After over a year of waiting, Our Flag Means Death (who's renewal was worth celebrating) finally returned with its second season in October, with some new faces joining the cast (like Minnie Driver and Ruibo Quian). Fans like myself tuned in for four weeks to follow the Revenge pirate crew and the unlikely love story between Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard, a.k.a. Ed. Sadly, the sophomore season has already come to a close, but it did so in such a perfect way that I can’t feel too sad about it.
Like all the best original Max shows, the lead-up to the finale was a wild ride. While Stede and Ed were separated at the beginning of the season, they eventually found their way back to each other and began to rebuild their relationship. Meanwhile, the pair and the rest of the Revenge crew found themselves up against Zheng Yi Sao, the pirate Queen of China as well as an unlikely British Prince who previously tried to be a pirate like Stede.
The penultimate episode included an epic battle between Stede and Zheng after Ed left to pursue a life as a fisherman. Ultimately, it ended with the Republic of Pirates under attack by Prince Ricky of Britain. The half-hour season finale had a lot of ground to cover, but it did so effortlessly; it might be one of the best TV finales (sorry, George R.R. Martin) I’ve ever seen. So let's talk about why it was so perfect.
What Made The Season 2 Finale So Perfect?
After Ed was loudly told to leave the father-son fishing duo he had been accompanying, he rowed himself back to the destroyed Republic of Pirates. Unaware of Stede’s fate, Ed returned to his Blackbeard persona, ready to avenge him and the rest of his comrades. Thankfully, Stede was revealed to be alive, and the two reunited in an emotional scene. Together, alongside Zheng, the two rescued the Revenge crew and attacked the British. In the end, the pirate managed to overpower the British, but not without a casualty of their own.
This was an action-packed final episode, but what makes it so perfect is how showrunner David Jenkins and the rest of the team gave the characters proper endings of their own. Unfortunately for Izzy, he met his demise and was buried by Ed and the rest of the crew.
The other characters received happier endings, though. After witnessing a wedding between Black Pete and Lucius, Ed and Stede decided to trade in their lives of piracy for calmer ones. They stayed on the shore, where they planned to open an inn together. Meanwhile, the Revenge set sail again. While it seemed like the crew was captain-less, Zheng and Auntie were aboard the ship, with Spanish Jackie also joining alongside The Swede.
One of the last shots in the episode is of Stede and Ed on shore as they watched the Revenge and their crew-turned-family sail into the sunset without them. If that’s not a perfect ending, then I don’t know what is!
What Might Lie Ahead For The Main Characters If Season 3 Is Offered?
The truly great aspect of the finale, though, is that while the characters all had endings, the narrative was still left open-ended, if the series were to get picked up for a third season. After all, fans need to know what the new dynamic will be like on the Revenge and whether the pirates will be successful without their former captains. And with the Republic of Pirates destroyed, there’s also an opportunity for the writers to explore a new era of piracy. Perhaps the principal buccaneers could leads that change.
Then there’s the question of how Zheng fits into the new dynamic and if her relationship with Oluwande is going to go anywhere. Plus, Spanish Jackie mentioned wanting to rebuild her bar.
Of course, there are also endless possibilities when it comes to Ed and Stede. Trouble always seems to find those two, so I doubt their lives as inn owners are going to be smooth sailing. Their relationship is still in its early stages as well, and I would love to see it blossom even more.
The biggest possibility, though, involves Izzy. While he did die at the end of the season, the parting shot shows his grave site, where a white seagull lands on it. Obviously, fans think that feathered being is Buttons, the eccentric “sea witch” who transformed himself into a seagull during the first half of the season. If Buttons has the power to shape-shift, perhaps he has the power to bring Izzy back to life? I, for one, sure hope that’s the case. It wouldn’t feel like Our Flag Means Death without Izzy.
While the show's status is still up in the air, David Jenkins has expressed interest in producing a third and final season. Also, fans have been vocal online about their desire for another season. It'd be lovely if the show were to return but, if not, there's comfort to be taken in the fact that the finale works so well as a send-off. You can relive the swashbuckling first two seasons with a Max subscription. While it’s unlikely that Our Flag Means Death will return this year, keep checking our 2023 TV schedule for updates on other shows.
