Our Flag Means Death 2×06 and 2×07 Recap: Tales of Torment, Fame, and Unexpected Goodbyes

It’s Our Flag Means Death Day, crew, and that just means we’re back with another episode recap. This time it’s the turn of episodes 2×06 and 2×07 titled ‘Calypso’s Birthday’ and ‘Man On Fire’ respectively. These episodes are the lead-up to the season finale, so naturally, a lot happens in them.

But before we delve into the madness that is 2×06 and 2×07, we want to remind you that our review of Our Flag Means Death Season 2 (without spoilers) can be found here; and if you don’t mind spoilers, we have recaps of all the previous episodes too, 2×01-2×03 here, and 2×04 and 2×05 here.

In the last two episodes, Our Flag Means Death took us on a wild, wild ride. Episode 4 kicked off where 3 left off, aka with Ed’s (Taika Waititi) dramatic return from the brink of death, followed by the crew’s decision to banish him from the Revenge. Stede’s (Rhys Darby) chance encounter with Anne (Minnie Driver) – who’s revealed to be the partner of Ed’s friend Mary (Rachel House) – led to an unforgettable dinner where not only toxic dynamics were unveiled, but much more.

In the midst of the chaos, Stede and Ed finally hashed out the problems they had been carrying around since Season 1 and had the conversation we all wanted them to have. Meanwhile, some crew members grappled with lingering post-Blackbeard trauma. 

Izzy (Con O’Neill), in particular, had a difficult time after his wooden leg shattered, reminding him of the man he had become. In a heartfelt gesture, the crew crafted him a new wooden leg using the ship’s unicorn figurehead. Plus, Buttons (Ewen Bremner), who had received a spell book from Auntie (Anapela Olataivao) in the previous batch of episodes, underwent a bizarre transformation, turning into a seagull.

In Episode 5, Ed embarked on a path to redemption, aiming to mend his relationships with the traumatized crew members he had previously wronged. Lucius (Nathan Foad), harboring intense resentment, even got his shot at balancing the scales by throwing Ed into the ocean. However, the action brought him no comfort.

Stede and Izzy, who had never seen eye to eye on anything, bonded over some curious pirate training lessons and the crew’s belief that Stede’s new suit was cursed. After many ups and downs, and following Izzy’s advice, Stede got rid of the suit, further uniting the crew. Lucius, on the other hand, decided to put the past behind him and proposed to Pete (Matthew Maher), who happily accepted. Finally, Ed and Stede shared a tender moment under the moonlight and agreed to take their relationship slow.

And that was it. Now it’s time to continue putting together the map of the second season of Our Flag Means Death and discover what episodes 2×06 and 2×07 have in store for us.

PSA: If you haven’t caught up on these episodes yet, you might want to hit pause on this recap and come back once you’re ready. From this point forward there will be a lot of spoilers for episodes 2×06 and 2×07. You’ve been warned, so tread carefully.

Episode 6 Recap: “Calypso’s Birthday” – Turning Poison into Positivity

In this musical new episode of Our Flag Means Death, we’re thrown headfirst into chaos as we meet famed pirate Ned Low (Bronson Pinchot), who is senselessly torturing a poor lighthouse keeper (Adam Brookfield), all in his relentless pursuit of Blackbeard. It turns out that Ned is after Blackbeard, not because of stolen treasure or an outstanding debt, but because Blackbeard managed to take away his pirate record – a legacy that meant the world to him. This record consisted of 88 consecutive raids at sea, and in the blink of an eye (or a broken heart), Blackbeard snatched it away.

Back on the Revenge, things are getting interesting. Izzy starts talking to Ed again, but it’s not quite the conversation you’d expect. Drunk, Izzy admits that he accidentally mistook Ed for Roach (Samba Schutte) – or so he says. But Ed isn’t paying much attention, he voices that he feels something is wrong – that a storm is coming but he can’t see it. In a gesture of redemption, Ed apologizes to Izzy for what happened to his leg.

