Max Cancels One Of The Best Series In Years

By Douglas Helm | Published

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Warner Bros Discovery has canceled a lot of shows in recent years, but this one might be the worst cancellation yet. Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins took to social media to reveal that Max would not be going forward with the series. The comedy ran for two seasons on Max and starred Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi, who also executive-produced the series.

Our Flag Means Death Canceled

our flag means death

Our Flag Means Death follows Rhys Darby’s Stede Bonnet, who is an aristocrat who decides to pivot to a life of piracy. Other cast members include Waititi, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Nathan Foad, Vico Ortiz, and Kristian Nairn.

The decision by Max to cancel the series is especially surprising, considering critics widely praised the show for its storytelling, characters, and queer storylines.

Hit With Critics And Audiences

our flag means death

Our Flag Means Death has a whopping 94% from critics and 93% from viewers from Rotten Tomatoes.

With such widespread critical acclaim, you would think that Warner Bros Discovery would hold on to the series. For now, Max’s primary comedy offerings include Bookie, Hacks, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The White Lotus, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Righteous Gemstones, and more. 

Taika Waititi Moving Forward

While Taika Waititi won’t be working on Our Flag Means Death anymore, the director/actor/writer/producer will be moving on to the final season of his FX comedy What We Do in the Shadows and his upcoming Time Bandits series for Apple.

Waititi will also direct and co-write a Star Wars movie for Disney in the coming years.

Still Streaming On Max

our flag means death hbo max

While Our Flag Means Death won’t get any new episodes, the series is still available to stream on Max.

The first season premiered in 2022 with ten episodes, and the second season aired last year with eight episodes. While the series never got deserved Emmy recognition, it did often end up on the “Best of” lists for numerous online publications.

Still In Demand?

streaming our flag means death

Our Flag Means Death had a dedicated fanbase, but it seems this acclaim wasn’t enough to keep Max from canceling the series. While it would seem likely that viewership issues played a role in Max canceling the show, various analytics would tell a different story.

In 2022, Parrot Analytics showed that the series was the 5th most in-demand series on the platform and the 2nd most in-demand series amongst young adult audiences.

Fitting Ending?

our flag means death

Our Flag Means Death did end on a fairly bittersweet finale for Season 2, which left the door open for more adventures for Bonnet, Blackbeard, and the rest of the pirates.

While the finale could work as a series finale, fans would undoubtedly like to see more adventures on the seas. It’s certainly a disappointing loss and a bit confusing based on the viewership and fan support for the show.

You can check out Our Flag Means Death Season 1 and Season 2 on Max now. Hopefully, Warner Bros Discovery won’t cancel any other great shows soon. Make sure to stay tuned for more news on upcoming streaming series.