Black Sails XXX recap

Posted on February 6, 2017 by admin

When I began watching season one of Black Sails with delight, relishing the sights, sounds, the grime, the snarl, seeing Charles Vane and others come to life, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the show. Certainly, I wanted the broadsides and spectacle, and while we got some of that, what we mostly got was the slow build, establishing character, motivations, and back story. Psha! What madness was that? Yet now, when the show gives us Billy Bones vs Flint, it resonates! Movie and tv writers take note. You can’t rush the versus…Batman vs Superman anyone? Ugh. But I won’t even start with that fiasco. I mean hell, even Warner Brothers cartoons got it right. Who wouldn’t have shed a tear at the untimely demise of our beloved Wily E. Coyote after so many close calls?

It was sad to see Billy, the righteous, fail so spectacularly. The raid of the Underhill plantation was heartbreaking for our beloved bilge rats and showed just how dastardly the plantation owners were, but I guess enslaving an entire race has its consequences, no? There were many slave uprisings in the Caribbean and when the slave population outnumbered the colonial population, well, seems a forgone conclusion. But separating families to take them out in the case of a revolt is truly abhorrent and for all of Flint’s faults, he thankfully recognized the futility of the situation and heeded Madi’s counsel. (He may not kill her after all.) Flint has displayed arrogance and irrationality (the “it”) in the past, (killing Gates, sigh) but no one can fault the man for his skill in manipulation and strategy. He is cunning as hell, and others have learned that lesson to their detriment, note Dufrense in this recap http://wp.me/p3aUdm-iI

Pirate History Check. But let’s talk Israel Hands!!! He dragged Silver off at the end of the last episode. Israel Hands has taken on many personas. He is featured in Treasure Island, but the real Israel Hands was Blackbeard’s boatswain. I mentioned him in a previous post here, http://wp.me/p3aUdm-lO, recounting how Blackbeard shot him in the knee. Hands had served on Blackbeard’s crew a long time and may have colluded with Blackbeard to run aground his ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge, off Beaufort Inlet. Some speculate Blackbeard did it on purpose in order to break up his fleet and crew and take off with what spoils he could. Many of his crew were left stranded in Beaufort. After Blackbeard’s death, in their attempt to discredit Governor Eden of North Carolina (Eden colluded with Blackbeard, offered him a pardon, and may have benefitted from the association, or at least, that is certainly what Governor Spotswood of South Carolina tried to prove in his attempt to take over the North Carolina colony), the authorities tracked down Hands in Bath and convinced him to testify against his companions and Governor Eden in exchange for his life.

In Treasure Island, Hands is one of Silver’s crew and ends up getting shot by Jim Hawkins. In this episode, we see him hold Silver captive in attempt to earn the ransom but he made one fatal error. Not tying Silver’s mouth. Silver is most dangerous when allowed to utter words and shackling up the silver tongued devil’s hands does no good.

Wenches Behaving Just Badly. Ugh. Someone get rid of Max already. Maybe Silver? Or Mario? Yes, Eleanor’s demise shall come by Anne’s hand and Max from Silver, Mario, or maybe even Madi. I like it. At least Silver recognized and called Max out on her own hypocrisy. What, she wears pretty dresses now, takes on airs, and we should believe she is righteous and just? Even Roger’s didn’t buy her brand of shit. Thankfully, we have our silver tongued devil to contradict her when she accused him of creating the shit storm roiling on New Providence. She and Eleanor shoveled plenty all on their own. Please. End my misery. I get Eleanor and her actions feel earned and she, at least seems to have some presence of mind for what she hath wrought and is maybe trying to atone in her own way, but we can’t forgive her, nope.

Romance or Bromance? Jack and Blackbeard can’t forgive Eleanor. The exchange between them and Anne ended the episode on a poignant and almost sentimental note, at least if Anne would have let the bros continue the Charles Vane adoration.

Deep Thoughts with Anne Bonny. Squee. Anne is great. Normally I give the best lines to Jack but Anne had the best arguments for why they needed to stay the course and go after Woodes Rogers. But would she still be able to maintain the same cool head if someone had taken out Jack? She even admits the same when retelling how Max tried to take him (Jack) away from her. I love these two. They slowly grew on me over the series as did Miranda, and then they shot her! Show, you are wicked.

