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rhysdarbinizedarby · 7 months

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Our Flag Means Death season 2 shot a crucial scene in the Avatar 2 tank

A behind-the-scenes look at how Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby shot their big merman moment

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Our Flag Means Death, Season 2, Episodes 3]

Season 2 of David Jenkins’ pirate comedy-romance-drama Our Flag Means Death has finally premiered on Max, with an opening three-episode arc that’s guaranteed to get the series’ fandom buzzing. The third episode in particular ends with a sequence that feels like it was intentionally crafted to inspire the crowds of fan artists who have turned the series into an obsession. Polygon talked to the series’ VFX supervisor, David Van Dyke, about what went into shooting that sequence — and how James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water helped out.

At the end of episode 3, Ed “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi) is in limbo after being assaulted and nearly killed by his crew. There, he meets his former captain Benjamin Hornigold (another of the series’ historical pirate characters, played by Mark Mitchinson), who tries to help him through his emotional crisis over being abandoned by Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). Except Hornigold mostly helps by pointing out Blackbeard’s failings, then tying a stone to his waist and throwing him off a cliff into the sea — where he sees a vision of Stede as a fish-tailed merman, coming to save him.

“Just so you know, Rhys and Taika did very well underwater,” Van Dyke told Polygon about shooting the scene. “Rhys is not an Olympic synchronized swimmer, but he’s a strong swimmer. They were both very comfortable underwater. They both did a really good job of being mermen.”

Van Dyke says he was originally asked whether he could do the scene with CG versions of the two men, for safety reasons. He explained that it was possible, “but that’ll cost millions and millions of dollars, and we don’t really have that.”

Instead, he ended up shooting the scene practically. Season 1 of Our Flag Means Death was shot on a soundstage in Los Angeles, but for season 2, production moved to New Zealand. That gave Van Dyke a lot of advantages in terms of shooting natural backdrops to use on the production’s giant virtual environment screen, and in using experienced crews from past special-effects-heavy productions, from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies to James Cameron’s Avatar movies.

“There were definitely a few pieces that were serendipitously to our advantage,” Van Dyke says. “New Zealand was where they shot a lot of Avatar stuff, and there just so happens to be an enormous tank on the lot. There are a bunch of Avatar crew who are SCUBA certified, because they’ve been shooting in that tank forever. This was not something we had to figure out — we didn’t have to send a bunch of grips and lighting technicians off to SCUBA school. So they were there, they had really amazing underwater photography teams, and obviously a really good stunt team that was able to train up Taika and Rhys to make sure the scene was working.”

Van Dyke points to New Zealand’s thriving mermaid freediving community as a boon when it came to designing Darby’s merman outfit. “There are a lot of incredible mer-tails out there,” he said. “We were able to take those, and [costume designer Gypsy Taylor] and her team brought them together to make these beautiful physical pieces, so Rhys was able to actually sell it and do the performance underwater.”

For Van Dyke, the sequence really started with the cliff-jump sequence, which actually used considerably more CG than the underwater shots. “That cliff sequence was a great culmination of effects, merging physical photography and our LED wall, because you can’t really put those two guys on a thousand-foot cliff,” he said. “The insurance alone would be out of control. Also, we’re not really in the business of having people fall to their deaths.”

The cliff sequence began with sequences shot off New Zealand’s Bethells Beach, using drones to capture images looking inward from the ocean and photogrammetry of a specific ledge for production designer Ra Vincent and the art department to reproduce in the studio.

“The wide shots use production plates of those cliffs, and the tighter shots use photography we shot specifically to build out the stitching of the cliff sequence,” Van Dyke said. “Hornigold and Blackbeard are standing on a cliff set. We tied in drone plates of the actual cliffs so we can see the ocean and really set up how terrifying [the drop would be]. Then he falls into the ocean, falls into our tank.”

Once Waititi was in the tank, the next step was the shot where the stone tied to a rope around his waist pulls him deep underwater. That part of the scene required more conventional, practical production trickery than the rest of the sequence.

“The tank is massive, but it’s not 300 feet deep. It’s pretty darn big, but it’s never big enough, as they say,” Van Dyke says. “So when Taika is being tugged by the rock, we actually shot that sideways. By turning the camera sideways, you get more length to the shot. The problem is the bubbles — they should be streaming off him and then rising to the surface, but if you’re going sideways, they’re going to come off him and then go up, perpendicular to him. So we took over with CG to make sure our bubbles were traveling toward where the surface was supposed to be.”

The CG in the underwater sequence was mostly used to hide the lighting and rigging necessary to shoot it, Van Dyke says. “Anytime you’re shooting anything underwater, there’s gonna be a lot of gear. There’s no way you can get around that. So we’re making sure we have [convincing deep-sea] lighting and the bubbles. And then there’s his performance — that’s a real performance.”

For Van Dyke, the real complication was the costuming and makeup for both Darby and Waititi. “Taika’s wig — I was amazed that thing stayed on so long. It’s a long shoot. He was shooting all day, all weekend. But things stayed on. It’s a heavy weight. And Rhys is really working underwater, so his tail has to be working, so it all feels seamless.”

The shot in the underwater sequence that seems most likely to be a CG creation has both men just floating deep in the sea, facing each other above a seemingly endless abyss. Again, Van Dyke says, he used very little CG for that shot, and it was mostly to hide the tank walls.

“In that case, we were not shooting sideways,” he said. “It’s essentially a locked shot. It was about getting them at the right depth underwater, and making sure the shafts of light above them were working properly. We don’t have to track as much, we don’t have all these moving elements, we don’t have to worry about where the bubbles are going. That one was really just about cleaning up the tank, doctoring out the sides of the shot, where we can see the water receding into blackness, then giving the base of the tank true depth, so it really feels like they’re suspended a hundred feet below the surface.

“Obviously, a fair amount of CGI and visual effects had to go into it. But at the same time, it was a moment where we really needed to let the story take over, and have the visual effects just get out of the way, man.”

The first three episodes of Our Flag Means Death season 2 are now streaming on Max.

Source: Polygon

#rhys darby #taika waititi #behind the scenes #ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd bts

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avelera · 7 months

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So what’s with the soup in OFMD?

I’ve seen a few takes on what the soup symbolizes in OFMD S2 because it does come up a weird amount of times. I’ve seen takes that the soup is a lie and shouldn’t be trusted. Takes that the soup represents love and all that is good. I’ve seen takes that the soup isn’t anything at all, it’s just soup.

I don’t agree with those takes. But I do believe that the soup is more than just soup.

In my opinion, the soup represents community.

Community doesn’t necessarily mean love. A community can be arrayed against you as much as it can be with you. You can choose not to have a community, to break bread, with someone. But a community is something most of us desire and as Izzy notes in the trailer, being a pirate is about being part of something.

- Zheng Yi Sao makes damn good soup. Symbolically, I believe this is a reflection of how she runs a tight ship. How effective she is as pirate queen and in general as a leader of her community. People in her community are well treated. Her leadership style, like the broth of the soup, is balanced. Had Olu remained with her, he would have been well treated. She wasn’t being duplicitous with Stede and his crew. Her soup is great, her community is great, and they would have been well fed there had they stayed.

The soup isn’t a value judgement on anything beyond the quality of the community offered. Should they stay? What happens now that they didn’t? Not relevant to the soup metaphor. We’ll find out what happens when you reject Zheng’s amazing soup. At the very least, you just don’t get any more of it.

- Hornigold offers soup to Ed. Ed rejects it. He finds Hornigold’s community poisonous. He doesn’t trust it and he doesn’t want to join it.

It’s simple as that. The soup wasn’t necessarily literally poisoned. The more relevant metaphor is breaking bread with someone as a sign of trust. Ed wants nothing to do with Hornigold’s community.

Most likely where this is leading is a continued used of soup as a metaphor for Ed and Stede and the crew figuring out what kind of community they want to build together. Is the broth balanced? Is it poisoned? Is it too salty, too sweet? Who do we share it with? Who do we refuse to accept soup from? It’s all about community.

#ofmd #ofmd spoilers #ofmd meta #our flag means death

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jennaimmortal · 5 months

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Musings on OFMD Season 2

I’m feeling a bit sad today for the OFMD writers. After rewatching S1 & 2 a couple times, it’s become blatantly clear to me that Izzy’s arc this season was a very obvious love letter to both Izzy fans & the great Con O’Neil. Izzy was very clearly written to be an obstacle to Ed’s healing & personal growth, a snare that Ed needed to be freed from, albeit with plenty of nuance hiding under the surface. It would have been much easier for them to kill Izzy off while he was still the toxic, abusive, sadomasochistic terror of S1E10.

