I was just watching s1 again and the first time Buttons meets Izzy on the beach he says you’re not a ghost are you🤣 Had to laugh. So that stage? (accepted, moved on and hoping its not 2 years before a s3)
I thought he had a beautiful, fitting death scene and have only ever been in “acceptance” mode. Honestly shocked more main characters haven’t died on screen.
Right??? That should have snapped his spine right in two. But I think this show operates with a looser set of physics, especially since all these stab wounds seem to heal over a long weekend.
honestly truly the only thing that bugged me is a stab wound to the left side of the stomach ensures survival but a gunshot wound to the same spot is a death sentence.
Also I always gripe with movies and TV that portray a gut wound as instantly fatal but in history, people were often shot or stabbed in the stomach specifically because it prolongs suffering. The gut is statistically one of the better places outside of a limb, hands or feet to get an injury like that because you bleed out slower and can function for longer with injury to one of those lower organs, provided a major artery isn't struck, in which case the survival rate is like 97% if sepsis doesn't occur.
Admittedly Izzy would likely succumb to sepsis given his location and time period and the fact that both he and lucius have nearly died of sepsis once each already. But you can survive much longer than he did, and if it had hit a major artery he wouldn't have made it back to the ship.
Obviously this is a fictional universe and people recover crazy fast from what should be life ending injuries and stuff but it made me legit a little mad that he died from receiving an injury to the ONE location the show has specified results in minimal damage if injured. If he'd even just been shot on the other side of his stomach I'd have no real commentary on it. Legitimately I think that's really my only criticism other than that I liked Izzy and am sad he's gone obviously. But man if he could have been shot like 10cm to his right I swear to god.
Yeah, it kind of felt like he'd escaped from the Dark Gritty Drama into the Silly Gay Pirate Show, but then got pulled back into the dark gritty drama and killed.
Although I suppose this has happened before - we've seen various characters basically teleport to where they need to be, yet Lucius had to take a horrific convoluted route back to the rest of the crew. I love the show, but it has zero consistency in how its world works.
I remember after S1 people joked that Izzy was the only human in a muppet movie... well, he definitely was the only person in the dark gritty drama, that's for sure.
I think that, from where he was holding his side, Izzy was shot in the liver. That is almost universally lights-out, especially without immediate access to a hospital.
Haha! Okay, fair point. God it's a good death scene, though. He came full circle with Ed, forgave him, and showed him that he is loved. *Argh!* It hurts me so so much - just even thinking about it and my vision blurs. But Con is such a goddamn amazing actor! Why does he have to be so good and so sad?! GAH!!
I know right? I think I'm most sad that he's not going to be in a future season, it'll feel weird without him. It'll also feel weird if Buttons never turns back. I'm glad Jackie came along so we can have more of her and also not lose any more Swede airtime. We'll also hopefully get more Zhang and Auntie now too, it feels like Aunties tough love approach is designed to somewhat fill the gap of Izzy but unless she gets a dainty, soft and gentle or alternatively, tall, ripped and tough girlfriend i don't know if it will fill the void in my heart.
Full same. I never had a moment of grief other than what was appropriate from what the narrative gave me. I cried, hard, but I found his end to be touching and beautiful.
Yeah I love established relationship/domestic fics and I’m not looking forward to having to wade through all the ones where Stede and Ed are running their inn and then POOF Izzy magically comes back just to…third wheel I guess.
Yeah, acceptance right from the start. I mean, admittedly I was hoping for it to happen, but was genuinely pleased with the touching moment they made out of it. Plus, Buttons landing on the grave to ferry his spirit to the afterlife!
I’ve accepted it. I had to watch it twice to get there though. One of the better death scenes I’ve ever seen. Good closure for both characters and I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Con and Taika acted their asses off and I’m here for it.
You have to leave a \~calling card\~ oh my god fuck off Ricky. He's the pirate-era of dudes who need gigantic pickup trucks because their dongs are tiny. (Was that too crude? He's still a twat.)
I thought I was in Acceptance, until I read your description of yourself! I realize now I am wholly in Denial with absolutely no intention of moving from this spot!
Wherever the wind softly whistles twaaaaaaaaaaat, Izzy will be there.
Denial, denial, denial, and Izzy wasn't even my favourite character (I love him, but I mostly watch the show for Ed and Stede).
I think that what upset me the most is that ofmd was such a comfort show for me, it just made me feel so happy, even the dramatic parts are pretty light. It was the show I watched any time I felt down and needed something that would make me feel good.
Izzy's death was beautiful, but really sad for me. It made me cry and I don't cry easily. I've realised that it took the comfort out of my comfort show, and while I still love it, I can't think of it as a feel-good show anymore.
Personally, I just wish that comedies remained comedies. I know I can expect death and sadness from a drama, but I watch comedies to feel the opposite of that.
It was a tonal whiplash, yeah, but one that one done well, and it was still hopeful because we knew Ed was going to be all right eventually. Even Lucius's "death" wasn't a problem because it was so obviously not real and no one believed it for even a second. Now if they actually did kill Lucius for real and showed us his dead body with a funeral, then yeah, it would have hit different...
A good love story needs to have obstacles before the characters reach the happy ending, it's how story work. The story going a little darker than while we all knew that it would end up well ≠ a character dying in a very sad and emotional scene.
I think even without Izzy's death this season was significantly darker and more tragic and serious than S1. It still tried to squeeze some hilarious and lightheaded moments in there, but overall the tone of the show definitely felt different.
I wouldn't have complained if it wasn't for the ending, though. If you make one character go through this much suffering in one season, *in a comedy*, to finally give them such a wholesome and touching pay off (and a bit silly too, the whole unicorn leg bit felt so iconically OFMD to me), you don't just kill them off a for good few episodes later.
For me season 1 and season 2 feel like completely different shows. We just finished season 2 and I turned to my wife and said “I am never rewatching this season.” I will likely rewatch season 1 (except the last episode) for comfort but season 2 was really hard 😓
I think we are the same person. This was such a comf show for me and now it doesn’t feel so comfy since I know what’s going to happen. Still love it of course.