Blackbeard is badass. How badass? We will find out I suppose. Woodes Rogers, rather deftly counted on them taking the bait so Eleanor could go running to her grand pappy. It’s no secret I’d sworn to hate Woodes Rogers but the man is growing on me and kudos to the writers and actor for bringing out the contradictions and subtlety that was this historical figure who brought the Nassau pirates to their knees.

Black Sails XXIX Recap

Posted on January 30, 2017 by admin

Black Sails has returned! For its final season 🙁

While I’m excited to see these characters again, I’m apprehensive about the fates of our scurvy crew. I don’t want to say good-bye yet respect goes out to the show creators for knowing when to end the story. More and more, shows tend to milk a series beyond its natural, respectable life and story and characters suffer for it.

If you haven’t read Treasure Island, the next paragraph contains some possible spoilers for Black Sails.

So last season wrenched my innards, seeing Charles Vane swing on the gallows and all, but well, he did in fact get hanged at Port Royal. And that is what makes me apprehensive about this season because nothing is going to end well for our cutthroats. The Golden Age of Piracy ends (pretty much with Woodes Rogers’s arrival in New Providence and Blackbeard’s death), but we also have the events of Treasure Island to consider. We’ve seen Silver transform into our beloved peg-legged Long John Silver. And Flint is already mad. He only lacks his stick.

Seriously show make it so. And Billy? Billy Bones. Sigh. I don’t know if Black Sails will give us a glimpse of Treasure Island’s beginning in its series finale but wouldn’t it be cool to leave us with Silver sidling up to Jim Hawkins? I’d rather see that than poor Billy’s bones.

So much for endings. Our premiere gave us a roaring start. Who doesn’t love a good battle to get the blood pounding…and spraying. Yikes. Pretty clever that Woodes Rogers. Sinking ships to create a barrier unbeknownst to our brigands.

Romance or Bromance? One of the highlights of this show has been the dynamic between Silver and Flint, sometimes allies, and sometimes at odds, outwitting each other, Flint by pure force of will, and Silver by cunning. Their conversation before getting blown to bits deserves its place among the many fine bromances but alas, ‘tis not to last forever. Of course, we know Silver didn’t drown and he will rejoin our anti-heroes but will it be in time to save his romance from the bromance? I mean, seriously, what was Madi thinking when she revealed to Flint and Billy that Silver told her the treasure’s location. That never ends well for people, when they get in Flint’s way.

Pirate History Check: As much as I’d love to hate on Woodes Rogers, the man displayed incredible determination and courage. He stood up to some formidable pirates, established order in New Providence all without much support from his peers. He did, in fact, overcome much adversity and did get deeply indebted as a result of having to finance his campaign in the Caribbean. This is the man who was a privateer during the war with France and Spain, who led an assault against a Spanish city, and had circumvented the world. I honestly don’t know what motivated him to take the actions he did only to get crapped on by the lords proprietor (businessmen and nobility who basically administered much of the Caribbean and some of the colonies.). He did them a favor by driving out the pirates. Yes, he was governor but acted pro bono. Now before I completely romanticize the man, he was a slave trader. I’ll leave it at that.

Wenches Behaving Bad-ass-ly? Oh, how the mighty have fallen, but you know, I just can’t forgive Eleanor for her role in Charles’s demise. Seeing her knitting with the other wives was classic. At least the show acknowledged Eleanor’s knowledge of her own capitulation. She sold her soul. I’m curious how much of her soul may be left, the girl running down the beach filled with pirates, not giving a damn about any of them. (If you remember Vane’s description of her from Season One.) And Max, come on honey. At least Eleanor has accepted the futility of a woman’s independence and power in the face of true British aristocracy. British nobility is a bitch Max. Get used to it. Maybe you can darn some wool socks. At least we still have Anne Bonny.

