Fans of Max’s addictive pirate comedy/drama/romance Our flag means death have been tense and sweaty waiting for Season 2, since Season 1 ended with a heartbreaking story shift and an emotional farewell designed to give them the exact opposite of what they wanted for the protagonists, based on real life pirate captains Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi). Now season 2 finally has a release date and an initial teaser suggesting fans will get it precisely what they want in season 2: a lot of fear and piracy threat, excessive romantic drama, a return for the large and colorful cast, and Waititi playing opera tsundere to the brim.
(Ed Note: Widespread spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Our flag means death.)
Season 1 of David Jenkins’ pirate series begins as a workplace pirate comedy and turns into a series of strange love stories with remarkably different tones. The show’s intensely vocal and demonstrative fandom has expressed a lot of joy and investment in the various pairings – Zwarte Piet (Matthew Maher) and Lucius (Nathan Foad) in a casual encounter that turns into something much sweeter; Oluwande (Samson Kayo) and Jim (Vico Ortiz) in a carefully navigated friends-to-lovers scenario; Ed Teach’s second-in-command Izzy (Con O’Neill) with his unacknowledged and unrequited crush on his boss; Spanish bar owner Jackie (Leslie Jones) and her many husbands, including her bartender Geraldo (Fred Armisen). But the absolute center of the fandom are Stede and Ed, both of whom undergo major changes in season 1 that gently pull them together, much less gently separate them.
This first teaser shows that the season 2 writers know precisely what drives the fandom, which has been harassing the social media and worried about Stede and Ed’s separation. The trailer offers a glimpse of that large, sprawling cast, but it’s much more about Ed’s rejected anger, Stede’s utter ignorance, and their inevitable and potentially violent reunion. Brace yourself, because #OFMD fandom is about to get rowdy again as it waits to see when Stede will finally realize he broke Ed’s heart, and Ed might respond by stabbing Stede’s.
Season 2 of Our flag means death will run for eight episodes, with the first three premiering on Thursday, October 5, and two episodes debuting weekly on Thursdays until the finale on October 26. Here’s the official recap for Season 2:
OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH is (very) loosely based on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for that of a reckless buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge. As he struggled to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful confrontation with the infamous Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the very different Stede and Blackbeard found more than just friendship on the high seas… they found love. Now they have to survive.
Season 2 cast: In addition to Darby and Waititi, season two features returning cast members Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Matthew Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill, David Fane, Samba Schutte, Nat Faxon, and Leslie Jones. New additions to the ensemble cast include recurring guest stars Ruibo Qian, Madeleine Sami, Anapela Polataivao and Erroll Shand, and guest stars Minnie Driver and Bronson Pinchot.