Our Flag Means Death is a period comedy series created by David Jenkins for HBO Max. Starring Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, Ewen Bremner, and Joel Fry, among others, the series is set during the Golden Age of Piracy. It follows the adventures — and misadventures, for that matter — of a pirate crew aboard a ship called the Revenge as they cross paths with the famous Blackbeard.
When Our Flag Means Death debuted earlier this year, audiences were more or less surprised with what was in store for them throughout season 1. In addition to straying from the typical portrait of pirates on-screen, as we’ve famously seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the HBO series added emotional depth and even feel-good queer love subplots that made Our Flag Means Death overall refreshing, to say the least. What’s not a surprise, however, is that the series has been renewed for season 2, which per Collider, began filming in September 2022. Until the second arrives, let’s take a look back at the best season 1 moments of Our Flag Means Death, ranked.
6 The Crew Are Stranded on a Desert Island
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In the second episode of Our Flag Means Death season 1, the crew becomes stranded on a desert island, and chaos naturally ensues. They are attempting to locate some missing British hostages, but Stede (Darby), Black Pete (Matthew Maher) and Oluwande (Samson Kayo) are instead captured by natives on the island. As a result, Steve and Pete confine themselves to a cave, however, Oluwande passes the time by creating secret handshakes with their captors and drinking cocktails from coconuts. It is a charming moment in an otherwise scary situation that made us fall in love with Oluwande.
5 Blackbeard Tells the Story of the Kraken
In episode 6 of Our Flag Means Death season 1, Blackbeard (Waititi) tells the crew the story of how his father died at the hands of the Kraken, filling them with fear. Of course, that tale is far from the truth. Indeed, he breaks down after telling the story, and admits that he was the one who actually killed his father because he was abusive towards him. At this point, Blackbeard also reveals his plan to kill Stede, making this one of the darker moments in the series’ premiere season.
4 Jim’s Tragic Backstory
In episode 7 of Our Flag Means Death’s first season, we learn more about Jim’s backstory in a personal exchange between him and Oluwande. Indeed, after being shrouded in mystery, we finally learn about Jim’s tragic backstory through their Nana (Selenis Leyva), a nun. Despite it being Jim’s episode and harrowing revelation, Oluwande, of course, shines here. The tender moment results in them almost kissing. Needless to say, this left audiences wanting more.
3 The Introduction of Blackbeard
In Episode 4 of Our Flag Means Death season 1, we are introduced to Blackbeard. Here, he meets Stede and the rest of the crew for the first time. Blackbeard and Stede engage in a moment where they play-act as each other, and we learn that the former plans to kill the latter. It’s a great moment overall, during which where we learn more about the characters that would become a huge part of the story.
2 Blackbeard and Stede Kiss
One of the best things about Our Flag Means Death is the LGBTQ+ relationships that develop throughout. Somewhat unexpectedly, Stede and Blackbeard develop one of these romantic relationships, and we see this play out throughout the season despite their initial animosity. Stede brings out a humanity to Blackbeard, and they share a kiss after the Crown arrests them. Stede gets frightened by what is happening and decides not to take the relationship further, but changes his mind and then attempts to win Blackbeard back.
1 Jim and Oluwande’s Relationship
Jim and Oluwande’s relationship throughout Our Flag Means Death season 1 is an absolute highlight of the show. We learn that Jim is a non-binary person assigned female at birth who hid out on the ship disguised as a man. They left a convent where they were trained as an assassin, and ultimately hoped to take revenge against a gang that murdered their family. Jim did not want to get involved in a romance, thinking this would be distracting to their mission, however, they and Oluwande naturally became more involved with each other, resulting in a beautiful relationship.
