Our Flag Means Death | |
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Genre | |
Created by | David Jenkins |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Mark Mothersbaugh |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 18 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Cinematography |
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Editors |
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Running time | 26–36 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | HBO Max |
Release | March 3 – March 24, 2022 |
Network | Max |
Release | October 5 – October 26, 2023 |
Our Flag Means Death is an American period romantic comedy [1] [2] television series created by David Jenkins. Set in the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy, the series follows the misadventures of gentleman-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and his crew aboard the Revenge as they try to make a name for themselves as pirates and cross paths with famed pirate captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi).
The first season premiered on March 3, 2022, on HBO Max. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on Max on October 5, 2023. In January 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons.
Despite a subdued launch with little marketing, the series gradually gained word-of-mouth momentum [3] [4] and became a sleeper hit [5] [6] with a cult following. [7] [8] Its surprise success has been compared to the rise of Ted Lasso . [9]
Our Flag Means Death garnered widespread critical acclaim, including praise for its LGBTQ+ representation, and was named one of the best series of 2022 and 2023 by television critics. The series received several accolades, winning awards for its costume design, hair styling and production design, as well as earning Peabody and GLAAD Media Award nominations.
The series is loosely based on the life of Stede Bonnet, also known as the "Gentleman Pirate". [10] [11] 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.
Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
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First released | Last released | Network | |||
1 | 10 | March 3, 2022 | March 24, 2022 | HBO Max | |
2 | 8 | October 5, 2023 | October 26, 2023 | Max |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
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1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Taika Waititi | David Jenkins | March 3, 2022 | |
Stede Bonnet, a wealthy Barbadian landowner, abandons his wife, Mary, and their two children for life as a pirate captain. He commissions the building of a ship, the Revenge, and hires a crew. At sea sometime later, he learns that the crew, bored and irritated by his gentle manner and lack of pirating experience, have decided to mutiny and kill him. Stede chooses the nearest large ship for them to pillage, but the vessel turns out to be a Royal Navy warship captained by Stede's childhood bully, Nigel Badminton. Stede invites Nigel and his officers aboard, pretending that he and his crew are aristocrats. Nigel mocks Stede, and the naval officers threaten Stede's crew. Stede strikes Nigel on the head and, as Nigel falls, he stabs himself through the eye with his sword. The pirates take two officers hostage, escaping before Badminton's crew realizes what has happened. The crew, impressed by how Stede appears to have dealt with Nigel, decide to postpone the mutiny. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "A Damned Man" | Nacho Vigalondo | David Jenkins | March 3, 2022 | |
After the ship accidentally runs aground on an island, Stede orders his crew to take a "vacation" and they disperse. The hostages escape, and Stede, Black Pete, and Oluwande set off to retrieve them, but are captured by the inhabitants of the island and put on trial. Stede, haunted by visions of Nigel, breaks down and confesses to murder; a tribal elder advises him that his guilt may stem from something deeper. The men are freed, but learn that their hostages have been sold to other pirates. Stede improvises a plan to catch these pirates off guard and, after a brief skirmish, agrees to a compromise, taking only one of the hostages back. As the crew sets sail, he appears to have made his peace with Badminton's death. Meanwhile, Lucius has discovered that crewmate Jim is in disguise; Jim knocks him unconscious and hides him belowdecks. The rival pirates secretly follow the Revenge under orders from their captain, now revealed as Blackbeard. | ||||||
3 | 3 | "A Gentleman Pirate" | Nacho Vigalondo | Adam Stein | March 3, 2022 | |
Stede learns of the "Republic of Pirates", where he hopes to both sell off his remaining hostage and introduce himself as the newly minted "Gentleman Pirate". Aboard his ship, Blackbeard orders his first mate, Izzy Hands, to approach Stede and request a meeting. At the Republic, Stede enters a tavern owned by Spanish Jackie, who has set a price on Jim's head for killing Jackie's favorite husband. Izzy finds Stede and relays the request but does not mention Blackbeard by name, and Stede rudely dismisses him. A fight then breaks out over the purchase of the captive, and Jackie banishes Stede from the tavern. Geraldo, the bartender and one of Jackie's husbands, tricks Stede into boarding a Spanish navy ship, where he is stabbed and sentenced to death for piracy, and where Jim's disguise is exposed. Stede is about to be hanged when the ship is attacked by another pirate crew. Cut down before he strangles to death, Stede opens his eyes to see Blackbeard standing over him. | ||||||
