love is the movement

I never thought I'd see you again after all these years.

It’s Stede trying on new identities, new passions, new ways of expressing himself, at an age where conventional wisdom says you’re supposed to have put all that behind you.

It’s Izzy realizing he didn’t know Ed, or the crew, or himself, as well as he thought he did. It’s him becoming new at the risk of looking like a hypocrite, and his friends giving him room to become new.

It’s Jim refusing to compromise or apologize for or even explain their gender out loud, and everyone being fine with that.

It’s Olu and Jim loving each other, helping each other grow, and maybe realizing that just because a relationship doesn’t end with one of you dead doesn’t mean it was a waste of time.

It’s Stede and Mary realizing that, too.

It’s Black Pete being a cringey, annoying dork, and loving and being loved anyway because you don’t need to be perfect to deserve love in your life, actually.

It’s big, bearded Wee John in a dress. It’s big, bearded Fang crying and being comforted. It’s Archie grabbing onto the small moments of sweetness where and when she can, even if she doesn’t have any faith they’ll last.

It’s flawed, messy people choosing love, again and again. Flawed, messy love, love in all its gentle and brutal forms, but still love.

Whatever happens in the finale, I will be forever grateful to this show for reflecting so many of my mistakes, fears and hopes, and doing it gently. Doing it in a way that makes me feel loved.