#man on fire

[dcminions]

Man on Fire (2004) dir. Tony Scott

[ptticha]

[temporal-discounting]

I've seen a few takes on here recently about how Stede's character was mishandled in the latter part of s2 - particularly during this scene of e7.

But isn't that missing the whole point of this episode? Stede does lose sight of himself here. He finally feels admired after a lifetime of feeling like the butt of every joke - and yes, he gets completely caught up in that.

It's worth pointing out that his behaviour in this episode is normal pirate shit in the world of OFMD - yes, even setting that dude on fire (and let's not forget, said dude did threaten to kill Stede first). I mean, no-one around him is shocked- they all have a good ol' chuckle at Stede's antics!

But seeing Stede behaving in this way is supposed to feel uncomfortable. This is the culture of piracy that he has been trying to change, but which he is now allowing to change him.

In no way is the message of this episode that Stede has peaked here - that he is the fully actualized version of himself. By the end of the episode he has crashed and burned and lost everything.

Rather, I think we see here (and during the run-in with Ned in e6) that Stede cannot exist in the pirate world while remaining true to himself. Which makes his decision to retire (temporarily?) even more poignant - he and Ed are both saving themselves as much as they are saving each other

[autieofthevalley]

Ah, by the way, yeah, while we are at it, i looked up the translated lyrics to Man On Fire and mmm...

You know what, i'll let you read it for yourself here :

Yeah, it's like "it's you" and "deja vu" had a kid together if they were real people ngl

They can't escape the freakteez allegations ever. They even EMBRACE IT now, i'm over words smh 😭

[ofmdreferences]

Like a jackhammer (An Edward Teach Face Journey)

The face of a man who has been known to appreciate a good jackhammering.

Also I cannot get over how goddamn delighted Jackie looks (but then why wouldn't she be? First mind-blowing swedish massages and now this? She sure knows how to pick them...).

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

AU where ed was still in a good mood when stede ran up to him in 2.07 and told him abt setting a random guy on fire

ed: woahhh your first immolation 😍😍😍 that’s so hot babe stede: yes! the fire was very hot :) ed: pfft, no man, i meant hot like- stede: teehee! ed: oh you little- stede: i got you! ed: you bugger stede: heeheehee yeah i am [SLOPPY DRUNKEN WINK] ed: pffffftthahahah stede: heehee! did you get it, ed? because i- ed: ahahahajdhdjdb yeah i got it babe stede: because [incredibly loud whisper] i buggered you last night ed: [ugly snort laughs]

[queerly-autistic]

Stede getting carried away with all the affirmation and attention he receives after killing Ned, especially after a lifetime of being bullied and belittled and not taken seriously and being treated like a failure, isn't some striking indictment of him as a person or something that makes him bad or irredeemable.

It's the most understandably human thing in the world.

The tendency to get swept up in people being nice to you, and making you feel good, even if at heart you might know it's fleeting or unhealthy, is probably one of the most common human flaws. And it's especially something that gets you if you're someone who has experienced bullying and rejection. I know for a fact it's a weakness I have (especially as someone who has, like Stede, spent a lot of my life being bullied and made to feel small), and I don't know many people who wouldn't at least struggle a little bit with it.

It's not just generally common in people, it's something we see throughout the show itself. Black Pete is desperate for adulation and approval. We see Ed get carried away at the fancy party in almost an exact mirror of Stede in the Republic of Pirates. It's such a predictable human thing that Zheng uses it as a tried and tested strategy to manipulate people. Heck, even Stede exploits it in Izzy by flattering him with talk of 'Blackbeard said you taught him everything he knows and made him the captain he is today!'.

Seeing Stede get carried away in the Republic of Pirates almost makes him more endearing to me because it's such a recognisable and understandable misstep for him to make (just like it was when Ed made that same misstep at the fancy party) given both his history and the fact that he's a human being.

Stede is a fundamentally good and kind person who has some serious and realistic flaws because he's a brilliantly written well-rounded character, and that's why I love him.

[starship21zedna9]

'You're gonna stab me in my back right in front of me?' is a really underrated line this season.

[bongwater777]

man on fire if konami wasnt fucking around

[cactusdraw]

I saw man on fire and I drew this, I imagined Sock with his daughter based on the movie

Cine 🚬🚬🚬

[auroraxteez]

uh huh, sure genius lyrics. if you say so!

[arreole-lavendelle]

Stede. Honey. Baby. Girl. How ARE you?

