All Rise...

Judge Jason Panella has beige sails.

The Charge

Sailing beneath the Starz for pirate booty.

Opening Statement

Black Sails is another sort-of historical series done the Starz way—it's big, dumb, and crude (Michael Bay is executive producer), but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't addicting fun.

Facts of the Case

Toby Stephens (Severance) stars as Captain Flint, a pirate working out Nassau in the Bahamas in the early part of the 18th century. Flint and his crew command the most feared ship in the area, and they regularly bring in a fortune to the pirate haven.

Or, they used to—Flint's seemingly endless well of resourcefulness is running dry, and his wild scheme to capture a Spanish treasure ship is scaring his long-time subordinates. He's also caught in a political scheme with ambitious fence Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New, Maleficent) and a turf war with enigmatic pirate Charles Vane (Zach McGowan, Shameless). But it's the game of wits Flint's in with the slippery stowaway John Silver (Luke Arnold, Broken Hill) that might win back the loyalty of his crew…or ruin it forever.

The Evidence

Like Starz's Spartacus and Da Vinci's Demons before it, Season One of Black Sails takes a red-blooded, escapist approach to its subject matter. In this case, it's the Golden Age of Piracy, where there's nary a peg leg or parrot in sight. Instead, there's an island full of anti-heroes, and the ale, blood, and nudity flow freely.

The show comes from the mind of Jericho creator Jonathan Steinberg and writer Robert Levine, who style the Black Sails as a prequel of sorts to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel Treasure Island. It's an interesting approach that could have been a disaster, but it ends up paying dividends. The real-world machinations of Nassau and its inhabitants mix well with the schemes of Captain Flint, Billy Bones, and John Silver. By the end of the season, in fact, the real and fictional are so seamless it'?s hard to tell them apart.

It takes a while for things to sail smoothly, though. The first few episodes are a big bucket of dumb in that magical premium cable way—boobs galore, snoozy exposition bombs, and some grisly violence to keep people awake. It doesn't help that character development and plot are as thin as filo dough, and even Neil Marshall's (Centurion) stylish direction in the pilot isn't much help.

Black Sails starts to click about halfway through the season, thanks to forward momentum in both plot and the exploration of the characters. The back half of Season One is stellar—the episodes are exciting, mysterious, and filled with some enjoyably pulpy surprises. The show gets into some really interesting dialogues on the nature of trust and freedom, both personal and societal; this certainly isn't the first this has been explored on screen, but it works well in this particular context, and I was surprised at how thoughtful some of the episodes were.

The cast sells it, too. Stephens gives Flint an otherworldly charisma; the pirate is a man who always keeps his cards close to his chest, though his crew will swear he's been playing his hand openly the whole game. Then there's McGowan, who takes Vane, a historical figure, from cardboard villain to something else entirely. Toby Schmitz, who plays "Calico" Jack Rackham, is the show's secret weapon—the actor adds a layer of sleazy Tim Curry-ness to the part, and his scenes are often an episode's highlight.

I don't want to oversell the show. It's really idiotic in spots, and the creators' attempts avoid traditional pirate cliches has them instead doubling-down on every "gritty" premium cable trope imaginable. Several episodes are incredibly boring, too, something you wouldn't expect from a show about pirates. Then there are the unfortunate similarities to NBC's scuttled pirate drama Crossbones; yes, Black Sails came first and is much, much better, but the narrative overlap between the two shows is unnerving.

Still, these problems don't sink the show. It is additionally impressive in a number of small ways, from the aesthetic choices for graphic design to the attention to detail in period garb. Then there's that intro sequence. There isn't anything like it, and it's one of the few I've rewatched outside of the confines of a show for pleasure.

Anchor Bay's release release of Black Sails: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) features all eight hour-long episodes of the Starz series on three discs. The 1.78:1/1080p transfer is exceptional; this is a beautiful-looking show, and this release sells that fact. There's an incredible of detail in close-up and medium shots, especially for faces, and the contrast is fantastic. Blacks are consistently inky, and colors pop with vivid, natural-looking clarity. This really is a gorgeous-looking show. There's sometimes an Uncanny Valley effect going on with some of the long shots that involve CGI (especially with naval combat), but it's at worst momentary. The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 surround track is also stellar, providing a you-are-there experience in the best possible way. Combat—both naval and melee—sounds incredible, with the roar of cannons and clang of cutlass steel. Dialogue is crystal clear, and background noises are immersive and never overwhelming.

The extras are somewhat of a flop. In addition to an Ultraviolet digital copy of the season, there are a handful of short featurettes that overlap on content: "Black Sails: An Inside Look" (9:03), your standard-issue inside look; "Dressed to Kill" (1:44), on the show's fresh look at costuming for the era; "Pirate Camp" (2:23), with the cast learning how to swing swords at each other; "Folklore is Finished" (3:26), on how they traded the old cliches for some new ones; "A Place in History" (1:32), on the show's look at how escaped slaves integrated into pirate culture; and "Building the Behemoth" (3:05), on the giant ship props made for the show.

Closing Statement

Season One of Black Sails has its problems, but the show overcomes many of them by the season finale. It may be loud and lewd, but there's a great crackling adventure story on board. While it may lack any decent extras, Anchor Bay's Black Sails: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) sports an incredible high def presentation.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Black Sails: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.

Share This Review

Follow DVD Verdict

Other Reviews You Might Enjoy

• Cruel Intentions
• The Europeans
• Wedding In White
• Clover