A scene that I think captures the whole feel and thesis of this show (and specifically season two) is when Archie and Jim first kiss.
We start with Jim and Archie in the hidey hole protecting Izzy. Frenchie, now in the first mate role, tells them to "start with his leg, see where it goes" to save Izzy from the infected gunshot wound, leaving to get the first-aid kit.
Archie and Jim do just that and proceed to sit down in front of a passed-out Izzy, tissues in nostrils to keep the stench away. Pointedly, Jim is still holding onto Izzy's leg and is inspecting it. We get comedy thrown in during and right after the amputation. Joking about which leg to amputate, stating that "oh, he's a gusher," and Jim casually inspecting the leg.
And that is followed immediately by a sweet speech. Jim tells about the good times of the ship, their time with the old crew and specifically Olu. They call Izzy "a dick, but he's their dick" claiming him as part of the crew, the community, and reinforcing that at the heart of it, all of these characters technically aren't "good people," they are pirates, survivors, they've done a lot of morally ambiguous things, but that doesn't mean that they are past saving, past loving, past living.
This part of the scene shows us the community that the crew has for each other, how they are hiding Izzy and trying to keep him alive. It also shows the violence of this way of life. Violence in the past season has always been there but more in a cartoony way — people recover from being gut-stabbed fairly quickly and mysteriously or to the clearly defined bad guys. This season is no longer the fantasy (Note the gusto!) of being a pirate, but the reality of it (Our characters can get fundamentally hurt.)
((And Izzy living from this wound still semi fits the cartoony part of S1 because in reality he would have died from it, but in the show he lives from the wound and recovers fairly quickly, but we don't shy away from the mental and physical trauma of it like S1 would have done.))
As the scene continues, Archie leans in to kiss Jim and when asked why, replies that she likes Jim's optimism. We see here how Archie is used to the real-life violence of pirate life. But Jim, who was raised to be a killer as to seek revenge, has changed into a softer person. One who will try to save the life of the person who was once not enemy but enemy-adjacent. Someone who now tells Fang stories, one who remembers and implements the ways of their old captain to find healing and community in this dark situation.
This moment between Jim and Archie is as sweet and romantic as it can get for two people covered in blood, holding an amputated leg, and noses stuffed with tissue.
The kiss abruptly ends when Frenchie returns with Blackbeard. The moment turns ominous as Blackbeard laughs at them and tells them to leave.
But even in this small scene, comedy still shines through. From Frenchie's lie about not knowing this place existed to Blackbeard's "take the fuckin' leg."
And the scene ends (or where I am ending it for this analysis) with Jim bravely telling Blackbeard that Izzy was his friend.
This whole sequence shows the softness and heart of the show and of these characters in the middle of dark and violent circumstances,
Jim is turned away from the violence and toward the community/romance/comedy while still holding onto the other side the reality/violence, while on the floor with Archie. They then take that evidence of violence turned community/heart with them, balancing all the tones.
This two minute scene truly encapsulates all the elements of the show: humor, romance, community, all forms of love, and the grit of injury and piracy. And I find it fascinating that such a short scene can do all that and why I think it's a perfect example of the themes of the show.
Beautiful analysis, and I absolutely agree.
I also want to add that the short interaction between Jim and ‘Krackbeard’ is so incredibly important – because it actually shows us that Jim still believes in Ed’s humanity. They are trying to appeal to the side of him that they still hope (and rightfully so, we learn in the coming episodes) is within him, even though others (including some of the audience?) possibly would have lost all hope and empathy for Ed at this point.
The crew waited months before they mutinied on ‘Krackbeard’ because they all essentially believed – hoped! – that there was still good within him and that he was bound to break out of the mania he was in.
(Fang/Kevin’s “So, do we think he’s better … ?” vs. Jim’s “Fuck NO!” vs. Frenchie’s “Oh, I dunno, he said he just wanted some fresh air –“ (I can’t remember Frenchie’s exact line here) in the next scene suggests how they’re still hoping against hope that ‘Ed’ is in there, so they don’t have to do, what they are coming to realise they most likely have to do …)
The only reason they finally mutinied, was because he literally forced their hand in the end – by putting all of their lives in active and immediate danger.
And that is such an important note on how they had all (including Ed, Fang & Izzy (& rip Ivan)) become a family during s1.
And it is also why they ‘allow Ed back’ during 205, even if they are still a little weary of him – because he is part of their family ♥️
(And I could make a full post on the implications of forgiveness and moving on (etc.) – especially in regards to Lucius, but I’ll save all of that for another time ❤️)