"1000% Fiction": Our Flag Means Death Gets Mixed Response From Pirate Expert (2024)

Our Flag Means Death is surprisingly historically accurate, but a major element of the show is completely fictional. The show starred Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi as the real-world pirates Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard. Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, it follows the rich businessman Bonnet as he sets off to sea and leaves his family behind. Along the way, he finds love with the infamous but dissatisfied Blackbeard. Our Flag Means Death is filled with comedy while mixing in moments of drama and tragedy. Unfortunately, it was canceled by Max after season 2.

The Our Flag Means Death cast is filled with historical figures, but that doesn't mean that every aspect of the show is historically correct. Pirate expert Rebecca Simon appeared on Insider's How Real Is It? series and described every accurate and inaccurate element in detail.

Simon had nothing but praise for the weapons and injuries depicted in the show, as well as the depiction of Stede Bonnet as an inexperienced pirate. She did, however, criticize the relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard, as it was completely inaccurate. Check out her full quote below:

Ideally, we would love to have a pirate who was a skilled swordsman but the reality is most pirates did not have fighting backgrounds. They were people who had once been merchants, or they've been fishermen, or maybe they've been captured. So pirates didn't really fight with swords. Instead, they would fight with a cutlass. You can see the tip of it is curved upward, and you hold it kind of down by your hip, and you thrust it. It’s not as large as a sword, so it's not going to be nearly as cumbersome, which is good because you don't need to really practice as much footwork. We do see in this scene in Our Flag Means Death. He is using a cutlass, and the way he's fighting is very accurate…

We see that Israel Hands is pointing out that he has a prosthetic leg. This wasn't too uncommon. Injuries were very common on any ship, but particularly a pirate ship where you're fighting quite often. You would get severely injured to the point where it would need amputation, whether it's because of the severity of the injury or because of infection, which was more common. They wouldn't be quite as detailed as Israel Hands was…

Stede Bonnet doesn't know anything about piracy or how to be a pirate. That's actually very true to life. Stede Bonnet was not a pirate. Initially, he was a planter from Barbados, and literally one day he decided to leave his wife, leave his children, leave his plantation, and he went and bought a ship, hired a crew, and became a pirate but he was very inept at it…

The whole relationship between him and Blackbeard is completely fiction. 1,000 percent fiction. In reality, Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet did not have a good relationship. They were not friends. He only really joined up with Stede Bonnet in order to have a second ship in his fleet, and also because Stede Bonnet was very very wealthy. But in general, did romantic relationships exist on pirate ships? This is very murky.

The weapons that they would use, that was done very well, and I would probably give that maybe a nine out of 10. In terms of what actually happened in history about Blackbeard being ousted and having a relationship with Stede Bonnet? That is a zero out of 10. That just did not happen.

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The Most Accurate Elements Of Our Flag Means Death

The Injuries And Weapons Were Extremely Accurate

The injuries and weapons were two elements of Our Flag Means Death that Simon called out as especially accurate. Due to a lack of proper medical care, the pirates often experienced infections that would lead to death or amputation. As a consequence, many relied on prosthetic devices to help them function after surgical amputation. Many pirates also experienced scurvy due to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. That was depicted in the show, as the Swede lost several teeth after developing scurvy. The crew desperately raced to get him fresh fruit to prevent further progression.

Our Flag Means Death's weapons were also fairly accurate. Because so many pirates came from poverty, capture, or life as a fisherman, few ever had experience with swords, guns, or cannons, before joining a pirate crew. They learned to use cutlasses instead and taught each other how to fight, which was consistently depicted in the show.

Another major point of historical accuracy was Stede Bonnet's depiction. Bonnet really was a simple businessman who abandoned his family to become a pirate. Much like the show's version of the character, he learned how to function on the high seas after setting sail. He also worked with Blackbeard and became the legendary figure, "The Gentleman Pirate". Our Flag Means Death season 3 likely would have shown more of his development, had the show not been canceled.

Stede's Real Relationship With Blackbeard

Stede Bonnet And Blackbeard Were Not In Love

Bonnet's relationship with Blackbeard in the show, however, is a serious point of contention for historians. There is no historical mention of a romantic relationship between the two captains. In fact, Simon insists that they outright disliked each other. They simply worked together as business partners, as both profited from the other pirate crew's involvement. Bonnet had extreme wealth, which could support Blackbeard in his raids, and Blackbeard was experienced enough to guide Bonnet in his development as a pirate.

The romantic connection between Bonnet and Blackbeard was likely created to provide an emotional core behind the show. By adding the relationship, Bonnet becomes a much more understandable character. His decision to abandon his family becomes more believable when he leaves one relationship for another. It also adds a romance to the show that can hook in viewers for multiple seasons. Our Flag Means Death spends much of its time on that relationship, but it is the most inaccurate element of the show.

Source: Insider

Our Flag Means Death

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Created by David Jenkins and starring Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi, Our Flag Means Death blends romantic comedy with period drama on the high seas. Loosely based on real historical figures, the series chronicles the adventures of Stede Bonnet and the crew of the pirate ship Revenge, detailing their often hilarious exploits and encounters, including crossing paths with the infamous Blackbeard. The series received praise for its extensive and positive LGBTQ+ representation upon the first season's release.

Cast

Rhys Darby , Con O'Neill , Rory Kinnear , Matthew Maher , Samson Kayo , Ewen Bremner , David Fane , Nathan Foad , Taika Waititi , Guz Khan , Vico Ortiz , Joel Fry , Kristian Nairn

Release Date

March 3, 2022

Seasons

2

Streaming Service(s)

HBO Max

Writers

Eliza Jiménez Cossio , Zayre Ferrer , David Jenkins

Directors

Taika Waititi , Fernando Frias

Showrunner

David Jenkins