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

By chance I was googling Blackbeard's costume last night (2am, after finishing the Notting Hill story, not quite ready to say goodnight to OFMD). Apparently DJ says on instagram that it was inspired by a combo of Mad Max and a photo of Prince in 1978. I know I'm biased but the hair and tighter, cropped jacket does raise it to another level. Ed has better boots too. The reddit thread also points out the wisdom of trying to steer clear of Jack Sparrow type costumes.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OurFlagMeansDeath/comments/u0y1t5/costume_question_anybody_know_why_blackbeards/?rdt=35107

I like the knee brace. It’s a nice reminder that, for all his visual perfection, his body still has imperfections he's had to learn to live with, just like the rest of us. Although it's part of the Mad Max costume, it was still a conscious decision to keep it in OFMD. Though not in S2?

Please add me to the rota too 😁

sucks teeth I don't know, @lizziesaurusx , this is very bespoke

Tbh I mainly like the knee brace because it reminds us that these guys are getting on a bit. A major part of the show is that neither of them are sprightly young chickens any more. It's a bit of realism because someone of Ed's age, living the life he has, is bound to have aches, pains and niggles with all that jumping down onto boats and off the rigging that he does. And like so much other stuff, it's shown but not referenced. I actually think it would have been nice to have still seen it around in S2.

Nurse Carter??

Happy to add to my skillset and learn arm massage too

The knee-brace is noticeably missing during the beach battle scene at the end of season 2. It’s possible Ned Low inadvertently fixed the knee alongside Ed’s lower back.

Either that, or Ed left it on the floor of The Royal Privateering Academy for ‘Wayward Seamen’.

😂 I love this idea!

His knees seem pretty flexible during that beach scene in 1.9 - I was impressed at how smoothly he sits down on the ground next to Stede without using his hands to balance him (as they seem to be out in front of him), or lowering himself onto one knee on the way down. And he's certainly very bendy in the beach battle when he does that flip thing.

I think we have to presume that after the trip to The Gravy Basket, Ed has been reborn in every possible way. Merstede will do that to you 🧜‍♂️

I can do arm massage! Really! Many years ago someone from a local college came into my work to promote their adult education courses. I signed up for fun and ended up qualified in 2 types of massage and aromatherapy. So, does that mean I can go and give some tender ministrations to Ed and Stede? Pretty please?

I agree that Ed must have been rejuvenated in some way during his visit to the gravy basket. After all Fang told him afterwards in some gory detail of all the abuses that he personally carried out on Ed's body and it really looked as though Jim was about to smash that cannon ball into him.

You can have Stede, but hands off Ed. I currently have zero nursing or massage skills and will be needing access to Ed 24/7 for my fast track training.

@MrsJellybee Ed just shows his whole hand here. Bet he’s a rubbish poker player. God, I love him.

‘Melt back into my arms’ makes my own heart melt. Technically speaking he’s never been in Stede’s arms but in his head he’s jumped ahead – all in. I love that about him. Also ‘former’ and the eye roll after ‘romance’, and ‘fuck off nature’ which makes me laugh every time.

All we need now is a missing crossover scene in which an army of Doctor Who-style nanobots (dressed as sparkly merpeople with tiny tridents) rebuild Ed from the inside out.

You'll have to excuse me. It's been that kind of week.

Also (and I entirely blame @lizziesaurusx for this) I now want a lover to refer to me as 'his crush' in front of 50,000 people in a stadium rock concert.

This is not really an achievable goal.

😂😂😂

Plus the White Snake lyrics 🤣

@lizziesaurusx it’s such unsubtle reverse psychology. Then Ed is anything but subtle.

I wonder whether that was improvised? Taika seems to be a big rock fan (based on him talking about Thor choices).

Sorry not sorry 😁It's so great how Stede turns up spontaneously, lets Izzy know and then Ed takes the next step up in their relationship in public, before they're even spoken or seen each other again, and refers to him in the most beautiful way. Even better later on when he says 'him' - another huge step for Ed.

I'd settle for a lover with long salt and pepper hair, a bit of glitter and eyeliner, leathers and a gorgeous singing voice - I wouldn't even ask for the public declaration (well not at first anyway).

You can have Stede, but hands off Ed.
Aww @lizziesaurusx . But then I suppose both is a bit greedy. I'd probably be totally useless anyway - I'd either melt into a big gooey mess or start hyperventilating. Or both😆.

Melt back into my arms’ makes my own heart melt. Technically speaking he’s never been in Stede’s arms but in his head he’s jumped ahead – all in.
I love that it only takes him about 2 minutes to go from chair smashing angry with Stede to giving him that beautiful, nervous, half-smile at the end of the couch scene where he looks so adorable. But then, if anyone spoke to me like Stede spoke to Ed I'd be just the same!

I think I need to read Throat GOAT again before I read anything else. All episodes of the show are burned on my brain I've seen them so often, but I need multiple readings before I can be properly coherent about the fan fic. I really wish my brain had not developed the properties of a sieve. My memory used to be really good.

And I am so picturing @Phineyj 's army of nanobot sparkly merpeople now.

Nomadsland is such an amazing writer. I’ve finished the four ‘Pirates of the Care-i-Bae’n’ stories. Ed’s perspective in story 3 is so visceral. I hope we get more of them in this world.

@TriceratopsRocks I'd either melt into a big gooey mess or start hyperventilating Never fear. If you cannot handle the both of them, I volunteer as tribute! 🙋‍♀️