Our Flag Means Death

The series is loosely based on the life of Stede Bonnet, also known as the "Gentleman Pirate". Set in 1717, the first season depicts the early days of Bonnet's career as a pirate after abandoning his family and his comfortable life as a member of the landed gentry of Barbados. Bonnet is portrayed as having little or no aptitude for this role, with no experience beyond that of his privileged life. Aboard their ship, the Revenge, the newly minted Captain Bonnet and his dysfunctional crew struggle to survive against deadly threats both from naval warships and other bloodthirsty pirates. During their misadventures, the crew of the Revenge cross paths with notorious pirate captain Edward Teach and his crew, including First Mate Izzy Hands. Comedy and chaos ensue as Teach and Bonnet fall in love. ==Cast and characters==

Main • Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, a wealthy Barbadian landowner, who has grown tired of his sedentary life and unhappy marriage and abandoned his family to begin a life of piracy despite having no aptitude for it. After purchasing a ship and hiring a crew, he seeks to brand himself as the Gentleman Pirate. Rhys Darby's son Theo Darby portrays Stede Bonnet as a child. • Ewen Bremner as Nathaniel Buttons, the grizzled first mate on the Revenge whom Stede often calls upon for advice and who is capable of talking with seagulls. • Joel Fry as Frenchie, a crewmate on the Revenge who often sings of the crew's adventures. • Samson Kayo as Oluwande Boodhari, a level-headed crewmate on the Revenge who is sympathetic to Stede and tries to steer him away from danger. • Nathan Foad as Lucius Spriggs, a scribe on the Revenge tasked with keeping a record of its adventures who often helps Stede come to terms with his feelings. • Vico Ortiz as Jim Jimenez, a skilled fighter who has a bounty on their head for killing one of Spanish Jackie's husbands. • Matthew Maher as Black Pete, an irritable pirate aboard the Revenge who claims to have crewed with Blackbeard. • Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney, a crewmate on the Revenge obsessed with fire. • Rory Kinnear as Captain Nigel Badminton (season 1), a Royal Navy officer who bullied Stede when they were children. Kinnear also portrays Nigel's twin brother, Admiral Chauncey Badminton. • Con O'Neill as Israel "Izzy" Hands, Blackbeard's ruthless first mate who has served under him for many years. • Guz Khan as Ivan (season 1), a member of Blackbeard's crew who joins him on the Revenge. • David Fane as Kevin / Fang, an emotional member of Blackbeard's crew who joins him on the Revenge. • Taika Waititi as Edward "Ed" Teach / Blackbeard, the legendary and feared pirate captain who has become bored with his life and career, feeling that his reputation has made it too easy. • Samba Schutte as Roach (season 2; recurring season 1), a cleaver-wielding cook and doctor on the Revenge. Recurring • Nat Faxon as The Swede, a Swedish crewmate on the Revenge, often clueless of what's going on. • Claudia O'Doherty as Mary Bonnet (season 1), Stede's wife. • Boris McGiver as Father Bonnet (season 1), Stede's emotionally abusive father. • William Barber-Holler as Louis Bonnet (season 1), Stede and Mary's son. • Eden Grace Redfield as Alma Bonnet (season 1), Stede and Mary's daughter. • Michael Patrick Crane as Officer Wellington (season 1), a Royal Navy officer who is taken hostage by Stede's crew. • Connor Barrett as Officer Hornberry (season 1), a Royal Navy officer who is taken hostage by Stede's crew. • Leslie Jones as Spanish Jackie, a powerful and feared pirate bar owner in the Republic of Pirates who has had 19 husbands. • Fred Armisen as Geraldo (season 1), a shifty barkeep in the Republic of Pirates and one of Jackie's husbands. • Madeleine Sami as Archie (season 2), a new member of Blackbeard's crew who forms a close bond with Jim. • Ruibo Qian as Zheng Yi Sao (season 2), the pirate queen of China and captain of an all-female ship, the Red Flag, who initially masquerades as Susan, a soup seller. • Anapela Polataivao as Auntie (season 2), the first mate and navigator for Zheng Yi Sao's crew. • Erroll Shand as Richard "Ricky" Banes (season 2), a prince of minor nobility who became inspired by Stede to embrace the pirate lifestyle, but later leads an anti-piracy campaign after his attempt at becoming a pirate leaves him without a nose. Guest • Gary Farmer as Chief Mabo (season 1), an indigenous leader who is wary of colonizers. • Benton Jennings as an Anglican priest (season 1), who droningly performs Mary and Stede's marriage ceremony near a lighthouse. • Nick Kroll as Gabriel (season 1), a French aristocrat and Antoinette's partner/brother. • Kristen Schaal as Antoinette (season 1), a French aristocrat and Gabriel's partner/sister. • Brian Gattas as Siegfried (season 1), a German aristocrat. • Yvonne Zima as Fleur de Maguis (season 1), a French aristocrat. • Angus Sampson as George I (season 1), the King of Great Britain who issues the Act of Grace in an attempt to suppress piracy. • Simone Kessell as Mother Teach (season 1), Blackbeard's mother. • Damien Gerard as Father Teach (season 1), Blackbeard's father. • Selenis Leyva as "Nana" (season 1), a nun from St. Augustine who was