4 | 4 | "Discomfort in a Married State" | Nacho Vigalondo | Eliza Jiménez Cossio | March 10, 2022 | |
Blackbeard takes command of the Revenge while Stede recovers from his wounds. Flashbacks reveal Stede's unhappiness in his arranged marriage, culminating in his running off to become a pirate. When he wakes, Blackbeard greets him with his real name, Ed, and confesses that he's grown tired of his life, because no one dares to challenge him. He and Stede decide to switch lives for the day. This proves to be the last straw for Izzy, who angrily calls Blackbeard a "shell" of what he once was. Jim tells the crew that they wish to remain "Jim" and that they should be perceived the same as they were before. With Spanish warships closing in, Blackbeard's plan to use the cover of fog to escape is set back by a confusion over dates; there will be no full moon to guide them. He and Stede come up with a new plan, to use a mirror and lanterns to pretend to be a lighthouse, and they fool the Spanish long enough to escape. Blackbeard convinces Stede to teach him how to be an aristocrat, and tells Izzy that he is planning to betray Stede and steal his identity. | ||||||
5 | 5 | "The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well" | Fernando Frías | John Mahone | March 10, 2022 | |
Ed (Blackbeard) trains Stede's crew to become better pirates, while Stede teaches Ed about high society. A flashback shows a young Ed holding a silk scarf and being told by his mother that they are not the kind of people to wear fine things. Ed proposes that they crash a high-society party hosted by French aristocrats. Ed is initially successful at mingling with the aristocrats but is later ridiculed after misusing utensils. Ed storms out of the dinner, but Stede defends him by proposing that the party guests play a game, during which Stede reveals all of the guests' secrets, turning the party into a brawl. Meanwhile, Oluwande and Frenchie pose as a crown prince of Egypt and his viceroy and scam the guests, inventing the world's first pyramid scheme. A fire breaks out and the pirates return to their ship. Frenchie and Oluwande share their earnings from the scam with the African servants of the aristocrats. Later, Stede and Ed share a moment aboard the Revenge, and Stede tells Ed that he wears fine things well. Meanwhile, Admiral Chauncey Badminton, Nigel's twin brother, convinces King George to lend him the full force of the Royal Navy to avenge his brother's murder. | ||||||
6 | 6 | "The Art of Fuckery" | Fernando Frías | Simone Nathan | March 10, 2022 | |
Ed helps Stede practice dueling, and forces Stede to stab him. Later, Blackbeard tells the crew the story of when he witnessed the Kraken kill his father. He demonstrates the "theatre of fear" by which Blackbeard frightens other ships, which he calls the "art of fuckery". Meanwhile, Izzy becomes frustrated with Ed's continual delay in killing Stede and persuades him to murder him as soon as possible. Lucius develops an infection in his finger, and the crew tries unsuccessfully to amputate it. Later, the Revenge approaches a vessel, and Stede decides to try his hand at arranging a "fuckery". During the chaos, Blackbeard moves to kill Stede but is interrupted by a feverish Lucius, adding to the fuckery by amputating his infected finger himself. Stede then announces that the Kraken is approaching, triggering a traumatic flashback for Blackbeard. The sight of Blackbeard causes the invaders to retreat. When Stede goes to comfort him, Ed tearfully admits that the Kraken did not kill his father, he did. He also confesses to his original plan to kill Stede and take his identity. They mutually agree to put the murder scheme behind them. That night, Izzy challenges Stede to a duel; the loser will be banished from the ship. Izzy stabs Stede who, thanks to a trick taught by Blackbeard, directs the blow away from his vital organs, breaking Izzy's sword in the process. Stede is the rightful winner, leading to Izzy's banishment. Black Pete whittles a new wooden finger for Lucius, and Lucius thanks him with a kiss. Izzy makes his way to Spanish Jackie's and makes a proposal. | ||||||
7 | 7 | "This Is Happening" | Fernando Frías | Zayre Ferrer | March 17, 2022 | |
Ed mentions leaving the ship and Stede, seeking a way to keep him diverted, finds an opportunity when the crew goes to St. Augustine to buy oranges to treat the Swede's scurvy. Jim is reluctant to go ashore but refuses to explain why. Stede, Ed, and Lucius go on a treasure hunt, while the other pirates, including Jim, search for oranges. They find an orange tree in a church courtyard and meet a nun who Jim addresses as "Nana". Oluwande learns that Jim came to live with Nana after their father was murdered and that Nana taught Jim to use knives, to avenge the death of the Jimenez family at the hands of Siete Gallos, a roving band of mercenaries. Jim tells Nana that they have killed one of the seven. On the treasure hunt, Lucius confronts a surly Ed, calling him on the fact that Stede and Ed like each other, and asking him to have fun for Stede's sake. Stede and Ed have a moment together by the fire. The treasure hunt culminates in the unearthing of a petrified orange under the Jimenez family tree. Stede keeps the treasure and the crew return to the ship, but without Jim, who remains behind to complete their revenge. Meanwhile, Chauncey Badminton arrives at Spanish Jackie's, where she and Izzy are plotting against Stede. | ||||||
