Sherlock Oneshots (Mystrade/Johnlock/Mormor)

Queer Media Analysis - Pt. 5

This one is a lot about some feelings I have on Ed and Stede's relationship throughout both current seasons of Our Flag Means Death, and analysing why their relationship is such a special piece of queer representation. This part also talks about 'do we need coming out scenes?' 

Technically, 'Our Flag Means Death' doesn't include a single coming out scene, but as previously mentioned, they got close. 

In Season 1 Episode 10, after returning home from months on the ocean, the main character Stede Bonnet is confronted with the realisation that not only was he never in love with his ex-wife Mary (which was a loveless marriage from both sides, but he essentially already knew), but he was also in love with his best friend and co-captain, Edward. At the end of season 1 and the beginning of season 2, the characters are separated, and after realising that he's in love, Stede is determined to find Ed again and tell him everything.

His scene in Episode 10 with Mary is crucial for both characters. Mary has found another partner, Doug, and Stede says that he's happy for them, but he's also upset for himself. He feels as though he's been replaced, especially when their son Louis asks if Doug is their father now. Stede asks Mary 'what's it like? To be in love?'. He doesn't know what it's supposed to feel like. She explains what it feels like for her. 

'It's easy. It feels like breathing.' 

Stede is confused at first, believing that he has no point of reference. 'He understands my idiosyncrasies, we just pass the time so well.' Throughout Mary's monologue, Stede remembers moments he shared with Ed and finally realizes that he's in love. For the first time in his life. Considering Ed kissed him and asked to run away together in the last episode, it's fair for him to assume that Ed feels a similar way. Because he's never been in a situation remotely like this before, Stede doesn't get everything right on the first or second try. 

Throughout the first three episodes of season 2, Stede is trying to find Ed, hopping from ship to ship, island to island, so he can apologise and simply see Ed again. He finds Ed's 'Wanted' posters all over the islands they visit, and he makes a map, tracing Ed's crimes back to where he might be. Eventually, they do find 'The Revenge', and Stede immediately jumps off the side of the boat he's currently on and swims to his ship, only to find it destroyed. He finds the remainder of his crew, knowing nothing of what they've been through. 

During the time he was away, Ed has been torturing himself and subsequently torturing the crew. It all comes to a head during a storm, when Jim throws a cannonball on Ed's head and the audience is led is believe that he died. He technically did, and he finds himself in 'purgatory' or 'the gravy basket', which means he's between life and death. He is given a choice. 

Does he want to live, or does he want to die? 

Throughout the first 2 episodes, he has wanted to die, even asking Izzy to kill him. He let himself be hit by Jim's cannonball on the deck and didn't even try to move. He didn't think he had anything to live for. He's told by his conscious that he needs to have at least one reason to live, and he can't think of anything real. 'I don't think anyone's waiting for me.' During all this, Stede finds Ed's body, which has been placed below deck by the crew, with a blanket over his head. Stede sits with Ed, quietly, asking 'why did you have to go and yourself killed?'. 

In purgatory, Ed is thrown into the sea with a rock tied around his waist. He starts to drown, and if he can't think of anything real to live for fast enough, he's going to die. He almost gives up, until he sees light illuminating his spot in the sea. In the human world, Ed's hand twitches, and Stede grabs hold of it, begging Ed to come back to life, to come back to him. He says 'you're safe now'. At that moment, Ed is safe from everything. The world, the crew, and himself, because Stede is hell-bent on protecting him from all of it. In his purgatory, Ed sees a vision of Stede after hearing his voice, and he has something to live for; their story together isn't over, and he wants to live. But not just for the sake of it. 

He wants to live so that they can have a better ending than the one in season 1. He wants to live so he can apologise to the people he's hurt. He wants to live because his life is far from being over. He eventually tells Stede that hearing him was what kept Ed afloat, reminding him that he has so many reasons to live, and Stede in turn admits that he wrote Ed letters whilst they were separated. He doesn't elaborate, but the audience knows that said letters were absolutely beautiful and extremely heartfelt, saying almost everything Stede had wanted to voice. The audience, however, only saw two letters at the beginning of the series, one of which was spoken out loud as opposed to being written, and we don't see a third until Ed steals it from two British sailors who found it on the beach. 

'I write these letters daily, hoping that one will reach you.' 

Ed now knows that there weren't just a few letters, there were several months' worth of them. When he finds the letter, it's fair to assume that he still thinks Stede died in the explosions. He whispers 'this is lovely', then screams as he runs down the beach 'YOU WROTE ME A LOVELY LETTER!'. He is hoping that Stede is alive more than ever now. In Season 2 Episode 4, Stede gives a beautiful speech, telling Ed how much he cares about him. 'I love everything about you. I love being near you. It's nice. Feels good. Breathing the same air.' As they aren't alone in that moment and Ed still has his guard up, he doesn't let himself fully believe it. Once they meet again, Ed tells Stede that he loves him, and he even says it twice in a row. 

Stede's response is just as beautiful as you'd expect: 

'I know. I know that.' 

Considering Stede's many insecurities and fears that Ed didn't love him, hearing him say 'I know' is such a breath of fresh air. After everything they've done to be together, he knows. Ed doesn't even have to say it, but he does, just to make sure that Stede knows. There are still a lot of things that need to be said, but for the first time in a long time, they're finally on the same page and are in a place to have those needed conversations. At the end of the series, they move into the shack on the island Izzy has been buried on, and can start a life together, just the two of them, as they originally planned. Except, this time, they're in the same spot, stagnant, happy, on the same page, and are both completely on board. Even if the inn idea doesn't work out, they're together, and they're safe. 

And that's what matters.