Jim's guardian and mentor. • Will Arnett as Calico Jack (season 1), a recently deposed pirate captain and former friend of Blackbeard who served with him under Captain Hornigold. • Kristen Johnston as Evelyn Higgins (season 1), Mary's friend who attends a community gathering for widows. • Tim Heidecker as Doug (season 1), Mary's painting instructor and lover. • Mark Mitchinson as Benjamin "Ben" Hornigold (season 2), a pirate captain whom Blackbeard previously served under. He appears to Blackbeard during a dream sequence. • Maaka Pohatu as John Bartholomew (season 2), a pirate captain whose ship is captured by Zheng Yi Sao. • Rachel House as Mary Read (season 2), a former pirate and an old acquaintance of Blackbeard who has a love-hate relationship with Anne. • Minnie Driver as Anne "Annie" Bonny (season 2), a former pirate and an old acquaintance of Blackbeard who collects antiques with Mary. • Bronson Pinchot as Ned Low (season 2), a pirate captain and musician whose record for most raids at sea is broken by Blackbeard. • Josie Whittlesey as Hellkat Maggie (season 2), the torturer for Ned's crew. ==Episodes==

Season 1 (2022) Season 2 (2023) ==Production==

Development Creator and showrunner David Jenkins was inspired to write the show after learning about Stede Bonnet from his wife and subsequently reading his Wikipedia article. He was particularly interested in filling in the blanks of Bonnet's life, trying to find his motivations for abandoning his family as well as understanding why Blackbeard took him under his wing. From the outset he envisioned the show as centering on a romantic relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard, and pitched it as such. Taika Waititi, who shares a manager with Jenkins, became involved after Jenkins told him the story of Stede Bonnet and asked if he wanted to be involved. Waititi was attracted to the project because of what he believed to be Jenkins' original approach to pirates. In subsequent discussions, they agreed that a romance between Bonnet and Teach was "the reason to do the show". The show was given a straight to series order by HBO Max in September 2020 with Jenkins, Basch and Halstead as executive producers, and Waititi as both an executive producer and director of the first episode. On June 1, 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season's budget was reduced by 40% due to companywide cutbacks at Warner Bros. Discovery. Casting Casting an actor to play Stede Bonnet began shortly after the series was ordered. While Rhys Darby's name was mentioned early in the process, it was not until after an unsuccessful round of auditions and most of the script had been written that he was again brought into consideration. Jenkins stated that Darby made an otherwise unlikable Stede Bonnet likeable, telling SlashFilm that he was "the only person who could play it". Jenkins had begun writing the role with Waititi in mind, and eventually approached him over text asking if he would be interested in playing Blackbeard. In the official casting announcement Jenkins said of Waititi "Our Blackbeard is a legend, a lover, a fighter, a tactical genius, a poetic soul and quite possibly insane. Only one man could play this role, and that is the great Taika Waititi. We're thrilled beyond measure he's decided to don the beard." with the additions of Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Joel Fry, Guz Khan and Matthew Maher announced in July. In August, it was announced that Leslie Jones, Nat Faxon, Fred Armisen and Samba Schutte were cast in recurring roles. Filming Filming took place between June 14 and September 28, 2021. Taika Waititi, who serves as an executive producer, also directed the pilot episode, which was filmed after Waititi completed production on Thor: Love and Thunder. The second season began filming on September 25, 2022, in New Zealand. The New Zealand Film Commission and Tourism New Zealand partnered with Max for a tourism campaign that highlighted the economic and cultural benefits the production brought to New Zealand. Filming wrapped on December 13, 2022. Music The original score for the series was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh. On May 5, 2022, it was announced that the soundtrack album for the first season would be released by WaterTower Music on May 6, 2022. The soundtrack for the second season released on October 26, 2023. Cancellation On January 9, 2024, series creator David Jenkins announced that Max had canceled the series after two seasons. Jenkins stated he had originally planned for three seasons and referred to the cancellation as a "premature end". According to some reports, the third season was set to begin pre-production in New Zealand before news of the “seemingly sudden” cancellation broke. Jason Mantzoukas revealed he was actively pursuing a role in the third season prior to the cancellation. The high-profile cancellation of Our Flag Means Death, along with a general decline in the production of scripted content across the streaming industry, marked the end of the Peak TV era. The cancellation was attributed to the "Cancel Your Gays" trend and quickly became one of the most controversial cancellations in television history. Critics were surprised by the