The Innkeeper

**The Innkeeper** is the third episode of the second season of *Our Flag Means Death*. It aired on October 5, 2023.

## Synopsis

While the Revenge crew gleefully reunites under Zheng's reign, Stede attempts to bring back Blackbeard, who must face his own difficult truths.

## Plot

Zheng Yi Sao leads a raid on John Bartholomew's ship. Defeated, Bartholomew plans to shoot himself in the head, but Zheng convinces him to work for her instead.

Back on the Red Flag, Auntie informs Zheng that they caught up to another ship and reveals that it is the Revenge. Excited to see Blackbeard again, Stede jumps off the Red Flag and swims to the Revenge, only to find it badly damaged both due to the storm it recently weathered and Edward's violent outbursts which made him demolish the inside of the ship. Aboard his old ship, Stede finds Frenchie, Jim, Izzy, Fang, and Archie eating a raw seagull. They are taken to the Red Flag, where Stede tries to learn about Edward's fate, only to hear that he retired.

Blackbeard's body is washed up on a beach, where a man finds him, dragging him to a hut. Edward wakes up and realizes the man who rescued him is Captain Hornigold, who insists he's "just Ben" now and is determined to help Ed get better despite the latter not wanting any help.

Aboard the Revenge, Auntie deduces what exactly happened to Edward when he was attacked by the crew. Jim is reunited with Oluwande and immediately confesses they kissed Archie, which Olu takes quite well. In his old cabin, Stede takes knives out of the walls when he's approached by Izzy. He inquires about Edward's fate and Izzy explains that Blackbeard went mad and tortured the crew so they dealt with him appropriately. Stede is sure that means Ed was killed, but Izzy explains that he would never be able to do that and that instead the Captain was deserted on a beach.

Edward explains to Hornigold how his insane behavior caused the crew to mutiny. They reminisce about how Hornigold himself used to torture his crew and Hornigold explains that guilt is unproductive and Ed has to choose whether he wants to move on or kill himself.

Stede reports back to Zheng about what happened at the Revenge. Stede feels guilty over causing Edward's insanity by abandoning him. Auntie bursts in saying she's hit the jackpot.

Edward confesses to Hornigold that he would like to open an inn and the two roleplay as an innkeeper and his guest. Ed gets angry at Hornigold for being difficult and they get into an argument, during which Hornigold brings up Edward killing his father and makes fun of both his "daddy issues" and the fact that the only person he told the truth about his father's death - Stede - has abandoned him. Blackbeard gets furious and snaps Hornigold's neck, only to have him return to life immediately. He then proceeds to smash Hornigold's head with an oar and a barrel and shoot him.

Auntie leads Zheng and Stede to where Edward's body is hidden in the same room Izzy was hiding in. Learning about this, Zheng locks up all of the Revenge crew in the brig and schedules their execution for the following day.

Ed realizes that what is happening to him isn't real and he is trapped between life and death. Trying to decide whether he should choose to live or die, he makes a list of pros and cons of living.

Oluwande tries to save the Revenge crew by convincing Zheng not to execute them. Zheng inquires about Olu's feelings for Jim and then proceeds to try and seduce him, ending up kissing him. Stede devises a plan to free the Revenge crew and uses herb-infused towels to put Zheng's crew to sleep. Archie shoots a crossbow bolt with a rope into the mast of the Revenge and the crew all slide across it between the two ships. Wee John steals the steering wheel from the Red Flag, which they take with them to replace the Revenge's broken wheel.

In his dream, Edward walks to a cliff and realizes that Hornigold is a manifestation of his own psyche. Noticing a stone tied to his waist, he works out that he feels unlovable and wishes to die because of it. Hornigold drops the stone into the sea below them, and Edward starts to drown. Stede makes his way to what he believes to be Ed's dead body and apologizes to him, which gives Edward the strength to fight. In his dream, he struggles to swim up and sees a mermaid Stede swim down towards him. He gasps and wakes up.

**Post-Credits Scene:** An underwater shot of the surface of the ocean.

## Cast

Starring

* Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet
* Ewen Bremner as Nathaniel Buttons
* Joel Fry as Frenchie
* Samson Kayo as Oluwande Boodhari
* Con O'Neill as Israel "Izzy" Hands
* Vico Ortiz as Jim Jimenez
* Matthew Maher as Black Pete
* Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney
* Guz Khan as Ivan
* Dave Fane as Fang
* Samba Schutte as Roach
* Taika Waititi as Edward Teach, Blackbeard

### Guest Starring

* Nat Faxon as The Swede
* Madeleine Sami as Archie
* Ruibo Qian as Zheng Yi Sao
* Mark Mitchinson as Hornigold
* Anapela Polataivao as Auntie
* Amanda Grace Leo as Tiff
* Maaka Pohatu as John Bartholomew