Article first published as BLACK SAILS Review on Seat42F.
Starz’s BLACK SAILS, a prequel to
Treasure Island, opens exactly how one would expect such a show to begin
– with a high-octane battle on the high seas. It’s exciting, with lots
of fighting and bloodshed, explosions and combat. Basically, it kicks
things off as a pay-cable pirate program should, reeling in the viewers
with a flashy sequence that will hook those tuning in for just such a
scene.
Because this is Starz, there is
gratuitous violence and nudity. However, it’s not so much so that it
distracts from the story. Instead, it’s the sort of enhancement
subscribers have become accustomed to, and are typically used in the
correct manner, not being a hindrance to the writing.
Underneath that, there are real
characters and story that unfold over the hour, titled “I.,” perhaps a
reference to its literary roots. Captain Flint (Toby Stephens, Vexed) is
the leader of this pirate ship. His reign is threatened by a man named
Singleton (Anthony Bishop, District 9) when Flint’s power seems to
waver, with smaller and small hauls. Flint’s right-hand-man, Gates (Mark
Ryan, The Prestige), does his best to sway opinion back the other way,
but it may be too late.
This struggle is best illustrated
through the part of Billy Bones (Tom Hopper, Merlin), whose loyalty to
Flint is wavering, but whom still accompanies him on a mission to see
their business partner, Richard Guthrie (Sean Cameron Michael, This
Life), offering protection and counsel. Billy wants to keep the faith in
his superior, but because he thinks the captain has grown weak, he
considers turning away. Yet, he’s noble enough to give Flint the chance
to win back his authority.
BLACK SAILS is not a story of noble
people, by and large, but there is a certain honor code among a number
of the characters. Flint seems intelligent and has a legitimate beef
against those who would make the rules. Viewers will root for him to
succeed in his quest to become king of the pirates, even as that goes
against the law of the land. I supposed any series starring pirates,
though, must strive to make them likeable characters.
Somehow, the pirate myths have taken on
an air of romanticism over the years. These were hard men, outlaws who
would slit the throat of an innocent man to steal his treasure without
batting an eye. But there’s also an attractive, rebellious quality, a
hint that they might stand for something and are acting out for good
reason. Plus, they seem to lead a life of fun, and so we cheer their
accomplishments.
The character in BLACK SAILS I found
hardest to like is the one with the familiar name recognition, John
Silver (Luke Arnold, Winners & Losers). We know he’s a treacherous
fellow with a selfish streak, someone who will earn Flint’s trust and
fear. This dynamic is set up right away in “I.” for Silver, though Flint
is barely aware of the younger man’s existence. It’ll be interesting to
see when Silver makes his move and in what way.
The rest of the cast is packed with a
variety of interesting parts. Captain Vane (Zach McGowan, Shameless)
seems like the villain of the piece, at least in its first season, while
the motivations of Rackham (Toby Schmitz, The Cookes), another pirate,
are more murky. We have Mr. Scott (Hakeem Kae-Kizim, 24), who seems to
act more important than he is, and Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New, El
tiempo entre costuras), who may do the opposite.
Eleanor does feel like a stock
character, the strong woman in an era that didn’t have many of those.
Yet she also has a role to play that’s more than two dimensional. There
are two other girls in the main cast, too, Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy,
The Secret Circle) and Anny Bonny (Clara Paget, Fast & Furious 6),
prostitutes with business acumen, who can be described the same way. The
women in this show are not wasted or subservient when they don’t want
to be, and whether they are historically accurate or not, they will be
compelling parts.
There is a lack of suspense in the fates
of certain characters because the story of Treasure Island takes place
about twenty years after this starts, ensuring the survival of John
Silver, Captain Flint, and Billy Bones. We also know this crew will
eventually amass a large fortune, so their victory is guaranteed. That
is, unless BLACK SAILS decides to toss out its source material and go in
a completely original direction, which would be a refreshing surprise,
sure to be delivered with great effect.
The challenges BLACK SAILS faces are the
same as any prequel, admittedly, but the argument about being
disappointed because the lack of stakes figures more prominently here
than in other stories because it is such a dangerous tale. There is
inherent risk to the pirate life, and we see people killed in the first
hour alone. By removing any real threat to the lives of multiple main
players, it waters down their story, as well as makes the other main
characters more disposable, perhaps leading viewers to be less invested
in those who aren’t around for Treasure Island.
Apart from these things, though, BLACK
SAILS is an enjoyable and well-made show that I look forward to
watching. Its characters and story are better developed than other
recent Starz efforts, and the production looks terrific, using physical
sets more than CGI (though there’s some of that, too), and building on a
grand scale.
BLACK SAILS airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.
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