8 | 8 | "We Gull Way Back" | Bert & Bertie | Alyssa Lane & Alex Sherman | March 17, 2022 | |
An old friend of Blackbeard's, Calico Jack, arrives, rousing Blackbeard's more chaotic side, to Stede's displeasure. Jack explains that his crew mutinied; to cheer him up, the crew agree to visit Blind Man's Cove. Once there, he stirs up Stede's jealousy by mentioning he and Edward were past lovers. Heartbroken by Jim's absence, Oluwande gives up his cabin to Frenchie and Wee John, who express their excitement for their newfound status as roommates by redecorating the room. Meanwhile, Jim takes Geraldo hostage to force Spanish Jackie into telling them everything she knows about the Siete Gallos. Jackie kills Geraldo herself and reveals that Geraldo was a member of Siete Gallos, adding that all the others are likely dead. Back on the ship, a drunken Jack, playing with a whip, kills Buttons' pet seagull, Karl. Buttons curses Jack and Stede orders Jack off the ship. Blackbeard decides to join him. Jack admits to Blackbeard that Izzy sent him to get Blackbeard out of the way, and led the Revenge to be ambushed by Chauncey Badminton. Upon learning that Stede is in danger, Blackbeard races back to the Revenge and orders the crew to raise the white flag. The Royal Navy capture them, but Stede and Blackbeard are happy to be reunited. Buttons' hex takes effect when Calico Jack is hit by a stray British cannonball. | ||||||
9 | 9 | "Act of Grace" | Bert & Bertie | David Jenkins & Yvonne Zima | March 24, 2022 | |
On the Revenge, Stede admits to having killed Nigel and is sentenced to death. Just as Stede is about to be executed, Blackbeard claims the Act of Grace, saving Stede, to Chauncey's anger. Blackbeard and Stede are sent to the Royal Privateering Academy, where Stede learns that he has been declared dead, and Blackbeard has to shave off his beard. Stede tries to convince him to escape, but Ed seems content to accept their fate. They realize that as long as they are together, they are happy, and they kiss. When they agree to assume new identities and run away to China together, Ed devises a plan for their escape. Yet before Stede can meet Ed, Chauncey takes him at gunpoint in the middle of the night into the forest. He accuses Stede of being a monster that ruins everyone's lives, including Blackbeard's, voicing all the doubts that Stede carries with him, but before he can kill Stede, Chauncey trips and kills himself in a similar manner to his brother. Having waited on a pier for hours, a heartbroken Ed returns to the Revenge and resumes his role as captain. Stede, meantime, has returned to his wife and children. | ||||||
10 | 10 | "Wherever You Go, There You Are" | Andrew DeYoung | David Jenkins | March 24, 2022 | |
Stede comes home to find that a "widowed" Mary has built a new life for herself. Both struggle to return to their former patterns. After Mary attempts to kill Stede in his sleep, they discuss their feelings and become friends. Stede realizes he is in love with Ed and, with the help of Mary and her lover Doug, plans to fake his death and return to sea. Meanwhile, on the Revenge, a depressed Ed neglects his role as captain, causing Izzy to confront him about his perceived softness. That night, after reflecting on his life and relationship with Stede, Ed re-adopts the Kraken persona. He throws Lucius overboard, paints himself a new black beard and punishes Izzy's insubordination. He orders all of Stede's belongings to be thrown overboard and strands Stede's crew on a deserted island, with the exception of Frenchie and Jim. Alone in Stede's former quarters, Edward breaks down and cries. Stede takes a dinghy and leaves in search of Edward. He finds his starving crew and, standing on his dinghy, lighthouse-like, waves at an incredulous Oluwande. |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by [13] | Original release date [14] | |
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11 | 1 | "Impossible Birds" | David Jenkins | David Jenkins & Alyssa Lane & Alex Sherman | October 5, 2023 | |
Stede and his crew have taken up residence on the Republic of Pirates and are working at Spanish Jackie's to save up money for a ship. Meanwhile, the crew of the Revenge have been raiding ships regularly due to Blackbeard's increasingly erratic demands. Izzy makes an attempt to settle things between Blackbeard and the crew, but to no avail. Blackbeard holds the crew at gunpoint to confirm their satisfaction with their work environment, displaying strong suicidal ideation as he does so. When Izzy states that Blackbeard is distraught because of his feelings for Stede, Ed shoots him in the leg and names Frenchie his new first mate. Meanwhile, Stede learns from Richard Banes, a minor noble turned pirate, about a Roman puzzle chest in Jackie's possession and decides to steal it, but he and the crew are caught by Jackie before they can escape. A local soup vendor named Susan suddenly arrives and buys both the chest and the crew from Jackie. Susan is then revealed to be Zheng Yi Sao, Pirate Queen and conqueror of China. | ||||||
12 | 2 | "Red Flags" | David Jenkins | Adam Stein | October 5, 2023 | |
