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Reviews
Our Flag Means Death: Impossible Birds (2023)
perfect opening to s2
I loved this as an opening to s2, it was lovely to see all of the characters again and Stede's sweetness came through so well even as his naivete is still frustrating his crew. Everyone in the cast gets a moment to shine (Buttons's "CAN WE RETURN TO THE SEA NOW CAP'N" is soooo funny, as is Pete's "oh look. Running water") and the introduction of Zheng as a character is very compelling. I was such a fan of season 1, and this felt perfectly in line with everything that I loved about it.
And Ed!!!! Oof, Ed and Izzy's scenes this episode are perfect and chilling. The actors are incredible and I felt for Izzy and how his alliance shifted, even as Ed's despair came through so clearly (I know he's hurting his crew, but my heart just breaks for him!!).
Our Flag Means Death: Wherever You Go, There You Are (2022)
music choices in this episode were perfect
As this episode went on I kept watching the timestamp and going "oh no oh no how are they going to fix this? How are they going to end the season?"
This is a FANTASTIC ending to the season. It follows the historical moment of Blackbeard running off with Bonnet's ship. We get to see Stede having changed from who he was in the beginning of the season to an entirely different man, and making use of all of the knowledge he gained from Ed. Mary was also a wonderful surprise in this episode, as she'd previously just appeared as a cruel voice in Stede's own head--but how and why that came about becomes very clear this episode. Her character was nuanced and well-written, and I'm glad she got her happy ending.
Meanwhile, Ed's in despair over the events of episode 9 (understandably!) and trying to figure out who he wants to be now, and retreating to the Kraken persona to protect himself, swinging between the two extremes. When he finally decides to be the Kraken, you can't help but sympathize with him, even as he takes his anger out on the crew and himself.
It's excellently done, and I can't wait for season 2!!!!
Our Flag Means Death: Act of Grace (2022)
<3
I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started watching this show as it aired, and I was DELIGHTED by the kiss at the end of this episode.
First of all the Act of Grace scene itself is just fantastic. King George's "overthinking things as usual" is one of the funniest line deliveries in the whole series, every rewatch it manages to startle me into cracking up. Also, Izzy Hands manages to be a compelling antagonist even as he sold out Stede and his crew. But Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby as Ed and Stede make this show what it is, which is a perfect queer romance story.
And Stede's despair as the episode concludes is so perfectly done, your heart just breaks for him as you watch. The collapse of this relationship and the potential future together they've both realized they want happens so quickly, but calls back to so much of the earlier season that it makes perfect sense.
Perfect episode from start to finish.
Our Flag Means Death: We Gull Way Back (2022)
hilarious!
Will Arnett is fantastic in this episode as Calico Jack. Poor Ed just wants all his friends to like each other, but Calico Jack (for reasons that become clearer later in the episode) and Stede rub each other the wrong way and just can't get along.
What I really love this episode is how the split between Jim and Oluwande and the split between Ed and Stede are paralleled: Jim and Ed both have a duty that they feel that they need to follow, Jim to their family and Ed to his old friend. But Ed comes back when Stede needs him (despite Jack's urging).
Also, of course, this episode has two absolutely amazing moments: I never would have thought the staredown with the seagull would have been so funny, and the sequence with the Chain is easily one of the best and most hilarious moments in the show so far.
Our Flag Means Death: This Is Happening (2022)
Jim!
This episode is a delight for a lot of reasons: Stede's little adventure is cute, we get to see Ed having his own realizations about what this means to him, but of course the main plot this episode is learning, finally, who Jim is and what they're trying to do. "Stealthy assassin raised by a murderous nun" somehow fits so well into this silly and campy show, and even as over the top as the concept is the heart of the issue comes through: they loved and missed their family, but the search for revenge is still an obligation that feels like a burden to them sometimes. And Nana such a fun character and even as she puts pressure on Jim and is clearly disappointed in them, you can't help but love Nana (the fact that Nana and Oluwande immediately hit it off doesn't hurt, either). We also get Oluwande's very sweet confession scene in this episode.
This episode adds a lot of heart to the show, while still keeping the silly tone.
Our Flag Means Death: The Art of F**kery (2022)
this episode has everything
There's so much in this episode that's good and worth talking about--the swordfighting, the haunted ship pretense, every single one of the crew interactions. I love that the crew doesn't really need Stede to put together their act, and I loved the B-plot where we get to see Lucius's place in the crew (along with some ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS line delivery from Samba Schutte as Roach). And of course, the swordfighting scene is very fun--Stede's inability to actually swordfight because Edward was really just swordfighting with him for fun, vs Izzy. We can also see in this episode that the crew's attitude towards Stede has shifted--they dislike Izzy, so they're united in favor of Stede during the swordfight.
In truth, this episode is one of the most pirate-y of the whole show, and I'm pretty sure they didn't even actually successfully steal anything. But it doesn't matter--it was a VERY fun ride along the way.
Our Flag Means Death: The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well (2022)
the moonlight scene!
We get to see a little bit of life on board the ship with Stede and Ed this episode, and watch their relationship develop.
While this episode isn't my favorite for a handful of reasons (mainly the implication that Edward "sounds stressful, Izzy :(" Teach doesn't understand the concept of passive aggression), the relationship being developed between Ed and Stede is so charming in this episode. As I watched while it was airing, I didn't have the benefit of episodes 9 and 10 to know what was going to happen--and thought I was seeing things in the moonlight scene where Stede tucks the square of red silk into Ed's pocket. "He can't be about to kiss him!"