Seriously, I want to know what he was thinking while doing this. How is he seemingly dealing so well with maiming others now.

[supreme-unicorn]

hot hot summer

[everyscreentoobeseen]

Hold on, why do yall think Stede's choice to kill Ned was a WHIM?????

First of all, this isnt the first time Stede got someone killed. Chuancy was an accident, but he did use the stun move. All of ep 2 s1 was about Stede learning how to deal with it. He still feels bad but as he told the natives. He dosen't feel bad that Chauncey is dead. His crew was under threat. So he stopped Badminton from hurting them. His bad feelings came from somewhere else.

Nighel Badminton got himself killed but it did make Stede run back home and face his problems. When he does go back home he tells the other rich guys.

"I've seen death. Been the cause of it. It changes you."

He already knows what it's like be a killer!

But everytime it wasn't his choice. The Badmintons were accidents. He never got to actually choose to be a killer.

That's why when Ned Low invaded his "safe space ship", captured his crew (family) and tortured not only them but also The Love of his Life, Making it into a fucked up PERFORMANCE! All his life bullies found fun in torturing him. Why would this guy be any different.

Hell yeah he was ready to kill him.

Of course, this time he gets to choose. This is not him using a stun move. He is now the conducter of Ned's death and he'll be damned if it's not done His Way.

He's not gonna stab him. It's not gonna be messy. It's not gonna be fast like a gunshot or a stab through the head.

He is going to make Ned SUFFER. Force him to walk the plank. Throw his precious violin in his face and let him drown. It's clean. It's poetic. It's outsourcing the big job to nature. Just like killing spiders.

But Ned continues to demean him. "You know once you kill me your a real pirate. Your not an amateur anymore." Even after everything Stede has been through. Not matter how much he's grown, the world still thinks he's playing at pirating.

The Badmintons dont count.

EVEN ED THINKS SO!

"Once you've killed in cold blood. You cant come back."

Well Chuancy's death was cold blooded wasn't it? Stede snuck him from behind. The boat fire that he caused isn't enough either. When Ed burns a boat, it's murder. But when Stede does it it's "quirky". Stede ALREADY considered himself a killer but NO ONE ELSE DOES. (not even the fandom apparently.)

Yes, he wanted to prove himself. But I don't think that was the thought process until Ned brought it up.

Stede did not hesitate on Ned's death until the others made him question himself. He was completely set on making sure Ned wasn't a threat to his ship. He was so sure of making him walk the plank. It was PLANNED from the moment he put the plank down and the other boat left. What's one more death? But then everyone was treating him like a innocent child?? Like he's doing something unlike him?

He HAD TO PROVE to everyone in that moment that he could kill Ned because no one RECOGNIZED that he was ALREADY a killer.

Him killing Ned became a point to make once he realized there was even a point to be made.

The only reason that he felt even a little bad about it was because Ed asked him not to. He felt like he let Ed down. That maybe Edward like Stede Bonnet, Landed Gentry Pretending to Be A Pirate more than Stede Bonnet, Real Pirate. Because he realized how much he's changed. No more Gentleman, now he's just a Pirate.

That's why he Sped Things Up with Ed. He wanted Ed to prove that he could handle not so innocent Stede FUCKING Bonnet. That he wouldn't leave Stede after seeing this new side of him. He gets consent and then goes on to have the man of his dreams after saving him. How romantic male lead of him.

Of course the NEXT FUCKING DAY HE GETS TOLD IT WAS A MISTAKE!!!! THAT HE'S NOT READY FOR "WHATEVER THIS IS".

How on earth was Stede not supposed to take this as "I dont like the you that isn't soft, isn't insecure, isnt in need of protection." That Ed is leaving to become a fisherman because he cant stand Stede being the messy one for once in his life.

Maybe it was trauma. Maybe it was a show of toxic masculinity. But dont pretend like Stede did it on a WHIM.

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

not enough conversation in this fandom abt how right when zheng officially joined the polycule the rest of the polycule’s boss picked a fight with zheng and in the course of this fight archie started laughing at a random bystander who got hit with a bottle that the boss guy threw and then the bystander got mad and threw something at archie and nailed her right in the face and then jim was like “OH FUCK NO” and started attacking and then it turned into an all-out brawl of a bar fight. like this is all within five minutes of everyone agreeing to move in with zheng. she barely even knows archie and jim yet. this is basically her official introduction to the two of them.

there is no doubt in my mind that this is going to be the healthiest relationship zheng’s ever been in.