The first season premiered on March 3, 2022 on HBO Max and received positive reviews, including praise for its LGBTQ+ representation. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on Max on October 5, 2023.[3] In January 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons.[4]
Premise
The series is loosely based on the life of Stede Bonnet, also known as the "Gentleman Pirate".[5][6] 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
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.[7]
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. After he collects various items for an "avian transmogrification" spell, he seemingly transforms into a seagull and flies away.
Joel Fry as Frenchie, a crewmate on the Revenge who often sings of the crew's adventures. At the end of the first season, he joins Blackbeard's crew.
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. His relationship with Black Pete leads to their eventual marriage at the end of the second season.
Vico Ortiz as Jim Jimenez, a skilled fighter who has a bounty on their head for killing one of Spanish Jackie's husbands. With their friend and eventual lover Oluwande's help, they join the crew of the Revenge in disguise while posing as a mute. At the end of the first season, they join Blackbeard's crew. Allyson Juliette portrays Jim as a child.
Matthew Maher as Black Pete, an irritable pirate aboard the Revenge who claims to have crewed with Blackbeard. He later becomes Lucius' husband.
Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney, a crewmate on the Revenge obsessed with fire.
Rory Kinnear as Captain Nigel Badminton (season 1), a British naval captain who bullied Stede when they were children. Kinnear also portrays Nigel's twin brother, Admiral Chauncey Badminton.
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. He becomes fascinated with Bonnet after hearing about him from his first mate Izzy, and decides to seek him out. Mateo Gallegos portrays Edward Teach as a child.
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. At the beginning of the second season, he leaves Stede's crew after becoming Jackie's twentieth husband but later rejoins at the end of the season.
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 member of the British navy who's taken hostage by Stede's crew.
Connor Barrett as Officer Hornberry (season 1), a member of the British navy who's 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. At the end of the second season, she joins the crew of the Revenge.
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. At the end of the second season, she joins the crew of the Revenge.
Anapela Polataivao as Auntie (season 2), the first mate and navigator for Zheng Yi Sao’s crew. At the end of the second season, she joins the crew of the Revenge.
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.
Will Arnett as Jack Rackham / 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.
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.
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.
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 (2022-03-03)
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 (2022-03-10)
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 (2022-03-10)
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 English Navy to avenge his brother's murder.
6
6
"The Art of Fuckery"
Fernando Frías
Simone Nathan
March 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)
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.
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.
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 British 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.
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 (2022-03-24)
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.
Stede and his crew have taken up residence on the Republic of Pirates and are working at Spanish Jackie’s in order 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 (2023-10-05)
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 (2023-10-05)
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 (2023-10-12)
Stede assists Buttons in his quest to transmogrify into a bird. After being banished from the ship, Ed encounters old friends Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and witnessing their dysfunctional relationship helps Ed to repair his relationship with Stede. Meanwhile, the divided crew of the Revenge come together to create a prosthetic leg for Izzy.
15
5
"The Curse of the Seafaring Life"
Andrew DeYoung
John Mahone and Simone Nathan
October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
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 crew raid a ship, returning with only one significant item of treasure: a new suit for Stede. The rest of 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. At the end of the day, Ed and Stede meet on deck in the moonlight.
The crew's party in celebration of Calypso's Birthday is interrupted by pirate Ned Low and his crew, but their efforts to torture the crew of the Revenge end when Stede causes dissent amongst Low's crew. 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 sleeping together.
17
7
"Man on Fire"
Fernando Frías
Jes Tom and Natalie Torres
October 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
Stede revels in his new-found fame, while Ed makes a decision about his future. Oluwande is keen to seek out Zheng. Banes plots against all pirates.
18
8
"Mermen"
Fernando Frías
David Jenkins & John Mahone
October 26, 2023 (2023-10-26)
Stede and Ed are reunited, and the world of pirating could be about to change forever as the crew of the Revenge is joined by Zheng, Auntie, Spanish Jackie and the Swede to defeat a common enemy.