Deep thoughts with Jack Rackham. This show has given some of the best lines to Jack Rackham. However, this episode Blackbeard got in a good line at Rackham’s expense, when Rackham asked Blackbeard if they should say a few words to rouse the crew for battle. Blackbeard’s response was perfect, and very in line with what the real Blackbeard may have thought or said. I haven’t always agreed with the show’s portrayal of Blackbeard (Iron Beard), but Blackbeard ruled his ship by action, not words.

I do love, btw, all the love thrown Charles’s Vane’s way, from Jack to Blackbeard. In reality, Jack and Anne mutinied against Charles Vane and marooned him on an island. He was eventually picked up by the authorities and sent to Port Royal to be promptly hanged. So there you go. I like the show’s version better.

Blackbeard is badass. That’s right mo fos. Don’t fuck with Blackbeard. I got chills when Rogers’s man, Captain Berringer, or Mario Batalli, said Blackbeard is a formidable opponent. That’s right. Blackbeard was a literal fleet onto himself. The only pirate to blockade a major harbor for two weeks (Charleston). And he will kick your ass Mario. I’m waiting for it. Make it so, show! Especially after Mario cut off De Groot’s ear. De Groot has not always supported Flint, but he ain’t no snitch against the brethern. Stickin’ it to the man!

I honestly don’t know why Silver didn’t just pretend to be dead and then grab a dagger or cutlass off a dead body and shank whoever it was going around killing off the men washed up on shore, but then we wouldn’t have our cliffhanger. But seriously will he make it back before Flint kills Madi because, really, her days are numbered.

Black Sails Season Three…So Far

Posted on March 2, 2016 by admin

Fair winds! I had every intention of resuming Black Sails reviews at the start of Season Three. Alas, life got the better of me so instead I present a recap and thoughts on goings on so far. We are six episodes in (Episodes XIX through XXIV) with four more to go!

Last season had me at the first episode. Ned Low made a grand if bloody entrance and I’m still bummed he didn’t get to cause more mayhem. Episode one of this season did a good job of setting the stage, showing us the fates of our pirate brethren, where everyone stood. But the next few episodes, Flint separation from Nassau, wandering in the doldrums, just had me frustrated. When I saw the preview of XXII and Flint and crew’s apparent capture by island natives (now we know better; Great Scott, Mr. Scott!), I groaned and wondered if they’d wander into Pirates of the Caribbean territory. Flint works best for me when he’s interacting with other strong pirates like Vane. The sneers are in full force. However, the moments between Flint and Silver made up for some of the meandering and moved their relationship into a satisfying next phase. I admittedly cheered at the scene where they harpooned a shark. For those who have played Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, you know what I’m talking about. Huzzah!

But let’s talk some more of our man of the sneer. Flint could probably convince someone to jump off a bloody bridge. Billy Bones agrees. He probably considered making the jump just to see if what Flint promised lay in the ocean depths. I mean, Flint’s line to Vane…you have to decide who you are…And Vane did, and he betrayed Teach…again.

I’m still traumatized by Miranda’s death so I’m glad they gave her ghost some time this season. Some tv shows kill off characters and don’t give enough space for the viewer and other characters to mourn. I didn’t much like her in Season One, but she became my favorite female character in Season Two. Loved her smack down of Eleanor (see in this recap).

Finally, episode XXIV gave me the confrontation I’d swab a deck for! Flint and Blackbeard. Ray Stevenson was a wonderful casting choice for our man of the beard. He has the physicality to play Blackbeard. I’m sorry, but John Malkovich just didn’t do it for me. See my thoughts on Crossbones here.

Okay, disclaimer first. I’m not buying everything the writers are throwing our way as far as Blackbeard. I mean, really, the Iron Man shrapnel? Was that intentional for some reason? I just don’t get it. What writer didn’t raise his or her hand and say, ah, guys, this smells too much of Iron Man and would come across as a weird, anachronistic reference.

I also didn’t get the opening scene of XIX where Teach killed his wife’s brothers. Or rather, I got it. They were trying to show us how badass Teach was, but it rang false for me. I’m pretty sure Teach would have tossed the brothers overboard and let them swim back to Bath. I don’t think he would have cared enough about those guys to bother killing them (or endanger the pardon he’d obtained from the North Carolina Governor).

