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londonspirit · 6 months

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Was there ever any doubt that Our Flag Means Death Season 2 wouldn't end in thrilling fashion after taking all of us on a rollercoaster of emotions? Probably not, but show creator David Jenkins and writer John Mahone, who teamed up on the script for the finale episode, seemed distinctly driven to squeeze as many tears out of us watching as possible. With the dynamic between Stede (Rhys Darby) and Ed (Taika Waititi) seemingly fractured as of the season's penultimate installment, it was unclear how — or if — the two men might eventually reconcile, but a new threat to the Republic of Pirates, alongside Ed's realization that maybe he isn't meant to be a fisherman after all, sends the two back into each other's arms, literally.

While some characters are afforded something resembling a happy ending, with Stede and Ed deciding to try their hand at being innkeepers as they watch the Revenge sail off into the sunset under Frenchie's (Joel Fry) command, not every single crew member emerges from the finale battle unscathed, chief among them Ed's first mate and formerly ruthless right-hand Izzy Hands (Con O'Neill), whose parting words to Ed may be the very thing that the former Blackbeard needs to hear in order to fully come to terms with accepting the man inside him all along.

Ahead of the Season 2 finale premiering on Max, Collider had the opportunity to reconnect with Jenkins to discuss some of the episode's biggest moments. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Jenkins explains why Izzy's speech is both a eulogy for the character and a statement about the show itself, how the Season 2 premiere and finale bookend each other with those beach scenes, and why he wanted to use that Nina Simone needle drop in particular. He also discusses why the season concludes with a wedding at sea, what the finale sets up for Season 3, and more.

COLLIDER: I feel like my first question, in a completely non-serious way, is: how dare you, and my immediate follow-up is: what gives you the right?

DAVID JENKINS: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Also, I am God to these creatures! But it was hard. It was a hard decision.

The episode kicks off with a somewhat more lighthearted moment, which is Ed realizing he's not cut out for the fishing life after all. On the heels of Stede and Ed’s big fight in the episode prior, why did it feel important to have Ed humorously have the revelation of, “This isn't what I really want after all?”

JENKINS: Well, I like the idea that Season 1 is about Stede’s midlife crisis, and Season 2 is about Ed's midlife crisis. I like that he had a little prima donna moment where he thought he could go and be a simple man, and then it's revealed that he really isn't a simple man; he’s a complicated, fussy, moody guy. No, he's not gonna be able to catch fish for a living. For him to be told that, “At your heart, you're a pirate. You have to go back and do it,” he doesn't want that to be true, but it was true.

Speaking of characters that have a revelation about themselves, Izzy's speech about piracy, about belonging to something and finding family, feels like the thesis statement of this show. Was that the intention behind it?

JENKINS: When I wrote that, I wanted to give Izzy a proper eulogy for himself. He gives a eulogy for himself, but it felt true writing it. Yeah, this is how he sees piracy, and also that's not how he would have viewed piracy in the first season. He would have viewed it as, “I'm here to dominate you, so you work for the boss.” By the end of his journey in the second season, he sees that they built him a unicorn leg, he learned to whittle, and he mentored Stede. He's learned that, actually, a pirate crew works differently than what he thought and that they are all in it together, and they do this for each other. So it felt right for Izzy’s arc, and it is kind of an overall statement about the show.

It's interesting that you call it a eulogy, because, by the time we get to the scene where we know Izzy's not going to make it, it feels like he's using his last moments for Ed more than himself. He has those final words to Ed of, “They love you for who you are. Just be Ed.” Is that the kind of the thing that Ed needs to hear in the moment — even as he's losing, arguably, someone he's known even longer than Stede and is just as close to on an emotional level?

JENKINS: Well, I like that Izzy gives that to him, and then Izzy also apologizes to him because he says that he fed his darkness and that they were both Blackbeard together — that Blackbeard wasn't just Ed, that they did it together. In a way, it's very much for Ed, that speech. The “we were Blackbeard” is claiming that he is also Blackbeard, that Blackbeard is not just Ed’s creation, and I like that for him, too, because he's worked so hard for that — and then just to say, “You can give it up.” There can never be a Blackbeard again as far as Izzy’s concerned because he's dying, and they did that together.

I wanted to ask you about the Stede/Ed reunion. We get Ed finding Stede's love letter that was written all the way at the beginning, and then also the beach fight/reunion. It's definitely a callback to the dream, but was that always the way that you wanted to bookend the season? Here's the dream and the fantasy, and then this is the real moment that we get to have?

