Co-captains

I just love love. Figuring out what’s next for Stede and Ed, Crowley and Aziraphale. Notes and follows from Lamentus1.

[lamentus1]

We’ll always have October.

Here’s what OFMD means to me. I’m just a gen-x girl who loves love and loves love stories. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen in love with a TV show, but it’s the first time I’ve fallen in this deep. Back in the day we couldn’t share the way we feel about these things in the way we can now, and it’s amazing sharing the show with all of you here. That also means we are able to share our sadness (and any glimmers of hope we have) now.

Being a part of the OFMD tumblr crew has become so much more to me than just a TV show. It’s become a comfort and a way of feeling joy and love over and over again. We all need that in our lives don’t we.

I love that we all have the ability to put into words or pictures the way we feel about our pirates. Our Flag doesn’t have to mean death. We’ll keep it alive in our hearts.

[raz-writes-the-thing]

Sign the Petition

Renew "Our Flag Means Death"

For my lovely followers who are OFMD fans- news broke this morning that our beloved gay pirates are not getting a third season.

Here is the official petition if you’d like to sign it : )

[shippingforecasting]

Well this is how we all feel right. 😭

[shippingforecasting]

I’ve always wondered why Stede chose piracy, on the basis that it is a dangerous profession and not really something he’d be suited to (we’d assume). But I was just listening to Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat and I get it now. At that time what other choice did he have?

[shippingforecasting]

I’ve always wondered why Stede chose piracy, on the basis that it is a dangerous profession and not really something he’d be suited to (we’d assume). But I was just listening to Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat and I get it now. At that time what other choice did he have?

[shippingforecasting]

Between Taika saying that he doesn’t want it to be like: “Oh man, they have to leave their idyllic life again,” and “I love the show so much, and maybe it can survive without Rhys and I,” and Rhys saying that “I think you’re dreaming if you think they’re going to live happily ever after.” I’m really not sure what to hope for in season 3! 😭

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

‘Our Flag Means Death’ Star Rhys Darby on Stede’s Transformations & Hopes for Season 3

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Episode 8 “Mermen.”]

Our Flag Means Death saw Gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) transform from a fish-out-of-water swashbuckler into the romantic hero he was always destined to be in the latest season of Max‘s original comedy.

After realizing the error of his ways at the end of Season 1, Stede sought redemption in the eyes of the infamous Blackbeard, a.k.a. Ed (Taika Waititi), after recognizing he was in love with the pirate. While the path wasn’t a direct one, they eventually found their way back to one another with the help of a fantastical mermaid sequence, some much-needed apologies, and ultimately a better string of communication.

Reflecting on his journey, star Rhys Darby is opening up about Stede’s various transformations in Season 2, including the excitement surrounding that mermaid tail, as well as about where he thinks the pirate lovebirds might end up next should the series return for Season 3.

Congrats on Season 2! Now that we can finally talk about it, what has it been like getting to see fan reactions, especially during the SAG-AFTRA strike?

Rhys Darby: Yeah, it was like a pressure cooker that needed to burst, for us and for the fans. When it finally came out, the burst happened and there was so much love for us, [but we] couldn’t talk about it. We were still stuck in this bottle and the cork wouldn’t come off, and that was difficult, but it was really lovely to see all the love and the surprise from everyone. Obviously, as you know, the fan artwork, it’s what we would say in New Zealand is pretty full on. So yeah, it was super cool.

And not that anyone gives out numbers, but I think I heard on the ethos that people [are] watching it, and it’s rating really high and at a time when we need this kind of beautiful love fest of comedy with a whole bunch of silliness to take us away from the disasters that are happening in the world. It’s been lovely. I just wish it was longer. I know people watch and rewatch and they’re so fanatical, but it’s just a comedy show, so to have any effect means so much to us.

In Season 2, Stede’s gone through a few transformations, one of which is that he’s a real pirate now, at least comparatively to Season 1. What helped you get into that new version of him? Was it the writing, costumes, or a combination of the two?