Teach very smartly cultivated his dangerous persona, but, along with Sam Bellamy, there’s no record, in nearly 300 attacks on shipping between the two of them, of either Blackbeard or Bellamy killing a captive. (They may have roughed them up a bit.) Teach was shrewd but not reckless. It might have been better to “show us Blackbeard’s mettle” by giving us a scene based on a tale told by Captain Johnson in the General History of Pyrates. Apparently, while in one of his “savage humors” and without provocation, Blackbeard shot the Queen Anne’s Revenge’s master, Israel Hands’, knee. The explanation? Possibly to keep his crew in line, to keep them guessing so they wouldn’t dare challenge his authority. Ultimately though, Blackbeard, according to Angus Konstam in his book, Blackbeard, was a relatively benign pirate compared to Charles Vane, who, Konstam wrote, “seemed to take a psychopathic delight in torture and violence”. Lest we forget the lesson handed to Ned Low last season.

But everything else, I’m down. Charles Vane did serve on Teach’s crew before setting off on his own. Teach also had “settled down” in Bath for a spell. He supposedly bought a house after obtaining a pardon from the North Carolina Governor, Charles Eden. I read quite a bit about pirate escapades in the Carolinas for my Sargasso’s Mistress book and it’s quite interesting how much the pirates had insinuated themselves in Carolina trade and shenanigans, especially Teach. It’s also true he established a base of sorts at Ocracoke Island, where the pirates would sometimes gather to store loot and party.

On to Max, who has outlived her suspension of disbelief. Scenes with her just annoy me at this point. I’m all for creating strong women characters but not at the expense of the story and plausibility. Woodes Rogers would not have given her the time of day and the pirates on the island have absolutely no reason to listen to a damn thing she says. They have pardons. Their pirate leaders are gone. They just wouldn’t give a crap about Max. She has no legitimacy and for her to tell Woodes that she can control the peoples is silly. But wait, she has treasure! See next paragraph.

I also don’t think the Spanish would have given a rat’s ass about the missing portion of their treasure. (Nor would have Woodes Rogers for that matter, but more on him below.) Spain lost so much treasure to pirates and French, Dutch, British privateers. They’d cut their losses and run. At that point, they had a treaty with Britain and I doubt they would have endangered the truce by going after Nassau.

And Eleanor? Yeah, meh. I’m more invested in Anne Bonny at this point. I am, however, interested in seeing Eleanor cross paths with Vane and Flint and how that will play out. Will Flint convince her to betray Woodes Rogers or jump off the bloody bridge? Ultimately, I feel like her treads are wearing thin, like Max. I guess I’m still pissed at her for screwing Vane twice (in the bad way). I understood her motives but me no likey.

What Black Sails continues to do wonderfully is establish its pirates and their relationships to each other so I let my rumblings subside and lose myself once again in Billy Bones’s cut physique.

Tom Hopper is great as Billy. Not just for his hunked out bod either. No, I’m serious. Really.

So episode XXIV tied all those wonderful elements together, brought to fruition the wonderful ground they laid from the very beginning. Jack and Anne are awesome and should have their own adventures. The Bonny and Clyde of the seven seas. The writers and Jack sold me on his decision to fuck Woodes Rogers and I love how all he had to do was write a letter with enough nuance, trusting that Anne would read between the lines. And boy did she ever. Woodes still doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. Eleanor knows, but she can only give him so many worried looks. Me thinks he’s figured it out though.

So let’s talk Woodes Rogers. The pirate “utopia” of Nassau could only last so long, and knowing the history of the place, I wondered where they’d eventually go with the story given the eventual arrival of Woodes Rogers. The Golden Age of the Caribbean pirates began its decline with the fall of Nassau to Woodes Rogers. His arrival scattered the pirates and removed their power base.

