When in doubt, know that Our Flag Means Death is going to wreck your ship (romantically but also maybe a literal ship or two, too). The first season of the hit HBO Max show broke us all in the best of ways and we spent many of our spring and summer days screaming about the pirates, as you do. The show was a mix of comedy, tragedy, and representational brilliance, and it blazed new ground by pushing back against queerbaiting. Now, as we’re waiting for the release of the second season in 2023, we’ve been getting little tid-bits of information from the creative team—and now show creator David Jenkins, released a logo for season two! To say the OFMD side of the Internet was excited to see it is quite an understatement.
The first season brought the comedic prowess of Rhys Darby to the role of Stede Bonnet (yes, the not great real life pirate) but flipped him on his head and made him the “gentlemen” pirate who loved beautiful robes and books and was actually pretty bad at the whole pirate thing. Leaving his family behind to explore this side of himself, he finds solace in learning how to be a pirate from the great Blackbeard himself (played by Taika Waititi) and won’t you know it, the two fell in love. Not in the weird queerbaiting way we’re used to in pop culture where two men flirt but never act on their feelings. No, these two pirates were in love with each other and kissed and broke me.
But then it also threw a wrench in my Ed/Stede happiness when the two of them were separated by the season’s end and we weren’t sure they could recover their love given Blackbeard’s reaction to Stede leaving to return home to his family. While Stede ends the season intending to go back to Ed and firm in his conviction that they’re in love, Ed thinks he’s been abandoned and returns to being his fearsome Blackbeard persona, acting cruelly and throwing out all of Stede’s possessions, including his beloved books. Justice for Lucius (even though we’re sure he isn’t dead).
So now, as we wait for more information on the second season, Jenkins tweeted out this logo, and well, it does strike fear into my heart for our favorite pirates. The logo itself seems simple enough until you realize that one of the mermaid skeletons is holding a bleeding heart and then suddenly your entire world view shifts and you fear for your emotional state headed into season 2. If you’ll recall, at the end of season 1, Blackbeard made the pirate Frenchie sew him a new flag (which is actually the historic Blackbeard flag) showing a skeleton stabbing a heart. But this seems to take it a step further, showing two entangled mermaid skeletons who aren’t quite touching, one with a spear in its hand and one holding that bleeding heart.
Ouch, David.
Making all of this even more painful, season 1’s tagline was “Getting their ship together,” but now season 2 appears to be “Wrecking your ship.” The tweet, which went out after midnight on Sunday, has more than 36k likes and a thousand replies as fans both rejoiced and freaked out.
— no context our flag means death (@ofmdnocontext) August 28, 2022
— Void Live Edward Reaction (@2amCryptid) August 28, 2022
— Void Live Edward Reaction (@2amCryptid) August 28, 2022
Should we be worried?
OFMD writer Alex Sherman quote-tweeted the logo with “Ship’s about to get weird!” as his caption, only furthering my fear of what is to come for my pirates.
And then Jenkins responded to a question about whether or not it was good or bad with “yesssssssss” and a bunch of key-smashes.
What does that mean? Who knows! Probably pain! Because Jenkins and company know how to write and produce a devastatingly beautiful romantic scene and then completely break our hearts by the next episode (yes, I’m referring to Blackbeard saying that Stede is what makes Ed happy and then ending with them not together riding off into the sunset). If this is a “yessssss” to a good and bad weird, we’re in for quite the rocky boat ride and frankly? Good. Bring it on. We need it.
Also, is it possible that the mermaid skeletons indicate that we might be seeing more supernatural elements come into play on the show? It’s possible—lest we forget this is a world where Stede’s first mate Buttons can talk to birds and also appears capable of hexing people who hurt said birds. And we already know the show is hardly concerned with being accurately “historical,” which makes it all the better.
Can’t wait until 2023 when I will just be a sobbing mess on the ground because of two pirates who are in love with each other but had ship happen that tore them apart, and we get to see their fabulous supporting crew again. Can’t wait! Thanks, David!
Awwww ship
— Samba Schutte (@sambaschutte) August 28, 2022
(image: HBO Max)
