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Are We There Yet? Retrospective: Black Sails – “IV.”

Season 1, Episode 4

Airdate: Saturday, February 15, 2014, 9/8c on Starz.

Rating: ★★★★★

 

 

 

 

“Help me save her from herself.” – Richard Guthrie

[warning]Warning: If you haven’t finished or seen this episode, there are spoilers ahead. [/warning]

We still haven’t made it off shore yet in episode “IV.” of Black Sails but that doesn’t mean the aftermath of “III.” hasn’t had its consequences for everyone. There are nice subtle touches in “IV.” that show the shifting relationships between several main characters, and there’s plenty of humor to keep the tone pretty even-keeled. Still, STARZ’s Black Sails continues to drag its feet, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re a patient person. That being said, “IV.” is one of the strongest episodes since John Silver (Luke Arnold) was captured by Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his men.

Ready, Set, Go?

It’s been a week since Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New) kicked Vane (Zach McGowan) out as captain of The Ranger furthering Flint’s obsession with finding the Urca de Lima. Even though Vane gets what he deserves, it’s sad that for once, he tries to show some kindness to Max  (Jessica Parker Kennedy) and still  gets screwed. Maybe that’s the only way we’ll see him grow into Flint’s ultimate nemesis.

 Meanwhile, Mr. Gates (Mark Ryan), The Walrus’ quartermaster, adjusts to his new job as “Captain Gates” on board The Ranger . It’s nice that Gates gets to be captain despite Rackham’s (Toby Schmitz) manipulations. With Gates out, it means all the men have to come to an agreement and vote as to who their new quartermaster will be. Gates nominates Billy Bones (Tom Hopper) to replace him, and the crew members have no disagreements on the matter. It’s interesting watching some kind of order among such a rowdy group of people. The crewmen on The Walrus serve as a good contrast to those on board The Ranger, who are some of the worst excuses for human beings. There’s a clear sense of which crew we should be rooting for but it feels almost like a trick. Take, for example, Gates. Despite his good nature, he leads me to believe that beneath that smile is a man who can be as much of a half-crazy SOB as Vane is when cornered. Remember, this is the same guy who has no problem covering up a murder, and would most likely beat the living hell out of Max if ordered to do so by Flint. Black Sails has a great way of providing a false sense of security with the main characters from time to time, keeping you on your toes but it also leaves you with a sense of dread for what is to come once everyone sets sail.

The majority of “IV.” consists of preparing The Walrus for its long voyage. In a move that proves to be deadly, Flint decides to careen the ship—a maneuver that requires tilting the vessel so they can make repairs and work on the ship’s maintenance. It looks as difficult as it sounds but what makes matters worse is De Groot (Andre Jacobs), one of Flint’s leading crew members, advises against it. Their location isn’t the best to perform such a task, but do you think Flint gives a hoot? Of course not! He uses the men’s lust for treasure against them to convince everyone to careen now rather than later. It’s one of the first signs that Flint doesn’t  care about the means as long as it gets him to the Urca.

As the men tie ropes around some palm trees to secure The Walrus’ position, Silver continues playing his cards and this time, throws Billy under the bus by planting the seed of doubt about Billy’s loyalties in Flint’s mind . While Billy continues to struggle with his new responsibilities, as well as his fear of working with Flint, he’s being  set up for failure. The poor guy is really stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

Guthries’ Gambit

The Guthries steal the show this week between Eleanor’s desperation to save New Providence at all costs, and Richard  (Sean Cameron Michael) running his schemes like a true player. It’s Richard who unveils what we’ve all been wondering about since meeting Miranda (Louise Barnes) — Who is Mrs. Barlow?

Only a few scenes highlight Richard but “IV.”  does a thorough job of illustrating how good he is at using people for his ultimate gain. He holds his cards close to the chest, making it difficult to discern whether he has his daughter’s best interests at heart or is using her as a way to manipulate Mr. Scott (Hakeem Kae-Kazim). Drawing Scott into his scheme will put more people in harm’s way. Speaking of risk, when Richard confronts Miranda about her true identity, it’s a well made play and I love how calculated he is when pleading his case. He wants redemption but more so, he wants revenge. He’s undoubtedly using Miranda to stick it to Flint.

Richard: “Places like this are not meant to last.”

Meanwhile, Eleanor continues to make bad life choices. Since punishing Vane, one of her biggest earners,  the whole island is on edge causing other captains to be wary of working with her. If losing business  isn’t bad enough, the pressure is on to convince Captain Bryson (Langley Kirkwood) of the Andromache, one of her father’s men, to lend her his guns for Flint’s ships. What’s interesting is the longer she continues this venture with Flint, the more she takes on his character traits. She is betraying the people she needs and who love her to save the island.


