#ofmd thoughts

[ratboylucius]

i saw this tweet ( @forpiratereasons ):

i immediately started sobbing. i truly can’t put into words how special Our Flag Means Death is to me. but, i’m going to attempt it anyway.

i was trying to figure my sexuality during the height of my fandom days. being mocked by the cast and creators of shows that were actively queerbaiting us, only to have them try to make us sound stupid when we called them out on it. it really did not help. it fucking sucked.

i had to spoil OFMD for myself about half way through, because i couldn’t handle a show doing that to me again, and in 2022.

instead, i found a show that not only follows through, but whose show runners, cast, and crew celebrates the queerness surrounding it. embraces the fandom. loves the show as much as we do.

that is so fucking special to me.

[seriesfive]

edward “look, they’ve got a bird guy. …why don’t we have a bird guy?” teach being connected to buttons this season through themes of ‘impossible birds’ and death and rebirth and the fucking gravy basket, telling buttons that people don’t change but being the one to see him transform. telling the crew what happened, but they think ed killed him. wearing buttons’ old shirt in one of the upcoming episodes. like i swear to god if when buttons comes back he lands on ed or ed is the one to recognize him and even understand him or something. ed YOU are the bird guy now babe

[cottoncandiescupcakes]

OFMD is funny because Ed fancying Stede is treated as like the cool sexy guy fancying this foppish dork but

In reality

Ed is crushing on the male beauty standard of the time. It's like a modern day version of a criminal robbing a bank and finding an unconscious Chris Hemsworth

Stede has everything a man of his day and age wanted, like shapely legs, fluffy hair and cherubic features, aristocratic, so to Ed, it'd be like finding someone so beautiful he'd only seen statues and paintings of it LMAO

[lottiematthewsceo]

“he was either gonna watch the world burn or die trying” no cause let’s talk about how a lot of people think stede either refuses to see and acknowledge all the bad shit ed’s done or doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation but just like ed they really don’t get him at all because stede knows ed better than any of them and he knows why ed is doing this he’s heartbroken.

stede’s morals are a bit (very) fucked especially when it comes to those he loves especially ed so he doesn’t care that ed is beheading people or doing arson he cares about how these acts make him feel (sad and upset) and he doesn’t want ed doing shit that upsets him or that he doesn’t like am i making sense?

ed’s well-being is important to him so if ed was happy doing these things he would have a problem but ed isn’t happy so it’s a problem

[serpentarius]

been trying to wrap my head around the cancellation of "Our Flag Means Death" and why it hurts so fucking much. lots of folks who are much more eloquent than I have summed it up perfectly, but I still think it’s important I add my voice to the matter. 

It really, really sucks that the hurt is being compounded on us every time another queer/minority-led show gets prematurely cancelled. and for a long while, we also had to deal with the many shows that deliberately queerbaited us, which was a shitty and traumatic experience unto its own. And even though we’ve largely surpassed that early-‘00s-flavoured brand of queerbait now, mainstream queer media is still predominantly white-led. With the cancellation of OFMD, we've lost one of the very few intersectional queer shows in the mainstream. Shouldn’t we be beyond asking for crumbs at this point? Shouldn’t we get unabashedly intersectional shows helmed by and starring queer, BIPOC, and trans folks without them being axed for no rhyme or reason?

It’s exhausting at this point, honestly. OFMD has done so well in terms of viewership and engagement and fan response—almost entirely due to word of mouth and little thanks to the Max marketing team, mind you—and even still the show got cancelled? Can they make it make sense????

For me, the thing most akin to this OFMD situation was when Sense8 got cancelled. And yes, the fandom fought, and we eventually DID get a movie that wrapped things up years later! That gives me hope for OFMD, that maybe another network will pick it up, or maybe they’ll be able to make a movie someday. But what makes me sad about cases like Sense8 is knowing that the creators still had to force the narrative around the amount of time they were given. That the corporate overlords who only care about numbers and profit dictated how much time they had to wrap up their story.

And it fucking kills me that DJ only wanted one more season. One more season to complete the vision.