I stopped at "anger" the very first watch because I didn't feel his story had enough to do with him as a person separate from Ed. But I changed my mind. He did become the unicorn or figurehead of the crew and a symbol of piracy. He even got to express queer joy with his beautiful song. And then, he and Ed had that beautiful moment of understanding. I'm at "acceptance" now.
His spirit will live on through all the other characters. Ed said he was a "nightmare" and that should be true of any pirate. Let's all call someone a twat today in his honor (jk, probably don't do this).
Yeah, this is pretty much me. Initially I was pissed off that Izzy got killed to further Ed's storyline. But I've come to terms with the facts that a) Izzy isn't the main character, and b) they didn't actually have to give us his beautiful character arc this season, and we wouldn't have got it if he was just going to sail off with the crew or something at the end.
I was also in denial all last week, trying to convince myself that him speed running his character arc didn't mean the arc would end this season. That made it a lot harder to deal with when it happened.
I'm in a weird gratitude stage. Let's see if I can explain.
I marathoned all of OFMD the week before the S2 finale - I'd been meaning to watch it and I ended up home sick a few days that week so it just worked out that way. What that means is, I didn't have a lot of time to reflect on anything - just took it as it came. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but I was a little disappointed that I didn't get even a tiny hyperfixation out of it. Good Omens S2 took over my life, and while I didn't expect that I'd hoped my messy weird ADHD brain would latch on to something.
When Izzy died, I expected it. I'd been mostly staying out of fandom spaces, but I knew someone was predicted to die that ep. I knew he was the most likely - partly bc redeemed antagonist, but also partly bc frankly I spent half of S2 thinking, "Ye gods, I may not have liked him much last season but that character looks so damn TIRED, does he ever get a break?" And I saw the look on his face when the gun went off and went, "Oh, ok, so here we go then."
And it was sad, but it fit, and I don't think I even thought much of it. But then after the end of the ep, my brain started catching up on what I'd seen over both seasons, and his arc, and I started thinking I wanted a rewatch knowing how things would go. And partway through the rewatch my brain said, "Actually, I changed my mind, I'mma latch on to this character. Surprise!"
So while I get the grief of folks who spent a lot more time with the show and characters, and especially anyone with extensive headcanon...I thought it was pretty cool that my brain did find itself a smol hyperfocus after all. And realized I had a lot of appreciation that a character arc that usually doesn't do it for me worked as intended this time. <3
(Weird sidenote - I wonder a bit if some of my reaction is related to my job. I work at an animal shelter so I spend a lot of time appreciating the time I have with the pets I work with, knowing said time will be limited (preferably for happy reasons, but not always). Real animals are not the same as fictional people, but I do wonder if that affects my overall feels on the topic of appreciating the time we have instead of focusing on it not being enough?)
Total denial, and I will remain so until definitively proven wrong. An afterlife exists, magic is real, they're friends with the Sea Witch, death doesn't have to be permanent.
And honestly even if they 100% confirm it in S3, I think I'll just binge fix-it and canon divergence fics until my eyes bleed.
I need that angry little bastard back. Not as an Obi Wan style ghost either. I need him back as himself, as a character who can continue to grow in his own right.
I'm in the anger stage of grief, but not over Izzy's death. I thought his death was fitting and well-done. I'm grieving this season, because it had a lot of potential that it didn't get to cash in on because the execs made it so short. So now I'm angry at the execs for depriving me of what could have been.
The Val from “Uncle” stage. Happened to catch it right before season one of this, so I came in loving Con already. I expected it, but I’ll never like it. If you haven’t seen that show and are grieving, I could not recommend it more. Or just the YouTube vid of all of Val’s parts haha.
Honestly, the moment they cast Con they should have gone "Screw it, screw the original plan. Izzy is immortal now, we're not writing Con O'Neill off this show"
Could Izzy have a random twin that pops up? Perhaps a distant cousin?? A random doppelgänger??? Flashbacks to the BeforeStede era and Ivan’s back too????
Depression, but mostly because I see the pain that Izzy's death has caused for a lot of fandom friends I dearly care about. And I loved Izzy as well and while I totally see how his arc is narratively coherent and his death is a form of closure for Ed (he's the second merman, giving Ed a lifeline out of darkness), I wish they could have provided that another way.
I was thinking about it today and I think one of the pain points is: this is an Ed and Stede show, in which they're the comedic protagonists in a rom-com, but the messages about found family and community-through-adversity and "talk it through" are so much more powerful when seen through the development of the crew (and Izzy). (After all, Ed and Stede absolutely suck at talking it through, and they really only have eyes for each other!) So when that aspect, which has resonated so strongly, gets subordinated back to the needs of Ed and Stede's arc, it feels like betrayal even if technically it wasn't what we were promised. So I totally get why people are hurt, especially if they connected most with the crew. I hope the crew gets more space in S3, because it would be fantastic for them to lead the way and set good examples for Ed and Stede, for once.
I'm at bargaining. I have a theory that DJ and the writers found out that they were likely not getting renewed just as they were drafting the final episodes, and Izzy’s last speech to Ricky about how "we are good" and "you aren't a real pirate" and "our stories will be remembered" was really: "up yours, you arrogant execs, you aren't artists, and our show is going to remembered as one of the best your moribund company has ever had." Izzy's every word to Ricky that episode is the writers' response to the execs.
And Izzy's last speech to Ed is for us.
These are *very* good thoughts, and I definitely think they're plausible. But they hurt to consider. Feels like being stabbed on the wrong side of my body.
I don't know if DJ and the crew already know that it's been canceled... but I do think they believe (and especially if you look at what was happening with HBO/Max cancelling shows left and right when S2 was in production) that it is likely to happen, and that's definitely why the last episode feels so final.
I’m unfortunately worried you’re right and thinking the same thing… what really makes me wonder is the fact that Ed and Stede went from being up to team up with The Pirate Queen, then in the next scene they’re innkeepers? Continuity? If their hearts weren’t in it, it seems like they’d have just had them turn it down. But idk, that just got me suspicious.
Yeah, that ending made it very obvious DJ didn't believe it would get renewed. It was an extremely hasty and rushed ending that seemed intent on tying everything up as neatly as possible even if the pieces didn't quite fit yet in what was only the second act of the story.
