Season one introduced a very unconventional pirate – Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a wealthy man who decided to abandon his tedious everyday life for the exciting life of piracy and adventure. Along the way, he catches the attention of the legendary Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) who grew tired of the routine of pirate life and longs to find excitement in the ordinary things.
For a show that labels itself as light-hearted queer comedy, the first three episodes of the second season deals with topics like abuse, depression and suicide, as Ed (Blackbeard) deals with his broken heart and trust at the expense of his crew. Meanwhile, Stede who faked his death and returned to the sea dreams about his reunion with Blackbeard, and with the remaining members of his crew, tries to save up enough money to buy a ship.
The main characters undergo significant change at the expense of most of the other fan-favourites, who have been pushed to the side as the story takes more of a relationship-focused approach.
The main characters undergo significant change at the expense of most of the other fan-favourites, who have been pushed to the side as the story takes more of a relationship-focused approach. Stede is now a famous and competent pirate like anyone else, meanwhile, Ed starts to resent piracy and the life that comes with it.
The highlight and the best part of the season, however, remains the show-stealing performance of Con O’Neill as Blackbeard’s former first mate Izzy Hands, who after protecting the crew from Blackbeard’s rage undergoes a great change – both physically and mentally, and quickly becomes one of the, if not the best character of the entire show.
They definitely kept the silliness that was the core of the story, but season 2 is distinctively darker...
They definitely kept the silliness that was the core of the story, but season 2 is distinctively darker, and many of the characters struggle with different issues. And although all the constant breaking-up gets tiring after a while and starts to feel like forced conflict, and many of the interesting newly-introduced characters stay under-developed, the show does still remain perfectly feel-good and delightfully queer for anyone who is looking for short entertainment. However, it’s definitely not for those who love historical accuracy.