What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death (Season Finale)

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 10 “Wherever You Go, There You Are” (B+)

This was an impressive finale, one that sets the stage for a somewhat different season two, should that be in the cards, with Blackbeard on the warpath and Stede maybe a slightly more serious pirates than he’s been thus far. Mary having to adjust to having Stede back was not great, since she felt that being a widow had actually been good for her and that she had grown because of his death, and that was about more important things than him just pushing her out of bed. His kids were equally unimpressed by him, and Mary had moved on with Doug her painting instructor. Fortunately, after she almost stabbed him in the earhole with a skewer, Mary and Stede were able to connect and he concocted the perfect exit strategy, combining his love of theatrics and his desire for all, including Mary to be happy. Coordinating it all was an extraordinary effort, but he pulled it off spectacularly. Now that his crew has been marooned on an island by a melancholy and angry Blackbeard, it should be entertaining to watch him rally them back to whatever degree of productivity and livelihood they were at before Blackbeard first showed up. Oluwande was overjoyed when Bonifacia returned, and while Lucius ended up seeing some things he couldn’t unsee, they were able to express their repressed passions for each other for a brief time. This show was certainly silly but I’d happily watch more of it, especially considering the delightful Stede-Blackbeard romance that I hope might be possible again in the future.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Taika Waititi as Blackbeard

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 9 “Act of Grace” (B+)

This was an unexpectedly sentimental episode, one that showed the true friendship that has developed between Stede and Blackbeard. It didn’t seem to matter to Blackbeard that he would be confessing to something he hadn’t done since he’s all for taking credit for acts of piracy, and it was particularly affirming to hear the entire crew speak up and read from that incriminating journal that Frenchie literally tripped over himself to reveal to prove that Stede was indeed a serious pirate. Chauncey was understandably furious that the man he hated so much was escaping justice, but, like his brother, he ended up meeting his death in a way that could have been interpreted as Stede’s fault but really was his own. It was jarring to see Blackbeard without his beard, though he accepted his new identity with an inspiring sort of serenity, and he was very genuine about his feelings for Stede on the beach. He may now feel betrayed, however, since Stede went home to confront the family he left behind who apparently believes him to be dead. It’s going to be a big adjustment back to normal life for him, one that likely won’t prove satisfying. Izzy’s reign as captain didn’t last long, though he did it to himself by being so deliberately cruel and not finding any loyal allies among them. While the clean-shaven Blackbeard may now be taking charge, I’m curious to see what Captain Oluwande’s time will be like after he was reluctantly elected to be their leader.

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 8 “We Gull Way Back” (B+)

We didn’t get to see the full force of this new alliance until the end of the episode, even if Bonifacia managed to get to a good place with Jackie after Geraldo’s position as a hostage quickly led to his demise. Bonifacia guessing Jackie’s age as fifty when she was actually twenty-five (in real life, Leslie Jones is 54) didn’t end up going all that poorly, and all it means is that Jackie is one of the few people who isn’t out to take down Stede. I did like that Oluwande was commenting on how much he missed Jim and that there might be a future for them if they both survive and finally talk about their feelings for each other. This show brought in another strong comedic element in Will Arnett, recently seen in “Murderville,” a show I didn’t particularly like, and who came on very strong as Calico Jack, getting Blackbeard back into things he used to do that were not particularly pleasant. Killing the Swede’s sparrow with his whip was the breaking point, and it wasn’t good that Blackbeard decided to get off the ship with him. Lucius once again volunteering to help Stede because he’s fantastic at breakups came in handy, and Blackbeard ultimately managed to come back just in time for them to get arrested. Jack revealing that he was there with the Spanish army wasn’t too much of a shock, but it’s going to be tricky for all of them to get out of this latest sticky situation.

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 7 “This Is Happening” (B+)

Stede may seem like the dainty one between him and Blackbeard, but it’s the bearded captain who drinks his tea with a “dollop” of milk and seven sugars. I liked that they both responded to captain, and that Blackbeard begrudgingly came along on a treasure hunt that he didn’t want associated with his brand. It was great to see Lucius of all people tell Blackbeard to stop being so mean and to get into it since it clearly meant a lot to Stede, who, whatever flaws he may have, is a nice guy who genuinely wants the happiness of his crew. Blackbeard’s insistence that he was going to have a restaurant but that it would be busy and he might only have room for Stede on Monday nights was entertaining, and I have a feeling that he’s not so great at applying himself to his big ideas if they don’t involve pirating or maiming. Bonifacia’s reluctance to go to St. Augustine’s was another fun plot point, and I was pleased to see actress Selenis Leyva from “Orange is the New Black” and “892” cast as their grandmother the nun. I like that Oluwande wants to get to know Bonifacia better and was concerned that there was so much he didn’t know after they had been friends for a few years. It’s at least that this crew is starting to get along since they’re about to face an unholy alliance in the form of Jackie, Izzy, and Chauncey, who all really want to kill Stede.

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 6 “Here Dragons Be” (B+)

It turns out that Stede isn’t the only one who’s pretending to be something that he’s not. While Blackbeard can be a bit rough around the edges, he almost always means well, stabbing Stede in the place where it does the least damage, and probably less than Stede constantly cutting himself on his own sword. Blackbeard being haunted by his own past brought forth the surprising confession that he hasn’t actually killed anyone since he killed his own father, though he does enjoy maiming people. Telling Stede that he was planning to kill him was a good sign since it means that he’s not likely to go through with it. That did provoke another member of the crew, the irritable Izzy, into challenging Stede to a duel, and fortunately Stede used what Blackbeard taught him to get stabbed in exactly the right place and break Izzy’s sword. Blackbeard and Stede will have a formidable combined enemy in Izzy and Jackie, but that at least should be fun to watch. The performance that Stede engineered was somehow effective, even if he had some trouble working with his troop and getting them to listen to his directions, a fairly common problem for the gentleman pirate captain. Lucius’ finger injury was quite unpleasant, and he was not at all happy to have it cut off given what his livelihood was. But this crew, odd as they may be, do have a good sense of loyalty, and Lucius greatly appreciated the gesture of Black Pete making him a prosthetic of sorts.

