Our Flag Means Death has been drawing praise since its 2022 premiere for its comedy and LGBTQ+ pirate romance — two qualities not necessarily often associated with historical fiction — as well as a stellar cast. But after what some thought was a perfect Season 2 finale, creator David Jenkins has taken to social media to announce that the series will not return to Max for a third season. He revealed the Our Flag Means Death cancellation to his sure-to-be-disappointed fans in a good news/bad news scenario.
Season 2 of the historical comedy ended in October with Stede (Rhys Darby) and Ed (Taika Waititi) literally watching the Revenge and its crew sail off into the sunset, and while that was more than satisfying for many fans, there was still plenty of story to tell if Our Flag Means Death had been renewed for a third season. That, unfortunately, won’t come to pass, David Jenkins wrote on Instagram, highlighting the “good news” before addressing the cancellation itself:
The good news? We’ve spent two seasons in a bizarre, beautifully-rendered world populated by some of the greatest actors and creatives working. And the second season was made possible by the enthusiasm of one of the most likable fan communities in the history of this medium. Your voices made a difference, your art made a difference, your viewership made a difference in securing more OUR FLAG. Getting to share this show with you and watching you make it yours has been a dream come true.
While Our Flag Means Death surely meant a lot to its audience, it seems those behind the show got just as much in return. Without so much support from the fans, a second season may not have been possible, the creator wrote. Then David Jenkins got to the “bad news,” revealing:
The bad news is clear. OUR FLAG won’t be returning for a third season. We’ve sailed at the pleasure of the fine people at Max, and it brought them no joy to see this journey come to a premature end. Casey Bloys, Sarah Aubrey, Suzanna Makkos, Billy Wee, and David Ruby have been incredible champions of this show. They allowed us to make something authentically weird and heartfelt, cheering us on the entire way.
The announcement sparked an outpouring of love and admissions of heartbreak from the loyal viewers, many saying they were “devastated” and hoping a third season might happen somewhere other than Max. Others thanked David Jenkins and company for the queer representation OFMD provided. Jenkins concluded his message with these heartfelt words:
I’m very sad I won’t set foot on the Revenge again with my friends, some of whom have become close to family. But I couldn’t be more grateful for being allowed to captain the damn thing in the first place. Our Flag Means Us. Loving one another, pulling off some pretty weird and beautiful shit, and talking it through… as a crew. 🏴☠️🦄🐈⬛💜
This news is undoubtedly a huge disappointment, but if you want to relive the first two seasons, you can stream Our Flag Means Death with a Max subscription, and be sure to take a look at our 2024 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming our way soon.