# Our Flag Means Death (2022)

> A genteel landowner abandons his comfortable life to become a pirate captain and learns to lead a mutinous crew on the high seas.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/91764

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 29 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, adventure
- Created by: David Jenkins
- Network: HBO Max, Max
- Cast: Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Nathan Foad, Vico Ortiz, Con O'Neill
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11000902/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: whimsical, comforting, deadpan, sincere, breezy

## What critics say

Viewers praise its offbeat, gentle comedy and the warm chemistry between Stede and Blackbeard, while some find the first episode slow and the humor divisive.

## Synopsis

Our Flag Means Death (2022-2023) is an American period comedy created by David Jenkins for HBO Max. Rhys Darby plays Stede Bonnet, a wealthy gentleman who abandons his comfortable life to become a swashbuckling buccaneer captain aboard the ship Revenge. Taika Waititi plays the infamous Captain Blackbeard, whose unexpected encounter with Stede changes both their fortunes. Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry and Samson Kayo round out a crew that is potentially mutinous and eager to undermine their unlikely leader. The engine of the series is Stede's struggle to earn respect while keeping his ship afloat and surviving life on the high seas, with each episode built from clumsy sea skirmishes, shipboard squabbles and awkward attempts at command. Across two seasons and eighteen half-hour episodes, the show moves from broad slapstick toward a gentle, earnest romance between its two leads. Set in the 18th century Caribbean, it blends deadpan absurdity with modern sensibilities and warm, whimsical humor. Its tone is sincere and breezy, with a playful anachronistic edge. Fans of What We Do in the Shadows, Black Adder and Schitt's Creek will find resonance in its offbeat ensemble comedy and tender sense of humanity. The series was canceled after its second season, leaving its story unfinished.

## Shows like Our Flag Means Death

- [The Durrells (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58360)
- [Treasure Island (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1105144)
- [Mad Jack the Pirate (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/15748)
- [Renegade Nell (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/119668)
- [The Orville (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62609)
- [What We Do in the Shadows (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/71326)
- [Black Sails (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/42935)
- [Treasure Island (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/39301)
- [Around the World in 80 Days (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/81219)
- [The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/123362)

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