I'm just so mad that queer people are constantly being jerked around and used for profit and then left high and dry. And then we're given excuses like "oh there's no budget" or "oh there's not enough viewership, that's all it is". like, sure, maybe those are contributing factors, but then I look at all the useless garbage shows that have little viewership and high budgets that keep going forever and then I think "hmmmm, the math ain't mathing." It's fucking transparent; the corporations can spew all they want with their rainbow capitalism and talks about diversity, but the evidence is clear, and they can't convince me homophobia/racism/transphobia/etc. is not a factor in these decisions.

Anyways, back to OFMD. OFMD made me fall in love with fandom again. I drifted away from fandom for a while in my 20s, and while OFMD wasn't the first fandom that drew me back into the madness, it's certainly the largest. The sheer amount of creativity both within the show and outside of it has blown me away; I've read some of the best fics, seen some of the best art, and witnessed some of the most incredible creativity from people in this fandom.

And let's not forget the role of the show's creators and how they've interacted with us fans. They made us feel seen. And made us feel loved and valid, even when we were being weird and loud and horny. It's so fucking rare to see that. But they understood; understood that the show they made was for us, for any of us who've been marginalized or made to feel Othered or different or stuck in life or unsure of our identities. And they gave us so much love for it.

The story... man. The unique combination of quirky humour and bright visuals and dark, introspective moments, the gorgeous costumes and soft, lovely, unabashed queerness, and veteran actors and new actors all getting to shine, brilliant comedic actors getting to show off their dramatic chops and vice versa. For me, seeing Rhys Darby - an actor I've loved for a long time, but who I never thought I'd see in a leading role - getting to be the romantic lead in a queer role? And seeing acclaimed director/producer/screenwriter/actor Taika Waititi play opposite Rhys, as an indigenous Blackbeard? Fucking incredible. OFMD Edward Teach you will always be famous to me.

Anyways... despite my long ramblings here, I still don’t think I've been able to get to the root of WHY exactly this show has inched its way under my skin and stayed with me in the way it has. Maybe I'll spend years trying to understand it. But I DO know that it's in part to do with seeing both older queers AND a diverse range of queerness onscreen, in a way that I've never seen in media before. I DO know that OFMD has forced me to look inwardly, and allowed me to realize some important things about myself. About my own queerness, my own identity, things I'm still figuring out. I've cherished being able to see myself in Stede, in Ed, and each of the crew members. In Roach’s love for cooking, in Oluwande’s ability to mediate; in Jim’s quick temper, in the way Izzy builds walls to guard his heart. In Buttons’ quirkiness, in Wee John’s sass, in Frenchie’s ability to turn pain into humour; in The Swede’s silliness, in Lucius’ bluntness, in Pete’s soft heart beneath the skepticism. Lastly, OFMD has inspired me. To create, to write, to draw, to devour other peoples' works and worlds while I sit in sheer, overflowing joyousness at their talent.

so yeah. the news of this cancellation is upsetting and hurtful and disappointing. And it's making us cry, and it's making us grieve, and may make us hollow and numb at times because we've lost yet another thing we love so deeply before it was meant to go. It's so much more than "just a TV show". It means more to us than any passive mindless idiotic mind-numbing bullshit - because even though there's a time and a place and a purpose for that type of media, it's the thought-provoking work, the work that creators pour their entire hearts and souls into, that hit us deep in our own souls. The work that changes our lives. The work that has the ability to save lives, as I know OFMD has done for so many. 

please know I'm sending immense amounts of love and strength to those of you who are also hurting. we'll get through this, one way or another, and I'll keep up with the hope that we'll get more someday; but in the meantime, I'm holding you tight. ❤️️🫂

[shiplessoceans]

I haven't done an Our Flag Rewatch in a while. And I just thought about doing one and got all choked up.

Watching Ed fall in love with this improbable and wonderful dude I just....

You can even see his astonishment at how hard he's fallen for him.

This is the same man who made Fang put his dog down and didn't bat an eye when some of his crew died in the attempt to save Stede and he once burned a ship with the crew inside.

