#stede is a lunatic i love him

[areyoudoingthis]

i love when modern aus keep ed and stede in character because they look 100 times more batshit crazy outside of the context of piracy

[virgo-79]

Do you ever think about the bits in between the fabulous scenes we got?

Do you think about Stede washing the blood off Ed's face and out of his hair after he woke up? Do you think about him insisting Ed take the bed after they come back aboard the Revenge? Tucking him into bed and sitting close while Ed falls asleep? Lying awake most of the night watching Ed sleep and just savoring the sight of him breathing?

Do you think about what they talked about in the cabin after their second kiss? Did they stay up most of the night talking?

Did Stede lie there holding Ed and smiling like a lunatic after the first time they made love? Did they just lie there looking into each other's eyes until they fell asleep? Or did they have another imaginary restaurant conversation where they just "yes and-ed" each other I to the wee hours of the morning?

Because I think about it a lot.

[iamadequate1717]

Stede in Season 1

After seeing some rather awful bad faith takes flying around after 2x7, I'm throwing out a beginning defense of Stede Bonnet (loml). It seems insulting Ed's fish is the worst thing that anyone has ever seen, and it really seems to be a continuation of anti-Stede sentiments within the fandom and viewing him as a prop for Ed (and sometimes Izzy) rather than his own character. Fanon Stede is ever patient, ever kind, ever devoted to his partner, and I'm seeing a lot of shock that Stede is a flawed, imperfect person with his own needs, that he says things in the heat of the moment, that people are seeing a less interesting character than what DJenks and friends have created. Stede's a fucking lunatic and I like it.

I'm going to break this into a few posts as I ramble on to the end of 2x7. I have big thoughts on the ending, but I need to lead up to it! I am going to try to be as brief as I can up to the lead up, but I'm not happy with certain parts of the fandom right now (it's just a spat, love you all).

(If you haven't seen the "I hate Stede!" and "I'm so mad at Stede!" posts after 2x7, I am so, so jealous of how you have curated your social media experience.)

Part 1: Season 1

I'm going to note first that this is really a more rambly companion piece of this:

In time budgeting, most of Stede's character introduction and motivations are built into 1x1 through 1x3, but you all know it is a common refrain of these episodes: "Just wait for episode 4!" (OK for newbies, but huge side eye from me with people who have watched multiple times.) Episode 4 is when Act 2 of 3 of Season 1 begins. The foundations of the story have been laid, the cast has been fully assembled, and we enter the rising action (i.e., the meat) of the story in 1x4. It is not that Blackbeard alone improved everything: it was the story structure itself that shifted.

Preferring Act 2 (ep 4 to mid ep 8) and saying Act 1 was bad and "boring" is a disservice to the story and really robs yourself of the payoff action in Act 3 of Season 1 (and now Season 2), in particular with regards to Stede's character. It's a TV show, so you don't have to like all parts or watch it equally, but if you're going to criticize Stede and what he does, you can't ignore the part of the story that tells you the why of everything.

For example, we see people saying Prince Ricky is "exactly how Stede used to be!". Episode 3 disagrees.

Ricky is some Evil Star Trek Mirror Universe version of Stede, and they have fundamental differences in their view of piracy, which feeds into the action of the tail end of Season 2: Stede wants to be part of the piracy world, but Ricky thinks he's above it. The few hours in 2x7 that Stede spends enjoying being cool in the Republic of Pirates is overall sweet (sliding past the murder, lol), not a relationship red flag or Stede being a dick. If you tried to join a group and they finally embraced you, how would you initially act? Being excited for a few hours does not mean Stede has made a forever commitment to piracy and not Ed.

But, I digress. To me, Episode 2 (along with 6, 9, and 10) is far and away the peak of Season 1. We see the crew bonding (and those unique interactions are missing in Season 2's truncated runtime), and we get a deeper look into Stede's head: his initial naivety toward violence, his insecurities, his unique captaincy style and problem solving. If I look at just his insecurities, Badminton's Ghost is Stede talking to himself (like Hornigold was vocalizing Ed's feelings in 2x3). Stede is harsh with himself about his abilities and maturity, and we even see that he took Badminton's petty body shaming in 1x1 to heart.

