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!

You all make such interesting considered comments about the show, and all I can think of is stede caressing his coconut cocktail at the beach bar 🤣 (shocked that in all my content consumption I've not read one thing about this!). Anyway, here's some Stede

This thread now has over 500 posts. Just think how many more people might have been able to watch and love this show if there had been some actual promotion of it. I watch a fair bit of TV and personally didn't see any at all. Although it has a dedicated fandom I think a lot of those people are from the US and possibly Aus/NZ.

I wonder if it had found a bigger audience whether it could have been saved.

Anyway thanks again TriceratopsRocks.

Oh and I only watched Stede and the red suit a couple of days ago. That man certainly knows how to show off clothes and he does amazing 'swish' (if that is the right word).

Calypso's Birthday is the first episode where you really see Stede captaining very competently. He doesn't panic, despite a dangerous situation (frankly, Ed panics a bit when he realises they're under attack). He figures out a solution (improving the lives of the other crew as well as a byproduct) and takes the difficult decision that Ed doesn't want to take.

Ed says as much. "I only hang out with cool pirates."

Even Izzy is grudgingly respectful by this stage!

Not sure yet what I think about Zheng. She does at times appear to be in a different show to everyone else. She's an interesting mix of Ed (career pirate) and Jim (trained in assassination from a tender age by adult with their own agenda).

However, would I watch 'Zheng: Pirate Queen'?

Yes!

P.S. now I think about it, bits of OFMD totally remind me of the 1970s "Monkey".

I meant to add, when Lucius and Pete belatedly burst up onto deck with weapons to try to rescue their shipmates, Ed says "Stede's got this."

Nothing as sexy as competence!

That is all very true @Phineyj. Maybe there’s something about the way he walks out on deck in that sexy entrance…more confident and comfortable in his own skin at last.

This thread is not helping my obsession or my revision for final year assessments (very mature student).

This thread now has over 500 posts. Just think how many more people might have been able to watch and love this show if there had been some actual promotion of it. I watch a fair bit of TV and personally didn't see any at all. Although it has a dedicated fandom I think a lot of those people are from the US and possibly Aus/NZ.

Apparently series 2 hardly got any promotion at all. Even some pretty hardcore fans were taken unawares when it aired. I only heard about the show around six weeks ago after finishing ‘Ghosts’ (I’m always behind). I saw one mention online of OFMD in a list of ‘If you liked Ghosts, you might like…’. Then searched trusty ol’ Mumsnet for a temperature take and saw @TriceratopsRocks brilliant non-spoiler write up. Decided to stick with it until episode four and now I am forever changed with gay pirate brain rot.

Totally understand the fear of sharing with others. I know my brain isn’t neurotypical One of my best friends is neurodivergent. It’s possible she’s watched it, but I’m too scared to ask at the moment. She will either love it or hate it. I actually don’t mind if she hates it as she is very passionate about things. We will be able to have massive debates about it. I keep wanting to recommend it to my sister too, but my fear is she’ll say it’s ‘okay’. She won’t see or care about the meta either which I think is a huge part of the show’s enjoyment. I’d rather she hated it, at least then you’re emoting with it. ‘Okay’ will kill me 🤣. She doesn’t like Schitts Creek either so I’m in two minds…

@CarlaH - you make such a good point about lack of promotion. I am though for ever grateful to the good people at the Radio Times who recommended it warmly and with sensitivity each week and rocked my world as a result.
This thread has also rocked my world and again the most sincere thanks to @TriceratopsRocks for giving us the opportunity for so much learning and joy, which I was truly astonished to experience again after some greyer years. I know someone absolutely lovely said something similar but I haven’t had so much fun since I can remember.

The linking of OFMD with Ghosts is interesting in the promotion, I also heard about it via a Greg Jenner tweet. I wonder whether people were expecting more of a straight comedy. The first three episodes were quirky and amusing but I wouldn’t say they were brilliantly funny, not consistently anyway. It was only from episode 4 that I started to realise it might be something else. I wonder whether people were put off after those first episodes as it wasn’t what they expected.

@BillStickersIsInnocent I was glad I stuck with it after the first 3 episodes (and I probably wouldn't if not for the recommendation on here to do so). I don't have a lot of TV watching time but did binge the whole of Ghosts over the Xmas holidays after a recommendation from a family member.

Good luck with your finals! I can't say the 'gay pirate brain rot' is assisting me with my pile of A level practice papers that I ought to be marking, either 😂

'Ghosts' is MUCH cleaner though. I assume the producers realised that a fair bit of the Horrible Histories audience would cross over and therefore they very very carefully wrote the scripts and planned scenes so that while there's plenty of sex in the subtext, there's actually very little anyone could object to in terms of what's objectively said and done. Clever.

I mean, I can think of plenty of friends and family who'd enjoy OFMD but I shan't be recommending it for fear they'd look askance at me given the language. Plus of course they might not like it and that would be upsetting.

No need to thank me for the thread guys - I created it for my own very selfish reasons because I was desperate for people to talk to about it! And it was in the middle of the renewal campaign so the more people finding/streaming the show, the better. I'm just so happy that you all found you way here and am grateful for all your wonderful posts that continue to feed my obsession!

Re the Ghosts comparisons. I often have wondered whether Max were annoyed with the show because they thought they were buying an ensemble comedy, rather than the deep study of trauma, heartbreak and reflections on toxic society (albeit with plenty of funny bits) that they actually got. It compares more with Good Omens, really, as another 'comedy' with 2 male leads who are clearly into each other.

