It's been a minute since I rewatched, but looking back it's hard to find moments when Ed is genuinely angry. Like, yes, we see him lash out, we see violence, but I think it's inaccurate to assume it's always fueled by anger (and therefore is evidence of anger issues.) Instead, when we see violence (or threats of violence, or violence delegated to someone else), it often seems to stem from: a) the need to put on a show ("next one goes through your fucking eye!"); b) being tired, overstimulated, and hangry (snake incident); c) feeling hurt, unworthy, ashamed, and embarrassed (the stupid french and their stupid dinner party); or d) the need, as a pirate captain who has to keep the respect of his crew to maintain order, to punish disrespect in harsh and immediate ways (Izzy's toe, the french racist.) You could argue that anger plays a part in some of these, but it genuinely doesn't seem like the only or even main motivation. (I am restraining the urge to elaborate on this, otherwise we'd be here all day.) And I mean, sure, we can argue about whether the violence displayed was an appropriate way to react in those situations, but again, it doesn't seem to be primarily a response to anger.
So when do we see him angry-angry? I can really only think of three times: with his abusive dad, when he finds out about Calico Jack's deception, and when he's confronted with Izzy's betrayal. Notably, all times when he's driven by the need to protect someone else.
In one of those instances, he doesn't get violent at all - correct me if I'm wrong, but does he do anything to CJ besides yell at him and then jump off the boat? With Izzy - again, my memory is shitty but does he do anything other than punch him? Given the nature of the betrayal and its likely consequences, that seems downright restrained. The only time we see him lash out with extreme violence was when he, as an abused child trying to protect his abused mother and seeing no other way to do so, killed his much larger father - and honestly, if someone faults him for that I'm judging them.
This isn't even touching on the many times when an anger problem is notably absent. Like the scene where Izzy, Fang, and Ivan confront him about killing Stede - they're respectful, but they're firm and unafraid despite telling him things he absolutely doesn't want to hear and trying to pressure him into something he doesn't want to do. Y'all, that is not how people act around someone with anger issues, especially when that person has power over them!
I just. I don't see it. I see a man in a dangerous and violent profession who does, yes, have to be violent sometimes as part of that life, and I see a man who's been hurt and traumatized in ways that sometimes cause him to lash out, and yes, sometimes those two factors interact, but we don't actually see him acting - and, tellingly, other characters do not treat him - like a loose cannon who's going to fly into a rage and hurt someone for stepping out of line (which is how I would interpret "anger issues.") Where are people seeing this?
yousharknotpass
discoholicmusic
izzy806
