Black Sails — “XX” Recap. Amor Fati.

Flint, the fearless leader, takes his crew through hell once more

Season 3, Episode 2

Airdate: Saturday, January 30, 2016, 9/8c on Starz

Rating: ★★★★★

It’s a matter of life and death for many characters in this latest episode of Black Sails. From Captain Flint’s (Toby Stephens) suicide mission to Eleanor Guthrie’s (Hannah New) triumphant return to reclaim what she deems her legacy—Nassau, “XX” is every bit as suspenseful and dramatic as the third season premiere, “XIX.” Episodic writers Brad Caleb Kane and Jonathan E. Steinberg do not miss a beat in constructing a story that is solid in its continuity while building a fuller breadth of depth in character development from start to finish. Once again, the visuals are beautiful, from the picture-perfect choice of camera shots by director Lukas Ettlin to the special effects. The storm that rages in “XX” is impressive to watch as it unfolds.

More important, what I love most about “XX” is the way the story lines continue to move at a consistent pace while bridging the backstories of some major characters with present events. The arrival of Edward Teach (Ray Stevenson), a.k.a. Blackbeard, opens the floodgates to a whole new world of problems for Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) and Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz), whose plans are thrown for a loop, leading to an unexpected turn of events.

The Ghost of You

The episode fades in on a quite eerie scene of Flint standing aboard his ship, looking out into a calm sea. It’s unsure whether it is a dream or reality until the ghost of Miranda Barlow (Louise Barnes) encourages Flint to follow her below deck. She is trying to speak but her words are inaudible. If ever there were a time I wished I could read lips, watching this scene would be it. Before Flint can decipher what she has to say to him, Billy (Tom Hopper) abruptly awakens him, making it clear the whole scene is a dream. Typically, I would have guessed it was a dream; however, considering Flint’s hallucination of a dead Miranda in “XIX,” I didn’t know what to think.

Flint’s story line for the majority of “XX” highlights the tumultuous events following his decision to lead his crew into a massive storm. The storm becomes emblematic of not only the struggles that face Flint’s crew, but the tempest that wages in Flint’s mind after Miranda’s death. Once again, he manages to coerce everyone around him to endure his crazy strategies. I couldn’t help but breathe a deep sigh for poor Billy; the guy nearly died going overboard while working for Flint in “VI.” I find it interesting Billy doesn’t show more hesitancy when Flint tells him to take hold of the ship’s rigging.

Since Black Sails is known for its many plot twists, including the possibility that Billy may die again, I was on edge throughout the entire episode, a credit to Kane and Steinberg whose set up of Flint’s scenes with everyone on board matches well.

Billy hangs for dear life…again!

Speaking of crewmembers, I really appreciate the subtle way John Silver’s (Luke Arnold) story is evolving without any melodramatic overtones. Suffering the loss of his leg in “XVIII” not only damaged him physically, the incident traumatized him in psychological ways. Prior to his brutal attack by Vane’s men last season, which cost him his leg, Silver’s survival was based on his skills of wit and charm. Although Silver’s personality hasn’t changed significantly, there are quieter moments when Arnold portrays Silver with a haunted look in his eyes. It feels like the dark side of the literary character of Long John Silver from “Treasure Island” is beginning to merge with the one in the TV series. “XX” continues to push Silver further as he is forced to endure another traumatic event when the ship crosses the path of the storm. If Silver weren’t already messed up in the head from the loss of his leg, he’s definitely going to lose a bit more of his scruples in the aftermath of “XX.” The evocative scene of a crewmember finding Silver seated below deck, staring into the murky waters of the partially flooded ship, speaks volumes about Silver’s state of being.

Where the Past and Present Meet

My favorite parts of “XX” all revolve around Eleanor, Vane, and Teach. Let me start by saying many fans are going to be shocked by the amount of people still breathing. In Nassau, everyone presumes Eleanor dies for her crimes by the hangman’s noose; meanwhile, she and Governor Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts), en route to Nassau with British ships, believe Flint died in the storm.

Teach returns to take Nassau with or without Vane’s approval

Speaking of Rogers, a character derived from a real historical figure, his relationship with Eleanor is interesting; he’s onto her bullshit but doesn’t have many options for taking ahold of Nassau without her insight. Eleanor’s backstory takes front and center as the context of Vane and Eleanor’s history reveals some startling revelations that connect her with Teach. When Rogers interrogates Eleanor about how she gained control of Nassau, she explains how she managed to kick out Teach at the age of 17. In disbelief, Rogers continues to probe her with questions. Eleanor does what she does best—manipulate Rogers by using the facts about her life to prove herself invaluable to him. Whether Rogers believes her is of no consequence; he has a spare ship set to return her to England at a moment’s notice. Everything comes to a head when Eleanor reveals what ultimately gave her the advantage over Teach is forming an alliance with his protégé. In previous seasons of Black Sails, Vane hints at his intimate relationship with Eleanor when she was a teenager. Put two and two together, and Eleanor reveals Vane as Teach’s protégé. I love how the fates of all the characters intermingle in one form or another, and we’re only finding out the details now.

Vane and Teach’s story line provides a lot of the suspense in “XX” whereas Flint’s struggle at sea is non-stop action. Teach approaches Nassau under the cloak of night, acting like a total boss when he reunites with Vane the following day. Rather than attack, Teach wants to form a union with Vane but after seeing the state of affairs in Nassau, he’s very disappointed. Teach is old school; he believes in strife. In fact, he tells Vane strife is what maintains power. “Strife is good.” This sets off alarm bells for Rackham, who also has history with Teach. Teach remembers Rackham as being scrawny, and it’s clear they were not on the best terms. For a while, Vane’s painful past of being enslaved seems to stem from the mysterious bearded man in The Colonies. Yet, after learning Teach is the one to shape Vane, I have a feeling it is more than his love for Eleanor that provokes Vane to turn against Teach.

Overall

“XX” is another great episode with a solid script and no problems with the continuity and plot development. The performances are brilliant, and the cinematography top notch. With only two episodes into the season, so much has occurred. Season three is obviously off to an amazing start.

What did you think of “XX?” Post your comment below or on Twitter @conallen.

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

Follow the series on its official site: http://www.starz.com/originals/blacksails/, 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 (Black Sails Creators), @TobyStephensInV (Captain Flint/Toby Stephens), @ScrambledLuke (Luke Arnold/John Silver), @ClaraPaget (Clara Paget/Anne Bonny), @hannahnewuk (Hannah New/Eleanor Guthrie), @JParkerK (Jessica P Kennedy/Max), @Zach_McGowan (Zach McGowan/Captain Vane), @fallofasparrow (Toby Schmitz/Jack Rackham), and @hakeemkaekazim (Hakeem Kae-Kazim/Mr. Scott).

Like Black Sails on Facebook.