OFMD Gave Gentlebeard the Ultimate Happy Ending, but Isn't It a Bit Boring?
Perhaps the writers could have developed the commitment in their relationship further, but that doesn't make the ending any less wonderful.
Summary
- OFMD Season 2 ended after eight episodes.
- It's uncertain whether there will be another season.
- In this context, the ending of Ed and Stede's story may seem somewhat weaker than it might have been.
- But is that the case, or are we just used to drama?
Our Flag Means Death offers LGBTQ+ drama at its finest. It goes from sentimental to turbulent and then to violent and then back to sentimental again. The best slogan to describe the show would probably be, 'Be Gay, Do Crime,' as the plot gives you an incredible sense of liberation from public judgment and bias as the characters go about learning to accept themselves, even while occasionally committing acts of violence.
The Golden Age of Piracy was indeed the perfect backdrop for such a story, with the names of famous historical figures symbolizing the struggle to find one's place in a world filled with hatred and discrimination. Fortunately, the show's main characters, Ed and Stede, manage to find happiness. The question is, though, whether the ending was a bit too sentimental and rushed, or we're just too accustomed to heart-wrenching drama and can no longer appreciate a good story with a happy ending.
Sweetest Resolution
Along with Zheng (Ruibo Qian), Auntie (Anapela Polataivao), and the entire reunited crew of the Revenge, Taika Waititi's Blackbeard and Rhys Darby's Stede Bonnet managed to free the Republic of Pirates from the British after a touching reunion on shore.
Unlike the Revenge, which not only added Zheng and Auntie but also Spanish Jackie and the returning Swede, Ed and Stede decided to stay behind and settle into a seaside shack that they plan to transform into a small inn. We don't know if HBO is interested in another season, but if not, it was a pretty solid happy ending for Gentlebeard.
Rushed happy ending or logical conclusion?
This season's events unfolded so quickly that even though Blackbeard and Gentleman Pirate were given the majority of the screen time, the finale still felt somewhat rushed, and the lovers' decision to retire seemed too abrupt (notably, the plot never once suggested that Stede himself wanted to retire). Undoubtedly, the ending for these two was very satisfying, sweet, and light-hearted, but considering that they were just starting to understand each other, it felt like there was a lack of... drama?
Then again, perhaps we've become so accustomed to heart-wrenching happenings, turmoil, and uncertainty, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ pairings, that happy finales seem too unusual to take us out of our dramatic comfort zone. Do we need another Good Omens-level heart-rending twist? Sometimes, it's just pleasant to see a non-heterosexual couple find solace and happiness in each other rather than becoming embroiled in yet another tragedy that drives the lovers apart.