Examining OFMD E2: A Damned Man in close detail and liveblogging/analysing the text.
S01 E01: The Pilot || S01 E02: A Damned Man
Back at it again! Once again I am setting your expectations for what I do in these liveblogs/close reading pieces:
- This is going to be a rewatch liveblog going through each episode and closely reading and responding to the text, bit by bit, in chronological order.
- It’s going to be pretty casual in tone, I will be swearing and making sex jokes and blah blah blah, this is close reading for fun and isn’t academic in tone, but it’s still close reading and commentary on the text with some analysis here and there. For fun.
- I’m gay, gay, homosexual, gay, and I’m not editing out the bits where I get distracted by being horny for the benefit of your entertainment and also my own lack of shame. You’re welcome.
- I have seen the whole series, I will be making constant reference to other stuff later in the text, so there will be spoilers for later in the series.
I really like the description for this episode which is:
Stede battles feelings of guilt while hunting for missing hostages. Lucius makes a surprising discovery.
And because I read it fast I read the “while” as coming before the guilt, so I read the passage as “Stede battles feelings of white guilt”, which tracks with this being the episode with him being like “we’re not the colonizers, they are” thing. Just thought that was funny.
I FORGOT IT OPENED ON THE STUPID OTT FRENCH PEOPLE.
The fact that I’m seeing white feathers, a beret with a bobble on it, one guy wandering around just casually holding a baguette, the blue-and-white striped cotton sailor jersey that’s so stereotypically French, the way they toast each other with the bread —
And I love how several sailors just immediately throw themselves overboard at the mere mention of Blackbeard.
The crew’s response is so good to Black Pete telling this story because Stede is beaming, snuggled under his blankets, absolutely rapt — Roach is laughing kind of awkwardly, Oluwande and Frenchie look bored as fuck, Lucius is staring into space and actively disassociating, John is almost asleep.
And Stede’s just like, wow! So impressive!
Stede leans forward in profile with his mouth open and he just looks so eager for more details and it’s so funny because it’s like… This is why he came to sea. This is what he wants to be a pirate for. He wants to be a part of stories just like this one that Pete’s telling — a story that literally everyone else is rolling their eyes at and thinks is fucking stupid.
Blackbeard’s outfit is interesting here — the heavy robe contrasted with the choral music really makes him seem like a sort of priest of death, particularly with the skull (is it meant to be a monkey’s, or a human child’s, or what?) hanging from a chain on his belt), even before it shows his face and the glowing red eyes, all thick smoke making up his hair, his beard.
The real Blackbeard apparently used to really love lighting tapers in his beard to give him a sort of devilish smokey look, which I think this is a reference to? But God, it’s just… It’s so silly and so well-done, I really love how they jump into fantastical effects and ridiculousness for stuff like this and the hook-head guy.
OH AND I NEVER REALISED THEY GAVE HIM A BRISTOL ACCENT IN THAT SCENE, WHEN HE SAYS, “Look into the eyes of Blackbeard,”, THAT’S SO FUCKING GOOD. Meta…
STEDE: Wait, wait, so you’re saying Blackbeard’s head… is made of smoke?
PETE: When he needs it to be.
STEDE: Wow!
EVERYONE, at what a bimbo Stede is:
He’s just so unspeakably stupid and none of them can deal with it.
Roach and Lucius are both looking at him while tilting their heads in bafflement that he can really be that idiotic, Oluwande is looking at him with more serious concern, Frenchie is horrified, Buttons is staring into the sky but to be fair he’s been doing that a while.
STEDE: And his eyes glow?
PETE: … Yes.
STEDE: But do his eyes also float? ’Cause his head is also smoke.
PETE: I never said that they floated.
STEDE: And how big are they?
PETE: Uh, they’re just regular eyes, but, uh —
STEDE: Are you guys getting this!?
Like… Firstly, it’s funny that Stede is a liberally educated man with a library full of books, and yet he takes Pete’s story of Blackbeard having a head make of smoke as entirely literal, purely because Pete is stupid enough that he doesn’t say “oh it’s just imagery, my guy” or whatever, but like —
Lucius is tilting his head so far to the side it looks like it’s about to come off, and Roach has one hand raised with the palm up like, “Come on, man, what?”
Pete jumping into the scene doing a front flip is very in line with Mac MacDonald from It’s Always Sunny going, “Dennis, I do a backflip every day of my life.” I think Pete and Mac would fall in love instantly. Apart from Pete’s cute little bandana and slitting three throats at once, is he wearing a little bit of eyeshadow or is it just the lighting?
We know he was lying about being on Blackbeard’s crew for certain because his clothes have colour in them.
BLACKBEARD: You saved my hide, Pete. I am forever in your debt.
PETE: Just happy to be on the team, Blackbeard.
BLACKBEARD, putting his hand on Pete’s shoulder: From this day onward, you’ll be known as the Dread Black Pete, my right-hand man.
I was laughing earlier about how Pete and Stede both come up with fantasies and lies about themselves that are somehow even more cringe than the actual man and it’s so wild to me. Pete being modest only in his related nonsense is such banter, even without Stede looking on in complete awe because he’s my overly autistic bimbo of a man.
Roach is giving him such side-eye and also such… pity, like, man, really? Are you serious? What’s wrong with you? And Swede is just awkwardly avoiding eye contact, as he does. I really like that we see Roach and the Swede side-by-side and with mirrored positioning, both with their left hands up toward the sides of their faces, the Roach-and-Swede dynamic is one I want to pay more attention to as the series goes on.
BUTTONS: I was with him until the flip!
I genuinely didn’t even know you were listening, my man, so thanks for joining in.
I never realised that it’s Roach who says, “We’re not calling you the Dread Black Pete,” especially when Samba Schutte is Dutch-Mauritanian and like, can you fucking imagine being Roach, and a crew member is like, “Hey, everyone, I’m racist Santa!” and you’re like, “No. You are not. We’re not doing this.”
OLUWANDE: Wait… Who’s steering the ship?
I love that it’s Oluwande who notes that no one’s steering the ship — I feel like Oluwande’s character arc as the first series goes on is very much him increasingly being put into positions of further leadership, as a negotiator, as someone with skills in conflict de-escalation, as someone who can evaluate a situation and suitably direct resources, and like… That definitely comes into play here, I think, where he’s the one that’s actually paying attention and thinking of stuff in a broader context, when even Buttons isn’t noticing, but like —
It does make it funnier that continuously in other episodes there are moments where no one is steering the ship but it doesn’t matter, because it wouldn’t be funny for it to matter right now.
The way that we cut to Stede literally trying to push the ship back out, on his own, as Buttons just stands and watches is… such a lot. Like, Stede, he’s not too bright, and he has got an unrealistic idea of a lot of things, but surely he knew he’d not be able do that himself, even if he did strip down to his shirtsleeves to do so.
BUTTONS: We may need to start eating some of the crew.
I’m really fascinated by the implications of how immediately Buttons resorts to cannibalism here — he’s the one on the ship who seems to have the most formal sailing experience, and also is the one that’s most attached to the procedures one would associate with naval vessels (apart from calling Stede Captain and being quite focused on titles, he gets people on their feet for Stede and so on), but he’s the most… you know.
