Summary
- Ned Low seeks revenge on Blackbeard for stealing his record, further escalating the tensions between the two pirates.
- Stede encourages Ed to turn his stolen treasure into something positive, leading to them funding the crew’s celebration of Calypso’s birthday and gifting orphans.
- Stede kills Ned Low to protect Ed and assert himself as a serious pirate, leading to newfound respect from the crew but also causing strain in his relationship with Ed.
In Our Flag Means Death season 2 episodes 6 and 7 recap, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) settles into his role as captain of the Revenge, while Ed “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi) begins to have second thoughts about his piratical lifestyle. All of this comes on the heels of a season that’s been dead-set on getting Stede and Ed back together in the wake of their big season 1 finale breakup. While Stede pined away the minutes of Our Flag Means Death season 2’s first few episodes, Ed went on something of a warpath. The notorious pirate shot his first mate Izzy Hands (Con O’Neil), threatened to kill his crew (who then mutinied against him), and spent some time in Our Flag Means Death‘s Gravy Basket — a kind of pirate purgatory.
While Stede and Ed finally addressed the big separation in episode 4, the duo had to contend with the antics of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. In the fifth chapter of season 2, the pirates spent time apart: Ed learned more about himself while on an impromptu fishing trip, and Stede managed to earn the crew’s respect after ditching a (supposedly) cursed jacket he stole. At the end of Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 5, Ed and Stede decide to take things slow, but, as seen in episode 6, “Calypso’s Birthday,” and episode 7, “Man on Fire,” the couple’s uninterrupted bliss is short-lived.
Ned Low Wants To Kill Blackbeard For Ruining His Legacy
Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 6 opens with a startling torture sequence. In a lighthouse, the devious pirate captain Ned Low (Bronson Pinch) hangs a prisoner upside-down by his ankles and bemoans the fact that Blackbeard usurped his record of 88 consecutive raids. The failed violinist-turned-pirate complains that he’ll no longer have a legacy, all thanks to Ed, and swears to get his revenge.
Stede Convinces Ed To Turn “Poison Into Positivity”
After moving all of Ed’s loot into a spare room on the Revenge, Stede is proud of all his organizational handiwork. Ed, on the other hand, feels the plunder-filled space is nothing more than a “guilt room.” That’s when Stede suggests Ed “turn poison into positivity” by using his stolen treasure for something good. In addition to funding the Revenge crew’s invented holiday, Calypso’s birthday, Ed gifts two orphans 50,000 doubloons and two knives, thinking himself quite generous.
The Crew Celebrates Calypso’s Birthday
When Archie (Madeleine Sami) regales her shipmates with raucous party tales, the original members of the Revenge crew claim to be “heavy on the rage,” even if they’ve become a bit boring as of late. To mitigate this, Frenchie (Joel Fry) suggests they celebrate Calypso’s birthday — a made-up holiday that just serves as a great excuse to throw an extravagant rager. Ed clues Stede in on the crew’s lie, but the new co-captains decide to fund the party in order to boost morale and put Ed’s loot to good use.
Wee John & Izzy Put On A Performance
Known for being the Revenge crew member who’s obsessed with fire, Wee John (Kristian Nairn) proves to be an all-out drag star in “Calypso’s Birthday.” Not only does Wee John wear Divine-inspired makeup in order to transform into Calypso, but the pirate helps Izzy Hands come up with a signature, makeup-heavy party look. “Raise your motherf—ing glasses — or feel my absolute wrath!” Wee John’s Calypso exclaims. Izzy then gets the party started by singing a lovely, lantern-lit rendition of “La Vie en rose,” which prompts Stede to tell Ed, “I think you did it — turned the poison into positivity.“
The Crew Is Tortured By Ned Low
Unfortunately, the faux holiday is interrupted by the revenge-seeking Ned Low. After dragging Stede and Ed to the captain’s quarters to torture them with a hot poker, the jaded musician-turned-pirate returns to the Revenge‘s deck. The mercenaries he’s hired are busy torturing the rest of the crew with all sorts of wild devices circa the Golden Age of Piracy. When one mercenary reveals an assortment of knives to one of Stede’s curious crew members, she shrugs and says, “I’m probably gonna cut off your skin in strips or some sh*t like that.” The unhinged Ned Low leads the mercenaries in their torture, turning the screams of the Revenge crew into a grotesque cacophony he dubs “the symphony.“
Zheng Blackmails Prince Ricky Banes
Elsewhere, Prince Ricky Banes (Errol Stand), who lost his nose to Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones) in the Our Flag Means Death 3-episode season 2 premiere, delivers a rousing speech to members of the British Royal Navy about needed to stamp out “modern piracy” and “stay vigilant.” In episode 1, Ricky was so inspired by Stede Bonnet’s story that he wanted to be like him and even helped the crew of the Revenge steal Jackie’s trunk of indigo dye. However, losing a nose will change one’s views on piracy.
