Our Flag Means Death season 2 is almost upon us, coming out sometime this October, and Vanity Fair has released a first look at the continuing adventures of our favorite gay pirates. Stede (Rhys Darby) and Ed (Taika Waititi) are getting most of the attention because they’re amazing and we all desperately need them to find each other again, but there are so many other characters to be excited about.
Like Jim!
Played by Vico Ortiz, Jim spends the first couple of episodes of season 1 disguised as a man after they go on the run for killing Spanish Jackie’s favorite husband. (God, I love writing out OFMD plot points.) Jim’s deception is quickly revealed, but having disguised themselves as a man makes them realize they’re not really a woman, either. One of my favorite season 1 moments is in episode 4, “Discomfort in a Married State,” when Buttons asks if Jim was really a woman the whole time they were going around in a fake beard and nose. Jim struggles to answer. “Yeah, I guess,” they say. “I dunno.” It’s a moment that’s deeply relatable to anyone who’s ever experienced gender euphoria in unexpected ways, or realized that their gender was different or more complicated than they always assumed.
But in season 1, Jim never quite gets all the love they deserve. They spend a lot of time in that disguise, which prevents them from speaking. They gradually get more screen time as the season goes on, especially when they go back to their childhood home in episode 7, “This Is Happening,” but the series doesn’t put Jim in the spotlight as much as it could have.
Plus, Jim got left out of some of the key marketing for season 1. If you look at many of the posters and billboards that were released to promote season 1, Jim isn’t in them.
Luckily, Ortiz told Vanity Fair that season 2 will dive deeper into Jim’s character. Vanity Fair says that Jim will be “leveling up” in season 2:
“Jim really evolves in season two,” [Ortiz says]. “They’re a bit more chatty and a bit more conversational…. Most of the first season you see Jim in disguise, hiding, but in this one you see them a bit more [thinking,] Oh, this is my chosen family, and I feel good. There’s a bit more zaniness and a bit more softness.’’
I love it. Sign me up. I want more Jim!
Plus, Jim’s character was a huge win for nonbinary viewers.
“It’s so beautiful to see that people are finding community within the fan base. It’s about creating spaces where we feel safe and seen, and it’s so great to see that so many people watch the show and feel validated in their experiences, whatever that may be,” says Ortiz. “A lot of people that watch the show are like, “Yeah, I’m a guy and it’s good to see all these dudes being vulnerable.’ We can just shake up [ideas about gender].’’
I can’t wait to get more Jim in my life. October can’t come soon enough.
(featured image: Max)
