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[poison-into-positivity99]

OFMD Season 2 Love 🖤🏴‍☠️

I’m a Tumblr veteran, joined when I was 13 (YIKES I KNOW). I deleted my old account because wow cringe. I was huge into Doctor Who and Supernatural, also Hannibal. Being part of those fandoms was chaotic to say the very least. I am almost 25 now, but Our Flag Means Death has reignited the old “fangirl” in me. I love this show with all my heart and soul. I very much enjoyed season 2 and I came back to Tumblr SOLEY for this show and because Twitter has been a hellscape of people being extremely negative about it. I know so many love the second season just as they do the first, but the angry voices always scream louder than the kind ones. It’s exhausting. So I’ve come here to find like minded people. 

I have never felt that this show was insensitive, ableist, not supportive. The characters in this show have never been questioned for their identity, sexuality, or disability, they have always been embraced. Everything is normalized. There is not “the gay couple” they are just a couple. It feels wonderful to not have the things “different” about you, be pointed out. They are not seen as weird, abnormal, ANYTHING. I can’t remember the last time a show was ever like that. It’s so important. People saying Izzy had an arc, just for him to die, made it useless. That is honestly a disgusting take to me. Along with the people saying that they killed off a disabled character, and that makes them ableist. Are we forgetting the myriad of others with prosthetics or chronic pain? There are days I cannot physically walk by myself, I can’t get out of bed. I’ve had a knee replacement, two shoulder surgeries, a stomach surgery, because of my disability (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome). I did not, for once, feel like Izzy’s death was an act against physically disabled people. Just because I am disabled, does not mean I don’t deserve a “redemption arc”, it doesn’t mean me growing as a person is useless because I’ll just die someday. It hurts to see so many people turn on the show so quickly because they are upset with their favorite character dying or not getting more screen time. That does not mean you attack the cast, the crew, the show runners, the writers, the directors- ANYONE. Especially not others in this fandom. It’s often through tragedy and disagreements where we see people’s true colors. Being angry is okay, having a different opinion is okay too. But we don’t take it out on others who have ones differing from us, that is just not acceptable. When a character you love, is no longer on a show- for one reason or another- it can feel like losing a friend. A character you take comfort in, now being gone, is a loss of a different kind but can still cause real grief. People get angry. They can lash out. Just because you like something, or don’t like something, doesn’t mean it’s excusable to be angry or hostile with other people for having a different opinion. It’s valid to be upset but it’s not okay to cause someone else feel negatively about something they love. People are quick to take online to voice how they feel, it’s a readily available outlet to do so. When tensions are high, things get thrown around and people get hurt. Think before you speak, you can voice how you feel but do not shame others for feeling differently.

Calling Ed abusive, is another thing I’ve seen being thrown around. I really hate that. Not only as someone who has been in an abusive relationship before. Everyone in the crew has killed people, tortured people, done shitty things. They are pirates. That is not the point of the show, AT ALL. People are so upset that they are pulling any accusation they can, and throwing it at the wall until something sticks. 

The character I actually relate the most to is Ed. I have attempted to take my life. I have bipolar disorder, I rapidly cycle. I have been severely depressed, and extremely manic. That does not mean I am not worth loving, but it’s what I believed. I truly hated myself. I’ve hurt people. Done things I regret. It’s been a journey to find who I was, to heal and accept myself. I need reassurance from my friends, my partner, that I am enough sometimes. I hurt people before they have a chance to hurt me. I say and do things I regret. But my partner is ALWAYS there for me. He does not treat me as any less worthy. And that’s what Stede does for Ed. To think someone is only worth loving if they are “fixed” or that Ed is treating Stede as if he is “saving” him, is a bit of a concerning outlook. Saying they have no chemistry is borderline comical to me, as well. Have you SEEN the way they look at each other? They don’t even have to touch or say anything to be able to see how much love they share. 

Love is not without hardships or arguments. Relationships ebb and flow, they grow and they change. When you are separate people, living a life together, there is going to be messy bits. Just because we don’t see Stede and Ed talk everything through, doesn’t mean they don’t. So much time passes in between what we see, it can’t possibly all be shown. We fill in the gaps, we get things alluded to. It’s storytelling. Not everything needs to be spelled out. There is a planned ending for the show. Everyone involved loves making it and wants to continue the story. Saying all these negative things could really halt that process. There’s still plenty more to tell and to see. I think it’s important we get that season 3. Until then I will be continuously rewatching and hyper fixating! 

Thank you for reading my messy brain musings, please feel free to turn more poison into positivity!!!!