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well” (B+)

This show has no shortage of great guest stars, and I was able to recognize both Nick Kroll and Kristen Schaal from their voices alone despite the heavy white makeup on their faces. These roles were surely fun to play, and it was a great opportunity for Blackbeard to see what high society is like and for Stede to come in at just the right moment to exact the kind of revenge that only an aristocrat can, using the patented technique of passive-aggression. This is probably a good sign for Stede, given that Blackbeard can appreciate him as an ally and isn’t just concerned with faking his own death so that he can retire from the pirate lifestyle with no one chasing after him. It was just as entertaining to see Frenchie come up with a pyramid scheme that helped him to take advantage of all the nobles, pretending that Oluwande was a member of Egyptian royalty. What Oluwande decided to do with the money that they stole was nice too, suggesting that these pirates aren’t nearly as bad as their profession makes them out to be. Back on the ship, Izzy was understandably unhappy about the lack of productivity and set his sights on Lucius, who, to be fair, is not the hardest worker and does plenty of complaining when Stede asks him to do basic tasks. But Izzy did meet his match in someone who was willing to put in as much effort as he needed to get out of doing manual labor when it might just have been easier to do what he was told in the first place.

What I’m Watching: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 4 “Discomfort In a Married State” (B+)

Sure, Blackbeard being as Black Pete described him might have been appealing, but there’s really nothing better than Taika Waititi’s interpretation of the character. Insisting to an unamused Izzy that the clouds looked like frankfurters was a perfect introduction, and learning that he was bored and would be willing to try anything he hasn’t done yet – including dying – was quite informative. Answering that he does in some way work for Blackbeard when Stede asked him demonstrated that he is both a literal and eccentric personality, and he seemed genuinely fascinated with Stede’s array of clothes and his many books. Switching names was an odd game, one that turned very serious in an instant right before Blackbeard’s plan showed his brilliance, and the final scene suggests that he isn’t actually intrigued by Stede’s idea of retirement but instead using him to fake his own death so that he can live a free life. Given that he’s the main character, I don’t think Stede’s going anywhere, and they probably can do what Blackbeard posited, which is that they could teach each other about being an aristocrat and a bloodthirsty pirate. The flashbacks to Stede’s life with his wife were interesting to see, and he really seemed to try to bring his family along for his adventure, capturing his excitement best when he played pirates with his kids. Bonifacia is also struggling with her own adjustment to her true identity being revealed, assuring everyone that she’s always been a woman and them knowing about it doesn’t make her presence any more threatening to them.

Take Three: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 3 “A Gentleman Pirate” (B+)

It’s easy to tell what kind of show this is from the guest stars featured in this episode, who happen to both be “Saturday Night Live” alumni. Fred Armisen also appears in the next episode of “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” and Leslie Jones was in “Coming 2 America” and “Death to 2020” since she left the variety show. Casting Jones as an intimidating figure who keeps a collection of noses in a jar was an interesting choice but one that worked well for this show, and I think I’ll try to move on from that miserable scene where Stede and Lucius commented on how delicious their drinks were before finding out that they were the liquid from the nose jar. While Bonifacia thought she had managed to deceive everyone, that was not the case, and it was only because Blackbeard arrived that she and the rest of them ended up not getting killed. Stede’s desire to market himself as a gentleman pirate in a place that was supposed to be seedy and all about illicit deals and trade was not a smart one, though it was Lucius who ended up getting his white clothes stained with blood multiple times during the trip. I’m eager to see more of Stede interacting with Blackbeard, who I should note is played by Taika Waititi, the Oscar-winning director, writer, and star of “Jojo Rabbit” who also serves as a director and executive producer on this show. The man certainly knows how to cast himself in great parts.

Round Two: Our Flag Means Death

Our Flag Means Death: Season 1, Episode 2 “A Damned Man” (B+)

It seems like Stede isn’t the only one who’s propping up a lie, though Black Pete may indeed have served under Blackbeard even if things didn’t play out quite as extravagantly as he claims, namely his eyes being on fire and his head being made of smoke. It’s not much of a surprise that, during this ship-wide storytime, there would be no one steering the ship, which is just as metaphorically true as it is literally. Getting captured by other pirates while looking for their lost hostages because his crew didn’t understand the meaning of vacation presented a new problem for Stede, who fortunately had Oluwande there to advocate that they shouldn’t be killed or roasted over a fire, as he mistakenly thought the Englishmen had been. Oluwande being treated as an equal made some sense, and I’m glad for the sake of the show that he didn’t decide to stay with them, due of course to his affinity for Bonifacia, who may well take out Lucius since he knows her secret, even if he’s protecting his own hidden identity. Claiming to have “dibs” on the hostages before being accosted by some serious swordplay from Izzy somehow worked out for Stede, whose crew showed up at just the right time to make him look skilled and dangerous. He may be breathing easily for the moment, but he has no idea that he’s just messed with Blackbeard, who might not be quite as terrifying and supernatural as Black Pete made him out to be but is surely going to have a bone to pick with Stede when he catches up with him.

Pilot Review: Our Flag Means Death

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.