#izzy didn't even go for a killing blow and he set the terms as 'banishment' and not 'death' like fucking come on

[something-about-sunflowers]

I'm. I should be in bed. I should. But. Fucking hell is that a bad read lmfao. Just gonna go down the list shall we?

Stede starts off hesitant and asking about the rules because he doesn't KNOW the rules of a duel. Of which there are many, that he should have asked about before he accepted. Rules that Izzy, an experienced swordsman/fencer would know. Rules that Izzy, an experienced swordsman/fencer would follow, being 'the best sword on the seas'. Its not Izzy's fault or problem that Stede is overconfident and dumb. Stede isn't being 'proper' by entering a duel where he doesn't know the rules, he's being stupid. He’s TOLD this, in not so many words, by Ed (and the rest of the crew). Still not Izzy's fault or problem.

Izzy has been impatient with Stede throughout the season because he IS ignorant and naïve. And because he's arrogant despite being ignorant and naïve. And he's arrogant because he's a rich man/gentleman (in the original definition of the word: a land owner) who thinks he's better than people of lower stations than his own, even if its only subconsciously. Given that its subconscious and its a learned ideology that Stede is arguably working on, I'll give him the credit of 'he doesn't really mean it' but its an attitude he's turned on the crew as well and one that they haven't called him on (except Oluwande, but he was too gentle about it when Stede needs it to hit him like a brick) but they have narratively pointed it out.

He's not desperate, he's angry. And honestly, rightfully so, at least from his own point of view (and kind of like, in general too?). Stede has been nothing but unpleasant to him from the jump and his crew are following his lead. Izzy is not having a good time on the Revenge like Ed, Fang, and Ivan are. Nobody is letting him (even himself, in fairness). ANYWAY. Its not desperation, Stede is the desperate one if either of them are. He's not miraculously ‘out of reach’, he's running away. A lot. Not exactly in the spirit of the duel he accepted.

Stede's win is, by definition, unfair. He exploits a loophole, one that he didn't even know about, and he's lucky that Buttons did. Tossing the powder in Izzy's face is unfair. Getting Izzy's sword stuck is unfair. 'Rendering a weapon inoperable' in a traditional duel would likely mean 'disarming' the opponent with your own weapon. Getting the sword stuck fits on a technicality. Unfair. 'He just wanted to humiliate Izzy'? Have you been to like, kindergarten? Do you know what fairness is? That ain't it.

Izzy is a good swordsman and he's confident BECAUSE he's a good swordsman. He's not boastful/arrogant. He’s straight to the point. He's not the one who says 'he knows his shit' that's Ed. His confidence is earned. His downfall is not realizing he's one of the antagonists/the rival love interest in a rom-com. He can't adapt. If it were anyone else he was fighting but Stede Bonnet aboard the Revenge? He would have won. But because its Stede and because Izzy is following the rules of HIS world he loses. The same can be said for him in the rest of the season as well.

I can agree that the duel is a good show of personality but you're like. Wildly off about how it does so.

Not gonna reblog because anybody that has that bad a read of Izzy (and Stede tbh) is getting a block from me but I am happy to share my opinions. 3/10 read, you at least got the crew and Ed right.

P.S.

IZZY. IZZY HANDS? HE doesn't care about rules or fairness? Off the top of my head, Izzy: buys the hostages from the natives instead of stealing them, apologizes to Ed when he believes he's wronged him, plays chaperone/teacher while the Revenge crew is learning pirating, reminds Ed of his OWN rules and holds him to them, challenges Stede to a DUEL instead of outright killing him, gets decked in the face by Ed for selling out Stede and calls it 'fair', he literally describes himself as captain as 'tough but fair'. THAT Izzy Hands doesn't care about rules or fairness? Okay. Okay sure. Totally. Right.