Black Sails Season 1 overview (no spoilers).
1. Like other historical and pseudohistorical shows, dialogue is a blend of the high-toned and the many bad swearz low-brow. Both have their charms.
2. Costumes are not 100 % but close enough that you won’t want to kill the designer. Guys look good with open shirts and neckerchiefs, okay?
3. Anne Bonney is played by a tiny little woman with a deep, deep voice (Clara Paget). Heart. Who has a BDSM relationship with her partner. Yeah.
4. SO TIRED OF THE MAGICAL NEGRO CHARACTER. I mean no disparagement to Hakeem Kae-Kazim, classically trained Old Vic actor, but it’s a one note character so far (must repay the woman who taught him to read even if her plots etc etc) although they do manage to subvert the ‘I will suck up anything as your faithful family retainer’ meme a teeny bit.
5. SO TIRED OF THE MAGICAL WHORE CHARACTER. But DAMN she is hot, and Canadian. So. She ain’t Inara but she’s mesmerizing.
6. Despite this show being Long John Silver’s backstory (yup!) there are long stretches when he doesn’t appear. When he does appear, he prods the plot along like Satan himself. And he’s played by a fresh faced Australian lad who’s also quite cute.
7. They save it until later episodes, but there is peen.
8. Don’t even try to predict what will happen next.
9. Scenes of pirates putting in their false crazy teeth before a fight heart heart heart.
10. REALLY REALLY AMAZING FIGHTING SAIL SCENES. Like the best ever shown in a tv show. If you like Patrick O’Brian you may enjoy the show just for that.
11. Guns misfire. BWA HA HA HA HA !
12. Ship’s kitty! d’awwww
13. Ew, 17th century medical procedures.
14. As previously mentioned, somewhat period instruments orchestrated by Bear McCreary for your musical pleasure.
15. And otherwise, very evocative and clever sound design.
16. If you can go longer than 15 seconds without thinking that Hannah New playing Elinor Guthrie (previously she was the Princess from Maleficent) is actually a smarter and nicer version of Cersei Lannister, you’re a better person than I am.
Also 310 words yesterday. Something very weird happened and now I am wrassling with my characters for control.
