Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Review: Get On Board With This Funny, Dark, And Brilliant Return
Second seasons are tough to pull off. A second season that follows a first that became so catastrophically popular and beloved that it inspired countless tattoos, fan works, cosplays, and conversations about the state of queerness on television is, I imagine, even tougher to pull together. How can a story live up to our expectations when we've already written it in our heads a thousand times? For "Our Flag Means Death," the answer is simple: do something unexpected, and do it well. The pirate rom-com's second season keeps the style, heart, and humor that made season 1 so charming, but it also zigs when you'd expect a zag, pulls surprisingly few punches, and is all the more satisfying because of it.
"Our Flag Means Death" picks up some time after season 1 ended with Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), aka The Gentleman Pirate, deciding to track down Ed "Blackbeard" Teach (Taika Waititi), his best pal who he also happens to be in love with. Stede chickened out when Ed proposed the pair run away together, and their breakup led to a version of Blackbeard we — and his crew on the Revenge — have never seen before. While Stede cheerfully throws earnest messages in a bottle in Ed's general direction, Ed starts a new regime of relentless pillaging and plundering, all to try to fill the void left by his heartbreak.
The show balances nihilism and optimism well
Ed's nihilism is played for laughs, sure, but it's also one of the most surprisingly poignant — and at times shocking — parts of the new season. The hilariously sweet group of pirates aboard the Revenge have always been prone to "talking it through as a crew," but with such a dark emotional shadow blotting out their sun, their conversations turn to topics of trauma and toxicity. Ed himself starts out an even bleaker path, one that Waititi plays with effective sincerity (he's clearly more committed to this role than any he's done before, aside perhaps from his turn in "Boy"). The puppy dog eyes that guided us through much of season one are often cold here, as Blackbeard takes on a practiced blankness anytime he's not being maniacally self-destructive.
Despite possessing what co-star Con O'Neill accurately called "operatic" darkness in an interview with Vanity Fair, "Our Flag Means Death" season 2 is, above all else, balanced. Its comedy, emotional core, and thrilling sense of peril all balance on a knife's edge, and the show stays sharp throughout the seven episodes available for review. Even in its darkest moments, the show's writing is brilliantly snappy and deeply quirky — one of its most perfectly plaintive lines, for example, is about both suicide and soup. The ensemble series also doesn't dwell on its turmoil for too long; for every scene devoted to Ed's violent heartbreak, there's another about the Swede (Nat Faxon) finding an unexpectedly, instantly fulfilling romance, Frenchie (Joel Fry) blaming an allergy on a curse, or Jim (Vico Ortiz) cheering up Fang (David Fane) by telling a story in funny voices. Hopelessness is countered by silliness at every turn.
Great cast additions and endless creative energy
Virtually every character in "Our Flag Means Death" became a fan favorite during the show's off-season, and series creator David Jenkins is careful to give everyone their fair share of screen time, fleshing out the personal lives of the Revenge crew in unexpected but enjoyable ways. Impressively, no B-plot is a dud, and a whole host of new characters — including pirates played by Minnie Driver, Ruibo Qian, Madeleine Sami, and more — fit in nicely.
There's so much creative energy stuffed into "Our Flag Means Death" season 2 that it should be bursting at the seams, but lived-in performances and nimble writing keep everything cohesive. The show rewards multiple rewatches, too, as its lavish design and strong comedic cast allow for multiple layers of jokes unfolding within each scene. With a New Zealand-set shoot, stylish direction, and a strong (read: emotionally devastating and pitch-perfect) soundtrack, the swashbuckling series is well and truly firing on all cylinders.
Love in all its forms
Of course, no matter how many side quests it takes, "Our Flag Means Death" is at its core an unlikely love story between Stede and Ed. There's a lot to appreciate about this season, but when Waititi and Darby finally share a scene together again, their chemistry pushes the show into uncharted territory in the best way. The latest batch of episodes might not be as straightforwardly romantic as fluffy season one, but they feel true to these characters — plus, they're funny as hell. Darby is also giving a career-best performance in this role; he's proven he can do the emotional heavy lifting required of the role, but he can also put me in stitches with a simple line reading or physical flourish. Stede's foppish bitchiness is a highlight of the season, and it's a perfect counterbalance to posturing Ed's secret softhearted side.
Fervent fans of the series will be majorly rewarded here; its sophomore season doesn't just bring a meaningful continuation of the story of the Revenge crew, but also some perfectly plotted-out season 1 parallels and sly fandom in-jokes. It's also clearer than ever that "Our Flag Means Death" is one of a small handful of TV shows that exists in a world that is queer by default, a choice that makes its portrayals of love in all its forms feel casually monumental. Honestly, the only bad part of the show's new season is that it ever has to end.
/Film Rating: 8 out of 10
"Our Flag Means Death" season 2 premieres October 5, 2023 on Max.