(Oh, I have thoughts on Stede finally being told he's pretty and then instantly dumped!)

But he continues to degrade himself.

"You're a child with a toy" Stede says to himself. Compare this to Ned Low calling him a "bumbling amateur" in 2x6. Real people voicing these thoughts (like Chauncey in 1x9) messes Stede up.

The local therapist clearly lays out the motivation behind 1x9&10, and Stede still continues with the negative self talk.

And then we get the best mantra!

Yes, baby! You can only be as good as you can be, and you deserve the world.

Stede does not banish his guilt that is haunting him, but Ed comes in at Episode 4, and any more serious feelings is all about Ed.

(Second GIF is a joke. I know it's important to Ed's character. Plz, don't be mad.)

Ed is the deuteragonist, and the story now needs to spend time establishing Ed's character and motivations. This doesn't make Stede's go away, but if you only watch Episode 4 and on, that's what it looks like. There are brief moments of Stede's vulnerability and guilt from then, but not much.

(Side note from a Midwesterner: I've spent too much time finding out if "grain tower" is colloquial for "grain silo" somewhere, and I still don't know.)

Ed and Stede just met here. Ed isn't absorbing much of Stede's comments (Stede also feels trapped, Stede has family guilt, etc), but it goes the other way, too, doesn't it? Stede is recovering from his gut-stab, they're still in a life-or-death situation, and Stede is still feeling his guilt (and just saw more guilt ghost hallucinations). Registering and internalizing what Ed is saying doesn't take priority.

And they enter their cute early relationship phase: They have fun together! They can easily talk to one another! Stede easily forgives Ed wanting to kill him!

Again: in between all the cute and fun, all the heavy stuff is about Ed. Stede deals with the aristocrats who mocks Ed. Stede is gentle with Ed's red fabric. Stede listens to Ed's past without judgment. Stede openly accepts Ed as a friend. We don't see Ed engaging with Stede in a reciprocal manner.

(I was so delighted when Stede called some of this out in 2x4.)

Stede is a few steps behind in their relationship: He doesn't know it's a romance. He doesn't know he was flirting with Ed. He's not immediately understanding what the Act of Grace was to Ed (hubby commitment!) as he's having his Nigel guilt, family guilt, and being seconds away from death swamping him all at once.

In the academy, Ed isn't even listening to Stede. He's moved onto his domestic marriage role while Stede is dealing with his demons.

With 2x7, I see people saying, "Ed was very clear in wanting to leave piracy!" If he was speaking to someone fully engaged with him, I would agree. (That also doesn't make Stede having a few hours' fun the worst thing ever.)

(Aside of what I see below: In Season 2, I see overwhelming praise of Ed and Izzy's performances and very little on Stede. This is not to disparage TW or CO, but Ed and Izzy are more in-your-face and obvious with what is going on internally in their scenes and they are nailing the drama scenes. However, Stede becomes quieter, shutting down into himself, when having high feelings, and RD's acting is very subtle and very beautiful in these moments.)

In The (First) Kiss scene, Ed is clear! He just wants to be Ed, and Ed is happy just being with Stede.

But look what Ed walked in on:

Ed is saying things, but Stede is trying to process big feelings of his own at the same time. Stede is there self soothing, still thinking about what Ed ignored him about in the bunks. "How are you handling things so well?" means Stede isn't handling it well. Ed is excited, but he (and apparently some of the audience!) is brushing off all of what Stede is saying while expecting Stede to take to heart everything that Ed is saying. (I mean, the beginning of S2 shows why Ed is so excited for this life change, but it is frustrating!)

If you only feel bad for Ed at the end of 1x9, please try to imagine Stede's perspective: suppose you have low self worth and are consumed with guilt about people you've hurt and then are seconds away from death twice, are you going to be thinking clearly and prioritizing (and recognizing) the feelings of a guy you've known for a few weeks and didn't know you were dating?

