High seas, swords, and swashbuckling sweethearts are on their way back to the small screen with the upcoming Season 2 Our Flag Means Death.
The beloved pirate rom-com first debuted in March 2022 — a surprise breakout hit that captured plenty of hearts with its queer take on 18th-century pirate life and its delicate balance of silly humor and quiet emotion. And after a devastating cliffhanger last year, the series is back with The Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, and the rest of the colorful crew.
With Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death setting sail in a few short weeks, here’s everything we know about it so far.
Is There a Trailer for Our Flag Means Death Season 2?
HBO Max released the first official trailer for Our Flag Means Death Season 2 this week, and it promises a swashbuckling season ahead.
The official trailer follows a teaser that was released last August 30 — the first time fans saw Stede, Ed, and the crew in over a year.
It’s not lost on many that the first thing we hear Stede say, over 500 days since the first season ended, is that he loves everything about Ed.
When Is the Release Date for Our Flag Means Death Season 2?
The first three episodes of Our Flag Means Death Season 2 will premiere on October 5, 2023. The remaining episodes will be released on a weekly basis, with two episodes coming out every Thursday until the season finale on October 26.
Who Is in the Cast of Our Flag Means Death Season 2?
There are plenty of familiar faces in the trailers. Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi are set to return as the now broken-up Stede and Ed, as are Con O’Neil (Izzy), Vico Ortiz (Jim), Samson Kayo (Oluwande), Ewen Bremner (Nathaniel Buttons), Joel Fry (Frenchie), Kristain Narin (Wee John), Nat Faxon (The Swede), Nathan Foad (Lucius Spriggs), and Leslie Jones (Spanish Jackie), among others.
Unfortunately, Guz Khan, who played Blackbeard’s crewmate Ivan, will not be returning due to industry-related reasons.
Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death welcomes a few new actors into the fold, too. Onboard are two Kiwi actors Samoan-born Anapela Polataivao and Madeleine Sami (who most recently appeared in the Australian series Deadloch).
Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver (of Good Will Hunting fame) is also joining the cast as the Irish pirate Anne Bonny, one of the few female pirates in recorded history, while Ruibo Qian (Black Mirror, Manchester by the Sea) stars as Susan, a mysterious merchant. Erroll Shand and Bronson Pinchot round out the cast.
What Do We Know About the Plot of Our Flag Means Death Season 2?
Aside from the trailers, the only other solid piece of information about Season 2 that we have so far is from IMDb. The official synopsis for the first episode of the upcoming season reads, “Stede reunites with his crew and goes searching for Blackbeard and the Revenge. Jim does their best to escape their kidnappers, but the Revenge is in for a surprise.”
It feels like only yesterday that the ending of Season 1 left fans in tears, as the pirate rom-com left off with Stede and Ed separated and heartbroken. It makes sense that a big part of Season 2 would be about how they cope with their heartache and, hopefully, find their way back to each other.
“They’re both pretty immature in their own way,” series creator David Jenkins said of the show’s two loveable leads. “The course of this season is: Can they find their way to maybe a more mature form of love?”
Meanwhile, Con O’Neill, who plays Blackbeard’s devoted right-hand man Izzy, says that his character will go on a remarkable emotional journey this season. Izzy stands out in the show not just for his signature raspy voice, but also for his sullen, unrequited love amongst all the show’s (mostly) joyful queer relationships.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, O’Neill shared, “Physically it’s been quite demanding, and also emotionally it’s been quite demanding to be playing a man enraged by unrequited love, who’s basically a hopeless romantic, and to be able to play all that and also remember that this is fundamentally a comedy.”
Everyone’s favorite silent badass Jim, meanwhile, looks absolutely amazing in the trailer. Non-binary actor and activist Vico Ortiz, who plays Jim, said, “Jim really evolves in season two. They’re a bit more chatty and a bit more conversational…. Most of the first season you see Jim in disguise, hiding, but in this one you see them a bit more [thinking,] ‘Oh, this is my chosen family, and I feel good.’ There’s a bit more zaniness and a bit more softness.”
Aside from the characters themselves, fans are also in for a visual treat: Production had moved from the soundstages of Los Angeles to various locations in New Zealand. This has led to a wider world for the story, its characters, and The Revenge, now captained by a very-not-okay Blackbeard.
Overall, there’s no doubt that Season 2 has plenty of comedy, romance, and swashbuckling adventures in store. Executive producer Garrett Basch promises that it’ll be “unexpected and surprising, but also very pleasurable and satisfying.”
When asked to describe Season 2 in three words, Jenkins tweeted: “Fucking sweet, sluts.”
Will There Be a Season 3 of Our Flag Means Death?
No announcement has been made yet regarding a possible renewal for a third season. Hopes are high, of course, given the fans’ enthusiastic and stunningly creative support of the show. In May, Our Flag Means Death fans lovingly organized a 256-frame animation of Stede and Ed’s kiss from Season 1, calling the project “Our Frames Mean Love.”
If a third season is announced, series creator David Jenkins has said that it would be the show’s last. Under one of Jenkins’ posts on Instagram, writer-comedian Kristin Chirico expressed how much they wanted to work on the series at some point, even as a background character. Jenkins responded by saying, “Help get us picked up for a third (and final) season and we’ll talk.”
Fans would remember that Season 2 of the show was announced two months after Season 1 premiered on HBO Max. And though we hope to a) receive news of a Season 3 renewal and b) sooner than two months from now, the most us fans can do is wait with bated breath and use our voices to let Max know that we’d love a Season 3.
That, and the fact that they should start paying their actors and writers fairly to end the twin strikes and get started on the final season.
Where to Watch Our Flag Means Death Season 2
Our Flag Means Death Season 2 will be on HBO Max. Rewatch the first season of this beloved pirate rom-com here.