Stede and his crew adjust to life aboard Zheng Yi Sao's ship the Red Flag while Ed continues to spiral. Lucius is revealed to be alive on the Red Flag and is joyfully reunited with the crew, resuming his relationship with Black Pete. Zheng pursues her feelings for Oluwande, much to Auntie's disapproval. On the Revenge, Jim and Archie have hidden Izzy in a stowaway compartment and amputate his wounded leg. Upon discovering him, Blackbeard goads Izzy into shooting him with a pistol but Izzy refuses. Blackbeard leaves the gun with Izzy and then goes up on deck to steer the ship into an oncoming storm. Jim, Frenchie, and the others realize this too late. As Blackbeard threatens to shoot a cannonball into the mast, Izzy appears and shoots Blackbeard to stop him. The crew gather round Blackbeard's prone form as Jim raises a cannonball over their head, seemingly with intent to kill. | ||||||
13 | 3 | "The Innkeeper" | Andrew DeYoung | Alyssa Lane & Alex Sherman | October 5, 2023 | |
Zheng Yi Sao's crew complete a successful raid, then come upon the damaged Revenge. Stede jumps in the water to swim to Ed, and finds the remaining crew, but can't get any information about Ed's whereabouts. Ed, meanwhile, wakes up on a deserted beach before being rescued and cared for by his former captain, Benjamin Hornigold. Auntie suspects a mutiny and advises Zheng to kill the crew of the Revenge, which Zheng agrees to after Ed's body is discovered. Stede and the crew escape and steal back the Revenge, taking the Red Flag's wheel in the process. After a physical fight with Hornigold, Ed realizes that he is in a form of purgatory referred to as the Gravy Basket, and must decide whether to live or die. Ed is tied to a rock and pushed into the water, and he begins to drown. He is saved by the sound of Stede's voice and his appearance in the form of a mermaid, swimming towards Ed. Ed wakes up to Stede by his bedside, clutching his hand. | ||||||
14 | 4 | "Fun and Games" | Andrew DeYoung | David Jenkins and Eliza Jiménez Cossio | October 12, 2023 | |
Stede assists Buttons in his quest to transmogrify into a bird and the pair find themselves on the same island that Ed had washed ashore upon after being banished from the Revenge. Here Ed encounters old friends and fellow pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, now running an antiques emporium. Witnessing their dysfunctional relationship during dinner helps Ed to repair his relationship with Stede. Meanwhile, the crew of the Revenge descend into factional infighting but ultimately come together to create a prosthetic leg for Izzy from the ship's figurehead. Stede has Ed's banishment paused for a night. | ||||||
15 | 5 | "The Curse of the Seafaring Life" | Andrew DeYoung | John Mahone and Simone Nathan | October 12, 2023 | |
Ed is allowed back on the Revenge on probation, and works through some of his past with Lucius and Fang. Stede seeks to improve his pirating skills with Izzy's help, as part of which the pirates raid a ship whose crew have already been murdered. Returning with only one significant item of treasure: a new suit for Stede, the crew are convinced the suit is cursed, and Stede is ultimately forced to part with it. Ed receives a few lessons in fishing and life from Fang, whose real name turns out to be Kevin Junior. Lucius proposes to Black Pete. At the end of the day, Ed and Stede share a heart to heart on deck in the moonlight. | ||||||
16 | 6 | "Calypso's Birthday" | Fernando Frías | Zayre Ferrer | October 19, 2023 | |
The crew's party, financed by the proceeds of Blackbeard's treasure, in celebration of Calypso's Birthday is interrupted by rival pirate Ned Low and his crew, who is unhappy his record breaking streak of raids has been beaten by Blackbeard. Lucius and Black Pete go undetected below decks and plan a counter attack, but before they can enact this, Low's torturing of the crew of the Revenge comes to a premature end when Stede causes dissent among the rival's crew. Now with the upper hand, Stede retaliates by forcing Low to walk the plank, his first deliberate taking of another life as a pirate. The crew resume the party, while Stede heads to his cabin alone. Ed goes to check on him and the two kiss passionately before consummating their relationship. Richard Banes, AKA Prince Ricky is plotting revenge on the pirates, when he receives an invitation from Zheng Yi Sao. | ||||||
17 | 7 | "Man on Fire" | Fernando Frías | Jes Tom and Natalie Torres | October 19, 2023 | |
Ed discards his old life starting with his leathers. The Revenge docks at the Republic of Pirates, where the crew bump into Zheng Yi Sao and Auntie. They make their way to Spanish Jackie's despite the danger of losing their heads, but are welcomed due to their new found infamy. Stede revelling in his new-found fame gets a piercing and performs his first immolation, while Ed ruminates and decides to become a fisherman. Jim arranges for Oluwande to reconcile with Zheng Yi Sao, but Stede starts a mass brawl and is only saved from Zheng when she is double-crossed by Prince Richard and her entire fleet explodes at the striking of the midnight hour. | ||||||
18 | 8 | "Mermen" | Fernando Frías | David Jenkins & John Mahone | October 26, 2023 | |
