Since it began airing in March 2022, HBO period comedy Our Flag Means Death has managed to capture the attention and hearts of fans with its unique action, humor, and heart. Set on a pirate ship called The Revenge in the 18th century, the series follows the many misadventures of the ships crew of quirky characters, as well as the unique relationship between its captain, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and fellow pirate, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi).

The first season was a surprise hit, gaining impressive viewing figures and garnering critical acclaim for its writing, performances, and representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Indeed, creator David Jenkins, along with executive producer Taika Waititi, has built a truly unique show that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The story of Stede, Blackbeard, and the crew of the Revenge has sparked the imagination of many fans, and while they have been awaiting new episodes, many have been taking to Twitter with a flurry of fan art to show their support for the series.

Update September 24, 2023: With Our Flag Means Death season 2 just around the corner, this article has been updated with more reasons why the series is great.

With the show’s second season set to premiere on October 5, 2023, and with the recent trailer promising more heartfelt romance, zany comedy, and swashbuckling action, now seems like a good time to go back and watch the show’s inaugural season. And to help you out, here’s everything you need to know about Our Flag Means Death, and why you should be watching it.

Our Flag Means Death, But What is it About?
HBO Max

If you haven’t seen the show yet, it follows pirate Captain Stede Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby, and his crew aboard their ship, which is named the Revenge. However, Bonnet isn’t the captain you would expect. Dubbed the ‘Gentleman Pirate,’ this is Bonnet’s first time as a pirate, having left his land and wealthy family behind to sail the seas instead. This is where much of the comedy of this show comes from — a pirate captain with no real experience being a pirate makes for a lot of mistakes and comedic moments.

As Bonnet and his crew sail the seas, they draw the attention of one particular famous pirate: Blackbeard, wonderfully played by Taika Watiti. The legendary pirate’s name is feared by all, whether they be traders, navy, or other pirates. He’s taken an interest in Bonnet, however, and after their first meeting, they decide to show each other what they know: specifically, Blackbeard shows Bonnet how to be a proper pirate, and in return, Bonnet shows him how to be a proper gentleman.

Related: Our Flag Means Death: Best Season 1 Moments, Ranked

The unlikely duo get along swimmingly, but trouble brews as Blackbeard’s right-hand man, Israel ‘Izzy’ Hands, played by Con O’Neill, believes they are wasting their time with the crew of the Revenge and thinks Blackbeard is going soft. The plot thickens as the crew members clash with Izzy, and the return of a few enemies they made along the way doesn’t help either.

These Pirates Are Based On Real Events
HBO Max

Whether you’ve seen the show already or not, what many people might not know is that the plot of Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on real events. Obviously, Blackbeard was a real pirate, as his name truly is legendary. He was captain of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the most popular ship he captained throughout his time of renown and respect. Surprisingly, he didn’t like using violence often, instead relying on the fear his name carried along with his sharp wit. Nowadays, he’s the inspiration for how the average pirate acts in most works of fiction.

Something that may be surprising, however, is that Stede Bonnet was a real pirate too. He did indeed leave his large amount of land behind, along with his family, to pursue a life of piracy. Despite his lack of experience and prior life of comfort, it was what he wished to do with his life. Stede knew Blackbeard in real life, too, running into each other during the early days of Stede’s pirate career, when Stede was too injured to continue captaining his ship, so Blackbeard took control long enough for him to recover. They spent much of Stede’s remaining pirate days together.

As was previously mentioned, the HBO show is only loosely based on true events. While Stede starts his pirate career for the same reason, and he and Blackbeard meet around similar events, there is a lot that is indeed merely part of the plot. Not much is known about Blackbeard’s past, for example, so everything they have is made up. The small details of their time together aren’t as well known either, so everything they do together on the ship, from crashing a noble’s party to their vast use of tricks and theatrics, is purely fictional. It still keeps the foundations of the historical characters intact, however, making sure to pay homage to them and their stories.

Our Flag Means Death Champions Underrated Actors
HBO Max

The popularity of this show has brought many underrated actors into the spotlight. Though you can find several of them in other movies and shows, they’ve never really held such a prominent role, or at least not in a work that’s gained the attention that this show has. Rhys Darby is a New Zealand actor and comedian who, previously, had not headlined a role before. He has worked with popular actors before, such as Jim Carrey in Yes Man and with the cast of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. His best role to date has been the ditzy, hilarious band manager in Flight of the Conchords, several episodes of which Taika Watiti directed; the two later worked together with the excellent What We Do In The Shadows. He’s a fantastic comedy actor, and the way he brings Bonnet to life really elevates the story.

Related: Our Flag Means Death Storylines We Hope to See in Season 2

Con O’Neill is another actor who hasn’t seen the limelight much, but for his portrayal of Izzy Hands, he’s gained a lot of recent attention. O’Neill is mostly known for his performances in musicals, having been nominated for a Tony Award. When he does show up in TV shows or movies, it’s usually only for a few episodes, or as a small character. Some other popular media he’s been in, like Chornobyl and The Batman, featured him as merely a supporting character on screen for a small amount of time. However, as one of the main characters here, he’s drawn much attention on Twitter, interacting with the fans and their art as they love his interpretation of Izzy Hands.

The supporting cast also has a few other great but underrated actors working today, such as Samson Kayo and Joel Fry. Samson Kayo has only been in the acting world since 2011 and has since been establishing an acting and writing career for himself. He plays one of the crewmates, Oluwande Boodhari, and he brings the character to life well, serving as one of the most trusting and level-headed members on the Revenge.

Joel Fry is an actor and musician who has appeared in Game of Thrones and Cruella, to name a few. Apart from his prominent and excellent role in the dark Netflix drama Requiem, Fry is usually in supporting roles, and that’s no different in this show, but he shows the duality of pirates as Frenchie, playing the role of entertainer, seamster, and, of course, scheming pirate, when the time arises. As such, Our Flag Means Death is one of the best TV series on Max right now. It highlights a variety of unique actors playing exceptionally unique characters and gives these oddball characters their time to shine.

HBO Max

As already noted, though the series employs an ensemble cast made up of kooky characters, and despite being a show about pirates on the face of it, Our Flag Means Death is primarily a tale of romance between Stede and Blackbeard. This makes it unique in the world of TV; even in 2023, romantic relationships between two men are a rarity in mainstream media. Furthermore, the fact that it is a high-concept pirate-themed series that happens to feature a homosexual subplot, as opposed to a heterosexual one as is traditionally the case with the genre, makes it even more worthy of praise.

Related: Our Flag Means Death: What Will Happen to Stede and Ed in Season 2?

While other TV shows and films have, in recent years, been accused of queerbaiting – where LGBTQ+ characters/relationships are hinted at but never followed through – the same cannot be said of Our Flag Means Death. For most of the first seasons, the attraction between Stede and Blackbeard brims under the surface, essentially following the format of a will-they-won’t they arc. However, whereas lesser shows would either drag this on for a long time until it peters out or abandon it altogether, by the final episode, Stede and Blackbeard have confessed their feelings for one another and kissed. Our Flag Means Death, therefore, is the antithesis of a queerbaiting; it unashamedly puts its LGBTQ+ representation front and center and acts as a perfect example of how to do a slow-burn gay romance story right.

Though there is no evidence that the relationship between the real-life Stede Bonnet and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach was anything other than platonic, Jenkins and the production team have used creative license to imagine what could have been. In doing so, they have crafted a hit show that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in an authentic and groundbreaking way. With season two just around the corner, Jenkins has hinted that there is more romance and heartache in store for everyone’s favorite pirate couple. Hopefully, they’ll end up back together again in the end.