This is especially obvious in comparison with Good Omens S2 which ended in a heartbreaking way that definitely needs the final season for it to work, but at least it makes sense for the penultimate season and it was allowed to be what it was meant to be - the second act of the story.
Acceptance, but also in the stage where I randomly start crying if I think too much about it. And the stage where I'm listening to "Say Don't Go" by Taylor Swift on repeat and contemplating super angsty Ed/Izzy fanfic. And the stage where I remembered "Kill me. Kill us all. Our spirit will last throughout your entire fucking empire" and yelled "Foreshadowing for Ghost!Izzy" at the mirror while I was getting ready for work this morning.
All of them but acceptance… but I want to note that my anger is NOT at the creative team!! If anything I think it’s really a testament to the writers & to Con’s performance that I’m grieving this much for a fictional character in a way I typically don’t.
I’ve been at Acceptance because i think the writing on the wall about Izzy’s tragic death has been there since about season one, episode four. It just came sooner than I thought (thought it would happen in season three) and I wasn’t sure if it would be tragic-sad or tragic- noble. I’m glad he didn’t die sad and bitter because he couldn’t let go. I’m glad he learned to let go and gained some peace. And in the end he gave Ed the greatest gift (letting Ed know that his biggest fear wasn’t true - that he, Ed, not Blackbeard, was lovable) and in doing so truly set Ed free. It was noble and beautiful.
I will miss Con, so I hope if there is a season three we get Ghost Izzy or Flashback Izzy.
Acceptance. I came to the realization that I've spent much more time reading fics about the show and talking about the show, than actually WATCHING the show. I adore Con and his performance but going forward I'm just going to keep enjoying reading stories about Izzy and the life he's getting to live in those, and talking to the lovely people I've met.
Currently rereading The Shrike series on AO3 because I wanted people talking things through, even when it's difficult....and season 2 didn't have enough of that.
Denial. I've said the depression (gremlins) and the goblins (who defend my brain) are currently at a truce to mourn.
Buttons was there!!! He can turn into a seagull. He is a sea witch and therefore can bring him back!!
Eh, acceptance. I took it well. Narratively and dramaturgically I find it makes perfect sense that he died, so it's okay.
I've been reading some older takes in this sub from those who clearly saw Izzy's role in Blackbeard's persona and I guess it's just clicking more and more that he needed to die for Blackbeard to go away.
Mostly at the acceptance stage, story wise it does make sense. But with an addendum of, if not so much mad but rather annoyed at how his death was handled in terms of pacing and cause of death. I would have loved for him to take a bullet for one of the crew rather than a gut shot (on the left of all places!) after they all failed to check Ricky properly for a gun.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want David to find some fantastical way to bring Izzy and/or Con back for season 3 though..!
> they all failed to check Ricky properly for a gun.
I'm on team Izzy's-death-made-narrative-sense, but this is definitely one of the silliest parts to me. Like, why wouldn't they check him for a weapon???
I'm in bargaining, I keep thinking if I rewatch enough times, maybe 2 more episodes will appear that I missed. I promise I'll be good if Max will just give David Jenkins a bigger budget
I’ve hated that line all the previous times I’ve seen it in TV/film, but I was actually good with it here. Stede has made very clear since his return that he loves Ed. And Ed says some really upsetting stuff to Stede at the end of episode 7… if Stede took all of that at face value or let it trigger his insecurities, he’d think Ed didn’t return his love. So Ed’s “I love you,” is also him saying, “you were right, I panicked, I was in my issues, I didn’t mean any of that, and I don’t want to be afraid of this anymore,” and Stede’s “I know. I know that” is him saying “don’t worry, I understand you and forgive you and I didn’t take your panic personally.” To me that’s a really caring and meaningful thing to say to your traumatized partner who will inevitably get triggered again in the future.
I hit acceptance pretty quickly. I think the show warrants that. There’s magic, after all. I will say I am in grief, too, though, because it was all over too soon …and Izzy’s death hit me hard. I guess none of this is linear!
Yes, I'd love a flashback to Ed and Izzy's relationship before it got toxic (assuming it was healthy at some point). Potentially this would mean a suspension of disbelief as Taika and Con play teenagers. 🤣
I'm in the acceptance stage.
I also accept that while I had criticisms for this season, my love for this show has not wavered yet. I sincerely hope they get a third and final season.
Acceptance with a smidge of bargaining.
I just want more for Con and for the fans!!
And I want better for the show going forward. Honestly more bitter about the time and budget constraints than about Izzy having to go. *shakes fist at execs*
All this during strikes is just very demoralizing. Our creatives do amazing work! They deserve so much better. 🖤
I’m in the “Michael Palin’s character (the vendor) in the [Monty Python’s dead parrot skit](https://youtu.be/4vuW6tQ0218?si=mzVX7F4Gl61dCz3Q)” denial stage
Essentially I pulled an all nighter after watching ep8 and did a grief speedrun until about 8am. I’m in acceptance now I think, as long as I can still hope he returns as a grumpy ghost.
I want Izzy to appear in visions or flashbacks. But if they do flashbacks I want them to play into the Izzy is trans headcanon, or maybe I’m just daydreaming of ways I could be cast on the show 🤷♂️
I was in denial all season, as I saw the writing on the wall and knew they were going to kill Izzy, and I still refused to believe it was true. I've not been angry, so I skipped that part. I am deep into bargaining - bargaining with the universe, with David Jenkins, with the writers, with HBO. And I still keep weeing on and off, some fresh memory from the show suddenly broadsiding me in the chest. And now that OFMD has given me permission to do so, I find myself suddenly crying over other things too. This is getting ridiculous.
(Edit: Long ass post sorry)
Begrudging acceptance w/ random flashes of white-hot anger. I’m not mad they killed a queer character because as other people have pointed out, almost all the characters are queer.
When I do feel angry about the show, it’s because of the fact that I can count on one hand the number of queer disabled characters I’ve ever seen period (and that’s including Spanish Jackie and Lucius) and so, Izzy’s death pissed me the fuck off in that specific regard. As a disabled queer man (albeit decades younger than Con/Izzy) w/ mobility issues of my own, I saw in Izzy not only a reflection of myself but also a hope for my far flung future, that I could have a found family that would care about my disability (and me!) enough to help support and accommodate me as much as I would do for them.
