Our Flag Means Death: Thread 2. Still utterly brilliant and we are still obsessed!

[TriceratopsRocks]

Ahoy there mateys! Hop aboard our ‘safe space ship’ thread 2, where we can continue to wax lyrical about our favourite show.

If you haven’t yet seen Our Flag Means Death, what are you waiting for? Do go watch it (on BBC iPlayer) and then come back here and join us.

You may have heard that this is a comedy about pirates and think that's not for you. But it’s actually about self-discovery, healing and found-family with a love story at its heart. It does begin as a sort of pirate workplace comedy, but in episode 4 the tone changes and that’s where the main story really starts. The joint leads are both damaged by abusive backgrounds and think they want what the other has. The show is about their healing and their respective journeys. It’s tender, romantic, funny, emotionally intelligent and utterly refreshing. It subverts genre expectations. There is comedy, absurdity and a good amount of heartbreak and despair - sometimes in the same scene! The acting is outstanding (Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby especially). But the writing, music, costumes, sets, the sheer attention to detail – for a show with only 18 half-hour episodes it is still keeping us talking, a full thread and many re-watches later. Can you tell how much I love it?

If you think this might appeal, do watch it, then come back and talk to us. It would be lovely if more were to join our crew. But be aware it's a show that needs time. The 2nd lead doesn’t arrive until the end of episode 3 and that’s when the main story starts. You need to give it at least 4 episodes. It then took me several more to fully appreciate what I was watching but then I was hooked - and had to immediately watch it all over again. If you like Good Omens, What We Do in the Shadows, Ghosts or even Bridgerton, this might be the show for you.

(I’ve kept this spoiler free, but if you scroll down you will no doubt find many, so beware!)

Thread 1: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5008593-our-flag-means-death-its-utterly-brilliant-and-i-am-obsessed?reply=135294204

Why did no one warn me about Constellationism chapter 6? I am a mess 😩

Oh that one. I just re-read it tho check which one it was (I even paused ep3 to do so!). It's beautiful isn't it? I suspect I'm going to be reading that fic a lot. Just read on a bit, you'll recover :)

I was aiming for a sensible early night but I have to find out what happens on takeway/Strictly night. Ed has just told Stede how corrigible he is, so how can I possibly stop now?

You can't. Just keep going 😁

I've already had to sacrifice tonight's rewatch for this.

So, after reading some more of Constellationism (thank you @lizziesaurusx !), I finished ep 3. I'd forgotten just how much I laughed in this episode! One of the fics I read recently referred to a taxidermied puffer fish, and it's right there, on BB's desk! He has a leopard skin hung on his wall - bizarre! And just contrast BB's dark and gloomy room with Stede's light and airy one. Favourite bits in this are

Stede's "kill them with kindness" line, because that's exactly what he does when he meets Ned Low, when it's his kindness to Ned's crew that saves them. He achieves his piratey aims there with that one :)

Stede in the Republic of Pirates - he is loving it so much! Both his and Lucius' expressions are a joy, particuarly in "Man for Sale" and the entry into Spanish Jackie'z.

"Look tortured" (best line!)

Stede's hanging on the Spanish ship, to the strains of Vivaldi's 'Winter'. The genre switch we discussed, the music, the action, his expression as he's hanged...and then BB emerges out of the gloom - looking ever so sultry with his big gun at his crotch (rather unsubtle!), they look at each other, and the Beach Boys 'Prayer' start up like a chorus of angels... Magic!

For illustration, a change today - I just had to include this stunning photo of Spanish Jackie. And we also get Stede trying to avoid the nose jar and Ed being beautiful (from outtakes).

He has a leopard skin hung on his wall - bizarre!

Ah! That explains the original title art for episode 3 (they changed it to a skull). It was in the newly-found photo stills this week.

Hmm ep 3 has got me wondering - what happened to Blackbeard’s ship? Do we ever hear more about it?

I have seen on Reddit that originally the plan was to have Blackbeard's ship following The Revenge around but it proved too expensive.

Can I ask if anybody has watched JoJo Rabbit? I don't know how I feel about watching Taika play Hitler.

Yes a few years ago, it’s excellent.

Now I’m wondering about BBs ship - why does he not take Stede back to it after he’s stabbed/hanged on the Spanish Navy’s ship? I’m thinking he’s fascinated by this guy and wants to know more about him.

And when Stede doesn’t show at the dock, why does BB return to the Revenge rather than his own ship? Does he want to feel that connection to Stede even though he thinks he’s abandoned him? A kind of self-flagellation pleasure/pain thing?
Or maybe because he’s hoping at some level that Stede will return and find him, so staying put is the best option.