JENKINS: It was nice. I knew that I wanted to have the Republic of Pirates at the beginning and end up with the Republic of Pirates. I think the reunion of it was a nice surprise, but it felt right. And finding the letter in a bottle — if you have a letter in a bottle, it's thrown out somewhere, it has to pop up somewhere, you have to see one of them at some point. But yeah, there's a circular nature to it, and that's why I thought it would be good to use Nina Simone at the beginning and at the end as a callback. This dream in this way did come true, and they made it come true.

When I talked to you at the beginning of the season, you mentioned the Nina Simone needle drop, but couldn't say anything about the significance of it at the time. I talked to [music supervisor] Maggie [Phillips], as well, about the needle drops throughout Season 2, and she said you always had a very clear vision for what song you wanted there. A lot of people know the original, but why did you pick Nina's cover? It strikes a different tone; there's a hopefulness to it in a lot of ways.

JENKINS: Yeah, it's wistful. There's a lovely part that sounds like church bells, which is great for the wedding part of it, and then it's just moving. I love her interpretation of it. It’s wistful, positive, and it felt like the end of the show to me. There's a size to it that, up against these images, I just was like, "Yeah, this would be really good. I want this to be in the show."

I did want to ask you about the wedding because on the heels of Izzy's death, it's bittersweet, but also, it's a sign this crew has become a family, and they can still find happy moments and reasons to celebrate. We’ve seen Black Pete and Lucius reconnect, but also reconcile and navigate through Lucius's problems and have their own, almost parallel trajectory journey as a couple alongside Stede and Ed in a way. Was that something that you always wanted to close the season on, the two of them getting hitched?

JENKINS: Yeah. We knew we wanted a matelotage in the season, which is the real term they had for marrying crew members. And yeah, they've always been in relief to Stede and Ed, and they're a little bit ahead of Stede and Ed in how much they can talk about things. So to have a bunch of family things in the season, like a funeral and a wedding, and have the parents kind of watch the kids sail away, felt right, and all of those things seem to work well together and build on each other.

Speaking of Ed and Stede watching everybody sail off, that was an outcome that was somewhat surprising, I think because where they are, you think maybe they're going to end up sailing off with everybody else.” But no, instead, it's just this sweet, lovely note of them getting to play house for a little while. What inspired that turn for them?

JENKINS: I think that they've come to the point in the relationship where they say, “Yeah, we're gonna give this a try,” and that's where the story really gets interesting. That will-they-or-won't-they is interesting to a point, but the real meat of it is always like, “Can they make the relationship, and can they do better than Anne and Mary?” That's the question that we all ask ourselves when we end up in a serious relationship is: can we make this work, and can we get through the hard times? Then they're both very damaged, and it's gonna be a challenge for them, and that's where the story gets interesting.

I'm not sure you can really tease much for a Season 3, but we talked before about how you have your vision for where you want to take this, and based on what we see at the end of Season 2, the implication is that we're going to have Stede and Ed off together, but is the plan to also continue with the other characters as well in their own places?

JENKINS: Yeah. Frenchie’s in charge of the Revenge, and I think Frenchie's Revenge would be an interesting place to work and an interesting ship to be raided by. Then I think that the Revenge means a lot to Stede, and it would be very hard for him to give it up, and he hasn't had a great track record of that. So I think the odds of them all finding each other again are quite high.

All episodes of Our Flag Means Death Season 2 are available to stream on Max.

#our flag means death season 2 #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #spoiler #our flag means death #ofmd #david jenkins #interview #collider article

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celluloidbroomcloset · 10 days

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The snake shack scene is amazing for many reasons but not least because not only is Lucius realizing that Stede and Ed are into each other, not only that Ed has fallen for his bizarre little captain, but also that BLACKBEARD IS AS BIG A DORK AS STEDE.

Lucius just sitting there having multiple revelations in the space of three minutes.

