Of Monsters And Men. Retrospective: Black Sails – “I.”

Season 1, Episode 1

Airdate: Saturday, January 25, 2014, 9/8c on Starz.

Rating: ★★★★★

“You see, gossip is what holds civilization together. It reinforces shame…without shame, the world is a very dangerous place.” Capt. Hume of HMS Scarborough

Don’t let the impressive set design, beautiful cast, and talented crew of STARZ’s new high seas drama series Black Sails fool you; this isn’t anything like a certain popular theme park ride turned blockbuster movie starring Johnny Depp. No, Black Sails is a gritty and unapologetic story of greed and ambition inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, Treasure Island. Black Sails serves as a prequel, some 20 years prior to the events in the book, and covers one of the most fascinating periods in history: The Golden Age of Piracy.

Welcome to the War

I know many people don’t like a written opening sequence or subtitles, but in Black Sails it sets the tone, and addresses the hostile nature of its place in time. Right off the bat, you know there isn’t anything safe about this world we’re about to venture into.

“In 1715, West Indies, the pirates of New Providence Island threaten maritime trade in the region. The laws of every civilized nation declare them ‘hostis humani generis’ – enemies of all mankind. In response, the pirates adhere to a doctrine of their own…war against the world.”

Immediately, we are taken straight aboard the Walrus, a ship that is about to be attacked by pirates and led by the infamous Captain Flint (Toby Stephens). While all hell breaks loose above deck, down below the cook isolates himself from the rest of the crew in a safer area. He’s not alone for long. A young crewman rushes in seeking shelter as well, and barricades the door. Who might this handsome lad be? None other than John Silver; yes, that (Long) John Silver, and the birth of this origin story sets off.

Flint’s crew raids the cargo ship mercilessly in what is one hell of a battle sequence. The director for “I.,” Neil Marshall, does an amazing job of showing details—from explosions to weaponry—without losing track of the story. Considering Marshall also directed “Blackwater,” one of the better Game of Thrones episodes, his strength at balancing the scripted drama along with the action onscreen is clearly demonstrated throughout.

What makes Black Sails interesting in the first half of the episode is the way it deals with the main characters. The key elements of Treasure Island are there but instead of mimicking the source material, Black Sails forges its own identity by taking away some of the mawkish ideas about pirates with peg legs and parrots. You won’t find people saying, “Yarrrr!” or vast amounts of rum stashed away. What you do get is a lot of blood. Seriously, they could bathe in it, that’s how much fighting goes on in “I.”

Man On A Mission

There are two leading points in “I.” — treasure and politics. When Flint takes over the ship and we first meet Silver, it quickly becomes a collision with fate. It appears Silver possesses something Flint has long been searching for, and Flint has the means to secure the ultimate prize for Silver. Although they don’t share any scenes together, their individual storylines show the potential of their partnership; Silver’s trickster skills and Flint’s ruthlessness will make them a force to reckon with down the line.

Unfortunately for Flint, he’s not on his best A game. Despite the raid, he isn’t making good profits, and one of his own men wants to take his place as captain of the Walrus. Ah, but if only they knew Flint’s endgame with the Urca del Lima—a ship containing a rich bounty of silver and gold that will be worth millions of dollars when found. But as the case with some of the best laid plans, there is a bit of a snag. Flint is missing a page from a log book that contains vital clues about Urca del Lima’s voyage. Until he finds it, Flint will have to keep up the charade of being a “weak” captain.

“I.” moves methodically as it sets the stage for what is becoming a game of capture-the-log-page as we are introduced to various other critical game players. On board with Team Flint is Gates (Mark Ryan) and Billy Bones (Tom Hopper) who act as guides for viewers. A lot of their scenes point out rules aboard a pirate ship, as well as the consequences for breaking said cardinal rules. Yes, even pirates have their own code of ethics, even if they don’t always follow them. As far as Silver is concerned, he’s kind of a man without a country; his allegiance doesn’t seem to belong to anyone but himself. Silver will definitely be the trigger for setting off a whole ball of crazy once word spreads about Urca del Lima’s treasure.

