“Our Flag Means Death ”creator teases Stede and Ed's 'heartbreak' in season 2

The good ship Revenge is returning to sea.

Our Flag Means Death is setting sail for a second season, once again following Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and his mentor-slash-ex-boyfriend Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) as they navigate (mis)adventure at sea. EW has an exclusive look at the show's return (premiering Oct. 5 on Max), and series creator David Jenkins explains that if season 1 was about Stede and Blackbeard learning to love, then season 2 is about learning to deal with heartache.

"It's interesting to see Stede have to figure out how to reapproach this guy that he really hurt," Jenkins tells EW. "That's everybody who's ever been in a relationship where they had to repair it and apologize to their partner and try to figure out a way forward. And then [we'll] see what happened to Blackbeard in the wake of his heartbreak."

"They're both pretty immature in their own way," Jenkins adds. "The course of this season is: Can they find their way to maybe a more mature form of love?"

Nicola Dove / Max Taika Waititi as Blackbeard in 'Our Flag Means Death' season 2

The two captains finally admitted their feelings for each other last season, only to part after Stede returned home to see his family. When the new season begins, Stede is pining for his lost love, while Blackbeard has gone full angst, wreaking havoc and spilling blood all over the Caribbean.

Jenkins says that he's particularly proud of Darby and Waititi's performances this season. The two New Zealand actors are longtime friends who are best known for their comedic work, and they've previously said that they were unsure how audiences might react to the show's more dramatic moments.

"It was great to see them come back after the show was embraced and be really excited and energized," Jenkins says of his two leads. "They were very excited and game the first season, but they came back with this confidence."

Nicola Dove / Max Frenchie (Joel Fry) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) in 'Our Flag Means Death' season 2

Nicola Dove / Max Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) in 'Our Flag Means Death' season 2

Since its premiere last year, Our Flag Means Death has amassed an impressively ferocious fanbase, winning over audiences with its quirky tone and thoughtful queer representation. (It's certainly the only comedy on television to feature complex queer relationships and a jar full of severed noses.) Many familiar faces return for the second season — including Leslie Jones' Spanish Jackie, Vico Ortiz's Jim, and Con O'Neill's Izzy. Jenkins adds that the goal for season 2 was to maintain the show's goofy, anarchic tone, and he compares the large ensemble to working with the Muppets: "You're like, 'These are all my favorite Muppets, and they're back and doing weird things!' That's the vibe I feel on set."

But the show also underwent a major relocation, shifting filming from Los Angeles to New Zealand. Filming in New Zealand allowed production to shoot on some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world — but it also meant that the crew had to completely rebuild the pirate ship Revenge, from the rigging right down to the unicorn figurehead.

"It's amazing: You actually go to work on a pirate ship, and it's the whole pirate ship," Jenkins adds with a laugh. "It's not just little pieces and then green screen. Those moments where you have the entire cast on that ship are magic."

Nicola Dove / Max The crew of the Revenge in 'Our Flag Means Death' season 2

Our Flag Means Death season 2 will premiere with three episodes Oct. 5 on Max, with two new episodes airing weekly after that.

Make sure to check out EW's Fall TV Preview cover story on Gen V — as well as all of our 2023 Fall TV Preview content, releasing through Sept. 21.

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• Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi set sail in Our Flag Means Death first look

• Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby talk pirate facial hair and sword fighting for Our Flag Means Death

• Best of 2022 (Behind the Scenes): How Our Flag Means Death struck gold with Fleetwood Mac and a foot touch

• The Our Flag Means Death crew breaks down the finale's tender, swashbuckling romance

• Our Flag Means Death season 2 trailer teases heartbreak on the high seas