Spoiler Warning: Our Flag Means Death Season One
Our Flag Means Death is a romantic-comedy series from creator David Jenkins and executive producer Taika Waititi. The series first season debuted on HBO Max with a total of ten episodes, centering around a wealthy landowner, by the name of Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), who decides to leave his aristocratic life behind and become a pirate. Not only is Our Flag Means Death another hilarious romp from Waititi and Darby, two of the masterminds behind the Flight of the Concords, but it is a groundbreaking series in terms of LGBTQ representation.
The series leads, Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), and Stede Bonnet are at the heart of the romantic comedy, developing feelings for one another as the show progresses, with suggestions that Stede is a closeted gay man and Edward a pansexual man. The entire crew of the revenge (Stede’s ship) is pansexual to an extent, with Lucius (Nathan Foad) and Black Pete (Matthew Maher) having a relationship of their own. The show also has a non-binary character, Jim, played by Vico Ortiz, who is non-binary in real life.
Stede’s persona as the “gentleman pirate” attracts the attention of Blackbeard, who is fascinated by Stede’s unique way of doing things. Stede begins to teach Blackbeard how to be an aristocrat, as the latter hopes to change his persona as the miser of the seas. As Stede and Blackbeard both spend more time with one another, Blackbeard’s first mate, Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill), begins to grow worried that his boss is becoming too soft and losing his edge, taking it into his own hands to end their union. Stede and Izzy hold onto two different versions of Edward Teach: Ed, who is sensitive and caring, wanting to find something beyond piracy, and Blackbeard, the ruthless man, uncaring and bringer of destruction. Ed’s Blackbeard persona can be thought of as being his beard, both literally and metaphorically, as he hides his true self behind a rough and overtly masculine persona. By season’s end, Ed has become Blackbeard again, and Stede has returned to sea to reclaim his crew after reconciling with his wife, who he abandoned.
What will season two have in store? Well, there’s one thing for sure, there will be no shortage of revenge and conflict standing in the way of Stede and Blackbeard finding happiness in one another again.
The British Seek Revenge
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Stede made a fool out of the British in the show’s first season. Initially, Stede goes to attack a British vessel in order to prove himself but finds out its captain is a boy he went to school with, Nigel Badminton (Rory Kinnear). After Nigel insults Stede as he did in their school days, Stede snaps and hits him over the head, causing Nigel to fall and land headfirst on his sword. Stede’s second conflict is with Nigel’s twin brother, Chauncey, who captures Stede and recovers Lucius’ journal, which reveals the role Stede played in Nigel’s death. As Stede is about to be executed, Ed calls for an act of grace for the both of them, a law from King George (Angus Sampson) that declares any pirate who pledges service to the crown be given amnesty. This doesn’t last long, as both Stede and Ed escape from their barracks, and Stede witnesses the accidental death of the second Badminton. Being the renowned pirate that Blackbeard is, the crown is likely to dive headfirst into making an example of him, putting all the resources they have at killing him and his crew.
While Stede isn’t on the same level as Blackbeard, the British still believe he killed two Royal Navy Captains and effectively got away with it. Even if they don’t go directly after Stede, he will become a target by virtue of his trying to find Blackbeard, possibly bringing all three together for a violent showdown. There’s also the question of who replaces Badminton as the chief pursuer. It wouldn’t be shocking to see there’s a third Badminton put on the mission, their father, or even a third sibling. Regardless, the new British antagonist is not likely to be as incapable as the emotional and petty Badminton brothers, likely serving as a more formidable foe with the firepower of the British military behind them.
Jim Goes After the Five Remaining Siete Gallos
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Jim is a member of the crew of the revenge. She was originally masquerading as a male amongst the crew, but when Lucius sees Jim bathing, he discovers Jim isn’t a man. This discovery isn’t too impactful for the crew, who decides to keep on calling her Jim. For the rest of the series, the crew refers to Jim as they/them. Jim used to go by “Bonifacia Jimenez,” growing up in Saint Augustine with their family. One day a group of mercenaries, known as the “Siete Gallos,” would murder their family, leaving Bonifacia to grow up in a nun-run orphanage. Jim would be taught by the lead nun, Nana, how to fight and use swords/knives so they might one day avenge their family. Jim shamefully tells Nana that they’d only been able to kill one of the Siete Gallos, the husband of the notorious Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones). It was the murder of Jackie’s husband that sent Jim on the run aboard the revenge.
At the season’s end, Jim decides to leave the ship and kill the Siete Gallos. Pretending to be a priest, Jim takes one of Jackie’s husbands, Geraldo (Fred Armisen), hostage. Jackie catches Jim and kills Geraldo herself, revealing to Jim that Geraldo was one of the Siete Gallos. Instead of killing Jim, the two drink together and hash out their differences. Jackie convinces Jim to put the burdensome path of revenge behind, rejoining their friend, Oluwande (Samson Kayo), onboard the revenge. Oluwande and Jim end up being together, but their relationship is severed by Blackbeard, who deserts Oluwande on an island and takes Jim for his crew. Jim’s chance at a new life was foiled, or was it?
