Black Sails XXIX (Starz 29 Jan 2017, with Winston Chong)

In Black Sails XXIX the first episode of the fourth and final season, Flint’s fleet is heading back to Nassau. What they haven’t reckoned with is Rogers laying a trap, deliberately laying a bank of wrecked ships just off shore to stall the fleet and then opening fire on the ships.

Only the man o’war commanded by Blackbeard and Rackham is safe. They hope that Rogers will send ships out after them allowing the survivors at least a chance to get ashore.

Silver goes missing in the water, believed dead. 121 of the men have been captured and will stand trial as quickly as possible. Meanwhile Billy Bones takes Flint and the rest of the survivors deep into the interior. Bones tells Flint that following the Maroon battle the Naval commander took most of his ships and returned to England. Rogers has enough men to guard the city but not enough to go in search of Flint.

Billy thinks if they wait a few days they can muster enough to tackle the town head on. Flint thinks they need to attack immediately, however Billy makes it clear now that Silver is not around he is now the one the men answer to. Flint threatens to withhold the location of the cache of black pearls if he doesn’t get his way but a dangerous stand off is avoided with Madi revealing that she too knows the location of the cache.

Silver has found an air pocket on one of the rapidly sinking ships and eventually makes his way to the shore. Only to be immediately captured by a rogue pirate who is keen to collection the 500 pieces that is being offered for his capture.

Eleanor is now calling herself Mrs Rogers and has further cemented her position. She is disturbed to learn that Rogers has accrued massive debts in trying to get the Nassau mission off the ground and his former wife is now using her influence to have his debts called in.

It’s another episode full of stunning and epic set pieces. The ships running foul and the fall out from it is a superb slice of action.

production details
USA / Starz / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 29 January 2017

Writer: Robert Levine, Jonathan E. Steinberg / Director: Lukas Ettlin

Series: Black Sails Season 4 Episode 1

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
Toby Schmitz as Rackham
Clara Paget as Anne Bonny
Luke Roberts as Woodes Rogers
David Wilmot as Israel Hands
Ray Stevenson as Blackbeard
Zethu Dlomo as Madi
Chris Larkin as Captain Berringer
Andre Jacobs as De Groot
Laudo Liebenberg as Dooley
Anna-Louise Plowman as Mrs. Hudson
Craig Jackson as Featherstone
Lise Slabber as Idelle
Chris Fisher as Ben Gunn
Winston Chong as Joji
Aidan Whytock as Jacob Garrett
Andrian Mazive as Kofi
Wilson Carpenter as Ellers
Alistair Moulton Black as Dr. Howell
Craig Hawks as Reuben
Dale Jackson as Lieutenant Utley
Clyde Berning as Lieutenant Kendrick
Rory Acton Burnell as Colin
Adam Neill as Mr. Soames
Mike Westcott as Judge Adams
Clinton du Preez as Revenge Doctor
Mark Elderkin as Pastor Lambrick
Milton Schorr as Lieutenant Burrell
Sizo Mahlangu as Obi