{shortcode-c6f8fd1cecdd4549571eaca359b8d66984ccdbe0}
This review contains major spoilers.
The season 2 finale of “Our Flag Means Death” aired on Oct. 26th, and it actually gave queer joy a chance.
“Our Flag Means Death,” created by David Jenkins and starring beloved Kiwis Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby, is a romantic comedy about pirates. It seamlessly integrates queer characters into its storylines, telling a primarily comedic story that focuses on themes of love, found family, and letting go of the past. The second season of the show has highlighted the highs and lows of relationship building, the problems associated with revenge, and the idea that happiness is worth fighting for. The finale of “Our Flag Means Death” wraps up these storylines nicely, but above all it makes a hopeful statement about the future of queer media.
Queer representation in television series has been, for far too long, generally dissatisfactory. Too often, shows run queer-baiting main pairings, awkwardly shove queer characters into shows without focusing on their stories, or disproportionately cancel shows that embrace LGBTQ+ representation. After being conditioned by so many examples of poorly-done queer media, it can feel risky to invest oneself in queer pairings. But “Our Flag Means Death” has instead embraced, for once, a happy ending. The finale of “Our Flag Means Death” represents a new attitude in TV to tell queer stories without tokenizing their identities, and embraces a happy ending that has been denied for too long.
The core of this finale was its focus on the relationship between Edward Teach, or Blackbeard (Waititi), and Stede Bonnet (Darby). The duo, one a grizzled veteran of the pirating world and the other a gentleman looking for adventure, have been building their relationship since season 1. Since their separation at the end of season 1, their arcs have run parallel, with Ed learning to leave behind the embittered ways of pirating and Stede trying to define his new aspirations. While the penultimate episode of season 2 left the two split up after a disagreement, the finale ties their arcs together again. The two finally end up on the same page and reunite in order to save their crew from the British. And, while the duo is offered another adventure on the high seas, they end the episode settling down together at an inn, realizing Ed’s pining for normality and Stede’s inability to mold to the pirating lifestyle. After witnessing so many horrible ends for queer couples (and I mean, so many), it feels amazing to see this loveable pairing happily together in peace. It also makes sense thematically: The two have been through so much relationship building and soul searching that their ending feels deserved. As Jenkins said in an interview with Vanity Fair, it makes sense that “They get to have a little happiness at the end of it.”
While not every aspect of the finale is happy, it does generally tie up the arcs built throughout season 2. Many fans are sure to be hurt over the death of Izzy Hands, Blackbeard’s right-hand man. But Izzy’s tragic ending makes sense: As his mentorship over Ed has come to a close, his death allows Ed to both physically and metaphorically let go of the past. Izzy himself has also accepted that the Golden Age of piracy as he knows it is over, and that the next chapter of history must go on without him. Con O'Neill's performance of the dry yet loveable character will be sorely missed, but his death was inevitable and his wisdom will never leave Ed and Stede.
Many of the season’s other arcs are also resolved in the finale. The love triangle established between Zheng (Ruibo Qian), Oluwande (Samson Kayo), and Jim (Vico Ortiz) is finally worked out, and the entire crew of “The Revenge” teams up with Zheng to take down the British. While the finale’s villain was a little weak and reminiscent of season 1’s baddie, the recurring threat of the English is a reasonable aspect of 18th century piracy. Both the love triangle’s resolution and the team-up between Zheng and The Revenge’s crew are satisfying ways of proving the larger cast’s loyalty and love for one another.
The season finale is not without flaws, but they are largely due to the studio’s showrunning over the actual content of the show. When season 2 of the show was renewed, it was given eight episodes instead of the ten given to season 1. Due to this, some of the episode-by-episode storylines throughout the series felt rushed. The finale felt this time pressure as well, resulting in a breakneck pace in the last 15 minutes. Additionally, due to a partnership with the New Zealand tourist bureau, the second season was shot in Auckland, creating some scheduling conflicts that resulted in less cameos and the loss of some returning characters. However, some of these problems became a gift — shooting on the New Zealand coastline instead of a Hollywood studio resulted in a variety of stunning shots throughout the series, most notably including the finale’s sunset-drenched ending.
In the same interview with Vanity Fair, creator David Jenkins has said that he’d “love to do another season of the show,” and there are still threads that will leave fans hoping for a third and final season. Ed and Stede, while united, still have to learn how to manage each other’s unpredictable personalities. While the duo have decided to stay with each other instead of living on “The Revenge” (leaving both the physical ship and putting aside Ed’s focus on power and revenge), they still have to learn to fully work together. Additionally, the beloved pirate crew has to rebuild Zheng’s pirate army and find the princeling who took Izzy’s life.
Season 3 is not promised, so fans can only speculate if these additional storylines will be explored. But, for now, the season 2 finale has made a hopeful statement: Queer love can, and should, find happy endings.
—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.
