Our Flag Means Death - Thread 4: Roll up, roll up! Come join us for more pirate obsession!

[TriceratopsRocks]

Ahoy again mateys! Can you believe we are now aboard thread 4? Stick around for chat about this brilliant show, its cast, its music, fan edits, fan fiction and more than a little obsessing over our fabulous leads - pictures extremely welcome!

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

You may have heard that this is a comedy about pirates and think it's not for you. But it’s actually a show about self-discovery, healing and found-family with a love story at its heart. The joint leads are both damaged by abusive backgrounds and 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, three full threads and many re-watches later.

If you think this might appeal, do watch it and come back and talk to us. It would be lovely if more were to join our crew. But be aware that it's a show that needs time. It’s structured like a theatre production, with a prologue and 3 acts. The 2nd lead arrives (briefly) in episode 3. Episode 4 is the start of Act 1, where the tone changes and the main story begins. You need to give it at least 4 episodes, and from there it just gets better and better. It still took me several more episodes to fully appreciate what I was watching, but by then I was hooked and had to immediately watch it all over again. And again. And again! If you like Good Omens, What We Do in the Shadows, Ghosts or even Bridgerton, this might well 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
Thread 2 : https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5076581-our-flag-means-death-thread-2-still-utterly-brilliant-and-we-are-still-obsessed?reply=136060611
Thread 3: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5101662-our-flag-means-death-thread-3-its-still-utterly-brilliant-we-are-still-obsessed?reply=137315706

@MrsBruin yes, people will dress up. There is going to be so much cosplay. There are competitions in the evenings for best costumes.

It’s not something I’m keen on for various reasons, but I understand the thrill. I mean, I might just wonder around in Ed’s breakfast robe all weekend. Might that count?

That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me 🥹

Don't forget the breakfast tray plus "flourish"

Don't forget the breakfast tray plus "flourish"

God, can you imagine meeting Rhys sitting there in a teal robe with the bloody breakfast tray of chaos in front of you? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I’d back away quietly if I was him.

@MrsJellybee "Oh my God, this is happening"

@CarterBeatsTheDevil

“Room service, Mr Darby”

I'm not going to try to persuade you to do this but I reserve the right to play out the Meet n Greet in my head

@MrsJellybee I might just wonder around in Ed’s breakfast robe all weekend.

This has reminded me that I believe we were promised a photo of your teal robe some time ago (apologies if I just missed it)?

I'm a bit worried about FOMO with the cosplay - in theory I'd so love to throw myself into it, but I have zero crafting skills and am still actively delighted that my sons are well past primary school and we have no more World Book Day costume nightmares. This might be the excuse I've been needing to buy a breakup robe though so I could at least waft around in that. Or maybe just an piratety t shirt.

There's always the Crew for Life T-shirt; people definitely post pictures of themselves wearing that at conventions. Or as you say, other piratey t-shirts. I used to sew but don't have the space or energy to attempt to make anything right now. I do already have 3 show-themed t-shirts, however so even if I do nothing else I will consider myself sorted. What I really want is Stede's teal shirt and brown leather trousers 😁.

@lizziesaurusx damn, thought you’d forgotten. Oh, you must’ve missed it 👀

I have zero sewing skills. Sewing on a button nearly sees me in A&E. I quite like the idea of ‘nods’ to certain looks. Black cravat. Flowery waistcoat. I might even get some Ed butterflies for my hair. Accessorise, yes. But not full on costume. If I has skills, I’d make it myself, but they’re too expensive to buy.

@TriceratopsRocks I’m definitely going to turn up at Digbeth bus station in my Crew For Life. I’m hoping to spot fellow pirates sallying forth.

@MrsJellybee damn, thought you’d forgotten. Oh, you must’ve missed it 👀*

I'm sure it merits another outing. Just so that we can check it's up to scratch for breakfast with Rhys, of course.

I can do buttons quite well but struggle with hems let alone anything more elaborate. But it's also the creative, imaginative ideas that eludes me - I would never have thought of butterflies.

@TriceratopsRocks I loved wearing my Crew for Life t shirt for the cryptid show and definitely need more. Still resisting the ones that are just giant Taika faces though. Something more subtle.

The lady with the customised jacket was wonderful. She had taken a black denim jacket and sewed all sorts of show related 'stuff' onto it: a letter in a bottle on the back, seagull, all sorts of stuff that I can't remember.

I still have this in my Etsy favourite items list...🤣🤣🤣 www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1724850251/retro-rhys-darby-shirt-rhys-darby?ref=share_v4_lx

It’s not picking up the colour quite right on my phone. It’s a bit darker and greener than that. It also doesn’t have the dangly bits on the sleeves like Ed’s because I’d set fire to myself on the stove. Practical. We can’t all loll about with Stede Bonnet… all……day…….. 🤤

@TriceratopsRocks I still have this in my Etsy favourite items list...🤣🤣🤣 www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1724850251/retro-rhys-darby-shirt-rhys-darby?ref=share_v4_lx

Go for it! Even if you can never wear it again in public, I'm sure the Heathrow crowd will be a mix of very understanding and outright jealous.

That jacket was wonderful - my photo doesn't do it justice and I wish I'd taken a photo of the red bird from the breakup robe too. She's so talented - her cryptid embroidery was just brilliant.

@MrsJellybee It's lovely! Do you get much wear out of it? Trying to work out how a robe would fit into my life so I can justify buying one.

We can’t all loll about with Stede Bonnet… all……day…….. 🤤

Well, not all at the same time - we'd have to take turns. Some kind of amicably organised rota system.

@lizziesaurusx It took ages to arrive, and the day it did a few months ago, we had a heatwave. I stubbornly wore it for fifteen minutes then had to remove it. I do wear it, but the season has been wrong so far. In a month or so that weather fault will be corrected until at least May. It’s very comfy.

I’ll do a rota and I’ll be scrupulously fair. Promise 🤞🏻

@TriceratopsRocks that t-shirt! Brilliant.

That's very kind, but I suspect that after one glimpse of you in that robe Stede will have eyes for no one but you.

Better or worse?

Taika Waititi Shirt Cool Retro Rock Poster T-shirt 70s 80s 90s Rocker Design Style Tee 515 - Etsy UK

I can't believe there's actually a non-ironic market for this whole genre of t shirts

@TriceratopsRocks This could be just what you're looking for for Heathrow

Limited Stede Bonnet Vintage T-shirt, Gift for Woman and Man Unisex T-shirt - Etsy UK

There are these too..

www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Edward-Teach-retro-by-heyhayley/163822342.IJ6L0.XYZ

www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Stede-Bonnet-retro-2-by-heyhayley/162610016.IJ6L0.XYZ

To be honest, if you look on red bubble there are tons. Some really lovely and tasteful in addition to a load that are totally bonkers!!

I adore the Taika one btw 😁😁😁

@TriceratopsRocks I love that Red Bubble Stede one! I just think it odd to meet Rhys Darby whilst wearing his face. It’s a bit ‘Anne Bonny’.