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!

Awww of course he did

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45106/sonnet-116-let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-minds

I had this sonnet at my wedding.

True love can cope with furniture loss.

OMG so did I!!! My darling sister read it out.

Whereas I had BIL who read it atrociously! Oh well, the thought was there.

It's popular for a very good reason :) I think it also really suits Ed and Stede. I just found this 'write it in modern language' exercise. It's rather interesting...

"I don't want to accept that anything can come between two people who truly love each other. Love isn't true love if it changes when things get tough, or if it lets itself be diminished. No, instead love is a steady guide, like a lighthouse that even during a storm is never shaken. It is the star that guides ships as they wander at sea: its value is too great to be measured, but it is still used by sailors to help them navigate. Love is not fooled by time, though pink lips and cheeks are diminished in time. Love doesn't change as hours or weeks go by, but continues on, unchanged, until death itself. If I'm wrong—and if my own behavior serves as evidence that I'm wrong—then I've never written a poem and no one has ever loved."

That's very interesting, thank you.

If about as poetic as the Good News Bible...

Hehe totally!!! Give me good old King James over Good News any day. I looked it up because that sonnet does sort of wash over me a bit sometimes. I have sung at more weddings than I can shake a stick at, and when you hear something a lot you can kind of switch off to it. It's beautiful, and I needed to think about it properly again. That 'translation' just happened to come up, and I thought it quite apt :)

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I mean, it’s widely assumed that many of Shakespeare’s sonnets were written for a man so they are apt as a reference point for ofmd.

Indeed! Do you guys like 'Upstart Crow'? Shakespeare's friends and family constantly tease him about that. In fact I think there's a whole episode where he has to dodge the aristo they're dedicated to for fear of awkwardness.

How lovely that you sing at weddings, @TriceratopsRocks.

I've done the occasional one but only as part of a small choir or a string quartet although I did sing 'Dream a little dream of me' at my sister's (I'm not really a solo singer).

I had this sung at my own wedding (not by Elina Garanca though ;) and we'll ignore the Enya cover I think...)

The lyrics are also quite Stede now I think about it.
https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=22210

Mine have all been as part of a choir, from about 6 to 20 people. It's lovely to do, and always the best seat in the house. It's never the same when I go as a guest :) I love that you play in a string quartet. Now that is way more impressive.

Indeed! Do you guys like 'Upstart Crow'? Shakespeare's friends and family constantly tease him about that. In fact I think there's a whole episode where he has to dodge the aristo they're dedicated to for fear of awkwardness.

I love Upstart Crow. I’m sad they seem to have stopped making them. I think the phrase ‘puffling pants’ is hilarious esp. delivered by David Mitchell.

@TriceratopsRocks you sing at weddings! Wow. 😍And @Phineyj you play in a string quartet! I did at around 16/17, but that was a long time ago…

I do have an out-of-tune piano in the house and keep meaning to download the sheet music for Gnossienne number 5. It doesn’t look too difficult thankfully as I haven’t played properly for years.

I haven't actually ever seen Upstart Crow. Looks like that's another one that needs to go on my (rather neglected) watchlist! I still haven't finished Ghosts either.

I have also thought about learning Gnosienne no. 5. It does look doable, but my piano skills are rubbish these days - when I do play I'm more of a "bash through it trying to get the 'feel' rather than worrying about the notes" type of person😆I don't do weddings much anymore but there were about 15+ years where I did loads. DH and I got married abroad in part because I couldn't face another like the ones I went to week in week out!

Oh! Now I'm back on my PC I've realised what song you linked, @Phineyj I've performed that one (I was the soloist with accompanying choir). Loved it :D

I’m in awe of all you small group and almost solo singers! I sang in a quartet at a friend’s wedding in my youth (O Taste and See) but now I get quite anxious singing in anything with an audience, even in the safety of a big choir.

I’ve gone down a bit of a Rhys rabbithole and I’m sharing this article for any fellow Rhys late adopters – lots to catch up on! I'm wishing I’d watched OFMD in time to go and see his stand up show back in November, just an hour away from where I live. And I just found out from a recent Cryptid Factor podcast that he’s doing a live podcast recording with Dan Schreiber in London tonight! Sadly sold out.

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rhys-darby-finally-getting-recognition-he-deserves/?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=articleshare

I loved this clip from Basingstoke - not sure if it’s been posted already

https://twitter.com/MattRooksTaylor/status/1789237925432979563

@Phineyj I did gather reading previous interviews that he has quite the interest in mythical creatures. I also learnt the word "cryptid" which is pleasing. If I ever met Rhys I would ask him if he's been to the Loch Ness Visitor Centre.

He's definitely been! And he and his fellow Cryptid Factor hosts were key to the piecing together of a new video with something mysterious in the water... they talk about it in a couple of the podcast episodes - 88 and 90

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/rhys-darby-claims-to-have-found-the-loch-ness-monster-shares-game-changing-footage/ETQJHAHPGVH3PAQOMVEVXCNP7U/

@lizziesaurusx My knowledge of Rhys Darby previously is from FotC. I’m a little sad they never gave a little nod to Murray and had Stede take an attendance register in the Pilot.

Rhys knew exactly who his audience was Saturday with his ‘thrusting’ mermaid talk! Sad about those empty seats, mind.

Yes the empty seats are very sad. Another piece of evidence that people in the UK are probably largely unaware of the show.