Instead of taking the easy route, though, the writers flipped the trope on its head! They utilized every bit of the potential buried beneath Izzy’s super fucked up shell. This season Izzy got

• a fully fleshed out redemption complete with terrible consequences of his 1x10 actions

• a realization of the possibility of another way of thinking & existing that he’d spent all of S1 running from & trying to destroy,

• genuine love & support from his crew mates which he was actually able to accept,

• exploration of the long abandoned softer side of his nature,

• an apology from Ed w/o first offering one of his own,

• a powerful, devastatingly poignant speech that mentally demolished a new nemesis, and finally

• a beautiful, meaningful death in the arms of the man he’d dedicated so much of his life to, known that he was truly loved by him & completely accepting of the fact that Ed’s love was not in the form he’d always hoped for.

It was so much more than we could have hoped for, and was very obviously done in service to the MANY fans that had fallen in love with Izzy even after S1, as well as to give Con a storyline worthy of his immense talent. Considering the face that Izzy was never going to end up becoming the show’s third protagonist, it was more than we could have hoped for!

OFMD has two protagonists, Stede & Ed. All the secondary character narratives that haven’t directly involved Ed and/or Stede have been icing on the cake, but the cake has always been the Gentlebeard love story. I feel like some people forget this, expecting them to treat the secondary characters as if it were an ensemble show instead of a show with leads.

Izzy’s arc really was an amazing gift! The writers gave us this incredible journey for Izzy this season, and what did a disgraceful number of people do? They attacked David directly, insulted the entire show, the writers, & other characters, even wishing actual harm & misery to other characters or even to David himself!

While I know that comparatively speaking, the percentage of show fans who reacted this way was relatively small, it was still an astounding amount of hatred & vitriol thrown at the people who had obviously worked very hard to give Izzy fans something beautiful to hold on to after his inevitable death. Much of the discourse honestly shocked me, considering the fact that OFMD isn’t even an adaptation of another work.

When fans get angry at shows written as adaptations of books, it’s a bit more understandable for them to have extreme reactions. They’ve had certain ideas and headcanons about characters they’ve felt very strongly about for a long time. It can be really jarring & painful when expectations like that aren’t met, the characters or plots are taken in totally different directions, or even excluded entirely.

OFMD, however, is an original creation. This is David Jenkins’s story. These are David Jenkins’s characters. He knows his story, his plotlines, his characters far better than anyone else does because they came from HIS brain! So while we as fans can have our own interpretations & head canons, they are always going to be at risk of being proven totally wrong by the ACTUAL canon.

One of the worst aspects of fandoms, in my opinion, is the way people become so proprietary over the story & characters, insisting that their own interpretations & theories are the only correct ones, which is exactly what happened with Izzy. Fans’ individual & collective interpretations, theories, hopes, & other head canons became concrete & true in their minds. So much so that when the actual story didn’t meet those expectations, so many of them lashed out in some truly unpleasant, sometimes hateful ways.

My only hope is that the rest of the fandom’s love, appreciation, constructive criticism, heartbreak, pain, joy, & excitement has been enough to drown out the deluge of vitriolic comments directed at David & the other writers.

If you stuck with me through this unintentionally long diatribe, thank you! Maybe take a moment to give the writers some comments or replies on social media, showing your love! I know I will!

#our flag means death #ofmd #ed teach #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 #ofmd izzy #izzy hands

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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 4 months

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Free Rhys Darby ASMR Sources

So @hang-on-lil-tomato got me thinking with their post about Stede Story Time, I did all this research into all the Rhys Darby works and I realised I should probably compile it in case other folks are looking for the same things.

So yeah, I mean, Rhys doesn't do audio books as of yet, but man would that be amazing if he did. So for those of you who want to hear some good 'ol Rhys Darby voice, here's some sources. Please feel free to message me if you have more. ! I'd love to add them, and I'll tag ya :D

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Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet Youtube Compilations

Stede say'd Ed for a full Minute by justagaycatboy

Stede Bonnet being a bitch for 4 + mins by Rae Hamilton-Vargo

Stede Bonnet being the crew's dad for almost 4 minutes by grim weaper

Stede Bonnet screaming for 2 minutes 15 seconds by "Our Flag Means Death"

Stede Bonnet cursing for almost a whole minute by Murder Turtle

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TV or Mini Series

Rhys Darby in Japan (Freevee on Amazon)

So as someone who lived in Japan for a bit, this series is really really fun. It's awkward, and funny and it's almost all Rhys Darby as he's narrating and living the whole damn thing. There are quotes from this show that I use in my every day life, I love it so much.

Short Poppies (Freevee on Amazon)

Considering most of the characters in this show are in fact Rhys Darby, it's a great way to hear his very colourful range. I haven't seen all the episodes, but I find it quite endearing.

Intrepid Journeys (Rwanda) (Youtube/nzonscreen.com)

Ty @hang-on-lil-tomato and @meanmisscharles for this recommendation! I haven't watched it yet but here's the description:

"This Intrepid Journey sees comedian Rhys Darby taking an OE to the landlocked African country of Rwanda. Darby makes a bunch of friends in the markets of capital city Kigali, then heads on a jungle adventure. Far from the New York office of his Flight of the Conchords character Murray, he searches for critically endangered mountain gorillas. Darby is guided by François — a personable and entertaining park ranger, fluent in primate dialect — whose aping gives Darby a run for his money in gorilla impersonation. Darby is quietened by a sombre genocide memorial, and a 200 kilogram silverback."

Stand up

These are pretty self explanatory, wanna hear Rhys Darby talk for an hour or so? Stand ups the way to do it, all the voices you could want and no one interrupting him.

Rhys Darby I'm A Fighter Jet Rhys Darby: This Way Spaceship It's Rhys Darby Night Mystic Timebird

Youtube Shorts/Channels

Rhys' Youtube Channel featuring stand up shorts, sketches, Rhys' playing games and other fun stuff like "The Alone Rangers". All stuff I have to dive into, thanks again @hang-on-lil-tomato!

Movies

Love Birds (Included with Prime Video)

So if you follow @celluloidbroomcloset you have probably heard of Love Birds, and as someone who is totally normal for Rhys Darby, and loves birds and used to do rescue work, I have to day this movie is adorable. It's a really cute love story, and good god Rhys is hot AF. He and Sally Hawkins have amazing chemistry, and you get lots of good Rhys voice...in a romantic setting. I apologize ahead of time to any of you who lose your soul to this movie.

Coming & Going(Freevee)

So I haven't seen this one personally, so I can't speak to it (it's on my list for this week actually!) so I'll update this once I do.. but in the mean time, here's the description:

"When Lee (Rhys Darby), a young, skilled OBGYN who lacks confidence with women, suffers a minor injury that temporarily lands him in a wheelchair, he meets Alex (Sasha Alexander), the girl of his dreams. Convinced she has only paid attention to him because he's in that chair, he stays in it to win her affections well after his injury has healed."

Podcasts

The Cryptid Factor

You're gonna hear more than just Rhys, you'll hear from Dan Schreiber and Buttons (not ofmd buttons) and some other folks occasionally but you get to hear Rhys in his element, which is awesome because he is the goofy nerdy man we all know and love. The Cryptid Factor on Apple Podcasts

You can also go to their patreon and subscribe for free there-- the paid versions have video footage from a lot of shows and some other cool perks including stickers and book clubs and such.

Aliens Like Us

Thank you @hang-on-lil-tomato for this one! I hadn't found it before

General Reference to Works

Here's some overall guides to his various voice works (thank you again to @hang-on-lil-tomato )

--- Anyway -- hope that helps with your Rhys Darby very normalness :D

#rhys darby #how can i get any work done when rhys darby exists #rhys darby asmr #stede bonnet #ofmd #im totally normal about this #Spotify

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our-death-means-flag · 1 year

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Headcanons: Hugging the Crew of the Revenge

All of them are my blorbos. I want to hug them. So, here’s that. First time posting on this account! Sorry if this sucks! Platonic or Romantic, up to you!

Stede

Probably not very experienced in giving hugs

Always liked the idea and wanted to hug people but it’s not very ‘proper’ and the poor guy didn’t really have any friends so hasn’t gotten to give many hugs

Has many stored up hugs waiting to be unleashed

Would be very eager but would probably overthink it

Give him a heads up. He wants to set up the ideal hug! Tea, pillows, blankets, the whole nine!

He would go and change into his softest clothes for the occasion

Fumbles his way through the first few seconds but once he gets a good handle on it, he gives very good hugs

Hugs you very gently

Would be happy to read to you while hugging you if it would make you feel better

(It would also make him feel better)

Very soft (fine fabrics) and smells amazing

Just one hug from Stede and you’ll be smelling like flowers for the rest of your day

Probably does the awkward dad pat on the back

Probably also not super experienced in hugs

But also very very excited

A very forceful hugger

He gets very excited okay?

Also he strong

He will 100% squeeze the air out of your lungs

Would also appreciate being squeezed

(Ed would love weighted blankets and I will die on this hill)

Also probably the most likely to pick you up and swing you around

He won’t drop you don’t worry

Despite all the shenanigans, his hugs feel very warm and sturdy

He was probably overthinking just as much as Stede but he’s just better at bluffing confidence

How does he win a hug?

