There are obviously some people not taking Edward's S2 arc very well. Or - more often - twisting it to fit into absolutely wild takes and then pretending they are taking it well while everyone else is wrong and problematic for beliefs like "S2 clearly establishes Edward was harming his entire crew in his depressive spiral and he's still in the process of making that right." One of them wrote this section from a post that I found absolutely fascinating (if also wildly off base) in the way it buys into Edward's clearly faulty POV without hesitation...

...and I really want to talk about Knife Parade now.

Because I don't think that's what's going on here, obviously.

Edward has internalized some very fucked up shit in his piracy career, a lot of it probably going back to his time with Calico Jack (and others? Fang was with him for 20 years, and Izzy "all his fucking life"?) under Captain Hornigold, aka the man who killed Felix the cabin boy by feeding him a live crab. Edward didn't really emulate Hornigold until Kraken Era because he hated the man, but we can see from how he and Jack act in 1x08 that he still developed a very skewed understanding of violence and social bonding.

And, as unpleasant as it makes him, the Edward of the past was absolutely the kind of guy to "fuck with his crew like that for shits and giggles."

Like - hold the defensiveness because this is not a one-to-one comparison - Edward describing chasing Fang around screaming and terrified as just a fun game sounds like how someone's childhood bullies would describe tormenting them. Bullies often feel like they were just joking around or just playing a game, even when the other party was clearly not having a good time. The show even invokes this with Nigel and Stede in the first episode.

And the reason bullies typically feel this way is because the social environment that they are in treats their behavior as acceptable (or fails to treat it as unacceptable because adults/other children are consciously or subconsciously designating the bullied kids as fair targets).

Edward thought chasing after Fang with a knife and shouting "come here you little fucker" was okay because he grew into adulthood in a culture where that and way worse was normal. Maybe he even got the idea watching an adult do it to someone (for likely non-playful reasons). He was probably older and/or higher ranked than Fang, in a culture where rank entirely out-ranks obligations to give a shit about someone else's feelings.

Just think about how he describes being Captain:

"Oh fuck no. Apologizing? Nah. Didn't apologize for jack shit."

The idea Edward didn't want to hurt Fang is not even on the table, because he didn't pay enough mind to the people below him to register hurting them was even a thing his "fun" actions could do. He's entirely rewritten the events in his mind.

And, again, this is a funny joke and a very understandable mindset to develop that literally no one has ever pushed back on until this moment, so good for Edward thinking back and going "oh fuck I guess Knife Parade was less Yardies and more Torturing Felix" and then immediately acknowledging that Fang has justifiable basis for beef with him. That's pretty big of him. Growth.

But "didn't care about Fang being terrified to the point he legit forgot because peer-accepted behavior" is still not quite the same thing as "genuinely didn't realize Fang was terrified" lol

ed is absolutely panicking in 2x7 bc he’s seeing stede having the time of his life being a famous pirate and he’s genuinely happy for stede but also he wants out of this life and he’s afraid stede will choose piracy over him and so he’s leaving first before stede can leave him again, all of which is bc deep down ed still thinks he’s unlovable and he’s scared to get hurt by stede again and he’s handling everything very badly

all that being said

the fact that ed has already decided that he can’t choose piracy for stede’s sake is so important to me

piracy was slowly killing ed long before stede entered the picture. and now that ed’s decided that he wants warmth and food and orgasms and he wants to live he’s not going to force himself to do a job that makes him fucking miserable. he still might not think he’s worth love and not worth choosing, but he’s at least moved past thinking he deserves to die. he’s past making himself so miserable that he wants to die. ed still has a lot of work to do but he’s making good progress and i’m proud of him.

to be clear I don’t think “zaddy” implies in any way that Stede is a beast in the bedroom, because he’s absolutely not, I think it just further pushes the agenda that Ed is so down bad for his loser boyfriend because he’s never had anyone actually give a shit about him before

It's home cinema manufacturing time! 🏴‍☠️ Gonna put my pirate show on my shelf! (I'm doing an Arts and Crafts Project and I'm making it everyone's problem.)

After seeing how much they cost, I abandoned the idea of getting a Blu-ray writer for now. For the time being, good old DVDs is what it's going to be! My TV is old and not very big, so DVD resolution is gonna be fine.

It's been ages since I last burned a DVD. For the full experience, I'm gonna create nice menus and pretty sleeves for the boxes. Graphic design is my passion! Um.

Well. First needed to find a program to do stuff with. I'm a Linux guy, so I'm using Devede. (Which is free, btw. In case someone else wants to do a low cost spot of putting pirate show on the shelf.)

