It’s time to head out on the high seas again. Or… is it?Our Flag Means Death, HBO Max’s hit pirate-themed comedy, was renewed for a second season in the summer of 2022. So where is it?
Our Flag Means Deathfirst premiered in March 2022. Loosely based on true people and events, the show follows the life of Stede Bonnet, a real-life pirate operating in the early 18th century. Known as the gentleman pirate, Bonnet left his pampered life as an aristocrat for a life at sea. Praised for its LGBTQ+ representation, the show was a smash hit with viewers and critics alike. It’s no surprise thatOur Flag Means Deathreceived a second season renewal soon after the first finished airing.
It’s now been more than a year since that second season renewal, and since then, we’ve heardvery little new information. The season was reportedly filmed in the fall of 2022, so the dual WGA and SAG strikes had no effect on production. Still, Max (the service formerly known as HBO Max) hasn’t announced anything about a second season release. However, this is a Warner Bros. Discovery property, not exactly known for respectful treatment of completed projects. So what happened? HasOur Flag Means Deathbeen shelved? Let’s look at what we know.
Where’d We Leave Off?
As mentioned, the first season follows the life of Stede Bonnet, the so-called “gentleman pirate.” Coming from a privileged background, he knows almost nothing about the world of piracy and relies on his crew to do most of the work. Things only escalate when Stede crosses paths with Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard.
Though Ed initially plans to betray Stede and take his ship, the two grow close and eventually become romantically involved. Near the end of the season, the two are captured, and Stede is about to be executed for killing a British officer, but Ed claims the King’s Act of Grace and spares them both.
Related:Our Flag Means Death: Best Season 1 Moments, Ranked
Sent to a reform academy, the two plan to take new identities and escape. However, Stede instead goes back to his family after confronting doubts he has about his life. Ed returns to Stede’s ship and reassumes his Blackbeard persona. Meanwhile, Stede realizes he belongs at sea and is in love with Ed. He fakes his death and returns to sea, only to find that Ed has abandoned the crew and is nowhere to be found. And that’s the end of the season.
Reception and Representation
You wouldn’t immediately think a show about pirates set 300 years ago would be one of the most progressive on TV, but it is. In addition to Stede and Ed’s relationship, the show features several other queer pairings. One of the main characters, Bonifacia “Jim” Jimenez, also identifies as and is played by a non-binary individual. Critics have praised the show for depicting itsmultiple queer relationships in a positive lightand for accurately recording the experiences of people of color of the time.
That critical praise translated into positive viewer engagement.Our Flag Means Deathwas one of HBO Max’s biggest breakout hits upon its release, anddemand only grew in subsequent weeks. The positive representation helped the show maintain a large online following, so it’s no surprise that the announcement of a second season was greeted with fanfare and acclaim.
Multiple publications listed the second season as one of the most anticipated premieres of 2023. With all that critical and audience anticipation, you’d think Max would be eager to get the new season out there. So then, where is it?
What We Know About Season 2
The second season was ordered in June 2022, a few months after the first finished airing. Production began in New Zealand in September 2022 and reportedlyconcluded in December 2022. Given the typical post-production turnaround, we could have seen the season ready for a premiere in the first or second quarter of 2023. However, it’s now August, and there’s been no news.
It’s possible that post-production is taking longer than anticipated. But if that were the case, we should at least get an update about when they might expect it to premiere. Another possibility would be that they’re waiting out the dual Hollywood strikes. Yes, production was not impacted by the strikes, but SAG members are barred from discussing completed work involving the guild while the strike is going on. Blocking the cast from promoting the new season could delay any premiere in the immediate future.
Of course, since this is Warner Bros. Discovery, there’s another option. Hopefully, it’s not the case, but those who’ve followed WBD’s actions know there is a real possibility. What if season two fell victim to David Zaslav’s unholy “tax write-offs?” That fate’s already befallen numerous completed WBD projects, such as theBatgirlmovie and the final season ofSnowpiercer. Multiple other (primarily animated) properties have disappeared from the streamer altogether.
Related:Is Our Flag Means Death Based on a True Story?
Abruptly shelving a completed season of one of their most popular shows would make absolutely no sense but yet be very on-brand for WBD. However, in this case, the old adage “no news is good news” may work inOur Flag Means Death’s favor. Whenever WBD cancels one of their many, many, many in-development projects, they at least announce what they’re doing. If the same fate was happening toOur Flag Means Death, we would have heard about it by now. This doesn’t mean it won’t be canceled down the road, just that it most likely hasn’t happened yet.
So what does this mean? It doesn’t appear thatOur Flag Means Deathwas canceled, but we also have no idea when it might premiere. It’s stuck in a state of limbo. Perhaps we’ll see it when the strikes end or if we get confirmation that post-production has finished. Or maybe it will go the way of WBD’s other programs and disappear into the void. All we can do is wait and see if we’ll get a resolution whereStede and Ed come back together.
