‘Our Flag Means Death’ Season 2: Showrunner & Taika Waititi on Delayed Renewal
We’re Hawkin’ Fabulous News
For exclusive news and updates, subscribe to our Our Flag Means Death Newsletter:
Next to Abbott Elementary, Our Flag Means Death is the most popular new show of the season. But unlike Abbott, the HBO Max pirate parody has yet to be renewed for a second season. It’s stumping creator and showrunner David Jenkins and star Taika Waititi as much as the rest of us. In a new interview, Jenkins and Waititi commented on Our Flag Means Death Season 2’s delayed renewal.
“I don’t know anything,” Waititi told the Los Angeles Times. “I just think that they should because it makes sense. Also, I need to know what happens next. [Laughs]” SAME, Taika. Same.
“It’s a rough one to not pick up on after what happened at the end of it,” said Jenkins of the March 24 Season 1 finale, which very much sets itself up for another season. “It’s a particularly rough one. I hope they figure it out. I hope they want to do more. I know everyone in the show wants to. Just to go on [social media] and see it trend for like two weeks feels unreal. It’s so gratifying, even not knowing if you’re renewed, to see that people liked it that much.”
Waititi stars as legendary pirate Blackbeard opposite Rhys Darby‘s, well, not as legendary but extremely lovable captain Stede Bonnet. The two fall in love over the course of Season 1, making for one of the most heartwarming comedies currently on TV. And like Jenkins said, the internet fervor over the series only continues to grow. In fact, Parrot Analytics data reveals Our Flag is more popular than Moon Knight and every other HBO title on the streaming service.
Parrot Analytics releases a weekly content series tracking breakout shows via The Wrap. It defines breakout shows as “the most in-demand series that have premiered in the past 100 days.” It doesn’t track viewership like Nielsen; rather, it measures audience demand, interest, and engagement.
Scroll through any social media platform (TikTok and Twitter, in particular) and it won’t take long to find something related to the series. It has inspired fan cam video edits, cosplaying videos, fan art, and more. The actor who plays Jim, Vico Ortiz, has also become a popular TikTok personality thanks to the show.
Parrot’s analysis shows how much the social media engagement has impacted the success of Our Flag. Without having released a new episode in weeks, it not only stayed at No. 1 for the third week in a row, but grew its demand. Moon Knight, currently halfway through its debut season, substantially grew in demand by 64 percent. But it still couldn’t knock the period comedy out of its top spot.
Week 2. Thank you, crew. #OurFlagMeansDeath https://t.co/ItExHnvkLr
— David Jenkins (@david_jenkins__) April 13, 2022
Yes, new episodes of a Marvel original series getting rave reviews from critics and fans alike couldn’t surpass Our Flag‘s popularity. Another Parrot analysis revealed the comedy’s rise is most comparable to Ted Lasso. It has a 42.8 percent higher demand than the Apple TV+ comedy did for Season 1, and viewers will recall just how much of a sleeper hit the Jason Sudeikis comedy was.
Nielsen’s TV ratings for the end of March have not yet been released. But it’s hard to imagine its online popularity not translating to high viewership. Our Flag also has the potential to be an Emmy contender. And by all accounts, Waititi, Jenkins, and the rest of the cast are ready to get started on Season 2.
HBO Max, what’s the hold up?! Bring back our favorite pirate boyfriends immediately! Please…?
Our Flag Means Death, Season 1, Streaming Now, HBO Max
