Our Flag Means Death: Season 2 (2022-present) TV Drinking Game
Down a Lime Rickey: every time Ed goes off on Stede for being a selfish prick in the past.
Down a Lime Rickey: every time Izzy acknowledges his flaws. My eyes were so not welling up…
Down a Lime Rickey: every time things get bloody or every time Ed snaps coloniser necks with his bare biceps (as someone hailing from a former colony, I approve of girlie giving em hell this season too. Viva la revoluçion!)
Down a Lime Rickey: every time mutiny is mentioned during a conversation
Down a Lime Rickey: every time Aunty and Buttons engage in one of their cryptic conversations
Down a Lime Rickey: every time the co-captains clasp hands or exchange lovey-dovey glances.
By: Vidal d’Costa (Two Beers) –
The self proclaimed Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet returns, post beating a hasty retreat from his smitten romantic interest and co-captain Edward Teach/Blackbeard in season 1. Unable to shake off the lingering pangs of anguish and abandonment, the sting of a broken heart, nor steer clear of spiralling into the most reckless version of himself- the Kraken- Ed is ‘half dead’ (both literally and metaphorically), thus posing a hindrance to himself, to his crew, and even the odd harmless seaside wedding reception! As for Bonnet, he’s relinquished riches for true love, and all he knows is that all roads lead to Ed, with a compass firmly pointed at a potential rekindling… but will Stede’s unwavering love towards his troubled (former) shipmate still act as a healing balm? And furthermore, will it be reciprocated?
Also, they’ve got company onboard The Revenge…
A Toast
As ecstatic as I am to watch my favourite ship ‘Gentlebeard’ dock again and a majority of the crew return, too, with a few new additions, I will still be sending my hefty therapy bill to the writers room of this show!
Just like its predecessor, season 2 acts as an homage to both the love that hurts and that heals/transforms, but also one-ups season 1 by allotting a lot more screen time to its aforementioned crew of not so minor characters comprising of Ed and Stede’s unruly adopted ‘kids’ (Jim, Olu, Roach, who doubles as the chef and medico onboard, resident musician Frenchie, so on and so forth) all of whom share a combined energy that’s akin to teenagers who are on a sugar rush and who’ve simultaneously inherited generational trauma due to months and years spent slogging for their father figures who are both a chaotic mess when it comes to matters of the heart and in the case of novice Stede, matters of piracy in general.
This time around, the rest of the ensemble isn’t sidelined but features prominently in their own fair share of romantic relationships while also attempting to side-step the inadvertent backsplash from Ed’s fall-out with his co-captain. Buttons, the wise, shape-shifting sea witch onboard the vessel and Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao’s superstitious, scroll-obsessed Aunty make for quite the pair, and could particularly bode well with their own spinoff series.
The main attraction of the show, however, is still its compelling romantic leads Ed and Stede of course, and viewers will find themselves captivated by a stormy romance that was brewing in season 1 and continues throughout season 2. Still in their honeymoon phase, the duo is beset by new beginnings and challenges galore- ranging from experiencing new triumphant highs, with the pair intimately playing patty cake with their intertwined fingers in the moonlight one minute (a love language in itself), but abruptly acting petty the next as they succumb to their same old bottled up insecurities/impatience, even mugging up any semblance of newfound bliss by putting up walls, or by giving into the throes of heated passion far too eagerly rather than allowing for their intimacy to simmer at its own pace (or taking it slow, as Ed prefers).
However, whether they’re both snatching secret wistful glances at each other, envisioning opening up their own seaside inn with fishing equipment and attached gift shop to boot, whispering saccharine sweet nothings, or even falling apart at the seams completely, one still feels an itch to continue to root for these two absolute gay dads. And soon enough I, too, was bound to be swept up in their whirlwind romance, grimacing and grinning in equal amounts as the Gentlebeard navigated the rocky, swirling tides (both literally and metaphorically). Personally speaking, as a twenty something who is dreading her own upcoming quarter life crisis and trying to turn the tides ever into her favour (alright, I’ll stop with the puns now), watching this pair seek constant respite and validation, take umpteen breaks, share a mutual penchant for hurriedly ‘catching the next wave’ based purely off a whim with utter disregard for what the future may/may not hold, and spontaneously branching out onto a new course professionally, too, (well into their mid forties), this show can feel like a reflective, and overall reaffirming watch indeed.
The showrunners also don’t waste time in spoiling eagle-eyed fans like myself by generously sprinkling powerful parallels, subversions and clever callbacks to some key plot points, imagery/colour palettes, and arcs in season 1- One of which being the ‘lavender haze craze’ that erupted post season 1, with scenes featuring Ed lying under a creeper of lavender blossoms and later, the primarily lavender party decor aboard The Revenge, and instances such as Stede returning to his living room on the vessel, only to discover his self portrait disfigured with stab marks galore- an image that harkens back to the equally disheartening sight that met him in the season 1 finale, upon being painted out of his family portrait by ex-wife Mary.
Tonally and execution-wise, this season felt reminiscent to a cross between Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa meets Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the cinephile and literary nerd in me was already very much mesmerised by its subtle homages to Swiss Army Man (a coming out and coming of age story drenched in a healthy dressing of fart jokes), Hamlet, Moby Dick, Macbeth (as the crew hysterically scrubs bloodstains off the deck), Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Phantom Thread (as we are introduced to Ed’s girl gang comprising of Anne Bonny and her spouse Mary Read who enthrall in assorted mind games, arson, and poisoning each other), and even The Addams Family as Ed and Stede share an affinity for aiming macabre and snarky potshots at their tormentors even in the face of danger, much like Morticia and Gomez! Being a Mark Darcy-Bridget Jones shipper, I also couldn’t help noticing the similarities in Stede earnestly professing that he loves Ed just the way he is, post a brief miscommunication over the latter’s insecurities regarding his ‘ugly naked chin’.
