david jenkins first show people of earth (pls watch) had a reptilian alien sent to help take over earth rebel against his own species to try and save humanity because thirty years before he met a kid named ozzie who called him a friend & drew him a picture & for the first time in his life he felt empathy so yah jenkins has always had a thing for exploring complex human emotions and love thru whimsical quirky comedies
patiently waiting for people who loved ofmd to watch david jenkins other project ‘people of earth’, a quirky comedy about a group of misfits who are all a part of an alien abductee support group, the aliens that abducted them, the ‘snake man’ that sees the whole group as his beloveds/blorbos <3 who he needs to protect, and their relationships and romances (including an interspecies gay love story) so that y’all can hype it up and we can finally get a third season
we all know david jenkins for our flag means death BUT I want to take a minute to hype up what I feel to be an incredibly underrated series that he is also responsible for– people of earth.
the synopsis is ‘People of Earth centers on skeptical journalist Ozzie Graham who investigates a support group to write about the members’ supposed alien encounters. The more he digs into their oddball claims, the more he realizes there is truth in their stories and possibly even signs that point to his own alien abduction. The onetime outsider now finds himself a part of this eclectic group of misfits, all the while struggling with the idea of knowing that life could exist beyond our world.’x
the lil grey alien jeff is in love with his bestie kurt and jeff KISSING kurt brings him back to life after he gets run over by a car. don is their coworker who gets sick of his job and decides to become a hipster barista
the main cast is so incredibly quirky and memorable! found family! lil weirdos finding other weirdos to be weird with! (oh and the jeff the alien isn’t the only gay rep– ennis is a member of the support group and is a farmer who recently came out to his family)
the main character ozzie sees talking deer all the time
nancy is a robot and jonathan is a reptilian who met ozzie (when ozzie was a kid) and went ‘huh. this guy’s neat’ and has (unbeknownst to ozzie) followed him around his whole life and protected him. he actually rebels against his superiors to try and save ozzie/humanity
all in all I am begging you to give this show a chance. its quirky its funny while still having its emotional and hardhitting moments the character dynamics are all amazing. the concept is so fun and unique. people’s differences aren’t treated as jokes and instead its about them learning how to embrace them. I love this show and it deserved a third season!!!!!!!!!!! it’s available on hulu or ofc u could always put your pirate hats on <3
david jenkins looking at the skeleton stabbing the heart on blackbeard’s flag and going “that happened because blackbeard had a really bad breakup with his boyfriend” is the best thing to happen to screenwriting in decades
“My favorite thing I’ve seen about the show is somebody saying that Con’s playing the only human with a bunch of Muppets. It does feel like that a bit where he’s like Charles Grodin in The Great Muppet Caper.
There’s a lot of Muppet Treasure Island here.
Yeah! And then and then, at the same time, I think Izzy’s deeply in love with Blackbeard, and it’s a very dysfunctional kind of love, and he’s like the jilted spouse who’s losing his man to fucking Stede Bonnet, and he can’t believe this is happening.”
David Jenkins on staffing the writer’s room with diverse voices:
“…it’s not checking off a diversity list with a golf pencil but really being honest with yourself and asking, “Do I have the perspectives and terms of race, gender, sexuality to create a shared sociological imagination?” It’s fucked up because you write a show and a lot of the plaudits go to you, the showrunner, and it’s like you’re using all of these brains.”
So from what I’ve gathered from interviews, it seems like before anyone had been cast in Our Flag Means Death aside from Blackbeard, David and Taika were talking about the role of Stede and David said something like “He should have the same vibe as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, who could we possibly get?” and Taika went “Literally there’s nothing stopping you from calling Rhys.” Meanwhile, Rhys knew about the project and was like “Wow that sounds great! I can’t wait to see it :)” and was surprised to get the call, doubly surprised when it was for the lead. David and co. auditioned more than just him, but the other actors, while talented, all played Stede in a way that was kind of unlikable? Before taping his own audition, Rhys called Taika like “I really want this, do you have any advice?” and Taika was like “Calm down it’s literally perfect for you.” So he did, and the rest is history.
So from what I’ve gathered from interviews, it seems like before anyone had been cast in Our Flag Means Death aside from Blackbeard, David and Taika were talking about the role of Stede and David said something like “He should have the same vibe as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, who could we possibly get?” and Taika went “Literally there’s nothing stopping you from calling Rhys.” Meanwhile, Rhys knew about the project and was like “Wow that sounds great! I can’t wait to see it :)” and was surprised to get the call, doubly surprised when it was for the lead. David and co. auditioned more than just him, but the other actors, while talented, all played Stede in a way that was kind of unlikable? Before taping his own audition, Rhys called Taika like “I really want this, do you have any advice?” and Taika was like “Calm down it’s literally perfect for you.” So he did, and the rest is history.
Meanwhile on Twitter, with the continued lack of news about a second season, beloved Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins is going through… something
So from what I’ve gathered from interviews, it seems like before anyone had been cast in Our Flag Means Death aside from Blackbeard, David and Taika were talking about the role of Stede and David said something like “He should have the same vibe as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, who could we possibly get?” and Taika was “Literally there’s nothing stopping you from calling Rhys.” Meanwhile, Rhys knew about the project and was like “Wow that sounds great! I can’t wait to see it :)” and was surprised to get the call, doubly surprised when it was for the lead. David and co. auditioned more than just him, but the other actors, while talented, all played Stede in a way that was kind of unlikable? Before taping his own audition, Rhys called Taika like “I really want this, do you have any advice?” and Taika was like “Calm down it’s literally perfect for you.” So he did, and the rest is history.
I love how David Jenkins handled Mary’s character and story in the season 1 finale. How many other shows have framed characters like hers as unreasonable, as emotionally in the wrong, as bitchy, for their reactions to a protagonist who has given them every reason to be angry or hurt or mistrustful? How many other shows would expect the audience to handwave the (often male) protagonist’s shitty choices and behavior and side with them in the face of the supporting character’s justified unhappiness?
Not here. We know Stede, we love Stede. We know him far better than we do Mary at this point, but the show doesn’t excuse his behavior towards Mary or its disruption of her life for one. Single. Second. There is NEVER a moment where we are expected to side with him against her just because he’s the main character, and I love them for that. He did her dirty by sneaking out (not by leaving, but by how he handled it), and then came back and inserted himself somewhere he had given up his right to, and the show drives that point home with every scene they share. Mary’s monologue at the breakfast table when she’s trying to read the paper is some of the best dialogue in the show. She lays it out, and we’re with her every step of the way.
AND THEN, the show goes further yet, and has STEDE recognize and acknowledge the validity of Mary’s feelings (and their children’s. ) His development isn’t just a series of plot points getting him in position to go back to the life he belongs in, it’s him recognizing how he wronged and is continuing to wrong her FOR MARY’S SAKE.
This show, man. Like I have dropped shows (and movie series) over this very thing being done badly. The expectation that I will side with the hero over someone they’ve wronged simply because they are the hero. That their bad choices get a pass.
