#I also just think that Stede and his crew deserve to bond more

[dirtytransmasc]

Loving the vibe of Izzy and Stede... I won't say their necessarily getting along quite yet, I don't want to jinx it, but like... they're getting along and it's fucking great.

the way he actually tries and help Stede out, in his own way (which is aggressive but very real and upfront, and it clearly shapes Stede), he helps him with the crew and the curse, gives him that little 👌 when he manages to scare the guy with the wanting shot, he stands behind him with the rest of the crew, showing his support of the new captain.

I think he genuinely gives a shit, if even a little one for Stede, and a massive one (though he'll never admit it unless his hand is forced, which I see coming in the near future) for the crew, and isn't just acting like a good dog/right hand. like I think he's genuinely healing, in the best way? absolutely not, but, it's definitely something and I love that for him.

also, him and Lucius getting along, in there own fucked up way, and Izzy giving him the shark and the advice, it's great. (loving the nickname twatty, it's killing me)

[katarzyna-]

This? This ruined me. Because you made me realise how true this statement is.

I wanna preface this by saying that under I'm in no circumstances a JKR supporter (for obvious reasons) and I'm also NOT trying to imply that Jenkins is homophobic and transphobic (so please don't send me death threats, read this or don't, block me on sight, idc, even argue with me, but please be respectful). I just know/remember a lot from my younger days.

I'm not saying that these characters have the same arc/story, but there is a shocking amount of resemblence.

Both Lupin and Izzy are shown as outcasts of their already alienated society.

You could argue that pirates and wizards are completely different, but let's think about this. While I know that JKR didn't plan on it, she created a close-knit community with their own traditions, language and wardrobe that lived in secret, hiding from the rest of "normal" society. This image just screams queer. Her portrayal of werewolves was harmful and god-awful, with Lupin being "one of the good ones" trying to conform to social norms and living his whole life in hiding (we will come back to this later on).

While Izzy is respected by others (especially in s2, with Steak Knife, Bill and Ricky, who seems like a fanboy at first, and Jackie since season one, and even the Navy), he does not fit on the s1 Revenge. He is not used to living so openly, so unapologetically as the rest of the crew. He is not used to showing his emotions. Season 2 gives him the opportunity to try that way of life for like five minutes, before he dies. And that's the hurtful part, he only just found his new family, he got accepted into it for a moment, before everything is forcibly taken from him. In these five minutes, he got protective of them, fought for them and took the blame upon himself multiple times, just to save them. And what is more, they defend him back. They risk their lives covering up the fact that he lives, hiding him from a psychotic-ex their Captain. They save his life by performing surgery even when he begs them to just end it all. They bond while making him a prothestic leg, a gift that touches Izzy so deeply, that he stops his self-destructive path and embraces his place in the crew (look at ep5 and 6, he is thriving, he jokes around, trains Stede, offers advice and the drag scene? Truly iconic. He finally allows himself a moment of softness after a lifetime of hardship).

2. Disability/ overall health

While Lupin being physically disabled is mostly fanon, his health is in shambles even in canon. The transformations take a lot of his organism, he is in his 30s during the series, but is described as looking much older, always on the brink of exhaustion. Fans found him relatable, made him a symbol, which JKR kills off without much thought.

While I myself am not disabled, I can recognise that the treatment of Izzy is hurtful. His prothestic is a part of him and using it as a grave marker is just so disrespectful and many fans already brought up this topic. Killing off the visably disbled character feels like a big "fuck you" to those who recognised a part of themselves in Izzy and took joy in his acceptance journey. Before you come to me about him not being the only disabled character, he is the only one with an arc connected to the fact. Ed convieniently forgets about his knee this season. It's like it never bothered him at all. The brace is long forgotten, he runs freely. So, great writing and consistency guys! Good job!

And to the "fans" who say he "deserved it": I'm begging you to just use your brain and think for five seconds. First of all, disability is not a punishment, it cannot be someone's fault. Please rethink your words. And in this particular instance, do you think taking his toes and eventually the leg were appropriate/proportional of his crime of... being mean to Ed in season one? Because "Ed is so babygirl, he cannot do anything wrong" he literally commited a war crime. Check your morals.

3. "Bury your gays" and fan reception

"But OP, this isn't bury you gays, everyone is queer in OFMD!" okay yes, but does anybody else have such a typically queer arc? The whole season is centered about acceptance and belonging. Izzy finds himself experimenting and finally enjoying life. He rids himself of toxic masculinity. He does drag for god's sake. He mixes in with the crew, sings a beautiful love song abot loving a man! (please read the translation from French, not only the English lyrics, bc you loose a whole layer of meaning). He admits his feelings to Ed! (tbh I didn't expect that, especially such early on in the season, but we all know what came later). He even admits the fact to Stede, so it's not like he's hiding the fact anymore.

