We ’re just past the center ofOur Flag think of Death ’s second time of year , and we ’ve already sail through some tempestuous weather alongside Blackbeard – akaEd Teach(Taika Waititi)—andStede Bonnet(Rhys Darby ) as they attempt to reunite and rekindle their human relationship . Showrunner and writerDavid Jenkinsspoke to io9 about how he sees these two Isle of Man develop over the season , and who the veridical antagonist of the show is .
“ I want to see them become a functional couple or betray to become a functional couple , ” Jenkins order . “ Those are the most interesting division of the show . ” After an close - of - season - one detachment , plagiarist Ed and Stede have last found each other again . But it ’s not exactly easy for them , and they ’re very much struggling to empathise their kinship . “ I love a mess of the hooey at the beginning of the second episode when they ’re thinking about each other and they ’re disquieted about each other . Some of my pet percentage are when Ed and Stede are n’t together , ” he said .
“ I require to see them do things that are placeable in all of our kinship . The emotional parts that you have to work on if you want to have a successful partnership , ” explained Jenkins . “ alternatively of being 14 - class - previous boys emotionally in the first time of year , now , they ’re maybe like 25 to 30 twelvemonth previous piece , you know , figuring out – ” It ’s at this point that Jenkins does a passable imitation of Waititi ’s Blackbeard , “ Oh , are we living together , what will we do next , when are we gon na get together ? ”
Photo: Nicola Dove/Max
The show has amassed an unbelievably outspoken and occupied fandom , and Jenkins tell that he ’s “ delirious ” to see what the fan are excited about , but says that at long last the writer are also “ the fans in the room . ” He goes on to say that , “ We ’re fans of the world . We ’re writing fanfic about our own characters , our own worlds … It ’s compensate fanfic , but it ’s fanfic . ” He gives another example : “ If you ’re writing a season of Succession , you ’re writing fanfic Succession . You ’re just getting paid to do it . We , as writer – ” it ’s clean-cut that he ’s not just talk about the writers in the writers room , “ become fan of the world and we all have thing we want to see these characters do . What we do is not that different . ”
This time of year of Our Flag Means Death construe Blackbeard and Stede reunite , drift apart , reunite … well , you get the idea . But one of the issues that divide them is that Stede wants to be a great sea rover , and Blackbeard , a great pirate , want to retire . “ There is a bit of a Star Is Born minute , where the very successful old - schoolhouse pirate sees this younger sea rover become a going concern and it does something to their relationship . I think their pauperization for each other is of import , but also , they ’re in a career — they’re pirates . They ’re the subject of a lot of attention . And I think that ’s part of the shudder of it for them . ”
One of those pirates who demonstrate up to a lot of fanfare is Zheng Yi Sao ( Ruibo Qian ) . Arguably , Zheng Yi Sao was one of the most successful buccaneer in chronicle . Sure , she made China take a stifle and , yeah , she never really made it over to the Caribbean , but she show up in Our Flag Means Death regardless . “ Do n’t worry about it , ” Jenkins laughed about the historical liberties carry . “ Do n’t think about it too much . They ’re flavour that go well together . ”
Image: Photograph by Nicola Dove/Max
It ’s obvious that Our Flag Means Death ’s version of Zheng Yi Sao is the most capable pirate out there , wheeling , dealing , and raiding ships throughout the time of year . “ I think we had to bring in a heavy for the time of year that could go toe to toe with Blackbeard , ” Jenkins explained . “ And part of bringing Zheng Yi Sao into the motion picture was exploring her emotional wants . She ’s very skilful at her business , but she ’s also kind of a spicy great deal in terms of what she wants in a relationship . All the pirates on this show are like that — they need kinship . ”
There are a lot of new villain this time of year , but , Jenkins says , finally , “ the antagonist on this show is normalcy … These pirates have a way of life that they ’re not finding in normal life . They ’ve found a way to live and support each other and be there for each other . And that ’s always jeopardise by these larger , tyrannical forces that want to close them down . ”
This musical composition was written during the 2023 SAG - AFTRA strike . Without the lying-in of the actors currently on hit , the show being covered here would n’t exist .
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Rhys Darby
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