#ofmd #our flag means death #lucius spriggs #stede bonnet #edward teach #gentlebeard #poor Lucius did not consent to this

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figmentof · 4 months

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saying we don't get to "see" izzy being abusive to Ed enough, as if the disrespectful way in which he talks to/about Ed, his captain, in s1 wasn't already telling us everything we needed to know about their relationship

"the man is half insane" to Fang and Ivan

lying to Ed about telling Stede his boss is Blackbeard

his attempt to gaslight Ed (and the audience) with his "i've managed your increasingly erratic moods, i've massaged this crew when they worried about your judgment" (word for word)

izzy claiming he's always in charge bc Ed can't do his job, when Fang confirms that izzy cannot captain a ship when left in charge

"Bonnet did something to his brain" as if Ed has no agency and can't make his own decisions, this white guy must've brainwashed him

in s2: mocking Ed in private. he's half dead with a leg freshly lopped off and he still has enough breath in him to mock Ed for being too much of a coward to kill himself

why do you feel the need to demand flashbacks of Ed being abused by izzy before Stede was ever in the picture? would seeing that convince you more? or do you just revel in watching a white man torment the indigenous one. was the show canonically making izzy buy Ed from the english not awful enough for you or what. if you want evidence of izzy being physically abusive you can look towards Stede, who he actually stabbed and attempted to kill twice; and, by the way, punches in the stomach in the name of training him in s2. the training results in a whole bunch of nothing at the end too, but that doesn't count right?

#izzy critical #it's 2024 here where i am and y'all are pissing me tf off today

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kenphobia · 6 months

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CAN'T SLEEP, LOVE！

summary. ace couldn't sleep, and sanji happens to the same as well.

characters. ace/sanji

contents. no general plot, fluff mostly; possibly ooc? (i don't know how to write both of them), more or lessself-indulgent; dedicated to my friend, rocket, the acesan shipper fr; mentions of smoking; subtle mutual pining

› notes featured at the end.

The ship was silent, save for Luffy's loud snores. The waves rock the vessel ever so slightly, keeping Ace awake with the motion of it all. He leaned on the rails, staring into the star-dotted sky with not much on his face. The air was cool and brushed against his arms, like a comforting yet distant hug. He sighed.

Staying with the Strawhats sure have gotten him tired, but it was the most fun he has had ever since he set on finding Blackbeard. The mere thought of the man soured Ace's mood, his nose scrunching up as he balled up his fist tightly.

As Ace glared down at the sea below him, he felt a presence behind him and a voice called out.

"What are you doing out here, Ace?"

Ace turned around upon the mention of his name, seeing the Strawhats' cook standing behind him. He was still dressed in his usual outfit, but it was clear that he was about to take them off and change out for a more comfortable attire.

"I should be asking that." Ace offered a smile and a place for Sanji to stand beside him. Sanji took the offer and smiled back, pulling out a cigarette and lighter.

Sanji fiddled with the lighter, flicking it open several time but the end of the cigarette didn't catch fire. "Well, I couldn't sleep even if I tried to." He responded with gritted teeth, brows furrowed in irritation as sweat drip from his temple.

Ace took hold of the cook's hand, pushing it away gently as fire ignited on his fingertips and lit the cigarette. Sanji felt his face warm up, color dusting his cheeks as Ace moved his face closer to his. Whether the action be intentional or not, it still made something burn up inside of the blonde man.

Sanji turned away once the end of his cigarette burned a bright red-orange glow. He thanked Ace who, in turn, just grinned. He took a puff, smoke filling his mouth and exhaling it all out into the night. The air, once smelling like the ocean and salt, now held a smoky scent.

"And you?" Sanji turned to Ace.

Ace simply shrugged, tucking his hands under his arms. He leaned more against the rails. "Same reason. Plus, the night is too pretty to sleep off, isn't it?" He met Sanji's eyes, the blue-grey tome swirlimg within them gave Ace a sense of comfort, a cooling feeling.

Sanji nodded, the cigarette hanging off the side of his mouth as his lips curved upwards. "The stars are twinkling brightly tonight, more than usual, aren't they?"

The two stood there in silence, reveling the night and the moonlight shining down on them. The breeze becomes strong for a short moment and the two of them seem to have move closer to each other, a common instinct to find warmth within your nearest companion.

"Thanks again," Ace suddenly spoke up. "For, well, taking care of my brother. Must be hard cooking for him, huh?"

Sanji chuckled. "I mean, yeah. But I love cooking, so it's not exactly a problem. It's just the supplies diminish too quickly for my liking." He answered, feeling exhaustion settling into his bones at the memory of multiple shopping trips and restocking on each island.

Ace nodded, leaning his head atop the blonde's. He reveled in Sanji's warmth, in the smoke held tightly between soft lips. "And I'd like to thank you for another thing."

"What another thing?" Sanji raised a brow, now holding the cigarette between his fingers.

"For keeping me company."

notes. INSPIRED BY ALL OF THE ACESAN ART @/HUYANDERE ART DID!!! THE ACESAN ARTIST FR!!! live laugh love acesan

also yeah i do write character x character, but im a bit picky on the ships soo :'))

#ken writes！#one piece #acesan #ace x sanji #sanji x ace

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stunnedgorilla · 6 months

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Ofmd season 2 episode 6 spoilers!!