cancellation given the show's success Fan efforts also included a Change.org petition which gained over 85,000 signatures as of March 2024. A campaign to boycott Max and move the series to a different streamer continued under the banner of "Adopt Our Crew". Despite a vigorous fan campaign, on March 7, 2024, Jenkins announced that the show was unable to find a new home and thanked fans for their support. Jenkins explained that this outcome "had more to do with an industry trying to figure out how to transition to a new era (and in some instances keep the lights on)." After the cancellation, cast member Samba Schutte appeared on the podcast You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes and revealed that the third season of the series "didn't get picked up by Max because … no money, they don't have money." An official Our Flag Means Death podcast was in development at Max with Schutte set to host, but was also canceled due to Warner Bros. Discovery's financial struggles. On the Talking Strange podcast with Aaron Sagers, series star Rhys Darby expressed his disappointment with the cancellation and confirmed there was "a financial element" involved in the decision. Darby has been outspoken about the series' "unexpected cancellation", calling it "illogical" and "a bit of a shock because we knew it was very successful. The numbers were big and globally it was a big hit. We had already sold the first season or two to the BBC and we knew we had a massive fandom. Creator David Jenkins said publicly he only wanted to do three seasons, but they pulled the rug from underneath us.” Darby continued "it's been ... really tough since the finish of the show because it was taken away at a moment where it was at its most popular." He further explained “I think I’m still in shock that it’s over. Even though [it's] been two years now, I keep it out of my head because when I start to think about it, I'm like, "Why did that get canceled?!" It just makes no sense." In September 2024, Jenkins expressed interest in Netflix acquiring the series. This reignited the fan renewal campaign with a new mission of moving the series to Netflix. Jenkins has since stated he will never rule out the show's return and remains open to selling it. ==Release==

Our Flag Means Deaths first season premiered on HBO Max on March 3, 2022, and released 2–3 weekly episodes through March 24, 2022. The season finale, which consisted of episodes 9 and 10, received an advance screening for members of the Television Academy on March 22, 2022. In August 2023, a Vanity Fair first look exclusive revealed the second season would premiere on Max in October 2023. Episodes 6 and 7 of the second season were given an advance screening at the NewFest Film Festival on October 16, 2023. The world premiere featured a live panel hosted by Max. The BBC acquired the series in December 2022 and announced plans to air it in the United Kingdom in early 2023. Our Flag Means Death aired on BBC Two on January 4, 2023, at 10 pm, with one episode airing each week. After the first episode aired, every episode became available to watch or download via the BBC's iPlayer. The second season began airing on February 5, 2024, again on BBC Two in a 10 pm weekday timeslot. Once again, all episodes from the second season became available immediately afterwards on its iPlayer streaming service. ==Reception==

Critics' top 10 and best-of lists Critical response Season 1 Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% based on 48 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Our Flag Means Deaths gentle sensibility doesn't quite strike comedic gold, but its bemusing band of buccaneers are endearing enough that viewers seeking a comforting watch will find bountiful booty." Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 15 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The series was named one of the best shows of 2022 based on Metacritic's year-end compilation of television critics' top 10 lists. Caroline Framke's Variety review praised the story's "surprising introspection" along with Darby and Waititi's "charged chemistry". Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter compared the series to Ted Lasso, calling it an "endearing comedy" with "a surprising amount of heart". Angela Tricarico of Business Insider dubbed the series “one of HBO Max's best", describing it as "an exciting and surprising comedy that makes an excellent case for subscribing". Writing for Forbes, Paul Tassi described the series' central love story as "one of the most compelling gay romances I've seen really in any TV show, a funny, sad, heartwrenching romance." Glen Weldon expressed his love for the series in his review for NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, stating "I love the show. I want to marry the show. I want to live inside the show." The series was praised for its substantial LGBTQ+ representation, which consists of three queer relationships, one of which involves a nonbinary character (Jim Jimenez). The central romance of the show, between Bonnet and Teach, was originally believed by many to be a "friendship". Critics praised the series for subverting the common queerbaiting trope by making Bonnet and Teach's relationship explicit