If you tell him you he did a good job with it, congratulations, he will now hug you whenever he sees you

Will probably ask for another hug right after putting you down

Izzy

Hugs for the rat-man

Local meow-meow has never been hugged

Will insist up and down that he doesn’t want/need a hug

He absolutely does but will never ask

Also no way is he self aware enough to even consider the possibility that he might need one

If you somehow manage to give him a hug, he will have absolutely no idea what to do

Will probably stand there, hands awkwardly in the air like someone has him at gunpoint until you tell him it’s okay to touch you

Once he properly is hugging you he will melt immediately

This man is incredibly touch starved and this is the most incredible thing that has ever happened to him

He gets one (1) kind gesture and he immediately has an existential crisis

Might cry and if you let him hide his face in your shoulder he’ll cry harder

Let him cry. Poor guy needs a good cry

Hugs incredibly gently by default (He doesn’t want to hurt you)

Will probably never ask for another hug but will be thinking about it for a long time

Please hug him again

Lucius

Gives very good hugs, nice, comforting

Definitely knows what to say to make you feel better

Also pretty open with affection in general

Loops his arm over your shoulder when talking etc.

Would probably whisper something flirty in your ear just to watch you get flustered (If you’re alright with it of course)

Would also go for the ass grab (he asks first of course)

If you’re strong enough to carry him, he would 100% ask you to

Though if you say yes even once he will keep asking. He’s kind of lazy and very flirty so he would be living the dream getting carried around

Also wouldn’t hesitate to rally the entire crew to give you a group hug if he thought it would help you

Black Pete

Would initially insist he’s too cool for hugs

This doesn’t last more that ten seconds because he actually really likes hugs and will fold very quickly even if you don’t push

Seamlessly switches over to claiming he gives the best and coolest hugs

They are pretty cool hugs admittedly

Comfy but a bit on the tight side

Would give you a very strong pat on the back

Like a little too hard but he means well

He’s trying

Jim

Doesn’t strike me as someone who likes hugs all that much

Not very physically affectionate in general

If they did give one they’d probably be very gentle and they’d do their best to move slowly not to spook you since that’s what they’d prefer

Their hugs feel very safe and comforting

Jim would feel protective of you while they’re hugging you

They’re glaring at everyone over your shoulder

If Oluwande dragged them into a group hug they’d be a bit more comfortable with that

They’d probably prefer slinging their arm over your shoulder and sitting next to you to a proper hug

Comfortable but not too much touching involved

Olu

Very very good hugs

I can not emphasize enough how comfy and good his hugs would be

A true master of hugs

Knows exactly how much force to use and how long to make it

Would gently rub your back

Tells you that everything is going to be okay and you can’t not believe him

His hugs feel so safe you could easily fall asleep in his arms

He would let you if you did

Also probably send Jim to make sure everyone else keeps it down so you can sleep

10000/10 hug

Frenchie

Loves hugs and physical affection

The kind of person who would greet you with a hug

Careful at first but that’s mostly because he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable

Once you give him permission, he will hug you whenever he can

If you hug him from behind he can also play something for you

Cuddles. So many cuddles

Will happily share a blanket or a pillow with you

Wee John

Loves hugs

Very comfy and soft and warm

Probably very careful about how tightly to hold you

Would pick you up and carry you around

He might drop you

Depending on where you both are and how close you two are he might just book it running

For the chaos

Would totally let you sleep on top of him (He is a very cozy bed)

Roach

This might be overly specific but I think he’d be the type to run up behind you and jump scare you with a hug from behind

If you do it back to him he would be pretty happy and proud

Personally I don’t think that startling someone on a ship where most people are armed is a great idea but in his mind if he gets stabbed he can fix it

What’s a little stabbing but a garnish on a hug?

Generally likes hugging from behind

If you’re trying some food he made for you he’d probably be draped over your shoulders like a blanket while waiting for your opinion

The Swede

The Tackle Hug™

He got excited and just went for it

Sent both of you flying

He felt really bad about it and apologized a lot

Will do it again the next time he wants to hug someone

No matter how many times it happens, he will never learn

Stede might suggest that the Swede uses it again during a raid as an attack and you have mixed feelings about that

Ivan

Hug neutral

If you need one or if a hug would make you feel better he’d be fine with that

Probably won’t seek out hugs on his own though

You can cry or fall asleep in his arms and he’ll be fine with that

Will happily take care of you

Fang

I think he would be a little nervous

He hasn’t given many hugs and he really doesn’t want to mess up

Would probably tell you that he’s nervous

Once you assure him everything’s going to be okay he gives you a very good hug

Gets very excited and will be grinning for a while

Very safe and warm

Buttons

Would give surprisingly good hugs

Gives you a comforting pat on the back

Grandpa hug vibes

Karl or Olivia would probably join in and perch on your head or shoulder (They also want you to know they support you)

Buttons would insist that the sea gives the best hugs. (You have no idea what to make of that. He probably isn’t threatening to throw you overboard. Probably )

Also make sure you do not ask him while he is moonbathing

He would absolutely pause the moonbathing to hug you

But he will not pause to put on pants

Be warned

#ofmd x reader #our flag means death #izzy hands x reader #israel hands x reader #edward teach x reader #stede bonnet x reader #frenchie x reader #frenchie ofmd x reader #blackbeard x reader #could probably write whole fics for stede ed and Izzy #if anyone wants #count all the times a self conscious writer uses the word probably in a set of headcanons #im very nervous #this sat in my drafts for a week

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thegoldenhoof · 6 months

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Poison into Positivity - Why we should have revisited The Talent Show.

Prefacing this, that as a Izzy lover, I loved the Calypso’s birthday episode. Perfect. No notes. Except that maybe it should have been longer

But boy did Ed get done dirty in that episode (and Stede but I am making my peace with this is just who Stede is. Being a better person was never his character’s motivation).

Perhaps nothing has bothered me about the whole of Ed’s arc as the poison to positivity comment because, Girl! Where? What exactly did you do to earn that? Ed threw some money at the problem and sat back which made sense in a sad way because it is a very Stede way of doing things. At least Season 1 Stede ( but again we are not talking about Stede here). And Ed was following his cues. This is Youtuber apology the sequel.

But in contrast, imagine if we had gotten The Talent Show- Take 2

A repeated problem that many posts have talked about in this season is that it was unwilling to face the trauma that it set up and look it in the eye and deal with it. So much of the show had become “shit happens move on”.

But revisiting the idea of The Talent Show for Calypso’s Birthday party would have been amazing imo and here is why…

The Chekhov's gun was already set up with Lucius mentioning it in the previous episode

This season had been spoonfeeding us Season 1 flashbacks and references and this would have fit in perfectly with the pattern.

Ed’s side of it was as set up with him not remembering the show at all. We have been told repeatedly that Ed rewrites his memories/forgets things that are uncomfortable to him.

Repraising the talent show would have worked as a shorthand for Ed actually confronting his past and would have been an opportunity to genuinely make himself vulnerable in contrast to the youtuber apology.

It would have reminded the crew that this was still the man who they cared for at one point, who just did some fucked up shit because he was hurting.

It would have shown the audience that the crew was able to look at a painful past experience and rewrite those memories with a better version if it- a stand-in for them moving past the trauma of the Kraken era and being willing to rewrite those memories with this new Ed.

Izzy could have joined Ed’s song putting it in contrast with Izzy’s anger and confusion of Season 1.

Ed is singing some old song. He hears the uneven stomp of the peg leg behind him and stops. Cue bad memories.

Izzy’s voice takes up the song. He turns back to look at Izzy and he is revealed to us, in all his Drag glory, looking equally nervous until they both give a tentative smile and continue with the song.

Ed turns to Stede pulling him into a dance. Izzy turns to Calypso kissing her hand. They are singing the same song but the have their own people to dance with now.

a) This would have given us a peek into their joint past, a happier time and laid a foundation to the relationship they are hinting at in the death scene with Ed’s “You are my only family” because we haven’t actually seen that relationship between them in either of the seasons.

b) It would have given us a transition between the earlier drunk Izzy-avoidant Ed scene and the absolute tonal whiplash of the next day morning after scene by having an on screen truce/resolution.

c) It would have shows them as two people on diverse paths who are even now still tied by their past. They too are trying to rewrite what that past should mean now with hopefully better associations.

This means we lose La vie en Rose the, I’d make that sacrifice for some actual character growth. (We could still have had that performance over the end titles/longer post credit maybe?)

8. This would actually fit in with the message of turning poison into positivity for both Ed and the crew and Ed and Izzy. It would also have had Ed make an emotional investment in that transition and not a monetary one so he has actually earned that comment.