The storytelling features a plethora of tropes that reel in viewers- one of which is the dream within a dream narrative, with ‘The Innkeeper’ episode following an Inception-esque route as Ed is chained up in his muddled mind maze, relapsing between stability & instability. His ‘visions’ are a far cry from Stede, who manifests his own fantasy fairytale romance starring the man of his dreams… and in true Bonnet fashion, also amusingly brings it crashing down, just by letting one rip! Instead, Ed is under mental duress in his attempts to conjure up his true path to happiness only to come up short as he frustratingly pursues peace of mind and comfort, freedom as well as forgiveness from the shackles of a dark past, and also from his present day strife and struggles that leave him embittered, at times even requesting a slow death, and worse… for a mercy killing from his own crew and first mate! These growing insecurities only lead to him feeling hopelessly lost, closed off from merriment, on the path to self-destruction and burnout, even jilted, yet still showcasing a willingness to grow and later take valid criticism in his stride.
The dialogues and their delivery deserve much praise too, with Buttons’ nuanced metaphors on change and the sea sticking with me. Another instance of the same are Ed’s public zingers directed towards Stede for ‘boning’ their relationship and his penchant for off-kilter comparisons (such as the ‘Caribbean and cataracts’ line, which is reminiscent to him linking clouds to frankfurters in season 1), both of which initially appear to be throwaway gags, but if one is inquisitive enough to examine closely, also convey the gradual decline and cracks in his usually rose-tinted view on romance.
The show also doesn’t shy from addressing gritty and grim realities in a grounded, mature fashion (don’t be fooled by that escapist exterior), and also covers a wide range of running themes from self-sabotage to selfless sacrifices and innocence that’s lost in more ways than one, as well as plenty of moments of poetic justice, some of which might prove divisive but altogether brings the various subplots to a full circle.
Taika Waititi wins my Emmy vote (fingers crossed) with a performance that stays with you, and his eyes alone speak volumes. I must especially bow down to his ability to effortlessly trade in murderous Kubrick stares & hardened death stares for doe eyes that glisten or are glazed over with pure affection for Stede. Waititi also scores extra points with his intonation and voice modulation in order to morph into Ed’s various personas- from the self-loathing and volatile Kraken who sneers, snarls, and sneaks up on unsuspecting crew members, to the ambitious, level-headed, and more polite Jeff the Innkeeper, even channeling his inner Gene Wilder with a touch for the dramatic/theatrics in scenes that require him to emulate the intense, twisted, jarringly unhinged nature of this flawed character who is still vulnerable to misdirected anger that leads to unprovoked bouts of lashing out, such as when he interrogates the crew at gunpoint after Izzy rightfully and dutifully expresses concern over his Kraken persona creating a toxic work environment.
Above all, Waititi also laces Ed with playfulness and endearing charm, to showcase a layer that extends beyond the Kraken- a more fierce, protective Ed who last emerged in the much talked about climactic ‘Act of Grace’ scene in the season 1 finale, and returns once more when a one-off villain appears with red hot iron pokers to torture Stede and crew. Co-star Rhys Darby is right at home in the role of the changed but potentially damned Stede Bonnet, who despite renouncing his materialistic lifestyle and shedding his gentlemanly image for a life of bravado and bloody bar fights is yet to let go of arrogance, self-indulgence, and possesive tendencies, preferring to burn bridges rather than putting in the effort to mend them. The on-screen chemistry between the duo still brims with an unabashed tenderness, acting as the show’s garnish.
Con O’Neill offers up a multidimensional performance as Izzy (who has been the abuser and simultaneously the abusee in both seasons), and his cocky nature in taking delight in playful digs, or in a surprising turn of events, even cracking dad jokes at the expense of Ed and Stede is a welcome change and a far cry from the vindictive Izzy Hands of season 1. Izzy’s open-minded attitude and his yassification at the hands of the crew is also worth a mention and livens up the character and his overall redemption arc. Minnie Driver’s cameo as Anne Bonny is short-lived yet robust, and Ruibo Qian in the role of the headstrong Chinese Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao is a revelation, too. Not a single comedic gag is wasted, either, in this romantic comedy, with the entire ensemble boasting of impeccable timing and improv chops.
The bisexual lighting coupled with cinematography and VFX/practical effects to create the numerous mesmerizing velvet blue/lavender sky backdrops or conjure up illusions of a mythical merman/mermaid/mer-person are certainly a sight to behold (even if the limited budget also resulted in a few poorly lit scenes being added to the mix), and I do look forward to turning some of the scenic frames into my new lockscreen. Bonus marks for that precious teacup piglet (an absolute furball), the subtle inclusion of Kate Bush and Gnossiene no 5/The Love Theme in a rousing background score, the emotional heart to heart between Ed and Fang onboard a fishing canoe, as well as a tender rendition of La Vie en Rose, all of which genuinely tugs at the heart strings.
Beer Two
The finale felt a wee bit like a rush job with a pace that’s more reminiscent to watching a teaser rather than a full fledged episode, even if overall it still manages to wrap up most of the subplots and arcs neatly while simultaneously acting as a send off that’s rich in emotion and with more bittersweet callbacks to spare until the very end.
Verdict
In the words of Roach- “This is good broth!”. So do pull up a chair at Spanish Jackie’s, keep a tissue box handy and just binge both seasons on a whim!
