For those who haven’t watched one of the best HBO Max shows in recent memory, Our Flag Means Death is part workplace comedy, part farce and part romance. It’s about the crew of the pirate ship Revenge, which is first helmed by Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), who wants to be a “gentleman pirate,” since normal pirate life is too violent for him. He soon meets up with Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) and the two form a bond and love. The press release announcing Our Flag Means Death’s renewal noted that “Our Flag Means Death debuted in March to popular and critical acclaim, ranking among the top five Max Original comedy series launches and Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.” HBO Max also announced the news in a profanity-laced tweet featuring the cast reacting positively to the news: The Parrot Analytics research film (which measures popularity by online interest and engagement) wrote of the show’s success online, explaining that Our Flag Means Death was the #1 new series for the 100 days that ended with is finale’s release. So, why, everyone asked, did HBO Max wait so long? This delay could be tied to the ongoing events of the WarnerMedia Discovery merger that gave us a new company known as Warner Bros. Discovery. The whole streaming industry seems to be looking at its bottom lines more closely now, as even Netflix is trying to recoup expenses from shared subscriptions, cancel movies before they’re committed to being made and declaring an end to “expensive vanity project” (opens in new tab) films such as The Irishman. The announcement also quotes Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max who said “We are so happy to bring this truly one of a kind series back! We congratulate David, Taika, Rhys and the entire talented cast and crew, and thank the show’s fans for embracing it wholeheartedly.” The mention of the fans is a reference to the actual-letter writing campaign (opens in new tab) that saw fans mailing in postcards to demand Our Flag Means Death season 2. Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins is quoted as thanking the fans and all involved, saying “We felt the show was special while we were making it, but fans’ open-armed embrace of the inhabitants of the Revenge makes heading into a second season all the more sweet. Thanks to our team at HBO Max, our invested executive producers, and our wildly enthusiastic audience for making another voyage to this world possible.”