Off.
Apart from his scary mechanical teeth and his fixation on biting, you know have the cannibalism thing that comes up multiple times, and while in the context of the broader narrative it’s obviously contrasting with Stede’s racist assumptions of cannibalism by the natives of the island, showing that cannibalism is in this story is (and often has been, historically) a white man’s fetish nd fixation, like —
One does wonder why the fuck Buttons in particular is so focused on it, like, is that why he’s a pirate instead of still with the navy? Because he enjoys biting and eating people, and this is a better place to get away with it?
BUTTONS: I recommend we start with Lucius. He’s young and succulent, uh?
Poor Lucius. He’s played by the youngest of the cast, and like, Buttons’ pre-existing fixation aside, I think the thing with Buttons focusing on him in this episode (and then the fact that no one notices he’s gone later except for Stede) is really interesting when we think of how in E1 it’s kind of established that Lucius is not really considered to be part of the crew proper, except by himself?
He’s the most disposable of those aboard — none of them are particularly good sailors or crew members, but Lucius is not a sailor, he’s a scribe and a sketch-artist. It’s not Lucius’ fault that he’s aboard effectively as a representative of Stede’s ego, but in the meantime, he’s the one that contributes the least to daily running of the ship, and more than that, like…
There’s always this politics around power on a ship that’s important when it’s like, all about power and sorts of power — Lucius is physically weak compared to someone like Wee John, he’s effete and non-confrontational, he’s not in doing the duties with the rest of the crew, and crucially, like… He’s not particularly popular. Stede likes him, yes, and he and Oluwande have now shared a few moments together, but that was mostly Oluwande talking and Lucius listening; if you look at Lucius’ other interactions with people on deck, it’s often Lucius staying silent in the background (or worse, beside Stede), or it’s Lucius bringing stuff to the rest of the crew and all of them sort of staring at him, but not engaging with him much beyond that.
And why would they, when he’s not a sailor and not one of them, and they don’t know whether he’s on Stede’s side or theirs? And for Buttons, who’s evidently anti-mutiny despite being pro-cannibalism, there’s presumably that knowledge in place that of the people on the crew, picking out Lucius would meet with the least opposition except by Stede; Jim and Oluwande like each other and everyone loves Jim and listens to Oluwande; Wee John, Frenchie, Roach, and the Swede all seem to get on, and while they’re not particular friends yet, I don’t think any of them would choose Lucius over one of the others; and as for Pete —
Well, Pete’s a dick, and maybe everyone as individuals would choose Lucius over Pete, but Buttons obviously gives the man some benefit of the doubt, and unlike Lucius, Pete would be halfway equipped to fight back if Buttons tried to overpower him.
(And also, he’s not as young and succulent, I guess?)
STEDE: What? Buttons… (annoyed and irritated, gesturing indignantly while he scrunches up his nose) we’ve just run arground. Happens to everyone.
I’d love to say “Stede, no,” but historically Blackbeard ran his ship aground and Israel Hands did the same thing while trying to tow him out so… Fine.
STEDE: We don’t need to start eating each other.
BUTTONS: Aye, no, no, of course not. Not until… absolutely necessary.
STEDE: It won’t be necessary.
BUTTONS: Won’t be necessary.
STEDE: No.
BUTTONS: Until it’s absolutely necessary.
STEDE: Which it won’t be.
BUTTONS: No.
I really want to ask Ewen Bremner some questions about his neck, I’m like… It’s this really particular thing that Buttons does almost constantly, where he’s standing there with his head tilted back at a 45 to 70 degree angle, and when there’s a bird come to perch on his forehead, it makes sense, but he does it like, constantly. Like whenever Buttons is standing in the background, he’s doing it, and whenever he’s talking he’s doing it, and often while staring off into the distance rather than making eye contact or glancing at people — which isn’t in itself unusual, eye contact isn’t for everybody, but like.
Your neck, my guy. What’s up with that?
I love Stede’s frustration here because he’s sighing and gesturing with his ruffled sleeves and he’s acting extremely exasperated, but at no point does he say that cannibalism would be immoral or bad to do, or even order Buttons not to talk about it or that it’s out of the question — instead, he just tries to reason with him? And his frustration seems at least partly to be that Buttons isn’t doing the polite thing and conceding to Stede’s reason, because politeness?
Also the hull of the Revenge is really stressing me out. I really hope S2 has a whole plotline that’s just… cleaning the ship of barnacles and stuff. That shit’s fucking nasty.
STEDE: Oooh. Please move!
You have a whole crew of sailors. And you’re trying to push your ship out from the stand, as one man. Is it that you actually think it will work? Is this you punishing yourself? Are you too embarrassed to ask for help when the crew collectively were responsible for this fuck-up? What even?
And then it’s like —
No, because when he looks at the hallucination of Chauncey, one gets the impression that Stede has already been hallucinating him. So, what, did he tell everyone to leave him be so that he could continue his mental breakdown without an audience, or what?
CHAUNCEY: Bolloxed this one up well and good, eh, Baby Bonnet?
STEDE: You’re dead, and I’m not listening.
CHAUNCEY: Little Baby Bonnet broke his little baby boat on the big bad beach!
Rory Kinnear’s really good with the old plosives, eh?
Anyway, I think it’s interesting that the hallucination of Chauncey immediately jumps onto the Baby Bonnet insult and breaks it out way more even than the IRL one did — it speaks a lot to Stede’s insecurities here, which are I think that like…
He’s realised that he’s been stupid and idealistic, he’s in too deep to back out now, but there’s this sense of like, oh, God, what a child I’ve been, and that terrifying sense that he is as foolish and idealistic as a child is. Which is something that Stede is in many ways, but I think from an austistic POV is often so loaded too, where people take any sort of optimism or enthusiasm as childish, so that insult is always so incredibly weighted?
And again —
CHAUNCEY: Fat-arse.
STEDE: What? I’m not even fat.
CHAUNCEY: (stifles a laugh) Fat, fat, fatty, fatty, fat, with your stupid, fat face, and your oily, fat head.
STEDE: (exhales) Well, at least I’m alive.
The insecurity about his weight is such a lot when like… It’s tied up with the baby insult, right? That idea that fatness is something you grow out of, that you should grow out of, but also when Chauncey’s throwing it at him, it’s just the word, and it’s so cutting because it really is meant to wound.
When Chauncey represents so much of Stede’s childhood insecurities, when this is the window we get into his psyche, the fact that this keeps cropping up is really meaningful, when there’s this unspoken dislike of his own body, and particularly that fear that he’s a rich, plump boy, with all the implications of indolence that go with it — laziness not out of a desire not to work, but out of uselessness, too?
And I have to wonder how many times his father used that as an insult, as well as the boys at school.
INteresting, though, that even with his own hallucination, Stede gets to score points — this is actually like, the first time we see him really score a point against someone and see them flinch at the insult rather than just laugh at him, and it’s an exercise within his own head, with a hallucination that’s plaguing him.