Stede has drawn inward this whole conversation. His answers turn monosyllabic, and his body language turns more and more panicy as the heavy reality of everything sets in.

Stede enjoyed The Kiss, but was this the appropriate time for him? (Like Ed enjoyed The Sex, but was that the appropriate time for him?) They aren't in sync yet, but that doesn't make one party's feelings more valid than the other's or one party evil for being a bit ahead.

With 2x7, I don't know why people thought Stede should be a mind reader and be able to quickly piece together a few statements Ed made while Stede was mentally drowning.

I think it should be noted that as of the end of 2x7, Stede is the only crew member who hasn't had mental reflection and/or therapy in Season 2. He realized Mary, Alma, and Louis didn't need him and he was in love with Ed in 1x10, but the voice calling him a child with a toy, an idiot, weak, and ugly is still there.

Continued in Part 2! (Still to come...)

[teeny-tiny-revenge]

No, but they'll be complimenting each other so well going on. One of Ed's big problems is that he just gives up so easily. Plan with the fog failed? We're going to die; I'm gonna get drunk while waiting for death. The fishing isn't going so well? Obviously he's not meant to fish. It's like Ed's spent his entire adult life being really really good at stuff (sailing, piracy, etc) that he's completely unused to failure and doesn't know how to go on from it. But that's an important thing to learn, and in a way it's a joyful thing to learn, too. You can try something and it can go wrong and you suck at it and then you can try again and learn from your mistakes and get better (either at the thing or at failure).

Meanwhile Stede is absolutely amazing at this. He says it himself, he's been a failure all his life, he got used to it. Stede doesn't give up. That's probably his biggest strength IMO. Stede is tenacious as fuck. Something went wrong? The cards are stacked against him? Whatever! He wants to do the thing, he's committed and determined, he's going to do the fucking thing if it fucking kills him. Stede is not going to let Ed give up whenever he gets discouraged. He'll be there to pull him back to his feet and they will try again.

And one of Stede's big problems is that he doesn't think anyone admires him and likes him. Meanwhile Ed has thought Stede is the coolest guy on Earth since meeting him! He's probably the only person to ever think that. Other characters grow to like Stede for some of his qualities, he has a huge impact on everyone around him, but he doesn't see that, and nobody genuinely admires all the quirky Stedeisms about him. Nobody except Ed. Ed thinks the library is awesome. Ed thinks the secret closet full of fancy clothes is the coolest shit he's ever seen. Ed loves Stede prioritising marmalade over gunpowder. Ed loves Stede being extra and bitchy and a complete lunatic.

And they're both seeing it now. They are already complimenting each other like this by the end of season two. Ed gives up on fishing, but it was never actually about fishing anyway. He doesn't give up about Stede and their relationship. He digs out his leathers and goes back into the very fray he's been dying to leave, because he's not giving up about Stede, he's going to fight for him. That's kinda the first time we actually see Ed choose to fight for something? All his ofher fights and violence are reacting to threats to his own person. One way or another, pretty much everything we see Ed do as Blackbeard is him either trying to protect himself, or to actively make someone else kill him. He chooses to live in the gravy basket mermaid scene, but he keeps running from problems after. He keeps running from Stede. And then he turns around and doesn't give up and goes to save his boyfriend and his relationship. It looks hopeless! The odds look terrible! But Ed's going to fight for it anyway, and look, he succeeds! And Stede is waiting for him, Stede knows Ed loves him, Stede doesn't doubt Ed.

And Stede is so desperate for people to think he's cool it makes him stupid and makes him make an ass of himself, but his crazy plan works, and this time when he's recounting his cool adventure Ed is sitting right next to him, all starry eyed and admiring and saying "yeah, it was cool, babe, I saw that". Saying "I see you". Ed's beginning to understand Stede needs to be told how cool Ed thinks he is, and Stede's starting to hear it.