9. It would have made Ned’s interruption much more painful because Ed is trying to make amends for something he did here and another consequence of his actions have come crashing in.

Cue Stede killing Ned but now it doubles down on the “You don’t have to do this alone. I’m here beside you helping you (however badly) too” message.

Overall…

The larger events of the episode don’t change.

Just a few dialogues here and there and maybe trim the Ed giving money to the kids scene (Because what? Why? I dont care u gave them a knife. Those kids are getting murdered within a couple of days. Good job Ed!).

So little changes. And yet there was so much potential for shifting the tone and not putting all their eggs into the one basket that they were planning to smash with a hammer.

#ofmd #ed teach #blackbeard #izzy hands #calypso’s birthday #ofmd critical?

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dragon-kazansky · 6 months

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Spirit of the sea

Izzy Hands x Reader (GN)

You were a member of Blackbeard's crew long ago. Then you became a ghost story. Izzy Hands only sees you in his dreams these days, until he sees you for real when investigating Stede Bonnet. This sets him on a rollercoaster of emotions between you and what his captain is doing.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Warnings: Not much Izzy and Reader interaction, because, ya know. However, you will be bonding with some of the crew, so yay!

Chapter Six - Out in the open

♡♡♡

You didn't sleep at all. Neither did Izzy by the sounds of it. He spent the rest of the night clearing out his cabin and packing what little he had.

As the sun began to rise and the darkness faded, you stood beside Edward looking down at the dingy below. Izzy was standing in it looking up at you.

Your expression was cold. The light in your eyes was gone, he noticed. Izzy could sense your pain from this.

It hurt him too. To leave you behind was not his plan, but you refused to come with him, he wasn't going to force you. If only he could look you in the eye and be honest with you.

"So, is this it then?" Izzy asks Blackbeard.

"You shouldn't have duelled him, Iz! We could've worked this out."

"You will rue this day, Edward. You will rue it long, and you will rue it hard."

Roach comes up beside you with a smile. "Hey. Made you a sandwich for the trip."

You take the sandwich from his hand and look down at Izzy. It's going to seem childish, bit at least you can get one last insult in. You throw the wrapped sandwich at Izzy with no intention of him being able to catch it. Instead it hits him in the head and bounces into the ocean.

Izzy stares up at you. You ignore the way Edward is side eyeing you too.

"I would've eaten that," Ivan says.

"A fucking pox on all of you!" Izzy growls.

"Well, that's that," Edward grumbles, walking away. Ivan soon follows him. You remain standing at the railing with Roach, watching Izzy sit in the boat and row away.

"Not for nothing, but that guy really is a dick, huh?" Roach says.

You sigh softly, letting Roach leave.

"But he was our dick..."

♡♡♡

Lucius hands his severed finger over to Fang. You watch from the other side of the ship as they throw it into the water.

You were amazed to find out that Lucius cut off his own finger in a moment of hysteria during last night's fuckery. It was disgusting, but also kind of impressive.

Pete had whittled him a wooden one to wear, so all was good in the end.

You walk last Stede to go sulk for a while. He is still stabbed into the mast.

"You alright?"

"I'd very much like it out," he says, looking a little worse for wear now. He'd been there most of the night at this point.

"I'll go get someone."

"Thank you." He sounds rather appreciative. You carry on walking.

As you go below deck, Edward is waiting for you. You smile as you go to pass him, but he holds up his hand, stopping you. You take a step back and look up at your captain.

"He didn't stay."

You didn't have to do much thinking to understand what he meant. "No. He didn't."

"Did you talk to him?" Edward asks.

"Course I did. You know I did."

"And still he left..."

"Ed, I can't force Izzy to do anything. You know him better than I do. You what he's like."

"Nah. You know him better than anyone," Ed says to you. "I figured he would fold if you spoke to him. Assumed you would be his reason to stay, even after that duel."

"Why? It's probably for the best. I unintentionally left you all behind 6 years ago. He's intentionally leaving us. Let the man do what he wants," you sigh.

"You left him 6 years ago." Edward looks at you with stern eyes, his head tilted forward slightly.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind." Edward walks away leaving you confused and dazed.

♡♡♡

A couple days pass. Edward and Stede grow closer and closer. Edward has been a little down about Izzy leaving, but Stede always know what to say or day to bring his mood back up again.

You, however, feel like a piece of you is missing. From the moment Izzy left, the ship has felt incomplete.

You have spent the last couple nights in, what was, Izzy's cabin. He had taken the few thing he owned with him. You sat on the bed and stared at the empty desk. The little wooden sparrow was gone. He had taken it with him. You're not sure what to do with that information, but it was comforting in a way.

Still, there wasn't anything left behind for you to hold onto.

Roach rushes past the door as you're sulking. You look up just in time to catch him flee past. Figuring there is no use in depressing yourself over the loss of your friend, you decide to go figure out what that was all about.

Turns out there are no oranges onboard. Oh, and the Swede has scurvy.

Roach had used most of them for a fucking cake that Stede had asked for. You stare at the gentleman pirate in disbelief.

"You had him make you a cake?"

"It hardly tasted of oranges." Stede says. Roach looks offended.

"So it was a waste." You sigh.

"Well, not completely. I still ate it."

"Either way, we need more oranges."

The crew start fussing as the topic of the Swede having scurvy come up again. You let out a long sigh as you look at this group.

"Let's just accept the fact that, due to Roach's immorderate use of the citrus, we now have to go grocery shopping."

Roach scoffs.

"St Augustine's full of oranges, and we're right near there," Frenchie says.

"Oh! Anything exciting to do there? Maybe something that might impress a world-weary, adventuring type?" Stede asks.

"No! It's boring and awful, and the humidity? Do you understand what that'll do to your hair?" Jim says, standing up.

"So?" Olu asks. Jim walks off.

"I'll wear a hat," Stede says proudly.

"Anyone else's fingernails falling off?" The Swede asks. You groan and leave with the rest of the crew.

♡♡♡

Stede had gone to St Augustine with Lucius. You remained on the ship with the crew. You were sitting in the captain's quarters with Edward. You were stretched out on one of the couches, a book in your hand. Edward was examining one of Stede's robes.

"Are you missing him?" Ed asks.

"Hm? Who?" You ask, not looking up from the book. It was a page on the legend of Blackbeard. You were fascinated by the way people viewed the man in front of you.

"Izzy."

"Oh." You still don't look up from the book.

Edward looks over at you. You had become a lot quieter since Izzy left. "You've been sleeping in his cabin. I've seen you."

"The room's available now. Might as well make use of it."

"Right. Yeah. Sure." Edward says, not so convincingly. He walks over to the coach you're perched on and plants his hands firmly on it, looking down at you.

"I'm fine, Edward."

"You don't look fine. What are you reading anyway?"

You snap the book shut and look up at him. "Just a book!"

"Alright. No need to get antsy."

"I'm sorry," you sigh. "I'm just worried."

"About Izzy?" He asks.

"Yeah. When I left, it was unintentional. I literally couldn't get back to you. He left because of some stupid duel and wouldn't stay when I asked. He would rather honour dueling rules than..." You gasp for breath. "Than stay with me."

Ed places a hand on your shoulder. "Mate..."

You shrug his hand off. "Forget it. I'm being stupid. I just... I just thought Izzy was my friend."

"Yeah, me too, mate."

However, Edward wanted to say more. It just didn't look like the best time. The moment is broken by Stede strutting in with Lucius behind him. He's waving something around in his hand.

"Look at what I got!"

Edward leaves your side to go peer at the item Stede was gushing about. Lucius sends you a look that tells you he was mentally drained. You chuckle softly.

"A treasure map!"

You and Edward share a look.

"Read it and weep, my friend. Adventure awaits."

"Look, mate, I hate to be a downer, but people just don't bury treasure. It's just not done." Ed explains to him.

"Well, why make a map?" Stede asks.

"He's saying the map's not real," Lucius chimes in.

"Yeah, the whole burying treasure thing is just a tale," you add in.

"What? Course it's real! Look at it. Tatty edges. It's burnt. It's been around, it's seen things."

"You got scammed for money," you say plainly.

"If it were real, why would she have sold it to you?" Ed asks. You nod. "Why not keep the map herself, and find the treasure herself?"

"Oh, Strong question. Love that." Lucius says.

"Scam," you add in again.

"Maybe she's just lazy. I mean, she works down at the docks selling maps, for God's sake."

"Best of luck to you, mate. I'm taking a nap." Ed slumps down on the coach you're on and plants his legs over your lap. You glare at him softly.

"Last I heard, a ship only has one captain, and the captain of this vessel says, 'On your feet!' We're having a day." Stede says standing up. "Once I've changed."

Stede leaves to get dressed. You turn your head to Edward.

"Now you have to go."

"If I'm going, you're coming with me," he says, giving you a light glare.

"Fuck that."

"I'm your captain. Orders are orders."

