Our Flag Means Death. It's utterly brilliant and I am obsessed!

[TriceratopsRocks]

I'm sure I found a thread on this series a while ago, but now season 2 is out I've looked back and I can't find anything apart from the renewal petition.

For anyone who hasn't come across it yet, I would thoroughly recommend. It starts off as a sort of workplace comedy set on a pirate ship, sort of in the style of Ghosts, and with a similar fanbase to Good Omens. When the 2nd lead character arrives at the end of episode 3, it starts to change and it only hit me two thirds of the way through season 1 that I was actually watching a very different sort of show to the one I thought I had started watching.

From that point it's phenomenal. The attention to detail is superb. Both leads are clearly neuro diverse, from abusive backgrounds and damaged because of these. They both want what they think the other one has. It's about them discovering themselves, accepting themselves for who they really are, and healing. There is comedy, but also heartbreak and despair. The show handles these so sensitively and accurately, down to minute details, and Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby deserve every award under the sun for their work here.

I don't think I've ever obsessed about a show as much as this one. I've tried to make this not too spoilery in case some of you want to watch it, but really I just want someone to talk to about it! I've already watched it countless times and the more I rewatch the more I appreciate it. I said I was obsessed and I really am!

The show has sadly been cancelled, despite its popularity, and the producers are currently trying to see if it will be picked up by another network. I have read that they are keeping an eye on the iPlayer numbers as part of this, so I also wanted to shamelessly plug it here 😁

If any of you haven't seen it and fancy giving it a try, it grows into itself in the first season and you really need to give it at least 4 episodes (episode 4 is where the main story really starts). Its not a show I would have thought to watch myself (DD wanted me to watch it with her) but I'm so glad I have.

I don't really know what I want from this thread really. I want more people to find it, but I also want to just talk about it and obviously can't do that without more spoilers than I've already given. Help me out people!

That's a shame. I've never done Reddit so don't know what I missed :) And not X much either. Are you on Tumblr? There's a lot of stuff on there. But there are some rather odd takes amongst the good stuff, and some things I actively dislike seeing which I try and filter out by using tags. Plus the odd dodgy poster I've had to block. But mostly it's working well, has been real fun to look through, and it also introduced me to AO3 and fan fiction, so it's definitely been a positive.

No not on Tumblr. Maybe I'll try that. Thanks.

Just be prepared for the odd explicit spam post - I've seen 3 or 4 in the last month or so, but have just blocked those posters. I've found a lot of really good stuff amongst the bits I want to avoid.

Rewatched “The best revenge is dressing well” last night. It’s great episode, both the stuff at the party, and the Izzy / Lucius stuff on board.

Blackbeard plays the piano so well .. I mean where did he learn that ? We also see thier first romantic moments ❤️

I've been resisting writing fanfic but I may just have to answer that question. Intriguing!

I watched that episode last night, plus Discomfort in a Married State before it. I realised that I was wrong (way back up thread) about the scene where they eat marmalade dressed in each others clothes being the first time we hear their Gnossienne love theme. Actually the first time we hear it is when Ed touches the "rather exquisite cashmere" to his face - it's a 'jollier', orchestrated version with a flute (?) on the main melody that keeps playing in the background while Stede is showing Ed around his secret auxilliary wardrobe. We hear this orchestrated version again, more loudly, just before Stede passes Ed the marmalade at the end of that episode. Then when we get to the moonlight scene in "The Best Revenge..." it starts up the beautiful piano only version, just after Stede puts the red silk in Ed's pocket, right before "...you wear fine things well". I'll know after I've rewatched it all again, but I can only think of the piano version being played after that (it's certainly piano only on the beach in Ep9). So we are hearing their love theme right from their first conversation, at points where Stede 'gives' something to Ed. I'm fascinated to keep watching and listening out for this. I think the change from the fully orchestrated version gradually moving to the piano only version is about it becoming more tender and intimate each time it's played. I love how there's so much to keep learning about this show when you think properly about it, even after umpteen rewatches.

