celluloidbroomcloset

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I just think of how much Stede has grown. He was so scared in “Act of Grace.” He’s so uncertain about who he is and what he feels. And then when he talks to Ed on the sofa, it’s with this clarity and maturity and total lack of fear or uncertainty. He knows he’s in love, that he has been for months, that this man is all he ever wanted. He’s not afraid of anything. He just has to finally tell Ed what he feels, like he failed to before. And it’s so simple and so lovely.

#ofmd #our flag means death #stede bonnet #edward teach #gentlebeard

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I just don’t get it, man. How is it possible to agree on loving Ed and then tossing Ed’s boyfriend to his abuser?

I've been encountering more Stizzy out there lately, and whatever, ships aren't moral indicators, don't like don't read, etc. And so I do not read!

But, like. What do Stizzy folks do with Ed?

Stede adores Ed and would never so much as consider someone else, especially not someone he has a mostly antagonistic relationship with. In-show-Izzy is so tied up with Ed that I don't even know what you'd do with him in an Ed-free environment. Do Stizzy writers kill Ed off? Make up whole new universes where Ed never existed (and in that case, why don't Stede and Izzy just hate each other forever without Ed to bring them together)?

I don't like any Izzy ships because I think everyone else on the show deserves better, but this is really the only one that makes absolutely no sense to me, not even as an enemies-to-lovers situation.

[celluloidbroomcloset]

LOVE CONFESSION OF ALL TIME.

But this is a guy who could not for the life of him say what his feelings were. Who was so genuine and yet so unable to state outright what he felt while Ed was dropping all these hints that he was falling in love. Whose response to running off to China was “Yes? I think so.”

And he is so CERTAIN. He has never been more certain of anything. “Ed. I love—I love everything about you.” That is growth. He doesn’t stop using the word love. He doesn’t hesitate. Ed has been living in heartbreak and doubt and one of the first real conversations he has with Stede again is Stede saying so plainly that he loves him.

GAWD.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd meta #stede bonnet #edward teach #gentlebeard

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Stede immediately saying that he likes the length of Ed’s beard, after one of their last conversations being about how Ed can’t be Blackbeard without a black beard…

Poor baby has internalized everything. He’s repeated everything he said wrong in his head for months. He’s rehearsed everything he wanted to say to Ed, to assure him of his love.

It’s such a great reminder that Stede never declared his love. He never gave Ed assurance of his feelings, and then he ran off and seemed to confirm that what he didn’t feel the same. And Stede’s so determined that Ed is gonna know how much he loves him.

#ofmd #our flag means death #stede bonnet #edward teach #gif #ofmd meta

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Christ, Stede and Ed acting like teenage girls. Anne and Mary clocking exactly what’s going on within five seconds of seeing them together.

I love this episode.

Murder wives, my dearest darlings.

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Murder wives, my dearest darlings.

#OFMD #our flag means death

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Everyone: Oh my God, he IS a serial killer boyfriend.

Stede: Isn’t he adorable?

#ofmd #our flag means death #stede bonnet #edward teach #gentlebeard

[celluloidbroomcloset]

No one came out of that room normal. When did Zaddy happen? When did Stede declare Ed his boyfriend? Was this the point that Izzy decided he didn’t want to live anymore? HOW MUCH MORE IS THERE?

I’m sorry, I just rewatched the cats conversation and WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE MEN?! They have truly never had a normal human conversation and they are standing there discussing how people are like three cats in human suits.

[celluloidbroomcloset]

I’m sorry, I just rewatched the cats conversation and WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE MEN?! They have truly never had a normal human conversation and they are standing there discussing how people are like three cats in human suits.

#ofmd #our flag means death

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Very often direct overhead shots are considered the perspective of God…

Our Flag Means Death + cinematography | overhead shots

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Honestly, in order to get the dynamic to work without it simply being abusive, you have to decide that a lot of things are true about both Izzy and Stede that just…are not. You have to decide Izzy is not a bully, that he’s a true mentor figure, that their dynamic is not “fucking hate your guts,” that Stede in some way needs to be taught something by Izzy, that Stede sees Izzy as an actual rival and not an annoying little guy who keeps yapping at him (to get the enemies to lovers thing). And you have to completely remove Ed from the equation AND convince the reader that Stede would, for some reason, go for anyone else but particularly for the one major character he actively does not like. Unless, of course, you’ve decided to delve into non-con, in which case I want to know how you justify that.

At this point, these characters are no longer the same characters as the ones on the screen. And that’s if you’re not actually grappling with the racism and abuse issues.

Here’s the thing (I didn’t want to keep ranting on that poor person’s post): I really don’t think that you can divorce OFMD’s canon dynamics, and what canon is explicitly saying about abuse and race and masculinity, from ships like Stizzy. Yes, there is an interpretation based on canon that can argue that Izzy is (consciously or not) grooming Stede to become a “New Blackbeard.” It’s a stretch to say that any of that is sexual (if you buy that interpretation), but I guess you can get there.

For that to be a positive thing that in some way upends or supersedes Stede’s feelings for Ed AND transfers them to Izzy, even in a scenario where Ed doesn’t come back, requires taking the perspective that Izzy is the secret, real protagonist and that Stede is his reward.

And this is always the problem. What the show does will always bite you in the ass. You can’t remove issues of race and abuse and masculinity from those characters and have them remain the same characters, without falling into deeply problematic tropes that involve racism and rape culture (and queer characters are not somehow exempt from those things). Because there is actually a reason why this show is not about Izzy Hands and why it’s not Black Sails. There is a reason why Stede falls in love with Ed and not with Izzy. And it’s not solely “because we wanted him to.” It has more complex meaning than that.

This shit is absolutely racist and is absolutely reinforcing rape culture. Is it the most egregious sin that fandom has ever committed? No, but it is there. It is a thing. It’s really not a good idea to pretend that it isn’t.

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*sniff* He finally found someone to riff with.

Stede is fully following everything he’s saying. He is 100% on board with this. He has never heard anyone make so much sense in his life.

Ed is just. He’s so happy. He’s fucking THRILLED to be back together with his boyfriend. It’s got him saying nearly incoherent shit in a room full of people. He’s rambling about cats in a life or death situation. That man is delirious with happiness after a lifetime of suffering.

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Zheng has had all her illusions fully destroyed in barely an afternoon.

#ofmd #our flag means death #zheng yi sao #edward teach #stede bonnet

[celluloidbroomcloset]

Stede really did fuck Ed’s brains out, huh?

#ofmd #our flag means death #stede bonnet #edward teach #no man has ever been more unhinged in love #gentlebeard #every bts confirms that Stede has the capacity to reduce Ed to a lovedrunk mess

[celluloidbroomcloset]

He is high on love and murder.

Maybe the brain couscous situation was less resolved than expected.

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They’re literally incapable of existing in society. It is good they now own an inn where they can terrorize hapless travelers of the Caribbean. They’re going to be so happy.

This is entirely why Ed and Stede are made for each other. No one else could ever put up with them as their unfiltered selves for more than five minutes at a stretch. Not only can they put up with each other, they MAKE EACH OTHER WORSE.

Love story of all time.

[celluloidbroomcloset]

This is entirely why Ed and Stede are made for each other. No one else could ever put up with them as their unfiltered selves for more than five minutes at a stretch. Not only can they put up with each other, they MAKE EACH OTHER WORSE.

Love story of all time.

#ofmd #our flag means death #stede bonnet #edward teach #gentlebeard