Ed struggles to make fishing a successful career move. He returns to find the Republic of Pirates now under the control of Prince Richard and the Royal Navy. Retrieving his leathers, he finds one of Stede's 'message in a bottle' love letters and the pair are soon reunited. Joining forces with Zheng Yi Sao they return to Spanish Jackie's, only to find she has poisoned the Royal Navy officers in her bar. Disguised in the dead officers' uniforms, the pirates infiltrate the garrison, killing many of the soldiers before escaping to the sea. Izzy, mortally wounded, reconciles with Ed before drawing his last breath. Lucius and Black Pete are married and Ed and Stede retire to a life of innkeeping. |
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. [15] [16] From the outset he envisioned the show as centering on a romantic relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard, and pitched it as such. [17] [18] [19]
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. [20] Waititi was attracted to the project because of what he believed to be Jenkins' original approach to pirates. [21] In subsequent discussions, they agreed that a romance between Bonnet and Teach was "the reason to do the show". [18] Garrett Basch later joined the project as executive producer after reading the script for the pilot episode. [22]
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. [23] On June 1, 2022, the series was renewed for a second season. [24] The second season's budget was reduced by 40% due to companywide cutbacks at Warner Bros. Discovery. [25]
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. [26] [16] [21] His casting was officially announced in January 2021. [27] Jenkins stated that Darby made an otherwise unlikable Stede Bonnet likeable, telling Slash Film that he was "the only person who could play it". [16] Darby, whose career has consisted primarily of supporting comedic roles, saw the role as an opportunity to branch out and play a leading, and more dramatic role, telling Deadline "I looked at myself and how much experience I've had over the years and I felt maybe it is time to step up." [21]
Taika Waititi, who was already attached as executive producer and director, joined the cast to play Blackbeard four months later in April 2021. [28] 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. [26] [29] 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." [28]
In June, it was announced that Kristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear, Con O'Neill and Vico Ortiz had been added to the cast, [30] with the additions of Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Joel Fry, Guz Khan and Matthew Maher announced in July. [31] In August, it was announced that Leslie Jones, Nat Faxon, Fred Armisen and Samba Schutte were cast in recurring roles. [32] [33]
Filming took place between June 14 and September 28, 2021. [34] 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 . [23] The scenes aboard the Revenge were filmed on a soundstage using StageCraft. [16] [20] [35]
The second season began filming on September 25, 2022, in New Zealand. [36] As filming was underway, Tourism New Zealand partnered with Max to feature the series in a tourism campaign. [37] Filming wrapped on December 13, 2022. [38] [39]
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. [40] The soundtrack for the second season released on October 26, 2023. [41]
On January 9, 2024, series creator David Jenkins announced that Max had canceled the series after two seasons. [42] Jenkins stated he had originally planned for three seasons and referred to the cancellation as a "premature end". [43] [44] According to some reports, the third season was set to begin pre-production in New Zealand before news of the seemingly sudden cancellation broke. [45] [46] [47]
Our Flag Means Death is considered to be one of the high-profile television cancellations that marked the end of the Peak TV era. [48] [49] The cancellation was attributed to the "Cancel Your Gays" trend [50] [51] [52] [53] and quickly became one of the most controversial cancellations in television history. [54] Fans responded on social media with many believing the decision to cancel the series was rooted in homophobia. [55] [56] Critics were surprised by the cancellation given the show's success [57] [58] [59] and voiced their disappointment with the decision. [60] [61] [62] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter stated "I am really still confused by [the cancellation of] Our Flag Means Death, because that is a show that for a long time was in the Top 10 on Max." [63]
A fan-funded campaign dubbed "Renew as a Crew" was launched and raised enough funds to rent both a billboard in Times Square and a plane flying over Hollywood with the message "Save Our Flag Means Death". [64] A campaign to move the series from Max to a different streamer continued under the banner of "Adopt Our Crew". [65] Fan efforts also included a Change.org petition to save the show, which gained over 47,000 signatures within a week after cancellation [66] and over 85,000 signatures as of March 2024. [67] Despite a vigorous fan campaign and many meetings with streamers, on March 7, 2024 Jenkins announced the show was unable to find a new home and thanked fans for their support. [68]
In April 2024, cast member Samba Schutte appeared on the podcast You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes and revealed the third season of the series "didn't get picked up by Max...because no money, they don't have money." [69] 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 ongoing financial struggles. [70]
