Seeing as it’s Pride Month 2023, now would be an excellent time to rewatch the surprisingly fantastic pirate comedyOur Flag Means Death. Granted, pride in one’s identity is worth celebrating regardless of the month. But some fans of this particular show have taken that celebratory spirit to a new level.
Many didn’t know what to expect when the series premiered, and even after a few episodes, some may have seen it as little more than a well-written comedy without much of a hook. ButOur Flag Means Deathbecame a triumph of word-of-mouth marketingas its first season went on, thanks to the budding romance between historical figures Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi) bringing in audiences with its surprisingly tender and sincere depiction. Suddenly, it had become a beautiful example of LGBTQ+ representation, leading to a devoted fan following.
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Many of those fans have now come together to animate one of the show’s pivotal scenes, in which Stede and Ed share their first kiss in a brief moment of untainted bliss between the two men. The websiteOur Frames Mean Lovegathered several artists in the LGBTQ+ community for that purpose, and the effect is pretty powerful, with styles ranging from digital and traditional paint to embroidery and even Perler beads. “We had 256 artists recreate 310 frames of the kiss Ed and Stede share in Season 1 ofOur Flag Means Death,” the site’s description reads. “Their kiss holds major significance to all of us and is a groundbreaking moment in television history. There are a wide variety of mediums featured throughout this project, a few of those being paints, digital, knit, embroidery, paper, perler beads, fabric, and so many more. Each frame is a work of art and a labor of love by a single artist, and when all frames are put together in order they form a full animation of the kiss.”
It’s no wonderOur Flag Means Deathwas quickly renewed for season 2. Aside from its devastating cliffhanger season finale, it earned its legions of fans thanks to its proud and straightforward representation along with its equal parts heartwarming and genuinely hilarious writing/performances. That’s why Our Frames Mean Love came about. “This project is a love letter to everyone who has made this show possible: the writers, crew, cast, and of course, [series creator] David Jenkins himself,” the project description went on. “Our Frames Mean Love is a gift to express our appreciation to this momentous show, whose humor and storytelling has made us all feel a little more seen. Thank you.”
One aspect of the show that feels particularly refreshing is thelack of discrimination regarding sexuality inOur Flag Means Death. Not only does the series openly depict many relationships outside of the typical heteronormative ones seen in media, but it does so directly in an age where such issues are often still tiptoed around in various other mainstream projects. That particularly resonated with many viewers who don’t often see people like themselves depicted like this without some major caveats. From the same-sex love between Stede and Ed (and another couple among the ship’s crew) to the nonbinary representation with crew member Jim Jimenez (played by nonbinary actor Vico Ortiz), there’s much to love.
The incredible ensemble cast ofOur Flag Means Deathis just one of the many reasons fans keep coming back, and the series looks poised to keep adding to that list of reasons as it continues. During Pride Month or any month, it’s a perfect example of the sort of representation that other shows and movies could stand to learn from, and it’s funny enough to elicit plenty of snort laughs to boot. Here’s hopingOur Flag Means Deathgets a run as satisfying as the scene that inspired this project, though hopefully, much longer.
Our Flag Means Deathseason 1 is available to stream on Max.
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