While Chauncey obviously represents Stede’s own guilt, I really don’t think it’s as simple as feeling guilty for murdering him, because Chauncey does not only represent Stede’s first murder — he represents a changing tide in Stede’s life. Stede is now a pirate, and there’s no going back, because he’s got a kill under his belt, the Gentleman Pirate’s narrative has now truly begun, not because he bullied some auld cunts into handing over their potted plant, but because he killed a high-ranking captain of the British Navy, and fucking brutally, at that!
And therefore, it’s important, I think, that we see him going back-and-forth with the Chauncey in his head and winning points against him, because this is also Stede coping with becoming a version of himself who not just fights back, but wins.
It’s no longer just a fantasy, the l’esprit de l’escalier remarks he never says out loud, or walks back when he mutters them under his breath and someone hears him, it’s no longer only in his own head — Chauncey is manifesting as this external hallucination that he has to see and talk to and face head on, and Stede is sparring with him just like he’ll later spar with Izzy and Ed and other opponents.
Stede’s battling his own guilt, but also battling the representative of his past self, who was weak and soft, and that’s really who Stede’s trying to beat down when he fights Chauncey’s ghost — Chauncey himself is already downed and defeated, it’s Stede’s own weakness, or at least, the parts of himself Stede thinks of as weak, that he’s fighting here.
CHAUNCEY: You’re a child with a toy. Who’s now a murderer. Murdering little —
STEDE, almost sobbing: Enough!
And boom, that is enough, because Chauncey is gone.
Yes, yes, he’s a murderer, but I do think it notable that Chauncey specifically describes him as a child with a toy, referring to the Revenge (and her crew) as the toy here — this is a criticism that comes up consistently for Stede, obviously from Mary and Izzy too, and it’s like…
He’s serious about piracy, yes, he’s serious that he wants this to be his life, but he also hasn’t thought about consequences or implications and he doesn’t want to be burdened by them, much in the way of a child. I bring this up because when Mary sees Stede as a manchild who causes her a great deal of labour and Izzy sees him as a rich spoilt brat who’s here to ruin his life or whatever, Stede already knows.
Like, there’s obviously layers upon layers of self-deception and denial in everything he does, Stede is notoriously bad at meaningfully addressing the truth as it applies to himself and to his life, but right here, from inside his own head, it’s Stede’s own hallucination who describes himself as a child and the Revenge as a toy, because Stede’s deepest insecurity is that he’s exactly like that.
The crew are lined up on the beach, and I do like the detail of Chauncey in the distance perching on the rocks and taking the piss as Stede addresses the crew — I like that Wee John is almost always sat down when Stede is addressing him because I, too, hate to stand, especially when he looks so irritated, leaned forward with his chin on his hand, it’s a calculatedly disrespectful posture. I am assuming it’s partly for framing reasons, what with Nairn being 6’10” and a lot of the crew being more like 6′, 6’2″, et cetera, but regardless, it works so well and is such a great continuous detail for his character, especially with how important his anti-authority streak is to that.
Lucius, Roach, and Swede are all not wearing shoes, and I’m pretty sure they do normally wear shoes, which means they took their shoes off for the beach, but Buttons, John, Jim, and Pete all kept theirs on — and Oluwande is wearing Crocs, because. I don’t know why because.
WEE JOHN: Are we gonna have to eat each other?
BUTTONS: Most likely, aye.
STEDE, in a calm, patient teacher voice: No, no, we have plenty of food.
BUTTONS: For now.
STEDE: For weeks.
Wee John brings this up the way that a lot of rebellious people immediately bring up the worst case scenario as a shock tactic and I love it because Buttons is immediately like “Oh good, someone’s on board — “ and Stede is just like, please… Please, no…
But here comes Buttons looking at Lucius, and like —
I have feelings about this and about trauma, okay.
Buttons slowly turns his head and looks at Lucius from the side, Lucius realises that Buttons is looking at him, glances his way, and shuffles slightly on his feet before looking forward again. He moves an inch or two to his own right, further away from Buttons. It’s only a little motion, it’s only a small movement, and it could well just be an awkward one…
Except that Lucius is the most effete, obviously gay man on the ship, and Buttons is an older, more grizzled sailor. Lucius has not heard the cannibalism conversation beyond what he may well interpret as just a throwaway line a moment ago with John as a general discussion.
It could well be that as soon as Buttons looks over at him Lucius associates it with the cannibalism —it could also be that he associates it with the way men often look at him as an acceptable target to be violent toward and/or to fuck. Lucius doesn’t make a big deal about it or seem to concentrate on it much right away, but being a visibly gay man in public, especially when you’re the most visible, smallest one in a presumed hetero space on top of being the bottom of the group’s pecking order, like —
That’s never not loaded with potential implication and risk assessment, even when not stranded on an island.
I like the way the crew look at each other when Stede says holiday — Oluwande’s shaking his head and murmuring to Jim in the background, Lucius and the Swede are looking at each other baffled, Roach is looking to Wee John and Buttons questioningly.
I’m so distracted by Kristian Nairn whenever I’m meant to be doing close studies of the scenes his hair just looks so great at all times. Fuck, man. Really excellent choices with the dangly earrings on a lot of the cast members — I know there’s love for Oluwande’s teal one (wink wink) but I love Wee John’s gold loop and also Pete’s tiny one. Something something about the right ear being the gay ear, right? As if all ears aren’t gay.
But yeah, I love his delivery of, “What the hell’s a vacation?” and the fact that he’s leaning back slightly to fucking peer at Stede with his teeth showing, but Pete is just with his hands on his hips, shaking his head in the background, and he’s had his hands on his hips the whole time, like a gay has-no-power move.
Everyone’s responses to Stede’s bollocks in this scene are so good — when he suggests it’s their own time, the Swede full on tilts his head like a husky baffled by the video on your phone, and when Stede says “perhaps there’s a hobby you enjoy”, both Pete and Wee John do baffled little shakes of the head at the same time, just not getting it at all.
I do like that Stede sees Chauncey putting middle fingers up at him in the background and only just notices him there and gets thrown off balance by it, but also that Chauncey has been visible to us, the viewer, for a minute or two beforehand.
THE SWEDE: What is the punishment if we don’t?
STEDE: No, there’s no punishm — Look, there’s literally no way to mess this up. Just hit the beach, rest, and have fun!
He’s so impatient here, and I get that he’s under stress, but like… It’s one of those Stede moments where you just have this complete dearth of understanding between him and the crew, and the way that everyone’s just fucking there standing and staring at him except Lucius, who’s immediately like, oh, I can go?
Then I’m fucking going.
The way he tosses the diary on the sand is so unnecessary, but such a mood.
ROACH: Can my vacation be torturing the hostages? (holds up club with many spikes sticking out of it)
STEDE, exhaling: I was thinking more along the lines of relaxing activities.
ROACH, reasonably: Oh, I do find torturing hostages relaxing. Particularly this lot.
ENGLISH CUNTS: (vague protests)
ROACH, in a mild and assuring tone: I’ll just take them to the brink of death. (pinches his fingers together) I won’t go all the way.
STEDE: Let’s say no to torture. I think. For now.