You stare at him in disbelief. "Oh, that's mean."

Edward has a shit-eating grin on his face.

♡♡♡

Within the hour Stede had changed into more 'appropriate' attire and you all went ashore. You continued to give Blackbeard a death stare as he rowed the boat over. He just grinned back at you.

However, once on land, he became self conscious about his very being getting caught on the island. After all, people know of Blackbeard. Scary murderous pirate can't be caught treasure hunting of all things.

You found amusement in this.

"So, we're either here, or possibly here." Stede says, looking at his map. You were walking on one side of him, Lucius on the other. Ed was on the other end.

Edward was trying to hide his face every time he walked past someone.

"Why are you hiding you face?"

"He's freakin' Blackbeard. He can't be caught treasure hunting," you say, returning the shit-eatkng grin back to your captain.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. No one's gonna recognise you." Stede says, looking at Ed.

"Hey, Blackbeard! Treasure hunting!" A resident calls out. You give Stede a deadpan look.

Edward threatens the man. "Shut the fuck up, OK? I'm not Blackbeard. Fuck off, get outta here! Move."

The man hurries off.

"Right, Ed, you go stand over there under that tree, and Stede, you figure out which way you wanna go, okay?" You say, taking matters into your own hands.

Edward walks off to hide under the tree.

"Now look, we're going to have fun today, and that's an order," Stede states firmly.

"You can't really order people to have fun, but..."

"Well, I just did. Guys like Blackbeard, they live for adventure. It's like nourishment for them. So we're going to have an extremely fun, memorable, deeply cool adventure.".

You can't fight back the smile from listening to Stede. Was he trying to impress Blackbeard? Okay, that's cute. He's being cute.

"Now, do I have your support on that?" Stede asks Lucius.

"Yeah, OK."

♡♡♡

Stede takes the lead. You walk with Edward behind him a little ways. Lucius is following behind you both.

Edward seems to be slowly growing more agitated the further this goes on. He swatting violently at the flies buzzing around your heads. You have to duck a few times to avoid getting a snack across the head.

"Well this is fun," you mutter.

"Shut up," Ed spits out, clearly not having fun.

"Might as well make the most of it. We're both stuck here."

Edward sighs and glares at you. "Stupid treasure hunting."

"I say let Stede have his silly fun."

"Would you have agreed to do this if it was Izzy?"

"Izzy wouldn't be caught dead treasure hunting," you say. "He'd have killed the man who dared ask him to."

Blackbeard swats away more flies. "You still upset about Izzy?"

"You mean since we spoke about him last like 2 hours ago? Yes, Edward. I'm still upset the bastard left."

"Sensing quite a bit of tension here," Lucius says, coming up beside you. You roll your eyes. "What's the deal with dizzy Izzy anyway?"

"It's just Izzy," you warn him. "Izzy is... was, my friend."

"Doesn't seem like the type to have friends."

"Hey, he's my friend too," Ed says.

"Is he though?" You ask, looking at Ed.

"What does that mean?"

"Izzy had been trying to talk to you for days, and all you did was brush him aside to go hang out with Stede. You didn't even stop to hear him out."

"I knew what it was about."

"Still, you didn't stop to listen," you say, watching where you were stepping.

"It amazes he even has friends," Lucius says. You glare at him. "I just mean... he was very intense."

"Yeah, well, that's just Izzy."

"Kinda cute really."

"What is?" You ask, eyeing him.

"How much you care for the bastard."

"Shut up."

Edward swats away more flies. Stede had gone on so far ahead, you had lost sight of him.

"Fuck off, flies!" Edward yells.

"They're not that bad. They really a full of blood, though, aren't they? Like little flying grapes." Lucius comments. One then flies into his mouth and he starts choking. "I think I just swallowed one!"

"At least you got lunch. I'm fuckin' starving." Edward sighs.

"Guys! Come quick! I've found something!" Stede calls out.

"Thank God," you mutter, hoping he had found his treasure and you could all go back to the ship.

Stede turns around with an insect resting on his finger. You groan quietly.

"Dryocampa rubicunda, or the candied melon silk moth. A very rare specimen. See? We're already finding stuff."

"Great, you found a bug. Cheers." Edward is less than impressed.

"And who says treasure maps are useless?" Lucius says. You all turn to look at him. "I wasn't being sarcastic, that's just how I talk."

"Laugh at you want, but without the map, we wouldn't have found this little guy, so it's already paying dividends." Stede remains positive.

"Suppose it is pretty interesting, for an insect." Ed says, looking back at the moth. He the goes back to fighting flies. "Fuck this. I'm going back to the ship."

As Edward marches away, you follow after him.

"Oh, come on! We're having fun! You know what your problem is? You just have no idea how to relax!" Stede calls out. "Does he Lucius?"

"I mean, you are kind of intense, like... all of the time," Lucius says.

That's 2 people he has now described as intense.

"It's a running theme with Blackbeard," you say mindlessly.

"You're not intense." Lucius looks at you.

"Give me time."

"I know how to relax." Edward leans against a tree. "See? I'm actually quite relaxed right now."

A snake falls from the tree into Ed's open arms and he starts to fight it, smacking it onto the ground and then stabbing it violently. "Die!"

"According to the map, there are snakes in this area." Stede stands there, looking at Edward. "So, just be careful."

You run a hand down your face and sigh deeply.

♡♡♡

The snake becomes lunch. You set up a campfire and Ed cooks the snake. You sit on the ground beside Lucius while the two captain share a log.

"Is this what Blackbeard is usually like?" Lucius asks you.

"It's how I remember him. But he softened up a lot since Stede it seems..."

You both gaze at the captain's. They're babbling on about Ed having a restaurant where he could serve snake and have a gift shop. You wonder how it came to this point.

"Must have been impressive sailing on his crew." Lucius takes a bite of his snake.

"Yeah. They were good old days."

"What was it like?"

"Probably about what you expect from the stories, to be honest. A lot of raiding and death. But we were also close as a crew. Kind of. Blackbeard as our captain, Izzy doing every little thing that was asked of him. Fang and Ivan working their asses off to please both Izzy and Blackbeard."

"Sounds kind of... well, intense. Doesn't really sound close. More like everyone just working hard to please the others. What about you?"

"Me? I did what I could to keep everyone happy. To keep... Izzy happy..."

"You must really like him. Like, really like him." You jab Lucius with your elbow. "Ow! Okay, sorry..."

"Izzy works his ass off. Yeah, I get it, he's a dick and it's very hard to like him, but he's not all bad. He's just... stressed beyond belief, and the one man he tries so hard to please barely acknowledges it!"

Lucius glances at Blackbeard. "Oh."

"Look, I won't deny it. I have a soft spot for Izzy Hands."

"Yeah, I noticed."

You give him a gentle shove with your arm.

"Well, he's gone now. Maybe you can find some relief."

"Relief?"

"Yeah." Lucius shrugs. "Maybe you can move on. Let that part of you go."

You look down at the bit of snake in your hand. Let Izzy go? Is that possible? Can you do that? You hadn't once let go during the 6 years you were apart of him. But had he? After all, he thought you were dead during that time.

"Maybe make Izzy a ghost of your past," Lucius suggests.

"A ghost...?"

You're pulled out of your thoughts by Stede helping get snake out of Ed's beard. You and Lucius stare at the two. The conversation about Izzy being put to the back of your mind.

"Oh my God, this is happening," Lucius mutters.

"Wow," you whisper.

"What?" They look at the pair of you.

"Nothing."

You turn back to Lucius who gives you another look. Yeah, it's happening.

♡♡♡

The map caught fire. It was a total accident and was bound to happen, but alas, there's not much of the map left.

Stede sits on his knees as he tries to fix it.

"There's still a few scraps that didn't completely burn."

"Ah, give it up, Stede. All adventures have a natural conclusion, and this one's more than fitting." Ed says, watching him.

"No, I think I can fix this. Come on, the day's not fully ruined."

"God, he'll probably be moping all the way back to the ship." Ed groans.

"You don't have to be a dick about it," Lucius says softly, frowning.

"What?" Edward turns to him, his voice sharp.

"He said don't be a dick about it." You look Edward in the eye. "He's put this whole thing together just for you."

"For me? Why?"

"Look, you're very cool, and you wear leather, OK, so maybe you won't understand this, but everyone is worried all of the time whether they're interesting or adventurous enough for you." Lucius tells him right off the bat.

"That bizarre little man over there likes you very much, and you like him." You state plainly to your captain.

"If you can't get over yourself long enough to realise that, you're going to end up another lesther-clad, middle-aged sad sack dying alone in a puddle of his own piss." Lucius carries on angrily. "You can stab me in the face now."

Edward glances at you. He can tell from your expression that you agree with Lucius. He walks quietly over to where Stede is.

"It's hopeless. We might as well head back to the ship," Stede sighs, defeated. "You were right. It's a stupid idea. I... I don't know why we're here."