Sex, Treasure, and Motley Crews

We soon arrive at the motherland for all pirates, New Providence Island at the port in Nassau. As the central location for the most lucrative transactions in illegal trade, Nassau is the best place for anyone to take up a life of piracy. At the heart of all the chaos is the prominent Gutherie family, an influential group whose many business connections and wealth make it easy for them to arrange some profitable (very illegal) arrangements. But it’s not just the respectable folks with the upper hand. The prostitutes do more than turn tricks, and are as dangerous as the men; their advantage of using pillow talk as an opportunity to gain valuable secrets makes them pretty cutthroat. The sliest lady of the night, Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy), is a master manipulator with her seductive French accent and quick wit. She steals and trades information like it’s her second calling, using both men and women for personal gain. Just look at poor Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New). The girl is hardcore, but that only makes her more fascinating to watch.

In this lawless paradise, there is no such thing as a new low, and when you meet the likes of Captain Vane (Zach McGowan), Rackham (Toby Schmitz), and Anne Bonny (Clara Paget), you’ll understand why. These characters are a great contrast to Flint’s team. They enter the scene during the cloak of night, walking beside the shore in slow strides towards some of Flint’s men. Without much warning, Bonny goes on the attack throwing down some skills with her blades killing all but one.

Vane brings a clear and present danger to Black Sails as the ultimate villain with an appalling sense of confidence, but his actions will offset the votes for Flint’s position as captain of the Walrus; less men, less votes for Flint. With Flint out of the way, Vane can form his own crew. Unbeknownst to them, Gates makes a plea with Eleanor to loan him money to help buy off votes. Despite the comments of her advisor, Mr. Scott (Hakeem Kae Kazim), Eleanor, for some unspoken reason, decides to go with it.

“We steal cargo at the end of a sword. We sell that cargo to markets that will never have you. When you are strong, you are a necessary evil. When you are not strong you are likely soon to be dead. But what you are not ever is a sound investment.” – Mr. Scott

Overall

There’s a lot going on in Black Sails and it’s not just eye-candy and action sequences. As a prequel to Treasure Island, I couldn’t help but admire the elements from the book that I recognized immediately. What’s interesting is how Black Sails incorporates facts along with the myths surrounding pirates without making it dull. For example, “Urca del Lima” was an actual Spanish treasure ship. Captain Vane and Anne Bonny are real historical figures. The opening credits work perfectly with the tone of the series, and the cinematography is beautiful.

The primary issue I had was with Max’s accent. Kennedy does a great job in her performance, but her mastering a French accent serves as a distraction. Otherwise, hats off to her. I thought it would be revealed that she faked it, like maybe she had a whole different identity. If that were the case, I’d give everyone total props, especially because Max is such a mysterious character. I wouldn’t be surprised if her accent were as fake as her alliances. But that’s the great thing about Black Sails, anything is possible when you’re dealing with sex, power, and piracy.

Tune in to Black Sails on Saturdays 9/8c, only on STARZ.

Follow the series on its official site: http://www.starz.com/originals/blacksails/, where you can also watch full episodes, and on http://www.pirates-wanted.com/

Follow Black Sails on its official twitter: @BlkSails_Starz and don’t forget the cast and crew:

@BlkSailsCreatrs,@mfernandezLA, @ScrambledLuke (Luke Arnold/John Silver), @ClaraPaget (Clara Paget/Anne Bonny), @markryan243 (Mark Ryan/Gates), @hannahnewuk (Hannah New/Eleanor Guthrie), @JParkerK (Jessica P Kenned/Max), @Zach_McGowan (Zach McGowan/Captain Vane), @fallofasparrow (Toby Schmitz/Rackham), @seancmichael (Sean Cameron Michael/Richard Guthrie), @Tomhopperhops (Tom Hopper/Billy Bones), @hakeemkaekazim (Hakeem Kae-Kazim/Mr. Scott)