After his speech, Ricky receives a strange delivery: a false nose made of ceramic. The odd gift is actually an invitation from Ruibo Qian’s Zheng Yi Sao, Our Flag Means Death‘s riff on the pirate queen. While Zheng doesn’t like labels, she and her first mate, Auntie (Anapela Polataivao) aim to blackmail Ricky Banes into furthering their own cause. “I don’t want to talk about who you are,” Zheng tells the minor prince. “I want to talk about who you could be.” In order to sell him on her plot, the persuasive Zheng tells Ricky that he could use his ire toward swashbucklers to become a respected pirate abolitionist — to “end piracy without firing a shot.“
Stede Turns The Mercenaries Against Ned Low
Funnily enough, Lucius (Nathan Foad) and Black Pete (Matthew Maher) aren’t being held captive by Ned Low’s crew because they’ve been too busy below deck, celebrating their recent engagement. When they realize everyone else is being tortured, they collect armfuls of knives, but hesitate to actually do anything. Luckily, Stede is a few steps ahead of his captors. He takes one of mercenaries at knife-point and then uses his gift of gab to turn the mercenaries against Ned Low, who’s been demeaning toward them the whole time. “You see her as your employee, rather than the person she actually is,” Stede points out. The line resonates deeply with the mercenaries, who ditch Ned Low entirely.
Stede Kills Ned Low
Having successfully taken the upper-hand, Stede sets his sights on Ned, who can’t help but continue to bully Ed. “You used to be a killer, but now you’re a washed-up, low-born dirtbag,” Ned tells Ed — and Stede won’t stand for it. With his sword drawn, the gentleman-turned-pirate forces a bound Ned to walk the plank. “You can’t come back from [killing in cold blood],” Ed tells him, pleading with Stede to reconsider. Eager to be taken seriously as a pirate, Stede chucks Ned’s violin at the unhinged pirate musician, knocking him off the plank and into Davy Jones’ Locker.
Stede & Ed Finally Sleep Together
After killing a man for the first time, Stede retreats to his quarters. Eager to comfort Stede, Ed follows. Even though the two had previously agreed to take things slow, Stede initiates an impassioned kiss, leading the couple to finally sleep together. As Izzy Hands puts it the following morning, “It’s not just the ship that’s well and truly docked.” While it’s great to see the couple taking a new step in their relationship, it’s clear that Ed, who’s still undergoing his journey of self-discovery, has some doubts about whether it was a good idea.
Ed Throws Away His Leathers & Tells Stede About The Merperson Vision
In the opening of Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 7, “Man on Fire,” Ed puts all of his leathers in a net, weights the bundle down, and tosses it into the sea. Later, he tells Izzy that metaphorically (and somewhat literally) throwing away his Blackbeard persona “felt f—ing great.” Still, Ed remains conflicted about his piratical nature. In the meantime, he makes Stede breakfast in bed and tells him about the strange vision he had well on death’s doorstep. In Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 3, a Kate Bush song scored Ed’s fight to stay alive; ultimately, Stede appeared to Ed as a merperson and saved his life.