ROACH, disappointed: (gestures pleadingly with his club full of spikes)
I love this exchange so much because Roach like… So Samba Schutte has said that he loves to play Roach as pretty off the wall and we know from later scenes that he laughs over horrible violence and stuff and I love that, but what I love most about the way he plays it is like —
He does it so reasonably. He’s so polite about it. His voice is even, and you absolutely believe that yes, indeed, he would find this relaxing, and why shouldn’t he?
Roach talks about well-deserved torture of evil, British imperialists the exact same casual way that those British imperialists talk about their own atrocities spanning continents — he talks to Stede the way that Stede thinks people should talk to each other, Stede just doesn’t like the content because it’s about “direct” violence, unlike the far more harmful, wide-reaching, and brutal reality of “indirect” violence (the sort he doesn’t have to witness or think about).
He’s also just so expressive and he delivers these lines in a way that’s so fucking funny to me and it kills me, especially because the Swede is also there and just silently nodding along in the hopes he can be involved with the torture also.
STEDE: I think perhaps take them for a walk, air them out. They are smelling a bit. (to the hostages) Not your fault!
ENGLISH CUNTS: (smile and nod to Stede)
This says so fucking much about Stede, because like… He wants to treat the hostages so kindly, or whatever the fuck, because it’s this business of being a gentleman, except like… These are men that were literally on your ship, calling your crew racist slurs, laughing about you getting bullied, and they’re part of a colonising imperial force. When Roach says “particularly this lot”, Stede doesn’t even react, and I don’t think he really thinks about like, what Roach even means by that, because of course he doesn’t.
And so he’s let these cunts sweat, he’s saying don’t torture them — bearing in mind that they were left out in the sun, but they were also being given water from canteens and whatever to keep them from suffering too badly — but then he’s like, assuring them he wasn’t personally insulting them?
“Not your fault” when you say it, and you’re the only posh cunt there, doesn’t come off as Stede taking responsibility, it makes it come off as he’s blaming his crew for it, and he’s got no hand in it — or at least, I feel like that’s how the Brits are taking it, especially when they kept making comments about “savagery” at dinner?
PETE: Why not… uh, bake ’em a pie, and, and give ’em backrubs?
THE SWEDE AND ROACH: …?
STEDE: Oh, is that what Blackbeard would do?
PETE: NO!
Rhys Darby is such a fucking cartoon character, the way his eyes go so wide and he leans right back on his heels in response to that outburst.
PETE: He’d stick hot pokers up their assholes!
I love the way that the Swede and Roach immediately look to Stede like, “oooh, can we, can we, can we?” it’s so fucking funny, Roach especially just looks so hopeful, and he does a little nod and goes, “Yeah,” as if Stede was going to let him do that when he wouldn’t let him do the other thing.
All three of them are so disappointed, especially Roach, when Stede goes, no, you have to walk them, and it’s like —
So they’re on vacation, they’re allowed to relax, but actually they’re not allowed to relax, they have to take the racist hostages on a nature walk? Wild. That sucks, Stede, thanks.
Roach’s disappointment is very cute though, Samba Schutte is really so good at the sad pout. I love how all three of their shoulders come forward and they hunker down a bit as they go.
Even under the beard, Vico Ortiz does so much, they look so fucking tired just as Stede’s saying, “Oluwande, Jim!” to call them over, both Jim and Oluwande just entirely regretting their lives even as ghost!Chauncey waves his arms around like a bellend in the background.
I really like that Jim is often positioned at Oluwande’s shoulder, but especially between Oluwande and other people, it’s so cute to me, they’re so protective.
STEDE: I’m having a bit of a hard time adjusting to being a mur — a mur —
CHAUNCEY: Spit it out, you stuttering imbecile. Mur-der-er.
STEDE, looking like he’s choking: A murderer.
The things Rhys Darby can do with his face fucking astonish and amaze me, I swear to god, it’s like he was animated by the team at Hanna-Barbera, I love watching him struggle with just about anything. Anyway, again, like, Chauncey’s obviously mocking him but he’s also literally sounding out the word for him syllable by syllable.
OLUWANDE: Uh…? You’re not really a murderer though, are you? I mean, you was, you was sort of… around when he died.
I love the “uuuh?” noise he makes, it’s so fucking funny, but God, he’s expressive too, and I have to wonder what’s going through Oluwande’s head because he’s just had to deal with all of Stede’s weird apparently-suicidal feelings while he kind of has bigger issues on his plate, and like —
The thing I like about this scene is that it doesn’t come off as Oluwande trying to convince Stede he’s not a murderer to make him feel better, it comes off as Oluwande literally not thinking Stede’s a murderer (because he’s a bumbling idiot before he’s a killer) but like, he very much did kill Chauncey? The fact that his intention was to knock him out with a blunt object to the back of the head, like, that could very easily have killed him even had he not landed on his own sword.
But anyway, it’s not about what’s classified as murder, it’s about what everything is about: Stede’s ego.
STEDE: No, no, you’re right to protect me. But I callously and wantonly took a man’s life.
JIM: (glancing off into the distance, evidently not really on board with this self-description)
STEDE: And now I have to live with it. But how does one… move past such a thing?
I really do like that although Jim is mute, Stede is continuously looking at them as well as at Oluwande, and is very much making eye contact with both of them.
Jim’s motions are so emphatic and clearly communicative, and I really do wonder how long Jim and Oluwande have been together when Oluwande interprets Jim’s meaning just with complete immediacy, on top of both of them having both English and Spanish. I love them.
OLUWANDE: He says you don’t — You know, when you kill, you die as well.
Oluwande says this so gently but also so like, matter-of-factly? Like he’s not being a dick, but what I love about a lot of these interactions is that Oluwande is pleasant enough to Stede, but doesn’t coddle his feelings more than is really needed, you know?
And then —
I like that Stede just starts having one of his violent flashbacks and gets snapped out of it by zipping into dad mode, because Wee John just punching poor the Swede right in the guts just cut through his trauma. His stupid little stompy walk over to them is so funny, but like —
What even is the Swede’s deal?
I paid the least attention to him and Buttons on my first watch because I’m shallow but also because like, for the Swede particularly like… He has so little to him compared to pretty much every other character, and I’d love to say I want that to change in S2 but I also like, do not care.
His thing is that he’s extremely naive and one of life’s willing victims? Maybe I’ll find a deeper angle on him as the rewatch goes on, but I just find him to be the least compelling character in the show.
It’s cute that Oluwande laughs though.
OLUWANDE: Right… What are we doing then?
It’s really funny that Stede just did a stompy stern dad walk and went to intervene in play-fighting and Oluwande tops him by just pulling out an even more dad-esque mood. If only he wasn’t holding his sword he could also have leaned forward and slapped both palms onto his knees.
OLUWANDE: Should we hit the beach?
JIM: Uh, I have a wax nose and a fake beard, so, uh, that’ll kinda be like torture.
OLUWANDE: Yeah.
JIM: (clears throat) I would absolutely murder someone for a bath, I am starting to smell like the rest of you.
So like…
We know that Jim grew up in the church, except that Oluwande doesn’t know that until they land there; we know that Oluwande and Jim already know one another, but not necessarily super well; Oluwande says they’re not the best crew to Lucius, and he does seem to know enough to pay attention to actual sailing details, like, I don’t know, who’s at the helm, so was Oluwande a sailor on other vessels before?