In a June 2024 Den of Geek podcast with Aaron Sagers, series star Rhys Darby expressed his disappointment with the cancellation and confirmed there was "a financial element" involved in Max's decision. [71]
Our Flag Means Death's first season premiered on HBO Max on March 3, 2022, and released 2–3 weekly episodes through March 24, 2022. [72] [73] [74] The season finale, which consisted of episodes 9 and 10, received an advance screening for members of the Television Academy on March 22, 2022. [75]
In August 2023, a Vanity Fair first look exclusive revealed the second season would premiere on Max in October 2023. [76] The second season premiered with 3 episodes on October 5, 2023 followed by the release of 2 weekly episodes through October 19, 2023. The season finale was released as a single episode that aired on October 26, 2023. [77] Episodes 6 and 7 of the second season were given an advance screening at the NewFest Film Festival on October 16, 2023. [78] The world premiere featured a live panel hosted by Max. [79]
The BBC acquired the series in December 2022 and announced plans to air it in the United Kingdom in early 2023. [80] Our Flag Means Death aired on BBC Two on January 4, 2023, at 10 pm, with one episode airing each week. [81] After the first episode aired, every episode became available to watch or download via the BBC's iPlayer. [82] 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. [83]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% for the first season based on 46 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Our Flag Means Death's 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." [84] Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 13 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [85]
The first season was named one of the best series of 2022 by most major television critics. [86] The Hollywood Reporter called the series "an endearing comedy" with "a surprising amount of heart". [87] Variety praised the story's "surprising introspection" along with Darby and Waititi's "charged chemistry". [88] IndieWire referred to series as a "sweet, spelndid farce", noting, "hearing Waititi and Darby bounce off each other...is pure joy." [89] Paul Tassi of Forbes described the central love story between Darby and Waititi's characters as "one of the most compelling gay romances I've seen really in any TV show, a funny, sad, heartwrenching romance." [90] Writer and cultural critic Glen Weldon expressed his love for the series while hosting NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, stating "I love the show. I want to marry the show. I want to live inside the show." [91] Angela Tricarico of Business Insider wrote ""Our Flag Means Death" is an exciting and surprising comedy that makes an excellent case for subscribing to HBO Max." [92] The series appeared in "best of" lists from many notable publications, including IndieWire, [93] Forbes, [94] Entertainment Weekly , [95] Vanity Fair , [96] The A.V. Club , [97] Mashable, [98] Polygon , [99] The Los Angeles Times [100] and The Atlantic . [101]
The series renewal was highly anticipated by both critics and audiences. [102] [103] [104] [105] [106] It was the second most anticipated returning series in the US and the UK in 2023, and ranked among the top 10 returning shows in Italy, Germany, Spain and Brazil. [107] Vanity Fair dubbed the long-awaited renewal "The Sigh of Relief Heard 'Round the Internet." [108]
The second season received a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 96% based on 37 critic reviews. The critical 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." [109] Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [110]
The second season was met with critical acclaim and was one of the best reviewed TV shows of 2023. [111] TV Guide hailed the season as "a triumph", calling it "sentimental yet satirical, with thoughtful hidden depths: a rare and welcome combination." [112] RogerEbert.com praised "the depth of the writing and complexity of the performances," [113] including Waititi's "career-best work" as Ed. [114] Yahoo! News wrote the "triumphant" second season "is even funnier, juicier and more romantic than its first season." [115] Paste awarded the "glorious second season" a 9.7/10, praising its "emotional, romantic and comedic depth". [116] The Daily Beast declared it to be "the funniest show on TV" [117] and applauded the "incredible" balance of quirkiness, romance and darker themes. [118] Collider echoed this sentiment, writing "season 2 is distinctly darker" but "still manages to strike the balance between lighter and darker elements, which all contribute to a perfect tenor that sings throughout every episode." [119] The Wall Street Journal appreciated the season's mix of violence, romance and comedy, stating "if Quentin Tarantino and John Hughes had been forced to collaborate—perhaps at the point of a cutlass—you might have gotten this, but not as funny." [120] Many critics included the second season in their "best of 2023" lists, including Entertainment Weekly, [121] RogerEbert.com, [122] Mashable, [123] Paste [124] , Time , [125] TV Insider , [126] Vulture , [127] Town & Country , [128] Decider , [129] TechRadar [130] and Gizmodo . [131] LGBTQ+ publications, such as Out , [132] Gay Times , [133] Them , [134] PinkNews [135] and Autostraddle, [136] also ranked the season among the best queer media released in 2023.