Everyone Respects Stede For Killing Ned Low
When Stede and Ed grab a bite at a local spot on the Republic of Pirates, they’re swarmed by fans. But these admirers aren’t looking for Blackbeard’s autograph. Instead, word of Stede’s killing of Ned Low has already spread, turning him into the most lauded pirate of the moment. When the couple stop by Spanish Jackie’s tavern, everyone continues to fawn over Stede. “Gentleman pirate’s the f—ing dude!” one bar patron exclaims. All the attention certainly goes to the pirate captain’s head, which isn’t great for his relationship with Ed.
Spanish Jackie Tells Ed He’s Going Through A Phase
Throughout the episode, Ed expresses his reluctance at continuing on with the pirate life. While Spanish Jackie initially makes fun of his new, leather-less look, she tells eventually tells Ed he’s going through an “If I Was A Regular Dude” phase. She’s also quick to point out that Stede’s having quite the opposite experience: he’s now the “it” pirate. Later, Izzy Hands echoes Spanish Jackie’s sentiments, telling Ed that if it felt good to throw away his leathers — that Blackbeard self — then he should listen to that instinct.
Jim & Archie Tell Zheng That Oluwande Misses Her
Eager to help a love-sick Oluwande (Samson Kayo), Jim (Vico Ortiz) and Archie approach Zheng to tell her that their crew mate misses her. The pirate queen tries to downplay her excitement, but is clearly interested in reconnecting with Olu too. Jim sets up one last shot for Oluwande, arranging a private meeting between him and Zheng. Although Zheng is excited to see Oluwande, she doesn’t quite trust him. “Fool me twice, I need to end your life,” she says. Of course, Olu had good reason to betray her trust in the past: she was threatening to kill all of his friends. The two pirates agree to put the past behind them and forge ahead.
Ed Decides To Take A Job On A Fishing Boat
With his ego very much stroked, Stede leaves the tavern to find Ed. The newly beloved pirate captain excitedly explains that he set a man on fire, which everyone thought was hilarious. “Your first immolation — I’m sorry I missed it,” Ed replies, sounding detached. When Ed insists that he’s happy for his partner, Stede calls him out. Ed goes on to say that he feels sleeping together was a mistake; they’d agreed to take things slowly, but did quite the opposite. “I don’t even know who I am,” Ed admits. “I don’t want to be a pirate.” When Ed reveals he’s taken a job on a fishing boat, Stede mocks him and calls him a coward.
Izzy Hands Tells Stede He’s Good For Ed
In a surprising turn of events, Izzy Hands approaches Stede at Spanish Jackie’s with good intentions. Given that Izzy betrayed Stede and wanted him dead in season 1, it’s extraordinary growth. Not to mention, much of Izzy’s early season 2 frustrations stemmed from his feelings about Ed and Stede’s relationship. The first mate doesn’t know about Stede and Ed’s recent fight, but he does tell Stede that he’s good for Ed — they’re good for each other.
Zheng Poaches Stede’s Crew & Fights Him
At Spanish Jackie’s, Zheng and Olu hang out with Jim and Archie. “Thank you for being nosy and kind of crossing boundaries,” the pirate queens tells them. When Oluwande admits that he’s joining Zheng, Jim and Archie jump at the chance to join Zheng’s crew. A drunken Stede notices what’s happening and accuses Zheng of trying to poach his crew. This all devolves into Stede challenging Zheng to a fight, despite being wildly outmatched by the pirate queen. Holding Stede at sword-point, Zheng tells the Revenge’s captain that he’s the worst kind of person — “a mediocre man who thinks he’s exceptional.“
Prince Ricky Banes (Seemingly) Orchestrates An Attack On Zheng & The Republic Of Pirates
Zheng and Stede’s fight is interrupted when the clock strikes midnight. Earlier in the episode, Ricky Banes sent a grandfather clock to Zheng’s flagship — a sly indicator of his forthcoming betrayal. While Zheng assumed she had the upper-hand, Prince Ricky Banes was actually orchestrating an attack on Zheng’s fleet and the whole of the Republic of Pirates. As explosions rock land and sea, the show’s pirates find themselves more vulnerable than ever, which sets the stage for an exciting Our Flag Means Death season 2 finale episode.
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