They're going to be okay, guys. They're going to be happy. :)

[ohmyglobwhatthefrickamievendoing]

The way Ed looks so distraught and upset when Stede kills Ned Low is breaking me because he definitely blames at least a part of it as being his influence on stede & what he brought into stede's life and he's probably upset for stede as well - killing his father was such a huge, traumatic event for Ed specially at such a young age, that Stede finally killing in cold blood must have seemed like him losing his "innocence" and getting ready to go down the same spiral that Ed had

But like.................

Stede's being batshit crazy from day 1

He watched a ship full of people set themselves on fire and potentially burn to death with glee

He admitted to not really feeling guilty about actually killing Nigel Badminton and only really projecting his own guilt about leaving his family on to his death

Despite how much he stood out in his white suit in S1 he never really felt uncomfortable or out of place in the republic of pirates specially compared to what he was like in the party boat in ep5 & whenever he's back home

He was enthusiastic and impressed and interested when he got to shadow Blackbeard's crew on that first raid even as they were brutally murdering their way through the ship

Ed told him a story about a kraken murdering his dad in front of him and stede said 'you know what'll be fun to do!'

He moved on from Ed trying to kill him in seconds

Part of his "oh fuck am i in love with ed" montage was remembering that time Ed threatened to gouge out a man's eye

Lucius said "hey your boyfriend's allegedly beheading people" and stede said "boyfriend?👉👈🥺"

Stede quite happily follows Zheng Yi Sao while her crew is murdering their way across a ship

Stede, again, sets a man on fire with obvious glee and feels 0 regret about it later - fucking hell, he's proud of it

Whether he's playing the S1 part of "fancy gentleman", the late S2 part of "typical pirate" or the in-between part of gentleman & pirate (which is apparently & rightfully "romantic hero") that we see from early to mid S2, the one true constant is that the man's a fucking lunatic

Not to discredit any of stede's own significant trauma and feelings about killing

but I mean damn

Baby your man's fucking insane

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

For your birthday fic requests, something where Ed takes care of Stede when Stede is either sick or injured and Stede gets emotional for having all of this love poured over him when he's had to fend for himself in the past.

So sweet!! Forcing Stede to accept comfort >>>>>

--

“You know you really don’t have to do this, right?”

Ed just laughed, like it was some big joke, tossing a comment over his shoulder about running to get more pillows as he dashed off.

More pillows were not going to help.

Stede sighed, slumping back against the bedsheets. This whole mess was his fault in the first place! He’d insisted on carrying the new rolls of wallpaper in all in one trip, and he’d had a spectacular fall when all he was carrying prevented him from seeing the porch steps. Now, his ankle was sprained, swollen black and blue and warm to the touch and far too painful to stand on.

And Ed was…being far too good a sport about it, honestly. He was being a suspiciously good sport about it.

“Here we go,” Ed said cheerfully, rushing back in with another pillow so he could prop Stede’s foot up. That done, he leaned back, appraising the scene.

It was absolutely pathetic, Stede thought. He was such a baby that Ed had wrapped him up in a quilt, brought him a tray carefully laden with a variety of juices in shot glasses (for fun, Ed said) and light snacks like little fish sandwiches, and brought a stack of books to the nightstand so Stede wouldn’t have to get up to grab something to read.

“Yeah,” Ed said thoughtfully, “that’ll do, I think. What do you want for lunch?”

Stede sighed deeply. “Whatever you’re making is fine. I’ll eat anything.”

“Nuh-uh, Bonnet, that’s not what I asked,” Ed said, sitting at his bedside, taking Stede’s hand immediately to brush a sweet kiss over his knuckles. “I know you’ll eat anything. I asked what you wanted.”

“Ed.” Stede allowed a little bit of his annoyance to slip into his tone, and Ed’s smile started to drop. “You really don’t have to do this. I don’t think it’s funny.”

“Funny,” Ed repeated, like he really had no idea what Stede was talking about.

“Yes,” Stede snapped, pulling his hand out of Ed’s. “I don’t think it’s funny for you to act like I’m a big baby. I know I’m not as tough as some, but there’s no need to be mean about it.”

He realized he’d made a major miscalculation when Ed’s lip wobbled.

