#i also think it's significant that ned interrupts a celebration of all the OTHER piracy metaphors: freedom queerness belonging

[darkshrimpemotions]

Also just as an aside I hate when an obviously villainous character with a clear agenda counter to the protagonists' happiness says something and people just. Accept it as true despite all evidence to the contrary.

That is to say, I get why Stede buys it, but there's no reason whatsoever why we should put any stock in Ned Low's taunting about the act of his murder being what will make Stede a "real pirate."

Was he not a real pirate when he held two British naval officers hostage for days? How about when he bested Izzy (the first time)? Or when he infiltrated a French party boat, instigated a violent riot, and left everyone aboard to die? How about when he accompanied Ed and his crew on all their raids? Bested Izzy again in a duel (sorry to my poor little meow meow, but he did)?

How about when he violated the terms of his pardon? Faked his own death? Orchestrated the theft of valuable loot from Jackie, which would have gone off flawlessly without Ricky's interference? Escaped Zheng Yi Sao with her prisoners, several of her newest crew members, and her wheel in tow? Raided an adrift vessel? Led the capture of another vessel, without Ed this time? Freed himself during an attempted takeover of his own vessel and negotiated with fellow pirates for a peaceful end to the conflict and the surrender of their captain?

He did all of that in his own delightfully weird Stede way with his own delightfully weird Stede goals, and we're going to take Ned fucking Low's word for it that until he killed the bastard, he wasn't a real pirate?

If piracy is anything in this show, it's a multi-use metaphor. For freedom, for belonging, for masculinity, for queerness. In this instance it's pretty clear which thing it's a metaphor for: Ned is insinuating that killing him will make Stede a "real man."

And I get why Stede buys that. I do. But I do NOT get why I keep reading takes and metas that just accept that as truth and build whole readings of Stede's character on it when it so very clearly isn't true at all.