Blackbeard attempted to establish new operations from North Carolina but was eventually killed in a cinema worthy battle with Lieutenant Maynard. Sam Bellamy died in a storm on his way to Maine. (I have been stoked with the two Sam Bellamy name drops this season!! I was so hoping they’d feature him, but no such luck.) And Vane and Jack? Well, I won’t spoil anything in case they decide to follow the history closely. Even though I mentioned my issues with the Spanish gold MacGuffin, Luke Robert’s portrayal of Woodes is fine (if not somewhat tame; see story below) and his interesting alliance with Eleanor. Woodes Rogers was a complex individual, who, if so inclined would have made a formidable pirate himself. A former privateer, according to Richard Sanders in If a Pirate I Must be, The True Story of “Black Bart”, in a battle, a musket ball tore off Rogers’ upper jaw, but he continued to issue orders on paper while spitting out his blood. Flint would be proud.

A couple of stray notes: Ben Gunn showed up this season! Of all the Treasure Island pirates, he actually has one of the best outcomes, and that’s all I’ll say, except maybe…cheese. And also, Long John Silver mentioned having a half black wife in Treasure Island, so in case you were wondering, yeah, I believe they are going there.

Honestly, I have no idea what fate is in store for Nassau, Anne and Jack, Woodes Rogers, Flint, the escaped slave colony led by Mr. Scott and his queen. (Who saw that coming?) Thankfully, Saturday is a few days away.

Black Sails Episode XVIII

Posted on March 28, 2015 by admin

For all the blood and violence we occasionally see on Black Sails, the scene of the Charles Town crowds throwing stuff at Miranda’s corpse horrified me the most. Poor Miranda. Onward to our intense and satisfying finale.

Long John slithers his way out of yet another flogging or keelhauling. Not this time. Silver’s tongue and double-dealing maybe caught up to him, showing us finally how Silver became our beloved Treasure Island peg-leg. Two painful scenes to behold: Vane’s man hacking away at his leg and his crew cutting it off. Thank the gods for anesthesia and modern medicine. Flint’s crew has certainly taken a shine to Silver, and I think it makes him uncomfortable. I don’t think he wants to feel loyalty, but he had no choice after they elected him quartermaster. I wonder how the crew will feel if they ever find out he was the one who sold information about the Urca gold to Max?

Number of Flint sneers. Flint gave Peter Ashe many sneers and the Governor deserved every last teeth gritting one. So what was his deal? Why did he betray Thomas, Flint, and Miranda? Was he jealous of Flint’s relationship with Thomas? And is he really dead?

Flint is brilliant, delusional, or downright scaring the crap out of me. As I kind of figured, Flint’s aspirations to reconcile with Ashe got blown to bits along with Miranda’s, ah, cerebrum. I see him going for that gold with a renewed sociopathic fervor. James McGraw died with Miranda.

On deck shenanigans. Lots of crazy shit, limbs being severed. Which crew would prevail? Or which leg? I was squinting through most of the onboard scenes, but Bones and Flint’s crew prevailed.

Wenches behaving bad-ass-ly. So Eleanor was out of the picture. Will we see her or her hanging corpse next season? Anne absolved herself in my eyes by finally resolving where her true loyalties lay. I still don’t quite understand what drove her to go all nutty and slit Mr. Logan’s throat, but the scene with her and Jack on his ship was nice. “You and I are going to be fucking partners until they put us in the ground.” A more direct, piratical way of saying ’til death do us part, yet Anne wants nothing of domesticity. None of the women on this show do. Kudos to them. Max is flying high right now, but me thinks a take down is in store.

Pirate history check. Charles Town became quite the prosperous colony, deriving much wealth from rice plantations, on the backs of the slaves, of course. While it was not sacked by pirates, Blackbeard blockaded it for two weeks in search of medical supplies, supposedly to treat his men afflicted with syphillis. The Spanish, occupying St. Augustine, raided settlements to the south of Charles Town, and the local Native American tribes often attacked the settlements.

Episode MBP (most badass pirate). In the spirit of mutual cooperation, I’m calling it a tie between Vane and Flint. I’m liking the temporary truce between the two. I know it won’t last long, well, at least until next year. Vane and Flint tore through Charles Town, manacled… manacled!!! Flint honored Miranda by not giving Ashe what he wanted, for Flint to admit to all his horrible crimes. Vane, my pirate Che Guevarra, brought hell fire down on the town after a rousing speech and with a very dramatic manacled hand raise.