He is the elder queer, who fought tooth and nail to be where he was. He was disabled. His love was unrequited and he still stayed with Ed for years. He finally escaped an abusive relationship. He was a symbol to many of us. And they took him away, when "he was no longer needed". They made his death a plot device and then didn't even mourn him. His death didn't serve anything except shock value. It didn't motivate the characters to revenge, it didn't help Ed with abandoning the Blackbeard persona, because he has already done that in the previous episode (with Izzy's help/blessing, no less).

And the whole deathbed confession was an apology to his abuser? Wow, what a way to victim blame, Great message, really. Nobody tries to save him, despite the fact that the crew has already done it this season. What are we supposed to think, that once was enough? That it was too much of a burden? Fuck this. Fuck making suicidal characters die. Great message to the fans. You can be happy only when you're young and healthy and a socially acceptable version of queer. Fuck it.

And the fact that they tried to last-minute change his relationship with Ed to a mentorship? Why? There is almost no textual evidence to prove it, at this point it looks like Jenkins realizing he fucked up and trying to backpedal after the backlash.

Lupin on the other hand could very much be a poster child for the bury your gays trope. After JKR found out that people shipped him with Sirius, she kills both of them off. While Sirius's death serves some kind of a narrative purpose, making Harry change, Lupin's is just... there. He dies for the shock value, leaving behind a child which he only has to emphasize that he is straight, duh. The fact that his (also dead) wife was also thought to be queer by fans must be a coincidence, right?

I know it's all a bit chaotic, but I really expected more from a show that promised to be kind and a safe space. I'm tired of having to think up my own endings, of pretending that queer charcters are treated fairly. I really believed them and I'm not making this mistake again.

I'm used to queer-baiting in shows, I'm used to my faves dying, I just never expected it here. I thought we were better than this in 2023, but I got proven wrong.

An open letter to David Jenkins

Some fans believe that we should not vent our anger and frustration to show creators. I don’t believe that. The thing about being a professional is that receiving criticism is part of your job—especially if you have done a terrible job.

OFMD went from groundbreaking to disappointing overnight.

There was a momentum to create a queer media that is smart, fun, sexy, and most importantly, respectful. In the way they are writing these queer characters. Especially older and disabled queer characters, a reflection of a generation of marginalised communities that have gone through so much. To give audience a glimpse of hope in their escapism.

But sir, you choose to Remus Lupin him instead.

This is not just about killing off a character. Hell, I might be willing to accept it. After all, I have read and even written fics with MCD in it—involving my favourite character.

But I want you to know that this is a special case. It is not just another popular character being killed off to drive plots.

I have issue with how you kill off a queer character that represents many marginalised communities in his arc.

Izzy is an abuse survivor who becomes disabled as a result of it. Izzy is a queer elder. Izzy is suicidal but manages to overcome it with the healing power of love and community.

Having him killed off just like that is a huge slap for fans who have gone through what he has gone through. Turns out, even in fiction, in our escapism, there is no joy. Only despair.

Also. Father figure? Where does that come from? Ed has never been shown to have any level of respect for Izzy. So let me ask you again. Where does “father figure” come from?

You have an opportunity to make a difference with OFMD; to be remembered in history for the right reasons. Yet somehow you choose not too. You choose to turn this into cheap, sensationalist entertainment where death and torture are thrown around for shock value.

It is like you have no idea how much power you have by being a professional storyteller.

Let me break it down to you. For you as a writer, perhaps killing off Izzy is nothing but an artistic choice. A plot point to figure out. But for audiences in marginalised groups, stories are mirrors. They see themselves in stories. That is how stories give them hope. This is why OFMD has never been “just a pirate story”. Perhaps this is hard to understand if you have never been part of an underrepresented community in the mainstream media, but this is how many are feeling about your work now. Your legacy.

OFMD has truly become an overnight failure. I don’t know how this happened. I would like to blame budget cuts, but your Vanity Fair interview makes me realise this is all deliberate choice.

So, what is next for us Canyonites?

If anything, this convinced me that queer and disabled people should write. And continue to write.

We can no longer trust major media to speak for us. We definitely can never trust David Jenkins again. Any form of progressiveness that he showed earlier was just coincidence, apparently. Even worse, it was fake.

As my friend Sam beautifully puts it, Izzy belongs to us now. We reclaim that character and give him all the happy endings he deserves in our fic, our art. We transform the works. We write about queer, disabled, suicidal characters the way the deserve to be written. If being a published writer is the path you choose, make sure you make wiser decisions than David Jenkins.

Thank you, sir. It was good while it lasts.

But this is a terrible job that you’re doing.

[saltpepperbeard]

Would really kill for a heart to heart scene between Stede and Oluwande when they’re all debating whether or not they should return to the Revenge. Because, I could honestly see it going one of two ways.

One, Stede is adamant about returning regardless, though his drive gets a bit shaken when he hears how bad things have gotten. He kind of separates from the crew for a tad to ponder and shed some tears, and that’s when Olu can swoop in for further insight. He can sort of ask Stede why he’s so set on returning even after the marooning and danger, and that’s when Stede can drop something like, 

“He might hate me now. He might not ever have truly liked me at all. But I’m going back for him. Because I’ve realized two things. My family is here at sea, and I...I love him. I don’t intend on leaving either ever again. So we’re getting all of our damn family back.”

