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!

My last teaching gig was also eight years in a boys’ school. Daily misogyny. The toxic masculinity was palpable. I also taught a few ‘Stedes’. We got on very well. One of my sixth formers borrowed my purple nail varnish after catching me doing a lunchtime manicure. I also gave another mascara tips. The boys caught up in the toxicity though are just as much victims of a masculine culture which benefits no one. Which this show demonstrates time and time again.

See… only Ed ‘saw’ the bird changing scene. I understand Roach’s doubts.

I was thinking about the ending where Bird Buttons lands on Izzy’s grave. Lots of interpretations. But I love the idea that the Impossible Bird has landed. It subverts Ed’s desperate metaphor in 2.1 showing that Ed has landed. He has found home.

Anyone who has seem Flight of the Conchords knows Rhys Darby was the only choice.

There is a lot of Murray, their hapless manager, in Stede.

I think the post credit Buttons scene is meant to take place during Stede and Ed’s couch chat.

I’m currently watching Good Omens two as a short of OFMD nicotine patch. I did watch season one, but never got around to two. I know it’s going to break my heart, but also that at least a season three has been commissioned here.

I think we all understood Roach's doubts 😂! It looked very sus indeed.

Roach is a great character. I hope this means we will see more of Samba Schutte - he's a brilliant comic actor.

@BillStickersIsInnocent I love how you don't know he's there at the dinner table till then. Such a 5th wheel and the couple situation is awkward enough.

It's an amazing episode. It's really grown on me. And lets Stede show off his furniture knowledge with a straight face.

And underscores how much he loves Ed considering what he did to the cabin furnishings.

He did an online cookery class yesterday which you could sign up to. Think it was for charity. Alas, I was at a birthday party yesterday so couldn’t sign up. He mentioned something about more BTS stuff but not his videos as he was worried about HBO and copyright.

Also I spent the entire episode thinking "they have aged Stede's short with old teabags...just like year 7 with a history project..."

😂😂😂

Shirt, sorry, am on the app.

S2 Episode four is a parody of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Very clever.

Yes I know.

No 5th character in that though? Although maybe I'm wrong. It's years since I've seen it.

The imaginary son? 🤣

An early interview talked about how Rhys was cast. DJ really wanted him to have a 'Murray vibe' but kept suggesting other actors, but not really happy about any of them. I remember Taika's comment "why don'tyou just ask Rhys to do it - he's not dead". I also love that Rhys sent in an audition tape after he had been cast in the role - just to make sure they were actually happy with him and to give them a chance to change their mind!

About Buttons - I saw someone online musing as to whether Karl/Olivia were once human, and that's why they and Buttons understood each other. That hadn't occured to me but I like it :)

It's an amazing episode. It's really grown on me. And lets Stede show off his furniture knowledge with a straight face.

I’m a little sad Stede didn’t get to take the Louis XIV giltwood console back to the ship. Guess it turned to ashes.

I guess he took his real treasure back instead.

@MrsJellybee I felt exactly the same about A Knight's Tale, and have also very recently finished watching Good Omens S2. I loved S1 (was a big Pratchett fan) but just hadn't got around to watching S2. I love the idea of it as a OFMD nicotine patch. It was the same for me. Force myself to watch something I know I will like. I'm so far down the OFMD rabbit hole I need something to bring me up for air sometimes. GO S2 helped. Buffy/Angel always helps and my daughter is now introducing me to Hazbin Hotel.

I was avoiding Good Omens 2 because I knew the ending, but decided I could cope as a series 3 had been announced. Albeit 2025 at the earliest. I have never seen Buffy. Ooh, will check out Hazbin Hotel. Thank you.

Bridgerton is back this week too so another distraction. Although I don’t think Colin and Pen are going to quite do it for me.

All the BTS stuff has raised Samba's profile well above what the show alone would have done, and we now all know what a wonderful person he is in RL too. I really do hope that this translates into a lot more work for him.

I've never seen Bridgerton. I was also avoiding GO2 but needed the distraction. The shows my daughter has introduced me to are OFMD, Avatar the Last Airbender (animated of course), assorted Studio Ghibli and now Hazbin Hotel.

Never seen Buffy??? Oh my. If you give it a try, it took a while to find it's feet and S1 is certainly not the best. But 2, 3, 5 and 6 are outstanding.

@TriceratopsRocks perhaps I can try Buffy and you could try Bridgerton. I enjoy yearning. Season 2 in particular was my thing although consensus was that it wasn’t as good as season one. But I love a good yearn. I think it’s a huge part of my ofmd addiction.

Me.

@MrsJellybee I'm happy to go with that :) You might want to skip a bit of S1 Buffy though. Seasons are long (oh for long seasons with filler episodes that shows used to get - they really helped you get to know the characters better) and there are a few forgettable episodes in S1. A full watch through takes a while as well. There are 145 episodes of Buffy and 111 of Angel (and it's good to watch both because of the crossover). My favourite character is Spike :)

Me too!

I’ll have Buffy as a long-term viewing project then. :)