The series was praised for its substantial LGBTQ+ representation, which consists of four queer relationships, two of which involve a nonbinary character (Jim Jimenez). [137] [138] [139] [140] [141] The central romance of the show, between Bonnet and Teach, was originally believed by many to be a "friendship". [142] Critics praised the series for subverting the common queerbaiting trope by making Bonnet and Teach's relationship explicit before the end of the season. [143] [144] [145]
Critics also commended the series for centering the experiences of people of color. [146] [147] According to Jenkins, he and his diverse writers room aimed to portray the historical realities of people of color at the time without subjecting characters and viewers to "trauma porn", stating "we wanted a show where these characters can exist in a fantasy world and their race ... doesn't automatically lead to a traumatic storyline for them". [22] [148] [149]
The first season premiered to popular acclaim and ranks among the top five most watched Max Original comedy series launches. [150] Audience demand for the series more than tripled during the three weeks between its premiere and season 1 finale. [151] During this time, its popularity surpassed every HBO and Max Original series. [152] [153] [154] Our Flag Means Death became the biggest new series in the U.S. following the release of season 1 episodes 9 and 10, unseating The Book of Boba Fett which had claimed the top spot for three months. [155] [156] It remained the most in-demand breakout series across all streaming platforms for seven consecutive weeks before being surpassed by the premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . [157] A week later, Our Flag Means Death regained the top spot and held it for another two weeks. [158] By the end of 2022, Our Flag Means Death was the 5th most in-demand series on HBO Max [159] and the 2nd most in-demand series among young adult viewers across all platforms. [160]
The premiere of the second season exceeded the first season's peak demand. The second season averaged nearly 45 times the average series demand in its first 10 days, outpacing demand for the third seasons of The Righteous Gemstones and Succession . [161] It peaked at 59.7 times the average series demand by mid-October, suggesting that viewership continued to grow as the season aired. [162] According to Max's public ranking system, Our Flag Means Death became the streaming service’s top series during its second season run. [163] The new season spent 6 weeks in Max's Top 10. [164] The instant success of the second season elevated the series to flagship status at Max, [165] resulting in a new line of official merchandise sold through the HBO Shop. [166] In a November 2023 interview with TV Insider , series star Rhys Darby commented on the second season's viewership: "not that anyone gives out numbers, but I heard on the ethos that people [are] watching it, and it's rating really high." [167] Our Flag Means Death was Max's 3rd most popular series of 2023, ranking behind The Last of Us and Succession. [168]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Golden Trailer Awards | Best Comedy Poster for a TV/Streaming Series | Our Flag Means Death, HBO Max | Nominated | [169] |
Dorian TV Awards | Best TV Comedy | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | [170] | |
Best LGBTQ TV Show | Nominated | ||||
Best Unsung TV Show | Nominated | ||||
Gold Derby TV Awards | Best Comedy Series | Nominated | [171] | ||
Best Comedy Actor | Rhys Darby | Nominated | |||
Best Comedy Supporting Actor | Vico Ortiz | Nominated | |||
Taika Waititi | Nominated | ||||
Best Comedy Guest Actress | Leslie Jones | Nominated | |||
Best Ensemble of the Year | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | |||
Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards | Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Rhys Darby | Nominated | [172] | |
Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Taika Waititi | Nominated | |||
Best Directing in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Taika Waititi (for "Pilot") | Nominated | |||
The Queerties | Favorite TV Performance | Vico Ortiz | Nominated | [173] | |
Autostraddle TV Awards | Outstanding Cis Male Character | Taika Waititi | Runner-up | [174] | |
Tell-Tale TV Awards | Favorite New Comedy Series | Our Flag Means Death | Won | [175] | |
Favorite Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | ||||
Favorite Performer in a Cable or Streaming Comedy Series | Rhys Darby | Won | |||
Clio Entertainment Awards | Television/Series: Public Relations | Our Flag Means Death, HBO Max | Shortlisted | [176] | |
2023 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design for a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series | Ra Vincent (for "Pilot") | Won | [177] |
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling | Margarita Pidgeon, Stacy Bisel, Kate Loftis, Christopher Enlow | Won | [178] | |
GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding New Series | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | [179] | |
Ray Bradbury Nebula Award | Outstanding Dramatic Presentation | Nominated | [180] | ||
Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Nominated | [181] | ||
2024 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design for a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series | Ra Vincent (for "Impossible Birds", "Red Flags", "Man on Fire") | Nominated | [182] |
The Queerties | Favorite TV Comedy | Our Flag Means Death | Runner-up | [183] | |
Favorite TV Performance | Vico Ortiz | Runner-up | [184] | ||
Tell-Tale TV Awards | Favorite Cable or Streaming Comedy Series | Our Flag Means Death | Won | [185] | |
Favorite Performer in a Cable or Streaming Comedy Series | Rhys Darby | Won | |||
Ruibo Qian | Nominated | ||||
GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Comedy Series | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | [186] | |
Dorian TV Awards | Best Unsung TV Show | Nominated | [187] | ||
Gold Derby TV Awards | Best Comedy Series | Nominated | [188] | ||
Best Comedy Actor | Rhys Darby | Nominated | |||
Astra Awards | Best Actor in a Streaming Comedy Series | Nominated | [189] | ||
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity | Social & Influencer | Our Flag Means Death, Max, Tourism New Zealand | Nominated | [190] | |
Australian Production Design Guild Awards | Catherine Martin Costume Design for a Television Production | Gypsy Taylor | Won | [191] | |
Production Art Department and Design Awards Concept Art | Adam Wheatley | Nominated | |||
Autostraddle TV Awards | Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Series | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | [192] | |
Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series | Vico Ortiz | Nominated | |||
Fan Favorite Out LGBTQ+ Actor | Won |
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he may have been a sailor on privateer ships during Queen Anne's War before he settled on the Bahamian island of New Providence, a base for Captain Benjamin Hornigold, whose crew Teach joined around 1716. Hornigold placed him in command of a sloop that he had captured, and the two engaged in numerous acts of piracy. Their numbers were boosted by the addition to their fleet of two more ships, one of which was commanded by Stede Bonnet, but Hornigold retired from piracy toward the end of 1717, taking two vessels with him.
