Amazon Prime Video original show Black Sails premiered January 25th, 2014.
#BlackSails was executive produced by Michael Bay.
rottentomatoes: 81%
metacritic: 59
imdb: 8.2
emmys: 3 wins
James McGraw
Captain Flint faces mutiny in Nassau, the Bahamas during the Golden Age of piracy.
“It’s done. Wouldn’t you agree? When are they ever? Here, take a look. Captain’s log. It’s all there. Vazquez, Port Royal. Told you this was the ship. Minor obstacle. But we’re getting close. Don’t have yet. Where’s the schedule? The page that was torn from your log. If you know where it is, now would be the time to say so. Everyone was searched. Good for you.” — Captain Flint
“Royal Navy. The Scarborough. Not today she doesn’t. She’s got the wind of us. Cut us loose. Get us under way.” — Captain Flint
“Beg pardon? I thought you said it would never get to this. I thought you said you put loyal men in all the right places so the crew would never turn. Don’t give me that shit. I told you there would be some lean days while we tracked Parrish’s ship. You said the crew would weather it.” — Captain Flint
“I don’t trust them with the truth. Singleton. They think he has any idea how to put money in their pockets? I just need a few more days. I’m gonna go and see Richard. He can help me recreate the schedule. Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes, I do. Then I’ll forget about the schedule and go back to hunting fat, lazy merchantmen and everyone will be content.” — Captain Flint
“Who’s Billy?” — Captain Flint
Quartermaster Mr. Gates
“Can’t sell that. Leave it here. No. Grow up. What the fuck is this? This one wants to join. Says he can cook. We made a full sweep of the hold and we found eight more casks of whale oil. $8? The crew will not be happy. When their end is a hell of a lot richer than $8. Where is the schedule? Let me see if I have this right. This is the fourth prize in a row from which the profits barely exceed the expenses it took to win it. Singleton’s out there trying to convince your crew to torture that poor bastard of a captain simply ’cause he hasn’t worked out how to get them to do it to you.”
“But all is well because you’ve discovered that the information we can’t tell anybody we’re looking for exists on a page… that we don’t have. Is this necessary? Talk to me about recruits. Just give him a minute. Five? You want to bring on five more men? Is it their hands you want? Or their votes? Man-o’-war.”
“Scarborough ports in Boston. He has the votes. Singleton, he has the votes to remove you as captain. Not every single one. Haven’t finished canvassing yet, but when he gets ashore and he doesn’t have to be sneaky about it, he’ll get what he needs. Now hang on. No, no. I never said never. I’m too old to be using that word. Days. Lean days. It’s been three months with no profits to speak of and nobody knows what it’s all been for because you don’t trust them with the truth.”
“So here we are. All we know or care about Singleton right now is that he isn’t you. The page is gone. It could be anywhere. What makes you think all you need is a few more days? Richard Guthrie? You think he’s gonna help you? Let’s just for fun say that he doesn’t. What then? This is one of those times where we pretend that we both don’t know that you’re lying. Yes, in a manner of speaking. No, but I have business here, so the job falls to you.”
“Captain’s gonna ask Richard Guthrie for a favor. Mr. Guthrie is going to say no. When that happens, the captain will most likely react poorly. Your job is to restrain him. No cargo moves off this island without Mr. Guthrie’s ships and connections. The last crew that ran afoul of him couldn’t buy or sell shit for two months. That’s an outcome I’d like to avoid. Nonsense, you’re a highly regarded member of this crew. And I can assure you the captain regards your input more than you know. Billy’s going with you.”
First Mate Billy Bones
“Well, if he keeps that up, this one won’t be the only one looking to join. Look at him. Thinks he’s captain already.”
“Randall. We’ve taken on a new cook. Randall, we were clear this job was only temporary. There’s still plenty for you to do. He’ll be all right. So both watches mess together at six bells. Don’t be late. Any supplies you need, see Dufesne. He’ll fund you out of the ship’s maintenance account. One more thing. No one gets any special treatment from you of any kind. No extra rations, no preferences in cuts of meat.”
“Not for me, not for the quartermaster, not for the captain. Here, every man is equal. All right? Randall was the ship’s boatswain before he got beaten to within an inch of his life while taking a prize. He lost his wits, but not our loyalty. We like Randall. You, we’ll see.”