Like, when Jim says “like the rest of you”, do they just mean like the cis guys in general or like sailors or more generally like working men or what?
I also love Oluwande’s awkward eyebrow raise after he realises how shitty the beach would be for Jim because he really is like “oh we can hang out” and then it’s like, oh, I fucked that one right up.
OLUWANDE: Oh, Captain has a tub! If you want, I can, I can watch.
JIM: (blinks, glances down at the sand)
OLUWANDE: Um, keep… watch —
JIM: No, I, yeah, I —
OLUWANDE: … like, by the door.
JIM: I know.
OLUWANDE: So no one comes in.
JIM: I know what you meant.
Jim is so Catholic and they’re both so awkward with one another and I just want to cry at the way the both of them degenerate into “um”s and “Yeah”s here because like —
It’s so obvious that they like each other and are good enough friends, but also that there’s that tension there where they’re both trying to focus on the matter at hand rather than anything else, and it’s just so fucking funny, especially with the added dynamic of for Jim, like… Presumably these gender feels going on that are like, okay, maybe I don’t like the wax nose and the beard, but being Jim, wearing these clothes, being perceived the way that I am, maybe this is good? Maybe this is right? Maybe it’s closer to right, at least?
And that’s fucking hard to navigate on your own, let alone with a new potential relationship where that person knows you both pre- and post-disguise, and you don’t know if you’re being perceived just as A Woman, because that comes with all of its own complex feelings that are dysphoric but also that basic safety thing of navigating intimate relationships while in a vulnerable position.
Plus… Catholic guilt over feeling attraction and sexuality and all that stuff, obviously, plus their internal ticking clock over the rest of their kill list. Jim’s so awkard here, looking away from Oluwande, but in general like, they do not seem greatly in touch with their own feelings and are much more repressed compared to Oluwande, who’s generally very open and communicative and seems much more self-aware, as well as aware of others?
And I just love the natural tension in that dynamic, what comes about immediately as soon as you put those two sorts of characters side-by-side, especially in a position where they have to rely on one another and make use of each other’s strengths as well as protect each other’s weaknesses.
And just the, “Maybe we do our own things today?” and the immediate awkward agreement on both sides to split up and take care of themselves, Jim walking off and Oluwande really just sits for a moment and looks around before he tells some seaweed stuck to the ship to fuck off, like —
It’s so sweet, just. Bless them.
Cracks me up that the Swede is still clutching his stomach as Stede tells them to calm down, and like —
I do love that he suggests sunbathing and they’re both just like, no, but it’s funny to me that Wee John is consistently mouthy when he’s part of the group, but as soon as he’s talking to Stede one-on-one and Stede’s doing his gentle-stern thing he becomes a lot shyer and more self-effacing — he obviously doesn’t obey Stede when Stede tries to guide him into leaving the gunpowder alone, but his voice is softer, he’s doing those cute hand movements, it’s not like, the squared shoulders fight pose he was doing before.
And —
Poor Roach.
Stede’s voice when he puts his hand on his shoulder and goes, “Roach… where are the hostages right now?” is funny, I think I mentioned this already, but I literally desperately want a skit that’s like, the cast of Abbott Elementary swapping places with the cast of Our Flag Means Death, because Stede especially does the primary school teacher thing so fucking well and it kills me, it just devastates me to my core.
Roach goes from his awkward smile to him looking a lot more miserable on the beach, bless him, and like, I love Oluwande in the background just so fucking tired of this shit like, this is probably a safe crew to be on, Spanish Jackie would definitely never touch it, but what the fuck, first he’s awkward with Jim, now this!
I suppose he’s probably grateful for the distraction, though.
OLUWANDE’S EYEROLL WHEN STEDE ANNOUNCES HE’S AGREED TO JOIN HIM, FUCK.
I love Roach’s mean laugh and his, “Yeah, right,” when Stede says what a great asset Pete will be to have along. I support Roach’s petty and bitchy comments from the side of stage always.
It’s funny that Stede starts on with Pete about how Blackbeard deals with killing people, and especially like… What I enjoy about Pete’s lies is that he’s just not fucking good at telling them. He’s not good at making them believable, he’s not good at coming up with particularly interesting or nuanced shit, but also it’s the fact that he keeps backing down at the slightest bit of disapproval or moral judgement even when it’s about Blackbeard and he’s trying to seem intimidating.
Like the whole, “It has to be a really bad kid,” thing, like, Pete, why do you couch it like that when you’re trying to say he’s the scourge of the Seven Seas or whatever the fuck?
OLUWANDE: Oh, leave it! You know you’re the only one who believes he’s worked with Blackbeard?
STEDE: No, really?
Stede’s gentle disbelief here is pretty much the same as it was during the mutiny scene, and God, it cracks me up. Anyway, I love that this is when Oluwande snaps, like, he has to spend the whole fucking day with Stede and Pete, there’s only so much he can take.
I don’t think that Pete could win a fight with Oluwande or possibly with anyone, and I think it’s funny that he jumps for babyface as an insult when it’s just so childish and so ridiculous, but like, what’s so funny to me is like —
OLUWANDE: He’s calling me babyface!
STEDE: Well, Olu, don’t take the bait!
And on the one hand, it’s a continuation of Stede’s tired dad routine with the whole of the crew, it’s a typical response from a dad to the kids when they’re arguing after he’s stopped them to, but also like…
So he says “Hey, don’t!” to both of them, after telling them they’re getting distracted, but with this, but it’s Oluwande who he basically blames for the whole of the fight, telling him not to take the bait. That whole “be the mature one” thing is such a common thing, but the fact is that Pete started the actual fight, Pete’s the one that started throwing insults around, and yet it’s Oluwande who gets reprimanded.
Which on the one hand is maybe a reflection of Stede’s racial bias and a consistent thing that comes up again and again (back to the hostages), but also I think is probably an echo of his own thoughts about bullying and childish conflict where he does automatically blame the victim rather than the aggressor, because it’s pretty much always easier to remove the victim from the interaction or tell the victim not to react than it is to change the aggressor’s abusive behaviour.
Oluwande telling Pete to stop shouting when he screams for help is so good.
I love the wholesome cut to Roach and Wee John blowing up gunpowder and just having a great fucking time of it, it’s nice seeing them laugh and play together, they deserve it.
I love the off-the-shoulder look for Lucius, it’s such a good look, but fuck he looks uncomfortable sat next to Buttons, and so just… awkward. He has no idea what the fuck they’re doing here and he’s trying to make the best of it.
LUCIUS: What are you whittling?
BUTTONS, holding up a peg: This… will eventually be a harpsichord.
LUCIUS: … Really?
God. Buttons is just… such a… person.
I hadn’t seen Frenchie anywhere else in this episode, but I think it’s him jumping and laughing with the “I love vacation!” bit?
Buttons showing himself to be the king of normal human interaction again with this bit — I really like that Buttons doesn’t even flinch whenever there’s explosions whereas Lucius obviously does, but also the way he leans forward with his hands between his knees and puffs out his lips because Buttons is being so fucking awkward and he has no idea what to say, and then like… Trying to go like, “Um, I’m not — “ and Buttons just shouts over him and keeps going.
