No one throws a party like the pirates of The Revenge. That's what we find out in "Calypso's Birthday," the sixth episode of Our Flag Means Death's second season.
Calypso's birthday isn't a real holiday — rather, it's a lie Our Flag Means Death's pirate ensemble cooks up to bring a bit of levity to the ship. After several tense episodes of processing their traumatic experiences with Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), they desperately need it. While the party allows The Revenge crew to let off some steam, it sets the stage for a festive drag performance and a moving musical number from an unexpected source.
SEE ALSO: 'Our Flag Means Death' Season 2: Gayer and darker pirates tales ahead"This is definitely our most Ryan Murphy episode," Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins told Mashable in a video interview. "We went full Ryan Murphy, as far as the show goes."
"Calypso's Birthday" showcases the talents of two characters in particular: Wee John (Kristian Nairn) and Izzy Hands (Con O'Neill). Wee John arrives at the party resplendent in Calypso drag, sporting a sparkly blue dress along with striking silver and blue makeup. Not long after, Izzy sings a beautiful rendition of Édith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose," while wearing a dramatic makeup look.
Con O'Neill in "Our Flag Means Death." Credit: Nicola Dove / MaxWee John and Izzy's performances came about because of their actors' skill sets outside of what we've already seen in the show. O'Neill has an extensive background in musical theater, while Nairn used to perform as a drag artist. (His drag name was Revvlon.) "You learn more about your actors as you're making the show, and it's nice to take some things from their wheelhouses," said Jenkins.
Wee John's Our Flag Means Death drag performance pays tribute to Divine.
Wee John's Calypso drag continues Our Flag Means Death's tradition of embracing queerness, paying tribute to an iconic queer art form. According to Jenkins, costume designer Gypsy Taylor — "a huge fan of drag," he noted — drew inspiration from John Waters' Pink Flamingos, which stars the iconic drag queen Divine.
SEE ALSO: Peppermint talks drag, transness, and the evils of capitalism"Kristian had a lot of input into [the costume] as well," said Jenkins, "And I think Gypsy's feeling was to make him feel as beautiful as possible, and their excitement for it resulted in what you see."
With dark, exaggerated eyebrows and blue and silver eyeshadow, Wee John's makeup also recalls Divine. The inspiration may be anachronistic — which is nothing new for the comedy series — but it's also a way of bridging centuries of queer art.
Con O'Neill and Kristian Nairn in "Our Flag Means Death." Credit: Nicola Dove / MaxThe makeup acts as a bridge between characters as well. Before the party, Izzy sees Wee John applying his look and inquires about it. Instead of pushing him away, Wee John explains his process and invites Izzy in. Later, we see a pared-down version of his eyebrows on Izzy as well, speaking to Wee John applying — or maybe teaching him to apply — Izzy's makeup.
Izzy Hands sings "La Vie en Rose," because he is an "Édith Piaf fella."
Izzy's performance continues his season-long arc of working through his anger, part of which means accepting and releasing his love for Blackbeard. To get the moment right, the Our Flag Means Death team knew they had to pick the perfect song.
Since "La Vie en Rose" is such a classic, Jenkins revealed there was a bit of a back-and-forth on whether to use it or to build in a more contemporary track. The latter option felt "too Moulin Rouge-y," Jenkins said, plus "La Vie en Rose" resonated far more with Izzy's character.
"There's a wistfulness to it," Jenkins said. "And I believe that Izzy would be able to somehow fit ["La Vie en Rose"] in this world even if it's an anachronism. It felt classical enough, and Izzy is classical. I don't think that you could take, like, 'When Doves Cry' and have him do it. I like that he's an Édith Piaf fella."
As to how the performance relates to Izzy's healing journey, Jenkins explained, "It is nice to see with Izzy's arc, where he finally breaks through whatever he's been doing to himself. He lets himself have that moment, which I just love. It resonates for Izzy, and I think it resonates for Con. Just personally, it made me feel good to see how it turned out."
Our Flag Means Death Season 2 is now streaming on Max, with new episodes every Thursday.
