Rhys Darby Was Not Swayed By Our Flag Means Death's Vocal Fandom [Exclusive]
Heading into season 2, it wasn't entirely clear what to expect from "Our Flag Means Death" upon its return. Creator David Jenkins's quirky, queer-friendly pirate comedy about a bunch of horny weirdos sailing the seven seas is the rare streaming show to explode in popularity after starting our fairly slow, largely thanks to its romantic pairing of fancy soft boi Stede "The Gentleman Pirate" Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and his tattooed, leather-wearing, bad boy BF Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (Taika Waititi). Would the series commit the faux pas of attempting to pander to its fans by giving them exactly what they seemed to want, or would it chart a more courageous course?
Thankfully, Jenkins and his crew elected to take the series in a darker and occasionally even upsetting direction without ever losing the wholesomeness and humor that made season 1 so lovely, in the process bringing greater depth to its characters. At the same time, you never get the sense the show's creatives are thumbing their noses at the fans in season 2 or deliberately trying to subvert their expectations. Instead, their decisions are always in service of season 2's story and overriding theme (that falling in love is easier than maintaining a healthy relationship, especially when you're a bunch of plundering pirates).
In an interview with /Film's Valerie Ettenhofer, Darby talked about his own approach to appreciating fan input without catering to it:
"I simply don't really refer to any fans' insights of the character because there's so many of them. [Laughs] They can think what they want and they can make their own narratives, but really it's up to the writers. So yeah, I don't get swayed by any interpretations from any fans. The only fans that sway me are David Jenkins and the writers."
'There has to be some upsets'
The relationship between shows and their fandoms can be as tricky as any other. While it's obviously important for creatives to be receptive to fan feedback and not act like they're somehow above their most vocal supporters (cough, Steven Moffat, cough), Darby is right: There are so many voices shouting out at once on the internet that trying to single out any one of them is a hopeless errand. When Ettenhofer noted that she would never even want to be online if a whole lot of strangers suddenly had strong opinions about, say, how she styles her hair, Darby added:
"Yeah, exactly. Yeah. 'Grow the beard!' Exactly. I think David definitely listens to the fans, so you've got to find the right balance of making the story you want to make, but also keep the fans happy. The worst thing you can do is certainly do something that will not make them happy, and I think you sometimes have to. It's like you're on a tightrope, but sometimes you do fall over the side and spill over, but then you can spin right back up again. And that's life. It can't be completely perfect because nobody wants that. There has to be some upsets."
It's in this respect that "Our Flag Means Death" season 2 really thrives, daring to go places that its creatives know some fans are going to have a hard time with, but only inasmuch as it makes sense and benefits the show creatively. Ultimately, it's all about giving viewers the story they need and not necessarily the one they think they want (which would only ultimately disappoint them anyway).
"Our Flag Means Death" seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Max. Still waiting on that season 3 renewal, David Zaslav ...