What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2022
Where’s it showing? HBO Max
Gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet left his wife, children, and life of opulence behind to sail the seas and fulfill his fantasy of life as a pirate. Unfortunately for Stede, pirating is a messy, dangerous job—not something he’s really built for. He wants to read bedtime stories to his crew and teach them the ins and outs of a proper table setting. His quarters are filled with fine clothing and books, and his crew doesn’t know what to do with this odd character. Soon mutiny is afoot.
Stede is almost as charming as actor Rhys Darby who plays him, and soon some of the crew start to warm to his weird ways. While Darby is the star here, he’s alongside other comedy greats like Taika Waititi, who plays Blackbeard, and a slew of wonderful comedy actors as his crew.
HBO has yet to renew this series for season two, but if they have any sense at all, they’ll keep this show on the air—it is absolute comedy gold. (10 30-min. episodes)
This article appears in Summer Guide 2022.
