The Innkeeper – As the episode opens, Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian) led a successful raid on a ship manned by The Soul Reaper, John Bartholomew (Maaka Pohatu). John threatens to shoot himself but only in the presence of his defeater who happens to be a woman. When Zheng suggests he shoot himself or have a drink, John accepts the latter. Captain Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) compliments Zheng’s scheme to trap John into a partnership deal. She assures him that it would have been impossible to conquer China if she let people dwell on their feelings. Auntie (Anapela Polataivao) alerts them of an approaching ship, The Revenge. Recognizing the ship as his own, Stede races out of the room. The crew is on the top deck staring at The Revenge. Wee John Feeney (Kristian Nairn) suggests it passed through the Bermuda Triangle. Stede calls Edward “Ed” Teach/Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) before jumping overboard. Seconds later, he is climbing aboard his ship to find the rest of his crew devouring a dead bird.

Aboard The Red Flag, Stede asks what happened to Ed. Surprised by Stede’s small stature, Archie (Madeleine Sami) admits to imagining he would be muscular and tall. Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill) hobbles on his cane to greet Stede who tells him to “piss off”. Frenchie (Joel Fry) claims Blackbeard retired. The rest of the crew supports his claim. Elsewhere, Auntie suggests killing Stede’s crew because they reek of mutiny. Zheng sarcastically claims to smell leather and body odor. Auntie accuses her of wanting to keep Oluwande happy.

A man discovers an unconscious Blackbeard face-down on the beach. Blackbeard briefly comes to as he is being dragged away from the sea. Later, Blackbeard learns his rescuer is Captain Ben Hornigold (Mark Mitchinson). Ben tries to feed him soup but he refuses for fear of being poisoned. He attributes his violent behavior to rhino horn before forcing the soup down Blackbeard’s throat.

Aboard The Revenge, Auntie envisions a 6-foot man with a beard and tattoos having his head smashed. Fang (David Fane) and Frenchie deny any memory of it. She points out that Fang is sweating. He claims it is the heat. She suggests he is feeling guilty. Aboard Red Flag, Jim (Vico Ortiz) inhales the scent of a towel. Oluwande says it is eucalyptus. She admits to kissing Archie. He assures her that it is okay. She tells him about seeing Archie’s tits.

Izzy tells Stede that Blackbeard tortured the crew after he went mad. He claims Blackbeard took his leg when he said Stede’s name. He says the crew abandoned him on the beach. Izzy warns that Zheng is going to kill them because she fears mutiny.

While Ben collects crabs, Blackbeard confesses to forcing his crew to fight to death and sailing into a storm. Ben questions if he fears insanity. Ben claims to have forced a cabin boy to eat a live crab. Blackbeard says he witnessed it before explaining how to crab clawed through Felix’s stomach and killed him. Ben says you move past it or kill yourself.

Zheng asks if the crew committed mutiny against Blackbeard. Stede assures her that Blackbeard can be difficult. She questions how he can be happy that Blackbeard is alive when he committed evil acts against his friends. Stede blames himself for not telling Blackbeard how he feels. She says when she dated wanted men, it always ended in a massacre. He nearly convinces her to not massacre the crew when Auntie barges in announcing the jackpot has been located.

Trying on Ben’s handmade shoes, Blackbeard urges him to sell them. Ben says everything needs an angle for him. Blackbeard tells him that he should have acquired an inn. During a demonstration, Ben accuses Blackbeard of strangling his father. Blackbeard snaps Ben’s neck, smashes his head, and shoots him but he doesn’t die.

Auntie shows Zheng where the crew killed Blackbeard. Elsewhere, Lucius (Nathan Ford) warns his crewmates that Zheng is going to kill them tomorrow. Frenchie says a deadline is nice after living on a whim.

Ben tells Blackbeard that he is in purgatory. Blackbeard questions who is in control of his living or dying. Ben refuses to take on the responsibility. Blackbeard weighs the pros and cons of both options. Ben invites him to his thinking spot.

Oluwande tries to discourage Zheng from executing the crew. She asks about his relationship with Jim. He claims they are just best friends. She asks how the execution will impact them. He asks what she means by “us”. She kisses him.

Pretending to be delivering towels, Stede gives one to a female pirate guarding the crew. She inhales deeply before collapsing on the floor. He rushes in to release the crew. He explains his escape plan. Wee John places a towel over the pirate’s face at the stern. Archie shoots an arrow into The Revenge’s mast. Stede ties off the line. Black Pete (Matthew Maher) slides across to the waiting ship. Wee John breaks off the stern wheel. Buttons (Ewen Bremner) orders Roach Samba Schutte) to brace the yard. Auntie finds the prison cell empty. Oluwande and Zheng are making out when Auntie alerts them of the escape. He denies any knowledge of the escape as Zheng follows Auntie out of the room.

From the top deck, Zheng looks through a spyglass to see Oluwande waving at her. Auntie informs her of the stern wheel being stolen. Izzy tries to thank Stede but he just walks away.

Blackbeard and Ben stand on the edge of a cliff. Ben picks up a boulder tied to a rope with the other end tied around Blackbeard’s waist. Blackbeard realizes he hates himself. Ben boasts of not being afraid before dropping the boulder over the cliff. The rope jerks Blackbeard off the cliff, into the sea below. On The Revenge, Stede removes a cloth to expose Blackbeard’s ashen face. In the sea, Blackbeard flails in the water while trying to untie the rope. On The Revenge, Blackbeard moves his hand. Stede pleads with him to live. In the sea, Stede appears as a mermaid. The men kiss. Back on the ship, Blackbeard startles awake as the episode ends.

 

Our Flag Means Death Review

Zheng leads a successful raid against The Soul Reaper and his crew. Instead of killing him, she offers him a partnership deal. Stede’s ship, The Revenge, washes up beside the Red Flag. Stede goes aboard hoping to see Ed but finds the starving crew feasting on a dead bird. Auntie begins to question if the crew killed Blackbeard. Izzy Hands claims they abandoned him on a beach. The crew is imprisoned while Zheng decides their fate. Stede implements a plan to escape. By the time Auntie figures it out, Stede and his crew are aboard The Revenge with Red Flag’s stern wheel.

In a comatose state, Blackbeard is saved by Captain Hornigold who claims to have given up pirating. Hornigold coaxes Blackbeard into realizing he hates himself. A rope tied around Blackbeard’s waist is attached to a boulder on the opposite end. Hornigold throws the boulder over a cliff, sending Blackbeard into the sea. While he tries to free himself from the boulder, Stede finds his unconscious body. Stede pleads with him to wake up.

I was surprised to see Izzy Hands still alive. They did a great job making it look like he had been killed off in episode 2.

The episode deserves a 6.2. Get more of Our Flag Means Death recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, click the link to learn more. Join our new forum to discuss the latest movies, TV shows, and celebrity news.