After seeing this I'm so convinced that this shot:

Happened just right after this:

I mean you can see how they're still laughing before they kiss:

God I just love Rhys and Taika so much. This is literally one of the most genuine and wonderful relationships I've ever seen and I think it's only thanks to them and their actual friendship that it has this sort of magic that triggers such deep feelings in us. They're an absolute blessing

Our Flag Means Death 2.08 Spoilers Ahead

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Okay so. Let’s talk about Izzy’s death because as much as I’ve tried to give some of you the benefit of the doubt, some of you are projecting a bit too hard onto Izzy to understand how perfect this narrative was for him.

And before I get into it I’d like to preface that, yes, of course the season is rushed, the finale is rushed, the pacing is off. That is not the fault of David Jenkins or Taika or anyone else on set — it is budget cuts and it is HBO’s decision to provide them with a slot of only eight 30 minute episodes and little to no promise of a season 3. A lot of people’s issues with the finale and Izzy’s death are due to how rushed it was, the crew’s lack of mourning, Izzy’s character development not being fleshed out enough. Those are all valid things to be upset about, but we have to remember that production gave us all they could with what they had. Would you have rather had full fleshed out episodes but got the show canceled on a heart-breaking cliffhanger? Not like season one where there were less stakes and a good chance for season 2, but a full cancelation rather than, albeit very rushed, a happy ending in a world of sad queer endings??

Now that that’s out of the way, Izzy’s death narratively was so well done. As a writer, and from a writer’s perspective who, I remind you, created these characters and knows what they mean to the story and their place in said story, Izzy is there to represent part of our main protagonist (at least, for season 2), Ed. So is Stede in a way as well, but Izzy is a representation of piracy and the toxic parts of it. Izzy WAS, in a way, Blackbeard, they state this in the show. Stede, is the part of Edward that is Ed — the part of him that wants to be loved and live a fulfilling life.

A lot of people are mad about Izzy being “just a symbol”, and I don’t think that’s right at all. Yes, his character was a symbol for the toxicity of piracy and Ed’s abusive relationship with it and himself, because that’s how good writing works, but that’s not all Izzy is and season 2 showed us that. Izzy spent the entire season learning that he, even though he was a pirate and represented all of these bad things about piracy, doesn’t have to adhere to these toxic things anymore; he doesn’t have to be Blackbeard or need Blackbeard just as Ed doesn’t need to be Blackbeard. He spent this season learning now to love. And yes, of course we all wish he had more time to go on that journey, but with the time we had that journey was well spent and conveyed what it needed to.

Izzy is a beautifully fucked-up and complex character. Though it sucks to accept, he was written to die. He was written to be the part of Ed that kept him from loving himself and accept love and Izzy being gone allows him to do that. At the end of the day, Ed is the protagonist, the story is written in his favor for his hero’s journey, especially in season two. Izzy, thought deeply beloved, is a side character whose main hall narratively is to assist in the hero’s journey. And guys, he gave us SO MUCH! The fact that we all loved Izzy so much shows how well he was written, how so many people went from hating him to loving him in season 2 (myself included) because they gave him a character arc! They didn’t need to give him a redemption to fulfill his part in the story, but they DID!! Frankly, I think they could have done MUCH worse, but they gave Izzy a goodbye, closure, reconciliation with Ed, and let him die happy. He died happy, guys. All he wanted was for Ed to be happy, for them to both escape Blackbeard, and he dies happy knowing that he’s escaped Blackbeard and now Ed will too, because Stede has provided Ed that escape.

In this season, Izzy was shown real love for the first time in his life. And he died surrounded by the people that he loved and those whom loved him so much back. He’s ‘their dick’, their unicorn. He said earlier this season, “we’re born alone and we die alone.” But he didn’t. Against all odds he didn’t. Izzy lived his life and he went out HAPPY. Buried and mourned by the people who loved him which is so rare for a pirate.

I love you guys, I love this fandom, but you aren’t Izzy Hands, David isn’t targeting you directly by killing Izzy — it isn’t bury your gays, it isn’t queerbaiting — it’s writing. We can’t punish writers and directors for writing what they saw what best for their characters, THEIR characters. Not yours. You can love and cherish a character without them having the perfect ending.

I know I’m going to get a lot of hate for this and called a lot of bad names, but it needed to be said. Oh, and by the way — I’m queer. I have abandonment and attachment issues and I DEEPLY relate to Izzy. I am SO devestated about his death but I understand it narratively and I am content. I was a destiel shipper, I’m obsessed with good omens. I’ve been queerbaited so many times before and Our Flag Means Death is not that. This show has given us so much, and just because your favorite guy died doesn’t mean the writers are evil and homophobic and burying their gays. Lets think critically, guys.

so like imo "Izzy needs to die as the Blackbeard part of Ed" was a possible follow-up to season 1, and could be a delicious one, but sticking it in at five minutes to midnight at the end of a storyline that did not lay the base for it at all is so baffling that I can only assume it was the original concept and at that point djenkins should have, ironically, killed his darling.

I rewatched OFMD s2 last weekend.

I’m less sad at the possibility of not seeing Ed and Stede’s wedding and more sad over not getting to hear Stede say “I love you” back

they han solo’d us!

it feels like they were saving Stede’s first time saying it back to Ed for season 3

#Literally the same energy, i'm gonna be sick

OFMD 2.08 // Good Omens 2.06

OFMD 2.08 - "Mermen" Thoughts

Once again, I wrote too much to fit into a Tumblr post! 😭 (I genuinely didn't even know that Tumblr posts had character limits until I started writing these season two episode reactions, and I've been on Tumblr for 12 years!)

