Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet and Taika Waititi as Blackbeard share a moment in 'Our Flag Means Death'

Just How Popular Is ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Right Now?

The little pirate show that could sails on toward the TV history books. Our Flag Means Death, HBO Max’s wildly popular romcom starring Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby, has actually managed to increase its share of audience demand more than two weeks after the first-season finale. Combine this feat with a frenzy of support and an outpouring of fan art and activity, and what’s happening with Our Flag Means Death feels unprecedented in all my long years of screen-gazing.

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OFMD showrunner and creator David Jenkins tweeted out the latest stats, thanking dedicated viewers—or, as he put it, “crew”—for making this happen.

According to Yahoo! News, Our Flag Means Death is tracking as the #1 most in-demand “breakout” series, which accounts for series that have premiered within the last 100 days. The “exceptional” demand for OFMD has even eclipsed demand for Marvel/Disney+’s Moon Knight, which stars Oscar Isaac and has the whole muscle of the Disney corporate machine behind it.

Yahoo! is getting their info courtesy of Parrot Analytics, which measures demand via a method that takes into account “consumer research data, streaming, downloads and social media, among other consumer engagement.” Per Parrot’s analysis, demand for Our Flag Means Death has risen a staggering 64% percent over where it was last week—when it also held the top slot.

It’s almost like when you make smart, funny, touching, queer love and queer people-affirming content with a brilliant cast it will not only consume the brains of every queer person within a 30,000 mile-radius but also appeal to a wide and excited audience! Can you imagine that? First Our Flag Means Death killed queerbaiting, and now it’s stabbing through the concept of targeted series/movies that only appeal to certain demographics.

I hope the rest of Hollywood is scrambling to take copious notes—and HBO Max had better stop dragging their feet with that season 2 renewal. C’mon, folks, this is getting absurd.

(via Yahoo! News, image: HBO Max)

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Kaila Hale-Stern
Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.