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Reviews
Our Flag Means Death: Fun and Games (2023)
banishment, unfortunately
Ed doesn't want his sammie. He's not really sure what he wants, matter of fact. But he knows that he's hurt, and that he hasn't been able to trust anyone recently. This episode gives his the opportunity to explore his inner darkness with a bit more breathing room and some old friends who hold up a mirror of sorts. Through a riff on WHI'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLFF, this episode offers us an introduction to two more historical characters, namely Anne Bonny and Mary Reade, both comedic genius and a providers of a narrative device that let Ed and Stede work through some of their deepest tensions. Personally, this is one of my favorite, if not my favorite episode of the entire series.
Our Flag Means Death: The Innkeeper (2023)
a little life in you left
This episode has it all: some wonderful new character Zheng development (including some fun moments that advance the global vision for intra-pirate solidarity), original revenge crew collaboration, and lovely integration of the other newly introduced characters. All in all, this is really where season two get to see legs, so to speak. This episode also serves as the real turning point in the arc for ed. It provides both back story, and a kind of moral reckoning that had to happen. And, the ending offers the very best needle drop of the series, so if you watch it for nothing else, give it a go for that. Well, and the accompanying mermaid scene ain't too shabby either.
Our Flag Means Death: Red Flags (2023)
the sorrow and the fury
So much comes back together in this episode. While the previous episode established some of the tone and tensions for the season, we are given some of the aspirations for our established characters, as well as some of the directions of the new characters as well. Stede's blind denial and hopeless youthful love plays perfectly off of ed's childish pain and manifestation of "hurt people hurt people." well, this episode provides us with some of the darkest exploration of our characters' humanity, we still get lots of light humor and delightful character exposition scattered throughout. But make no mistake, this episode brings the gravitas.
Our Flag Means Death: Impossible Birds (2023)
an aching achy return of our favorite lovelorn pirates
They're back, but with more heartache, longing, denial, sublimation, grief, and hijinks. Lots of hijinks. Many of last seasons characters are back, and a few new ones as well. The Gentleman Pirate is back to rectify his lost opportunity with love, and Blackbeard as Kraken is tearing up the Caribbean to assuage his sorrows. The other love connections from season one have been torn apart as collateral damage, and we are left to hope that they will be reunited. Spanish Jackie provides a respite for our castaways and provides a scene for the first episode and Stede's crew sets out to save up enough to resume the sailing life, which sets the season's arc in motion.