Here are my thoughts on the finale in a Google Doc. Spoilers, spoilers everywhere!

CLAUDIO NMTD IN OFMD FINALE ALERT

[ID: A screenshot from OFMD 2.08 of Matthew J. Smith (Claudio NMTD's actor) as a British soldier followed by the episode credits, which list Matthew J. Smith as Chumsley. /end ID]

never ever ever going to recover from ofmd 2.08 thank you and goodnight

MAJOR OFMD 2.8 SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!

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I’m gonna say it, I loved episode 8 and I think it was a perfect ending for the season and tbh even the series. I think a lot of people like to forget that the crew had serious budget and time constraints when it comes to episode number and lengths, especially because of their decisions to film in New Zealand and their contracts with Warner Bros and HBO. Yes, we all know that pacing was terrible, but this is not the fault of the writers nor the actors. I think what Taika and David gave us was exactly what they needed to give us in this short time frame. We had satisfying and (mostly) in-character endings for Ed, Stede, Izzy, and Zheng. I think that Ed recognizing that piracy is a part of him was important, but also in the end settling down with Stede and Stede also being able to give up that life and leave the crew to continue on their journey as pirates to be with Ed domestically is perfect. And yes I do wish we had more time to explore their relationship and their complicated feelings about themselves and each other but we DON’T! We have what we have and what we have told the story it needed to. This show gave us SO MUCH! Lesbian pirates, Pete and Lucius wedding, domestic Gentlebeard, Top Stede, MERMAID STEDE??? We got so much, y’all. That can’t be said for many fandoms, especially with the limited amount of content we were given this season.

When it comes to Izzy’s arc and d3ath, I also think that was beautifully done. Izzy’s arc was BEAUTIFUL. I never thought I’d be an izzy lover, but going from needing blackbeard and antagonizing him to be in this toxic relationship to calling him Eddie and telling him to go on, live as Ed and that people truly love him and he had a family… god, it’s perfect. It wraps up Izzy’s arc, which was to show Ed how much he really means. Stede can’t do that — Izzy is his oldest friend and the person he trusts the most, Izzy was the only one who could convince Ed that he is loved, wrapping up Ed’s arc as well. The “I want to go” made me break. I think Izzy’s arc with the crew and especially with Ed and Stede was some of the storytelling I’ve seen in a while, no matter how rushed it was. As much as I would have loved to see more character growth with Izzy, once again, what we got was fucking wonderful.

Being completely honest, I would be completely content if this is where the series ended. I think all of the ends were wrapped up beautifully, especially in a fandom with such talented and creative minds when it comes to fanart and especially fanfiction. This show was wonderful, and I hope you all agree too, especially considering that this may have been the series finale. Thanks, Taika and David!

anyway I'm curious to see if Captain Frenchie is just a whimsical detail or if they're setting anything up with it because 1) it's an unexpected choice. not because Frenchie doesn't have the smarts or the trust of the crew but because his style so far has been working behind the scenes with the flexibility that not being a figurehead allows. 2) how was he picked? did they put it to a vote? why not Olu again? 3) I can't imagine there isn't a bit of a power vacuum on the ship that, as much as I love him, I'm not sure Frenchie can completely fill with two very strong personalities who are used to being top dog around (who, to boot, have past beef between the two of them)

i can't believe they managed to make Con O'Neill bleeding in another man's lap so unenjoyable to me

very random ofmd speculation thoughts zooming around my brain! (i am not spoiled on anything except the promos and promo photos released by max, as well as the upcoming episode titles, and i don't want to be spoiled because i really want the rest of the season to be a surprise! but. i gotta speculate! my brain demands it!)--

i wonder if they'll end 2.08 on a fleetwood mac song too, since the mirroring of s1 episode numbers seems to be happening

i wonder if it will be "songbird" 🥺 (lots of birds and bird metaphors this season!)

(i also love the idea of "you make loving fun" for ed/stede just because. it's TRUE! and ADORABLE!)

i also wonder if ed and stede will jump off a cliff into the sea together, because a) a lot of that imagery so far this season, and b) it's in "high on a rocky ledge" aka the song at the end of the pilot! (also, "high on a rocky ledge" is about transforming into something else -- in this case, a flower -- to be with your love forever, similar to buttons transforming into a bird to be with the sea! hmmmm! also the episode title of 2.08 speaks to transformation, in a way.)

i really don't want them to be separated at the end of the season! if it ends on a high stakes situation, i'm going to dream that they'll at least get to be together in it.

if we get another cliffhanger i'm gonna Lose It (djenks did say in an interview that he thinks people will be happy with the end of this season, or it ends in a good place, or something like that. I WANT TO BELIEVE! but also: TRUST NO ONE. that's just two fox mulder catchphrases, casually deployed for ya). i just don't think we deserve another cliffhanger operating at the level of agony that the first one did. that was quite enough, thx!

i kinda feel like ed and stede are going to take over spanish jackie's someday and transform it into THE premier pirate fine dining establishment in the best way. no more nose jar juice on the menu!

it's not wednesday night at 11:01 pm yet and that sucks for me

i still like to daydream that there might oh just might be a flight of the conchords appearance of some sort. WHY NOT