‘Our Flag Means Death’ is a period romantic-comedy series starring Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet and Taika Waititi as Blackbeard.
A synopsis of the pirate show reads:
“The year is 1717. Wealthy land-owner Stede Bonnet has a midlife crisis and decides to blow up his cushy life to become a pirate. It does not go well. Based on a true story.”
The series has gained quite a fan base since it premiered back in March 2022, and it is dubbed by fans as “the gay pirate show.” Creator David Jenkins shared his sentiments on the colloquial title that’s given to his series, expressing:
“To me, it’s just a pirate show, but if you want to call it the ‘gay pirate show’ or ‘the pirate rom-com,’ I love it. Whatever you call it, as long as you’re celebrating it and it makes you feel seen, then it’s such an honor.”
Moreover, the second season is expected to show the continuation of Stede (Darby) and Blackbeard’s (Waititi) love story. In a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Jenkins addressed the topic of straight actors portraying gay characters, as both Darby and Waititi are straight.
He gave credit to the series’ diverse writers, stating:
“It’s definitely something we talked about going into the show. I’m not gay, either, but one of the things we discussed was: ‘What does the writers’ room look like?’ And ‘Are we listening to them?’ So I have to credit our writers’ room because they are so diverse and they serve us wonderfully.”
The 41-year-old American writer and producer also revealed that the main reason why he wanted to create the show is because of Stead and Blackbeard’s relationship.
“Historically, it’s clear that these guys seem like they were together [as a couple], but the descriptions of it [at the time] made it seem like they were just hanging out. In making the series, we’re able to zero in on those little micro-moments of ‘they’re growing closer!'”
He then spilled the tea on Darby and Waititi’s on-screen chemistry, sharing:
“And the chemistry between Taika and Rhys is really lovely. They’ve known each for 20 years now, so that chemistry is very real. When you see them playing a scene together, it excites all of us and it makes us realize, ‘I want to see these two people fall in love.'”
“Also, we don’t know what spectrum of queerness Stead and Blackbeard fall on as characters. Do they see themselves as gay? Does it matter? You’d have to ask Rhys and Taika how they’re playing it. But I think one of the values of the show is that it’s less about their individual queer identity and more about their love for each other,” Jenkins further expressed regarding how he wants the series to portray Stead and Blackbeard’s relationship.
‘Our Flag Means Death’ is available for streaming on Max.
Sources: yahoo.com/entertainment, imdb.com
From the previews I thought this looked dumb but now knowing its a gay pirate show I’ll definitely have to give it a chance.