Our Flag Means Death Season 2’s Ending, Explained

Warning: The following explanation of Our Flag Means Death’s Season 2 finale contains spoilers for the Max series.

The beloved buccaneers of Our Flags Mean Death violently reclaimed their lovers, livelihoods, and foothold on the Republic of Pirates in Season 2’s finale, but this tooth-and-nail battle did not come without tremendous sacrifice. Here’s what happened in the finale.

What Happened in Our Flag Means Death Season 2’s Finale

The penultimate episode of Our Flag Means Death’s second season left the Republic of Pirates in shambles after Prince Ricky Banes turned the tables on Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao, gifting grandfather clocks as a trojan horse to detonate a fleet of pirating vessels. Taika Waititi’s Edward “Blackbeard” Teach had abandoned the Republic of Pirates prior to the mass explosion, seeking a humble life as a fisherman. Fortunately for The Revenge crew and the attack’s remaining survivors, Blackbeard proved exceptionally inadequate at his late career pivot, meaning he returned to the Republic of Pirates in time to reunite with Stede and aid in the battle against Prince Ricky’s troops.

Zheng and Blackbeard proved a formidable fighting duo (and Stede was there too), and by the time they arrived for heartfelt reunions at Spanish Jackie’s the Republic of Pirates bar owner had dispatched the British soldiers occupying her establishment. Prince Ricky remained in a sea of poisoned colleagues, while the pirate ensemble looted their bodies for military disguises to execute their final stage of their escape plan. Unfortunately, the cagey and noseless Prince Ricky got off one last devastating blow to the port side of first mate Izzy Hands.

While The Revenge crew escaped and ultimately thwarted Prince Ricky’s efforts to end piracy, they suffered the loss of their unicorn. Con O’Neill’s Izzy Hands became a polarizing force among Our Flag Means Death fans during the show’s first season, stirring up many of the interpersonal conflicts that arose on the ship. However, the second season served as a redemptive arc for Izzy, who grew to recognize the error in his ways and accept the crew of The Revenge as family. Like many great anti-heroes who came before him, Izzy’s overdose on character development paved the way for inevitable, heartbreaking sacrifice.

Our Flag Means Death washed down the tear-inducing events of Izzy’s death and subsequent funeral with the wedding of mateys Lucius Spriggs and Black Pete. The newlyweds weren’t the only couple to sail into a happy ending, with Stede and Ed staying behind to embark on their shared dream of starting a seaside inn. The episode’s final pan outward revealed that the site the pair selected for their venture stood in the shadow of Izzy’s gravesite, which was paid a visit by former member of The Revenge turned seagull Buttons.

How Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Set Up a Third Season

Though Max has not yet renewed Our Flag Means Death for a third season, series’ creator David Jenkins has stated that a potential Season 3 would be the show’s last. The main thrust of what Season 3 would entail was established in Zheng Yi Sao’s proposal to Ed and Stede after Izzy’s funeral. With Izzy’s killer, Prince Ricky, still at large, the Pirate Queen expressed her resolve to hunt him down and exact revenge for his clock-based subterfuge.

Ed and Stede evidently did not to accept Zheng’s offer, and instead retired their sails and scabbards for a simpler life as innkeepers. However, the threat of Prince Ricky and the British could easily suck Stede and Ed back into one last piracy job in Our Flag Means Death Season 3, particularly if their friend’s lives are in danger. As Pop-Pop told Ed in Season 2’s finale, “if you were ever good at anything, go do that, you bum”, and, for Blackbeard, piracy was one arena in which he unequivocally excelled.