Stede, ever the refined gentleman, decides to put all of Ed’s remaining treasure in one room to further organize the ship. Ed dubs it the “guilt room” – a name that makes perfect sense given the dark deeds associated with these riches. But Stede encourages Ed to turn the poison into positivity and do something good with it.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Revenge, Archie (Madeleine Sami) is entertaining the crew with her wild story of how she escaped from the inside a snake and gets curious to know what everyone does for fun. In an attempt to jazz up life on the Revenge, the crew decides to throw a party. The reason? Calypso’s birthday. And although it’s no secret to anyone that they totally invented the reason for having a party, everyone agrees to carry out the celebrations.

Frenchie (Joel Fry) and Jim (Vico Ortiz) share this elaborate lie with their captains, and Stede, intrigued by the idea of celebrating the famed nymph, gives it the green light. Once Frenchie and Jim leave, Ed informs Stede that the crew made up the celebration. But Stede doesn’t mind, he says they can seize the opportunity to use Ed’s treasure to fund the party. Turn poison into positivity.

Ricky Banes (Erroll Shand), who we last saw in the first episode, is back, but he’s not exactly pursuing a life of piracy anymore. As y’all know, he was on the wrong end of an encounter with Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones) and suffered a gruesome loss – his nose – and that made him resentful. His new goal? Destroy all pirates. However, he doesn’t count on the fact that there is someone who knows about his misadventures and wants an audience with him.

Meanwhile, Stede, Ed, and the crew embark on a shopping spree to get supplies for the party. Ed’s generosity extends to the local children (TK and Matewa Waititi), to whom he gives not only money but also knives to defend themselves. He even offers them some odd but practical pointers on how to use them. When the kids ask if he and Stede are pirates, Ed lies and says they’re not, they’re Inn owners lol. *special shout-out to Taika’s own daughters for making a cameo in the episode.

As it turns out, the person who wanted the audience with Ricky was none other than Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian) – the Pirate Queen herself. Apparently, she’s been keeping tabs on him, which makes Ricky more than a bit nervous. Auntie gets in on the fun by teasing Ricky about leaving a piece of himself with Spanish Jackie, a jab at his missing nose. But long story short, the Queen wants an alliance with him, and, to lure the man into her plan, she presents him with a vision of the man he could become.

The celebrations begin and the crew transforms the Revenge into party central – the fun is in full swing. Wee John (Kristian Nairn) dresses up in drag as Calypso, and Izzy, motivated by the celebratory atmosphere, decides to serenade the crew with a rendition of La Vie en Rose. As Stede himself says, it seems Ed has turned poison into positivity. Things are going splendidly until they’re suddenly ambushed. An enemy crew boards the Revenge and disrupts the party.

Ed immediately jumps into action to protect Stede *screams*, but Ned, who is the attacker, seems more interested in tormenting them than killing them. Once he has Stede and Ed tied up in the captain’s quarters, he tells his story and reveals that his record was a major source of pride. Ed, however, denies any interest in the record, explaining he got it because he was bored. In a tense verbal exchange, Ed ends up pushing some of Ned’s buttons, leading Ned to burn him with a hot iron. Ed’s defiant attitude, however, makes Ned realize that in order to really hurt Ed, he has to torture Stede, and so he does.

Amid the chaos, the captors and captives find themselves locked in a standoff that doesn’t seem to lean towards anyone in particular. And it turns out that Pete and Lucius are not among the crew being tortured because when the attack took place they were in the ship’s secret cabin celebrating their recent engagement.

While Ned and his crew torture everyone on the Revenge to the tune of a symphony, Stede manages to work his way out of captivity and takes Maggie (Josie Whittlesey) hostage. In an intense negotiation, he demands the release of his crew, but Ned, uncaring, offers Stede the chance to kill Maggie. Stede plays on Ned’s apathy towards his own crew and, through clever manipulation, turns them against their captain.

Pete and Lucius, armed to the teeth, rush to the scene to help, but everything is under control now thanks to Stede. The crew, both captors and captives, now sit on deck, mulling over their strange situation. As Ned’s crew defects and Stede regains control of the situation, peace seems to have been restored. However, the wild ride is far from over, and now Stede must decide what to do with Ned.

On the Red Flag, Zheng has managed to strike a deal with Ricky and convinced him to become the man who will end all piracy without firing a single bullet. Honestly, it doesn’t seem possible, but we’ll see.

