Taika Waititi as the feared pirate Blackbeard in Our Flag Means Death, streaming on Neon from tonight.
Taika Waititi as the feared pirate Blackbeard in Our Flag Means Death, streaming on Neon from tonight.
Opinion by Karl Puschmann
Karl Puschmann is Culture and entertainment writer for the New Zealand Herald. His fascination lies in finding out what drives and inspires creative people.
Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby sail back onto the small screen in Our Flag Means Death, a semi-historical workplace comedy about pirates. But dive beneath its surface-level silliness and you'll find a more serious meditation on mid-life crises and career malaise lurking in the depths below.
The series, which streamson Neon from tonight, is based on the real-life pirating misadventures of a well-to-do fellow named Stede Bonnet. Back in the early years of the 18th century, he gave up his wife, family and vast riches to follow his dream of becoming a feared pirate.
He used his money to have a ship custom-built, named it Revenge - what he was seeking vengeance for has unfortunately been lost in the mists of time, wealth and comfort perhaps? - hired a crew and sailed away to begin his improbable new life at sea. As a pirate, he pillaged, plundered, rifled and looted his way around the Eastern Seaboard. Or, at least attempted to.
Rhys Darby as 'The Gentleman Pirate' Stede Bonnet in Our Flag Means Death.
The problem was he wasn't very good at it. He had his enthusiasm and that was about it. He couldn't sail, he couldn't fight and he could barely pirate. But boy, did he ever give pirating a good honest try. However, this honesty proved to be just another in his long list of weak spots. Unlike other pirate captains of the day, he paid his crew a wage and treated them well, earning him the shake-in-your-boots moniker of "The Gentleman Pirate". A name he reportedly embraced.
By now it should be apparent how perfect Darby is for this role. Ever since his breakthrough as the Flight of the Conchords' hapless manager Murray in their wildly popular, self-titled HBO sitcom, he's been the go-to guy for good-hearted managerial incompetence. Few who can project misguided confidence, crippling doubt and wide-eyed enthusiasm as well as Darby.
Taika Waititi is a brooding, bored Blackbeard in Our Flag Means Death.
In his first major lead role, he kills, which is of course appropriate for a pirate. If Darby's fizzing eagerness, kindly gormlessness and spot-on comic timing anchor the show then his old mate Waititi is the wind filling its sails to propel it forward.
Waititi didn't create the series, but as executive producer he did chart its course to television, took on directorial duties for the opening episode thus setting the tone, look and feel of the show and also stars as its second lead, the notorious pirate Blackbeard.
Samson Kayo and Nathan Foad in Our Flag Means Death.
In contrast to Darby's frilly-shirted passion for pirating, Waititi brings a grizzled, violent despondency to the role. His brooding Blackbeard is at the height of his career, a brilliant sailor and tactician feared by all who sail the sea. But having become more myth than man, he's now incredibly bored with the whole pirate deal and disenchanted with the lack of meaning he's found in success. A quiet, comfortable, safe life on land appeals greatly.
Enchanted by word of a "gentleman pirate" roaming the waves he determines to meet Bonnet to get the cut of his jib. The scene when they finally meet is a delight so I won't go into details here, but the unlikely pair hit it off and decide to team up. It's a friendship built on their respective dream of what the other's got.
Rhys Darby and Nathan Foad set sail in Our Flag Means Death.
This absurd and inconceivable pairing is made even more flabbergasting by the fact that it's historically accurate. Blackbeard and Bonnet really did join forces and pirate together for a year or so. It's easy to imagine this going down just how it does in the show, only without as many pratfalls and crew bedtime stories.
It makes for a great premise and is one that really comes to life through its excellent cast. Darby and Waititi are backed up by a solid and diverse ensemble that includes Leslie Jones, Fred Armisen, Nick Kroll and our own David Fane.
Fred Armisen and Rhys Darby in Our Flag Means Death.
Their names set a high bar and with the talent involved, you'd expect to find a treasure trove of laughs. While the jokes are not exactly buried, the series seems more content to sail along on a sea of light chuckles instead of navigating an ocean of big, roaring guffaws. The series may not blow you down but it also doesn't end up in Davy Jones' locker.
But with Darby's spirited performance and that patented Waititi magic, Our Flag Means Death makes for a swashbuckling good time.