Yeah, the costumes are the first thing that comes to mind because once he starts wearing different gear, he looks at himself and goes, “Oh my God, I’m a different man.” And he really is turning from a man who is wearing these beautiful gowns with high heels and things inappropriate for a pirate ship to becoming an Errol Flynn-type hero straight away. That’s what they wanted to do with the character. So he’s lost a lot of that beautiful pageantry and is becoming a more practical guy who has to survive. He returns to this nightmare of a world because he wants to fight for love, and for want of a better term, “man up,” whatever the modern-day version of that is, “person up?” To become the guy that he dreamt of being in the first season.

He didn’t dream that he was going to fall in love with someone. He dreamt he was going to be this amazing pirate and that just was not going to happen. But then when he found this love, I think he went away from that [dream] going, “I don’t deserve this.” And then when he realized upon returning home that he does deserve it, he had to fight for it. And so the only way to fight for it was to drop the battle armor of the gowns and actually become the pirate he imagined being. So it was great to become that and to fight for that love and to thank god that [Blackbeard] didn’t die. He would’ve actually lost it, I think, because it would’ve been like, “Well, what am I fighting for now?”

I think it was just so fun to see that character change, but also within that change, see a bit of the old self come through, especially when he found that cursed red suit. And all of a sudden it was like, “Oh my God, the old me again, look how good I look!” So it was lovely that they had those elements… I was missing a little bit of the old Stede myself. So it was great to find that again. And then again near the end with the British invasion scenario where I got to do the big coat and everything, which of course looked awesome. You can see that moment where I put it on and did that slow turnaround. It was way more filmic shots of me wearing that kind of stuff. And I think that gave Stede's strength as well. So much of Stede's embodiment comes from the things he’s wearing.

Speaking of costumes, the big one of the season had to be Stede’s mermaid look. How did you wrap your head around getting ready for such a fantastical, and ultimately, beautiful scene?

That was the highlight of the whole season for me. As a kid, I used to swim around like a little merkid. I would put my legs together and I’d swim under the water. I’ve always been into mermaids and things because I’m into cryptozoology. So when I got to be a mermaid or a merman, I really took to it. It was pretty easy, to be honest with you. I didn’t have any training to swim like that. So the only training I did was some breath work beforehand to help me hold my breath longer. But that was kind of almost superfluous. Once I got that [tail] on, I just became a mermaid. It’s hard for me to describe how I suddenly become these things, but I think I just got under the water. I could swim really easily with it.

And I had weights on. So one of the things was we had to make sure I was the right weight so that I wouldn’t just float. That thing was sort of buoyant. So once we sorted that out, I could actually swim really well, and then just sort of hover underneath the water for a long time while [Taika]’s looking at me, I’m looking at him. To see it on the day, on the screen when I knew they’d got [the shot], there were just so many cheers, and I think they even played the music to see how the scene would work out. It’s one of those life moments where you go, “Oh my God, I’m becoming a cryptid again. I’m never going to forget this.”

This season really does focus even more on Stede and Blackbeard’s romance. How did you and Taika prepare for that? Especially since Stede’s more transparent about his feelings this time around.

It was good, and it was time. And because I was the new strong Stede, it felt really natural for me. I think it just worked really well with the writing because of the aggression that I was going through. When I was fighting that really bad guy [Ned Low (Bronson Pinchot) and] threw a violin at him because he ruined Calypso’s birthday, that was a good moment because it is not just about Ed, it’s about the crew, Stede’s family, and they were going through this amazing moment there, and all of a sudden this guy turns up and next thing we’re getting tortured. And I’m like, “How dare you?”

I think that progression of strength helped [Stede] break into the moment of, “I’m just going to take my lover as well now, and do something with him.” He probably had no idea what he was doing because it’s Stede, but it worked out and it was the right time in the show. Taika and I are really good mates, so it’s really easy to do emotional scenes together. As soon as we put our gear on, we’re just looking at that character, and we admire each other.

You and Taika have been known to improv on the show. Was there any improv moment from Season 2 you were particularly proud to see onscreen?