Strictly night does go on for a good few chapters

They are currently (by the end of chapter 15) on day 6 of knowing each other I think . I did do a timeline a while ago, I think they met at the BL on the Tuesday morning and Margate is at the end of the Sunday.

As soon as I've finished exploring this rabbithole, I'll be there with bells on!

I think my favourite so far has been Bookseller Stede and Artist Ed, but I did also really enjoy Narrowboat Stede and Blues Star Ed

I think the historical Blackbeard often took over the next ship he came across esp. if it was an upgrade on his own. ‘Blackbeard’ is a brand. It’s like a franchise that can move from ship to ship. Ordinarily, Blackbeard and Izzy would have taken over the ‘Revenge’, killed the Captain and crew (‘the usze’) and made it their new ship. The previous ship would be handed over to whomever of the crew and they would go off and do some pirating elsewhere. It would still be considered part of BB fleet, but independent.

What is different about Stede’s ship, both historically and in the show, is that BB takes over the ship as caretaker to let Stede recover after being attacked by the Spanish. This would have been such an easy ship to take on, so why did BB act so out of character? That’s the question historians can’t answer. BB did take the ship eventually and dump Stede’s crew on a sandbank (apparently that isn’t as harsh as it sounds. It was a busy shipping lane and operated like a bus stop. They were picked up). BB got Queen Anne’s Revenge much later on, I think, also after Stede and he parted ways.

And yes, definitely budget reasons for why they don’t continue to show a second ship in the show. I think it’s quite obvious the set for both the Revenge and BB’s ship is the same. They just dress it up with more spikes and leather.

Can second. It’s brilliant.

Thank you @BeBraveLittlePenguin and @TriceratopsRocks for recommending the wonderfully humorous and lightly sardonic ‘Work Experience’. It’s absolutely faultless. And not just the writing. It is edited to perfection. It’s so tight. Is this a professional author and editing team?

I especially love the breaking of the fourth wall via Lucius at the end with threats to those who think this is a ‘fraternal bond’.

And the description of Stede as the ‘Fanciest, politest brick shithouse ever built’. I mean, that’s canon right there. Who does The Gentleman Pirate think he is having arms like that?

Arms 💪🏼⬇️

...arms...
......{swoons...}

🫠

Ah Strictly night. It does indeed go on for a few chapters. Ask me how I remember. No, I'm telling you anyway. It's all @lizziesaurusx 's fault. She mentioned chapter 6 on here, so I had to see which that was. Ah it's that one. I read it. Then I wanted more so I went back to the beginning and started again (the first fic, where they meet). Then I remember I'm half way through episode 3, so I finish it, post on here and go back to reading. I was reading until about 2.30am! Then I fell asleep. When I woke up at 5am the sensible thing to do would have been to try and go back to sleep again. So, do you think that's what I did?

It was not.

Yes, I started reading again, and apart from a break to get ready and do the school run, I've now finished the whole thing again. @BeBraveLittlePenguin thank you again for the recommendation.

@lizziesaurusx said it's like a cult in here. She's right. Be careful, guys. You are liable to get brainwashed 🤯To quote Rhys, "It may be too late for some of you" 😁

Now I really need to do some jobs!!!

Yes me too. But the characters lend themselves so well to virtually everything. I have read and loved them as pickpockets, rock stars, jewel thieves, driving instructors, Victorian magicians, academics, cyclists, you name it 😃 Think that's why I'm still utterly obsessed, you can't get bored.

I think it’s quite obvious the set for both the Revenge and BB’s ship is the same. They just dress it up with more spikes and leather.

It's Zheng's ship too, there was a bts that showed how they filmed from different camera angles to make it look, well different :)

What is still my favourite fic has them finding each other in every lifetime. That's the whole point of it. One of those lifetimes is the show we saw. So all the other AUs I read, they are just other lifetimes too. If it's well written, you can tell it's just them. So all these AUs could eventually be canon, as their story continues - you never know!

As a totally different aside, when I was listening to the Cryptid Factor this morning (on my way home from the school run) they were talking about reincarnation, and how one 'mystic' Rhys was talking to told him that the people around you in this lifetime are the same people you are around in every lifetime - people find each other. Now I'm not completely nuts (honest!) but seeing this was Rhys talking, I thought it a lovely link to the show and to those fics I've been reading. I liked the idea anyway :)

Thanks for the responses about JoJoRabbit. I will give it a go. I

OK you lovely people, I wonder if you can help me with something I am confused about. What did Zheng have on Prince Ricky that meant she could blackmail him?

Apologies if it's blindingly obvious. I can be quite dim.

The fact that he'd lost his nose in Spanish Jackie's and not while fighting a pirate on behalf of the Crown?