“Right,” Ed mumbled, getting up so quickly it made the bed creak. “Sorry. Call if you need me. Bye.”

With that, Ed practically ran out of the room before Stede could even process the whole thing.

“Oh, fuck,” Stede whispered, letting his head rest back against the headboard. He’d fucked up. Despite what Stede’s instinct had taught him to believe, Ed really hadn’t just been fussing over him to make fun of him for being soft and weak. He’d done it because he…wanted to.

That felt even worse, honestly.

“Hey, Ed?” Stede called, his own voice coming out a bit wobbly.

Ed’s voice had the pinched, overly-casual quality it always got when he was trying very hard to make sure Stede couldn’t tell he’d been crying. “What’s up, babe? Comfy?”

“Ed, can you come back in here, please?”

When Ed popped his head in, he was very pointedly looking at the floor instead of at Stede. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “If it was too much.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Stede promised him, holding out his hand, relieved when Ed took it immediately. “I was just…I think you scared me.”

“Yeah?” Ed sat down, careful not to jostle Stede’s foot, his eyes so big and wide and full of love, Stede barely knew what to do with it.

“I didn’t know,” Stede admitted, trying to shrug like it hardly mattered. “I didn’t know anyone could love me this much and mean it.”

Ed’s mouth worked, for just a second, and then he was leaning down for a careful, gentle kiss. “You fuckin’ lunatic,” he whispered against Stede’s lips. “Of course I mean it. I want to take care of you!”

“Really,” Stede confirmed.

“Really,” Ed said emphatically.

When Stede had been sick or injured in the past, he’d been treated like an inconvenience. His father had mocked him for being weak, Mary had put up with him as well as she could but was irritated by his neediness. He’d learned that fending for himself was easier. And here Ed was, who just wanted to take care of him because he loved him.

How lovely. How wonderful. Stede’s eyes welled with happy tears, and he laughed, delighted when Ed laughed back.

“In that case…” Stede wriggled on the sheets, getting himself comfortable. “I could really use another blanket. And a straw for my juice.”

“Right away, sir,” Ed laughed, snapping him a mock salute.

“And another cold compress for my ankle,” Stede added.

“Oh, great,” Ed pretended to grumble, getting one last kiss in before he headed out. “I’ve created a monster.”

Stede smiled at the door for a while after Ed had left.

How lovely.

[ferventrabbit]

In a shocking turn of events I wrote a poem (?!) for the final MerMay prompt: “you’re not a fucking mermaid.”

🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️

“You're not a fucking mermaid," he said, half-alive.

He's said other things, since.

"You're here, you're here, you're here," in the bed they share.

"You're mine," with Stede inside him.

“You're a lunatic," when Stede draws their names in hearts on the sand.

"You're okay," when Stede holds him, shaking.

And Ed is learning how to tell the person he loves most in the world what he means to him, despite the fear that says "You're not good enough." Because Stede looks at him like Ed just might be the star that Stede's been sailing toward, all this time.

“You're everything," in the dead of night, candle glowing, when the world is quiet.

“So are you.”

[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

[starrynyx]

*shoving my head into the door as it closes* no but wait, WAIT—when ed and mary are smoking outside, and he dreamily says stede stabbed me once but i had to make him, haha he's so fragile—FRAGILE? mr. painted-a-wedding-cake-topper-to-look-like-himself thinks stede is fragile? that's not even an ed WORD, like that's something izzy would say about stede or maybe calico jack, but never ed, ed alway describes stede as original or innovative (even lunatic, madman, etc are always said as a compliment). but he's talking to one of his old pirate friends, he's trying to pretend he isn't completely head-over-heels in love with this guy, so he spits out fragile like an insult but mary sees right through it she can see how down bad he is and immediately accuses him of having a type i'm unwell

[tinyzoologist]

Persistence

ofmd mini fic, Stizzy centric

cw: mild angst & gore, ofmd s2 trailer content

“I love you.”

Stede says it one moonlit night, all matter-of-fact. It’s as unpretentious as he gets but Izzy freezes all the same and then flees, heart pounding, to leave Stede up on the quarterdeck by himself.

