re: Official BLACK SAILS Re-watch/1st Watch Thread - All Episodes Watched- Raise the Black!

Updated the OP. The whole series is up for discussion now.

That speech and the welcome to darkness speech are my two favorite. Another one that wasn’t as long but I love was Vane’s take on domesticity.

I’ll have to respond to others over the next few days once I’m back from vacation. But I emailed myself my comments so I could paste them in here.

I’ll just combine all of my thoughts on the last few episodes together since the story all runs together and gets wrapped up.

A lot of the Skeleton Island stuff was semi-fresh for me, although things did trigger in my mind while I was watching.

It sucks that Billy’s plan to divide Flint and Silver worked so well. It also sucks that Silver let him live instead of putting him into the ground where he belongs.

The whole relationship/love thing with Max and Anne is so weird and just feels so forced and fake. Max has done all of this shite to rise to power, but she refuses to marry a man (in name only) because she fears she wouldn’t be able to make things right with Anne? Get the frick out of here. Anne doesn’t give a shite, and even if she wanted to be with Max she certainly wouldn’t care if she were pretend married to the governor. That’s a win-win for everybody basically.

It does suck that for all the awesome scenes with Flint and Silver, they were both constantly planning to frick each other over at every turn by the end. And what’s weird is they both did it because they both truly believed in their vision and plan. But it was cool that even though they kept doing that, they never could actually take the step to kill one another due to the mutual love/respect they did have. A very complicated relationship for sure. But an entertaining one to watch onscreen. And you can tell just how sincere Flint is when he talks about saving Madi. He’s not stupid and tries his best to lean odds to his favor, but he still reassures Silver that Madi is also a top priority. And he means it.

The penultimate episode with Flint and Silver practicing swordplay (no pun intended, Capt. Flint) is also great with Flint calling him out on lying about pretty much all of his past.

Even down to the last episode, Flint’s fighting knowledge is showing its worth by splitting up Silver’s crew to take them out a few at a time. Whether it’s strategy, naval battles, hand to hand combat, etc., Flint really is a total fricking badass. He was just guided (and misguided) by wild aspirations ultimately.

Rogers making the plea to Madi again to spare Silver’s life, but she ain’t having that shite at all. That girl knows what’s up and is committed to the cause.

Flint straight up manhandled Israel Hands. I wasn’t expecting that…I figured it would be a lot more even. But he defeated him easily. And then of course Flint shoots Dooley, which is another mark on Silver’s side about how Flint will do anything and sacrifice anybody to get what he wants.

The Flint/Silver fight was sort of dumb. Flint obviously could have killed him easily, but was trying to avoid it altogether. Silver was just big mad and couldn’t control his emotions. What’s weird is even though these last several episodes have seen the scales of power totally shift from Flint to Silver, it’s only really because Flint allowed it to happen and is almost choosing to step back and let Silver lead…even despite Silver’s bad decisions lately.

frick Silver for trusting anything Rogers and Billy has to say. And it ends up costing him almost his entire crew. That scene of the men abandoning ship when it’s on fire and Rogers’s men capping them in the water was brutal. And that fricking a-hole Billy leading the way and shooting his former brothers. I really hated Billy’s turn a lot more this time around for some reason. Even moreso that he survives in the end. Sure being stranded on Skeleton Island isn’t great, but he has that bitch all to himself, along with remnants of the ship for materials. He’ll be fine. And I don’t like that.

Flint telling Jack that he’s taking control of the ship because he gives them the best chance to achieve shite was awesome. Flint is as alpha as they come sometimes. Jack: “You people…”

Look at my boy Jack actually fighting and kicking some arse. If only Charles and Blackbeard were around to see him now. They’d be proud of him I bet, especially Charles.

I do love how Rogers, even when captured and Jack tells him he won’t be going under the ship, he’s unphased for the most part. He’s been such a great character and stands out in a show with awesome characters.

