After just two seasons on the high seas, Our Flag Means Death is over.
The beloved comedy about a crew of pirates, many of whom are queer, was canceled today after two seasons on Max.
The show centered around Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a gentleman who decides to leave his unhappy marriage to become a pirate captain. He eventually crosses paths with the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), who ends up falling in love with Bonnet.
The show was overflowing with queer pirates in its 18 episodes. Con O’Neill, Nathan Foad, Vico Ortiz, Matthew Maher, Samson Kayo, Minnie Driver, and Rachel House all played queer characters that we loved on the show. Just about every single pirate that we met had some aspect of queerness to them.
Our Flag was also one of the funniest and most unique shows out there, and it had one of TV’s biggest hearts as well. While never cutting corners on the absurd and deadly life of a pirate, the show managed to tell a beautiful love story AND a beautiful story about a queer chosen family.The show’s creator, David Jenkins, spoke on the cancellation on his Instagram, saying he had both good news and bad.
“The good news? We’ve spent two seasons in a bizarre, beautifully-rendered world populated by some of the greatest actors and creatives working,” he wrote. “And the second season was made possible by the enthusiasm of one of the most likable fan communities in the history of this medium. Your voices made a difference, your art made a difference, your viewership made a difference in securing more Our Flag. Getting to share this show with you and watching you make it yours has been a dream come true.”
“The bad news is clear,” he continued. “Our Flag won’t be returning for a third season. We’ve sailed at the pleasure of the fine people at Max, and it brought them no joy to see this journey come to a premature end. Casey Bloys, Sarah Aubrey, Suzanna Makkos, Billy Wee, and David Ruby have been incredible champions of this show. They allowed us to make something authentically weird and heartfelt, cheering us on the entire way.”
“I’m very sad I won’t set foot on the Revenge again with my friends, some of whom have become close to family. But I couldn’t be more grateful for being allowed to captain the damn thing in the first place,” he said. “Our Flag Means Us. Loving one another, pulling off some pretty weird and beautiful shit, and talking it through… as a crew.”
Our Flag Means Death is streaming on Max.