[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Our Flag Means Death Season 2 finale.]
Our Flag Means Death Year two was crammed with fulfilling character arcs that established the beloved pirate rom-com up for an interesting potential Season 3. But one particular character’s ending has manufactured shockingly destructive responses from some of the character’s avid supporters on social media. I’m listed here to plant myself staunchly on the facet of the writers and say I am an Our Flag Usually means Dying Year two ending defender, and actually, it is not even a daring stance to acquire. (Do not browse the following sentence if you want to stay spoiler-totally free.)
The dying of Con O’Neill‘s Izzy Hands made complete narrative sense and was a moving, if tragic, ending for Blackbeard’s to start with mate. Izzy satisfied his stop in the Year two finale right after currently being shot in the intestine by Richard “Ricky” Banes (Errol Shand) as the crew of the Revenge and its new shipmates carried out their approach to flee the fallen Republic of Pirates. It was the series’ to start with key dying, which will normally be a shock in any Television set demonstrate.
It is a terribly unfortunate destiny, to be positive. And it is absolutely the darkest instant of a mostly cheery sequence (whilst the cheeriness is largely observed in Year one — Taika Waititi‘s Ed was on a murderous rampage that traumatized his full crew for the to start with batch of Year two). But even although Our Flag Usually means Dying is a comedy, it is even now a demonstrate about pirates, pirates who threat dying every single time they pillage a ship. And when it is a comforting demonstrate to numerous since of the sunny humor and lovable bonds concerning the sailors, the sequence is also crammed to the brim with violence.
Stede (Rhys Darby) survived currently being hanged by the neck and currently being operate by means of the intestine with Izzy’s sword in Year one. In the to start with finale, Nathan Foad‘s Lucius was thrown overboard by Ed and was presumed lifeless right until Year two Episode two. Leslie Jones‘ Spanish Jackie cuts off peoples’ noses and retains them in a jar like they are pickles. Anne Bonny (Minnie Driver) and Mary Read (Rachel House) get off by stabbing and poisoning every other. Jim (Vico Ortiz) smashed Ed’s head with a cannon ball in an try to eliminate him. The people could possibly be lovable and entertaining and quirky and lovable, but the environment they are living in is risky, and the risk of dying is consistent. That is the plight of the pirate daily life. One particular of the major people was sure to satisfy a violent demise inevitably.
Did Izzy have earned to die in this environment? Of system not. He experienced used this full sequence starting to be a improved human being. Dying in fight right after all of that advancement is the definition of the sh*t stop of the adhere. I would say Izzy’s violent stop should not occur as a shock, but that would be a rejection of the narrative clues of his impending stop.
Nicola Dove
Next the storytelling, Rule of A few helps make it crystal clear that Izzy’s dying was prepared early on in Year two. He defied dying two times in the to start with 3 episodes of Year two by yourself. The to start with in close proximity to-dying practical experience arrived right after Ed shot Izzy in the leg for deigning to utter Stede’s title. The leg turned contaminated, forcing Jim and Archie to amputate it. It was alternatively unbelievable that he did not die from an infection all through this ordeal. And then, right after the unhinged Ed observed in which Izzy experienced been hiding, he staged a discussion so bleak Izzy tried to acquire his very own daily life but unsuccessful. Surviving what should really have been a deadly gunshot wound to the head was the turning position in Izzy’s psychological condition. He was decided to recover from that position on, and recover, he did. A lot to Lucius’ chagrin at situations.
Narratively talking, it would not make perception for Izzy to endure a 3rd brush with dying. The demonstrate could both decide on to not to place him at threat yet again, therefore betraying the plot and the approach they experienced presently laid out basic, or they could eliminate him off. I’m sorry to the adoring Izzy supporters, but deciding on the to start with possibility would have been a bogus choice. Instead than produce an ending to a tale that did not make perception for what they experienced established up so much, the Our Flag Usually means Dying group created Izzy die a hero. The knowledge he received by means of his Year one-two evolution created him the voice of explanation for Ed and the full crew. He was the psychological chief. And as creator and showrunner David Jenkins told TV Insider right after the Year two finale, Izzy “becomes more of a father figure to Blackbeard, but definitely a mentor to Stede. And mentors tend to die in the second act.” I’m sorry, fellas. But the math was mathing.
Izzy’s attractive monologue in the scene with Ricky, the one particular about piracy currently being about belonging to a thing larger than your self, was created all the far more transferring since he died soon right after. While it is honest to be unfortunate when our preferred people are killed off, that does not imply this dying arrived out of nowhere. And Izzy currently being queer does not inherently imply this dying is an additional illustration of the “bury your gays” trope on Television set.
For individuals who have not read of this phrase, “bury your gays” tropes are storylines in literature or media in which a queer character dies for no excellent explanation, the implicit concept currently being that these people are far more expendable than the straight types. One particular illustration of this trope is a character getting their very own daily life since of explanations related to currently being queer. Some other illustrations are a character currently being killed or bodily harmed by an additional in the act of queer detest and introducing a queer few only to have one particular die of AIDS or some other tragic destiny.
For a very long time on tv, individuals forms of tales had been the only types currently being informed about queer individuals. For me, and I’m positive numerous other queer fans of Television set, Our Flag Usually means Dying is a therapeutic viewing practical experience in aspect since it rejects these tropes at every single flip. To say that Izzy’s dying is a “bury your gays” instant is to suggest that he’s the only queer human being on the demonstrate. That is just factually incorrect.
Was Izzy’s dying tragic? Of course. It was also a attractive, heroic ending for a character who experienced uncovered all of his classes. Extra than nearly anything else, supporters should really want a persuasive tale for their preferred on-display screen buddies. To estimate Izzy himself: Not transferring on is even worse.
Our Flag Usually means Dying, Seasons one & two, Readily available Now, Max