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.[9][10] From the outset he envisioned the show as centering on a romantic relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard, and pitched it as such.[11][12][13]
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.[14] Waititi was attracted to the project because of what he believed to be Jenkins' original approach to pirates.[15] In subsequent discussions, they agreed that a romance between Bonnet and Teach was "the reason to do the show".[12]Garrett Basch later joined the project as executive producer after reading the script for the pilot episode.[16]
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.[17] On June 1, 2022, the series was renewed for a second season.[18] On January 9, 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons.[4]
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.[19][10][15] His casting was officially announced in January 2021.[20] Jenkins stated that Darby made an otherwise unlikable Stede Bonnet likeable, telling Slash Film that he was "the only person who could play it".[10] 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."[15]
Taika Waititi, who was already attached as executive producer and director, joined the cast to play Blackbeard four months later in April 2021.[21] 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.[19][22] 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."[21]
Filming took place between June 14 and September 28, 2021.[27]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.[17] The scenes aboard the Revenge were filmed on a soundstage using StageCraft.[10][14][28]
The second season began filming on September 25, 2022, in New Zealand.[29] It wrapped on December 13, 2022.[30][31]
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.[32]
Release
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.[33][34][35]
The BBC acquired the series in December 2022 with plans to air it in the United Kingdom in early 2023.[36]Our Flag Means Death aired on BBC Two on January 4, 2023, at 10pm, with one episode airing each week.[37] After the first episode aired, every episode became available to watch or download via the BBC's iPlayer.[38]
On August 24, 2023, a Vanity Fair exclusive first look revealed Our Flag Means Death's second season would premiere on Max in October 2023.[39] The following week, Max released a teaser and announced the second season would premiere with 3 episodes on October 5, 2023, and would run through October 26, 2023.[40]
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93% based on 45 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.70/10. 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."[41]Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 13 critic reviews.[42] An analysis of Metacritic's year-end compilation of 122 TV critic top 10 lists revealed that critics considered Our Flag Means Death to be one of the "best TV shows" of 2022.[43] The series appeared in "best of 2022" lists from notable entertainment critics, including IndieWire, Entertainment Weekly, The A.V. Club, Mashable, Polygon, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, and The Atlantic.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]
Dubbed "The Sigh of Relief Heard 'Round the Internet" by Vanity Fair, the series renewal was highly anticipated by both critics and audiences.[52][53][54][55][56][57] Rotten Tomatoes lists the second season of Our Flag Means Death among their most anticipated TV shows of 2023.[58]Vanity Fair included the premiere of season two in their list of
"high-profile" upcoming TV show releases that "promise to be major events in 2023".[59]
The series was praised for its substantial LGBTQ+ representation, which consists of three queer relationships, one of which involves a nonbinary character (Jim Jimenez).[60][61][62][63][64] The central romance of the show, between Bonnet and Teach, was originally believed by many to be a "friendship".[65] Critics praised the series for subverting the common queerbaiting trope by making Bonnet and Teach's relationship explicit before the end of the season.[66][67][68]
Critics also commended the series for centering the experiences of people of color.[69][70] 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".[16][71][72]The Chicago Tribune praised the series for not shying away from addressing racism and colonialism, but criticized the writers’ decision to omit the historical Bonnet's slave owning past.[73]
Viewership
The series debuted to popular acclaim and ranks among the top five most watched Max Original comedy series launches.[74] Audience demand for the series more than tripled during the three weeks between its premiere and season one finale.[75] According to data science company Parrot Analytics, which measures audience demand based on streaming views, downloads, research actions and social media engagement, Our Flag Means Death became the most in-demand breakout series in the U.S. following the release of season 1 episodes 9 and 10.[76] The series unseated The Book of Boba Fett, which had claimed the top spot for three months.[77]Our Flag Means Death was the most in-demand breakout series across all streaming platforms in the U.S. for seven consecutive weeks before being surpassed by the premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.[78]Our Flag Means Death would go on to regain the top spot the following week.[79]
Our Flag Means Death was the 5th most in-demand series on HBO Max and the 2nd most in-demand series among young adult viewers in 2022.[80][81]
Our Flag Means Death is considered to be an organic word-of-mouth marketing success due to an active online fandom that continues to drive viewership and demand.[76][82] The series has been called a sleeper hit due to its surprising growth in popularity despite receiving very little promotion or marketing.[83][84] Its growing rise in popularity has been compared to Ted Lasso's.[85]
Audience demand for the second season of Our Flag Means Death exceeded peak demand for the show’s first season. The second season averages nearly 45 times the average series demand in its first 10 days after premiering. The series outperformed demand for The Righteous Gemstones and the third season of Succession, making Our Flag Means Death a flagship series for Max.[86]
Accolades
Awards and nominations received by Our Flag Means Death
