Carbon Costume

Stede Bonnet is a main character in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death. Portrayed by comedian Rhys Darby, he is the captain of the ship Revenge. Unhappy with wealthy, domestic life, he leaves his family to pursue a career in pirating. He dubs himself  “The Gentleman Pirate,” since he’d rather “talk it out” than resort to violence. As a result, his crew views him as a coward (which he is). He doesn’t earn their respect until he accidentally murders a British naval officer, which attracts the attention of Blackbeard. The two captains meet and form an unlikely friendship that blossoms into romance. Stede teaches Blackbeard about high society, while Blackbeard teaches Stede how to be a confident leader — and they both teach each other what true love means.