The most chaotic crew on the high seas have sailed for the last time. Max has announced that its original comedy series Our Flag Means Death has been canceled after a two-season run. The series returned for Season 2 in October 2023, with its now-series finale airing on October 26. Though the David Jenkins-created series was well-loved by critics and general audiences, it wasn’t enough to keep the show afloat.
Our Flag Means Death first debuted in 2022, introducing viewers to Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a wealthy landowner who pursues his dream of becoming The Gentleman Pirate. So, Stede gathers a crew, one he chooses to lead with kindness and minimal violence rather than fall into standard pirate practices. Along the way, Stede crosses paths with the notorious Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) — aka Edward Teach – and the pair eventually form a relationship with one another. Going into Season 2, Stede and Blackbeard faced romantic woes and a rough break up, now forced to re-examine their lives as they work through their heartache and find their way back to each other. Season 2 also saw some crew change-ups, as well as introduced a new key character in pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao (Rubio Qian).
Season 2 ended on a bittersweet note (and left audiences divided). After many ups and downs re: the various pirate crews, Stede teams up with Zheng and eventually gains the Revenge crew back — a payoff from a season-long struggle. However, it came at a heartbreaking cost: Izzy Hands’ (Con O’Neill) death in battle. After a brief mourning process, the finale offered some silver linings. First, Lucius (Nathan Foad) and Black Pete (Matthew Maher) got married. Stede and Ed also made amends and are back together. As the episode ended, the latter decide to settle down for the time being while Frenchie (Joel Fry) takes over captain duties for The Revenge.
Who Worked on ‘Our Flag Means Death’?
Our Flag Means Death was created, executive produced, and showrun by Jenkins. Waititi, Adam Stein, Garett Basch, Dan Halstead, and Antoine Douaihy executive produced. Along with the mentioned cast, the show starred Vico Ortiz, Samson Kayo, Ewen Bremmer, Kristian Nairn, David Fang, Nat Faxon, Samba Schutte, and Leslie Jones. Season 2 guest cast included Minnie Driver, Madeleine Sami, Errol Shand, Anapela Polataivao, and Bronson Pinchot.
On the cancellation, Jenkins made a heartfelt post on Instagram expressing his gratitude for his time working on Our Flag Means Death, though he had hopes for a final third season. He acknowledged viewers’ role in the series gaining a second season, saying it was the “enthusiasm of one of the most likable fan communities in the history of this medium” that helped the show get to where it did. He also expressed his gratitude for the team at Max that “allowed us to make something authentically weird and heartfelt, cheering us on the entire way.” He ended on a sweet note, saying “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 in the U.S. Check out Jenkins‘ post below.
via Collider