I seriously had that song in my head when he raised his hands. Or we will rock you. Who wants to live forever? Any Queen song would have done nicely.

Billy Bones, Billy Bones is our true hero. Vane knew who he needed to convince to keep peace on the ship, and Billy, loyal to his pirate brethren, gave Vane the key to blasting Flint out of Charles Town. Who knew a girl’s journal could hold so much power?

Sorry Jack, Flint had the money quote this episode: “Everyone is a monster to someone.” He proceeds to shows how he would be Charles Town’s monster when he and Vane blow the place to bits and remind them “that they were right to be afraid.” I got me some chills when Flint spoke those words to Vane with a sneer, of course.

So now we have the gold. In Treasure Island, that gold ends up buried on an island so we know it will slip through many hands before then. Really, I just want to see Flint and Vane return and wipe the gold induced fever from Max’s eyes. I respect her, but I don’t like her.

So what’s in store for season 3? I chuckle gleefully. Black friggin beard. Even better. Ray Stevenson as Black friggin Beard!!! Yesssss. Sorry Crossbones, but thissss was what I wanted to see. And a fine beard it is. And given the complex portrayals of all the pirates, I hope Black Sails will do Blackbeard justice and show him as the wily, cunning, and rational scurvy dog he was!

Black Sails Episode XI recap

Posted on February 8, 2015 by admin

So many exiting things happened this episode and they left us with Flint ready to fire upon Vane in the fort. I can’t stand it. So until then…

Long John slithers his way out of yet another flogging or keelhauling. Silver was pretty quiet this episode because of the focus on Vane, Flint’s return to New Providence, and more beheadings, but he did manage to convince Flint’s crew to forgo the vote on whether or not to go carousing on New Providence. Silver explained how sailing into the bay with Spanish markings on their canvas was maybe not such a wise idea.

Number of Flint sneers. One managed to sneak out when he was berating Eleanor for acquiescing to Vane. I believe Miranda might have sneered at Eleanor as well.

Flint is brilliant, delusional, or downright scaring the crap out of me. We learn he can be downright romantic. He leaves a book for Miranda with the words “I’m sorry” written on the inside cover. We learn their affair began over a Spanish copy of Don Quixote. Our sociopath is quite the man of letters. Not quite so romantic, however, when the New Providence pirates learned about Gate’s untimely demise. (Flint’s quartermaster who he killed in the first season.) Eleanor was pretty freaked out when she found out Flint had killed Gates. The pirates hold fine lines between brutality and outright evil fuckery and killing one of your own crew without justification falls into the evil f&%$# category as we learned after Anne Bonny and Jack killed members of their own crew.

Wenches behaving bad-ass-ly. Eleanor tried to get the upper hand on Miranda, calling her too unremarkable to warrant a mention from Flint, but Miranda has years of high-handed, British upper-class bitchiness under her belt and hands Eleanor her ass. Miranda knows what Flint’s demons whisper at night. I’d personally like to know what the both of them are smoking on that island, what local jimson weed causes one’s inner demons to whisper.

Miranda was quite the saucy wench. She basically seduced Flint back in London, showing up at his tidy apartment with very untidy thoughts. Back when women had little power, I hand it to those who took what they could, when they could. I especially liked when she told Flint about the whispers over her infidelities and how they didn’t bother her or her husband. Sooo, is she implying she has an open relationship with hubby? Or that hubby is oblivious? Time will only tell. Adding the flashbacks to Flint and Miranda’s past haven’t broken up the pacing at all and have only added more depth to these characters.

On deck shenanigans.

Vane’s crew of natty dreads pictured above (these guys are impressive in their natty-ness) carried out quite the efficient suprizal, sneaking aboard New Low’s ship and taking out the crew. It was quite satisfying when Low called out for Mr. Holmes after he gave Vane some shade about having to come to his ship alone because his crew don’t respect him no more. Mr. Holmes don’t work here anymore. Boo yah! Well played Vane.