Stede knows how Izzy feels. He must.

“Maybe you’re not a complete twat,” and “Footwork’s improving,” and “Stay the night if you want.”

Izzy has said all of these and more. But he can’t say that. Not yet - not ever. 

Stede is relentless, of course he is. “I love you,” over splitting a ripe peach for breakfast, “I love you,” while they each kiss one side of Edward’s neck, “I love you,” as he watches Izzy scrub the last raid’s gunk off his wooden leg. 

And still Izzy freezes, but he doesn’t run again, just clenches his jaw and endures the tension until it feels like he might snap.

“I’m not fucking saying it back, alright?” Izzy spits, blood-soaked rag flung to the planks in frustration. But Stede just looks at him, curious, waiting. Insufferable bastard. “You don’t want me to.”

In fact, nobody should want Izzy to love them. His love is like a maggot burrowing into flesh, like being swept out to sea, like chewing his own cartilage. His love hurts everyone who’s ever been its unfortunate target and most of all himself. But this feels different-

“I don’t?” asks Stede, eyes now mercifully back on the sword he’s been cleaning. Izzy sighs, picks up his rag again. 

“Talk to Edward.” Because Ed should have warned him, should have told Stede to stay away from that parasitic disease, the raging wildfire that is the full extent of Izzy’s devotion. 

“I did,” Stede replies. Of course he did. Always fucking talking, those two.  

“So?” Izzy can’t hide his curiosity, feels his face grow red and warm. Stede smiles at him from the side, sly, like they’re sharing a secret.

“He says it’s a lot.”

Izzy scoffs, bitter and unsurprised, but Stede isn’t done.

“It’s a lot, and it takes effort not to get lost in it, not to let you get lost in it. And he hasn’t regretted it for a single day of his life.”

The deck tilts with a wave and Izzy is thankful for the crate under his ass or he might have fallen. He feels cracked open. Seen from the inside, all his guts on display. But both his captains are self-destructive lunatics so really, what was he expecting? He picks a shard of bone from the wood below his knee and idly wonders if it was all a huge mistake. Stede has always been stubborn as a fucking mule, and now that he’s been introduced to the value of hard work, Izzy knows he’s well and truly dug his own grave. 

“I’m still not saying it.” It’s all he can do to preserve his dignity. 

“That’s alright,” Stede says, beaming at him for some insane reason. “I’ll still keep telling you, if you don’t mind.”

And maybe it’s the residual rush of the fight or the way Stede’s hair looks ablaze in the evening sun but right then and there, Izzy can’t bring himself to deny his captain anything. 

-fin-

[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.

[patchworkpiratebear]

My first ever try at writing fanfic! A micro script for a silly scene (set in season 1 or 2? I'm not even sure!)

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(The crew are on shore leave, hanging around in a comfy pub. Stede & his new pal Sam Bellamy are sitting close together on a small sofa, chatting animatedly and laughing. Ed enters the room.)

Ed: "Eh? What the fuck, Stede?! You could have let me down gently, if you're not interested!"

Stede: "If I'm not interested in what?"

Ed: "Interested in me, you dick! Could have fucking said something."

Stede: "Of course I'm interested in you, Edward! You're the MOST interesting person I've ever met!"

Ed: "Well, uh... yeah, thanks, mate. But that's not what I meant! I thought you were INTERESTED, like... in us maybe being... sort of... together...?"

Stede: "Whatever do you mean, Edward? We ARE together!"

Ed: "What, you're with this guy? That was bloody fast, you only met him today!"

Stede: "What? No, dear, I'm with you!"

Sam: "Uh... Stede? If you two are an exclusive couple, why have you been flirting with me all evening?"

Ed: "We're a couple?!"

Stede: "I was flirting?!"

Sam: "Ok, sounds like you guys need to have a bit of a chat... I'll leave you to it..."

Ed: "Stede? ARE we a couple?"

Stede: "Yes? I mean, I hope so! I mean, I thought so? Do you... would you like to be?"

