Lucius is alive — and so is love!
Last night’s fourth and fifth episodes of the second season of Max’s hit show Our Flag Means Death were, quite possibly, the gayest yet!
Fans fell in love with Our Flag Means Death in season one when they realized that while the show is ostensibly about pirates, it’s more about queerness and queer love.
Not only are the two main characters, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), in love, but the series also introduced a half dozen other queer characters in the pirate crew, many of them with their own relationships as well. Now, in season two, we’re seeing those relationships evolve — and we’re seeing just how gay the show can get.
At the start of the new season, all three of the show’s main gay couples were split up. Stede had left Blackbeard to try to go back to his wife, Jim and Oluwande were separated (one on Blackbeard’s new crew and one kicked off the ship), and Lucius and Black Pete’s relationship was cut short by Blackbeard shoving Lucius off the ship into the open ocean.
Now, five episodes into season 2, not only are some of those couples back together, but we’ve got all new queer relationships to root for.
While Jim and Oluwande were separated, the best friends each developed a new romance: Oluwande with Chinese pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao and Jim with a female pirate named Archie. In episode four, we also met BDSM lesbian pirate couple Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
Normally, the fact that Stede and Ed (Blackbeard) have finally gotten back together after five episodes would be the biggest gay news on the show, but one episode last night had a surprise in store for us.
After finding out that Lucius (Nathan Foad) survived being thrown off the ship, he rejoins the crew of The Revenge, but he’s not the same. Lucius was traumatized by the experience and wouldn’t open up to anyone, even his partner Black Pete (Matthew Maher).
In episode five, we saw the pirates deal with their trauma from the events of the first season and finally begin to heal. And that’s where the gay magic happened.
Towards the end of the episode, Lucius and Black Pete are talking, finally getting out the emotions they’ve been holding in since their reunion. There are tears and yelling, but there’s also healing.
Then, Lucius leads Black Pete into the inside of the ship, where he’s drawn a large portrait of his partner on the wall, letting him know that he “sees him.”
“And, you’re right, I need to celebrate the fact that I lived,” he says, getting on one knee. “And to that end…”
Lucious tells Pete he wants to spend the rest of his life with him, and an ecstatic Pete shouts “Yes!” and kisses him.
It’s a beautiful gay pirate proposal. Now, all we need is a gay pirate wedding!
New episodes of Our Flag Means Death stream Thursdays on Max.
