U can watch it here: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Sails-Season-1/dp/B00HWIC1LO
"Black Sails" was broadcast on STARZ television, known, among others, from Spartacus, with Michael Bay serving as executive producer. The series is a prequel to "Treasure Island" by Louis Stevenson. I haven't read the book, but some famous characters appear to appear here. Anyway, you do not need to know her to associate some of the more famous pirates.
Production is a complete work for me. A few sentences about pirates from the last episodes solidly close and sum up the adventures of Captain James Flint, John Silver and the rest of the fearless warriors of the seas and oceans. It does have its drawbacks, e.g. it simplifies some things too much, but in general there are no really big departures from the reality of that time. If you turn a blind eye to some flaws (characters talk a lot, some are too annoying and sometimes have too much airtime), we'll get a really good creation. To be honest, the above disadvantages for this particular series do not bother me at all, but some viewers complain that the title is too talkative, so I wanted to note it. Blood, Flint, a few brilliantly created characters, sex, more blood, conspiracies and quarrels, there are no allies there, only longer or shorter interests, and again Captain Flint, the second most brilliant hero I have ever seen in a series. Some of his texts can be (as in the case of Francis Underwood from House of Cards) written down and framed. The guy will stop at nothing and he is fucking determined, charismatic and extremely convincing. Even for his sake, it's worth giving this series a chance.
But let's start from the beginning, "Black Sails" is about the adventures of many famous pirates who are united in one place. It is Nassau. Here is another city of sailors, so that it could seem to be "enlightened people" living within the civilization. By no means, Nassau is something like the then Roanapur known from the popular anime Fri "Black Lagoon". A jumble of the worst people, a place where you can get murdered for nothing ... and with luck, because some mistakes pay for their own lives. At the same time, you can earn really good money from trading and piracy here. Now imagine thugs who know their worth, many play "for themselves" and will stop at nothing to get out of their way. At the same time, they are also honorable (or pretend well), which only adds to the drama of the whole game.
I would like to add that most of them are really successful creations, some of them are, in my opinion, outstanding. It is true that there are characters and plots that have been heavily criticized on the web (eg Eleanor and Max). However, it depends on your tastes, I am happy there because thanks to them I saw the best erotic scenes in the series. At the same time, Max is especially attractive, as she has several strong arguments, two of them are sometimes too exposed and thus please the male eye. They had their worst moments, a less well-written script, but I don't feel that they depreciate the show much. Fortunately, other characters raised him strongly. The relationship between James Flint and John Silver, really brilliant creations, inventive screenwriters, heavily using the actors' skills. "Blackbeard" is really enormous (definitely over 2 meters tall), physically strong, people had to be in their pants full of fear when they saw him. In addition, he has a very expressive voice, which he uses well. Rackham, Bonney and their colleague Charles Vane are an exceptionally successful trio. A charming, mean "bitch", who better not to stand in the way (a mix of Charles and James, and he swears like me, and that means something), an inconspicuous thinker and strategist, who, unfortunately, was often unlucky and did not succeed in life. Vane, on the other hand, is an uncontrolled beast like Flint. But while he can keep his nerves in check and calculates coolly, Charles Vane is a persona of a wild, aggressive dog.
As you can see, the characters are a huge plus of the series, and I did not write about a few important (though too spoilers) that also contribute. For me, however, the most important thing is the duo, which perfectly complements each other. James Flint and John Silver are for me an even better creation than the Ragnar-Athelstan couple from The Vikings. When they act together, they are an impenetrable force. They are both: charismatic, consistent, cruel, clever, selfish and diabolically intelligent. Even though they often agree, follow a different understanding and philosophy of life, they are tremendously effective. Initially, the main character is Flint, but later, with the following episodes, the role of "Long" grows and the partners gradually gain confidence in each other. As I said, the main character of "Black Sails" is for me a much more interesting creation than for example Ragnar from "Vikings". He is extremely charismatic and always raises the stakes. From a certain point, even his opponents said that whatever they did not do, he would always surprise them if he was left with any opportunity to act. He is so ambiguous, empathetic and ruthless that it is difficult to judge him, a rich personality. Toby Stephens, who played his role, is a really great actor! He can show the whole range of feelings, from genuine sadness, sometimes despair, through a poker face and a razor-sharp tongue that cannot be succumbed to, ending with genuine pissed off when he demolishes everything in his path. One of the "worst" heroes I have ever seen. I mentioned the voice, this one is great! Very charismatic, expressive, penetrating and loud. He communicates information and orders quickly and precisely (a memorable scene when he and Silver were in one place and had to escape). You can see that this is the level of a very good theater actor.
The action takes place on the picturesque islands of the Bahamas, with an emphasis on New Providence Island, so beautiful views are assured. It was possible to fall in love with some frames. It is not the level of pictures from "Vikings", but also here you can find really beautiful scenery, landscapes, in a word, well-chosen spots.
The action itself is not much, but when it happens, it flies to the top, and the creators are not afraid to show really brutal, strong tortures and fight scenes. The sex scenes were also presented boldly. There are very good moments both between women and heterosexual ones. There is even a pretty cool triangle, and fans of male romance will find something for themselves. This thread is quite controversial in the fan community, but the relationship itself was conducted so well, and its main character is so ambiguous that I "buy" the idea.
The first two seasons may be a bit boring, but it gets better with each episode. It is true that the episodes are also long-winded, but I like word games, operating on several fronts at the same time (as long as the action that results from it is sufficiently filling). Do you like series set in historical realities and are you waiting for the next season of "Vikings"? You can spend a very nice time with Black Sails. The final of each of the following seasons only raises the stakes. Fortunately, the creators ended the story at the right moment, almost at the peak of their glory. From me, 8/10 for the whole thing, I recommend it!