DVDs fit a maximum of 120 minutes of video. So, four episodes, I thought. But after a quick attempt, the program refused to do more than three (maybe because of the menu also taking up space, and four episodes cutting pretty close to the 120 min mark?). Anyway, three episodes per disc it is. It's a pretty nice runtime for watching the entire disc, IMO. An hour and a half, and then you can return to reality to realise you should probably eat something, or go to bed because it's midnight.

OFMD with its current two seasons has a total of eighteen episodes, which is divisible by three. You get the following setup:

Disc 1: Pilot, A Damned Man, The Gentleman Pirate - That's pretty good, Stede's introduction to piracy all on one disc!

Disc 2: Discomfort in a Married State, The Best Revenge is Dressing Well, The Art of Fuckery - All bangers. Great to watch together, our boys meet and shenanigans happen!

Disc 3: This is Happening, We Gull Way Back, Act of Grace - Many romantic moments, lots of great scenes, shit hits the fan at the end there. Alright!

Disc 4: Wherever you go, there you are, Impossible Birds, Red Flags - ... Pain and angst! What have I done!?! The disc of horrors. Gotta make sure to have tissues at hand when I watch this. But hey, it also has messy bun Ed! Small mercies.

Disc 5: The Innkeeper, Fun and Games, The Curse of the Seafaring Life. - Another disc with all winners. I love all these episodes so much! (You can watch this disc to recover from the trauma of the previous one!) But seriously, this one slaps.

Disc 6: Calypso's Birthday, Man on Fire, Mermen - Great combination again. Season finale! Love and excitement!

... Honestly, except for the psychological damage of putting all the most painful episodes together, this is coming out pretty cool. Says a lot about how good the show is. I actually really love all the episodes (yes even the painful angsty episodes of massive depression). Thinking about this little project really reminded me how much I love this entire show.

So, we got a tracklist, now menus, then we can burn this stuff!

I did the menu backgrounds in GIMP. Realised I have a big folder full of screenshots I took myself, screenshots someone else took and posted on Tumblr, official promo pics for the show, and I have no idea anymore where most of them are from, because I named the files according to what's on them. Which is useful for when you want to find pics (Need a picture of cursed suit Stede? I have files named that, easy peasy!), but not so great if you wanted to give credit to whoever took a given pic you used. (It's probably @sherlockig or @ofmd-ann or @blakbonnet. Please feel credited, your beautiful screens and gifs brighten my day, and some of them are now probably part of my DVD menus. Shrunk down and cropped, but, yeah.)

I originally wanted to structure my menus as having the title of an episode, then some pics from it, then the next episode, then pics from that, and so forth, but I couldn't convince the program to give me the necessary padding between the menu items, so I ended up just putting the episode images below the menu. Still like it.

Anyway, DVD menus can also play sound! Behold a crappy video of my beautiful creation (provided entirely for sound):

It plays Gnossienne N°5!

More crappy pics of my other disc menus:

Gonna make them some nice sleeves next. Some day. Gotta make sure they all work properly first. So. I'll be on my sofa, watching my DVDs. With menus! (Edit: here are!)

Me since April of 2022: "Where is season 2? I need a season 2! Renew it HBO! Or Max! Whoever you are renew it for the love of Black Pete FUCK WE NEED IT GIVE US SEASON 2!"

Me since June 2023: "FFS IT'S BEEN IN THE CAN SINCE LAST YEAR PLS ITS PRIDE MONTH WE NEED SEASON 2! A TRAILER? A RELEASE DATE? A SINGLE BLURRY PICTURE I WILL TAKE ANYTHING PLS I DESPERATE!"

*trailer drops*

Me today: "Wait what do you mean October 5th? That's um...that's so soon aha I um...fuck, I don't know if I can...Help... I, oh God this is gonna kill me isn't it. David Jenkins blink three times if I'm safe. If anyone is safe. I just OH FUCK I'M NOT READYYYYY."