The way they showed Ed and Stede's first time was so interesting to me. First of all, it happened directly after Stede killed someone for the first time, so automatically, Stede was in a very strange and vulnerable headspace. And that's not to say he was taken advantage of--he very much initiated it--but it happened while both of their identities were up in the air. Stede was adjusting to being an *actual* killer, while Ed had just apologized earlier for shooting Izzys leg.

And then we see Ed sitting on the bed, still fully clothed in leather while a shirtless Stede closes the curtains. And what interests me the most is that we don't even see his face. All we see is Ed looking up from the bed, and Stede looming close to the camera, mirroring the way that Blackbeard was first introduced to the show--facing away from the camera and smoking a pipe, obscured with power and mystery. The fact that their first time co-occurred with such a dramatic shift in dynamics is a little concerning but I have total faith that they will *eventually* talk their shit out).

I don't fully believe Ed when he said that night was a mistake. I do believe he has commitment issues like a bitch, and when Stede started to become more like him, he got scared. We can see him pulling away, sitting in the corner of Spanish Jackie's as Stede revels in his infamy. He wants to truly make amends to the people he's hurt and traumatized, and he can't do that if he's with someone who's drinking, and making people walk the plank, and lighting people on fire.

And it's not because Stede is evil--sure he's a bitch, and occasionally ends a life or two, but that's not who he truly is--its who he's trying to be. A murderer, not a bitch--cause he is a bitch, but he's trying to be a murderer, because his whole life he's been bullied and mocked for not being manly enough. For not being a good husband, for being sensitive and soft, and well, gay. And Ed doesn't understand that this is why he wants to be like him, like Blackbeard (because they haven't fucking talked about it), because for Ed, being Blackbeard ruined his life. It nearly ended it (and others) and he doesn't want Stede to fall down the same path.

So yeah, Ed decides to become a fisherman, because like he said, he has no idea who he is. He still has so much healing to do, so many wrongs to right, and it's just so fucking tragic that now is the time when they need each other the most, but they're moving so rapidly in opposite directions, and neither of them know how to communicate it.

I think Anne and Mary were right--they are fucking 14 year old boys. I mean, Stede literally called Ed a coward for leaving instead of chasing after him. But they're not going to turn out like them. Ed and Stede are going to grow up, and they're going to talk, and they're going to heal each other's scars instead of causing each other more. They're going to learn how to commit to each other and stay even when things get hard or scary. (David Jenkins please for the love of all that is holy let them better each other and also fuck again but after they come to terms with who they are and want to be)

Edit: actually, hot take, but I think them having sex actually was a mistake. And yeah, Ed left instead of talking about it, but still. Their relationship is still so new and unstable, and I wish they waited until they were in a more grounded place. I wish they would have reckoned with their opposing paths before doing something so intimate and vulnerable, but I have a feeling they're going to reckon with it by the end of the season.

Ed asked Stede to go slow for a reason. And yeah, they both consented, which is more important than anything, but damn, it happened so fucking fast. I mean, they are gay, so. (David Jenkins I am in your walls please make Ed and Stede practice healthy sexuality and communicate about their life goals so they can prevent further miscommunication and heartbreak)

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd meta #our flag means death meta #ofmd season 2 #stede bonnet #edward teach #blackbonnet #gentlebeard

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izzyscravat · 2 months

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Izzy deserved better (rant)

What was the point of killing Izzy? So Ed could be free?

Ed had already let go of Blackbeard, for himself and for Stede. What was the point of offing Izzy for him to be free??

What about Izzy’s freedom?

“Blackbeard was us.”

Fine. I get it. Izzy coaxed him. He truly did. The scene is extremely uncomfortable and very psychologically abusive.

Izzy taunted Ed to his face and behaved generally dick-ish. But he FUCKING PAID for it.

Several toes and a leg. Abuse. Trauma. Pain. Torture. Attempted suicide.

How did Ed pay for what he did?

Gravy basket? Not good enough.

Kicked off the ship? Not good enough.

“Sorry about your leg?” Not good enough. Yeah, he’s not good with words but Izzy deserved a little more than that. SOME sort of reaction from Ed that he understood what he did was fucked up.

For me, I think that’s ten times worse than what Izzy ever did to Ed.

After all that he found acceptance. The crew loved him. They risked their fucking necks for him. Of all the people who deserved a full happy ending he was one.

