While Edward Teach is enjoying the new life he’s chosen as a fisherman, there’s one huge problem … he’s terrible at fishing and doing the work that comes from it. Ultimately, the father and son team that he has joined push him back out to sea in a rowboat, telling him to return to whatever he’s been good at in his life.
Prince Richard has destroyed the Republic of Pirates and taunts his victory by drinking in Spanish Jackie’s, enjoying the songs of the British Navy. Very few of the pirates that remain are working in the bar again and it’s quite unpleasant — Black Pete is being tormented, Spanish Jackie is being forced to find Richard’s nose in her jar, Roach is bartending, and the Swede is forced to taste all of the wine to ensure it hasn’t been poisoned. Meanwhile, Stede and Zheng are together and Zheng is depressed and feeling the guilt of losing her crew … especially Auntie. Zheng almost seems to welcome two sailors discovering them, but thankfully Stede steps in before they can be arrested … though Zheng does have to finish the fight. Zheng sets off on a revenge mission to skin Prince Richard.
Ed returns to the Republic of Pirates to find the destruction and he immediately worries for Stede. Returning to what he has always been good at, he quickly dispatches two British sailors. After retrieving his leathers from the ocean floor he emerges from the sea to shore again as Blackbeard.
Prince Richard visits the prisoners (the rest of the Revenge’s crew and some of Zheng’s crew) before they are hanged, only to delay the execution to have a drink with a legend, Izzy Hands. Richard continues to later compliment Izzy during their drink but Izzy is completely uninterested.
“You don’t know the first thing about piracy, do you?”
“Don’t I?”
“It’s not about glory, it’s not about getting what you want. It’s about belonging to something when the world has told you you’re nothing. It’s about finding the family to kill for when yours are long dead. It’s about letting go of ego for something much larger … a crew.”
Spanish Jackie asks Roach for the “good stuff” behind the bar.
Ed happens upon two British sailors who are reading one of the many letters Stede wrote for him aloud — he kills the men and claims the letter and finishes reading its lovely contents before running off, presumably to find Stede. Zheng is on a death mission that Stede is trying to talk her out of and the two find themselves caught by a surprise attack in the same location Ed is currently fighting the British as well. Stede and Ed run to one another (with the encouragement of Zheng) and reunite, sharing a kiss and making up before rejoining Zheng in the fight.
Auntie is in rough shape with a serious head and shoulder wound in the cell, and Jim comes to her aid to give her what relief she can. Auntie and Oluwande talk about the relationship with Zheng and how Auntie might try being softer sometimes to better her relationship with Zheng. After the fight is finished, Ed and Zheng bond over their impressive fighting skills. Richard continues fishing for validation from Izzy, saying that he’s the “ultimate pirate” since he destroyed the Republic of Pirates, and Izzy is still completely uninterested in giving in to the man.
“Kill me. Kill us all. Our spirit will last throughout your entire f**king empire because … we’re good. And you are a rancid, syphilitic c**t.”
Stede, Zheng, and Ed arrive to aid their crew, but at that exact moment, the British start dropping to the ground dead around them, having been poisoned by Spanish Jackie. The Swede is concerned because he consumed the poisoned alcohol as well, but Jackie reveals that everyone in her household is poison trained. That’s wife behavior right there. Zheng is relieved to reunite with Auntie, who tries out being soft and pays Zheng a compliment, expressing her pride. The crew takes Richard as a hostage and divulge a plan, one that Stede is confident in but not so much the rest of the crew.
Dressed in the stolen clothing of British soldiers, the crew set out on their escape plan. Richard betrays the plan, of course, and shoots Izzy. The crew fight and barely manage to make it to the Revenge … Izzy struggling most of all. Izzy is bleeding heavily and while Stede says he can help, Izzy has accepted his fate and lays on the deck, only asking for Ed to sit with him. The two share apologies — Izzy insists on apologizing for feeding into the darkness of Blackbeard.
“Please, you’re my only family.”
“Oh, f**k off, you twat. Ed, you’re surrounded by family. They love you, Ed … just be Ed.”
With that, the infamous Izzy Hands passes on. The crew buries Izzy and Zheng propositions Ed and Stede to join up, saying they’d all be good together. First, a wedding has to take place between Black Pete and Lucius, the pair being pronounced mateys by their crew. The Revenge sets off with the additions of Zheng, Auntie, Spanish Jackie, and the Swede again. Ed and Stede stay behind to open their inn on the sea at the shack where Izzy is buried.
And with that, the entirety of season 2 of Our Flag Means Death is now available to stream on Max. Recaps for all eight episodes can be found here.
