This Saturday marks the return of the Starz original series Black Sails. It is the first of what should be an incredible run of shows in the first half of 2015, including seasons 3 of Vikings and Da Vinci’s Demons, as well as the return of Outlander and the next season of Game of Thrones. It rarely gets this good! Here are five questions I hope get answered this season as Captain Flint and the remains of his crew set their sights on the shipwrecked Urca de Lima!
1. How Will Flint Survive?
Since Black Sails is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, we should have always known that Flint was an evil bastard. After all, in Treasure Island it’s revealed he murdered his crew after hiding his precious treasure. Through the first half of Black Sails, however, Flint comes across more as the hero of the story. That is until he murders Billy Bones and Mr. Gates. After that last shocker, I was fully on the side of Mr. Dufrense and the rest of the mutineers, ready to see Flint hang for his crimes. Yet, for some reason, when he woke up on the beach after the Walrus was blown to bits by that Spanish man-of-war, his crew spared him. Is it because he was correct in his belief that they’d find the Urca? Or do they still plan to kill him once they seize the treasure? Who knows, but I suspect he’ll live and Long John Silver will have a big hand in his fate.
2. Will Eleanor Guthrie Get Her Revenge?
Eleanor Guthrie is one of my favorite characters on the show. She’s tough, takes no crap, and outmaneuvers most men – that is until her ex-lover and hated enemy, Captain Vane, seized the island’s fortress and ruined all her plans. But I wouldn’t count her out for too long. My money’s still on Ms. Guthrie!
3. Can Billy Bones Really Be Dead?
Last season, we saw Flint push him overboard into a stormy sea. Also, he doesn’t show up among the cast of characters on Starz’s website for this season. But could we truly have seen the end of Billy? Not according to Treasure Island, where the appearance of Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow puts the entire story in motion. Unless, of course, the man who claims to be Billy Bones in Treasure Island is actually some other pirate who has stolen his name! I hope Starz clears this up before the series ends.
4. Will Jack and Anne Bonny Rebound?
By the end of season one, Jack Rackham and Max took over the island’s brothel, balanced the books, and fired its cheating madam. Jack’s girlfriend and former crew mate on Vane’s ship, the beautiful and mysterious Anne Bonny, was none too happy about this, yet she appears to stick with Jack. But when Vane reappears, he renounces both of them. I have to believe Jack and Anne will either get back in Vane’s good graces (though Vane appears to be a fairly unforgiving man) or side with Ms. Guthrie against him. I look forward to finding out which it is.
5. Will Silver Outwit Them All?
Long John Silver, played by Luke Arnold, may be my absolute favorite character on the show. He’s a charming and conniving rouge who’s destined to become one of the most notorious pirates in literary history. But how will he get there? Somehow he needs to get crosswise with Flint. And there’s still the matter of the parrot and a missing leg (though, I’ll note, the real “cook” on the Walrus has already lost one). I suspect there are big things in store for Silver this season, and I look forward to seeing if I’m right!
But those are just my quick thoughts – let me know yours. What big questions are you hoping to have answered in the second season of Black Sails!
* Images courtesy of Starz
Bill
January 21, 2015 - 10:26 am ·Thank goodness for DVR technology!
Dennis Royer
January 21, 2015 - 12:19 pm ·I had no idea the relationship of Black Sails to Treasure Island.
Thank you for that revelation.
Joseph Finley
January 21, 2015 - 9:40 pm ·Dennis, thanks for the comment- I'm glad my post helped!
Bill
January 23, 2015 - 3:56 pm ·I read today in the WSJ that "Black Sails" enjoyed an increased budget for realism and a more "swashbuckling" look for this season.
Joseph Finley
January 24, 2015 - 5:10 pm ·That' sounds like good news. I've also heard it has been picked up for a third season. I think Starz has a hit on their hands.
sms7787
August 28, 2015 - 5:51 am ·What episode was #2 from? I see it everywhere but can't place it. Thank you!