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curiousjennie
Reviews
Our Flag Means Death: Wherever You Go, There You Are (2022)
Murder's a Natural Cause
I love episode ten for finally giving Mary the chance to breathe, when until this point the narrative has solely focussed on their stories of Jim and men. Claudia O'Doherty brings Mary to life as someone just as complex and unhinged as her devastatingly selfish "deceased" husband.
Kristen Johnston does as much as humanly possible in a single episode to deliver the spectacular Widow Evelyn Higgins, another larger-than-life character who seems to inhabit the entire series despite only appearing at the end.
In a show that is essentially about toxic masculinity, delivering these two rich female characters right at the end helps round out the perfect, devastating conclusion to season one.
Our Flag Means Death: We Gull Way Back (2022)
Turtle vs Crab
Minutes into episode eight it's hard to remember how hopefully episode seven finished. Will Arnett is skin-crawlingly perfect as the awful, awful Calico Jack. The viewer's heart breaks for Stede as he sees what Ed's other friends are like, and the kind of fun they have together. Ed naively thinking that getting his two favourite people together will equal double the fun... he has a lot to learn about how people work. This episode has one of my favourite lines, when Lucius tried to interrupt Stede's completely normal surveillance of Ed and Jack on the beach. I'd join Ed to watch a turtle fight a crab any day.
Our Flag Means Death: This Is Happening (2022)
Whiny selfish pirates
Episode seven, together with episode three, is my favourite. Stede's response to running out of oranges, and Ed's plan to take a nap, are two of my favourite character moments. Stede and Edward are both selfish and whiny, picking on each other delightfully and ruining each others' day. Lucius to the rescue. We start to see just how important Lucius is to Stede, and how much he's willing to do to make Stede happy and facilitate a happy and fulfilled crew. The three-way dynamic between Ed, Stede and Lucius throughout the whole episode is so perfectly developed and revealed. And then, of course, we finally witness the back story of weirdly secretive Jim!
Our Flag Means Death: Discomfort in a Married State (2022)
Why can't a pirate fancy fine fabrics?
How can this episode not be a favourite for any viewer? Finally, Blackbeard is revealed... and his name is Ed. I've watched this series with my ADHD teen and they so immediately identified with Ed's chaotic exploration of all Stede's "great s***". It's such a frequent experience for neurodivergent viewers to either latch onto Stede or Ed as who they relate to most. The tension between Ed and Izzy Hands, as Ed has to switch between playful enjoyment with Stede to being Blackbeard with Izzy, sets the course for the rest of the season. Why can't one be a gentleman and a pirate? And why can't they be a pirate and enjoy fine things?
Our Flag Means Death: A Gentleman Pirate (2022)
Utter hilarity in the Republic of Pirates
This is one of my two favourite episodes. Stede Bonnet's true insanity and uncomprehending self-centredness fully shine through when he decides to take his hostage, and ever-suffering Lucius, to the Republic of Pirates. "Who wants to buy this fabulous booty I'm hawking" is the start of the most unhinged exchange of dialogue in series one. And we get to meet Spanish Jackie! Leslie Jones is a scene stealer every time she appears. Plus, we get Fred Armisen as well, and if there was ever a seal of quality on a comedy it's an appearance by Armisen. Stede Bonnet's reaction to Izzy Hands is always so completely out of character compared to everyone else in the show, and the dynamic between Rhys Darby and Con O'Neill is one of the greatest in the show.
Our Flag Means Death: A Damned Man (2022)
Con O'Neill is brilliant
This is the most often missed episode in rewatches but it does so much to set the tone of the show, and introduce one of our most essential (and controversial!) characters. The pixels and characters the fandom has invested in the incredible Con O'Neill's character Izzy Hands will be the subject of many a media studies thesis. The roster of villains start to fill as Stede Bonnet manages to piss off every established naval officer and reputable pirate in the Caribbean. We also get to see the approach the writers take to topics of colonisation and racism (already introduced in episode one), which manage to be a constant undercurrent without ever overwhelming the comedy of the show.
Our Flag Means Death: Pilot (2022)
Very mild spoilers about characters, not plot.
The thing I love about the pilot episode is on the surface it seems like another goofy workplace comedy, with goofy Rhys Darby playing another Murray FOTC-like character. But the twisted depths of Stede Bonnet start to be revealed and you discover how hard it may be to like this character. The other characters don't like him either. The complexity of Stede Bonnet deepens throughout the series, thanks to incredible scripts and a wonderful performance by Darby. I loved Buttons from the start, another character who becomes weirder and weirder as the series goes on. Badminton is the ultimate villain.
Our Flag Means Death (2022)
A life-changer for weirdoes like me
This show has done something to my brain. The sensitivity and brutality and humour and slow, slow romance got deep into my soul and brain. OFMD has inspired me to accept myself the way I am, filled something I didn't know was missing. It's goofy and breathtaking and everything I've ever wanted, and wasn't on screen 20-30 years ago in my formative years.
Everyone sees something different in the show, depending on their outlook and experiences. To me it says that the only way to live is by being yourself, however much of a screw up society says you are. Seeing a non-binary actor and many other LGBTIQA+ actors on screen, with a lot of neurodivergent representation in how the characters are portrayed, is still a unique experience.