As always, shows have been canceled this year and shows have been renewed. One critically acclaimed program that still seems to be in limbo is “Our Flag Means Death.” A comedic re-imagining of the not-so-notorious “Gentleman Pirate” Stede Bonet, the series finds the 18th Century amateur swashbuckler, portrayed by Rhys Darby, finding himself as he battles other pirates and tries to command a very queer crew in the Caribbean. Oh, and working through the ups and downs of a romantic relationship with the one and only Blackbeard, played by Taika Waititi.
Darby, who was unable to promote the release of season two because of the SAG strike, caught up with The Playlist earlier this month to reflect upon the production moving to New Zealand, his mermaid moment, that cursed coat, how the David Jenkins-created series might just be a new take on “Grease,” and much, much more.
Oh, and no, we won’t bury the lede. At the time he had no idea whether “Our Flag” was renewed for a third season or not.
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The Playlist: What was your reaction to the season, then, once you finally saw it?
Rhys Darby: I loved it. I thought it was taking things down a more interesting route. It was a little more complex. There were more characters. They put a lot in, but at the same time, they kept the humor. Even though there was more emotion, we still had a lot of the silly humor. So, we didn’t lose what we had, we just added more. And to be honest, there was some moments that were extra-extra-special, like the mermaid situation. When I did that, I knew that when that was going to come out, it was going to affect people. So it was really fun knowing that we had some stuff like that in the bag that was going to be released. It’s kind of magical, magical theater, caught on screen. I loved it.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you shot the first season in LA, right?
That’s right. Yeah.
And then you filmed this one in New Zealand?
That’s right.
How do you think that changed the production? Or did it not affect it at all?
It made it better. I can’t deny being in New Zealand, the people and the cast basically united better. In LA, yeah, it was the first season, so we were all very nervous about what was going on and what was our place, who were we. Which worked actually, because the crew itself were getting to know each other on-screen. But there were a lot of moments of waiting around. We couldn’t go back to our trailers. We were all stuck in this big sound studio room with chairs, looking at each other. There were some great moments, but there was also a lot of awkwardness. I think in New Zealand, we were just surrounded by a lot more love. We had really nice trailers, where we could go back to them. We had a really nice green room and everything set up, so we had a nice area that we could join together. Just on a comfort level, it was better. Location shooting was better, we had amazing beaches to shoot on. The sets were better. We had the Republic of Pirates, which the New Zealand builders put together to the finest detail. It really felt like we had stepped up in every area, so we were happy and proud. And you can see it on the behind-the-scenes stuff that Samba keeps putting out, that we had a good time. We knew we had a good show and we were enjoying being part of it.
Did you feel empowered going forward into season two with everything you’d done, how you portrayed Stede, his relationship with Blackbeard? You guys must’ve been nervous about how that was going to come off in the first season. Did you feel more confident in a way, going into season two?
Oh, definitely more confident, because I knew this character and I had lived him. I knew his dark past, I knew how weird he was. I knew all his worries inside him. Going forth into the second season, it was about him getting self-confidence and becoming the person he really wanted to be. And that was all in the garments he wore, the kind of “romantic hero” outfits. He’d lost the old inappropriate glamour, high-heeled numbers, and he was becoming a hero. So yeah, everything I put on helped with that. And also his journey. Now there was so much heartbreak when he felt that Ed had died. There was so much to go through mentally for him that really, I think, built up his character and gave him even more confidence to go, “Right, I’m going to tackle this love that I have, and I’m going to not let go of it now.” The old Stede would’ve run away. The new Stede in this stronger new season. He wanted to build on what he has and I think he did.
Has David told you where he sees Stede ending up? Has he given you an arc? Or are you just showing up with the attitude, “O.K., what are we doing this year?”
Yeah, no, I’m just showing up. Because you know what? You can’t have an arc for a character, really. You can have something in the back of your mind, but you’ve got to keep remembering, these guys are pirates, they’re outlaws. They’re living in the 1700s, and the British are after them constantly. Their lifespan isn’t big. You can barely plan the afternoon, let alone the next six months, so I think that comes into effect.