The scene with Silver and the lowly cook was awesome. He’s now come completely full-circle from where he started. That was a nice little touch by the showrunners.

The plantation is “near Savannah”? I could’ve sworn earlier this season they said it was in Florida.

Featherstone was great. Him getting Jack to Skeleton Island (“You’re welcome, by the way”) and then even ending up as governor of Nassau. And I can’t tell but think he maybe actually sort of ends up with Idelle in the end too. I’ve really enjoyed Featherstone this time around.

How Jack couldn’t tell that this Mark Read dude is actually a girl is hilarious. It’s so very clearly a woman. But I do love that the last thing we see basically is Jack still being disappointed in his flag design and thinking it needs to be changed.

Thanks for this thread. It’s been awesome rewatching this show, and I think I may actually retain a lot more of it this time around. This show is top-tier television IMO.

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Sure being stranded on Skeleton Island isn’t great, but he has that bitch all to himself, along with remnants of the ship for materials. He’ll be fine. And I don’t like that.

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well then you're going to love the opening of Treasure Island

i got shite to say..but yep i freaking LOVED everything about skeleton island scenes..Jack's face when he shows up and see the ship on fire, Woodes fleeing and Flint waving his hands in the woods.. Jack has truly seen it all but the look on his face was priceless.

Seems like everything has been pretty much covered.

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How Jack couldn’t tell that this Mark Read dude is actually a girl is hilarious. It’s so very clearly a woman.

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I imagine Mark Read is based on Mary Read, who along with Anne were two notorious women pirates.

Both convicted of piracy but spared temporarily because they were both pregnant. Read died in prison, end for Anne not known.

I realize that Madi had to go back to Silver in the end (Treasure Island?), but I wish that scene had not occurred. Madi truly believed in the cause like Flint, who still remains my favorite character of the series. I wanted Silver to have a bit of comeuppance, but alas.

Thanks everyone! Was a blast.

ok now that we're done..

LOVED the pirates in the snow such an odd out-of-place-and-time setting for our Nassau friends dealing with freezing weather and trying to stay warm. must have felt like hell for them.

in fact, that whole 'civilization' setting vs the secret battle at an unmapped island taking place was quite a comparison.

Flint v Silver. what a fight; and was Silver still ignorant to how Teach was treated? wasn't he briefed by Jack before the 2 boats split up? how was he so surprised when they were outsmarted by Woods who was casually blowing the heads off prisoners 100 yards away from their boat?

damn woods..dude got frickED IN THE arse at the end. loved Jack asking if he could help craft the story of what went down to deliver to his creditors..a fate worse than keel-hauling for Woods. Woodes(?) was there an e?

FAFO..unleash the Spanish hounds to rape and pillage the island then don't act surprised when your wife is...pillaged.

RIP Walrus

fricking mapleton. how did that lard arse survive and come out on top yet again?

billy biceps..you sunovabitch. he gets his due eventually in treasure island

goodbye Mr De Groot and our sweet silent samauri prince! you fought well only to also die at the hands of Flint

the whole 'convincing Flint to turn back into his former self' would have been interesting to see but i guess we can imagine much better in our heads in the weeks from being on that rock with Silver to hand-cuffed and walking into the plantation.

speaking of which..i think its ENTIRELY consistent within the character of Madi (who wants to see the world burn due to the cruelty done to her people) and Flint (who has no reason not to see the world burn) and in the end, Silver was correct all along although it was a long-shot that his hunch would turn out to be true regarding the farm in savannah. what an ace he was holding onto throughout the last few episodes biding his time...

and speaking of that; it was interesting both Silver and Flint's loves survived. I had forgotten Madi lived..i thought when i saw her on the floor in the burning house that she died...but again, it makes sense that eleanor who was out of her mind with a mortal flesh wound wouldn't have realized Madi wasn't dead and perhaps she came to later and crawled out to the woods before it burned all the way down.

thats the only thing that makes sense to me; if she had seen eleanor she would have likely tried to come to her aid so i'm guessing she missed her in the smoke or simply left by a different route to be picked up later by Woodes.