Ed: "YES! Fucking hell man, this is brilliant! So... when do you think we got together? You never mentioned it, you absolute nut."

Stede: "Why would I mention it? I thought you knew, I thought it was your idea! Two weeks ago, Edward, don't you remember? You gave me those lovely flowers! And you said such sweet things..."

Ed (fondly): "Yeah, I was totally flirting with you, ya lunatic... didn't realise you thought we'd got beyond that point. No objections though!"

Stede: "Sam, I really am terribly sorry! I didn't realise my conversation had implied romantic overtones. So impolite of me to proposition you like that, you must think me a dreadful cad."

Sam: "It's fine, man, I really didn't mind. Like, at all. Ok... night night chaps. Good luck..."

Stede: "Oh, um... in that case, thank you? So, I should apologise that I was not in fact 'making a pass' at you?"

Sam: "All good. I'll just... Yeah, bye."

Lucius & Pete, from across the room: "Hi, handsome, care to join us?"

Stede: "Well, Edward, sounds like we have plenty to talk about! Come up to my room to discuss this in private?"

(They go up to Stede's room.)

Stede: "Bit cosier in here, yes?"

Ed smouldering-bedroom-eyes Teach, looking Stede up & down: "Yeah, this is great."

Stede completely-oblivious Bonnet: "Wonderful! Now, we really must decide what date to count as the anniversary of us getting together. What with me thinking it was a couple of weeks ago, and you thinking it's today. We could maybe just compromise and celebrate both?"

Ed: "Sure thing, mate. Both sounds good. Wait... you actually literally meant you wanted to talk in private, didn't you?"

Stede: "Well, yes, I thought it would be easier? We can go back downstairs if you prefer though?"

Ed: "Nah, this is fine. So... you want to discuss our anniversaries...?"

Stede: "Indeed! Do you think three per year is too many?"

Ed: "What? Why three?"

Stede: "For when we make it official, I mean. Won't be any room for uncertainty on the exact date of that, I wouldn't think! So, we'll have three anniversaries each year. Is that too greedy?"

Ed: "Stede, my love. My total fucking lunatic. We can have an anniversary every bloody week if you want! Every day even!"

Stede: "Oooh, every week sounds good! Daily might be a bit excessive I suppose..."

Ed: "So... if I wait a week before snogging your face off, does that work well as another anniversary...?"

Stede: "Oh. Oh dear. No, that won't do at all."

Ed: "It won't?"

Stede: "I really don't think we need to wait that long, do we? Maybe today could be a sort of..."

(Both): "...multi-purpose anniversary?"

[heurtebizzz]

Something I want to talk about is how the first three episodes of OFMD show us the absolute devastation Stede's running away had brought upon Ed, but I don't think it's purely because he had his heart broken. It goes much, much deeper than that. In Episode 3, we are not just shown, but told, in the most plain terms, that Ed hates himself. Represented in the figure of Captain Hornigold, someone Ed has known for a very long time, his self-loathing goes far back, to way before he even met Stede in S1. Although, back in S1, it was, coquettishly, in the hindsight, referred to as Ed's midlife crisis: he was tired of being Blackbeard and bored of pirating, longing to retire or run away. But deep down underneath all of the boredom and annui, Ed carried a shipload of self-hatred: quite possibly for being the proverbial Kraken who killed his own father and became a bloodthirsty pirate - forever unlovable, someone no one waits for. Meeting Stede, who is naive, child-like, a lunatic, but so fundamentally kind; who flinches at violence but sticks with Ed nevertheless, treating him with nothing but adoration and wonder (well, for the most part, the jealousy-ridden Calico Jack squabble notwithstanding), has changed Ed's perception of himself giving him hope that perhaps he was not unlovable after all. Perhaps, he still had a chance. Perhaps, there was someone to wait for him after all. And then Stede stood him up and it all went to hell. That's what crushed Ed: not just being dumped by another guy but believing that he was unworthy of the love of the only pure-hearted man he'd ever met. All of his darkest fears confirmed in one night. Back to being a terrifying, violent, hell-raising, self-loathing Kraken it was then. Thus, Ed's misery we have been shown in these first three episodes has been there all along, exacerbated but ultimately not caused by the heartbreak. And this is why I think it might take more than a beautiful romantic reunion between Ed and Stede for Ed to truly begin to heal. I hope he'll get there but the road might still be bumpy.

