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Our Flag Means Death was more than just a period drama for fans of the show, and news of its cancellation after the second season reverberated through them for a long time. Even after HBO's cancellation, they started a campaign to express their love for Our Flag Means Death and try to save it. The campaign managed to raise more than $20,000, which was used to buy a billboard in Times Square and to have the words "Save Our Flag Means Death" flying over Hollywood on a plane.
The outpouring of love and support allowed the creatives behind Our Flag Means Death to shop it around for a new home. However, the drama did not find a new home. Creator David Jenkins called it the "end of the road" for the sweet drama.
Rhys Darby, who played Stede on Our Flag Means Death, recently opened up about the love and support the show received and the shocking reality that they were forced to accept, despite how frustrating it was.
Our Flag Means Death star Rhys Darby remains overwhelmed to this day by the love and support for the show
The goofy romantic queer TV drama was a sleeper hit with a cult following, and even though it has been two years since the show was cancelled, some fans are on their twentieth rewatch even now. There's something about the awkward and endearing love story of Rhys Darby's Stede Bonnet and Taiki Waititi's Captain Blackbeard that fans could never get enough of.
The 2024 cancellation of Our Flag Means Death, which remains one of the greatest among queer television to date, brought with it a huge uproar among its fans. From Times Square billboard pleas to flying pleas, there wasn't a lot that the fans of the show did not try to get Our Flag Means Death a new home.
The fact that this show was originally intended as a trilogy, a story about love in youth, love in less youth, and love in even less youth, but was cancelled just before the final third season could come to life, remains the biggest sting for fans of the pirate rom-com.
Rhys Darby, who played Stede Bonnet, a big-hearted gentleman turned pirate, recently sat down for a conversation with ScreenRant and expressed how difficult it was for the cast and crew to accept the reality of the cancellation, and it was only the love that the fans showed them that kept them afloat. The fact that the show managed to give out some love, kindness, happiness, and a lot of laughs helps them accept that it's just what it is and not something they could actively avoid:
"I can't believe it. I know it's a good show, and I know how important it is and how wonderful it was to make and how real it felt and how passionate we all were to bring it to life. We lived it, and we really treasured it. I guess when you do something like that, the result is that people really, really love it."
He went on to add:
"None of us phoned anything in, and I think I'm still in shock that it's over. Even though [it's] been two years now, I keep it out of my head because when I start to think about it, I'm like, "Why did that get canceled?!" It just makes no sense. It brings so much joy to the world. So, I try to not think about it, to be honest with you."
He even expressed his frustration at the fact that, despite all the love and support that the fans and the audience displayed, the show was not renewed:
"And that's just what's wrong with the world. Why are we not doing that nice show and making a lot of people happy? Look, I'm here ready to do anything else to make people laugh and make them smile. Bring some kindness to the planet."
Nevertheless, at the end of the day, it is the viewers of the drama that keep them going and help them accept this frustrating reality. He expressed how overwhelming the love that fans have for the show is to date:
"I just want to say thank you to all the fans and those that are still loving it and watching it for the twentieth time. I’m there with you. I enjoyed every minute of that show, and I don’t know what’s going to come next in a big way for me, but it’ll be hard to top the feeling I have from being in that role."
It's been almost two years since the cancellation news came through for the queer pirate rom-com, but somewhere, somehow, fans still hoped that it would be picked back up and get the ending it deserved. It isn't often that something as funny, original, representative, and heartfelt comes along only to get cancelled at its highest point of popularity.
Nevertheless, the reality is Our Flag Means Death won't be returning, and we were at the end of the road, but at the very least, the second season's end featured Ed and Stede looking forward to a future together as innkeepers.
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