Plot: The unique new comedy is (very) loosely based on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate, Stede Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby. After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard, played by Waititi. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas.
Review: The name Taika Waititi is pretty much a cherry on top of any project in Hollywood right now. The Oscar-winner can do no wrong whether that means it involves Marvel superheroes, vampires, Ryan Reynolds, or even Hitler. The filmmaker’s latest project is the pirate comedy series Our Flag Means Death from showrunner David Jenkins and starring Rhys Darby as the real pirate Stede Bonnet. While Waititi serves as a director on some episodes as well as co-star, this is truly an ensemble comedy that will appeal to fans of the subversive comedy of What We Do In The Shadows as well as history buffs, comedy fans, and pretty much anyone who loves a good laugh.
Set in the early 1700s, Our Flag Means Death centers on the exploits of Stede Bonnet and his pirate crew during the early days of his career. Raised a gentleman before pursuing a career on the high seas, Stede is looked at by his crew with disdain even as he tries his hardest to prove himself. As he runs in with the British and French navies as well as famed pirates like Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), Stede and his crew form a familial bond. What follows over the five episodes made available for review is very much like a traditional workplace sitcom but through the lens of swashbuckling, sword fighting, cannon fire, and other perils of the 18th century. While it has been a long time coming for the hilarious Rhys Darby to get a lead role, he is but a member of the ensemble here. Think of Stede Bonnet as the Michael Scott of this series: he is smugly likable in equal measure with being dislikeable, but you still root for him. His hijinks each episode show his vast shortcomings as a pirate but he never gives up and this slowly wins over his crew.
While both Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard are based on the historical record, this story plays loosely with the facts to tell a truly funny story. In fact, the entire crew that reports to Stede are all wonderfully layered creations that are portrayed as anachronistic to the era and are very relatable to people you would meet in the 21st century. From Game of Thrones veteran Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney to Ewan Bremner’s almost unintelligible Mr. Buttons, the characters aboard Stede’s ship are as ethnically diverse as they are unique. In particular, Matthew Maher’s veteran pirate Black Pete and Joel Fry’s Frenchie are two standouts as are Samba Schutte’s Roach and Nathan Foad’s Lucius. All of them have backstories and individual traits that will ingratiate them with audiences as they watch this show unfold.
Of the cast, Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi are clear standouts and very fun to watch as are the various guest stars including Fred Armisen, Leslie Jones, and a dual role from Rory Kinnear, all of which are very funny. Taika Waititi is a menacing and impressive pirate, something I should not have been surprised by based on his range of characters in recent years, but I could easily have watched an entire series just about him. But, my personal favorites in this cast are Samson Kayo as OIuwande and Vico Ortiz as Jim. Their subplot is one of the biggest this season and offers the closest thing to a Jim and Pam dynamic on this show. Vico’s arc as Jim is both incredibly badass and very unique for any series, especially one set so far in the past. I won’t spoil any of it here, but within the first episodes, it quickly becomes a key part of the series narrative and one that works surprisingly well.
Our Flag Means Death benefits from the trademark sensibilities of Taika Waititi’s previous projects coupled with the sense of humor of creator David Jenkins. Jenkins’ previous series, People of Earth, was a wonderful character-based sitcom centered on alien abductees. What that show did for science fiction Our Flag Means Death accomplishes for pirates. Pirate humor has been relegated to kids’ movies or the cult classic Cabin Boy, but here the same mature jokes and genre conventions that made What We Do In The Shadows a hit are replicated to great effect. It also helps that in addition to Waititi, other notable filmmakers like Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes) are aboard to sell this high seas misadventure.
If you have a low threshold for silly, this is not the show for you. But, if your sense of humor comes from blood splatter, silly characters, absurd dialogue, and a jar full of noses, then you are going to love Our Flag Means Death. With so many great comedians on board, literally, this project is as fun to watch as it must have been to film. With a debut on HBO Max, hopefully this show finds an audience that will appreciate the production values that take you back to the 1700s as much as the humor is relevant for 21st-century life. Our Flag Means Death is as ridiculous as it is funny and that is more than enough to make it a must-watch.
Our Flag Means Death premieres on March 3rd on HBO Max.