Black Sails - Episode 1.02 - II - Preview & Teasers

With more than 3.5 million viewers (officially, I'm sure there have been many more who have had access unofficially after its leak) watching the premiere last week on-line and across its channels, it looks like Starz have a runaway hit on their hands with Black Sails. I wasn't totally sold on the first episode myself, but thoroughly enjoyed this outing a great deal more; now the bulk of the characters have been successfully introduced the pace has picked up and we follow a number of story threads that intertwine smoothly with each other throughout the hour.

We explore the characters survival instincts this week and how each individuals needs and wits clash with those around them, this of course causes conflict among friends, lovers and crew. For some this means they go on to grow a deeper bond with others around them, like Billy who learns more valuable tricks of the trade from Gates as he finds himself drawn deeper into Flint’s ruse and seems desperate to make up for the lie he told at the end of episode I. Eleanor too is faced with a difficult decision and sides with someone who offers her, and her town (as she sees it), independence from the crown of England.

Yet there are others that do not fare so well in this battle of the fittest, one person in particular has chosen the wrong people to trust and all sides lets her down badly this week. Max is an odd character, I don’t really see where she is to sit in the story after what happens to her in this episode. I said in last week’s review about Eleanor that I find her to be a little too venerable for her situation, and in some ways I feel the same way about Max too this week if I'm honest.

Overall though I've found it impressive how quite a complex, and politically driven, plot has been set up in such a short time, both alliances and enemies are believable and obviously deep rooted. The writers make use of effective ‘show rather than tell’ character development in places which helps no end I think. For example, this week Vane doesn't like the leverage someone has over him, so he swiftly demonstrates that he has absolutely no scruples in changing the balances of those odds back to his side in a heartbeat.




Episode II airs on Starz at 9pm on Saturday 1st February, below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then. Don't forget to come back to vote in our poll after the episode and let us know what you think.


“This place is just sand, it cannot love you back, you know this, you must know this?”

“Says he wants to be the first one Flint sees when it’s done”

“The point is I lied to my own crew to protect the captain”

“Eleanor, you can never forget who these men are, they’re not our friends, they’re not our subjects, they want your fathers business, that is the only reason we do not find their knives at our throats”

“I couldn't be certain I would escape both the mad men and you, so I took drastic measures for the sake of my survival”

“I know you can hear me, you want your money, you show your fucking face, that’s is the only way this gets done!”

“I never much liked your father, too caught up in appearances”

“Man of War was spotted yesterday, Royal Navy. What if today is the day?”

“I understand everyone wants to get laid, but we disembark by seniority. Perhaps if you made the men some food it would take the edge of the spree they are about to go on”

“We have a problem, Flint’s on to me”

About the Author - Sandi

Sandi is part of the Senior Staff at SpoilerTV having been a contributor from back in the Lost days of DarkUFO, and who now writes previews for Banshee, The Musketeers, Atlantis, and other BBC shows. She also enjoys watching and commenting on other shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Hannibal, Game of Thrones and Elementary.

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