Vane Rising

Vane doesn’t have much screen time in “IV.” but we do see him in an unexpected way: hitting rock bottom. He was so well behaved last week until everything got shot to hell. You can’t help but feel a little bad for him, he is as vulnerable to love as any other man. When Rackham finds him, Vane is passed out after going on an opium  bender, and bloodied up. Between picking fights and succumbing to drugs, Vane is a lost soul. With hallucinations of a muscly giant looking pirate and Eleanor coming to his tent, we see Vane returning  to the vicious brute we love to hate.

 

Memorable Quotes

 “You watch, good men will die for some hidden agenda, the Barlow woman’s agenda. Mark my words, Billy, it’s all happening again.” – Morley warns Billy about Captain Flint’s mission for the Urca del Lima.

 

“I never ask anything of you but this I must insist on.” – Mr. Scott makes a plea for Eleanor to back off Captain Bryson if he doesn’t give them his guns for Flint’s mission.

 

After Flint pretends to enjoy Silver’s cooking in front of a crew member, he spits it out afterwards.

Flint: “What the fuck did you do to that?”

Silver: “I cooked it.”

Flint: “You absolutely did not.”

Memorable Moments

  • Silver’s task of roasting a pig on a spit gives everyone the “squirts.” Seriously, I can’t believe Silver doesn’t know when he fully cooked the animal, but this leads to some very funny exchanges between him and Flint.
  • Hands down, the most awkward and strange sex scene occurs between Miranda and Flint. Flint looks pretty much comatose when Miranda straddles him. Apparently, he’s pissed off about her conversation with Richard. Still, that just ain’t right to do to a woman!
  • Richard outplaying everyone! When Richard forms alliances with Miranda and Pastor Lambrick (Mark Elderkin), you can’t help but feel all hell is about to break loose.
  • Anne Bonny (Clara Paget) finally speaks and it’s so weird. She’s all hard expressions, but when she hears Max being tortured while whittling her damn stick, it becomes a breaking point. I love her standing up to Rackham about her issues with Max. Why is it Anne and Vane are the only two who have a crisis of conscious regarding Max? Maybe Rackham is the real threat.

Final Thoughts

One of the things I absolutely love about Black Sails is the attention to the production design, cinematography, and costuming. As far as television episodes go, “IV.” has an amazing cinematic feel worthy of any blockbuster film. One could say these are signatures of Michael Bay’s contribution to Black Sails; say what you will about the quality content in some of Bay’s films but the man has a definite eye for creating some amazing scenes. There are minor issues with the episode, mainly the treatment of Max. The girl can’t catch a break, and while there is a moment that pushes Anne to speak out, it’s not enough. Overall, the episode is stronger than “III.” and that has mostly to do with the way it picks and chooses the right moments to engage viewers.

What did you think of this week’s episode, “IV?” Do you approve of Mrs. Barlow’s decision? How about Silver’s cooking skills? Leave me a comment below or tweet @conallen

 

 

Tune in to Black Sails on Saturdays 9/8c, only on STARZ.

Follow the series on its official site: http://www.starz.com/originals/blacksails/ and http://www.pirates-wanted.com/ where you can also watch videos and clips of the episodes.

Follow Black Sails on its official twitter: @BlkSails_Starz and don’t forget the cast and crew:

@BlkSailsCreatrs,@mfernandezLA, @ScrambledLuke (Luke Arnold/John Silver), @ClaraPaget (Clara Paget/Anne Bonny),  @markryan243 (Mark Ryan/Gates), @hannahnewuk (Hannah New/Eleanor Guthrie), @JParkerK (Jessica P Kenned/Max), @Zach_McGowan (Zach McGowan/Captain Vane), @fallofasparrow (Toby Schmitz/Rackham), @seancmichael (Sean Cameron Michael/Richard Guthrie), @Tomhopperhops (Tom Hopper/Billy Bones), and @hakeemkaekazim (Hakeem Kae-Kazim/Mr. Scott).

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Photos: ©2014 STARZ Network. All Rights Reserved.

Connie Allen

I'm a writer, cinephile, avid reader, and pop culture enthusiast. I love historical dramas, and fantasy/sci-fi series. Currently living in SoCal.

Connie Allen

I'm a writer, cinephile, avid reader, and pop culture enthusiast. I love historical dramas, and fantasy/sci-fi series. Currently living in SoCal.