[danepopfrippery]

Ppl are goin nutzo with theories and shit rn (like the illogical one izzy lost his good leg what?!)

I play the game too but i still lose about 50% min (i get the big strokes but not everything).

Seems theres a grave allegedly in ep 8. I say allegedly cuz theres no proof its a grave other than the majority of the crew (minus olu, izzy and wee john) are looking over something buried including Zheng (i also didnt see auntie but its quite blurry and brief).

Well start w the obvious: may not be a grave, remember Stede and his love of buried treasure!? Why yes seems dumb but you cant prove to me thats not a possibility.

If it is a death im just going lime ricky. Hes clearly a moron and maybe some crew knew him before the evil turn. Seems like someone they could bury to be nice but not really care (ditto bronson pinchot).

David is a lunatic he just turned a man into a bird. But he clearly has no stomach to kill off crew members even as he sheds them for plot sake (swede and buttons, ivan before the season). Two of those are still alive. He ‘killed’ lucius for plot sake and no one believed him but he kept it up til the eps dropped.

I think we’ll have a vaguely clearer idea after next week but trust me one thing i can tell u is: dont trust david. And do freak out over fan theory

[lunar-system]

ofmd s2 finale thoughts.

I'm sitting here thinking if this kind of thing has ever happened to me. I was living and breathing Izzy for the past month. He was in my thoughts most of my free time. Now he's gone. I knew it from the moment when Ricky made the shot. He had a beautiful end. I just wish he had had more time.

I have a weird wiring in my brain that when i hear bad news i smile. So i was smiling throughout the end of the episode like a lunatic. Same happened with Good omens breakup scene. But even though part of that is because of the tragedy of what's happening, it's also partly cause i just love to see the beautiful scenes happening and hurting me. Bit of Izzy style masochism in me, i guess. I loved watching it. I hate that there will not be more of him. Honestly, thinking about the next season and knowing Izzy won't be there feels so empty. To know there won't be anything more to see with his relationship with either Ed or Stede, it feels bleak. It was the highlight of the show for me.

It'll be ok. This was a beautiful arc. It closed the wound left by the end of s1. Ed is free now. Blackbeard is gone. And to reframe Blackbeard as the unity of Ed and Izzy, that was so beautiful. Blackbeard doesn't exist with one of them gone.

I'm a biiit nervous to go see what the fandom in general has to say about this plot. I saw many people saying that OFMD would not kill off a queer character who was just able to discover himself. But it did. I hope the plot can be received gracefully. I experienced beautiful emotions watching Izzy go. I am fucking sad, and I am so happy I got to experience the whole ride with Izzy, the beautiful story from start to finish. I started this by asking if I've ever experienced something like this before, and I honestly can't think of another case when a character I'm so so so fond of dies. And sure, maybe there could be Buttons sea magic bringing him back but it did seem pretty damn definite for me. Not many series dares to kill of a good character. And those series where characters die a lot I'm never this invested in the characters.

Oh, Con. Thank you so much for your beautiful work. Thank you David from letting me experience it. Thank you fandom for all the Izzy love I've got to see during the past month. We'll be alright.

[cadmuslabs777]

Stede Bonnet truly is such an insane man. Not just because he left his family to try piracy while being a gentleman, but because of his absurd nonchalance in the most inconvenient moments. Like trying to pick Jackie's noses up from the floor right next to a dead body or when he was asking Lucius to write down everything that was happening during the bloodshed of Ed's lesson. He insists he doesn't actually want to hurt and kill people and gets overwhelmed by seeing violence and scared to death sometimes and then he turns around and acts like that. Like the complete lunatic he is. Of course he doesn't think Ed is going to kill him on sight, he's fucking deranged. And I love him for it so much.