He mops Stede's forehead with a damp cloth. He swaps clothes with him and giggles, Stede tells him to stand down and he DOES. Edward Teach finally lets his guard down because Stede seems ridiculous with his fancy ship and fancy clothes and impractical approach to piracy. He's not a threat. So Ed can admit he likes fine fabrics and yearns for softer things too. But then Stede is also handsome and loyal and caring and defends his honour and ah fuck...

Ed is an absolute simp for Stede, following him on little jungle excursions, putting on a little pageantry for him and just seeming shocked at himself the whole time and I will never be over it.

He tries to be a hard-ass when it comes to Stede after he leaves. But even when he headbutts him and Stede seems to dismiss it, Ed uses the one thing Stede taught him. Passive Aggression.

"Do whatever you like, you're good at that."

"And then he completely boned it"

"I can do it any time I like."

"More like I relented"

None of this stands a chance of course.

One heartfelt declaration of love and Ed is out of his leathers, back on the ship as a helper in a potato sack onesie and with a bell around his neck the very next day.

The impact of Stede Bonnet on that man can never be underestimated.

[frooogscream]

David Jenkins said Ed x Stede were not supposed to have a real love story!

So not only where all the beautiful queer details not part of the original idea (Izzy being a jittered spouse instead of just evil lil henchman-because of how Con envisioned him, Jim being NB- added after casting Vico, Wee John doing drag- because of Kristian, etc.).

And even the main gay couple, the only queer thing remaining, was never supposed to end in a happy love story. 

This show was NEVER supposed to give us beautiful things and treat it’s queer characters with “kindness”! It was NEVER supposed to be for queer people!

Every thing I loved about ofmd was because of the queer actors involved in this show (+apparently a little thanks to Taika and Rhys seeing more of the beautiful potential this has as an actual love story then David ever did).

In some way this almost makes it beautiful again, like we were never even supposed to have what we got, just another mid queer baity comedy, but then all these amazing people poured their fucking heart into it and changed it in a way that actually made it mean something to us!

link to the interview compilation post+link to original interview: https://www.tumblr.com/ladyluscinia/733134895182970880/what-exactly-did-david-jenkins-say?source=share

[everyscreentoobeseen]

I know everyone is talking about how Stede proved he wasn't blinded by love when he told Izzy "He was gonna burn the world or die trying."

But no one is talking about how he proved that his love for Ed doesn't outweigh his love for his crew, when he found out They Murdered Ed, and still decided to save them.

I cant think of any other romcom hero/heroine that would save the murderers of their one true love can you? Even after hearing about the way Blackbeard tortured them for months, he had every reason to just leave them to the mercy of The Pirate Queen and Auntie.

But saving them proved that if Edward is gone he would still have his pirate family to love in his place. I cant imagine that after everything that happened he wouldn't (or atleast try to) immediately tell the crew that Blackbeard isn't dead and find a way to start the healing process with the crew.

I dont think it's gonna be a one episode deal where everyone just says sorry and move on. We see with the trailers and bts that it looks like Ed is gonna try being just Ed (or jeff) off the ship for awhile. Wearing no black leather anymore.

While some of it is probably Ed's journey of self discovery, i wouldnt be surprised if the crew upright told The Co-Capatians that they dont feel safe with Blackbeard on the ship and they need him off it for awhile. Once he's back to full health and all.

I really do hope we focus on The Blackbeard Crew learning how to deal with their Trauma and Stede’s Crew helping them out for a few episodes.

[luciuscodedswedeboy]

a lot of Izzy haters are like “if you like Izzy then you’re just as bad as he is!” and obviously that’s not how enjoying fiction works but for the sake of argument let’s say that it does work like that. Tbh I’d much rather be a cunt in the way that Izzy is than be a cunt in the way that Stede is. like I’d much rather be fully aware of my actions and the impacts they‘re having on other people than be carelessly careening thru life chasing my own desires while causing untold problems and harm to others without a single thought for their emotional wellbeing as long as I’m having a good time all while claiming to care about others. like? if I’m gonna be a cunt either way? I’d much rather be an honest self-aware one

[bellarke-is-my-death-wave]

CONFIRMED: Every time Ed tries to leave Stede it means the British are coming.

