Fans of HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death should be relieved to hear that the second season is officially set to begin production next month. The pirate-themed romantic comedy quickly became a hit when it premiered this March, thanks to its likable characters and positive LGBTQ+ representation.
Watching the misadventures of “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet’s crew as they try to figure out how to be pirates is always good for a laugh. However, the driving force behind what makes the show work is the relationship between Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. We see these two develop from enemies to friends to more than friends, though it was not an easy journey. Spoiler alert, they do not end the season in the best place. So, how can that relationship be built upon in the second season?
There are a number of different places that Stede and Ed’s relationship could go in season two, some happier than others. Let’s explore the options.
What Happened in Season One?
Before we look at season two, let’s recap what happened between the two in season one. Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), the gentleman pirate, left his pampered life behind and assembled a crew for a life at sea. At the same time, Edward Teach (Taika Waititi) is also dissatisfied with his life, feeling that his reputation has made it too easy. Ed hears about Stede’s life and decides to seek him out. After some initial fear on Stede’s part when they meet, both men discover they can help each other. Ed can train Stede’s crew on how to be better pirates, and Stede can teach Ed the ways of high society.
While with Stede, Ed relaxes his “Blackbeard” tendencies and embraces a more easygoing lifestyle. That does not sit well with first mate Izzy Hands, who begins to plot against Ed. The pair’s friendship grows throughout the season, developing into romance near the end. When Izzy leads British soldiers back to Stede’s ship, Stede and Ed are captured and taken to an academy to be reformed from their pirate lives. Both agree that they are happy as long as they have each other.
They plan to escape to China together and assume new identities, but Stede breaks down and returns to his abandoned wife and family. Distraught without his partner, Ed returns to Stede’s ship and takes over as captain again. Initially depressed, Izzy breaks him out of his slump, and he reverts to the ruthless “Blackbeard” and abandons Stede’s crew on an island. Stede returns in search of Ed, though all he finds is his abandoned crew.
Stede and Ed's Changed Arcs
If you asked Our Flag Means Death fans what they want from Stede and Ed’s relationship, most would likely say they want them to immediately put aside any differences and have a long, happy life together. While that outcome would please the fans, it’s not something that the show could reasonably pull off, at least not in the short term. Ed feels that Stede betrayed him by going back to his family, and all of Ed’s character growth through season one seemed to be undone as he adopted his Blackbeard persona again.
Stede broke Ed’s trust, and it won’t be easy to get it back. So will we see Stede work to get Ed’s trust back? It’s possible, but following that storyline runs the risk of repeating the first season arcs. We’ve already seen the gentler Stede help reform the darker Ed. Even though their relationship progress has unraveled, there are ways to bring them back together without rehashing season one.
First, the show could lean more into Ed’s malicious side. In season one, he was already dissatisfied with Blackbeard, and Stede gives him the push he needs to walk away from that life. We don’t spend much time with Blackbeard, and season two could be an opportunity to showcase that side of Ed. We know that Ed’s Blackbeard side was not sincere. Perhaps it was when he first adopted the persona, but he grew jaded after everyone automatically feared Blackbeard, and he didn’t need to do anything. There’s no reason to believe that Ed’s transformation back into Blackbeard in the season finale was genuine, either. He felt scorned by Stede, while Izzy took advantage of that and manipulated him.
Can That Trust Be Salvaged?
On the other side, we could also see no healing in the rift between the two. Maybe Ed feels that Stede permanently destroyed their relationship, and there is no going back. That is a realistic possibility, as Stede was the only one around whom Ed could truly be himself. In Ed’s eyes, his one confidant abandoned him, and maybe that’s something he cannot forgive. While that is a strong possibility, it is not likely that the show will go that route. The production team likely knows the fans want Stede and Ed to be together, and permanently destroying their favorite relationship is not a way to keep the fans on your side.
Blackbeard is Ed’s defense mechanism. If he can’t be loved, he’ll be feared. Stede embraced Ed for who he was, and Ed could drop the fearsome act around Stede. Losing Stede meant that Ed lost his safe space, and all he has left is his defense mechanism. Stede can try to make amends with Ed, but that won’t change the fact that he broke the trust, and Ed no longer feels like he has anyone to confide with. All he can do is hide behind Blackbeard.
Of course, Ed broke away from the Blackbeard lifestyle before, so he will likely do it again. He might think he wants to be Blackbeard, but we know he truly doesn’t. It's just how he hides his true self. It will take time, but Stede could build that trust back. In the meantime, we can explore Blackbeard and see what Ed was like before he met Stede. That could also let us see the real impact of that relationship with Stede.