I know it’s been months. But it still bugs me. It bugs me so fucking much that he didn’t get to have his happy ending. Dying in Ed’s arms is not a happy ending. It’s just an ending.

I do not believe he was “ready to go”. I think he was catering to Ed’s fucking feelings AGAIN one last time.

(Disclaimer: I love Ed. I just love Izzy more)

I had hoped this would make sense to me with time, but it so does not.

All that growth. To die?

Of course, the healing he did is still worth it. But I would have liked him to FUCKING LIVE TO BE ABLE REVEL IN IT.

I’ve watched the finale all the way through twice. I will not do it again. It didn’t happen.

I refuse to believe it ends like this.

ALSO, don’t even get me started on the whole “father figure” business.

Nah. I do not buy it.

At all.

I want him back. He’d just started to be comfortable with himself??????? WHAT WAS THE REASON???? TRULY???

“There is no version of this show that doesn’t include Izzy Hands.”

#izzy hands #it’s five am and I’m crying about this again #I do not believe this was David’s decision and with all that’s come out about the streaming service recently I think I am right #ofmd #our flag means death #israel hands #Blackbeard #susie rambles

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gaypainsequalgainsamiright · 7 months

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Can I just talk about how I went from ‘why the fuck would Ed ever put up with Izzy’ to ‘wow I fucking want one’ because I feel like it’s important.

Picture Ed in his teens or twenties, being put through it on some other captain’s ship, but also feeling freedom and power and a camaraderie with his crew mates that he’s never had before. Ed has clearly got a knack for this whole pirating thing, he gets the attention of others who praise him for it, who look up to him, and suddenly now, he’s got a purpose.

He spends a night looking up at the stars and deciding who he’s going to be—Blackbeard, the dread pirate, captaining the most notorious crew on the Seven Seas.

He knows that he isn’t Blackbeard, he isn’t who he wants to present himself as. After all, Blackbeard should be happy to kill, should revel in being a ruthless villain. And Ed is smart. So what does he do? He surrounds himself with people who push him into character, even when he’s exhausted, even when he’s fucking terrified. He has one goal, to have the world see him the way he envisions, and critical to achieving that is having someone by his side who understands his vision and wants it as much as Ed does. And that someone is Izzy.

Cut to 20+ years later. Ed is fucking exhausted of playing this character. It isn’t what he wants anymore, but it’s also the only way he knows how to be impressive, important, the only way he feels worthy of attention and love. But Izzy has always played the role of the manager, has always been there to push Ed into character regardless of what Ed felt about it because that’s what Ed loved him for, that’s why Ed has always needed him. And Izzy is still operating like that, because that’s what he’s always done, and because Blackbeard is important to him. He may even be completely aware that Ed is sick of it, but he doesn’t want to lose the Blackbeard that he’s looked up to and loved for decades.

He loves Ed, he loves Blackbeard, but he’s not so sure Ed will keep him around if he doesn’t need him. And Ed doesn’t need him if Ed doesn’t want to be Blackbeard anymore.

But despite not wanting it, Ed still feels like he needs to be Blackbeard at the beginning of s1. So of course he would fight to keep Izzy around, of course he goes and makes sure Izzy doesn’t leave after their argument in e4, of course he says he’s gonna kill Stede even though he doesn’t want to. Because without Izzy there is no Blackbeard. Without Izzy keeping him in check, there’s just Ed. And at that point Ed still believes that he needs to present as Blackbeard to be impressive and worthy.

A few episodes later, some crying in a bathtub, and that belief has been throw out the window by this magical soft man who wants to be Ed’s friend and tells him he wears fine things well.

Which is precisely why Ed DOES let Izzy leave after his duel with Stede. (Which he then feels very weird about because not being pushed into being Blackbeard feels uncomfortable and strange and new, so of course he’s a little off, and when Calico Jack comes along of COURSE he swings back into character because even if just being Ed is good for him it’s also fking scary and new.)

The heartbreaking thing is that Ed could’ve held on if Izzy hadn’t pushed him. Because it wasn’t Stede not being there that was the confirmation of Ed’s long-held belief that he isn’t actually worthy of anything if he’s not being Blackbeard. It was Izzy. Izzy, doing the same old pushing Ed to be Blackbeard when for Ed, everything has changed. Because Ed’s been given a taste of a world where to he doesn’t have to be Blackbeard to feel worthy. And Izzy pushing like he always has is a painful, bitter confirmation that that world doesn’t not exist, was never actually real, that he isn’t he allowed to be vulnerable, he isn’t allowed to be just Ed.

