TV Show review
March 3, 2022 · TV-MA · Canceled · Comedy · Action · Drama · Adventure
Stream on HBO Max, YouTube TV
Based on 2 seasons, 18 episodes · through October 26, 2023
This TV show is a comedy about Stede Bonnet, a rich man who leaves his comfortable life to become a pirate. He gets a ship, hires a crew, and meets the famous pirate Blackbeard. The show is highly queer-centric, with multiple gay romances and a non-binary character. It focuses heavily on modern gender identities, feelings, and therapy talk in an 18th-century setting.
Why 100%? See the score breakdownBreakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Our Flag Means Death.
Woke representation / casting
The cast features a highly visible emphasis on modern identity. A non-binary actor plays a non-binary character whose pronouns are fully accepted by 18th-century pirates. Multiple other actors are openly gay. The show clearly prioritizes identity and representation over historical realism.
95%
Woke political dialogue
The script uses a lot of modern language and therapy talk about feelings and personal boundaries. The characters have meetings to discuss respect and emotional growth. This dialogue is highly visible and feels like modern identity and therapy talk placed in an old setting.
75%
Identity-driven story themes
The entire show is built around queer relationships. The main story is a love story between two male pirates, Stede and Blackbeard. Other stories focus on gay couples and non-binary gender identity. The show turns pirate history into a modern LGBTQ+ safe space.
98%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Traditional Western institutions like marriage, the British navy, and wealthy high society are shown as bad, corrupt, and rigid. The show contrasts this with the pirate ship, which is portrayed as a progressive, democratic, and loving place that rejects traditional gender roles.
85%
Woke character or canon changes
The show heavily changes real-life history. It turns the real Stede Bonnet, who was a slave owner, into a sweet, progressive hero. It also rewrites the historically vague partnership of Stede and Blackbeard into an explicit gay romance to fit modern representation goals.
95%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
The show faced backlash from anti-woke viewers who criticized it for historical revisionism and pushing a modern progressive agenda. Critics mocked the series as gay pirate propaganda and complained about contemporary gender politics being forced into a period piece.
70%
Creator track record context
The key creative team has a strong history of promoting modern progressive themes. Creator David Jenkins (85) and writer Jes Tom (95) are outspoken advocates for LGBTQ+ representation, and director Taika Waititi (56) frequently includes social-justice themes in his work.
75%
Production
