Written by Maggie Grazioso. Graphic by Charlotte Beck.
At 3:00 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2023, history was made. The first three episodes of season two of the hit HBO MAX show, “Our Flag Means Death,” were released.
Season one ended on an earth-shattering cliffhanger for those who are invested in the story of the show’s leading lovers, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi). Unlike the finale, season two opens on a deliciously silly dream sequence, tricking the audience into thinking this season is going to be more “com” than “rom.” The writers even managed to fit in a fart joke within the first five minutes. Although we have only seen the first three episodes, and there are countless comedic bits sprinkled in by the writer, the season is proving itself to be one of heartbreak, healing past trauma, and dramatically dark overtones. What else would one expect from a queer love story?
Going hand and hand with the gritty writing is the strength represented in the actor’s performances. The emotional journey these characters are actively being put through is all over the actor’s faces. The first three episodes cover the difficult task of coming to terms with feelings that are easily left unrecognized. There were multiple moments in which an actor developed a single, tragic tear in their eye, causing the audience to wait with bated breath, for them to break.
Two standouts in my personal, and probably biased, opinion are Blackbeard and Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill). These two characters have had a rocky, and frankly disturbing relationship since season one, and within the first episode, the writers spent some time explaining that and even offering some closure. Waititi has a certain eloquence and care when portraying this “madman.” He is literally killing people, and shooting people’s legs off, but seeing this pain and damage behind Waititi humanizes the maniac that is Blackbeard.
O’Neill’s character was one I thought unredeemable, based on the backstabbing decisions that were made by him in season one. But by the end of episode one of season two, I find myself attached to the character. The collaboration between the writers and Con O’Neill’s beautifully tragic portrayal of Izzy Hands, they’ve managed to entirely turn him around, giving Izzy an appealing redemption arc.
“Our Flag Means Death” is highly appreciated by its queer fans for its thoughtful and beautiful representation. Media today has been more inclined to include LGBTQ+ relationships in the form of two men, but this show has gone beyond that. This season in particular has included a rather badass lesbian relationship between two pirates that I certainly appreciate. This story showcases multiple queer relationships, without having “being gay” as a plot point, which is humanizing to the community. As Taika Waititi said, it’s just about “a love story between two dudes on a boat.”
