In-depth discussion of Our Flag Means Death‘s season 2 finale.
Summary
- The season 2 finale of “Our Flag Means Death” is both satisfying and surprising, with payoffs and new developments for the characters.
- Izzy Hands’ death is an emotional moment, as his character has faced challenges throughout the season and ultimately sacrifices himself while standing up to the season’s villain.
- Prince Ricky Banes emerges as the true villain in the finale, executing a plan that destroys Zheng’s fleet and sets up a revenge quest for Ed and Stede in season 3.
Our Flag Means Death season 2’s ending is full of both payoffs and surprises, many of which have been teased throughout the period rom-com’s sophomore outing. In the three-episode season premiere, viewers pick up with Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), the gentleman-turned-pirate who’s officially renounced his wealth and faked his death in order to give up his former life. Eager to reunite with his love, Ed “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi), Stede gathers his crew and heads to the Republic of Pirates in order to purchase a new ship. While there, Stede and the crew work for Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones) and meet two new characters.
Disguised as a soup seller, Our Flag Means Death’s pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao (Rubio Qian) is one of those key characters. While Zheng “saves” Stede and his crew from Jackie, the other new character, Prince Ricky Banes (Erroll Shand), nearly gets them all killed. Meanwhile, Ed isn’t taking his breakup with Stede well. The pirate captain nearly kills his whole crew, encouraging them to commit mutiny. After a near-death experience, Ed reunites with Stede and goes on a season-long journey of self-discovery. While Stede becomes a more admirable pirate, Ed considers renouncing his piratical ways — until an end-of-season villain emerges to threaten all the show’s pirates.
Izzy Hands’ Death In Our Flag Means Death Season 2’s Ending Explained
One of the most emotional moments in the Our Flag Means Death season 2 finale is the death of Izzy Hands (Con O’Neil), Blackbeard’s long-time first mate. There’s no doubt that Izzy has had plenty of highs and lows throughout the season: Ed nearly kills Izzy early on in Our Flag Means Death season 2 because the first mate is the only crew member who’s brave enough to call Ed out on his toxic behavior. This incident leads Ed to shoot Izzy in the leg, which he later loses to medically necessary amputation. Feeling frustrated by his new circumstances (and the new Ed), Izzy has a hard time coping.
The Revenge crew band together to make Izzy a unique wooden leg, which bolsters his spirits. Throughout the rest of the season, some telling moments tease that Izzy’s death is on the horizon. Not only does he sing nail-in-the-coffin-song “La vie en rose,” but he apologizes to Stede and patches things up with Ed. In the finale, Izzy stands up to Prince Ricky Banes, the season’s anti-pirate big bad. While escaping with the rest of the crew, Izzy is shot in the torso by Ricky. While he makes it to the getaway ship, Izzy dies at sea in Ed’s arms. It’s a fitting sendoff for the crass-but-lovable pirate.
Prince Ricky Bane’s Villainous Plan Explained
In addition to killing Izzy Hands, Prince Ricky Banes does plenty of other villainous things throughout the season 2 finale. In the premiere, Ricky revealed that he was Stede’s biggest admirer; the minor prince hoped to follow in Stede’s footsteps and become a pirate. However, his bumbling ways landed Ricky on the other side of Spanish Jackie’s knife, causing him to lose his nose to the vengeful tavern owner. Toward the end of season 2, Ricky reappears and gives a rousing speech to the British Royal Navy, explaining the need to remain vigilant against pirates.
Afterward, Zheng invites Ricky to a meeting aboard her vessel, the Red Flag. While Zheng aims to blackmail Ricky Banes, setting him up to be the great “pirate abolitionist,” Ricky has other plans. On the surface, he lets Zheng think she has the upper-hand, only to double-cross her. Ricky plants explosives on her ships and the Republic of Pirates, destroying the pirate queen’s fleet and quite a few of his enemies in one fell swoop. It’s clear in the finale that Ricky wants to stamp out all pirates, including Stede. The cowardly Ricky Banes escapes after shooting Izzy, setting him up as Our Flag Means Death‘s real villain for season 3.
Why Ed & Stede Become Innkeepers In Our Flag Means Death Season 2
At the end of Our Flag Means Death season 2, the Revenge crew — and Zheng and her first mate, Auntie (Anapela Polataivao) — reunite for two more occasions. The more somber of the two is Izzy’s funeral; the crew buries him on a cliff-side, near an old shack. The second is more joyous: the nuptials between Lucius (Nathan Foad) and Black Pete (Matthew Maher). This series of events encourages Ed to pursue his dreams of living the “simple” life. However, unlike his failed attempts to be a fisherman, Ed’s ultimate pursuit holds more meaning: he wants to be an innkeeper.
In Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 3, Ed visits the Gravy Basket — a limbo realm between life and death. While there, he manifests a limbo version of his former captain, Hornigold, who claims to be the deserted island’s innkeeper. In fact, the episode is called “The Innkeeper,” and a wayward Ed role-plays the job. Although he fails at being an innkeeper in Our Flag Means Death’s Gravy Basket, Ed takes his near-death vision as a sign. Stede joins Ed in his dream, with the two deciding to turn the shack near Izzy’s grave into an inn.
Zheng’s Revenge Plan Sets Up Our Flag Means Death Season 3’s Story
Before it’s revealed that Ed and Stede will try their hands at being innkeepers — and living together — Zheng admits that it’s good to have help. Ever-proud, the pirate queen might’ve bent all of China to her whim, but the show’s latest foe, Ricky Banes, requires some backup. Although Zheng doesn’t want to appear “weak,” Stede and Ed teach her the value of friendship and comradery. The captain realizes that banding together isn’t weakness — it’s just smart. As a result, Zheng asks Ed and Stede to join her on a quest for revenge.
Devastated by Prince Ricky Banes’ well-laid plans, which destroyed her fleet of ships and most of her crew, Zheng wants to kill the turncoat. Since Ricky killed Izzy Hands, Zheng figures that Ed will want in on the revenge quest, though she begrudgingly adds that they’ll need Stede too. While Ed and Stede stay behind to be innkeepers, it’s not clear how long that pursuit will last. Clearly, Zheng’s revenge plan sets up one of the central, overarching stories that will play out in Our Flag Means Death season 3.
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