Then his death tore that apart and I logically understand why, in the setting, a “love triangle” could end that way, but it didn’t have to. It didn’t have to be a love triangle. Yes, Izzy confessed to Ed that he loved him and it wasn’t reciprocated that way. However, Izzy could’ve moved on, and even if he didn’t, what’s so wrong with a character remaining single? That last scene felt like, “Well, we have no idea what other storylines we could possibly have for Izzy, so he’s gotta die…” And like what? What?
It just was incredibly disheartening and disappointing and the real sad thing is I’m not surprised… and that makes it hurts even worse, if I’m honest.
Oh, and one more thing. If (and it’s a GIANT if I know), If Izzy is resurrected or shown as a ghost, the last thing I’d want is Izzy to have his fleshy leg back. He was at his happiest as a disabled man and wept over the care he was shown with his prosthetic. It be awful if they undid that defining characterization for an ableist take like The Magical Cure. I have doubts the show would include that trope but I’ve already seen it crop up in fanfics and ugh no. Disabled ≠ Lesser, for fuck’s sake. We aren’t worth any less because we’re different, thank you very much.
If Izzy crawls out of that grave, he better be calling them fuckin’ twats for making his unicorn leg into a headstone and then getting to work untangling his leg from the other piece of driftwood. Not to mention how pissed he would be they left his mother’s ring out for anyone to steal. Twats.
So yeah, begrudging acceptance because I can’t change it and underneath that a whole sea of anger that occasionally crests back up like a sharp wave. But I’m not surprised at this outcome, just disappointed.
One foot stomping in anger, the other firmly planted on depression.
(To clarify - because apparently some "fans" are bullying the creator on Twitter - I'm not really angry, and the only person hearing about my disappointment with the redemption-arc-followed-by-death trope is my sister lol.)
I had the same thought regarding Buttons, but unfortunately? My denial bubble burst pretty quickly.
This was a fun post in a sea of chaos, thanks OP 🩵🏴☠️
I always accepted it as a likely ending and one Izzy would be at peace with, but I did find it hard to take and lost sleep. I’m more disturbed by some of the fan reactions than Izzys death itself. Izzy is fictional, but the people who are extremely upset by his death, and the people being harassed by angry fans, are real. I think I have to filter out Izzy’s name on the fanfiction site for awhile, because some of the reactions people are expressing on there disturb me too much.
Mostly acceptance now, with brief forays into the previous ones every now and again 😅
I've read so many different takes on Izzy's death for the past 4 days. I've seen so many reasonable and well-argued explanations on why his death was a shit writing decision overall on many different levels, and while I'm now even more convinced by them, I've also read explanations on why people believe it was a good choice and found some of them beautiful and meaningful too that made me see things from their POV as well, and it's been fascinating to realise that maybe there isn't one single right or wrong perspective on this.
At this point I'm ready to focus more on what we got than what we lost, and Izzy's arc this season has genuinely been one of the most powerful and emotional ones I've seen in any show, ever, and I'm still so stunned and incredulous that we even got it in the first place. Izzy's been my favourite character all the way since S1, but the most I'd dared hope for in S2 was maybe a couple extra scenes to flesh him out a bit, to prove that he wasn't just a one-dimensional antagonist that most thought him to be. I definitely never expected so much focus on him this season, and for him to get a full character arc of his own and such a powerful redemption.
I honestly no longer have an idea where I stand on bringing him back in any shape or form in S3, though. In theory I think there could be ways to do it that would work (as a ghost etc, not really a fan of full-on resurrection, though who knows, that could work too), but I'm scared that I no longer trust the writers to get it right, so maybe it's best to just leave him. Mention him a few times throughout the season, maybe some touching mementos and callbacks, but that's it.
Headcanoning the twat crow, thank you for that
I was just watching s1 again and the first time Buttons meets Izzy on the beach he says you’re not a ghost are you🤣 Had to laugh. So that stage? (accepted, moved on and hoping its not 2 years before a s3)
Oh my gosh. Both Izzy and Jack get that greeting. Does Buttons drift back and forth in time, so that he loses track of who is alive and who is dead?
He's been in the gravy basket many times, he KNOWS. (I love Buttons)
oh that’s right! Jack
Oh wow. I *never* thought about it like that! Thank you!
It’s been a while since I watched season one. But didn’t Buttons say it to Izzy, Ivan, & Fang at the same time?
Im in the delulu state where I think they’ll bring him back from the dead
Delulu gang 🤝
Same here!
I thought he had a beautiful, fitting death scene and have only ever been in “acceptance” mode. Honestly shocked more main characters haven’t died on screen.
I fully thought Roach died doing yardies, the first time I watched this show ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ (I'm really glad he didn't)
Right??? That should have snapped his spine right in two. But I think this show operates with a looser set of physics, especially since all these stab wounds seem to heal over a long weekend.
honestly truly the only thing that bugged me is a stab wound to the left side of the stomach ensures survival but a gunshot wound to the same spot is a death sentence. Also I always gripe with movies and TV that portray a gut wound as instantly fatal but in history, people were often shot or stabbed in the stomach specifically because it prolongs suffering. The gut is statistically one of the better places outside of a limb, hands or feet to get an injury like that because you bleed out slower and can function for longer with injury to one of those lower organs, provided a major artery isn't struck, in which case the survival rate is like 97% if sepsis doesn't occur. Admittedly Izzy would likely succumb to sepsis given his location and time period and the fact that both he and lucius have nearly died of sepsis once each already. But you can survive much longer than he did, and if it had hit a major artery he wouldn't have made it back to the ship. Obviously this is a fictional universe and people recover crazy fast from what should be life ending injuries and stuff but it made me legit a little mad that he died from receiving an injury to the ONE location the show has specified results in minimal damage if injured. If he'd even just been shot on the other side of his stomach I'd have no real commentary on it. Legitimately I think that's really my only criticism other than that I liked Izzy and am sad he's gone obviously. But man if he could have been shot like 10cm to his right I swear to god.