I just love his “Fuck the beach!” and his gay little stride away as Buttons keeps going through his list.
AND IT’S MY GUYS. IT’S MY SPECIAL BOYS. IT’S MY GOTH CHAMPS.
I really love that they shoot from below with the sky silhouette on Izzy — like, in the first instance, you can still tell he’s fucking short? Because the camera’s in line with Ivan and Fang’s elbows? But it’s just so… funny. I love my stupid leather daddy idiot fool man, wearing his fucking ring on his necktie because he’s a gayboy. Love him.
IZZY: What kind of fucking idiot runs his ship aground?
Historically, Edward Teach… and then you!
Bless.
I love that Fang and Ivan don’t say anything but are presumably also wondering what the fuck is going on here? I love that when Fang raises his eyebrows his Hot Topic belt moves up on his forehead and then down again, it’s really good.
IZZY: And this lot managed to take English officers hostage?
IVAN: Word is, yeah. Spotted ’em on deck before they ran aground.
IZZY: Those hostages will fetch a pretty penny. Let’s take a closer look.
I don’t think it’s ever said what they were doing on the island in the first place, like, were they there to trade in general, or what? Just because they saw a ship run aground and wanted to check it out? Just to brood forebodingly while looking over a cliffside, three bellends in black leather?
Anyway, I love Izzy because he’s a little bitch and a prick and a thief.
I can’t read enough Spanish or enough loopy handwriting to know what they wrote on the other page beyond the word blood, but Jim can read and write at least in Spanish, and I do hope that comes into play in S2. They’re so fucking dramatic with their broody little diary entries, but I really like that we see them talk in quite an educated manner, like with the proverbial balls comment, because that church education is… Hmm. Inchresting.
In general it’s really fun for me that the show puts so much effort into the music for each of the characters — whenever Taika Waititi is an EP or director on anything I tend to assume it will make really good use of pop tracks or other like, big recognisable pieces, so like when we break out the Leonard Cohen and stuff, but OFMD in general uses such great leitmotifs and themes throughout the thing — Jim’s broody Spanish guitar, Stede’s haughty harpsichord stuff, Ed’s thematic swells later on, it’s just so meticulously crafted and applied, and really aids the movement of a lot of the plots but especially the character-building and burgeoning relationship dynamics.
This isn’t Jim’s family knife, but it seems fancy enough as the camera pans over it, what with the shining green and the silver filigree. Obsessed with now the nose looks just resting there on the rocks.
They just look so peaceful and content in the water.
IZZY: Hello, friend.
Just the gayest little nod imaginable, and like — Can you imagine being on a beach somewhere infodumping to the air about fish whilst pointlessly whittling a bit of wood, and three leather daddies come out of nowhere, one of them with his shirt like fully open and the most fantastic tits you’ve ever seen? What the fuck is a man meant to do to that?
I mean, I know what I would do, but I don’t think Buttons is gay.
The three of them just look so extra side-by-side — I really like the decision Guz Khan made to keep his hair swept over his face so much of the time, it goes super well with the vertical stripes he’s wearing and adds to that sense of assymetry, but it’s such a great masking thing, especially when seen from afar.
I love Izzy’s one-glove on-one-glove-off thing — I think it’s a swordsmanship thing to guard his sword hand? But it just looks so fucking extra. As the music swells and Fang and Ivan move in toward him to look more intimidating it’s so fucking stupid.
BUTTONS: I thought this isle were deserted.
IZZY: It is, mostly. We’re merely humble wanderers passing through.
That line made me say a slur out loud, why is he like this? It’s such an unnecessary thing to say, and you can tell that he thinks he’s being intimidating or cool or whatever the fuck, and it’s like… babes, you’re not.
Also, I think Ivan is chewing gum, or tobacco, or something?
It builds tension so well with the music here, especially Buttons doing his signature head-tilt and looking between the three of them and obviously doing some kind of risk assessment.
IZZY: Is it just you, then? In your party?
His little head tilt as he says party is so interesting, especially his slight smile too, because like, they’ve obviously been watching the whole crew on the beach for a little while and have waited to get Buttons alone, and the expectation is naturally that Buttons is going to connect those dots and realise that?
Like, it’s a veiled threat, but it’s also a test — we’re here, there’s three of us, are you going to be sensible and tell us the truth?
BUTTONS: We’re three more in the bush, plus a couple of hostages. (after Izzy, Fang, and Ivan follow his gesture toward the forest) (with worryingly genuine-seeming interest) You’re not ghosts, are ye?
IZZY and FANG: (stare flatly at Buttons with distantly disapproving frowns)
IVAN: (turns his head to properly look at Buttons with a silent, “What the fuck, man?” on his face)
This is their last serious pirate moment before the three of them get dragged down into the Muppet’verse. Pray for them.
GOD and the cut to the village where everyone’s just chilling except Pete and Stede, and like… Ah, Stede moments again.
So this fella’s literally right next to them, barely six feet away, and Stede’s calling into the village like, “Hello!?” wanting someone to fill them in, presumably casting around for a white guy to tell them, and —
MABO GUARD: (sighing) You’re in a cage.
STEDE: Oh, you speak English.
MABO GUARD, widening his eyes and looking exasperated: Mmm.
STEDE: Wonderful.
This poor fucking guy, I swear to God. He looks so fucking tired and irritated and like, why wouldn’t he when these guys really do suck?
I like that the music does the dramatic clash because it’s Stede’s POV and that it’s Pete who’s like “oh, savages”, and then Stede rushes to go, “oh, no, no, we didn’t think that — “ when like… we, the viewer, know that he did, because that’s where the camera moved and that’s why the music did that, but Stede’s trying to be polite and to not own up to it.
I do love that this Mabo guy literally fucking thinks Oluwande is swell, because like, me too, he’s great. They’ve got a little handshake and stuff, and Oluwande’s like, well-received because he’s just fucking sound.
I do like how it sets the two of them up here, though, Stede’s trying to distance himself from the whole thing and pretend he’s not white, and Pete is going, “what have white people ever done wrong?” which is also in line with their remarks a second before, like… God.
STEDE: Oh, the light-skins, damn it.
PETE, innocent (which doesn’t suit him): What sort of trouble?
MABO GUARD: You keep killing us.
STEDE: Oh, but not us. We’re not like that.
Again, like, okay, Stede, but Pete is just being soo OTT with his hand on his chest and the shake of his head — what I love here is that Oluwande’s keeping his head down and sipping his drink and he’s trying to be like “oh it’s no big deal” and the Mabo guy is like, yeah, no, it is.
“It’s not a formality, sorry,” is so fucking funny.
There’s a post going around on either Twitter and:
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But the thing is like, the way Lucius looks around after he finds Jim’s clothes, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was also his first thought. He’s so baffled when he stares about and then looks closer and does that thing he does where he pulls up his upper lip and puts his teeth on display when he’s confused. Just slow understanding dawning, and Jim so fucking pissed as they swim ashore.
I really love Toneey Acevedo, I know they’re probably not going to come back to these guys in S2 but I really would love it if they did.