Pirate history check. When Vane shows Eleanor Ned Low’s hostage, Eleanor tells him how Peter Ash, the Carolinas governor…(I’m a bit confused at the Carolinas lumping here because I believe both North and South Carolina were split into separate colonies in 1712) Anyway, Ash had hung men he even suspected of piracy. It was actually pretty difficult for a colonial governor to try a man for piracy. Governors needed permission from the king to hold a piracy trial under their own authority. Piracy trials were under the jurisdiction of the Vice Admiralty so most pirates had to be shipped off to London. (This legal loophole was later resolved by legislators in London.) Some governors claimed the ability to act as representatives of the Vice Admiralty, but that was a stretch. In fact, Governor Spotswood of Virginia tried William Howard, one of Blackbeard’s quartermasters. Howard actually had a lawyer and called upon him, but through some legal shenanigans on Spotswood’s part, his lawyer was banned from the trial. Spotswood tried and convicted Howard, but later he was released as a result of a pardon. (From Blackbeard by Angus Konstam)

Episode MBP (most badass pirate).

Vane has quite the flowery script, he does. Writing in blood must inspire the inner calligrapher, at least I’m thinking that was his ink of choice.

I’m sad to see Ned Low go even though it appears he existed to serve as a plot device, but we have Vane to give us the occasional beheading and savage reprisal when needed. Early in the episode, Low told Vane how he was an irrational blunt instrument with an instinct toward the extreme. Episode X, we learned how Flint has a dark, wild “it”. So while Low and Flint are ruled by their “its”, Vane appears to be more rational and calculating in handling his “it” or blunt instrument, unless Eleanor’s involved. His “it” tends to get pretty fired up then. In fact, the romance writer in me has a theory about Vane, especially after Max asked him if he wanted to know how she stopped caring about Eleanor, and he responded with a very firm negative. Last season, Vane told the story of how Eleanor used to sneak out to the beach and flaunt her little, 13 year-old self in front of the pirates, casting demure smiles that said, I own you. Well, one of those smiles stuck on Vane. It’s possible Vane holds on to his affection for Eleanor to keep him from going full on Ned Low psycho. Whatever the reason, ‘tis very intriguing.

Billy Bones, Billy Bones is our true hero. We didn’t see him get more tortured, thankfully. But I did come across an interview with Tom Hooper, who plays Billy, and he provides some interesting insights into what is coming for our Billy. http://www.tvguide.com/news/black-sails-billy-dead-1079026/

Jack Rackham quote. To Anne Bonny, “She [Max] knows how to play the thing between your legs better than I.” I called the threesome! Starz didn’t disappoint. Max got Vane to do some public displays of affection so Jack and Anne could return to piracy. I enjoyed the scene in which Jack and Anne lovingly discussed building their own crew, acquiring a piragua. I wonder, ultimately, what Max’s stake is in all this. Is she really that into Anne?

So Vane now has Low’s prized plunder in his possession, the daughter of Governor Peter Ash of the Carolinas. Anyway, we glimpsed Charleston (Charles Town at the time), South Carolina in the season teasers. My second pirate book is partly set in the Carolinas around this time, so I’m excited to see Charles Town portrayed.

Eight blow my scuttlebutts because plot device Ned Low is gone, but overall awesomeness!

The Crossbones Finale

Posted on August 6, 2014 by admin

Crossbones aired its final episode, and by final, we’re talking end of show. It’s not surprising they decided to cancel. While I found some of the drama compelling and Malkovich’s scene chewing fun to watch, the plot meandered between different characters without really settling in. What was touted as the MacGuffin, the chronometer, was quickly disposed of rather anti-climatically in, oh, the third or fourth episode, leaving me flapping worse than a loosened sail. It popped up again in the finale and I have no idea how it wound up in the hands of the Spanish fleet. I really would have liked to have learned more about Lowe’s past as the king’s spy, more about Blackbeard himself, or more from Charlie Rider. He grew on me and I was glad to see him surface and kick ass in the final battle. Charlie, mate, take yon red coat and head on over to New Providence and join Flint’s crew.