Yeah. Well, one, I noticed that some people are talking about that they thought was scripted, which wasn’t — most of the [scenes where] I’m with Taika are improvised in those emotional close moments — is on the deck of the boat where we’d do the thumb thing. That was all improvised on the day. So that was fun that we got that kind of stuff in. And there were some more little bits and pieces, but that’s one that comes to mind. That worked really well.

By the end of Season 2, Stede and Blackbeard have settled in to open their own inn. Do you think the peace and quiet will last in a possible third season, or will they get bored and want to rejoin the excitement?

Well, obviously as it stands now, it’s very lovely and it’s a nice positive ending, which is lovely for Season 2. But in reality, if you think about the characters, even in the fictional world, they’re both outlaws, they’re pirates, and the British back then… they never gave up. They did track down all the pirates and either hang them or get rid of them. There was only a couple that got away, and it certainly wasn’t those two. So I think what they’re thinking is, yes, this is bliss, but both those characters must be thinking, this is not going to last because you’ve got to sleep with one eye open.

Even though they’re in the middle of nowhere, they’re still in an area where everyone knows what they are, so they’re going to be tracked down. So I think if it was me, [they’d] end up back in action one way or another, especially if their inn is popular, which it probably would be. Word would get around. I mean, in those days, had you heard the Blackbeard and Stede had opened up an inn, [you’d have] to check that one out. It’ll be like Planet Hollywood.

There would be a wait-list, for sure.

Yeah, absolutely. Basically, they’re too famous now that Stede’s killed Ned and everything. He’s a famous pirate. So death is going to come to their door at some point. They’ll have to deal with it.

Do you think this version of Stede and Blackbeard’s story could avoid the fate of the real-life pirates?

Yeah, no, I think you’re dreaming if you think they’re going to live happily ever after.

Our Flag Means Death, Seasons 1-2, Streaming now, Max

Source: TV Insider

[darkinerry]

#but it is SO true that stede just becomes what he wears. he moves so differently according to what costume he's in#he treads and moves differently in his towel boy clothes. he struts and twirls in the red suit#and he has a tendency to slouch more in the teal deep v-neck shirt and move with less flair#in the s1 suits he does a different walk too it's so fascinating#ed code switches depending on who he's with. stede does it depending on what he's wearing

@bizarrelittlemew

[shippingforecasting]

“I think you’re dreaming if you think they’re going to live happily ever after” 😭

[adickaboutspoons]

Ed's princess (with a disorder) hair

Well, I tackled how to get Ed's party hair, so why not this one, too?

It looks so effortlessly stylish, doesn't it? But I can see three different directionalities of the hair at the base, and then it looks like some kind of wrap on the top and a sort of messy bun on the bottom. That's... just SO much effort to looks this blasé. So let's break it down.

Apologies as always for shitty mirror selfies. First, have long, preferably wavy hair. Store bought is fine. A little dirty is better for styling, so don't be afraid to go a few days without washing it.

Brush you hair out. If you have a part, brush back so you no longer do.

Draw a line across the back of your head from temple to temple and gather all the hair above that line into a half-ponytail. Pin or clip it out of the way for now.

Note: you can tease out your "slut strands" at this point. If you can keep them out of the way, it's so much easier at this point that it will be later. Draw a line from about two inches behind your ear down from the top-half ponytail to the base of your skull on boths sides, and separate the middle section from the bottom section. Loosely band the bottom section of hair for now to keep it out of the way.

Gather the middle section into a ponytail just underneath the top half-ponytail. Make it tight!

Unclip that top half-ponytail. Take a moment to make any adjustments for volume from the front - you want it to be a little poufy. Next, you're going to wrap that middle ponytail tightly around the top ponytail, making sure to cover the elastic. If you want, you can partially braid the top ponytail before you start the wrap in order to make it easier to differentiate between the two, but this is a messy look, so frankly it doesn't matter that much. Secure the loose ends underneath the wrap with two bobby pins in an "X" shape pushed up from the bottom.