I like how the Elder is just like, “Yeah, we’ve heard that one before,” and Stede just sort of absolutely collapses in on himself and stares at the ground as he goes on, because fucking yeah, man, why would that work? And the way Stede just whimpers and sinks down even lower when he asks if any of them have killed anyone recently.
CHAUNCEY: Look at my head! You’ve ruined my head, Baby Bonnet. I probably have children, Bonnet. Maybe even several, who knows? They’ll never see Papa again. They’ll never see Papa again.
STEDE: (Rhys Darby’s very own Wilhelm scream) I’m a murderer! I’m a dirty, filthy murderer!
The way the Elder is probably raising his eyebrows like “okay, this performance is new” and Oluwande is just like, “oh, no, oh, man, this is not the time — “
Anyway, who gives a fuck about Chauncey’s kids? They’ll never see Papa again can easily speak to some more important guilt that Stede might be having, you know, about his own kids that will never see Papa again.
“Yeah. He’s clearly very unwell,” fhjsjgh YOU SAID IT, MY GUY.
I love Oluwande’s judgement of the situation here though like, it’s part of why he’s the obvious choice for captain later on — it’s not just that he trusts the Elder and chats with him one on one, it’s the fact that he specifically jumps to telling him the whole story about Chauncey like… If he’d wanted to give Stede the reputation he was saying it was important for Stede to show to the crew, he could very easily have been like, “Yes, Stede killed him, but he was a British naval captain,” but instead he goes right for the most human element here and what exactly Stede is so upset about, but also like…
He doesn’t make Stede look fearsome, he doesn’t try to big him up as scary or powerful. He talks frankly and honestly — and not like, with disdain — about Stede as he is, and the Elder naturally responds to that way more positively than he would have any violent bullshit, even if he believed it was the truth.
I love that Oluwande and Pete just fucking bicker, God.
WHY IS STEDE JUST FULLY IN THIS MAN’S LAP. Like, I know it’s a parallel to the chaise long psychiatry pose but he’s in his lap.
MABO ELDER: Do you feel badly that this man is dead?
STEDE: Honestly? No. He was horrible, even as a little boy.
MABO ELDER: Perhaps this guilt concerns something else?
And there it is, it’s that you abandoned Mary and the kids. I love that we see him carry out his little mock-up of the Revenge that we see later — I do like that Chauncey manifests to voice his guilt and stuff, because again, it’s that symbol of his old life, but it’s also something he’s fighting against and overcoming.
“But there is no ghost, ’cause they don’t exist,” and cutting to Chauncey is so fucking funny, I swear to God.
STEDE: Why does he keep insulting me?
MABO ELDER: Do you feel inadequate in some way?
GOD HE’S SO GOOD AT THIS, I would genuinely watch episode upon episode of Stede getting therapised, I literally actually would.
ELDER: We’ve decide you pose no threat to our people, only to yourselves, because you’re mediocre pirates. (to Oluwande) No offence.
OLUWANDE: No, you’re right.
Mediocre is an extremely gentle way of putting it. I love that they just sold the hostages and then the Elder moves right away and does not bother fucking talking about it’s just like, “I’m out.”
Stede’s “I am adequate!” moment is probably one of my funniest moments for him, he really is the guy that does positive affirmations to himself in the car on the way places — but I do love that this is like, the beginning of his journey toward actually approaching some kind of piracy that’s not just bollocking around.
STEDE: I said, let’s get out damned men back! (looking back) The hostages, I mean.
And God, the way Pete and Oluwande are both like, “um? okay!” about this is so funny, they’re just like, uhhh, where did this come from?
LUCIUS: I saw nothing! It’s important you know how much I didn’t see!
He’s so ridiculous with the waving of the hands and the jumping up and down, but I die over how he jumps to like “my mother thought I liked girls for years” as if anyone would ever believe that.
But like —
Hhhh, so I love this moment for Lucius because it’s the transformation that comes over him — it’s the way he goes from screaming and panicking to the way his voice evens out and he suddenly becomes a little bit calmer, a little cooler, and he swaps from begging desperately to a really convincing empathy.
“But I understand what it’s like to live in disguise, okay?” and we see Jim soften just slightly because that was really tender meat to go for, because yes, Jim probably is experiencing some gender feelings right about now even if they were a cis woman in disguise as a man they’d probably be feeling something, and once he has them on the hook and throws out that beard line, like —
Okay, time traveler!Lucius ftw, but I love that as soon as they look confused by his modern slang and he knows he’s lost them, he slams them with the fucking tree branch, and like —
It’s just good misdirection. We see Lucius do this regularly, especially because it’s like, the core skill of a pickpocket, but I just love what it adds to him here like, the fact that some part of his brain kicked in and told the scamartist part to take over, because the begging and grovelling routine wasn’t going to work? I just love that depth to him.
Also the way he cries out, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” after hitting Jim is so fucking funny, even as he like, launches away at speed.
Just noteworthy that Fang and Ivan are each holding the hostages with one arm and that Izzy’s in the middle, but also that Izzy’s in the middle is presumably a tactical choice? Like it’s the funniest because he’s a short guy, but especially because he frequently frames himself with Fang and Ivan either side, I’d assume that it’s because he’s the most vulnerable, or at least, looks the most vulnerable, despite his obvious swordsmanship skills.
I love that, once again, Oluwande and Pete start bickering, they’re so fucking funny, I think Oluwande should get to slap Pete upside his bald head, as a treat.
STEDE: Okay, here’s the plan. (disassociates)
He’s so mentally ill and it’s my favourite thing about him.
Crying over Oluwande’s desperate exhalation and his deep sigh, like, yeah, of course, a “diversion” is the best fucking thing Stede’s going to come up with.
ENGLISH CUNT: Release us now, and I’ll ensure you’re spared a painful death at the hands of our king.
IZZY: Ooh, what say you, Fang?
FANG: (chuckles) I’m your king now, bitch. (knocks the English cunt over)
Firstly, he didn’t have to say “Ooh,” like that, that’s a choice he made, and I love it, and I hate it.
Secondly, I really like that Izzy basically doesn’t engage and turns it over to Fang — like, presumably it is tacit permission for Fang to basically rough the guy up, but it also is asking Fang’s take rather than just telling him to shut up or whatever?
Like, one gets the impression that in this situation they’re relatively relaxed and that this is as close as Izzy gets to having a good time.
And for Fang like, it’s just such a fucking funny thing to say, and it’s such a leather daddy thing to say with the “bitch” and everything, David Fane will be the fucking death of me and I’ll love it.
Firstly, I love the shot of Izzy between Stede’s legs (foreshadowing?) and Fang and Ivan either side, it’s really good framing and gives us a great look at Rhys Darby’s calves. Secondly, I like that Stede honest to God looks like a bit of a fucking mess in this scene with his snarl and whatever — he’s still not remotely frightening, but he’s giving it his all!
And third, like —
I’m interested in the way that Izzy glances back at the hostage basically to see what his reaction is — he’s not communicating with him, he’s not asking him anything about Stede, he’s just glancing at him to see what he seems to think of Stede, and then looks back to him.