I expressed my dislike in a previous post over the liberties taken with historical fact surrounding Blackbeard’s life, and still believe the show creators could have incorporated the facts about Blackbeard better, if they were going to use him at all. The show professed to be based off of Colin Woodard’s book, The Republic of Pirates, but I saw no resemblance whatsoever to the book. Once again, why not just create a new pirate character? I guess they thought Blackbeard’s name attached to the show would bring in more viewers, which is true, but for me it detracted from the show.

While I liked Kate Balfour in the beginning, she really began annoying me toward the end. So self-righteous toward Lowe, as if she bore no responsibility for her actions. And her attempt to abort her and Lowe’s unborn child because she didn’t think her husband, James Balfour, could stand another tragedy just struck me as another plot device to increase drama and conflict. Who knows? Maybe they began that subplot before knowing the show would be canceled. I was surprised at how neatly they wrapped everything up, making me think they had an alternate ending already shot and ready to go when word came down about the cancellation.

I was actually okay with Selima’s fate. (This was actually the best use of the highly derivative, yet pretty freaky Antoinette.) Selima failed to stir any emotions in me beyond distaste. I didn’t get her at all, and once again, could be because of the failure to develop the secondary characters. Case in point, and I apologize once again for the Black Sails comparison, take Max from Black Sails. She went through some pretty heinous sh@&* as the pirate sex slave. When she escaped that situation, coming out stronger and tougher to challenge the brothel madame, I liked her loads more than in the first few episodes because I could empathize with her choices after the horrible experience.

The only person who seemed to really go through some heinous sh@%$ on Crossbones was Lowe and the constant threat of death. And let’s discuss that more shall we, because I never believed for a second, in the what? three times they almost killed him, that they would actually really killl him. The plot device grew old fast. And what was the point with trepanning Blackbeard’s skull except to make my intestines shrivel and squirm?

So in the end Blackbeard walks off into the sunset. Who’s shriveled head did Lowe deliver to the Brits in Jamaica? And is Lowe a pirate now? Will he and James Balfour share daddy duties to Kate’s child? I guess we’ll never know.

Pirate Shenanigans: Black Sails and Crossbones Comparison

Posted on June 20, 2014 by admin

Just like a spicy glass of wine or pecan praline ice-cream, I couldn’t resist a comparison of Black Sails and Crossbones. Regardless of what I think of either show, it’s super exciting to have two pirate shows on tv that are attempting a more serious, grounded take than say, Pirates of the Caribbean (which is still enjoyable if only to see Depp and Rush as Sparrow and Barbosa). Another show called Port Royal was supposed to go into production, but maybe they dropped it. (I think it was HBO) So tons of credit upfront to the creators and producers for giving us these shows!

First, I offer kudos to both shows for featuring strong female characters. We have Eleanor Guthrie, Max, and Anne Bonny from Black Sails; and Kate, Nenna, and Selima on Crossbones. These women are working hard to survive and carve out some semblance of independence and strength in a world where women were treated like chattel. And at least, Black Sails doesn’t try to make these women necessarily heroic or independent of the male-dominated social structure. They have to survive within that society, including sleeping with men to get what they want. I don’t believe for a second Blackbeard on Crossbones would be keeping Selima around with her refusing to sleep with him. For someone like Blackbeard, she has nothing to offer that he doesn’t already think he can do for himself. So maybe there’s something else going on between those two the show hasn’t yet revealed.

Now the sheer nature of the pirate havens like New Providence and their looser hierarchies probably provided a smidgen more social space for women to be independent. Eleanor Guthrie is an interesting character, having taken over her father’s merchant trade and using that to gain power and influence. But she pissed off Charles Vane and I’m excited to see that play out next season. Max is a prostitute yet she climbed out of becoming a literal slave to the pirates to a powerful force, running the brothel with Jack Rackham.

Black Sails - Episode 1.04 - IV - Promotional Photos (6)_FULL

Anne Bonny from Black Sails

The historical, Anne Bonny, and her female pirate counterpart, Mary Read, were truly fascinating figures.
Historical records show Bonny left a fairly prosperous life to marry a penniless sailor. When her father disinherited her, she and her husband moved to the Bahamas. Continue reading →

Mimi Sebastian

On the dark side of love

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