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!

I agree with other .. first time I tried to watch I got to the end of Episode 2 and stopped, couldn’t take to it. Then I caught a later episode of S1, once Blackbeard had appeared and it all made sense. Went back and watched the whole thing … and loved it from episode 1.
It’s well worth sticking with. Series 2 is fantastic, Con O’Neil is just superb - I think Izzy is my favourite character, he has so much character development.

I know David has said that there won’t be a S3, but I’ll not give up hope just yet.

Yes, I watched it after seeing it recommended here and was really unimpressed. I thought it was crap. By the end I was hooked! I've not started S2 yet.

I loved season one. Have done a few episodes of season 2 don't want to rush it if that's the end of it. My DP caught a few minutes of me watching it and said later you going to watch any more the gay pirate thing?

its a Gay Pirate show …. Where nobody’s sexuality matters, that’s one of the great things about it. No Trauma about being gay, no jokes about being gay, no big reveals - sexuality is just not an issue - it’s so refreshing.

”Ed … His name is Ed”

and Season 2 is brilliant

”Ed … His name is Ed”

That's my favourite S1 quote - Stede's lightbulb moment. And I still think it's probably my favourite whole episode - although if I think about it too long I can make a case for probably 5 others to be my favourite too! I really love the way that S1 took it's time. It was allowed to breathe. S2 is brilliant, with some absolutely stunning episodes/scenes, but budget cuts and network restrictions meant that the last 2 episodes did feel to me a bit rushed in places. I really need to see the director's cut, but as there isn't one (yet 🙏), I'm thoroughly appreciating all the clips and scenes that Samba Schutte (Roach) is posting on his instagram.

@Ohmych I also took my time over S2, watching each episode at least a couple of times before moving on. But don't worry - if you are anything like me, once you've finished it you'll just want to go back to the start all over again!

This is the thing. It's such a wonderful story about vulnerable people finding each other - sexuality is totally irrelevant and it's beautifully done, in a way that I don't really think I've seen before. I also feel the same appreciation for how well they show the neurodiversity of the main characters. Their traits are totally recognisable, and it's just so reassuring how they are able to gradually allow each other in. There are just so many layers to this show that are done exquisitely.

Moments that live rent free in your head

”You came back”
”I never left” (wink)

The foot touch.

"You wear fine thing's well" (S1). It's Ed's face in this scene that really gets me.

But talking of winks, have you seen the full scene that they had to shorten for the final episode?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4JNdzkPZUB/?igsh=MXNzZ3B2NmdpdGpuMQ==

It's utterly wonderful, isn't it? We;ve watched the first three episodes of S2 so far and it's much, much darker. Taika Waititi is a genius and I could watch him all day 😍

Yea I’ve seen it .. love that. I do feel a bit cheated that we missed out on so much stuff, due to the episodes being cut from 10 to 8 - we need a Directors Cut.

Spend half my time figuring out when they fell in Love .. for Ed I think it was over the Marmalade after the Lighthouse

Oh you will love episode 4. It's one of the best :)

I’ve just watched episode 5 of series 2 on my latest rewatch. I think it’s my favourite episode from S2. The YouTuber type non apology at the beginning 🤣 The coaching of Stede by Izzy. And the whole red suit debacle - especially Izzy’s “rude” 🤣 And not forgetting the S2 version of “you wear fine things well” 🥰 Love it!

I think you are right about the Marmalade. It's the first time we get Ed's big eyes and their Gnossienne love theme. By the end of the next episode we have even bigger eyes and he is completely head over heels. Oh Taika...😍

It's so much harder with Stede as he himself didn't understand what he was feeling till episode 10. We saw his lightbulb moment. But to us watching? I don't know. It's too mixed up in him having found what was probably his first ever friend - when did those strong feelings cross over into love?

There’s a petition……

https://www.change.org/p/save-our-flag-means-death

I agree with all that :) I really wish Stede could have kept that suit (although I'm not sure Ed could have coped with seeing him in it😂). But I don't think I can choose a favourite S2 episode. It might be 4 or 5. Or possibly one of the others... I think I need to do another full rewatch of S2 to make sure. It's also valuable research because I'm sure I'm missing music pieces from my S2 playlist.

Oh come on people!
Surely the best scene (in any tv show ever) is when Steve is a mermaid! This scene with the music is just 👌

I love Izzy’s arc in Series 2 … our New Unicorn

Another moment I love:

Ed “guess what I did this morning”
Izzy “made your boyfriend blush?”

Also Izzys

”It is my duty to inform you that we have docked in the Republic of Pirates… I am also pleased to see that’s it’s not just the ship but that’s been well docked … congratulations”
Ed “he’s jealous”

OK, this thread is making me want to watch it all again.

But I've been talking about my favourite whole episodes - not individual scenes! Of course Merstede is truly awesome. That whole section from Stede's walking towards him thinking he's dead, to the end of the episode gets me every time. But I also love Ed reading the letter "we wrote our names on each other...." the beautiful Nina Simone and the beach reunion; I love both "You wear fine things well" scenes; the campfire and Lucius' rant to Ed; the bathtub scene; the couch scene; Act of Grace; Lucius' proposal... oh there are just so many bits to mention. Now I really do need to watch it all again!

I presume you've seen the BTS of the mermaid scene? The extra underwater bits, and that wonderful panning up the mer-costume to the glorious Rhys wink at the end? Made me go weak at the knees!

Do it - you know you shouldn't even try to resist 😉

I love this speech

Lucius: look, you’re very cool and you wear leather, so maybe you won’t understand this, but everyone is worried, all of the time, whether they are interesting or adventurous enough for you. And that bizarre little man over there likes you very much, and you like him, and if you can’t get over yourself enough to realise that, they you are going to end up another leather-clad, middle-aged sad sack dying along in a puddle of his own piss. You can stab me in the face now.

Oh me too. I'm betting you were almost able to do that from memory 😁 But now I'm definitely due for another full rewatch, rather than just looking at my favourite scenes over and over again.

Not sure if this link will work .. but I just love this

I love everything about this show...just breathing the same as it...feels nice

I am gutted it hasn't been renewed or found a different home. Happily fanfiction fills the gap somewhat

I see what you did there !

It’s terrible about S3, critically it’s praised, audience reviews are really high (see Rotten Tomatoes), Fan Dedication is off the scale, I think it was the most streamed comedy in the UK last week, with similar figures elsewhere.. and it’s building a momentum.

The finances just don’t pay off .. we get 10 series of mediocre stuff, because it’s cheaper. Sad really