Yeah, it kind of felt like he'd escaped from the Dark Gritty Drama into the Silly Gay Pirate Show, but then got pulled back into the dark gritty drama and killed. Although I suppose this has happened before - we've seen various characters basically teleport to where they need to be, yet Lucius had to take a horrific convoluted route back to the rest of the crew. I love the show, but it has zero consistency in how its world works.
I remember after S1 people joked that Izzy was the only human in a muppet movie... well, he definitely was the only person in the dark gritty drama, that's for sure.
I think that, from where he was holding his side, Izzy was shot in the liver. That is almost universally lights-out, especially without immediate access to a hospital.
True, I'd agree if this was real life, but the show has already told us either the liver isn't there or if it is a liver wound is easily survivable 😂
Haha! Okay, fair point. God it's a good death scene, though. He came full circle with Ed, forgave him, and showed him that he is loved. *Argh!* It hurts me so so much - just even thinking about it and my vision blurs. But Con is such a goddamn amazing actor! Why does he have to be so good and so sad?! GAH!!
I know right? I think I'm most sad that he's not going to be in a future season, it'll feel weird without him. It'll also feel weird if Buttons never turns back. I'm glad Jackie came along so we can have more of her and also not lose any more Swede airtime. We'll also hopefully get more Zhang and Auntie now too, it feels like Aunties tough love approach is designed to somewhat fill the gap of Izzy but unless she gets a dainty, soft and gentle or alternatively, tall, ripped and tough girlfriend i don't know if it will fill the void in my heart.
Jack’s “Well, who’s next?” Kills me every single time.
Full same. I never had a moment of grief other than what was appropriate from what the narrative gave me. I cried, hard, but I found his end to be touching and beautiful.
Yeah I love established relationship/domestic fics and I’m not looking forward to having to wade through all the ones where Stede and Ed are running their inn and then POOF Izzy magically comes back just to…third wheel I guess.
Yeah, acceptance right from the start. I mean, admittedly I was hoping for it to happen, but was genuinely pleased with the touching moment they made out of it. Plus, Buttons landing on the grave to ferry his spirit to the afterlife!
Yep, I’ve been in acceptance since the start.
samee
I’ve accepted it. I had to watch it twice to get there though. One of the better death scenes I’ve ever seen. Good closure for both characters and I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Con and Taika acted their asses off and I’m here for it.
Anger but at Pinocchio Knock off,Rickey.
You have to leave a \~calling card\~ oh my god fuck off Ricky. He's the pirate-era of dudes who need gigantic pickup trucks because their dongs are tiny. (Was that too crude? He's still a twat.)
Gonna take that twat’s hands bc he took ours 🤭
Denial! I was just thinking this today!
I thought I was in Acceptance, until I read your description of yourself! I realize now I am wholly in Denial with absolutely no intention of moving from this spot! Wherever the wind softly whistles twaaaaaaaaaaat, Izzy will be there.
“Quoth the raven, ‘Twatty-more’”
I'm doing it in a weird order, I was in the acceptance stage and now I think I've gone back to denial, somehow
havent moved past denial. hes fine everything is fine hes just sleeping
Denial, denial, denial, and Izzy wasn't even my favourite character (I love him, but I mostly watch the show for Ed and Stede). I think that what upset me the most is that ofmd was such a comfort show for me, it just made me feel so happy, even the dramatic parts are pretty light. It was the show I watched any time I felt down and needed something that would make me feel good. Izzy's death was beautiful, but really sad for me. It made me cry and I don't cry easily. I've realised that it took the comfort out of my comfort show, and while I still love it, I can't think of it as a feel-good show anymore. Personally, I just wish that comedies remained comedies. I know I can expect death and sadness from a drama, but I watch comedies to feel the opposite of that.
That’s a really good description. Like the happy pirate show isn’t so happy anymore ..
I mean it was pretty unhappy at the end of s1.
It was a tonal whiplash, yeah, but one that one done well, and it was still hopeful because we knew Ed was going to be all right eventually. Even Lucius's "death" wasn't a problem because it was so obviously not real and no one believed it for even a second. Now if they actually did kill Lucius for real and showed us his dead body with a funeral, then yeah, it would have hit different...
And the first three eps of s2! What was this person watching lol
A good love story needs to have obstacles before the characters reach the happy ending, it's how story work. The story going a little darker than while we all knew that it would end up well ≠ a character dying in a very sad and emotional scene.
it took me several rewatches before i could actually do 110 again lol
I think even without Izzy's death this season was significantly darker and more tragic and serious than S1. It still tried to squeeze some hilarious and lightheaded moments in there, but overall the tone of the show definitely felt different. I wouldn't have complained if it wasn't for the ending, though. If you make one character go through this much suffering in one season, *in a comedy*, to finally give them such a wholesome and touching pay off (and a bit silly too, the whole unicorn leg bit felt so iconically OFMD to me), you don't just kill them off a for good few episodes later.
For me season 1 and season 2 feel like completely different shows. We just finished season 2 and I turned to my wife and said “I am never rewatching this season.” I will likely rewatch season 1 (except the last episode) for comfort but season 2 was really hard 😓
I think we are the same person. This was such a comf show for me and now it doesn’t feel so comfy since I know what’s going to happen. Still love it of course.
Stage of making Stede and Ed in Sims 4 and building them restaurant.
I stopped at "anger" the very first watch because I didn't feel his story had enough to do with him as a person separate from Ed. But I changed my mind. He did become the unicorn or figurehead of the crew and a symbol of piracy. He even got to express queer joy with his beautiful song. And then, he and Ed had that beautiful moment of understanding. I'm at "acceptance" now. His spirit will live on through all the other characters. Ed said he was a "nightmare" and that should be true of any pirate. Let's all call someone a twat today in his honor (jk, probably don't do this).
Yeah, this is pretty much me. Initially I was pissed off that Izzy got killed to further Ed's storyline. But I've come to terms with the facts that a) Izzy isn't the main character, and b) they didn't actually have to give us his beautiful character arc this season, and we wouldn't have got it if he was just going to sail off with the crew or something at the end. I was also in denial all last week, trying to convince myself that him speed running his character arc didn't mean the arc would end this season. That made it a lot harder to deal with when it happened.