And guh, as Stede witters on, Izzy reaches up and adjusts the wrist on his glove, makes sure it’s on properly even as he steps forward, and he’s so deliberate because he fucking knows that Stede isn’t going to actually fight him, and he’s obviously super confident in his abilities as swordsman, especially like —
He cuts Stede’s shirt to shreds (because he’s a homo), but he does it without even doing the barest cut on Stede’s chest, and that’s such sharp, delicate work. I know some people think that he’s spelling out IZZY when he does it, I personally don’t see it, but he doesn’t need to be spelling his name here when like —
It’s pageantry, and it’s a damned good intimidation tactic that lets him get a look at Stede’s tits.
STEDE: You’re quite skilled.
IZZY, smirking: This is how you die.
Gay. Gay. Gay.
Genuinely obsessed with the shots of Ivan reacting in the background to “the ghosts”, he looks so fucking done and so exasperated by it.
IZZY: It’s obviously one of your men.
STEDE: But, is it?
IZZY: Yes, it is.
STEDE, whispering: But is it?
What cracks me up is that like… so this diversion works, right? Like, it literally does. But it doesn’t work because Stede and the guys actually convinced Izzy and the guys that the island was haunted — it works because they’re so fucking mental and so fucking stupid that the real pirates don’t know how the fuck to respond.
Like when Izzy goes, “Ivan!”, Ivan literally starts arguing with them and pointing out how fucking stupid they’re being — and unfortunately, poor fella gets a rock to the face for his troubles.
I love Izzy’s face when he realises Stede’s got a blade right up against his cheek — it’s embarrassment and realisation, presumably also a (un?)healthy erection, given that it’s Izzy.
ENGLISH CUNT #1: Believe him. He’s quite insane.
ENGLISH CUNT #2: He does have the eyes of a madman. (to Stede) Sorry, you do!
Stede really does have the metnal ilnes, peer-reviewed. I just wanted to quote this bit because I think it’s interesting that Cunt #2 calls back to Stede’s “not your fault” at the beginning of the episode, and it’s the same fella that nods and has the rapport with him about it.
I love how Izzy’s through gritted teeth, like, “What are your demands?” and then is so expectant because Stede doesn’t even fucking know what he wants.
POOR IVAN WITH HIS BROKEN NOSE.
I love how Con O’Neill does those little face twitches, they’re so good, he really does just command a sort of rancid gay gerbil energy.
And don’t shake Stede’s hand! Fuck him!
I love how when Izzy goes, “This isn’t over, Mr Bonnet,” Ivan’s shaking his head all menacing behind him.
STEDE: Good! ’Cause I kind of enjoyed it.
I’m so curious as to what S2 is gonna do with the Izzy/Stede/Ed dynamic because like… Izzy and Ed are pretty awful, Izzy’s disgusting to Ed constantly and Ed fed Izzy his own toe, but they have set up the swordplay as a metaphor for sex, right, and specifically the penetration?
And —
By that logic, Stede and Izzy have metaphorically fucked more times on screen than Ed and Stede have, if you count this alongside their duel.
I’m more interested in seeing Izzy engage with other people (I wave my sad little Izzy/Frenchie flag in desperate hope), but Izzy and Stede having a hatefuck vibe that contrasts Izzy’s freakish obsession with Ed and Stede and Ed’s genuinely loving dynamic is a whole part of the S1 development.
He’s so pretty when he says, “Pirates, my arse.” I’m gay.
THERAPIST ELDER: Some men are not built for adventure. Some men should concern themselves with gentler things.
STEDE, back in denial mode: I’m not sure what that has to do with the price of fish, but I suppose —
THERAPIST ELDER: What I am saying is… you’re more gentleman than pirate.
So like, what the Elder is saying is obviously like, you are not made for this, go the fuck home, you should not be doing this, except that apart from Stede’s desperate denial of the truth when people are saying it to him like —
He’s started his transformation where he’s actually making that amalgamation of gentleman and pirate. The solution he’s started on is not to give up piracy, but to give up aspects of being a gentleman, which he’s already started doing, not just by walking out on his responsibilities and killing a bellend, but also with the diversion tactic and how much he enjoyed going mad with Izzy, too.
And I love that the elder invites Oluwande to stay, that’s so nice and so sweet!
“He’s gonna get you all killed,” like, my guy is so right. And you see Oluwande’s face and he fucking knows it, but he’s got Jim to think about!
ELDER: You’re in love!
OLUWANDE: What? No! Shut up!
Yeah, alright, man. Totes believe you.
Anyway, love seeing Stede’s fucking Titantic moment in his ripped shirt with his tits out, leaving his guilt behind on the island. “Why can’t one be a gentleman and a pirate? A Gentleman Pirate. Oh, that rings!”
Christ.
I love that he calls Lucius Boy, Lucius is a whole twenty-eight-year old man who looks about thirty-something, you actual knob, and Lucius has been hiding, finally thinks it’s safe to come out, and boom, there’s Jim. Presumably this does set him up for his hiding in the walls in S2 though.
FANG: Well, there go those fancyboys.
IVAN: Yeah, shame we couldn’t murder them. Even a little bit of murder would’ve been nice.
FANG: Yeah.
IZZY: Captain says follow that ship.
FANG: Oh, really, why?
IZZY: How should I know? The man’s half insane. Just do it. (grabs Fang by the beard and pulls him closer) No one asked you to fucking think.
God, he’s such a cunt. I love Fang and Ivan back-and-forthing and the dynamic we see between them here, especially like, “even a little bit of murder” is such a funny thing to say, but also the way that Ivan and Fang apparently support each other?
And I think it’s interesting that Izzy says Ed’s half-insane, because like, we know Ed, Ed’s got significant trauma problems, ADHD, and probably a personality disorder, he has got several compounding mental health issues, but Izzy like —
I’ve seen a few people say that Izzy’s undercutting Ed when he says this, which he obviously is, it’s a bitchy thing to say and it’s not respectful, but part of the Blackbeard persona is also that he’s unpredictable and crazed on some level, right?
I really want to pay close attention and see like, how aware Ivan and Fang seem to be of Ed’s illess and disordered moods and stuff on closer study.
Anyway, it’s unnecessary bullying behaviour to grab Fang’s beard like that, and he apparently has a habit of it, but what I find funny is that Ivan and Fang talk about it obviously within earshot and Izzy just ignores them, however, like —
FANG: I hate it when he does that. It really hurts.
IVAN: You should say something about it.
FANG: Ah, what’s the point?
I love this dialogue because it’s specifically and explicitly setting them up for the transition to Stede’s people-positive management style — Fang going “what’s the point?” which is what most of the pirates on Stede’s crew currently think about basically all of his suggestions, but they’re both wanting for that style where they can communicate and talk things through.
The Queen Anne is so fucking edgy, it’s so funny to me that on top of the crew all wearing black, the wood is painted black, the sails are black, there’s fucking skulls dotted around the place, it’s so gloriously OTT.
And the big reveal:
FANG: I can’t believe that Blackbeard wants to meet that ponce.
IVAN: What a knob.
Aaand the dramatic Verdi swells as we pan up to Blackbeard’s sexy scary flag!
I’ll be honest, E2 is probably my least favourite episode, and I feel like I actually dug into very little here because so much of it just… doesn’t have much meat to dig into, so I’m super excited to dig back in for E3 which as I recall I like much better.
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