#this post got away from me but I digress #I want an Izzy #also this is all about s1 but I’ll think about it in terms of s2 at some point #ofmd #our flag means death #edward teach #izzy hands #ofmd blackbeard #blackbeard ofmd #gentlebeard #blackbonnet

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amuseoffyre · 6 months

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OMFG. When Izzy is doing his "I have... love for you speech" there's a minor orchestration that it took me a minute to recognise and my guys, I was not ready.

THEY'RE REUSING THE STARK REVELATIONS THEME WHEN IZZY CONFESSES HIS FEELINGS AND STAGES HIS INTERVENTION.

AND THEN AND THEN AND THEN IT SEGUES INTO BLACKBEARD'S THEME WHEN ED SAYS "As a crew"

THIS SHOW. THIS FRIGGING SHOW.

#ofmd s2 #music #ofmd

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aazel-art · 2 years

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I frequently see the popular take that Stede is completely blindsided by his romantic feelings for Ed until the kiss/Mary convo.

Although I enjoy the comedic affect of this, the reason it funny is because the idea of Stede's v romantic actions being completely subconscious is absolutely outrageous. To me, his revelation was more subtle.

I love Stede because I see in him, an older queer man who hasn't had a chance to have any past 'dalliances' and no experience recognizing the difference between like liking someone, and being in love.

Babe, I've been there. That's hard as fuck to recognize in yourself let alone accept from another person when your only exposure is ever second hand.

Coupled with Stede's self esteem struggles?

There are too many key moments where Stede is confronted by the fact to let it slide. From not contradicting Lucius' comment about the 'break up' to basically having the "We haven't had the 'past partners' talk yet" confrontation with Calico Jack.

In my opinion, Stede knew full well that he and Ed were in a romantic relationship.

Stede knows he has feelings for Ed. He knows Ed has feelings for him. He just doesn't know both of them are experiencing love.

It's okay for Stede to have his little harmless "crush" on Ed, because there's no way that it can last, right? He's repeatedly told that Ed's interest in him is incomprehensible. And Stede feels this. He thinks that eventually when Ed's bored of him, he'll move on. ( After all, he himself said he wasn't built for sitting idle- What happens when another Calico Jack pops up in their lives? There's no guarantee that he'll come back next time.)

"I'll let him set the pace. I'll take what he's willing to give and ask for nothing more- just enjoy this as long as I'm allowed to have it"

Stede fully expected Ed's interest would eventually run out and he'd be forced to let his little crush go.

Then Ed kisses him.

You know what Ed doesn't do? Explain what the heck that meant for him.

Because really, what does 'makes Ed happy' mean- what does a kiss mean? And more importantly, what does a kiss mean to the more experienced legendary Blackbeard? This is not the explicit clear declaration of love that we, the audience, know it is. Stede is simply too close to the situation to see it for what it really is.

Stede is visibly PROCESSING.

Ed asks him to run off with him.

And that's gotta be terrifying.

Cause of course it is! Throwing both their lives away on a gamble of a crush- that's insane. And how could he let Ed's legacy tumble for little old him?? Isn't this just another way that Stede is ruining him?

But Stede is remembering Mary's words, 'All we have is this one life...' So he says yeah, I think so, mmhm.

It's the most Stede's ever felt for someone before. And maybe Ed doesn't like Stede as much as Stede likes him, but he hasn't gotten bored of him yet. So yes, we have to try don't we?

Fast forward to the end of episode 10. Now we're finally here, the revelation with Mary.

You can see Stede's heart SWELL in that conversation. As my dear friend put it best: He's like a flower opening up.

And yeah, realizing you love someone is quite amazing.

But you know what's even better?

Realizing that someone loves you back.

That montage- it goes BOTH ways. Stede is not only seeing all the ways he loves Ed. He's seeing all the ways his feelings are reciprocated.

Oh. It's love. I love him.

A beat.

Oh. He loves me too.

And now he realizes what Ed was sacrificing his pirate persona for.

And heck.

Yeah, you do risk it all for love. You chase after it all for love. You gain everything for love.

End of season 1 Confident Stede isn't just because he realized he loved Ed. That's a man who knows he's loved in return.

Season 2, i'm begging you, give it to me-

Ed: i hate u, go away.

Stede: pft noooo shuddup, u love me

Ed: LIES

Stede: NUH UH, U LOVE ME, NOW GET BACK HERE AND APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY CREW.

I want them both to be in love and furious.

#our flag means death #ofmd meta #ofmd

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