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

Has anyone watched his Japan show? It sounds fun.

@BillStickersIsInnocent Not yet. I’ve just found it on Prime. Might save it for holiday as I won’t have access to iplayer and will be bereft. It starts with Rhys in a hot air balloon 😄

Still pining for S3 here - DJ always said that he had a plan for it and it would’ve been wonderful to see what that was – I’m certain it would’ve included a happy ending, and a wedding. There are so many different genres in the show, but I can’t imagine tragedy becoming one of them.

I think exploring a maturing relationship could make a good story albeit with a bit less pirate action – after all we do all love the emotional scenes. I would quite happily have watched Ed and Stede pottering around at the inn, bickering a bit but also enjoying folding things and designing the perfect breakfast. Maybe a bit of hugging or hand holding – just being comfortable together. I still feel cheated of the dancing that we so nearly got in 1.6. I don’t know how they would’ve managed things with Ed and Stede at the inn and everyone else on the Revenge – I guess they would all have had to reunite at some point - maybe some set pieces like 1.5 or 1.7? I would’ve liked to see Anne and Mary join the crew for an episode too.

There was an A03 recommended on the last thread that basically was S3. It was incredibly well written, to the point that I decided DJ wrote it and surreptitiously put it out there for us 🤣 I’ll try to find the link

@DJ47 I would love that!

Ooo...if that wasn't one of my own recommendations I'd love to know what it was!

I haven't been very lucky trying to watch Prime when on holiday in Europe. All I was able to access was the likes of Clarkson's Farm or James May wandering about abroad. That was using my Firestick. I hope you will do better.

@Phineyj Yes, Princess Bride.

I do wonder whether some of the tiny nods to PB are deliberate - 'life is pain', the revenge for the father plot, the fact that Stede's fuckery with the jungle cat and the piano happens opposite 'Westley and Sons'? Or is it just coincidence - the worlds they inhabit are quite similar in some ways - and revenge for a father is hardly an unusual plotline.

I also wonder whether the Dread Pirate Roberts in PB might be a nod to Stede - the pirate that he was based on in real life didn't seem to have a ship called Revenge.

@Phineyj If that wasn't one of my own recommendations

It sounds a bit like Love Led Us Here, although I've only got as far as the wonderfully imagined visit to Mary so I don't know how the story ends. But I've been meaning to say thank you for the brilliant recommendation.

Also thank you for @TriceratopsRocks for Ink and Ichor - utterly romantic and very moving in the way the author describes the instant connection between Stede and Ed.

I particularly love that both of these recommendations have starring roles for Lucius and Mary!

I decided DJ wrote it and surreptitiously put it out there for us

I really wish he would, @DJ47 - in fact, given your user name, are you trying to tell us something?

I'll get around to my fic recs soon! But I did link one already that was basically S3.

It might well have been one of @Phineyj 's. When I post mine I'll link or collate the ones on the last thread so they are all in one place. Hopefully this weekend.

Glad you linked Ink and Ichor, @lizziesaurusx I was a little hesitant about posting that one as It's rather explicit! The author describes it as porn with feelings 😆

Edited because I think I linked the wrong fic!! :) I'll post mine this weekend and do it properly when I'm not trying to rush :)

Re: The Princess Bride, a group of actors did a Home Movie remake in their homes during the covid pandemic. Guess who played the role of Westley in one chapter… Taika.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Movie:_The_Princess_Bride

I was just going to go back and add that! This should be the link to Taika's (very short) chapter:

n

That’s hilarious! 🤣

Also Ed’s ‘death’ is a real call back to Westley actually

Found it! S3 - for your reading pleasure! (At least I’ve convinced myself this is how it goes) - thanks to TriceratopsRocks for the recommendation

That's v interesting about The Princess Bride references/connection.

I still use the poison duel in class sometimes when I teach Game Theory, although the students don't know the actors (although sometimes recognise Vizzini as the voice of the T-Rex from Toy Story...)

I found this one on tumblr today. I think it’s quite recent. I don’t like AU or non-canon ideas. This feels canon compliant so far. It’s quite sweet as much as I’ve read with lots of erotic tension. They’re basically doing up the cabin, but desperate for each other, a lot of yearning!… Their communication is a bit of an issue though and they have no marmalade! What I really like about it is the author has captured their different speaking styles, especially Ed’s laconic use of words. I can hear the actors in my head.

Apologies if it’s already been posted. I’m new to the fan-fic (new to the fandom!).

It’s called The Waters Around You
https://archiveofourown.org/works/54320992?view_adult=true&view_full_work=true

Thank you for reposting this! It was one that I liked and meant to come back to. I like anything involving the love-shack. (Getting holiday reading sorted).

You also kindly posted this link @TriceratopsRocks on 23/4 (page 16). A lovely story with pottering around in the shack, an adventure and resolving the vexed issue of the boys being alone on the island (I couldn’t help worrying about what they would do in an emergency). The author says it’s her first piece for 6 years I think and it’s nice to see her confidence and writing style grow with each chapter.

It's a post S2 adventure that fits well within the universe of the show (canon compliant and suitable for teen audiences):

archiveofourown.org/works/53598247?view_full_work=true

That is a nice one - read some of it last night.

I liked the other one recommended too.

Both deal patiently with a number of practical issues, from exactly how comfortable sleeping on a beach is (not very) to where one would obtain building materials!

OFMD does seem to have inspired quite a few people back into long form writing and you can see why (lots of possibilities and a lot of loose ends to work with).

I've noticed a few Good Omens fic writers have crossed over too.

It’s called The Long and Winding Road Back by joannabobanna.

I’m in awe of the writers of fan fic. The time, the patience, the accuracy and talent. And all for love.

The writers of good fanfic, anyway! There's some dreadful stuff too...

You are correct! I have closed more fics than I can count after a few paragraphs. I need nuance not the word ‘cock’ fifty times on the first page.

The well-written stuff is humbling though. I don’t know how people have the time and talent.

Well, yes, and grammar, punctuation and spelling...

I was into it for a while.

It is (like all worthwhile things) very hard work to do well and takes a lot of research.

I don't have the skill of plotting across multiple chapters though (or only painfully with a spreadsheet) - now that I really admire!