“Landfall. We’re home. Wait, I don’t understand. The captain asked for me to go? He doesn’t know I’m coming, does he? And what is the job exactly? Restrain him, you say? Wait. He never listens to me.”
The Caribbean Ocean
“Sir, she’s still closing. We simply cannot outrun her. We must surrender while we still can. Gun crews– at the ready! What are you doing? Why aren’t you on the deck with the crew? Oh, so you’re a coward, then? I’m no coward. I’m a cook. I’ve no quarters to man. What do you think the captain would do if he found out you’ve abandoned yours? Fire! Starboard side! They shot the muskets! Bear up, damn it! You’re short! Bear up! Sir, they are out of our range.”
“All crews, fire your– get down! You know who that is out there? That ship flies the banner of Captain Flint. Good cooks are in short supply, even for criminals. But you, cowering below decks, dodging a fight? They’ll gut you for sport. Give me that. That’s nothing. You wouldn’t want to do that. Fall back! Fall back! Get up! Go! Get out of the way. Close us in. Sir, wait. Mr. Fisher.”
“Muskets at the ready. Fisher: let me in, sir. Please, let me inside. Move away from that door! Sir, there may still be time. Move away from the door! If we do not surrender now, Flint will kill us all. Please let me in! Please, sir, open the door. Open– it’s over– argh! Shit. Well, it’s blocked, Mr. Gates.”
“Know this– now that the fight is over, you have nothing more to fear from us today. Because we know this fight was not of your making. It was the choice of our true enemy. Your true enemy. The tyrant captain. Many of us once sailed on ships like this one. We know what it is to be slaves to his whim, his violence, hit shit wages… …his insufferable stupidity. So we’ve made for ourselves a different life where we don’t rely on wages, we own a stake, and where our pleasure isn’t a sin. It’s a virtue. We also know what it’s like to see our brothers die in the service of no end other than a tyrant’s pride. Today is a new day. Today their crimes have been exposed. And they will be punished.”
“That’s all? Total tally 400. 500, if we manage to sell the tobacco. Cameron’s broken his arm. Duffy’s been shot in the leg. After injury payments, we will net just under $8 per man. Mr. Duffy is dead. I removed the leg, but he lost too much blood. Cut his cock! Ooh! Yeah! We paid a heavy toll today. And for what? We all know the prize won’t come close to evening the scales. Someone ought to pay the difference. What’s he doing?”
“What are you talking about? A carpenter, two carpenter’s mates, a gunner’s mate and the cook. Hard to refuse a skilled hand. What a cunning bastard you are. Squarely in the captain’s pocket, yet you still got the crew believing you’re their advocate. One of my men must have taken it. Damn it, if I knew more, I’d tell you. Now call off your men. Get off it. Get back. Pshaw. You can’t, can you? You’re their captain, but you have no control over them. How long before you’re the one they tie to the mast? I won’t give you the satisfaction of crying out.”
“Where are you going? Justice is about to be done, and you turn your back. Sail! My Boots.”
“It was once. Not it ain’t. Ours. It goes to the Guthries. They pay up front for it, take it someplace civilized and sell it. Mate, no offense, but the faster we get this loaded, the faster I can get up the hill and into the arms of my sweet, sweet Charlotte. Your recipes? All the volumes from the prize are here unless the captain took it. In which case, it’s in his cabin on the ship. He likes his books.”
“Is that him? Is this necessary? He’s just a cook. He meets the new ones. No exceptions. Blackbeard. Whatever you do, don’t show fear. If you get lost in there, give us a yell.”
John Silver
“Sorry. I think the better questions is why aren’t they all down here with us? You could get killed up there. Yeah. You, too? Well, if he’s dead and I’m alive, I like my chances. Isn’t this your problem, too? What is that? That doesn’t seem like nothing. Well, maybe when Captain Flint gets here, we can let him decide. No? Why not? Oh.”
“Hello. He couldn’t handle the thought of what you might do to him. I, on other hand, would very much like to join your crew. My name is John Silver. And I happen to be a very good cook. Even him?”
“Is this English soil? Whose is it? What exactly happens to all this? The Guthries? I left them with our captain for safekeeping, but I don’t see them with the rest of the journals. Um, what’s going on? Who wants to meet me? You’re not Blackbeard. Oh. I see.”