@CarlaH I feel like I’m in a cult. I may need to start knocking on doors. My magazine will be The Lighthouse. Have they heard the ‘Good News’ about Stede Bonnet?

I love that idea! Great name 😀. I tried to spread the word to a friend the other day, who I hope will love it. It's good to encourage new converts.

I also didn't know anything about Rhys before this show and have been thoroughly enjoying delving into his back catalogue, including the podcasts. Yesterday I commented to DH that it was lovely to be using my Blackbeard's Bar and Grill (etc) tote bag, and he said he'd have to get me one with Rhys' face on it. I am now waiting 🙏 I have possibly failed to hide my obsession quite as well as I thought 😆

Yesterday I commented to DH that it was lovely to be using my Blackbeard's Bar and Grill (etc) tote bag, and he said he'd have to get me one with Rhys' face on it. I am now waiting 🙏 I have possibly failed to hide my obsession quite as well as I thought

I have BB bar and grill t-shirt on its way. Hoping it gets here before my holiday. Honestly, my husband thinks I’ve lost my everloving mind because to us (until two months ago), Rhys was Murray off FotC. It’s like fancying David Brent.

I’ve started to hide how much I’m still watching OFMD. I’m making a big fanfare of watching GO 2 at the moment on my iPad of an evening, and when that’s finished, I sneak over to OFMD 🤣and watch a random episode or two. If and when I talk about it now, I’ve gone from using the full title, to ‘The Pirate Show’ to simply, ‘The Show’… ‘I’m watching The Show’.

*I’ve started to hide how much I’m still watching OFMD. I’m making a big fanfare of watching GO 2 at the moment on my iPad of an evening, and when that’s finished, I sneak over to OFMD 🤣and watch a random episode or two.

Oh blimey that's me too! Has been for months. I make an effort to be seen watching other things and to mention other shows, then switch once alone. Even my daughter is disparaging about my viewing now, and I never even mention it to her any more. I suspect she feels embarrassed for me 🤣

So, I was watching S1 8 & 9 of The Show yesterday and was just struck so much by Taika’s acting and Ed’s characterisation again.

When Stede, Ed and CJ are around the breakfast table, and CJ tells the awful story about BB torching the ship with the crew on board, we see Ed start to disassociate. Taika is so wonderful here. It’s triggered by shame. Not so much his actions, but that he is starting to see himself through Stede’s eyes, and Stede’s opinion is all that matters. If Stede thought the ship-burning story was cool, Ed would have laughed it off. But Stede won’t and doesn’t think that, and it’s Ed burning now, burning with shame. It’s that breakfast conversation which is the start of Ed’s decision to leave.

When Stede tells Ed on the beach that he doesn’t like who he is around CJ, Ed tells him this is who he is. But we all know it isn’t anymore. It’s Ed’s past, not who he is becoming, now. Ed thinks he is his past and that it will always define him because he doesn’t understand change and redemption at this point. When he leaves, he tells Stede ‘This is who I am, Stede. Can you see me now? You were always gonna realise what I am?’. Ed doesn’t realise two things. It isn’t who he is becoming now. It is who he was in the past, but Stede can love him unconditionally regardless. Stede just isn’t quite there yet because of his own issues.

When CJ reveals the double cross on the dinghy, Ed realises he has a choice with regard to who he wants to be and returns to Stede.

Which leads to episode 9. The beach scene, Ed tells Stede he doesn’t want to be the person he was in the past, drinking all day, biting heads off turtles and making some poor guy eat his toes for the laugh. This is a continuation of the breakfast table scene. Ed is baring his soul and shame over his past self, and saying he is no longer that person. Stede has shown him a new way to have fun and be happy. After that soul-sharing, he can declare his feelings and kiss Stede. Ed hopes he’s been redeemed and ‘forgiven’ his past when in fact Stede never felt the need to forgive him anything. When Stede doesn’t show at the dock, I always wonder what is going through Ed’s mind as the sun rises. I’ve decided it’s something like, ’He has had second thoughts because has seen me now and realised what I am. And he’s ran from my worthlessness, and I deserve it’.

Love this thread.

It's like having people to watch with but even better as you can watch at your own pace.

I found Calico Jack Frat Boy Antics so distasteful I've only seen that episode once. But I shall watch again and learn!

At least he gets his comeuppance.

My OH is pretty incredulous that I continue to watch the show over and over again. He gets quite the look of despairing resignation when I manage to shoehorn a reference to the show into conversations that we are having about other things.

Last night we watched Rylan and Rob Rinder on their grand tour of Venice. When Rylan confessed that he completely imploded when his marriage broke up it was all I could do to stop myself saying 'see how realistic Blackbeard's breakdown was' but in all honesty I doubt my husband remembers much about it at all.

I found Calico Jack Frat Boy Antics so distasteful I've only seen that episode once.

His character makes me feel physically sick, but then I hate that Jackass humour anyway. But he’s really important to Ed’s character arc and development. I don’t always watch the whole episode (I did yesterday for ‘research purposes’ 🤣). I tend to start with Ed leaving. I love Stede’s break up breakdown, Lucius, and of course the episode leads through to the end ‘The Chain’ sequence which I must’ve watched 200 times by now. Apparently, they filmed it in real time with The Chain playing at double speed to get the timings right. I point to that scene as to where the show hexed me.