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

@TriceratopsRocks She gave me a proper 'look' when I went off out in my Jeff's Inn by the Sea t-shirt yesterday 😂. It's the merchandise that I think has tipped her over the edge.

I got sniggers when I mentioned that I was dipping my toe into the world of fan fic. I think merch will be the thing that tips my son over the edge too. It's his fault really though as I was ready to give up after three episodes but he wanted to carry on.

Well done for going out in your Jeff's Inn t shirt! Which design is it? I just ordered a Jeff's Inn key ring - felt quite daring.

I got this one in moss (green). I thought it looked friendly 🙂. DD was shocked yesterday when I mentioned fan fiction.
www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1585997415/jeffs-inn-by-the-sea-unisex-crewneck?ref=share_v4_lx

On Stede as light, in the merstede scene he appears as just a light at first too.

And real Stede brings a lantern down and sets it by Ed’s head. Stede brings light to him. I also like the focus on Stede’s feet as he goes below deck and his little blue slipper shoes get wet in the left-over storm water. There’s something, something, something here… 🤣 I’ve not quite figured my thoughts on this yet. But the water is a direct link to Ed. He’s meeting him where he is. It’s metaphysics and love that bring Ed back.

I got this one in moss (green). I thought it looked friendly 🙂

That's lovely! Definitely friendly - probably more so that the actual Jeff's Inn with borderline stroppy Ed behind the desk would be. I'm very tempted by this one by the same people, just dithering over colour and sizing.

Our Flag Means Death the Revenge Pirate Ship Shirt, Stede Bonnet Blackbeard Gentlebeard Fandom, Crewneck Tshirt white Logo Front Design - Etsy UK

DD was shocked yesterday when I mentioned fan fiction.

By your enthusiasm for the general concept, or by the fact that some of it is quite racy and perhaps not what she imagines her mum to be reading? (Though I guess it depends how old she is.)

@MrsJellybee his little blue slipper shoes get wet in the left-over storm water

Even before that scene I thought those were a ridiculously impractical uniform on board a ship.

Stede brings light to him

I also love how he literally brings his face into the light by taking off his shroud (if that's the right word for just a face covering) and that's when the underwater Ed first realises something is happening.

@lizziesaurusx I love The Innkeeper episode so much. Definitely my favourite of season 2 and a strong contender for favourite overall. The misdirection of Ed being left on a beach, auntie’s investigation and discovery which coincides with Ed being unable to kill Hornigold. The audience’s realisation that Ed is ‘dead’ at the hands of the crew. Then Ed’s underwater scene spliced with Stede. Stede’s actions directly impact Ed’s psyche. The removal of the shroud (good word, better than filthy dishcloth) alerting Ed and causing his knocking. Stede’s grabbing of his hand causing the light to appear and the rope to untie itself. Then Stede’s words that refute Ed’s belief that no-one is waiting for him manifest as Merstede.

Ed is sort of like The Little Mermaid himself. He gave up the sea for land over love, willingly gave up a massive part of his identity, and then was betrayed in love before returning to the sea to die. Stede appearing as a Merman is a mirroring, and ‘I see you, I am you’. And then in the last episode, they are Mermen, plural.

🧜‍♂️🧜

Rushig a bit here, but there is definitely a foot thing. As Ed is sinking into the water, the lighting highlights his bare feet falling into the dark blue ocean. This cuts straight to Stede's feet in his blue slippers, walking through the water in the hold. So we have both their feet, highlighted in blue, in water. Stede is walking towards Ed but not only in the ship - he's also moving towards him in the gravy basket ocean - joining him there, showing him there's a way out. The lantern is part of it too - Stede as the light, holding the lantern, which becomes the light of Merstede that Ed sees.

Something like that anyway!

So we have both their feet, highlighted in blue, in water.

🙌🙌🙌

Thank you @TriceratopsRocks ! that was my blindspot!

So we have mirroring, symbiosis, we are one.

Just wanted to thank you all for the Narrowboat fic rec. That was fantastic! Sweet without being too sickly, great locations and so so funny.

I've never tried reading anything multimedia but I really liked unpicking all the little notes.

The swan was genius.

It's lovely isn't it 😁 If you enjoyed that one, you might also enjoy the Notting Hill clone, which is another social media AU (not as much SM as Narrowboat though).

archiveofourown.org/works/41258070/chapters/103438992

Ooh I'm sure I would, thank you. But I must mark a pile of essays before I allow myself to binge any more fiction.

This is a little gift for any other devoted Rhys fans (although I suspect @MrsJellybee will have already seen it) 😁

I had not seen it…

And to confirm, that video clip just got me pregnant.

🥵🔥🫠

Sorry but is it possible to post a link to this. I tried googling without much success.

@CarlaH It’s here, sweetie 🙂

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42494772/chapters/106731627

Brilliant thanks very much indeed.

🤣🤣🤣 I thought you would like it. I certainly did!

Enjoy, @CarlaH!

I didn't like Surreal But Nice so much (although it had its moments) but I don't much like that kind of romcom so that may be why.

I do loooove a narrowboat though and only a complete nutter (Stede) would upholster one in cream and greige! They get grubby so quickly! Respect to the author who knows his/her boating stuff. Even if they think we call cutlery, silverware.

I've started it already. It's certainly a bit different but looks a lot of fun.

@MrsJellybee I love The Innkeeper episode so much. Definitely my favourite of season 2 and a strong contender for favourite overall.

It's my second favourite of S2 after Fun and Games. That gets the top spot for me because of the couch scene, the massive aggression and the ending where Ed realises change is a possibility - that beautiful, hesitant but genuine smile, followed by him running off to join Stede, who he now believe loves him. He suddenly seems more free already. The Innkeeper is so well constructed and both of their arcs within it are so moving. Ed’s scenes are heartbreaking – no one waiting and I’m not lovable, plus the memories of the brutality he experienced and his dreams of a different, quieter life. Stede’s grief and his unconditional love for Ed, despite knowing all he’s done, as he can see the real Ed. The perfect ending helps too. I watched 2.2 and 2.3 one after the other recently and the music at the end of 2.3 is all the more powerful after the abrupt silence in the credits at the end of 2.2.

The water thing – in their very first conversation, Ed says ‘Do you ever feel trapped, like you’re treading water, waiting to drown?’ So it fits perfectly that Stede saving him from the gravy basket is represented by saving him from drowning. It's what he's doing in real life too.

I've managed to get rid of the rest of the family camping!

Going to watch "Boy" tonight.

@Phineyj Enjoy! It's my favourite of the non-OFMD Taika stuff. Very funny, as you'd expect, and full of heart, but I hadn't realised quite how sad it would be too. Wonderful sense of place - the landscapes are beautiful - and of community. As in OFMD, lots of exploration of role models/choices about masculinity.

@Phineyj that’s my plan for tonight too!

Ah cool @BillStickersIsInnocent! We can swap notes later.

But first I have 9 more essays to mark and most of them have been CRAP so far. Grr!

plus the memories of the brutality he experienced and his dreams of a different, quieter life.

Not just the mutiny memories, but past trauma. Ed asking Hornigold ‘What did you do to me when I was out?’ That’s someone who hasn’t always been safe when asleep. And that same someone fell asleep peacefully next to Stede in a crows nest the day after he met him.