Stede Bonnet was a Barbadian-born pirate and military officer, known as the Gentleman Pirate because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family on the island of Barbados, and inherited the family estate after his father's death in 1694. Despite his lack of sailing experience, Bonnet decided he should turn to piracy in the spring of 1717. He bought a sailing vessel, the Revenge, and travelled with his paid crew along the Eastern Seaboard of what is now the United States, capturing other vessels and burning other Barbadian ships.
Rhys Montague Darby is a New Zealand actor and comedian, known for his energetic physical comedy routines, telling stories accompanied with mime, and sound effects of things such as machinery and animals. He was nominated for the Billy T Award in 2001 and 2002 and won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) Award for best NZ show at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
Taika David Cohen, known professionally as Taika Waititi, is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. He is known for directing quirky comedy films and has expanded his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award, as well as two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.
Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainous sidekick in Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island.
The Battle of Cape Fear River, also known as the Battle of the Sandbars, was fought in September 1718 between two sloops from the Province of South Carolina led by William Rhett and a group of pirate ships under the command of Stede Bonnet. Rhett's sloops defeated the pirates in the Cape Fear River estuary which led to Bonnet's eventual execution by hanging in Charleston, South Carolina.
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies during the early 18th century. He captained the Queen Anne's Revenge, a 200-ton frigate originally named the Concord, and died in a fierce battle with troops from Virginia on November 22, 1718, at Ocracoke Island.
Kristian Nairn is an actor and DJ from Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He is best known for his portrayal of Hodor in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. He also played Wee John Feeney on the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023).
Rachel Jessica Te Ao Maarama House is a New Zealand actress and director. She is best known for her roles in the films of Taika Waititi. and has received numerous accolades including an Arts Laureate, NZ Order of Merit, 'Mana Wahine' from WIFT NZ and Te Waipuna a Rangi for her contributions as an actor and director.
What We Do in the Shadows is a 2014 New Zealand mockumentary horror comedy film written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi and the first installment in the What We Do in the Shadows franchise. The film also stars Clement and Waititi, along with Jonathan Brugh, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, and Jackie van Beek. The film's plot concerns several vampires who live together in a flat in Wellington.
Garrett Basch is an American film and television producer. He is best known for his work on the Emmy-winning series The Night Of and What We Do in the Shadows, and for being the first producer ever to have three scripted shows nominated in the same year.
The Republic of Pirates was the base and stronghold of a loose confederacy run by privateers-turned-pirates in Nassau on New Providence island in the Bahamas during the Golden Age of Piracy for about twelve years from 1706 until 1718. While it was not a republic in a formal sense, it was governed by an informal pirate code, which dictated that the crews of the Republic would vote on the leadership of their ships and treat other pirate crews with civility. The term comes from Colin Woodard's book of the same name.
David Jenkins is an American television writer, producer, director, and showrunner. He created the sitcoms Our Flag Means Death for HBO Max and People of Earth for TBS.
Wellington Paranormal is a New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror television series which first aired on 11 July 2018 on TVNZ 2. The series is a spin-off of the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows and first television series in the franchise, and its lead characters—Officers Minogue and O'Leary—first appeared in the film as a pair of incurious police officers.
Reservation Dogs is an American comedy-drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma, as they spend their days hanging out and committing crimes to earn enough money to leave their reservation community.
Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. Waititi began his film career in the early 2000s by directing short films. His short film Two Cars, One Night (2003) got him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. His first feature film, Eagle vs Shark, was released in 2007. Waititi's second film, Boy (2010) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Vico Ortiz is a Puerto Rican actor, drag king, and activist. They are best known for portraying Jim Jimenez on the HBO Max television series Our Flag Means Death. Ortiz is a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award as well as a GLAAD Media Award winner.
Samson Kayo is a British actor, producer and writer. He was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Male Comedy Performance in 2018 for the BBC sketch show Famalam (2017–2020). He created, wrote and starred in the Sky One sitcom Bloods (2021–2022), and received a nomination for the same award in 2022. He won the Royal Television Society Programme Awards for Best Male Comedy Performance in the latter role in 2022, having also been nominated in 2019 and 2023. He also created and stars in Sliced (2019–2020), and his other credits include Youngers (2013), Timewasters (2017), and Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023).
Time Bandits is a fantasy adventure television series created by Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taika Waititi, based on the 1981 film directed by Terry Gilliam. The series premiered on July 24, 2024, on Apple TV+. In September 2024, the series was canceled after one season.
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