"whim-prone" ... I think it’s because they know they look like that to others who don’t realise how much thought and deep longing has gone into the decisions that society doesn’t understand

Back to the show itself, I wanted to pick up to what @lizziesaurusx said yesterday. That was a really good point about their actions being considered 'whims' because they don't make sense to traditional society with all it's rules and mores and accepted behaviours. And one of the themes of the show is to say that those traditional behaviours are toxic and people are happier if they can break free of them. But yes to Ed's fishing being another whim!

[Stede's] confidence in his leadership/pirate skills is on shakier ground in episode 8 though I think, when he's with Zheng

I think that's part of the "toxic masculinity is bad" theme. When he tries to put traditonal pirate actions into practice, he fails.

And @Pumpkin314 thank you for that video! I have to say, after S1 I watched the Taika/Rhys lie detector test. A question for Taika was if he thought Rhys was attractive. Taika was 'yes, he's a very handsome man' (or something). I didn't get it then. But S2 Rhys Stede Rhys really has done something to my brain. To quote Stede... "Wow!" I'm now totally bewitched.

I'll leave you this in return
https://64.media.tumblr.com/8048bedd228c8869b1a0feff51ba2528/3363a05a90263dff-41/s540x810/da37eacb05b6da56da8825beefd089528912a41f.gifv

@TriceratopsRocks
lordy lord <fans self>

Thank you @TriceratopsRocks that has made my day

I feel that the programme is far more a romance than a comedy for me personally. I smile and laugh at it frequently but I have seen many a comment online that it is 'just not funny' or, in the case of those first episodes, that the comedy is feeble or 'cringe'.

If I was to recommend it I would certainly say that it is first and foremost a love story.

I have actually mentioned it to my sister but she hates swearing (and to my shame it has rather increased my use of the word fuck including, to my embarrassment, a couple of occasions in front of my niece) so I suspect she wouldn't like it because of that.

Oh and I cannot agree more about how sexy Rhys is, particularly in season two.

@TriceratopsRocksThank you for that excellent gif!

I'm another Ghosts fan. I think though I view OFMD as a romance first and for foremost, they share a similar mix of 'silly' (excellent!) comedy and very touching emotional truth. They also both are very much about creating a found family . They are two of a very small number of TV shows that I rewatch, my happy places!

@TriceratopsRocks oh that gif!

My mind just flipped out considering this is the morning after the night before. What is Stede remembering here? Also, a fan with better eyesight than I pointed out that Stede’s rings are on the windowsill in the breakfast scene. I mean, he simply removes them to sleep, right? 😳🤭

@Pumpkin314 it’s definitely a romance masquerading as a comedy. There are a lot of Regency novel tropes. I think DJ and TW kept quite a lot under wraps when promoting the original series for the surprise element. I wonder what the network thought they were getting also. It’s possible the show hasn’t been the success it could have been as it was marketed to the wrong audience. This isn’t for the Ghosts crowd or Flight of the Concords crowd. Yes to Good Omens fans, but I would even suggest that Bridgerton fans might like OFMD, but it just hasn’t found them.

Oh! I hadn't noticed that either. That little detail definitely answers some questions about the night before to anyone who's thought... deeply about it.

And that reminds me of a comment I think @MrsJellybee made upthread somewhere about Stede using his Captain voice. This is Ed's face when he is getting Stede to practice it...

I feel that the programme is far more a romance than a comedy for me personally. I smile and laugh at it frequently but I have seen many a comment online that it is 'just not funny' or, in the case of those first episodes, that the comedy is feeble or 'cringe'

Oh definitely @CarlaH. Once you get into it it's clear that the main focus is the love story, so anyone there for the comedy probably isn't going to stay. I barely think of it as a comedy. It's the most heartbreakingly beautiful romance I've ever seen on TV. But how do we describe the show to others without giving away that key spoiler?

I think DJ and TW kept quite a lot under wraps when promoting the original series for the surprise element...It’s possible the show hasn’t been the success it could have been as it was marketed to the wrong audience.

This could be it @MrsJellybee . I've seen interviews where DJ/TW described it as a workplace comedy where the workplace happened to be a pirate ship. I think I even put that in my OP. And although that kept the surprise element (which I loved - that moment when the penny dropped and I became hooked) it does misrepresent the show somewhat. So with S1 keeping the main story quiet and S2 getting almost no publicity, viewers for this show have mostly come through word of mouth. It definitely hasn't got anything like the exposure that it deserves.

I have seen a few fans give links to publications who have said that it was marketed to the wrong audience and/or that the streaming company didn't really know what sort of show it had.

It is unusual I suppose for a show to have three episodes which seem to be going one way before changing direction. I think it set things up beautifully and, as I have mentioned before, my OH enjoyed the early episodes but, in a world where I frequently see online comments along the lines of 'this is rubbish, I'm out' within the first ten minutes of a show, it was a very brave choice.

Why on earth the BBC bought it and then didn't promote it at all I have no idea but I am very grateful that they did.

Why on earth the BBC bought it and then didn't promote it at all I have no idea but I am very grateful that they did.
This show seems to tick all the boxes for the BBC - I mean, diversity and representation is their thing, right? And this show has it in abundance. Yet they stuck it on late at night and messed about with the timings. I did see it on the iPlayer front page for about a week after S2 was released, but that was about it.

Actually it has just occurred to me that one of the reasons why my OH was happy with the first episode was probably the presence of Rory Kinnear, an actor we both have a lot of time for. Obviously the show had a lot of well known American guest actors but we hadn't seen them before so they had no impact on us personally.