Spoilers for episode 9 and 10: HE WAS! (And it was perfect.)
I also think that David Fane and Nathan Foad deserve a shoutout for the B-plot of this episode, which does such a fantastic job of delivering one of the themes of this show in the "I've never had anyone take an interest in my form before" scene. It's silly and funny, but Lucius's response is so earnest--there's always something to love and we owe it to each other to look for that. It's one of my favorite scenes in the whole entire series.
Our Flag Means Death: Discomfort in a Married State (2022)
this episode is where it all clicks
This is the episode that made me sit up and go "OH WOW! This show is going to be GOOD."
First of all, the writing in this episode is really stellar. The parallels are drawn between Ed's current life and Stede's former life, and Taika Waititi plays Ed really Going Through It with a very wry humor--Ed is both the genius who thinks up the plans and the engine driving the crew forward, but his exhaustion with that role comes through, and where he says it directly to Stede there's a clear difficulty in explaining how he's feeling to his own crew. Izzy just isn't getting it (though Izzy, as we can also see in this episode, is struggling as well--his anxiety about the oncoming attack drives much of the plot as much as Edward's paralyzing depression).
The outfit switcheroo scene is hilarious, adorable, and a little bit romantic--we learn so much about Stede from all the things he's excited to tell Edward about. And of course, all the hints we've gotten about Stede's backstory come together in his flashbacks to his life before. His sense of being out of place really comes through, and the show does a great job of making you sympathetic for him at the same time as understanding, frankly, why Mary might be annoyed with him. (At first I was concerned about the portrayal of Mary, since she is... really mean, but on rewatch, and with episode 10 in mind, it's clear that the show took care to present her as nuanced.)
There is such a sweet tone to this show, and even through all of it the background characters and ensemble comedy really works (Lucius watching Pete talk about Blackbeard is particularly funny in relation to the upcoming episodes, among other moments). Overall, this is just a really excellent episode--hilarious and heartwarming.
Our Flag Means Death: A Gentleman Pirate (2022)
Leslie Jones!!!!
This is where the show really starts to pick up, and it's delightful. Leslie Jones is AMAZING in this episode, and we get backstory for several of the characters as well. We also get a sense of what Stede walked into when he decided to become a pirate and just how little he actually understands of that world--which helps clear up some of the gaps in previous episodes. One of the things that this show does well is taking the time to hint at Stede's backstory before we really get into the full explanation of who he was before, and why he's decided to go off to sea, and this episode does a good job of delivering those hints. Did I mention Leslie Jones is amazing? She's amazing. I am so excited that they're bringing Spanish Jackie back for next season.
All in all, a very funny and solid episode.
Our Flag Means Death (2022)
just fantastic
Some people say that the first three episodes are slow and take time to ramp up, I suggest that if you're feeling that way you wait it out before giving up, but I was charmed by it from the start.
Don't go into this expecting a serious historical drama, but DO go into it expecting a silly, campy production that the show crew absolutely poured their heart into. You can tell that everything from set design, costume design, and character backstory was done with love and intention. In reading behind the scenes information of the show, many of the pirates' actors also had a lot of say in their characters' backstory and while much of what they decided with the writers doesn't appear on screen, it truly contributes to making every pirate feel individual with a clear voice of their own, and the ensemble comedy really works.
Con O'Neill as Izzy Hands deserves a special mention for imbuing his character with as much Shakespearean seriousness as you can possibly imagine--think Michael Caine with the Muppets in The Muppet Christmas Carol and you're on the right track. Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby are so fun as Edward Teach and Stede Bonnet respectively, as well, especially in scenes where they're riffing off of each other. They really make the show work.
Much has been said about the queer romances, I just have to say that I watched as the show was airing and that aspect was a wonderful surprise. I thought "oh there's no WAY they're going where I hope they're going with this" but I was so delighted to see it play out exactly as it was set up.
It's a fantastic show that only improves on rewatch. I'm so excited for the second season!
Our Flag Means Death: A Damned Man (2022)
Pirate vacation time!
This is another episode that is definitely setting up the future of the show--of course Stede immediately leaps to having everyone go on vacation, he's still afraid of what "being a pirate" means at this point (as evidenced by the Badminton flashbacks and his fear of violence). However, he finds himself in a duel with a real pirate unexpectedly and outwits him, in a HILARIOUS scene with Con O'Neill as Izzy Hands. Guz Khan also merits a mention for stealing the scene with some hilarious line delivery as Ivan in the background of the fight. Also, the ship running aground and Izzy complaining about it is a nice historical nod to when that actually happened to the real Israel Hands.
The overall silliness of the show is just as delightful this episode, and it balances well between Stede's anxiety and the rest of the characters not understanding why he's upset. We also get introduced to the B-plot of Jim and Oluwande's relationship, which was a very delightful surprise the first time I watched this show.
The structure of the show starts to come together a little bit more, and of course the ensemble comedy continues to be really fun.
Our Flag Means Death: Pilot (2022)
cute & fun ensemble comedy
The pilot episode is so charming, especially on rewatch when you've gotten to know the characters better--the background details of the crew's interactions are really worth paying attention to, and VERY funny. It's definitely not a serious historical drama, but tbh I watch a lot of historical dramas and they don't always have the level of care that went into the sets and the costumes for this show. It's not that everything is perfectly period-accurate, it's that the rich background details add to every scene. And it sets up the show perfectly for future episodes as well.
A great start to a very fun show :)