[meep-meep-richie]

Hold on; Ed and Stede were ready to join the dance floor together before they got attacked….we could have had a dance scene of them together, but that stupid Ned screwed it

[seriesfive]

i’m imagining the opening of 2x6 as an immediate continuation of the end of the last episode, ed and stede just walking and talking together, and then without thinking about it they make it into the captain’s cabin before they realize. it’s nighttime. it’s BED time. oh. um. well. i’ll just- no you don’t have to- no? well, i mean. if you want. i don’t see why taking it slow means either of us have to be uncomfortable- no of course not, i mean when you put it like that- and smash cut to the two of them lying in stede’s bed with almost the entire mattress in between them, totally still, totally silent. right, well. goodnight, then. goodnight. & then there’s some commotion as one or both of them turns away or tries to get comfortable because jesus fucking christ. but then it’s quiet again, and we’re looking at stede’s face with the smallest little dawning smile on it :^) then WHAM we hear ed fall out of the bed onto the floor. cut to one of the crew members (i vote pete) on the level below startling awake, and then turning over like for fuck’s sake as we hear ed’s groaning, stede’s oh god, edward, and the fucking bell still jingling.

[cottoncandiescupcakes]

Izzy honestly sings really well is Con a singer irl?

[lottiematthewsceo]

the gnossienne no.5 needle drops felt like an attack on my life because one of them is stede climbing over the revenge and seeing the wreckage and the other is when he’s removing knives from around his cabin i hate it here

[ratboylucius]

the closer we get to october 5th, the more i find myself openly weeping at ed/stede edits on tiktok.

[wee-snek]

Ed vs Blackbeard

And why they can’t just live happily on the Revenge

When I first watched Season 1, I thought Ed liking the cashmere and wanting to go to the French party were about him wanting to be fancy and have nice things.

And like, sure, maybe he’s been told that he didn’t deserve nice things. That’s basically what his mother told him; that god decided he shouldn’t have fine things.

But with more info in Season 2, I think it was about allowing himself to be soft.

He survived for so long because he was scary pirate Blackbeard. He had to be tough, and dark, and mean, and severe. He had to play the part of Blackbeard, and that was the only kind of success and survival story he ever saw, and the only path he saw for someone born into his position.

Then he meets Stede, who enjoyed the soft side and the pirate side equally. Like, pirating was a skill he had, but it wasn’t his most valuable characteristic. He could be silly, and soft, and gentle, and relaxed - and that was maybe the first time he had had that side of himself accepted and even rewarded. He genuinely wants to be “just Ed” but that hasn’t been an option before. Even back on the ship, after Stede leaves, he is still trying to be himself and be accepted as Ed because it felt better. And maybe, just maybe, this crew will allow it.

But then fucking Izzy comes in and says that Ed has no value and deserves to die and that only Blackbeard is worthy and that soft is punishable.

And he snaps. Of course he does. He had his first taste of love and acceptance. Then Stede left (Ed was worthless) and Izzy threatened him (Ed is worthless) and Blackbeard is the only coping-mechanism he’s ever developed, so he dials it up to 11.

But he can’t be Blackbeard 100% of the time, not anymore. He’s still Ed when he’s alone. He can’t go back to the old ways, but he can’t live the life he thought Stede could give him.

So Blackbeard gets even more intense, and Ed becomes even more depressed, and we get near-fatal self-destruction.

The outcome:

What Ed needs in order to be content (and safe, and sane) can’t coexist with a continued career in piracy. It just can’t. Every time he’s forced to do violence or threaten someone or anything that’s piracy and not just sailing - his insecurity about the value of Ed-vs-Blackbeard is going to be triggered.

So we have:

option 1: hurt - Stede doesn’t want to give up piracy now that he’s getting good at it (or some other external forces that mean they can’t retire) and it causes another rift

option 2: comfort - Jeff’s Inn by the Sea and a simple life of comfort and quiet.

option 3: both - they’re planning a third season so we’re not getting a fully resolved happy ending next week.

Edit 1: I made this post about an hour before E6-7 dropped, but I really think I’m right about option 1. Ed’s trauma won’t survive continued piracy, and Stede isn’t willing to give it up.

Edit 2: just finished E7