There are many waysOur Flag Means Deathsurprised us. While we came into the HBO Max series expecting to laugh about silly pirates withTaika WaititiandRhys Darby, we’ve actually found a touching love story that dares to question gender roles in society. Besides that, whileOur Flag Means Deathpromised to be a casual distraction, the series developed a complex first season that leaves many unanswered questions behind. Unfortunately,Our Flag Means Deathhas not yet been renewed for a second season, which leaves us ruminating on that wacky and unexpected finale, wondering where we’ll sail next. So, while we wait for a Season 2 confirmation, here are the five answered questions from Season 1 ofOur Flag Means Deathwe hope the series will answer in the future.
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Can Stede and Edward Be Together After Blackbeard’s Return?
The first season ofOur Flag Means Deathsees the slow transformation of the ruthless pirate captain Blackbeard (Waititi) into Edward, a man who learns to get in touch with his feelings after meeting Stede (Darby), the Gentleman Pirate. The two men bond almost immediately, and as their relationship grows, they realize that their affection for each other might be romantic in nature. In theSeason 1 finale, Edward decides to leave the pirate life behind, renounce his title of the most vicious pirate who ever sailed the Seven Seas, and run away with Stede. Unfortunately, Stede, haunted by his past errors, decides to return to his abandoned family after accidentally killing yet another man.
Edward is left heartbroken, having traded his whole world for Stede’s love. So, pushed by his first mate, Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill), Edward puts back on the black leather and decides to become Blackbeard once more. Stede comes to terms with his past and leaves his family again after realizing he’s in love with Edward. However, it might be too late for the two, as Edward’s transformation into Blackbeard leads him to commit horrendous actions that Stede might not be able to forgive. Now thatOur Flag Means Deathhas revealed itself as a surprising rom-com, Season 2 needs to explore the aftermath of Stede abandoning Blackbeard, and how the two pirates can look past each other’s mistakes to finally be together.
In the first season ofOur Flag Means Death, we’ve learned to love every wacky member of Stede’s pirate crew. In particular, there’s Lucius (Nathan Foad), the scribe who documented Stede’s exaggerated pirate adventures. Lucius is a docile soul, and Edward learns to rely on him during the show’s first season. That’s why the first thing Edward does when he goes back to being Blackbeard is throw Lucius into the ocean, leaving him to die. Blackbeard wants to cut ties with any emotional anchor that might hold him back, as he accepts that the only thing he’ll ever be is a bloodthirsty pirate. For poor Lucius, that meant a sudden demise. Or did it? We never get a visual confirmation that Lucius is indeed dead. Instead, we only see Blackbeard pushing him from the ship and hearing Lucius' screams as he supposedly drowns. However, this is television, and until we see a body, we cannot believe that the scribe is truly dead. Season 2will hopefully give us a clear answer, so we can either mourn Lucius or rejoice in his return.
How Can Stede Rescue His Old Pirate Crew?
When Edward goes back to being Blackbeard, he decides to get rid of Stede’s old pirate crew. Blackbeard orders Izzy to leave the crew stranded on a small island, with no food or water to survive. The crew thinks they are preparing a talent show, and don’t suspect that Edward is actually sending them to their death. In the finale, Stede is seen coming to the rescue of his old pirate crew, using a small rowing boat to cross the ocean. However, the season ends before we learn how exactly Stede will use a small boat to get everyone out of the island. Moreover, there are still some members of his crew trapped in his old ship by Blackbeard, so besides getting everyone out of the deserted island, Stede will also need to come up with some grade-A strategy to go back to Blackbeard’s ship and rescue everybody. That might prove hard to do, since Stede gave away all his money to his family, and won’t be able to buy his way out of trouble anymore. So, Season 2 needs to turn Stede into the pirate captain he always wanted to be, saving his crew with nothing more than his wits and bravery.
What Does Blackbeard Need Jim For?
Almost every member of Stede’s crew is sent to die on a deserted island, with the exception of Frenchie (Joel Fry) and Jim (Vico Ortiz). Frenchie is spared because he knows how to sew, and Blackbeard needs a new flag for his ship, one that represents evil prevailing over love. However, we still don’t know what Blackbeard’s plans are for Jim. In the season finale, Blackbeard asks Jim if he and Frenchie want to be part of the new crew he’s putting together, to which Jim replies that they thought they were already part of Blackbeard’s crew. After that, Jim gets knocked down and ends up in a locked room in the lower decks of the ship. Hopefully, Season 2 will explain why Blackbeard restrained Jim, why the non-binary pirate was spared from starvation on the island, and what use the bloodthirsty pirate can have for them.
Will Stede Keep in Touch With His Children?
Stede first flees his home in the middle of the night, abandoning his wife (Claudia O’Doherty) and children. The regret of this unfortunate decision eats Stede from the inside out for the duration of the whole season. However, when Stede decides to bite the bullet and come back home, he finds out everyone was having a better life when they thought he was dead. Stede decides to go away again, making sure to stage a death that will convince everyone he will never come back. Even so, Stede’s second departure is made in an amicable way, with his family supporting his decision and helping him with the theatrical death he’s putting together.
Even ifOur Flag Means Deathunderlines how Stede’s family will be better without him, a tender moment with his daughter, Alma (Eden Grace Redfield), raises the question if the Gentleman Pirate will really abandon his children forever. Alma split the petrified orange Stede gave her as a present and asks him to keep half of it. It’s clear that Alma wants to keep some sort of connection with her father. So, while Stede’s fake death will allow his family to have a better life, that doesn’t prevent the Gentleman Pirate from visiting. Maybe, by not being a direct part of his family, Stede can even develop more meaningful relationships with his children and ex-wife, especially since no one is pretending to be happy anymore.
