIT.” Lucius stands in the middle of Stede’s office. He’s holding a hand up at him as if he’s demanding Stede to stop talking, when he hasn’t managed to say anything at all. “Wait. Stop. Oh my god. Is it someone off Grindr? Did you finally have a good date? What’s his name? Is he tall? Older or younger? Fuck it, just tell me everything–”

The clipboard in Lucius’ hands is thrown to the floor in one flamboyant fling (and a loud clatter). He occupies the chair in front of Stede’s desk. Hands on knees like a schoolboy, he waits.

Stede hesitates, holding his phone over his second morning coffee. He’s halfway through texting Ed instead of addressing his growing email inbox. “Um. Which question would you like me to address first? That was a lot to process.”

Lucius has a very unsettling way of glaring at Stede that reminds him of those ‘mean girls’ who’d laugh at him from the back row of the classroom. [...] “What? Just– OK, so, let’s start with the basics, shall we? Yeah?”

“Alright. Shoot.”

“OK. Let’s establish first: are you talking to a guy?”

Ooh. That makes Stede’s tummy go all funny. In a nice way. “Yes.”

“Holy fuck, look. You’re already blushing.”

“Stop that right now– you’re a trainee and I’m a partner. You know I could fire your arse in a second!”

“I mean. Will you, though?”

>>> Click here for more BlackBonnet fic recs <<<