Look, I thought this was just going to be a silly little pirate sitcom that I could sit down and binge and move on with my life. But seriously, it’s SO good!
Now, if you haven’t heard of the show, let me start with the basics.
This is Stede.
He used to be a fancy foppish aristocrat.
Then he left his wife and children to become a pirate.
Well, a Gentleman Pirate.
But he’s not really cut out for it and things go south.
Fast.
Enter Blackbeard!
(pause to admire the wigmaker who crafted his glorious beard…. and we’re back)
Blackbeard has heard all about Stede and, quite frankly, he’s fascinated. What the hell is a guy like this doing on a pirate ship?
But the thing is, Blackbeard has been in a bit of a rut himself, and he’s ready to try something new, so they work out a bit of a deal.
Ed will teach Stede how to be a better pirate
And Stede will teach Blackbeard how to be a gentleman.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking.
Gee, this sounds like a silly little pirate show. Maybe I’ll get around to it eventually.
Or maybe you’ve watched the first couple episodes and thought, “Eh, it’s alright. Kind of funny, but I’ve got limited time here and I’ve got a lot of other stuff to watch.”
But the thing is, this is SO much more than just a silly pirate show. It has hands down the best acting I have ever seen from Taika Watiti. He and Rhys play off each other with the silliness very well, but they also dive into some deep emotional stuff that is just phenomenal.
Oh, and did I mention that this wasn’t a comedy? It’s actually a Rom-Com between Stede and Blackbeard.
And no, it’s not subtext. It’s very much text.
Like… Literally. The show’s writer/creator has spent the last 3 weeks in every interview ever being like, “Hey, did you know that gay pirate marriage is a thing that existed? In actual history? Like they had a word for it and everything. Have you heard about this? If not, you should definitely hear about this, because this is a thing that 100% exists and is absolutely historical and you should all definitely know about for no particular reason.”
Anyway, I won’t spoil anything specific from the episodes because it’s all so wonderfully done, but… yeah. The creator ships it hard and he is fucking delivering with every new episode.
And that’s not even getting into any of the wonderful side stories with the crew!
There are multiple queer couples/romances there. Two of the characters create the first ever pyramid scheme. There’s a non-binary character with a amazing backstory and side quest. There’s roommate shenanigans, and… well, just all types of shenanigans really…
The point is, this is seriously an amazing show and I highly highly encourage anyone who is not already on board to join in with the fun.
Gather ‘round, friends! Class is in session!
(I hope this is the last time I have to make this post, honestly.)
Reasons why it’s okay to criticize or dislike Shannon that have nothing to do with Buddie:
❌ Spoke of her son as if he were a burden by making sure Eddie knew how much she suffered while raising Christopher alone.
❌ Believed her son must hate her because she “did this to him” (“made” him have CP), which is her way of saying that Christopher must not like who he is just because he has a disability.
❌ Sees Christopher’s condition as a sign that she did something wrong, aka she was punished for a mistake she must have made while pregnant.
❌ She thought she “could make up for it” by researching treatments and therapies - Again, viewed Christopher’s disability as a mistake she had to atone for/fix, rather than accept and embrace who he was.
❌ Found the time and effort required to get Christopher the help he needed “so overwhelming and exhausting” that she “needed a break”, thus prioritizing her feelings over those of her son, the disabled person who can never get a day off from the life he was given.
❌ Begged to see Christopher only to realize she still wasn’t committed to being the mother he deserved.
Reasons why it’s okay to criticize or dislike Ana that have nothing to do with Buddie:
❌ She was employed by an inclusive school, meaning disabled students are supposed to be treated the same as their able-bodied classmates in all aspects of education, yet when Christopher fell off the skateboard, she took it as a sign that he shouldn’t do it all because his limitations were insurmountable.
(We know this to be false because of the adaptive skateboard scene, so the takeaway is that she defines Christopher by what he can’t do rather than what he is capable of.)
❌ She views Christopher as a “very sensitive boy” so Eddie should be “cautious” about telling him they’re together.
Sensitivity is not a negative personality trait. It’s important to allow ourselves to feel. But in this context? Ana believes Christopher’s sensitivity is something that might cause a problem for Eddie if he doesn’t react the way they hope.
Referring to anybody as “very” or “too” sensitive is an attempt to dismiss or invalidate their reaction because it makes someone else uncomfortable.
No adult, especially not one that worked with children whose minds function “differently”, should ever say those words about a little boy.
ok. icebreaker-type question. imagine time travel exists, but all of the serious super big things that likely come to mind when time travel is a factor is stuff youre not “qualified” for, as a civilian. what stupid, petty, thing do you use time travel for?
personally, i’d buy this one limited-time pin from a con i had no chance of going to, and also buy some transformers animated toys while they were still being sold.
Call me when you have a lead, and I’ll be there.