"I'm actually a little disappointed," Edward tells him. "I was startin' to have fun."

Ed gestures for you and Lucius to come closer. You both go to stand beside him. Ed points to piece of the map. "That little bit there on that lite scrappy bit of paper, that looks like a tree, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, no, definitely does to me," Lucius says. You just nod.

"And the other little squiggly bit. What's that look like?"

"Like a road, or a river." You might as well join in and make the most of this.

"You know what? I think, just with this little bit here, we could probably sort this out."

"Yeah?" Stede asks full of hope.

"They're all the pieces we need."

"Shall I prepare the shovel, or..." Lucius goes to grab it.

"We didn't come all this way to not dig something up!"

"Right!" Stede stands up. "That's the spirit. OK. This way." Stede marches onward.

"That was sweet," you say, turning to Ed.

"Don't, or I will stab you in your face."

You laugh and follow them as they head off further into the trees.

♡♡♡

"Is this how you felt with Izzy?" Edward asks, walking alongside you again.

"What do you mean?"

He gazes at Stede and motions between himself and the other man with his hand. "This."

"Are you implying I was in love with Izzy Hands?" You ask. Edward nods. "What? No! Izzy was my friend. He needs friends, Ed. If anything... no, forget it."

"What?"

"No, nothing. You're not ready to hear that.

"You two were so close, ya know." Edward shrugs his shoudler lightly. "Kind of envied that."

"Envied it? Izzy was your friend too."

"Yeah, but, like, not in the way you were friends. You too had something. He still wears that ring around his neck."

"The ring on his necktie? He's always had that. What's that got to do with anything?" You ask, confused by Edward's words.

"No. Not that. He has a chain he wears under his shirt. There's a ring on it."

"Huh?"

"Izzy found a ring on that ship that night. Pretty little ring. He didn't say anything for a while about after the night we lost you, but eve actually I had to ask. I caught him looking at it as it hung around his neck. Told me he thought of you when he saw it. He was gonna give it to ya, but... well, you know."

You look at the ground, brows knitted together in thought. Hearing Izzy like this was so soft and gentle. He was sentimental.

"Why didn't he say anything?" You ask. "After my return."

"Perhaps he can't bring himself to. You know what's he's like. Doesn't trust easy, for starters."

"He lost trust in me?"

"We thought you were dead," Edward says softly. "Don't forget that. For 6 years you were dead in our lives."

"Fuck..."

"Listen, mate. Don't feel bad. Things didn't turn out as planned and a lot of shit happened. But we're cool. You're back and everything is gonna be okay."

"But Izzy is gone. The bastard left... he left me behind! If... if I meant anything to him, I..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down."

You take a deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's all good. What's done is done. Just don't hate the man, okay?"

"Hate him...?" You fall quiet. "I couldn't hate him."

Ed keeps an arm around you as the group keeps on walking. Eventually the adventure comes to an end. To get this over with, Lucius and Ed guide Stede to an old dead tree.

"You sure this is the right tree?" Stede asks.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Oh, undoubtedly, mate."

"It looks just like the one off the map."

"Plus, pirates are ways burying stuff at the base of trees," Ed says.

"See, now I feel you're patronising me."

"What are you doing to my family's tree?" Jim asks, standing behind Bonnet.

"Good timing. I'm just about to unearth some treasure," Stede replies happily.

"We, er..." Ed goes over to Jim to speak quietly behind Stede. "We're just letting him dig for a bit, get it out of his system."

"I found something! What do you think it could be?"

"A rock." You, Lucius, and Jim all said at the same time.

"I've got it." Stede holds the item up. "I think it's a rock."

You sigh. "Yeah, too bad."

Stede tosses the rock over to Edward. "Yeah, sorry, mate. That's usually how these things go. Just end up finding a rock, or dried-up piece of shit."

Ed uses one of the water tankers Lucius is carrying to rinse the rock.

"Well, I guess the real treasure was our day spent together, am I right?" Lucius smiles.

"Lucius! We spend every day together." Stede puts his hands on his hips.

You laugh a little. Ed looks at you with a smile.

"Treasure is the real treasure."

"Hey, look at that. It's an orange." Edward holds the 'rock' up. "Petrified." He tosses it back to Stede.

"Old tree will had some fruit to give after all." Jim looks at the tree fondly.

Stede offers the orange to Jim, since the fruit came from their tree, but Jim tosses it back. It's Stede's treasure.

"OK, back to the boat," Ed says, turning on his heel. You do not hesitate to catch up. You've had enough adventure for one day.

♡♡♡

Edward joins Stede in his quarters after you all return to the ship. While Lucius smiles and listens to the other party's adventure on getting oranges, you sneak past them to go hide in Izzy's old cabin.

Lucius sees you though.

You sigh as you stand in the doorway and look at the bed. It doesn't feel right without him. You sit down carefully and rest your head back against the wall.

"Where did you go, Izzy?" You whisper. "Why did you leave me?"

A knock at the door startles you and you turn to see Lucius standing there, now without all the gear he had been carrying all day.

"Hey."

"Hi."

He looks at you with a kind softness. "You want some company?"

You sigh softly and nod your head. Lucius comes over and sits beside you on the bed. He rests his head back too and looks at you, planting a hand over yours on your leg.

"You know, I kind of miss him yelling at us all, in a weird kind of way."

You laugh.

"Yeah? You get used to it after a while. Sorry he was such a dick to you though." You apologise.

"Nah, forget about it." He waves his hand as if to brush the apology off. "He definitely had a soft spot for you."

You shrug. "So people keep telling me."

"But it's true. I saw the way he looked at you." Lucius smiles.

"Shut it."

You both chuckles. A moment of silence passes before you sigh and speak again. "I just wish I could apologise to him some more. I want to see his stupid face and know that he trusts me again."

"Blackbeard said he closed himself off after I "died." And I don't luke the idea of him suffering alone in silence."

Lucius gives your hand a squeeze. "Things will get better."

You look at him. "I kind of like being on this ship. It was weird at first because it was so different from other ships I've been on, but it had grown on me."

"Yeah get kind of used to it."

You both smile at each other.

"Thanks for checking on me, Lucius."

"Any time, sweetheart," he grins and winks at you. You laugh and give him a gentle shove. "You ever been sketched?" He asks.

You try to bite down your smile, but to no avail. "No."

"Wanna be?"

You laugh.

It felt good to laugh again.

♡♡♡

@grippleback-galaxy - @askmarinaandothers - @godlikegallagher - @for-fuck-sake-im-alive - @whiskeyswriting - @lxsm2 - @bloody-bunni666 - @the-chocoholic-writer - @bugbugboy - @callmemana -

#izzy hands x reader #spirit of the sea #ofmd #our flag means death #dragon writes

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knitnightstudio · 6 months

Text

We've made it to 2x3! everyone breathe! This one is gonna be fun, i promise.

We see the emerald clearly for the first time. We get a few shots in the beginning of the episode, more then the last 2 combined. But It's when Ed is leaning on the staff and telling Hornigold the reasons he wants to live that we get a good long shot of it.

Warmth, good food, intercourse, orgasms. All things Ed wants from Stede. This scene is from far away, we aren't being let in yet, but Ed is opening up a little and being pretty freakin clear about who and what he needs.

Ed isn't hiding the ring anymore. Even before he knows he's in the gravy basket he's suddenly being a lot more open with his left hand.

Look at that stance. We haven't seen Ed stand this open all season.

To me this is the most interesting scene. Ed's hands are clear for a very long time.

But look at these 2 shots closely. The emerald ring is completely backwards. The band alone makes the ring look like a traditional wedding ring.

At first I wasn't sure if it was just a fluke that wasn't caught in editing, but there is a scene cut between these 2 images, and the ring is STILL backwards.

That makes me feel like it was intentional. The show wants us to see this ring as a wedding ring, why else would they not have had Taika Waititi fix it between the two takes?

I'm not a film student so I could be totally off, but it struck me as interesting. I'd love to hear from someone who knows more about this stuff.

This is such a long scene and we see the emerald for all of it. Suddenly we have gone from Ed hiding it from everyone, including us, to him wanting us to see it, all be it from a distance. This is the first time you can actually see the ring if you're not pausing everytime Ed's left hand appears

And then we have the other amazing scene from this episode

Ed sees the light when Stede removes the cloth from his face and the rope that was previously tied tight around his waist just falls away, like magic. Merman Stede appears and we HEAR THE RING BANGING THE FUCK AROUND BECAUSE OMG ED HAS HIS STEDE BACK.

