Our Flag Means Death - Thread 5: Ahoy! Surrender! You have no chance of escape!

[TriceratopsRocks]

Hi all!! Roll up for thread 5 and join our chat about our favourite show, its cast, its music, fan edits, fan fiction and more than a little obsessing over our fabulous leads - pictures extremely welcome! It’s utterly brilliant, and some of us are still in the grips of obsession many months after the last episode aired (the last for now, that is… We live in hope🙏)

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. 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, two 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 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, and in episode 4 (the start of Act 1) the tone changes and the main story begins. You need to give it at least that long. It gets better and better and 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. 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
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
Thread 4:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5136377-our-flag-means-death-thread-4-roll-up-roll-up-come-join-us-for-more-pirate-obsession?reply=139560831

What a float that would be

@CarterBeatsTheDevil fantastic, sounds like you all had a wonderful time.

You were missed!

Well, what a weekend. I don’t really know what I was expecting to get from it, but this! The love and kindness of everyone involved. I’m not sure why I’m surprised considering the nature and message of this show. But wow. And lovely to meet so many of us Mumsnetters too. And those of you who couldn’t attend, you were very missed. Let’s continue to keep this little community alive here. The world’s a horrible place in some ways right now, but in others, it’s wonderful as this weekend proves.

Just putting up a pic of these pair yesterday which was honestly one of the best hours of my life.

It's wonderful to hear that it was a lovely positive experience. Just what's needed in these difficult times.

Rhys Darby, 'extroverted introvert'

You are right @MrsJellybee. Kindness was the theme throughout. I felt like I’d accidentally slipped into an alternate universe when we arrived but the other ladies made us newbies so welcome. Con answered one of his earliest questions by saying that he most valued kindness in people and I realised during the weekend that though I love our show (and its leads!) with a passion, it is the kindness demonstrated throughout that is its real draw to me. Also Con said twice that Izzy had a love for Ed that was unrequited. I know that has been discussed widely but it was useful to hear it confirmed. I know he is a decisive character but hearing it said aloud and Con’s warmth made me feel compassion for Izzy.

Absoluletly what a weekend. It was an absolute joy from start to finish. It wasn't just about the cast who were all brilliant, unfiltered, funny, passionate and who showed genuine love and affection for the the show and for each other. It was also about all the attendees - from convention newbies like us lot to the seasoned attendees who took time to explain how things worked and make everyone feel welcome. It was so nice to be able to walk up to a random group of people and immediately be welcomed in, with that recognition that we were all here for the same thing. The evening parties really felt more like a family wedding or something than a bunch of strangers - it was definitely a 'safe space convention'! Vico especially become quite emotional talking about the value of the fan community (and they stayed at the Sunday night party until after 1am just chatting to people and watching some of the dancing).

I really hope that they run something similar again (although Sean from Starfury intimated that it wasn't all that likely - a bit like season 3, I'm going to keep a bit of hope that it does!.

For anyone who wants to get a bit of a feel for the convention, here is a YouTube video that Vico has put together that includes BTS at the con. They were up half the night and still had so much energy!

Aww… we’re there somewhere with our glo-sticks 🤣

https://www.tumblr.com/rumpled/732258127150546944?source=share

These gives are amazing. The bts paralleled with the scene. Like what we were saying @TriceratopsRocks the actor and the character are two separate things

*gifs (bloody autocorrect)

Definitely. And they are clearly having a blast while filming. I adore Taika's giggles!

It’s Rhys’ face in the first one that gets me. Such a gorgeous nerd. 🥰🤣

I’m really enjoying this one. Proper Nora Ephron 1990s vibes. We’re only 2/7, but the author promises Weds and Sat updates and has delivered so far.

Stede is trying to write a personal ad to find the love of his life. The local barista helps him out… 👀

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60787570/chapters/155250841#workskin

Ah that one's in my marked for later till it's done. I subscribe to Shipmates.

We should probably list the authors we subscribe to on here. Might help us all find new fics. I'll put up mine when I'm at my PC later, so I can link them rather than just listing them.

Ooh - I’ve just seen a question answered by Alex Sherman on blue sky. Apparently S2 E3 The Innkeeper - the “warmth, good food, orgasms” dialogue was written by Alyssa Lane and Taika! I LOVE that conversation. It goes from giggles to heartbreak (I don’t think anyones waiting for me 💔) and back to snorting with laughter all within 30 seconds 🥰

I always think ‘warmth, good food, intercourse’ is really sad. Especially warmth. It’s so basic. But I can definitely see Taika being involved in that scene ‘orgasms… it has to finish with the good stuff’ is such a Taika line. 🙂

I love that within the first few seconds, Rhys starts to talk about Our Flag accidentally.
He talks at the end about Our Flag too.

Rhys Darby That Christmas Interview

He's so adorable in that. I commented to DH when watching that the interviewer seemed to be quite a fan. He just sighed and said that it's not really surprising. He can think of someone else that's quite a fan too...🤣

On another note. I learned something today (or maybe I knew before but forgot). Do you remember the lute player in 2.6, as they are walking to the colourful market to get party supplies. Well, guess who it was? Apparently they were going to do a shot where you saw his face, but for some reason cut it.

Oh, I think that was the right move. I love that we have to work quite hard sometimes at this show and it’s not all exposition.

https://www.tumblr.com/eddie-redcliffe/768519337282863104?source=share

Rhys, we get it. Sometimes I go to call by daughter or husband, and ‘Our Flag…’ just pops out. The struggle is real.

And let's face it, there was already too much Ned Low in that episode. They should have halved the opening sequence.

Asked about OFMD, lights up like a Christmas tree.

https://www.tumblr.com/saltpepperbeard/768523609828474880/this-mans-smile-when-he-talks-about-ofmd-and-the?source=share

I watched impossible birds today, such a fantastic episode. Mind you they all are.

DH asked me the other day if the “Australian pirates thing” had finally finished now, he was quite surprised when I said it was only 18 episodes, as I’ve been watching it for years!!