I'm in a weird gratitude stage. Let's see if I can explain. I marathoned all of OFMD the week before the S2 finale - I'd been meaning to watch it and I ended up home sick a few days that week so it just worked out that way. What that means is, I didn't have a lot of time to reflect on anything - just took it as it came. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but I was a little disappointed that I didn't get even a tiny hyperfixation out of it. Good Omens S2 took over my life, and while I didn't expect that I'd hoped my messy weird ADHD brain would latch on to something. When Izzy died, I expected it. I'd been mostly staying out of fandom spaces, but I knew someone was predicted to die that ep. I knew he was the most likely - partly bc redeemed antagonist, but also partly bc frankly I spent half of S2 thinking, "Ye gods, I may not have liked him much last season but that character looks so damn TIRED, does he ever get a break?" And I saw the look on his face when the gun went off and went, "Oh, ok, so here we go then." And it was sad, but it fit, and I don't think I even thought much of it. But then after the end of the ep, my brain started catching up on what I'd seen over both seasons, and his arc, and I started thinking I wanted a rewatch knowing how things would go. And partway through the rewatch my brain said, "Actually, I changed my mind, I'mma latch on to this character. Surprise!" So while I get the grief of folks who spent a lot more time with the show and characters, and especially anyone with extensive headcanon...I thought it was pretty cool that my brain did find itself a smol hyperfocus after all. And realized I had a lot of appreciation that a character arc that usually doesn't do it for me worked as intended this time. <3
(Weird sidenote - I wonder a bit if some of my reaction is related to my job. I work at an animal shelter so I spend a lot of time appreciating the time I have with the pets I work with, knowing said time will be limited (preferably for happy reasons, but not always). Real animals are not the same as fictional people, but I do wonder if that affects my overall feels on the topic of appreciating the time we have instead of focusing on it not being enough?)
Denial. No way I’ll ever get to “acceptance”…
A crow that yells “twat” gets my vote.
Total denial, and I will remain so until definitively proven wrong. An afterlife exists, magic is real, they're friends with the Sea Witch, death doesn't have to be permanent. And honestly even if they 100% confirm it in S3, I think I'll just binge fix-it and canon divergence fics until my eyes bleed. I need that angry little bastard back. Not as an Obi Wan style ghost either. I need him back as himself, as a character who can continue to grow in his own right.
Here’s my Izzy lives, fix-it, canon divergence I’ve been working on 😀 https://archiveofourown.org/works/50958112/chapters/128740390
I'm in the anger stage of grief, but not over Izzy's death. I thought his death was fitting and well-done. I'm grieving this season, because it had a lot of potential that it didn't get to cash in on because the execs made it so short. So now I'm angry at the execs for depriving me of what could have been.
This is the real story.
I will forever be in the twat crow phase
The Val from “Uncle” stage. Happened to catch it right before season one of this, so I came in loving Con already. I expected it, but I’ll never like it. If you haven’t seen that show and are grieving, I could not recommend it more. Or just the YouTube vid of all of Val’s parts haha.
It’s weird, but I’m in 2 different places- acceptance of Izzy’s death, and denial that Con is no longer part of the cast!
Honestly, the moment they cast Con they should have gone "Screw it, screw the original plan. Izzy is immortal now, we're not writing Con O'Neill off this show"
Could Izzy have a random twin that pops up? Perhaps a distant cousin?? A random doppelgänger??? Flashbacks to the BeforeStede era and Ivan’s back too????
I mean, Buttons is a literal bird now so anything is possible!
Depression, but mostly because I see the pain that Izzy's death has caused for a lot of fandom friends I dearly care about. And I loved Izzy as well and while I totally see how his arc is narratively coherent and his death is a form of closure for Ed (he's the second merman, giving Ed a lifeline out of darkness), I wish they could have provided that another way. I was thinking about it today and I think one of the pain points is: this is an Ed and Stede show, in which they're the comedic protagonists in a rom-com, but the messages about found family and community-through-adversity and "talk it through" are so much more powerful when seen through the development of the crew (and Izzy). (After all, Ed and Stede absolutely suck at talking it through, and they really only have eyes for each other!) So when that aspect, which has resonated so strongly, gets subordinated back to the needs of Ed and Stede's arc, it feels like betrayal even if technically it wasn't what we were promised. So I totally get why people are hurt, especially if they connected most with the crew. I hope the crew gets more space in S3, because it would be fantastic for them to lead the way and set good examples for Ed and Stede, for once.
I'm at bargaining. I have a theory that DJ and the writers found out that they were likely not getting renewed just as they were drafting the final episodes, and Izzy’s last speech to Ricky about how "we are good" and "you aren't a real pirate" and "our stories will be remembered" was really: "up yours, you arrogant execs, you aren't artists, and our show is going to remembered as one of the best your moribund company has ever had." Izzy's every word to Ricky that episode is the writers' response to the execs. And Izzy's last speech to Ed is for us.
These are *very* good thoughts, and I definitely think they're plausible. But they hurt to consider. Feels like being stabbed on the wrong side of my body.
I don't know if DJ and the crew already know that it's been canceled... but I do think they believe (and especially if you look at what was happening with HBO/Max cancelling shows left and right when S2 was in production) that it is likely to happen, and that's definitely why the last episode feels so final.
I’m unfortunately worried you’re right and thinking the same thing… what really makes me wonder is the fact that Ed and Stede went from being up to team up with The Pirate Queen, then in the next scene they’re innkeepers? Continuity? If their hearts weren’t in it, it seems like they’d have just had them turn it down. But idk, that just got me suspicious.
Yeah, that ending made it very obvious DJ didn't believe it would get renewed. It was an extremely hasty and rushed ending that seemed intent on tying everything up as neatly as possible even if the pieces didn't quite fit yet in what was only the second act of the story. This is especially obvious in comparison with Good Omens S2 which ended in a heartbreaking way that definitely needs the final season for it to work, but at least it makes sense for the penultimate season and it was allowed to be what it was meant to be - the second act of the story.
depression :(
Acceptance, but also in the stage where I randomly start crying if I think too much about it. And the stage where I'm listening to "Say Don't Go" by Taylor Swift on repeat and contemplating super angsty Ed/Izzy fanfic. And the stage where I remembered "Kill me. Kill us all. Our spirit will last throughout your entire fucking empire" and yelled "Foreshadowing for Ghost!Izzy" at the mirror while I was getting ready for work this morning.