Release the bottom ponytail, then gather it together with the bit of the top ponytail that's sticking out from the bottom of the wrap. Secure with elastic right at the base of the wrap. Make it nice and tight.

Anyone here old enough to remember Topsy-tails? No? Basically what you're going to do is make a hole from top to bottom behind the elastic of the bottom pony (so closer to you scalp).

Then you're going to push the tail of your ponytail PART WAY through that hole from top to bottom. Do not pull all the way through. You want there to be a loop of hair above your elastic.

Fan out your pouf. If you want, secure to the bottom of the wrap with bobby pins on the inside of the loop of hair.

And that's it!

You're ready to go steer a ship into a storm for wont of a lighthouse.

[asneakyfox]

man i get why some of you did not like stede pulling a han solo and not saying i love you back but me, i am still absorbing that he meant what he said. he knew, he knew the whole time! he knew all season!

we all thought "his name is ed" was stede finally accepting his own feelings and it was but it wasn't just that, that was stede beginning to realize that ed loved him, that he didn't need to feel guilty about the act of grace or the beard or any of it because ed did it all for love of him and didn't regret it, ed thought he was worthy of love, and if ed thinks so it must be true

he said at the beginning of the season that they were just on a break and it sounded completely delusional at the time but he was right they were never really broken up and he knew it because he knew ed loved him. izzy said "you think you understand him" but stede DID already understand, he knew exactly what ed was doing and why because he knew how much ed loved him. when he said "you don't have to say it back to me" he meant it because he knew ed loved him and just needed time to be ready to say it. all that stuff about "i know we're not through" and "a love like ours can't disappear" and "permanent ink," he wasn't just being embarrassing and melodramatic, he really meant all that. he knew the whole time and he was right the whole time and he was just waiting for ed to be ready. fuck.

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

again, props to the fan or fans who’ve posted this, but tumblr is a river that waits for no one! Tried to find you again! Sorry!

[mon-ster-chen]

💫🍸👋...a new System, and the next System is Rhys😘

[shippingforecasting]

Talking about the show I’m in. Our Flag Means Death. It’s all about love. And you’ll love it. ❤️

[forever-a-thespian]

Any ofmd fans not in Samba’s Momentus class are missing some juicy juicy deleted scene action

[forever-a-thespian]

So far:

David got bit by an eel during the spa day scene so they’re kicking their feet out of pure anxiety

Also, Samba can be seen in the background of the Stede/Zheng fight scene “in white face” with the mud mask on

The sandwich bit was mostly worked out between Taika, Samba, and Rhys

Roach was canonically a huge fan of Ned Low

Calypso’s Birthday WAS originally Lucius/Black Pete’s wedding. The crew spent the first half of the episode trying to get Stede and Ed to hook up because the high sexual tension was making everyone anxious. They did get to dance before Ned showed up, to Izzy singing “At Last” by Etta James.

Also, Roach was not in the party scene because Samba was crouched behing Con coaching his French pronunciation.

[forever-a-thespian]

Improvised moments:

Thumb war

Con’s “rude” and leg cross

“Buttons turned into a bird!” as Ed runs toward Stede in 1x05

Roach flipping Izzy off at the funeral

Please reply if I missed any!

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Someone requested for this clip of Taika Waititi and Leslie Jones on The Daily Jones due locked region. Have fun watching!

[shippingforecasting]

[shippingforecasting]

Is Ed’s ex, the arty one that Mary Reed mentioned, going to turn up in season 3? But this time, instead of leaving with him (as he did with Calico Jack) he will stick with Stede. And this time will Stede (despite being insanely jealous) actually like the guy, because he is the polar opposite to Jack?

[shippingforecasting]

I’m scared that they are going to die at the end of season 3. In real life Blackbeard died on 22 Nov 1718 and Stede on 10 December 1718 (after being caught on 10 November). I can’t bear to think of them being apart again. I hope David has a satisfying way to end the story that doesn’t involve Gentlebeard dying.

[flowersforvax]

Funniest thing to get on your timeline from one of the writers of the gay pirate show you had to pirate because it's not available in your country lmao