I Like That Theres No Singular Character Who Is Smart And Competent On The Show, Having A Whacky Comedy

I like that there’s no singular character who is smart and competent on the show, having a whacky comedy about inept people where one is the straight man who is normal is a trope I was never a fan of so I like that even the competent characters are really just competent in one area and idiots everywhere else

Jim is gods greatest killing machine but because of that 99% of their plans seem to be “solve problem by stabbing” and all it took for Jackie to capture them was to insinuate they weren’t worth a high bounty and they became no thoughts head empty only violence

Oluwande is very emotionally intelligent, probably the most of anyone on the show, but according to Jim he regularly gets lost on the ship and when he gets flustered his brain just turns off (when he and frenchie are caught by Abshir he immediately admits they were lying and tells him everything)

Frenchie is the most socially intelligent, able to not only adapt into the aristocratic crowd but also know how best to con them, while also being the resident pseudoscientist

Lucius can read, write, draw, pickpocket, manipulate people and do mathematics but he’s so used to getting out of doing anything manual labor related because of those skills that he’s useless when he actually has to do it

Ed has mastered the art of piracy but step outside of any pirate situation and he’s got no idea what he’s doing, plus his reaction to his first idea not working is “guess I’ll die 🤷”

Izzy knows everything that’s needed to keep a pirate ship running but he’s the equivalent of one of those yappy little dogs that thinks it’s scary when it barks but everyone just ignores cause he’s not actually anywhere near as intimidating or good at leadership as he thinks

genuinely obsessed with how the crew went from planning on murdering stede to considering him family and in a way their protector? like. they all were in a way performing this image of wanting a ruthless pirate as their boss but ultimately once they do get one (izzy) they’re like mmh. no actually. no thanks. because they got used to and accepted wanting to be safe and a family on the revenge.

stede built a ship where people who would otherwise be subjected to homophobia and racism can just be a safe little supportive community and talk about their problems, be gay, not worry about being discriminated, love each other and just be their weird soft selves. they jump to defend stede against the english, they follow him in his stupid little adventures, olu sleeps in stede’s cabin, wee john and frenchie are roomies, they all share blankets and sometimes even cuddle while stede reads them stories, they’re supportive of buttons and sad when karl dies because they know he cared about him, they ask each other for advice, they’re unapologetically queer.

 and this is all because stede built this space they feel safe in. its not just that they don’t give a shit about hiding that they’re gay/scamming piece of shit racists/jim being genderqueer from stede; its that they expect his support and protection. lucius basically saying ‘stede will have your head if i get hurt’ to izzy, stede kicking jack off the ship when karl dies because it made buttons sad, even the last scene in which stede is the one who comes get them off the island. and they’re right to expect his help! he takes care of them! they’re his family! ‘my family’s at sea’ LITERALLY the found family of outcasts trope. and they’re all queer. they start off playing though but ultimately they’re vulnerable, they cry, they’re supportive and physically affectionate with each other, it’s just. i adore how stede made them feel safe enough to be themselves and consider each other their family. it’s so wholesome, it’s so beautiful, and i’m pretty sure its one of the big reasons queer people are so called to this show. because of this sense of safety and community and family between outcasts. and also there’s sexy pirates so you know. that doesn’t hurt either

no but really, like 

i know that some folks love telling creative people that “you should be doing it for fun because you love it not for the compliments” but creative people thrive on feedback whether it’s critical or just complimentary

so when i write fanfiction and don’t get any actual feedback i feel like i spent all that time and energy doing it for nothing because i’m not getting feedback from the people i wrote it for 

doing something you’re proud of and then presenting it to the sound of utter silence is like the worst feeling on earth 

Honey let's go it's time to get our horse sleep

@prestopenguin

New sleep style: hitting the snooze button so many times that you sleep two additional hours in ten minute intervals. I call this Horse Sleep

If you dont love your friends, are you even living life?

I'm feeling strong feelings and I'm going to try to put them into words.

You know this

This is real. It's not just "we are not ready to say the word love". They are friends! They are friends in a way they probably never experienced before. Are they also falling in love? Yes. But friend is not just a placeholder word. There is love in friendship just like there is love in a parent child relationship, and it can be strong and deep and life shattering (in a good way) just the same as romantic love can.

Also this

We see from the reaction of Calico Jack that it's not a neutral phrase. I don't think he would have been more confused and upset if Ed just shouted "I love him!". Friendship is revolutionary in this environment because it's not normal. Friendship is revolutionary because it implies vulnerability and openness and in this framework it is something you just don't do. So, you know, i have as much fun as the next person reading all the "Wait, but if Stede didn't know he was in love until ep 10 how did he justify to himself [blank]" but I also find it mildly infuriating, because YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN LOVE TO FEEL LOVE FOR ANOTHER PERSON!

Are you telling me that you NEVER felt that overwhelming feeling of warmth and care and happiness for your friends? You never experienced moments when you think "my life would not be the same if you weren't in it"? Telling friends the scary stuff about yourself and having them embrace it and not leaving? Basking in the way they perceive you, feeling healed by their love?

Because I am not IN LOVE with my friends, but I do LOVE them a lot.

And I love the way the show actually takes friendship seriously.