We hear Kate Bush's This Woman's Work

"I know you have a little life in you yet I know you have a lot of strength left I know you have a little life in you yet I know you have a lot of strength left

I should be crying but I just can't let it show I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things I should've said That I never said All the things we should've done Though we never did All the things I should've given But I didn't Oh, darling, make it go Make it go away

Give me these moments back Give them back to me Give me that little kiss"

And with that loud banging of an emerald ring all our moments are back.

also interesting parallel between the Kate Bush lyrics and Ed's song from 1/10 "Just let go, Make yourself let go, Make it go away"

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hadeantaiga · 2 years

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So for OFMD I saw a wonderful article talking about how they did the background, how it was a set of giant LED screens they could program scenes into, and adjust if they wanted, to fit everything to the proper mood - because OFMD is a comedy, but it's also a romance. And having backdrops meant they didn't have to do everything with green screens in post, and just... yeah.

But what I want to say on that level is that sometimes, some of the scenes had a 1950's technicolor romance movie feel to them, and now I understand how - because unlike working outside, they could literally change the size of the moon or the color of the sky to that intense, bluish purple or cyan of a technicolor daytime sky, if they wanted - and then there was the stage lighting, and all of it just gave this incredibly nostalgic and romantic feel to some of the scenes.

Take this scene. It's Stede, against the insanely, impossibly blue sky, with that tinge of magic to it, and his face is lit with warm colors, and the color of his jacket is popping and it's all beyond reality, but in that very specific technicolor way, not a "we've bumped up the saturation in photoshop way".

Like if you told me Scarlet O'Hara was acting opposite him right there I would believe you.

And I just feel like that's part of what makes this show so amazing, because that sort of cinematography is coming through and influencing you even if you're not conscious of it!!

#ofmd #our flag means death #cinematogrpahy

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khruschevshoe · 4 months

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OFMD Critique: Bad Faith, Fandom, and Respect

All right. You know what? Screw it. I saw one post I just cannot ignore anymore that encapsulated all of my problems with the fandom right now. Personal rant incoming.

I understand that there's a nuance to the discussion of season 2 of Our Flag Means Death, and that there are people going a little too far with both their critiques and their support of the show. But oh my God, I'm tired of being straw-manned and made fun of for legitimate critiques of the show.

I just used the block button on someone in this fandom for the first time. Some of you might think I'm overreacting for this, but I saw a post that I could not on any level stand. This person, who I will not name names of, because I'd rather just block them and never deal with their level of bad faith again, took their one legitimate criticism of those of us who critique the show, the back and forth on whether or not Izzy's death was homophobic or not, and used it as the first in a literal list of straw man critiques that no one I've read in the OFMD Critical tag has made (and I check it like once a day bc I like reading meta, sorry), proceeding to absolutely make fun of the legitimate critiques that people have of the show, parodying them in the worst possible ways. They took our legitimate critiques about everything from the sexist handling Zheng Yi Sao's character, the absolute ableism of the finale, the questionable optics of the handling of trauma, etc. and stretched them into things that they very much were not (two examples were that we were crying ableism bc of something to do with seagulls and that we thought the problem in the Stede&Zheng dynamic was the "emotional labor" involved).

Now I'm pretty sure this post was a joke. I *think* it was a joke. But how in the world am I supposed to feel comfortable in the main section of a fandom like this when the comments and replies to this post were full of people agreeing sincerely that this is what the critical section of the fandom is like? How am I supposed to feel when I just see people making fun of me for my analysis of the show? I love this show. I adore season 1 and I'm clearly still making fan related content (moodboards) for season 2 along with my critiques.

Sure, I vibe way more with fanfiction than the actual canon at this point, but I still genuinely engage with the show. And to have the critiques that I made in good faith, regarding issues that I sincerely care about such as ableism, sexism, homophobia, and the handling of trauma, made fun of and taken out of context and straw-manned to their extreme, makes me feel so absolutely unwelcome in this fandom.

Other than keeping up with the couple of fan series that I'm currently still reading, I don't know if I can stay in this fandom any longer. I can't say that I'm excited for the new season if this is the kind of response that any good faith critique of the show is going to get. I can't say that I feel safe or comfortable when there are this many people ready to dog pile on me for a critique I made with ACTUAL TEXTUAL EVIDENCE to back it up.

I would like to thank all the people who have been making excellent critiques of the show. Their meta-analysis is what got me into making my own critiques, which I was nervous about making in any other fandom. I don't think I've in any way tagged them all, but just a few I can remember off the top of my head. Go read their critiques/meta- it's really good!

@sky-fire-forever @carrymelikeimcute @blue-b-bro @bougiebutchbinch @treesofgreen @sixstepsaway @alex51324

And from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has engaged with my mood boards or my critiques or anything else that I've made, as well as the amazing writers and artists in this fandom (such as @ruecrown, @aletterinthenameofsanity, @fool-for-luv, and @possumsmushroom). You guys have kept me going with my love for the show and engaging with it for a while now. Despite the stuff that is making me take a step back now, I really did love this while it lasted! I'm still planning on making a few more mood boards, but other than that, I'm going to take a step back from engaging.

Hope this post can spread enough support/joy your way to counteract the ache I'm currently feeling!

Sincerely,

Ashley (aka @khruschevshoe)

#ofmd critical #fandom critical #ofmd #ofmd season 2 #this show was supposed to be a source of joy and kindness and it become something sour #izzy hands #zheng yi sao #stede bonnet critical #ed teach critical #I'm not tagging them bc I don’t want hate #fandom shenanigans #meta #analysis

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piratecaptainscaptainpirates · 3 months

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There's something that feels so...unrepeatable about OFMD, and I think one of the big aspects of that is the casting of our two leads.

Stede, especially - it would have been so, so easy for Stede to be absolutely unbearable, and we know they had trouble finding the perfect actor for him before Rhys sent in his audition. I don't think anyone other than Rhys Darby could have pulled it off, frankly. He gives Stede such an earnest air about him, and he's so expressive that you can feel Stede's self-doubt, his guilt, his anxieties, all without them having to explicitly tell us. If Taika is amazing at having eyes, Rhys is amazing at having a face. Every time I watch an episode, I notice something new to blow me away about his performance.

And that's not to say Taika isn't giving Ed 110%, either! I think Taika Waititi is a very underrated actor because he's really pretty amazing. Not a lot of actors would've been so clearly able to convey Ed's emotions and personality with a huge fake beard glued to their face, and his s2 acting is so subtle and impressive once he doesn't have to act with the beard on. He's an incredible actor - one moment that stands out to me is the two shots we get in s2e2 of Ed laying on his back sobbing. The first time we see it, it's heartbreaking. Then in the quick "I had a very rough night last night" flashback, it's sad but funny! It's the same thing but he still manages to give us a very different tone.

But the best thing about it? Their chemistry. Ed and Stede click fucking immediately, and their chemistry sells it. Because Rhys and Taika have been friends in real life for so long, they do love each other, so even though they're acting a different kind of love, it's not a stretch for it to be believable. It's the kind of thing that you just won't get if you pick two random actors who've never met before, no matter how good they are. They're visibly just so comfortable with other and love working together, always glancing at each other and checking in and playing off each other's performance, and because they like each other so much, they're able to be vulnerable with each other in a way that really comes through on screen.

There's something so special about Ed and Stede's relationship, and their casting is so incredibly spot-on. I've never seen anything quite as all-around perfect.

#ofmd #our flag means death

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rhysdarbinizedarby · 8 months

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Our Flag Means Death Season 2: Exclusive First Look

Vanity Fair joins Stede, Blackbeard, and the rest of the cast on set in New Zealand for an exclusive early look at the second season, debuting on Max in October.

BY SARAH CATHERALL (AUGUST 24, 2023)

Only the fans of Our Flag Means Death can determine whether they’ll be satisfied with the show’s second season, which debuts on Max in October. But if you ask Fernando Frias, who directed three of the season’s episodes, he sounds pretty confident: “If my life depended on saying whether it’s yes or no, I would say yes.’’

It’s December 8, 2022, and the principal actors on Our Flag Means Death as well as the 800-plus extras and crew members have three days left of their three-month shoot for season two. Things are starting to get emotional. “You’ve been the most amazing crew I’ve ever worked with,” says one actor as he wraps his final scene. Frias says it’s like leaving “a long summer camp,” adding, “it’s like a family.”

Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The series created by David Jenkins was a surprise breakout hit when it debuted in the spring of 2022, building a fiercely devoted fan base with its silly yet emotional deadpan, and defiantly queer take on the adventures of real 18th-century pirates. Everyone involved in Our Flag Means Death is eager to preserve the surprises in store for season two, which kicks off with gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and softhearted bad boy Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) ruefully separated after finally realizing their love for each other at the end of season one.

It’s “going to be unexpected and surprising, but also very pleasurable and satisfying for those who like the show,” promises executive producer Garrett Basch. It “doesn’t follow the expected route,” teases Con O’Neill, who plays Blackbeard’s devoted enforcer, Izzy. All that means is we’re not at liberty to share too much about what happened on set that day, which included emotional conversations, new cast members, banter with the Kiwi crew, and some seriously killer costumes.