OR

Stede gets so heartbroken/hurt by the news of the sudden downfall that he also shuts down much like Edward did. It throws him further into a sea of guilt and pain, and he feels unmotivated to go back. He blames himself for his crew’s pain, and for Edward’s shift. So he sort of clams up and doesn’t know what to do, as he doesn’t want to hurt everyone even more.

But following the same trend of understanding, Oluwande could visit him (and sort of parallel Lucius visiting Ed as well). They could talk things through, and Stede could cry about being a failure to his crew, but also to his love. And the mentioning of love is what connects them together that much more, as they both have a reason to head back towards the Revenge. So Olu could sympathize that much more and be like,

“The people we love are aboard that ship. So let’s go get them back.”

[ratplaga]

I really think Izzy thought he had a good bond with Ed

He probably thought he was as close as anyone could get to ed, that they had this unbreakable, power pair bond and that nothing would get between them

And honestly I think he had repressed Fruity Feelings about Ed that he never allowed to the surface because Blackbeard doesn’t date, doesn’t love. Blackbeard only knows death and loss and there’s no room for feelings in their line of work. Izzy can deal with that thought.

And then Stede happened, and Izzy saw that Ed can love, wholly and truthfully, and the worst part of it all is that Izzy never stood a chance and even though he knew that all along it really tore open the wound. All he can do is hope to turn Edward back into Blackbeard, restore things to how they were before Stede, cause realistically he lost everything when Stede and his crew came around. Ed didn’t want him around anymore, and his crew mates were getting along with the crew on the revenge better than anyone ever got along with Izzy

And yeah maybe Izzy does come off as a selfish dick who’s power hungry and full of mindless bloodlust but actually I think that’s partially born of self-preservation, since after all if nobody is looking out for Izzy, and nobody wants Izzy to look out for them, then the only person left to look out for is himself. He turns all of that internalised hate and insecurity onto everyone else which makes everything worse but what else can you even do aside from fading into the background? When people don’t let you have any power, or any significance or meaning, the only thing you can do is scream and yell and hope someone will hear the weight of your ramblings, especially when you USED to have power and significance and meaning and you’ve been replaced by some guy who at face value isn’t any better or more important than you

All I’m saying is I forgive Izzy. A little bit. Just a bit. I think he deserves that much. And also he needs to get laid I think

[apostatehamster]

OK no, I want to add more, I am angry

Look, speculations have been going around that Izzy would die, and that was my one fear with all the "Edward will realize what Izzy means to him" But I had hopes they wouldn't kill him off because

???? This is a comedy show. They set a darker tone with the intro episodes alright, but how the fuck do you go about and make the whole season basically this character's evolution arc of becoming a better, loving and self accepting version of himself, just to KILL HIM OFF???

And then you have the gall to make the character apologize to his abuser. I mean, granted, Izzy is the kind of martyr who probably believes he was Ed's downfall, but fucking WHAT, is that really the take you want to broadcast as canon?

"You're surrounded by famuily. The crew loves you" The crew is still fucking terrified of ed, and he hasn't really done anything the past episodes to bond with them, what the fuck is that about. Not to mention that Ed sticks with stede and the crew fucks off so they can shove that whole family shtick up their ass

Also the crew awkwardly looking down as he dies, like fucking Fang wasnt way more emotional when Ed shot Izzy down. Izzy and the crew have been so close the past episodes you cannot TELL me that I should believe Ed cried more over him after ignoring him the past episodes than the crew.

It feels so rushed. It feels so unsatisfying. I was hoping the whole season that Ed and Izzy would work it out again, but we got the emotional baggage of the first three eps and after that Ed basically ignored him. Nothing was fixed. It feels empty as hell. Not to mention again why would you think it a good idea to Make this character figure out his life and become better, just to KILL HIM.

Then we get a little awkward scene of them burying him like he wasn't basically the protag of the season, but some side character and some minutes later we get the tonal whiplash of Lucius and Pete's wedding. Congratu-fucking-lations

I'm so mad for Izzy. He deserved better. And Izzy fans also deserved better. You had a good thing going and you decided to fuck it up in the worst way possible. Holy shit.

I have a teensy tiny bit of hope that the seagull on Izzy's grave means something. Anything. But I doubt it.

Look, I honestly don't care about season 3 if he isn't in it. Unpopular opinion, but I don't care about Stede x Ed enough to continue. They had their cute moments but for the most part their back and forth this season annoyed the hell out of me. Go stay in your inn, i don't care.

Way to retroactively ruin a season, oh my god,

EDIT:

so djenkins postet "for what it's worth, there is no version of this show that doesn't include Izzy Hands" which. What the hell ever man. Could mean he lives

But even then, it's fucking tone deaf and doesn't undo the fact it felt rush and cheap for shock value

God dammit OFMD, that really wasn't it.