i hate that i know IRL what happened to jack & bonnie shortly after that last scene. would have loved for them to have lasted a bit longer.

featherson as governor completely missed that from the first time around.

i stand by my analysis; S4 wrapped up tight and in an entirely believable fashion. wish there had been more fighting on skeleton island with Woodes; the shooting fish in a barrel was such a sad way for the Walrus crew to do out. Couldn't swing a sword to defend yourself struggling in the water against red coats holding rifles in long boats

Jack wrote a book



Alas, seems to be out of print on Amazon and eBay

One final thought. Would love it if they had done a post credits scene where Flint is filling Thomas in on what he's been up to since he was told he was dead.

Just one bump because I never really posted about the finale.

Just wanted to say that this has my all-time favorite final scene. Don't think it's my favorite finale in general though it was really really good. But man that final scene is so subtly good.

I love that it doesn't end with either Flint or Silver who would be pretty widely viewed as the two main characters. Even Max would probably be viewed as more of a main character than Jack, so definitely glad they didn't end with her. I think if they end with Flint and him embracing Thomas, you leave feeling that the show was really just a love story or a journey for Flint to get back to Thomas. Same for Silver, the show would end like it was a love story. But ending with Jack...

You have a guy who cares so much about his legacy. So much about his name and the things he does standing the test of time. He wants to be spoken in the same breath as Vane, Teach, Flint, etc. For a few seasons he had someone working on his flag for when he has a crew himself. in season 2 (I think) he has a few designs drawn up, and he seems them and just gives a shrug and a they aren't really good enough. They don't strike fear and they aren't memorable.

Fast forward to the end and Jack is one of the last pirates standing, he has his own crew, his name is now mentioned along with Vane, Teach, Flint. He just doesn't have a flag. You've kind of forgotten that he doesn't have a flag. Well he's on the ship standing with Anne ready to set sail and they say they have the new flag for him. They reveal it and it's the freaking Jolly Roger flag You're thinking o hell yea that is bad arse, Jack is going to love that, dude is going to fly one of the most famous flags in history, one that will seriously last forever, just what Jack wants.

What is his response? In perfect Jack fashion he says... "It's fine. It's fine."

Freaking perfection final scene. Jack part starts at the 4:00 mark.

Picked this rewatch thread up late but read the discussion as I watched this series. Incredible show. Goes right up there as one of the best series I have seen.

The final episode hit the mark giving closure to each of the characters. I did not like where they left Flint though, just doesn't seem realistic to me. Does anybody really think Flint would allow Silver to send him to the penal colony in Savannah, even if Thomas were there? No way Silver had the power to subdue Flint. At some point Silver would have needed to use the knowledge of Thomas to entice Flint to go to Savannah, knowledge he had been keeping from Flint for some time. More likely that once Flint learns of Thomas, he forcefully invades Savannah and rescues Thomas.

Flint fought his life for freedom from England, only to end up a slave to England. Tragic end, or was it? The other option is that Silver killed Flint and then lied to Madi about Savannah and Thomas. Jack goes along with the lie and can assure Grandma Guthrie that Flint is out of the picture and won't return because he knows he's dead. Guthrie, given her status, is probably very aware of Savannah and knows Flint isn't getting out of there, so she is fine with the deal. In the end though, Flint is really dead.

Ah but, in Treasure Island Billy Bones shows up with a map that he presumably got from Flint, right? Does he? Stories, remember what Jack says about stories. "A story is true. A story is untrue. As time extends, it matters less and less. The stories we want to believe, those are the ones that survive, despite upheaval and transition and progress. Those are the stories that shape history." I suppose it is possible that Flint lived because the map shows up in Treasure Island and only Flint knew of the location. Or maybe that's just the story they want us to believe.

MVPirate goes to Capt. Jack Rackham. He turned out to be my favorite character. "It's fine. It's fine." Perfect final scene.