If you’re anything of a weird history buff, you may have heard of Stede Bonnet, otherwise known as the Gentleman Pirate. Even if you aren’t a weird history buff, you’ve definitely heard the name of one of the most ferocious pirates to ever live, known as Blackbeard. What you may not know is that Blackbeard, a pirate feared both by those scouring the sea for treasure and the British royal navy, sailed with the Gentleman Pirate in 1717. This is where “Our Flag Means Death” comes in: released on March 3, the dramatic comedy plots the fictional adventures of Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate that loosely follow actual historical events.
“Our Flag Means Death” boasts an impressive cast of comedians. Starring Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet and Taika Waititi as Blackbeard, both actors come from a long line of cult classics such as “Flight of the Conchords” and “What We Do In The Shadows.” However, the show doesn’t just star two great comedians, but is stocked full of them. Appearances also include Leslie Jones from “Saturday Night Live” as Spanish Jackie, Fred Armisen from “Portlandia” as Geraldo, Will Arnett from “BoJack Horseman” as Calico Jack and Kristen Schaal from “Bob’s Burgers” as Antoinette, amongst so many others.
The cast is part of what made this show so fantastic, because not only is every single person in the show hilarious, but they’re all skilled actors. There wasn’t one single joke that didn’t land, one single scene that seemed half-hearted one single character that I forgot the name of. You can tell through their acting that not only were they dedicated to their craft, but they enjoyed making this show together. Paired with incredible writing, this show is comedy gold.
What really made “Our Flag Means Death” special to me is the delivery of meaningful LGBTQ+ storylines. There is not just one gay character, but instead many different iterations of queer relationships that are often underrepresented in media. The relationships aren’t just a three second kiss that is thrown in as a plot device – looking at you, Star Wars–but instead are integral parts of the storyline and character arcs.
Additionally, the characters do not rely on their relationships to identify them, but instead have well written and fully developed individual storylines surrounding their identities. “Our Flag Means Death” not only did the work to make sure LGBTQ+ relationships were portrayed in a significant way, but casted underrepresented actors in underrepresented roles. This show is the first that I’ve seen to not only cast a nonbinary actor to play a nonbinary character, but also give the character a heartfelt storyline that both surrounds their identity without making it the only significant thing about them.
The effortless delivery of these LGBTQ+ relationships and characters are what makes “Our Flag Means Death” one of my favorite shows to date. Unlike shows from my generation’s childhood, this show didn’t hold back on those teased romances, instead it showed them to viewers without hesitation. Even following backlash from homophobic viewers and snooty history buffs, director and starring actor Waititi posted on social media about how proud he and the rest of the cast were about the show and those who felt represented by it.
“Our Flag Means Death” made me laugh and cry, but most importantly it made me feel invested in multiple on-screen relationships and characters, which is more than I can say for any other show that I’ve watched in the past few years. It hasn’t been renewed for season two yet, which I can only assume is the biggest mistake HBO Max has ever made due to the show’s critical acclaim and fan reception, but I am still holding out hope.