before the end of the season. Critics also commended the series for its depiction of BIPOC characters. According to Jenkins, he and his diverse writing team aimed to center the experiences of BIPOC without subjecting them to "trauma porn", stating "we wanted a show where these characters can just exist and their race ... doesn't automatically lead to a traumatic storyline for them". Season 2 The second season received a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 96% based on 38 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The critics consensus reads, “Our Flag Means Death's sophomore season doubles down on the fans' favorite ship to some diminishing returns, but it still delivers enough joyous moments to get viewers' sabers rattling”. The season ranked among Rotten Tomatoes' best series of 2023 Metacritic gave the season a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews. TV Guide hailed the second season as "a triumph", calling it "sentimental yet satirical, with thoughtful hidden depths: a rare and welcome combination." Yahoo! News echoed this sentiment, describing the show's "triumphant return" as "funnier, juicier and more romantic than its first season." The Daily Beast declared the second season to be "even better" than the first, writing "Things change, but Our Flag Means Death’s position as one of the best shows on television has not." RogerEbert.com described the "irreverent and charming" sophomore outing as more "confident", writing "the second season of Our Flag Means Death delivers another dose of the offbeat humor that made the first season such a breakout hit while doubling down on the romance that made fans fall in love with it." Paste awarded the season a 9.7/10 based on its "emotional, romantic, and comedic depth". The Playlist gave it an A−, noting "it's a funnier season than the first, with some great guest appearances and an intelligent level of growth in the ensemble". In their review of the season finale, TV Insider awarded Our Flag Means Death the title of “TV’s Best Feel-Good Comedy of 2023”. While critics deemed the second season funnier and more romantic than the first, they also described it as darker. Collider gave the "distinctly darker" season an A−, praising its ability to "balance between lighter and darker elements, which all contribute to a perfect tenor that sings throughout every episode." SlashFilm applauded the season's "comedy, emotional core, and thrilling sense of peril," adding "even in its darkest moments, the show's writing is brilliantly snappy and deeply quirky." The Wall Street Journal commended the season's "fun" and "creatively delinquent" mix of romance and "casual carnage", comparing it to a hypothetical John Hughes and Quentin Tarantino collaboration. Mashable cautioned "fans who enjoyed the buoyancy of Season 1 might be thrown by the occasionally grim intensity of Season 2," but went on to say "amid heart-to-hearts about trauma and change, Jenkins and his crew make room for queer joy." IGN was slightly more critical of the darker tone, writing "too much angst almost capsizes the fun", but praised the series for being "a unicorn show" where “Darby and Waititi remain the charming fulcrums around which their very funny ensemble rotate." Viewership Our Flag Means Death debuted to popular acclaim and ranks among the top three most watched comedy series premieres in HBO Max history. Audience demand for the series more than tripled during the three weeks between the premiere and the finale, making Our Flag Means Death the most popular show on HBO Max, the biggest new series in the U.S., and the 11th most in-demand show in the world. The series unseated The Book of Boba Fett, which had previously dominated the charts for three months. It remained the most in-demand breakout series across all streaming platforms for seven consecutive weeks until it was dethroned by the premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. A week later, Our Flag Means Death regained the top spot. The series went on to become the 2nd most in-demand series among young adult viewers across all platforms. The second season debuted to even higher demand, reaching the #1 spot on Max upon its release and spending a total of 6 weeks in the service's Top 10. It reached nearly 45 times the average series demand in its first 10 days, outperforming the third seasons of HBO staple series The Righteous Gemstones and Succession. It became the most popular LGBTQIA+ series in both the U.S. and U.K. after audience demand peaked at nearly 60 times the average demand for the second season finale. The Wall Street Journal reported the series "closed out its second season with a bigger fan following than it started with" and "ranks within the top 1% of all television series".{{cite web |title= The Secret to a Pirate Comedy's Success? A Queer Love Story |url= https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/television/our-flag-means-death-pirate-comedy-queer-love-story-fada1878?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdHM5lI6opgU6ELSBwJoAJOF2Htz2G0dtsUAmFoP-28O-byUU7upsBzYIJNs58%3D&gaa_ts=6920c379&gaa_sig=FyGzrasPZWQD3UI75f9NwWGtcu_8Rg54iE7i8grChauj3AHqkiEvQVv27nOB-1DxMKwax8kNBJMA1hcAONMjIw%3D%3D Accolades ==References==