But these exclusive new images give a hint of what is in store. There are fresh faces—Minnie Driver will guest-star as the real-life Irish pirate Anne Bonny, and Ruibo Qian joins the cast as the mysterious merchant Susan—and a lot of New Zealand actors and locations, now that the production has decamped across the Pacific.

“The viewers will see the scope of their world has expanded based on the fact we’re able to get to these amazing locations within a short travel time,” says executive producer Antoine Douaihy. “You will notice a marked difference between the two seasons in terms of the scope and the scale.’’

Minnie Driver joins the cast this season as Anne Bonny. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

There will be plenty of familiar faces too, of course. On set that day in Kumeu, New Zealand, a rural area about 20 miles outside of Auckland, are Waititi and Darby along their fellow returning cast members O’Neill, Vico Ortiz (Jim), Kristian Nairn (Wee John), Joel Fry (Frenchie), Matthew Maher (Black Pete), Leslie Jones (Spanish Jackie), Samson Kayo (Oluwande), Ewen Bremner (Nathaniel Buttons), Samba Schutte (Roach), and more. New onboard are two Kiwi actors, Madeleine Sami (most recently of the Australian mystery-comedy Deadloch), and Samoan-born Anapela Polataivao. And there’s one returning figure impossible to miss on the soundstage: The Revenge, the stately ship that Blackbeard—a.k.a. Ed—commandeered at the end of season one. In real life it was carefully transported across the Pacific Ocean from the show’s original Los Angeles soundstages.

The Revenge is vast and impressive, much larger in real life than it appears onscreen. But it’s not the only stunning scenery in store. There are around 50 sets involved in the production of season two, including the 30-acre forest behind the Kumeu Film Studio, Piha Beach, and the wild, black-sand Bethells Beach.

Waititi, who also executive produces the series, was part of the push to film season two in his native New Zealand. “Taika is an extraordinary talent and what’s really great about him with his international success is he’s remained very committed to New Zealand and very loyal to our industry,” says Annie Murray, the CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission. “The beauty of filming in New Zealand is that you can find incredible varied locations within a very short driving distance. [And] when you get to those locations you can turn your camera in any direction.’’

Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, filming at New Zealand’s Bethells Beach. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The scope of the season is very evident back on set, as well. There’s a whole other pirate ship in addition to The Revenge, plus sets for a floating market, Stede’s cabin (empty when we visit), and the Republic of Pirates first glimpsed in season one. Behind the scenes it’s a maze of wardrobe, wig rooms, and dressing rooms. In another facility, props are stacked on shelves, ready to be taken away to storage as soon as filming wraps—vases, plates, antique furniture, and piles of mannequins replicating dead bodies which were used in one of the battle scenes.

Costume designer Gypsy Taylor joined the production this season and has designed hundreds of costumes, checking with everyone on set that day to make sure everything is in place before cameras roll. Taylor says each of the principals have six to eight looks in this season, and that every item—every leather belt, wig, bit of jewelry, even a mermaid tail—has been made by her 60-strong workshop. The costumes this season have a “Mad Max, ‘streets of New York’ feel,” says Taylor. “David Jenkins was keen to give the series a cool rock-and-roll vibe…so we had these rock-and-roll elements with an 18th-century twist.’’ As is evidenced in the image below, even Stede’s crew winds up with some unexpected new looks over the course of the season.

Wherever it is these Revenge crew members have found themselves, there’s something that surprised them. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

Two armies are part of the action in season two, all of them needing elaborate costumes—around 150 Chinese pirates and a fleet of 100 navy officers. Even the breeches are in studded black leather, and punkified. Says Taylor, “The theory behind their costumes is they would’ve stolen from other pirates…. Although our Wee John has started to become quite the seamstress, so he’s knitting this season.’’ True enough: Nairn is wearing what looks like a hand-knit sweater on set that day.

Wee John isn’t the only pirate getting into crafts. Nancy Hennah, who has managed the hair and makeup for both seasons, points to Blackbeard’s wig—made in London—and tattoos as Waititi works on set. With 14 tattoos on his right arm and 10 on the left, plus plenty of scars, he needs at least an hour in the makeup chair. “Taika wanted most of the tattoos to look like he’d done them himself,” Hennah says. “Like on slow days on the boat when there’s nothing much to do, they sit around and give each other tattoos.”

She gives a hint of a storm in one episode: “One of the hardest days here in makeup was when they were caught in a storm on the back of the boat. [The cast] were saturated for a whole day, which caused havoc with things like tattoos and hair, wigs and beards.’’

Taika Waititi as Blackbeard, who begins the season with a broken heart. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

By mid afternoon, Con O’Neill is taking a break in his trailer. He pulls his slim, leather trousered legs up to a corner seat. A candle blazes on the kitchen bench as the veteran actor talks about the physical endurance required during the shoot. “It’s been frantic,’’ he says. His signature gray hair barely moves, frozen by the team of hair stylists who arrived on set around sunrise. (All interviews with actors in this story took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike).

Izzy “goes on a remarkable journey” this season, says O’Neill. “He understands what love is and whom he’s in love with.’’ On a series featuring a variety of joyful queer relationships—not just Stede and Blackbeard, but Black Pete and Lucius (Nathan Foad), Jim and Oluwande, and Spanish Jackie and her many husbands—Izzy’s unyieldingly straitlaced devotion makes him an odd man out. By the end of season one many fans speculated that Izzy was driven by something at the intersection of love and obsession. This season, according to O’Neill, Izzy gets even deeper into that dynamic. “Physically it’s been quite demanding, and also emotionally it’s been quite demanding to be playing a man enraged by unrequited love, who’s basically a hopeless romantic, and to be able to play all that and also remember that this is fundamentally a comedy.’’

Though the show is often warm and fuzzy when it comes to feelings—one of Stede’s mottos in season one is that when faced with challenges, “we talk it through as a crew”—Izzy represents the darker, more violent side of pirate life, which the show doesn’t shy away from either. “What I love about this show is it does allow itself to swing between the two,” O’Neill says. “We’re almost operatic in our darkness at times, and then we swing back to the sweetness of the simplicity of the love of our two guys. It’s been challenging just to get the tone right.”

“We’ve gone further this season than we did last season with those tones,” he continues. “So sometimes it’s quite interesting to remind yourself that you have to take your foot out of the tragedy—literally, your foot—and put it back into the comedy.”

With a season behind them to build the dynamics between the characters and the actors alike, on set there’s been “a lot more spontaneity and script revisions based on what’s happening day-to-day,” says Douaihy. “The cast are so comfortable with one another and their characters, that they move through it naturally.’’

Leslie Jones as Spanish Jackie and Taika Waititi as Ed a.k.a. Blackbeard. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

The way O’Neill puts it, they’ve also built trust with Jenkins, their showrunner, to follow some bigger swings. “I don’t think David Jenkins is ever going to follow an expected route. I’d hate to drive in a car with him.” Thinking of the fans who will greet the series when the show returns in October, O’Neill continues, “I think they’re going to appreciate what [Jenkins] wants. Season two does stick to the original premise that we created in season one, which is take it on to other levels.’’

One character leveling up in a major way this season is Jim, the quiet badass (there are knives involved) played by the nonbinary actor and activist Vico Ortiz. “Jim really evolves in season two,” they say. “They’re a bit more chatty and a bit more conversational…. Most of the first season you see Jim in disguise, hiding, but in this one you see them a bit more [thinking,] Oh, this is my chosen family, and I feel good. There’s a bit more zaniness and a bit more softness.’’

Like O’Neill and several other castmates, Oritz had attended their share of fan events by the time season two began filming, and the entire cast and crew returned to the high seas with a strong sense that their show had taken on a life of its own. “It’s so beautiful to see that people are finding community within the fan base. It’s about creating spaces where we feel safe and seen, and it’s so great to see that so many people watch the show and feel validated in their experiences, whatever that may be,” says Ortiz. “A lot of people that watch the show are like, “Yeah, I’m a guy and it’s good to see all these dudes being vulnerable.’ We can just shake up [ideas about gender].’’

Ruibo Qian joins the cast this season as Susan, a merchant with secrets of her own. COURTESY OF NICOLA DOVE/MAX.

Basch admits the fan following surprised some of the team, “but it made a lot of sense” too. After years of television shows and movies that built up the potential of queer romance only to stop short, Basch thinks the fervor for Our Flag Means Death “says that shows in the mainstream aren’t delivering that promise or that setup, and we have. That’s really why the fans have gone wild for it.”

That promise, it’s safe to say, is kept in season two, and then some. On set that day in December, for example, there was a major romantic moment between two key characters. But we’d risk Ed Teach’s wrath if we told you any more.

Source: Vanity Fair

#rhys darby #taika waititi #minnie driver #samba schutte #kristian nairn #matthew maher #ofmd #our flag means death #vanity fair #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoiler alert

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