Never Be Bored
10 April 2022
Aye aye, captain
Our Flag Means Death, tv show. Black Sails, tv show; Avenue Five tv show; The Princess Bride book by William Goldman and 1987 Rob Reiner movie.
I usually don't love when reviews start off with a list of representation things, but it really does have to be said—multiple explicitly queer romances!! Including between the two main characters!!! Nonbinary character who uses they/them pronouns!!!!
In Our Flag Means Death, an HBO original, we meet Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner who bought himself a ship and is attempting to become a pirate. He's got lots of ideas on piracy and a fabulous auxiliary wardrobe, but very little practical experience. Enter Blackbeard, the most fearsome pirate on the seas, who's grown a bit bored lately with the raiding and fighting and whatnot.
It's a lovely, funny show with an incredible supporting cast getting up to wacky adventures and surprisingly sweet, tender moments. It's about going after the things you want and finding what makes you happy and learning what a snail fork is and how to get stabbed while missing all the important bits.
Black Sails walked so that Our Flag Means Death could run. Following queer pirates sailing around the Bahamas, Black Sails is technically a prequel to Treasure Island, but you don't need to know anything about the Robert Louis Stevenson story to enjoy this show, currently on Hulu. Do give it a couple episodes to get going, I think the first few introduce too many characters at once and it's hard to keep them all straight, but once past that I love the way just about each character gets a fully developed backstory and set of motivations that really drives the different plot lines and gets you invested in the conflict.
Another crew sailing around with totally unearned confidence in their abilities—but this time, it's in space! Avenue Five, also on HBO, is set on a space tourist ship which has been knocked off course, adding three years onto their journey time. Okay, sure, no need to panic—except unfortunately the captain is a figurehead hired to wear a nice hat and smile at passengers and everything is totally out of control. Fun times!
If you liked the humor of Our Flag Means Death but were looking for something a touch more magical, try The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The "Good Parts" Version by William Goldman. The story of a farm boy, a beautiful young woman, a criminal genius, a master swordsman, a wrestler, a prince, a man with six fingers, presented as an abridgment of a longer story that was once read to the author as a child. The Princess Bride was also adapted into a wonderful 1987 movie, both versions are excellent.