I'm so normal about the fact that the crew chose to use the unicorn hoof of all things for Izzy's new leg, its unbelievably moving. The unicorn was the figurehead of the ship, and back then figureheads embodied the spirit of the vessel, offering the crew protection from harsh seas and safeguarding their homeward journeys. Now i don't think i need to really explain just how beautiful this is, but, I'm also incapable of shutting up about Israel Hands, so. Izzy seems to assume everyone still hates him, and is drinking his many sorrows away, alone in his room, not knowing that the crew fully recognizes that Izzy saved them from Blackbeard, that he chose to protect them. The note said that Izzy is the ships "new unicorn" i.e. the new figurehead, this means that he also embodies the spirit of the vessel, and that they have faith in his continued ability to protect them, as is the job of the figurehead. Even the fact the hoof was painted gold seems intentional, gold in the bible represents love and protection, as if they are saying thank you for protecting us, now let us paint you in our protection as well Izzy. When they knocked on his door to give him his present, Izzy derogatorily calls himself a cripple, showing that he's feeling particularly clumsy and weak after his fall in front of everyone, and assumes this must be how everyone sees him now as well. But, unicorns actually represent power and grace, they've not only enabled Izzy to feel sturdy again physically with a new leg, they've also taken a bit of the weight off his shoulders emotionally by proving to him that he's not alone. Similar to his new leg, they're willing to bear some of the burden for him. And that's the thing, Izzy always tries to do things on his own, he gets drunk alone, he cries alone, his version of self-healing involves coming up with stories about sharks biting his leg off, and he even does that alone too. Yet they're giving him a sign that no matter how much he tries to self isolate, he's actually shit out of luck because they're there for him. What I appreciate about this show of support is the fact that they didn't force Izzy to accept the gift face to face, rather, they left it outside his room, proving that they know him quite well, and didn't want to push him too far too fast. Just like their extending of friendship, they are letting Izzy come to them when he's ready. But what i love most of all is that it actually works, this is what finally snaps him out of his spiral of depression, and gets him sword training again, improving himself rather than giving up, and engaging with the crew and helping them. This one show of solidarity, gratitude, and compassion, opens his eyes to the fact that he's a part of their messed up family, he belongs to something, and this fact alters Izzy forever.

Crew not to be the bearer of bad news but i think they’re gonna kill izzy in the finale. His character development reeks of major character death. We’re suspiciously spending too much time with him i’ve consumed enough media to see this coming from a mile away

Like I see the scene now in my head it’s gonna be the moment he and ed “reconcile” and solve everything and its at his final moments like the cliche that ofmd doesnt shy away from

Izzy's death was good, actually.

One of the best things about the show is how it plays with genre. There's nods and influences to the stylistic trappings of other genres all the time. Horror with the Kraken, historical drama with the british navy, comedy with Stede, romcom with... half the cast at this point. And Izzy is a grimdark pirate sadboy.

Our flag means DEATH. piracy is brutal, you can devote your entire life to it and it won't repay you at the end. The title isn't just for funsies, it's Chekhov's gun and it's been with us the whole time.

What Izzy did get, though, was a chance to live for a moment in another genre. He got to feel genuine love and friendship. After Ed shot him and he lost his leg, he came to the dramatic conclusion of his pirate arc. He makes the transition to ensemble comedy, he gets to experience belonging and love and all the things he talks about in his final speech.

But Izzy is a grimdark pirate. He knows he's gotten more joy and love than he was ever supposed to get. He could have gotten more, if only he weren't the legendary pirate Israel Hands. But he is. And he knows he is.

ATTENTION pirates, pirate lovers, & #piratecore perusers: PLEASE listen to ship in a bottle by fin aka steffan argus - & his whole album lost at sea. i really like the song abandon ship too. thank me later

Literally though "Why would Izzy be so against Edward's embracing the crew in his grief if he wasn't a femme-gay-hating homophobe hmm???" Because they are boat based criminals, Margaret.

Because they scare people for a living. Because they are social outcasts making a system work for them that was never intended to. Because Izzy is a hardened, paranoid bastard who thinks being weak in front of people you cannot trust is how you get killed, and staying alive is more important to him than emotional fulfillment. Because he doesn't trust the Revenge to be a safe space.

There's a really-not-that-hard to spot story here about community and support and the importance of being yourself openly, but it's rooted in the community bit. In having a group of people who you trust and are comfortable with before you start feelings-circling your softest bits.

No fucking shit the antagonist whose defining experiences on the Revenge were mockery, disrespect, having his crewmate spread an embarrassing story to the enemy, more targeted mockery, being lied to, and then being banished does not view the Revenge as a safe space to be vulnerable. 🙄 Is he probably going to learn that being a dick to keep anyone from bonding with you is part of his problem and that physical safety isn't everything? Learn the value of community and letting go of defensive maladaptive behaviors that actively harm yourself and others? Seems likely.

But fucking hell it is not actually a sign of undeniable moral corruption to not instinctively trust strangers to welcome you into the fold and become your support system. Especially when they don't.

(Hell, our protagonist Stede doesn't open up even as he preaches the importance of opening up - because he too needs to learn about safe spaces and community support.)

Every day I think about Olu and that fake “Prince Azi” character with his sharp red outfit and fake African accent and fake viceroy/attendant and every day it makes me all giddy not only cuz it was hilarious but because he was so damn happy running the scam with Frenchie

Like it took him a minute to get warmed up and shake off the fear of getting caught but the moment Abshir offered to help, he got right back into character and loved every second of stealing from these snobby white colonialists

🫅🏿BUSINESSMAN🫅🏿

History remixed in OFMD

Stede Bonnet, the aristocrat who left his family and fortune behind to become a pirate, really existed. He paid his crew regular wages, unheard of at the time, and was one of the few historical pirates who made people walk the plank.

