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

Thank you, MrsJ, but I'm prepared to give it a go. Several goes, in fact. Many.

Guess what I've been thinking about this evening...? 😉😝

@TriceratopsRocks I dunno 🤔

Giving Ed and Stede an aromatherapy massage with yummy lavender oils?

Something like that, perhaps 😉 . But maybe not lavender as it might send them to sleep 😁

Rhino-horn? 😉

Do not say marmalade!

I think @CarterBeatsTheDevil also has dibs on Ed, as it was them that first thoughtfully suggested that his knee might benefit from the kind of tender care and attention that only an obsessed middle-aged mumsnetter can provide.

That's ever so kind of you, but there does appear to be a multiple dibs situation here

He's so 14 year old boy in this episode with all that snarky passive aggression. (Or perhaps a 51 year old woman - I wouldn't like to comment).

Happy to volunteer for hair brushing and arranging - we'd want to make sure he got the full top to toe experience.

I want to object to the suggestion that I am an obsessed middle-aged Mumsnetter, but I am 48 years old and sometimes structure my entire day to ensure that I finish a fan fic sooooo

Yeah, it was a bit of an assumption but I felt pretty safe making it...

Sometimes structure my entire day to ensure that I finish a fan fic

That's impressively next level dedication - how do you manage that? It would be a refreshing alternative to staying up until 2am, eyelids drooping, then bitterly regretting it the next day.

@TriceratopsRocks I didn't spot two of your replies earlier - sorry - haven't quite got the hang of notifications and this thread does whizz along.

I should complain about my sleep more often because last night I got almost 6 hours!!

Feel free to complain all you like: not having enough sleep is a miserable thing and it sounds like it did the trick! I hope that you were bouncing round all day today and that tonight is another full six hours at least. I am NOT going to start another fan fic tonight after the Notting Hill experience last night.

With (eventually) 3 t-shirts to choose from, a bag, a keyring and some pins, surely someone will spot me coming sometime

This is an extremely impressive haul, but then were you were an early adopter compared to some of us. I hope that at least one person dashes up to you enthusiastically soon – if they’re anything like all of us on here, they’ll be longing to talk to someone about it all in real life.

@MrsJellybee Oh. Marmalade. Now there's a thought...😆

I have to admit that although my heart belongs to Stede, it's been Ed's bare arms I've been thinking of after that photo. But I'm prepared to concede Ed to you guys as long as I get Stede.

Oh. That was easy. So now I'm thinking of Stede's chest in the morning after scene. I'm so happy we got that treat 😍.

Stop pointing out the fact you got a bare chested Stede scene, that's just MEAN! #justiceforEd'schest Though actually I think we do pretty well in terms of arm screentime. Sometimes we even get arms plus messy bun.

I would like to request the chance to discuss libraries, moths, fine fabrics etc with Stede as he's so fascinating and delightful, but happy to leave the massage up to you.

@lizziesaurusx One on my DSs popped home briefly (he lives an hour away and I haven't seen him for weeks). The very first thing he said, before even 'hello', was "Oh, I like your T-shirt. Does it mean anything?"

I was a very happy bunny.

I hope he was as happy with the two hour analysis of OFMD that you presumably treated him to?

I didn't spot two of your replies earlier - sorry - haven't quite got the hang of notifications and this thread does whizz along.

@lizziesaurusx If you're on the android app, I've noticed that you have to leave the thread and reopen it to pick up all replies. Just refreshing doesn't work for some reason.

@TriceratopsRocks I don't seem to get notifications at all on the app, just on the computer, but that's probably my dismal tech skills.

I am NOT going to start another fan fic tonight after the Notting Hill experience last night.

I read that one again twice a few days ago. Kept me up as well! I was planning on starting Throat GOAT again tonight. I've read most of Nomadlands other fics now.

😂 Sadly it was not the time. I just said that it was my favourite show, that I've watched more times than I could possibly count. He hadn't heard of it, but he doesn't really watch much TV.

But I have to assure you @lizziesaurusx that I'm also in full agreement about the ravishing beauty that is Ed. Messy bun or no. I would have very much appreciated a bare chested Ed scene too.

You forgot the caption that goes with Stede’s smug face here…

😂😂😂
Oh I'm so glad we got that ring detail!

So, last nights activity was Ed's section of neuroscientists, twice, followed by the whole thing again (all 4 parts).

God, that part three is heartbreaking. I can hear Black Pete in my head saying "visceral, way visceral". Last night when I was reading there was loads I wanted to say about it, but this morning when I finished my brain was mush again. I absolutely love this one.

Nomadland’s writing is so emotive partly because it’s written in the present tense. That always hooks me. And they nailed Ed in part three. I thought he was going to implode. He did implode.

I read the one where Stede is a Queen’s guard over breakfast this morning. I do need a little soldier Stede toy now 💂‍♂️

What I need is that early morning selfie Stede sent to Ed from his bed - hair all tousled and moody lighting. I can't accurately describe what I feel about a photo like that. Well, I could but I won't 🥴🫣

The soldier one was interesting. Stede unable to speak but communicating anyway.