Black Sails III (Starz 8 Feb 2014, with Mark Ryan)

In Black Sails III Silver is in the hands of Flint’s men having committed the missing page of ship’s log to memory and then burnt it. He agrees to re-write the page – but not all of it. Silver wants to rejoin the crew and take a fair share of the haul.

With enough of the plan now in place Flint and Eleanor begins preparations to go in search of the Treasure Galleon Urca d’Lima – however they need a consort ship to go with them. This is not an operation they can tackle alone.

Eleanor tries to persuade her father, who is still recuperating from the fight with the English soldiers, to help with the organisation and funding of the expedition. Meanwhile Gates pays a visit to prominent pirate captain Benjamin Hornigold, he proposes that Flint lets him use his boat and crew (with Gates in charge) in exchange for a share of the proceeds. After a visit from Rackham Gates realise that Vane would be a better proposition for consort than Hornigold’s ship. Flint of course is not keen. Gates and Rackham broker a meeting and eventually an understanding is reached.

We discover that Vane has been holding Max prisoner. We are also learning that this is a series that Games of Thrones style is not afraid of overstepping the bounds of propriety, from nudity to language to violence (including a very off scene of Max getting raped by Vane’s men). It’s an act that sees Eleanor taking immediate steps to bring Vane down. Being in control of the town makes her very powerful in the eyes of Vane’s crew. She makes it plain that if Vane’s men do not renounce him and join Flint’s crew they are finished. They are left with no alternative and Vane is left with no crew and no ship.

We are also learning more about the main characters, Silver is a chancer, Flint is desperate, Vane is a thug and Eleanor is very calculating. It’s interesting too that so far it is Gates and Billy Bones rather than Captain Flint. that are the glue keeping the crew together.

The production design on the series is superb though across every aspect. Surely Starz make the most sumptuous looking series. Between this and Outlander they rule the roost when it comes to set and costume design.

production details
USA / Starz / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 8 February 2014

Writers: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Robert Levine / Director: Neil Marshall

Series: Black Sails Season 1 Episode 3

cast
Toby Stephens as Captain Flint
Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie
Luke Arnold as John Silver
Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max
Tom Hopper as Billy Bones
Zach McGowan as Captain Charles Vane
Toby Schmitz as Rackham
Clara Paget as Anne Bonny
Mark Ryan as Gates
Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Mr. Scott
Sean Cameron Michael as Richard Guthrie
Louise Barnes as Miranda Barlow
Jeremy Crutchley as Morley
Patrick Lyster as Captain Benjamin Hornigold
Lawrence Joffe as Randal
Jannes Eiselen as Dufresne
Mark Elderkin as Pastor Lambrick
Dylan Skews as Logan
Neels Clasen as Hamund
Quentin Krog as Turk
Richard Antrobus as Phillip
Winston Chong as Joji
Georgie Calverley as Ranger Crew Member