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When will Our Flag Means Death Release on HBO Max?

We're swashbuckling -- let's have fun with it!

Stede Bonnet Our Flag Means Death
Stede Bonnet gets a taste of life among pirates.

The only thing better than a period piece is a funny period piece. Thankfully, HBO Max is gifting us with their upcoming streaming series, Our Flag Means Death. The comedic show takes place in the early 1700s and focuses on pirates (yes, PIRATES!).

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Loosely based on the true story of Stede Bonnet, the show follows “The Gentleman Pirate” into his life at sea. Played by the incomparable Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows), Stede Bonnet gave up his life as a land-owning aristocrat to become a pirate captain. Besides having no prior knowledge of sailing or piracy, he just knew he would be a successful pirate. It seems the blind confidence of rich white men is a tale that transcends time.

History tells us that Bonnet’s solo journey did not last long. Soon his bumbling ship caught the attention of Edward Teach, also known as the notorious pirate Blackbeard. The too-perfect-for-this-world Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok) stars as Blackbeard who takes the newbie pirate under his wing. For training or exploitation, whichever way you want to look at it.

Blackbeard—known for his giant dark beard he would fill with lit candles to make himself look more fearsome—and his crew are a far cry from the upper-crust world Stede Bonnet hails from. The collision of two such opposing ways of life will no doubt bring many awkward and hilarious moments.

HBO Max lists the series, so far, as having one season with twelve episodes. It is unclear what the episode release schedule will be, weekly releases or all at once, but HBO Max has tended toward the weekly model as of late.

The first episode, at least, premieres on March 31st. The show will be available exclusively through HBO Max. Check out the trailer below. If it is your first time watching it, or the thousandth time, it is still glorious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpgAhTP6ElA

(featured image: HBO Max)

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D.R. Medlen
D.R. Medlen (she/her) is a pop culture staff writer at The Mary Sue. After finishing her BA in History, she finally pursued her lifelong dream of being a full-time writer in 2019. She expertly fangirls over Marvel, Star Wars, and historical fantasy novels (the spicier the better). When she's not writing or reading, she lives that hobbit-core life in California with her spouse, offspring, and animal familiars.

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