There’s a great video on YouTube about the music used and incredibly in depth - as a non musician it really opened my eyes. The Gnossienne piece is only played in full twice I think. The rest of the time it stops short because they are not communicating fully or revealing feelings. And it’s played on various instruments at different points. And I hadn’t noticed that the kraken music haunts Ed throughout- it just pops in for a few bars here and there (like when he’s in the bath tub I think). So many layers going on!!

Ah it sounds like someone on the music team studied Wagnerian leitmotif at college then. How incredibly classy!

I watched “The Art of Fuckery” last night .. I’d not noticed, but when Stede & Izzy are dueling, Olu says “cheeky bitch” to Izzy .. just made me laugh

Oh that sounds fascinating. I will have a look for that. I'm only a middling musician (never enough practice!) but I've always been around music, have always performed, and music for me is all about what you feel as you play or listen. I've been trying to go through all the music of each episode - and I have most of it but there are so many snippets that are very familiar but which I don't know, or I haven't remembered exactly where they have appeared before.

@Phineyj spot on about the Wagner! That's exactly what they are doing throughout. I wonder how many themes there are in there? There's the love theme, the kraken theme, and I think Izzy has a theme. There's a theme that seems to represent foreboding whenever it's played. I bet there are loads, and it's something else I haven't really analysed properly yet. I'm going to go and look for that video :)

Only just started watching this gem, thanks to the thread. It’s brilliant!

I think this was it

It was - I just finished watching it :) That was awesome. Thank you for telling me about it. I can see how I mixed some of my themes up. What I was thinking might be Izzy's theme was actually Blackbeards theme, but the first few times we hear it, it's only Izzy rather than Blackbeard in the shot. It really was a fascinating watch. And so clever what the music team did. I'm glad I'm near the start of a rewatch (might have to just do eps 4 & 5 again before continuing!

Welcome to the crew 🙋. Do come back and tell us what you think about it, once you've watched more (but please be aware of the oodles of spoilers that are now on this thread!).

Thanks to the sage advice to put the subtitles on, I'm now able to listen to the music rather than focusing on what people are mumbling into their beards 👍

I found that YouTube 'tutorial' about the music via Reddit. I thought it was absolutely fascinating.

I have to say I wish there were more programmes on TV about the way programmes are made.

It would be a good idea. When I was reading through some of the interviews with the actors I read the interview with one of the sound engineers? Sound designers? And although I quickly got out of my depth (Foley artist?), it was fascinating stuff!

I often love the 'extras' from when we used to buy DVDs, including the various commentaries. Sometimes they were fascinating, other times they actually spoiled the show for me a bit - eg if you learned that the 2 romantic leads absolutely hated each other! I'm so happy that everything I learn about OFMD just makes me love it even more. Did anyone watch the interview with Gypsy Taylor (costume designer) that was released this week? I loved all the little details that went into all the outfits. And to learn how Rhys was desperate to have some bit of Stede's S1 finery in S2, but wasn't allowed any of it - eventually he was allowed a tatty little cravat made from a bit of the old chair fabric that was still on the Revenge. And the detail of the teal robe that Ed wore in the breakfast in bed scene, which sounded like the most perfect combination of both Ed and Stede's clothing themes. And that's the thing that Taika kept after the show had finished filming :)

There's one floating around on youtube that includes one of the set designers? I can't remember exactly. It reminds me of some of the most recent David Attenburgh series - and the 15 minute 'making of' programme afterwards where they focus on one particular shoot. It's always really interesting, and I'd love to watch of the same sort of thing for other TV.

I wonder if you are you able to post a link to the Gypsy Taylor interview?

Poor Rhys. I do think that his season two look was very sexy though.

Here you go :)

Thanks for this. Something to look forward to later today.

I love my baby
I've loved him so long
I love my baby
I've loved him since he was born

LOL. I've just opened this post EXACTLY as I'm listening to those lyrics on my OFMD playlist 😲

Apparently those are Taika's kids in the "buying party supplies for Calypso's Birthday" scene (the ones Ed gives the large bag of money and knives to)?

Family business!