Is it important for you, though, that Stede became a better pirate this season?
Definitely. Because that’s growth. I look upon him as a kid who did a lot of reading to escape his life, where his dad treated him badly. He was born into this aristocratic life and he wanted to escape it. But he wasn’t up to it, and that was proven in the first season. So then when he ran home and then decided, “No, I’m going to have another go at it,” he really had to balls-to-the-wall get the sword out. And thank God Izzy trained him. I wasn’t expecting him to kill the biggest villain and be the hero of the Republic of Pirates and everyone…but that was really cool to have that, to experience what fame might’ve been like and where that takes your head as well, and where it took him and Ed. And how fleeting fame can be. He got drunk and hung out with the cool guys, but really, that’s all it was. There were no other advantages to it other than maybe if they get this inn going. You’ve got a couple of famous pirates. It’d be like Planet Hollywood of the 1700s. “Hey, let’s go to that place and see if we can get their signatures.”
You referenced the mermaid scene, and there are so many great scenes or bits in this season. What’s the first thing for season two that pops into your head where you thought, “Oh, that was a funny moment”?
Well, yeah, I guess the thing that pops into my head is the training with Izzy. Because he’s trying to train an idiot to be good. Just swinging on the ropes and failing that. The juxtaposition of really him not being able to handle a sword or a gun very well. And then learning how to do it and getting confidence and shedding the old Stede. Which was hard, because when he found that cursed suit – that in my mind is also one of the funniest episodes. Because he finds something beautiful in clothing, which he can’t not have. And so that episode was really funny because he didn’t want to give that up, and yet everyone just told him it was cursed. When they go on that boat, it was just horrific. The pentagram, everyone was literally dead or dying. There was one guy left that said, “No!” I liked the horror scariness there. And then Stede doing a punch. He actually punched someone. Yeah, it was the old and the new mixed together, with his character. Trying to get tough and actually be capable, but also still loving the glamour of pretty outfits. That episode really is where those two worlds met, so I think that’s pretty funny.
I do have to say props to the costume designer because that was a beautiful coat. You understand why he’d want to keep it.
Yeah, it was awesome.
There is a fan base for this show very much online, and they are very vocal about how much they love it. What are your thoughts about their passion for the relationship between Stede and Blackbeard?
I’m blown away by how big it is, by how much passion they put into it. You can’t say anything negative about it. It’s just love, and they love showing their love for the love of these two characters. There’s something about, I think, Stede and Ed that people respond to. Maybe it’s the Bad Boy and the Pretty Loser, I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. It’s a bit like “Grease,” really, I guess, when you think about that movie. Maybe it’s the modern take on that. These two people who find the opposite in the other person. And two star-crossed lovers, it’s the classic “Romeo and Juliet,” in some ways. I think that’s what resonates with people. That, and the fact that they know Taika and I are friends in real life, which helps. Sometimes they struggle to put real life here and put the fantasy life here, but that’s the fandom thing. Look, I don’t read all the fan fiction and all the stuff that they do. It’s too much, man. But I do appreciate that it makes the fans feel happy. And in a world that is full of crap right now, it’s cool to have a little fantasy. And to make that happiness a thing about love, then you can’t complain.
I don’t believe there’s any official word on whether there’s a season, a third season. I hope there is. Maybe you know something that I don’t know?
No, I don’t.
If there is, where do you hope Stede goes? What are you hoping that he does down the road?
I’d love to see some real-life action between these two. They’ve had their whirlwind romance, the honeymoon phase, which won’t last very long. I would like to see them just living everyday life, bickering a little bit, in an inn. Trying to manage a business. I think that would be really funny to do, but I’d be lying if I didn’t deny the idea that going back into action is something I think they should end up doing as well. I think their friends are off on a boat and after a week or two, they’re both going to be thinking about their crew. Because that is their family, and they’re going to probably need help at some point. And that’s the question. Would they be willing to leave their bliss to go back into danger? Will they miss danger? Or has Stede achieved everything that he wants, and now will tackle the next challenge, which is trying to lead a blissful life with a partner? I think that could be his toughest challenge.
“Our Flag Means Death” season two is available on MAX
