Our Flag Means Death is an exciting and emotional swashbuckling series that features the dread Blackbeard - who else is based on a real figure?
Historical fiction is a genre that sometimes requires an immense amount of research — or occasionally none at all. Our Flag Means Death is a historical pirate rom-com that is anachronistic and historically accurate in equal parts, leading to a charmingly relatable cast of characters who are familiar yet strange at the same time.
Series creator and writer David Jenkins has gone on record saying that he didn't follow through on his research past the broad strokes of the gentleman pirate Steve Bonnett's history. But with a strong writer's room behind him, he might be surprised at how closely some of the characters hew to their real-life counterparts.
The primary protagonist of Our Flag Means Death is Stede Bonnet, the "gentleman pirate," a far cry from the swashbuckling image we now have of pirates. Bonnet was also a real-life man who lived during the pirate age, and actually did attract attention from Blackbeard, who would collaborate with him a number of times. The reality of their relationship is hard to pin down, but the story of the show makes a very clear statement about what they saw in each other.
Throughout the show, Bonnet and Blackbeard grow closer, eventually developing a tenuous and dramatic romantic relationship, or as close as they can get in 10 episodes. While this is not a sure facet of reality, it does reflect an accurate portrayal of pirate ship life. Same-sex relationships were common among pirates, sometimes platonically as a way to ensure safety, but often romantic. Life at sea was often the only way for LGBTQ+ people to live freely at the time.
Edward "Blackbeard" Teach was one of the most infamous pirates of the golden age of piracy, which lasted from roughly 1650 to 1730. The real Teach himself was most active around the turn of the century and did take an interest in the real-life Stede. However, it's fair to say that the legend of Blackbeard and the reality of Edward Teach are difficult to separate. In this way, the show keeps a very realistic depiction of the pirate.
Throughout the series, Blackbeard has to dispel or clarify the many legends that surround him, some of which he finds frustrating or uncomfortable. The mix of legend and reality is very deeply ingrained in the character, as viewers see when he talks about his father being killed by a Kraken - only to reveal he was the 'Kraken.' The show does good work in keeping a realistic take on the broad strokes of the character, while not being restricted by the man.
Mary Bonnet was a real woman, who was married to Stede prior to his life on the sea. Her maiden name was Mary Allamby, and supposedly she drove him to piracy by incessant nagging - something that is likely a statement driven more by misogyny than fact. In fact, the misogyny of the time could very well have driven the show's portrayal of her as a woman taking advantage of the opportunity her husband's piracy presents to her.
Mary Bonnet in Our Flag Means Death is a woman who becomes incredibly dissatisfied with married life, in no small part because she and Stede lack passion for each other. But when her husband 'dies' at sea, she becomes a widow. Being widowed in real life could often present a unique state of life for women, who would have money, social status, and more, all while no longer being tied down by their husbands - to whom they were often arranged to be married.
The King George of the series isn't given a number, but the King George of the pirate age would have been King George I. Throughout Our Flag Means Death he appears in interstitials to either provide the setting, background or act as a distant antagonist of the lawless crew of Stede's ship The Revenge. While it's hard to say if the personality of the in-show King George is real, many of his actions are actually very historically accurate.
One of the major plot points is the real-life Spanish War of Succession, referred to in the show as the Spanish War. This war was essentially the result of Spain's King Charles II's death, leaving no heir behind. This led to most of the European powers of the time, such as England and France, fighting to take pieces of the Spanish Empire. King George's action to absolve pirates if they joined the cause is very realistic.
Spanish Jackie is an intimidating and brutal antagonist of the show, who is willing to kill whomever she has to in order to remain in power. The pirate this character is based upon is 'real' in that legends of a pirate named Jacquotte Delahaye were passed around the Caribbean. However, she is one of many pirates who are very difficult to determine if they were real or simply legends.
Much like in the show, the legendary Jacquotte was said to have taken over the island of Tortuga in the Caribbean, where she set up a home for herself. Spanish Jackie in the show runs the Republic of Pirates, a real-life confederacy of pirates in Nassau, Bahamas. Jackie is a character where the legends and the fiction mix and match very freely, but create a tv character that is almost more real than the real-life legends.
Israel Hands was the real-life first mate to Blackbeard, and this portrayal suits the stories very well. As Blackbeard's trusted partner, he was often placed in the role of captain either temporarily or when he was given part of Blackbeard's fleet. The show makes a good show of Izzy's loyalty throughout the series, giving a good treatment of the reality of what would be needed in a first mate.
Izzy has been portrayed a number of times in many media, ranging from Assassin's Creed: Black Flag to the classic Treasure Island. This portrayal is very direct in his relationship with Blackbeard. The historical figure is rarely discussed as an individual, and the show does good work in showing how much Izzy lives for the pirate life, and Blackbeard by association.
Calico Jack appears late in the show as an old friend of Blackbeard's who is constantly drunk, violent, and chaotic. His appearance is short-lived, but impactful in that he quickly disrupts the stable state of The Revenge's society. While Calico Jack is presented as a very specifically awful person, the real-life Calico Jack was much more complicated - and respectable by pirate standards.
John Rackam was a pirate who took on his nickname thanks to his brightly colored clothes made of calico. He was active during the last generation of pirates and made a name for himself by deposing his prior captain. Over the course of his career, he would be captured and escape or renounce piracy several times, eventually meeting his lover Anne Bonny. He would lead her into a life of piracy.
Speaking of Anne Bonny, Jim is a unique character who is based on multiple real-life pirates. There are many stories of non-cis-male individuals hiding their identity as pirates, either for safety among men or as a journey of identity confirmation. Jim's story is most largely inspired by Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who dressed as men. These two women were disguised on the same ship and quickly grew close.
The in-series character first appears disguised as Jim, a vicious man who is mute. Soon it is revealed they are not man and that they are on the run from Spanish Jackie, who is married to the men who killed their family. The series quickly moves on past their reveal, but when their gender is questioned Jim says they're not a man or a woman - just Jim. The character is unique and realistic, brought to life by Vico Ortiz who is a nonbinary actor themself.