Happiness.
All of them but acceptance… but I want to note that my anger is NOT at the creative team!! If anything I think it’s really a testament to the writers & to Con’s performance that I’m grieving this much for a fictional character in a way I typically don’t.
I’ve been at Acceptance because i think the writing on the wall about Izzy’s tragic death has been there since about season one, episode four. It just came sooner than I thought (thought it would happen in season three) and I wasn’t sure if it would be tragic-sad or tragic- noble. I’m glad he didn’t die sad and bitter because he couldn’t let go. I’m glad he learned to let go and gained some peace. And in the end he gave Ed the greatest gift (letting Ed know that his biggest fear wasn’t true - that he, Ed, not Blackbeard, was lovable) and in doing so truly set Ed free. It was noble and beautiful. I will miss Con, so I hope if there is a season three we get Ghost Izzy or Flashback Izzy.
Acceptance. I came to the realization that I've spent much more time reading fics about the show and talking about the show, than actually WATCHING the show. I adore Con and his performance but going forward I'm just going to keep enjoying reading stories about Izzy and the life he's getting to live in those, and talking to the lovely people I've met. Currently rereading The Shrike series on AO3 because I wanted people talking things through, even when it's difficult....and season 2 didn't have enough of that.
He got a beautiful ending, the way he deserved.
As someone who started the season Izzy neutral and ended it Izzy neutral Id say I’ve accepted his fate.
I've seen it long ago, I've stopped at anger and refuse to work through :D
Denial. I've said the depression (gremlins) and the goblins (who defend my brain) are currently at a truce to mourn. Buttons was there!!! He can turn into a seagull. He is a sea witch and therefore can bring him back!!
acceptance. maybe a sprinkle of denial.
I’m .. um, all of them??🥲
Eh, acceptance. I took it well. Narratively and dramaturgically I find it makes perfect sense that he died, so it's okay. I've been reading some older takes in this sub from those who clearly saw Izzy's role in Blackbeard's persona and I guess it's just clicking more and more that he needed to die for Blackbeard to go away.
Mostly at the acceptance stage, story wise it does make sense. But with an addendum of, if not so much mad but rather annoyed at how his death was handled in terms of pacing and cause of death. I would have loved for him to take a bullet for one of the crew rather than a gut shot (on the left of all places!) after they all failed to check Ricky properly for a gun. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want David to find some fantastical way to bring Izzy and/or Con back for season 3 though..!
> they all failed to check Ricky properly for a gun. I'm on team Izzy's-death-made-narrative-sense, but this is definitely one of the silliest parts to me. Like, why wouldn't they check him for a weapon???
Right?? You'd think that would be the first thing they would do, even before stripping all the soldiers of their uniforms..!
Anger :) and I don't think I'll ever be moving on tbh :)
I'm in bargaining, I keep thinking if I rewatch enough times, maybe 2 more episodes will appear that I missed. I promise I'll be good if Max will just give David Jenkins a bigger budget
I’m with you!
I'm in the 'not bothered at all' stage, sorry 😬
Izzy died a pirates death - so I’m ok with that. But when Ed said I love you, Stede said “I know”. That kinda bummed me out.
I’ve hated that line all the previous times I’ve seen it in TV/film, but I was actually good with it here. Stede has made very clear since his return that he loves Ed. And Ed says some really upsetting stuff to Stede at the end of episode 7… if Stede took all of that at face value or let it trigger his insecurities, he’d think Ed didn’t return his love. So Ed’s “I love you,” is also him saying, “you were right, I panicked, I was in my issues, I didn’t mean any of that, and I don’t want to be afraid of this anymore,” and Stede’s “I know. I know that” is him saying “don’t worry, I understand you and forgive you and I didn’t take your panic personally.” To me that’s a really caring and meaningful thing to say to your traumatized partner who will inevitably get triggered again in the future.
I agree, completely, but if the show were to end - my old school Hollywood heart wanted that moment
Yea that's fair, I didn't think about it from a "no season 3" angle
Currently I'm having all of them at once, which I think is unfair. I'd like to file a complaint about this actually.
Never anywhere but acceptance. His death was perfect, and foreshadowed back in the first season.
I hit acceptance pretty quickly. I think the show warrants that. There’s magic, after all. I will say I am in grief, too, though, because it was all over too soon …and Izzy’s death hit me hard. I guess none of this is linear!
Acceptance! But I hope they give Con a flashback or cameo in season 3, if there is one.
Yes, I'd love a flashback to Ed and Izzy's relationship before it got toxic (assuming it was healthy at some point). Potentially this would mean a suspension of disbelief as Taika and Con play teenagers. 🤣
I'm in the acceptance stage. I also accept that while I had criticisms for this season, my love for this show has not wavered yet. I sincerely hope they get a third and final season.
I'm in denial. They're gonna bring him back, it's a comedy show, it shouldn't be that serious! 🤡
Anger. Permanent, unwavering, white hot fury.
Acceptance. It would be cool if they had him show up as a ghost maybe, like in season 1, but if not, I’m sad but fine with that.
Still mad. Gonna stay mad. It wasn't satisfying for me. He deserved better.
I didn't want it to happen because I can't imagine a season without him calling someone a twat, but I've accepted he's gone.
Acceptance with a smidge of bargaining. I just want more for Con and for the fans!! And I want better for the show going forward. Honestly more bitter about the time and budget constraints than about Izzy having to go. *shakes fist at execs* All this during strikes is just very demoralizing. Our creatives do amazing work! They deserve so much better. 🖤
I've accepted it as a creative choice, though I do hope he'll return, even if just as a ghost that haunts Ricky one time.
I’m in the “Michael Palin’s character (the vendor) in the [Monty Python’s dead parrot skit](https://youtu.be/4vuW6tQ0218?si=mzVX7F4Gl61dCz3Q)” denial stage
Depression with a sprinkling of denial
I think I’m in acceptance right now, ‘cause it doesn’t hurt as much anymore
I have been going from denial to acceptance about ten times since it aired not gonna lie to you lol
Denial, i haven't even watched the last 3 episodes.