Back on the Revenge, Ed refuses to kill Ned despite the latter mocking Ed’s new soft approach to piracy. However, Stede intervenes and makes Ned walk the plank. Ed warns Stede about the consequences of killing a man in cold blood, but Stede is too fed up to listen properly. And in an outburst, he throws Ned his violin and the man ends up accidentally falling into the sea.

Ned’s demise causes Stede to go into shock and he excuses himself to his quarters. Izzy tells Ed that the first kill is always the hardest one, so Ed goes and checks on Stede. However, after barely exchanging a few words of comfort with his man, Ed finds himself cornered by Stede, who kisses him hungrily.

The party continues, Izzy resumes his previously interrupted rendition of La Vie en Rose, and as fireworks light up the night, a particularly intimate and tender moment between Ed and Stede sets the tone for an unforgettable conclusion to this episode. Yes, fam, they’re doing the dance with no pants. *squeals* 

Episode 7 Recap: “Man on Fire” – The Storm Before the Finale

In this explosive episode of Our Flag Means Death, the drama and excitement are cranked up to the max as we dive into Ed and Stede’s evolving relationship and the chaos that ensues every time we set foot in the Republic of Pirates.

The episode starts with a rather endearing gesture from Ed, who, wanting to try something new, tosses his old leathers into the sea with a cannonball and then proceeds to serve Stede breakfast in bed; sharing a sweet moment with his boyfriend as he recalls what happened when he was trapped in the gravy basket.

Ed recounts Stede his near-death experience when Stede appeared to him as a merman and saved his life. As they’re agreeing to try to avoid near-death experiences in the future, Izzy interrupts them to inform Stede that the ship is now docked in the Republic of Pirates. Izzy, with his cheeky sense of humor, congratulates Ed and Stede on taking a big step in their relationship, jokingly hinting at the intimate nature of it. Ed says Izzy is jealous – and we agree lol.

On the Red Flag, Zheng learns that Ricky has sent her a grandfather clock as a way to symbolize the union between pirates and civilized society. Auntie, informs Zheng that the prince has actually sent clocks to all the ships in their fleet.

When the crew disembarks in the Republic of Pirates, they quickly notice Zheng’s recruiting efforts. Olu, in particular, seems smitten with her, which sparks the encouragement of Jim and Archie, who are eager to play matchmakers. However, Zheng flees upon seeing the crew, much to Olu’s disappointment.

Meanwhile, Stede and Ed have a quiet lunch at Ed’s favorite local spot. Stede admits that during the time he worked for Spanish Jackie, he didn’t explore the island much because he spent a lot of time on the beach, writing letters to Ed and sending them in glass bottles that he threw into the sea. Ed, although acknowledging the romantic gesture, humorously doubts the effectiveness of such a postal service.

But their conversation is interrupted when some pirates approach them. Ed immediately believes they want his autograph – he’s very famous, after all – but it turns out they’re Stede fans. They admire him for defeating Ned. Ed tells Stede that he’s made it, that he has become infamous. The pirates invite Stede and Ed to Spanish Jackie’s bar, and Ed suggests they take up the offer, capitalizing on Stede’s newfound popularity.

At Spanish Jackie’s bar, Stede becomes a local hero, as Ed offers him advice on how to handle his new fame. He provides tips on accepting drinks but not necessarily finishing them, warns him of fans getting tattoos of his face, and cautions him about clandestine artists who capture their likenesses without consent. He even tells him about the possibility of someone trying to kill him but still encourages his man to enjoy the night.

The arrival of the crew of the Revenge to the Republic of Pirates becomes a talking point for the locals, but they are all welcomed with open arms at the bar, despite their previous troubles there. The surprise for the crew, however, is the Swede (Nat Faxon), who’s had a remarkable glow-up and now tends the bar as Spanish Jackie’s 20th husband.

While everyone is enjoying a few drinks, Ed and Spanish Jackie talk. Spanish Jackie realizes that Ed is going through the “if I was a regular dude” phase, but Ed confesses that his identity crisis might not be a phase. Spanish Jackie advises Ed to talk to Stede and work through his feelings since his man has just become THE man.

Jim and Archie go to talk to Zheng to put in a good word for Olu, telling her about his character and how he is simply Jim’s best friend – they’re family. Zheng agrees to talk to Olu and consider a reconciliation.