The question has yet to be answered as to why Blackbeard wants to keep Jim aboard. Blackbeard states that it’s because Jim can handle themselves, but perhaps Blackbeard sees Jim as a rebound from Stede and has more romantic intentions in mind. Without Oluwande and living in the dark world of Captain Blackbeard, it is likely that Jim will take out their frustration on pursuing the remaining Siete Gallos. The further that Jim goes down the path of revenge, the less likely it is for Oluwande to be able to bring them back. There is also the question of the fallout from pursuing the Siete Gallos. While the first two that were killed might have been pushovers, the remaining might be a lot more powerful and ruthless, creating conflict with Blackbeard and the crew of the revenge. In a way, Blackbeard and Jim are in the same boat, as both will resort to their more violent tendencies to cope with the loss of genuine love in their life in the show’s second season.
Ed and Stede Reconcile
Upon sharing a kiss for the first time, Ed and Stede decide to run away from their commitments to the British military, planning to meet on the beach at dawn and sail away together in a dingy. Ed’s plan is foiled by Chauncey Badminton (Rory Kinnear), the twin brother of the British captain that Stede accidentally killed in the show’s first episode. Chauncey drunkenly takes Stede out to execute him but ends up tripping and shooting himself in the head. Stede decides that he doesn’t deserve Ed’s love anymore, ravaged by his guilt over Nigel and Chauncey’s deaths and the abandonment of his family. Stede decides to return home to his family and leave his pirate life behind. After being stood up, Ed takes the dingy back to Stede’s ship.
Upon returning, Ed finds himself in a rut and has Lucius write down his song lyrics to help express his emotions over losing Stede. Ed decides it’d be great if everyone could showcase their talents in a sort of pirate talent show. Izzy Hands has enough at this point and confronts Ed, saying that Blackbeard is the real captain, not the emotional and caring Ed, who he sees as weak. Ed decides the best way to get over his breakup with Stede is to double down on what made him the fiercest pirate. Ed becomes Blackbeard again, tosses Lucius from the ship, and leaves the crew, save Jim, on a deserted island. His new flag is a skeleton stabbing a heart, symbolic of his heartbreak.
Stede finds that his family has done well in his absence and that his wife, Mary (Claudia O’Doherty), has found her joy in painting and true love in her painting instructor, Doug (Tim Heidecker). Realizing his family is better off without him, Stede and Mary decide to work together to fake his death so that he can return to his true love, Ed. The show’s final episode ends with Stede finding his crew on the small island that Blackbeard left them on. The good news for Stede is that Ed’s transition back to Blackbeard is a coping mechanism for his loss of Stede. By doubling down on everything that Stede isn’t and becoming the fierce man he once was, he hopes to put Stede behind him. Since Ed’s turn back to Blackbeard has more to do with coping with his heartbreak, the two’s reunion is likely with some convincing from Stede to turn Ed back on the path to good.
The primary obstacle for Stede in season two will be locating Ed, and with Ed setting off on a rampage, it’s likely to be a rocky and dangerous journey for Stede. The second obstacle is Izzy Hands, who despises Stede and loves Blackbeard. While Izzy’s love for Blackbeard might be genuine, too, he loves the persona that isn’t representative of who Blackbeard truly is at heart. While Ed is currently singing the song of heartbreak, Izzy is likely to experience the same in season two when Stede and Ed reconcile, but as long as Izzy is alive, he’ll do anything to bring old Blackbeard back out in Ed. If Stede gets back together with Ed, Izzy will likely have to die, possibly forcing Stede to take a life that isn’t an accident for once.
Our Flag Means Death is a unique romantic comedy centering around a group of pirates, the majority of which are queer. The impact of the series stretches beyond a few laughs, standing as a landmark of representation. During the first season, Stede was still unsure of his future as a pirate, having flashbacks to abandoning his family and regretting playing a part in Nigel’s death. At the end of the season, Stede discovered his family was better without him and that his true love was the sea and the fiercest man roaming upon it, Blackbeard. Season two will raise the question of if Stede can get back together with Blackbeard and bring the sensitive and caring Ed back out of him. There will be no shortage of conflict as Stede and Ed fight against the British, and Jim seeks out revenge against the Siete Gallos and an escape from Blackbeard’s crew.
While violent at times, this light-hearted pirate rom-com is likely to see things work out for Stede and Ed’s relationship. However, there will be no shortage of obstacles along the way, as the crew faces fellow pirates, mercenaries, military foes, and existential crises galore.
