Our Flag Means Death turned a hopeless real pirate into a cult romance
Stede Bonnet was a real Barbados landowner who abandoned his comfortable life to go pirating, with no talent for it whatsoever. David Jenkins's comedy set him in 1717, paired him romantically with Blackbeard, and quietly became a sleeper hit that many viewers now count among the most beloved LGBTQ+ series on television.
The show is loosely based on the man history nicknamed the Gentleman Pirate. Rhys Darby plays Bonnet as a wealthy, bored, unhappily married landowner who buys a ship, the Revenge, hires a crew and tries to brand himself a refined sort of buccaneer, armed with nothing but privilege. His path crosses that of Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, played by Taika Waititi as a feared captain grown weary because his fearsome reputation has made the job too easy. The two fall in love amid the chaos.
The crew supplies much of the comedy. The first mate, Buttons, can apparently converse with seagulls. Blackbeard's loyal and ruthless first mate, Izzy Hands, resents the whole affair. Leslie Jones appears as Spanish Jackie, a feared bar owner in the Republic of Pirates with 19 husbands, and the second season brings in Zheng Yi Sao, the Chinese pirate queen, first disguised as a soup seller. Even King George I turns up, issuing an Act of Grace meant to stamp out piracy.
HBO Max launched the first season in March 2022 with little fanfare, but word of mouth built a devoted following, and its unexpected rise drew comparisons with Ted Lasso. The second season arrived in October 2023 on the renamed Max. Critics praised its LGBTQ+ storytelling and ranked it among the best sitcoms of the decade; it collected guild awards for art direction and make-up and nominations for a Peabody, a Nebula and a GLAAD Media Award. None of that saved it from cancellation in January 2024.
Source: Our Flag Means Death