As Ed observes some fishermen on the dock, he has a heart-to-heart with his former first mate. Izzy confesses that he saw Ed throwing his leathers into the sea and encourages him to listen to his feelings.

Meanwhile, Stede revels in his newfound fame, chatting with fellow pirates and telling them all about his partnership with Ed. The celebratory atmosphere turns a tad dangerous when a drunken pirate attempts to kill Stede, leading to a fun confrontation. Stede, in a move of sheer luck, manages to set the man on fire, winning the crowd’s applause.

Later, Ed and Stede share a heated discussion about their relationship. Stede is ecstatic about the day he had – he even got his ear pierced – but Ed seems not to be so thrilled about the whole thing despite saying otherwise. Stede points out Ed’s attitude, and the latter confronts him, suggesting that maybe they rushed into everything and made a mistake. Ed admits he’s not ready for whatever their relationship has become. He confesses that he doesn’t even know who he is anymore and that he is considering a life away from piracy. This revelation stuns Stede, who says that Ed is panicking. 

But the thing is that Ed is not panicking, he tells Stede that he is leaving. He got a job on a fishing boat, he’s a fisherman now. The discussion escalates and Ed suggests they stop fighting before they say something they can’t take back. Stede accuses Ed of blowing up their relationship and calls him a coward. But Ed still leaves, and Stede is left hurt and confused. 

Back at the bar, Frenchie and Pete take the opportunity to make some extra money selling planks from the Revenge and certified memorabilia from the Gentleman Pirate himself.

Meanwhile, Izzy approaches Stede and tells him that he knows Ed left. At first, Stede thinks Izzy’s comment is a victory lap – he never liked them together – but Izzy confesses that, although it took him some time, he now knows that they’re actually good for each other, that they balance each other out.

Jim takes Olu out of the bar and tells him that they got him one last shot with the Queen. Olu and Zheng have a heartfelt conversation and after confessing that they missed each other, they reconcile.

Izzy advises Stede to leave the bar and head back to the Revenge, sensing that trouble could be brewing on the horizon and that that could lead to Stede ending up on the wrong side of a sword. Olu informs Jim and Archie that he’s leaving to be with Zheng. Zheng offers spots for Jim and Archie on her ship, but Steve intervenes. He doesn’t want the Queen to steal his crew. 

Stede and Zheng have a tense confrontation at the bar, with Stede standing up for his crew. The argument escalates, and Stede finds himself demanding a sword fight. A crowd gathers to watch, but before a clear outcome is reached, chaos erupts. A massive brawl ensues between the crew of the Revenge, Stede’s new fans, other drunken pirates, and the queen’s crew.

The fight spills outside the bar, and Zheng appears to have Stede cornered. But she’s honorable, so she offers him the chance to surrender and end the conflict. The crew of the Revenge encourages Stede to take her offer, but Stede stands firm. And just as Zheng is about to deliver a decisive blow, the unexpected happens: the clocks that Ricky had distributed among the fleet explode one by one, causing a series of fiery explosions across the island. The episode concludes with a cannonball seemingly striking Zheng, leaving us hanging in suspense.

As we have been telling you, this season of Our Flag Means Death is getting better and better, and today we can confirm that what we said last week, that this season was shaping up to be the best one yet, is true. This is without a doubt the best season of Our Flag Means Death, and no, we do not accept criticism about it.

What the cast and crew of the show have achieved with these episodes is nothing short of remarkable. Truly, we can’t praise them enough. They all have done an exceptional job this season and we will never stop being grateful to them for bringing this beautiful show to life. 

But we will talk in more detail in the recap of the last episode. Because if you thought 2×06 and 2×07 were intense, you’re definitely not ready for the season finale. It’s all kinds of epic. But anygays, stay tuned as we set sail into the final episode of Our Flag Means Death Season 2. It’s bound to be a bumpy ride, but we’ll be there to guide you through every thrilling twist and turn. We promise.

Until next Thursday, crew! 

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Episodes 2×06 and 2×07 of Our Flag Means Death are available to stream exclusively on Max. The season finale of Our Flag Means Death Season 2 will be available to stream on October 26. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!