Blackbeard and Bonnet struck up an unlikely friendship, and decided to cruise together, with Blackbeard taking command while Bonnet kept to his cabin, recovering from his wounds

Despite Blackbeard's ferocious reputation, there are no verified accounts of his ever having murdered or harmed those he held captive.

Israel Hands had nicknames in his written records including Basilica and Hezekiah.

Israel Hands captained a second ship as part of Blackbeard's fleet.

Teach's Queen Anne's Revenge was run aground on a sandbar, and Hands' Adventure also became stuck when trying to assist.

Teach marooned about 25 men on a small sandy island. Bonnet rescued them two days later.

In June 1718, Bonnet & Teach separately accepted a pardon for their piracy, but by August had returned to piracy.

Israel Hands was shot in the knee by Ed Teach / Blackbeard. Some accounts say the captain was firing at another sailor and hit Hands by mistake, offering as explanation "if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forget who he was." Others say Blackbeard was asserting his authority as captain when Hands disagreed with him.

The historical Israel Hands did not lose his leg, though his injury disabled him permanently. While Hands was recovering from his wound, Ed Teach was killed in battle and Stede Bonnet was captured by British authorities off the coast of North Carolina. They were both executed, although Israel Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials, in exchange for a pardon.

sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Hands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stede_Bonnet

I saw some people talking shit about the interview with the writer where they said the whole crew was a polycule on the basis that they did not confirm a polycule beyond a reasonable doubt. When you say shit like that I want to remind you that Jes Tom is in the writers room, and not in filming or editing. They might not get the memo on changes made later in the process and they are involved in pitching and executing ideas, they know what the characters would do better than anyone except maybe David Jenkins because they decide what the characters do.

So if a writer is saying "we want there to be an all encompassing polycule" and an actor (Vico Ortiz) is saying "we filmed a scene where three characters implied to be in a relationship were quickly putting on their clothes after having sex" but we the audience didn't get to see either of those things than maybe it's not the fault of the writer's room that we didnt get it but some other force

Like... Perhaps... The studio not wanting to show it on their network and telling the editors to take that shit out.

Basically, the point: it gets rather annoying when people knit picking looking for a reason to be a hater after Izzys death call the lack of explicit polyamory a betrayal or worse yet say that the writer is on something and dragging us along when the writer in question is literally one of us (nonbinary) and we're so clearly on the same side. The writers like us and they like the show and they want to give us the polycule and, as with most shows, it's the capitalist's fault we didn't get that. Please direct your rage in the appropriate direction. I will be treating Jim/Olu/Archie/Zheng as well as Fang/Lucius/Pete like it's canon and I will be tweeting the foursome art at the nearest HBO max exec so they get the picture. I encourage everyone to do the same.

I need to talk about Ed making Izzy disabled

If you are going to be mad at disabled fans who are upset that the only physically disabled character on the show got killed off, because "he was a dick! he threatened and hurt ed so he had it coming!" then you need to absolutely block me. There is nothing, nothing that Izzy could have done that made him deserve getting mutilated resulting in him having a physical disability for life. It's "Izzy made him do it" when Ed's behavior is bad, but when Izzy is a bad person he apparently deserves everything that happens to him. Imagine your boss making you disabled because you pushed back on his behavior and made him angry. I'm not here to excuse Izzy's actions, the guy did bad shit. But even IF Izzy was a systematic abuser(which he is not), Ed used his authority in a terrible way, and as a disabled person i absolutely hated seeing it.

Characters die, and that's okay. I personally would have loved it if i got to see him thrive after overcoming all that, but i did not get to. So please just let me be a bit upset that my disabled character died after finally recovering and learning to live with one leg.

I'm having complicated emotions (though mostly giggling madly) about the fact that people are recommending The Terror and Black Sails to Our Flag Means Death fans purely based on them being Age of Sail series with "queer representation". Like... sure, I guess? But I'm not sure if serious-as-a-heart-attack horror or drama series are what OFMD fans are looking for.

HOWEVER.

What if I told you there is another pirate show out there with a lighthearted tone, colorful quasi-Age-of-Sail setting, and plot centered around a lovable crew of misfits creating a found family on a pirate ship?

Our Flag Means Death fans looking for a new boat media obsession, I think Netflix's One Piece may be the show you're looking for. Have fun, and I'll see you all at Funky Bar on Mirror Ball Island.