Why HBO Max needs to renew Our Flag Means Death for a season 2

HBO Max’s latest comedy, Our Flag Means Death combines kiwi humor with achingly sweet romance to create a singular series that’s taken the internet by storm – so why hasn’t it been renewed yet?

The internet is certainly no stranger to taking to a series like a wildfire and spreading it everywhere – it wasn’t long ago that you couldn’t spend five minutes on Twitter without seeing half a dozen theories about how Mephisto was secretly the big bad in Wandavision, or why Ezra Bridger was sure to pop up on The Mandalorian any day now. But the internet’s latest infatuation – the HBO Max comedy-drama Our Flag Means Death feels different from the rest – an unassuming underdog of a comedy series that has captured the hearts (and pens, and paintbrushes) of fans online, thanks to the tender romance at the core of the series. But despite its rampant popularity – surpassing The Book of Boba Fett as the most in-demand new series – it hasn’t been greenlit for a second season: and if you ask us, that’s a grave mistake.

The series, created by David Jenkins, follows real-life pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) a wealthy, pampered aristocrat who leaves his stifled life in an unhappy marriage behind to pursue piracy on the high seas. Though at first he seems destined for failure (if his crew doesn’t mutiny first), he quickly grows close to fearsome pirate Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) and the two vow to show each other the ropes: Blackbeard will teach Stede how to be a proper pirate, and Stede will show Blackbeard the ropes of high society.

On its first appearance, Our Flag Means Death is a simple (still undeniably funny) comedy about an unlikely friendship between two real-life pirates. But once episode three rolls around, it becomes clear that the series isn’t interested in just leaving the Stede/Blackbeard relationship as friends: from that point onward, the show is a tender slow burn romance as the two middle-aged men realize their undeniable feelings for each other, exploring the sweetness of their bond in what’s without question television’s most beautiful love story in years.

To say it’s unexpected isn’t quite accurate – there’s an instant spark between Blackbeard and Stede – but what’s so special about Our Flag Means Death is how effortlessly the show integrates the queer romance into the very center of its narrative fabric, without ever cheapening the depth of their bond, or merely reducing the characters to just their sexuality. As far as television has come with regards to LGBTQ+ narratives, many shows still struggle to find the right balance between writing thoughtful queer characters and giving said characters depth beyond their romantic interests and identity.

When it comes to Our Flag Means Death, though, the writing is so astonishingly seamless that both Stede and Blackbeard are developed as fully-fledged dramatic entities in their own right outside of their relationship, but then also allowed to explore how romance changes them as people once they get together. For Stede, his personal growth is about learning to overcome the mocking he endured from his peers and family in his youth, and find the confidence within himself to become his own man.

He starts the series out as a bumbling fop – having fumbled through a loveless arranged marriage, and uncomfortable with having been resigned to a life of upper-class stuffiness. Though initially, his decision to abandon his family for the high seas seems like a move of foolish cowardice, we slowly watch Stede (with the help of Blackbeard) finally become confident in his skin – learning how to navigate the world of piracy while never sacrificing his appreciation and affection for manners and the finer things in life.

Blackbeard, on the other hand, is tormented by the reputation he’s established for himself – a pirate so feared that he doesn’t even have to be on board when he’s raiding a ship – the mere presence of his flag is enough. He’s grown disillusioned with the fear he once reveled in, and is desperate to find some way to bring his life meaning again. Through his bond with Stede, he learns his value as simply Ed – not Blackbeard the bloodthirsty pirate, but a simple man with a tender heart and deep-seated insecurities of his own.

As the two grow closer and closer, Our Flag Means Death explores how the closeness of their relationship changes both men for the better – which makes it heartbreaking, of course, when a tragic misunderstanding in the season finale separates them both (seemingly for good) and sends Ed spiraling back into adopting the Blackbeard persona. The dual tales of identity and self-discovery are so thoughtfully developed it’s easy to forget that they’re being told under the guise of a half-hour comedy about pirates, but the brilliance of Jenkins’ writing – combined with Darby and Waititi’s performances – makes such an unlikely occurrence feel utterly natural.

On the subject of Darby and Waititi, both men give a career-defining performance – though nobody had any doubts that they’d be able to nail the show’s comedic beats, it’s their dramatic acting chops that anchor (no pun intended) the entire series. As Stede, Rhys Darby has a natural warmth and tenderness about him that makes it easy to understand why a crew of skeptical pirates would fall in line behind such an inexperienced captain – despite all his flaws, it’s impossible to miss how big-hearted he is. At the same time, though, there’s melancholy insecurity that Darby brings to Stede – a product of the gentleman pirate’s years of being shunned and made fun of that permeates his every step aboard the Revenge.

His perfectly matched paramour is, of course, Taika Waititi – whose turn as Blackbeard is so mesmerizing and tragic that we have no qualms about saying we hope he takes home an Emmy for his performance. The role of Ed/Blackbeard gives Waititi the perfect opportunity to truly showcase his range as not just a comedic genius but also as a dramatic lead – there’s an intensity and tenderness to his gaze that makes him a magnetic presence on screen.

Though Ed is the quieter of the two, Waititi is still able to bring an enormous depth to the character – Ed is a man haunted by not just his past, but his own identity, and to watch him slowly open up as he falls in love with the tender-hearted Stede is a sight to behold. His performance in the season finale is particularly heartbreaking – watching Ed crumble and retreat into the Blackbeard persona after having his heart torn apart is gut-wrenching, and would never work without the multifaceted performance from Waititi.

To write Our Flag Means Death off as simply a harmless pirate comedy would be a grave mistake – not only does the series give two career comics the chance to showcase how capable of dramatic actors they are, but it’s also the perfect example of how to write queer romance in a way that honors the characters and their identity without defining them by it. Effortlessly charming, instantly addicting, and utterly heartbreaking, Our Flag Means Death is without question one of the best original comedies in years – and for HBO Max not to renew it would be nothing short of a travesty.