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What Is Our Flag Means Death About?

How Did Fans React to the Show’s Cancelation?

Will there be a Season 3 of Our Flag Means Death?

After debuting in 2022, Our Flag Means Death has amassed a colossal fan-following. However, last week it was announced that the beloved pirate comedy had been canceled by HBO Max after just two seasons.

Following the announcement, fans took to social media to express their disappointment at HBO Max’s decision. The news of the show’s cancelation came as a shock to many fans, largely due to Our Flag’s celebrated reception and dedicated fan-base. On Rotten Tomatoes, the comedy has an impressive average audience score of 95%. Despite the shocking news of Our Flag Means Death's cancelation, fans remain hopeful about the show’s return.

Our Flag Means Death: The Show’s Sincerity Is Its Greatest Strength

The genuine tone of Our Flag Means Death, and its lack of cynicism or sarcasm, is a huge part of what makes the show unique and lovable.

What Is Our Flag Means Death About?

Our Flag Means Death Stede Bonnet Edward Ed Blackbeard Teach Rhys Darby Taika Waititi

Created by David Jenkins, Our Flag Means Death follows the misadventures of Stede Bonnet, a gentleman who abandoned his life of aristocracy to become a pirate. The series is set in the Golden Age of Piracy and documents the lives of Stede’s crew on board the ship Revenge.

Seasons of Our Flag Means Death	Date Released
Season 1	March 3, 2022
Season 2	October 5, 2023

Our Flag Means Death features some big stars, including Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman-Pirate; and Taika Waititi as Edward Teach (Blackbeard), the fear-inducing pirate whose name is known by all. As season one of Our Flag Means Death unfolded, it became clear that the show addresses a tumultuous love story between Stede and Blackbeard – much to fans' delight. The series was heavily praised for its wacky comedy and positive LGBTQ+ representation, which is why the news of the show’s cancelation came as such a shock.

How Did Fans React to the Show’s Cancelation?

Our Flag means death gay kiss Blackbeard Taika Waititi

On the 9th of January, creator David Jenkins shared the news of the beloved show’s cancelation on Instagram. The heartfelt post read:

The bad news is clear. OUR FLAG won’t be returning for a third season. We’ve sailed at the pleasure of the fine people at Max, and it brought them no joy to see this journey come to a premature end.

Jenkins continued to write:

I’m very sad I won’t set foot on the Revenge again with my friends, some of whom have become close to family. But I couldn’t be more grateful for being allowed to captain the damn thing in the first place.

Following Jenkins’ announcement, many cast members expressed their sadness at the news of Our Flag’s cancelation. Nathan Foad, who portrayed the lovable Lucius, shared an Instagram post which read:

thank you for everything. i’ll never forget this experience.

Fans were devastated by the news of Our Flag’s cancelation, with many viewers taking to social media to express their outrage and disappointment. As implied in Jenkins’ announcement, Our Flag was intended to be a story which spanned three seasons, meaning that Max has cut this unique LGBTQ+ story far too short. The news of Our Flag’s cancelation has reignited online discussion of major streaming services canceling an alarming number of LGBTQ+ series. In the aftermath of Our Flag’s cancelation, Gay Times published an article recounting every LGBTQ+ show which has been canceled in the last year, and the list is worryingly long.

Even in 2024, positive LGBTQ+ representation in the media is still sparse, which is why fans are outraged by Max’s decision to cancel Our Flag Means Death. In the aftermath of Jenkins’ announcement, fans have started a campaign to renew the beloved show, entitled ‘Renew as a Crew’. The fan-led campaign sets out its intention to secure “the renewal of ‘Our Flag Means Death’ for its third and final season.” The passionate petition reads:

Series creator David Jenkins has emphasized the need for three seasons to fully realize his storyline, and with an organized and united front, we stand ready to champion his vision.

In a short span of time, the petition has already amassed over 58,000 signatures. Fans have also taken to social media to vocalize their disappointment over the beloved show’s cancelation. #RenewOurFlagMeansDeath and #SaveOFMD are currently trending on social media, emphasizing the show’s passionate fan-base.

In an article written by Poppy-Jay St. Palmer for Pink News, the author emphasizes the significant impact season 3 of Our Flag Means Death would have on the LGBTQ+ community, writing:

The LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t settle for crumbs anymore. We deserve multi-faceted stories and proper endings, and so does Our Flag Means Death .

Fans have often described Our Flag’s LGBTQ+ representation as ‘unapologetic’, which is why the series holds such a significant place in the LGBTQ+ community. In its short run, the show was able to tackle multiple significant subjects, including queer identity and the representation of masculinity. However, even after this disappointing news, some fans are still hopeful that the beloved show may still return for its third and final season.

Will there be a Season 3 of Our Flag Means Death?

After such a passionate outcry from Our Flag’s fan-base, it seems unlikely that this is truly the end for the beloved show. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, HBO’s CEO, Casey Bloys commented on the company’s decision to cancel Our Flag Means Death. Ultimately, Bloys attributed the show’s cancelation to low numbers – even though the beloved pirate comedy has warranted worldwide attention. The ‘Renew as a Crew’ campaign addresses Our Flag’s colossal success, writing:

Our Flag Means Death currently holds the #3 spot on Google’s ‘most searched romcom shows on streaming’, and continues to have higher demand than 99.6% of all comedy titles in the United States!

However, Casey Bloys continued to address the possibility of the future of Our Flag Means Death, stating that:

But I will say, whenever we cancel a show, if a creator can set it up elsewhere, we support them. That is an option for Our Flag ; it didn’t make sense for us but it might be for someone else. We let the producers know if they can find a home, we’ll be supportive of that.

Whilst Our Flag Means Death may not return for another season on Max, it’s possible that the beloved comedy may return on a different streaming platform. Ultimately, all hope is not lost for Our Flag Means Death, and the show’s passionate fan-base are ensuring that the possibility of Our Flag’s return doesn’t fade from discussion.