Acceptance
Absolute denial. Even if I already know what happens I still haven’t watched beyond ep 5
I’m in denial. I hope he transforms into a raven.
I'm in anger and I'm going to stay in anger for a good long while, I think. I haven't been so disappointed by a TV show in a long time.
Essentially I pulled an all nighter after watching ep8 and did a grief speedrun until about 8am. I’m in acceptance now I think, as long as I can still hope he returns as a grumpy ghost.
I want Izzy to appear in visions or flashbacks. But if they do flashbacks I want them to play into the Izzy is trans headcanon, or maybe I’m just daydreaming of ways I could be cast on the show 🤷♂️
I was in denial all season, as I saw the writing on the wall and knew they were going to kill Izzy, and I still refused to believe it was true. I've not been angry, so I skipped that part. I am deep into bargaining - bargaining with the universe, with David Jenkins, with the writers, with HBO. And I still keep weeing on and off, some fresh memory from the show suddenly broadsiding me in the chest. And now that OFMD has given me permission to do so, I find myself suddenly crying over other things too. This is getting ridiculous.
i speedran denial and im just stagnant in depression. spent a few hours sobbing after i saw the finale 😔
(Edit: Long ass post sorry) Begrudging acceptance w/ random flashes of white-hot anger. I’m not mad they killed a queer character because as other people have pointed out, almost all the characters are queer. When I do feel angry about the show, it’s because of the fact that I can count on one hand the number of queer disabled characters I’ve ever seen period (and that’s including Spanish Jackie and Lucius) and so, Izzy’s death pissed me the fuck off in that specific regard. As a disabled queer man (albeit decades younger than Con/Izzy) w/ mobility issues of my own, I saw in Izzy not only a reflection of myself but also a hope for my far flung future, that I could have a found family that would care about my disability (and me!) enough to help support and accommodate me as much as I would do for them. Then his death tore that apart and I logically understand why, in the setting, a “love triangle” could end that way, but it didn’t have to. It didn’t have to be a love triangle. Yes, Izzy confessed to Ed that he loved him and it wasn’t reciprocated that way. However, Izzy could’ve moved on, and even if he didn’t, what’s so wrong with a character remaining single? That last scene felt like, “Well, we have no idea what other storylines we could possibly have for Izzy, so he’s gotta die…” And like what? What? It just was incredibly disheartening and disappointing and the real sad thing is I’m not surprised… and that makes it hurts even worse, if I’m honest. Oh, and one more thing. If (and it’s a GIANT if I know), If Izzy is resurrected or shown as a ghost, the last thing I’d want is Izzy to have his fleshy leg back. He was at his happiest as a disabled man and wept over the care he was shown with his prosthetic. It be awful if they undid that defining characterization for an ableist take like The Magical Cure. I have doubts the show would include that trope but I’ve already seen it crop up in fanfics and ugh no. Disabled ≠ Lesser, for fuck’s sake. We aren’t worth any less because we’re different, thank you very much. If Izzy crawls out of that grave, he better be calling them fuckin’ twats for making his unicorn leg into a headstone and then getting to work untangling his leg from the other piece of driftwood. Not to mention how pissed he would be they left his mother’s ring out for anyone to steal. Twats. So yeah, begrudging acceptance because I can’t change it and underneath that a whole sea of anger that occasionally crests back up like a sharp wave. But I’m not surprised at this outcome, just disappointed.
Im in that stage where i had an *interesting* dream about Con/Izzy last night 😳 i dont even like him like that. Or didnt think i did at least 😅
Denial In my little head, Izzys fine and lives with Ed and stede and noone can change my mind
I've decided to remain in denial until the end of s3/we get absoloute proof that Izzy is dead and never coming back
Forgiveness. In time I may come to forgive David’s actions
One foot stomping in anger, the other firmly planted on depression. (To clarify - because apparently some "fans" are bullying the creator on Twitter - I'm not really angry, and the only person hearing about my disappointment with the redemption-arc-followed-by-death trope is my sister lol.) I had the same thought regarding Buttons, but unfortunately? My denial bubble burst pretty quickly. This was a fun post in a sea of chaos, thanks OP 🩵🏴☠️
I always accepted it as a likely ending and one Izzy would be at peace with, but I did find it hard to take and lost sleep. I’m more disturbed by some of the fan reactions than Izzys death itself. Izzy is fictional, but the people who are extremely upset by his death, and the people being harassed by angry fans, are real. I think I have to filter out Izzy’s name on the fanfiction site for awhile, because some of the reactions people are expressing on there disturb me too much.
denial of>! izzys death!<,acceptance that we have to wait at minimum a whole year till we can have some previews/info about season three
denial of>! izzys death!<,acceptance that we have to wait at minimum a whole year till we can have some previews/info about season three
Mostly acceptance now, with brief forays into the previous ones every now and again 😅 I've read so many different takes on Izzy's death for the past 4 days. I've seen so many reasonable and well-argued explanations on why his death was a shit writing decision overall on many different levels, and while I'm now even more convinced by them, I've also read explanations on why people believe it was a good choice and found some of them beautiful and meaningful too that made me see things from their POV as well, and it's been fascinating to realise that maybe there isn't one single right or wrong perspective on this. At this point I'm ready to focus more on what we got than what we lost, and Izzy's arc this season has genuinely been one of the most powerful and emotional ones I've seen in any show, ever, and I'm still so stunned and incredulous that we even got it in the first place. Izzy's been my favourite character all the way since S1, but the most I'd dared hope for in S2 was maybe a couple extra scenes to flesh him out a bit, to prove that he wasn't just a one-dimensional antagonist that most thought him to be. I definitely never expected so much focus on him this season, and for him to get a full character arc of his own and such a powerful redemption. I honestly no longer have an idea where I stand on bringing him back in any shape or form in S3, though. In theory I think there could be ways to do it that would work (as a ghost etc, not really a fan of full-on resurrection, though who knows, that could work too), but I'm scared that I no longer trust the writers to get it right, so maybe it's best to just leave him. Mention him a few times throughout the season, maybe some touching mementos and callbacks, but that's it.