Crossbones - The Man Who Killed Blackbeard - Review - "The Children Are Our Future"

    Crossbones, “The Man Who Killed Blackbeard,” was written by executive producer and creator Neil Cross and directed by Stephen Shill. Shill is an Emmy winner for Dexter, and among his many other credits are a number of period pieces, including The Tudors, Rome, and Deadwood. I did think it was funny that Jagger (Julian Sands) actually calls Kate (Claire Foy) Blackbeard's (John Malkovich) "shill."

    The opening scenes do a good job in indicating how much time has passed – we see that Lowe’s (Richard Coyle) bullet wound has healed and so has the gash to Blackbeard’s head – both are now well healed scars. This helps to smooth over some of the changes between characters. Lowe and Kate’s relationship seems to have become quite serious, and it becomes clear from their first scene together that Lowe is already starting to be torn between his two worlds. He knows that things are a lot more dangerous for any of Blackbeard’s followers because Jagger is hunting for them.

    Children play an important role in this episode. Blackbeard’s vision includes a child calling to his father for help – and the woman in white apparition is particularly peeved with him over it. It would seem that this might be Blackbeard’s own child – or is it symbolic of how he feels about those under his command? Nelly (Marise Alvarez) has the first baby on Santa Campana – though she doesn’t even realize she’s pregnant. I loved that Blackbeard himself points out the absurdity of that! Again, is this symbolic of Blackbeard’s own changing attitudes? Has he changed from a ruthless pirate to actually care about those under his charge – not realizing that he himself has actually born a child in the new community he’s created?

    Blackbeard and Jagger are contrasted in the episode as Jagger uses Father Daniel’s (Hamilton Clancy) children as leverage to get Daniel’s to betray Kate. Blackbeard, meanwhile, is tenderly singing to the new infant. When he’s joined by Lowe, Blackbeard asks him, “Do you believe she was born into sin? Where’s the justice in that philosophy?” Lowe agrees there isn’t justice in it, but also reminds Blackbeard that the world is a harsh place. Blackbeard replies, “There are those who consider me evil simply because I’ve committed depravities. But I don’t believe that to be so.” His explanation is that he was forced because of the “inequities we had to accept as part of the natural order. King and country. God and Heaven.” He also vows that it will be different for the child – that he will free her of those inequities, presumably in his new order on Santa Campana. Lowe himself is constrained by his place within hierarchy of King and country and is beginning to see that Jagger may be even worse than Blackbeard and for a less worthy cause.

    There are other conversations about children and parents throughout the episode. We learn that Blackbeard took Rose (Natalie Hoflin) and her girls (notice they are her children) in and allowed them to make money. No doubt he gets a cut, but she seems happy with the arrangement. Fletch relates that he’s been at seas since he was seven and never knew his parents – making Lowe even more of a father figure for him. James (Peter Stebbings) responds that fathers aren’t always the answer as his own father was a bastard. Let’s not forget that James is a nobleman and his father would have been an integral part of that hierarchy Blackbeard is dead set against.

    Finally, we see Charles (David Hoflin) struggle with his own relationship to Blackbeard. Blackbeard has charged him with killing Selima (Yasmine Al Massri) if the Island should be taken to prevent her from being tortured or simply ripped out of their home. Charles resents having been asked to do this – because as we learn, he’s secretly in love with Selima – and he’s also confused by the stories that Blackbeard has tried to use to educate him. Selima assures Charles that Blackbeard only tells him these things because he loves Charles. However, Charles is clearly a man of action rather than thought and would rather serve at Blackbeard’s side – not be the prodigal son.

    This episode provides a nice reflection on these concerns even while giving us moments of humor and action – all nicely balanced with the usual glorious scenery! Lowe is hysterical in the birthing scene. He admits that he’s never birthed a baby – but he’s read about it. In a book. A very good book.... which he’s luckily brought with him. Of course Fletch’s (Chris Perfetti) look of horror is the finishing touch.

    I also loved the scene in which Lowe is discovered as a stowaway. Blackbeard wants to know what Lowe’s plan is. Lowe – hilariously – admits that he’s extemporizing. Blackbeard laments that he can’t decide if he is the most cunning or most beefheaded fellow he’s ever met. Blackbeard reassures Lowe that he has no intention of killing Kate. He is planning on buying her back. “This is the new world. Money trumps anger, money trumps hatred, money trumps nation, king, and country, money trumps God.” This is another indication of Blackbeard’s move away from being a simple cutthroat pirate. He also recognizes Lowe’s true intentions: “You’ve the soul of a pirate, if the soul of a Frenchman.”

    The episode reveals, however, that not everything on Santa Campana is as Blackbeard might wish it to be – better than the “old” world of Jamaica and England. We see that Nenna (Tracy Ifeachor) is caught lining her pockets by Charlie (David Hoflin). She later takes advantage of Rose and pickpockets her, taking the jewel that Blackbeard paid Rose with. No doubt she will eventually have a hard time explaining how that came to be in her possession. Another plot point that will no doubt be revisited is the Wildman (Henry Hereford) that Fletch glimpses as they row Nelly and the baby to safety.

    One of the biggest developments in the episode was that Selima suffers from some kind of disorder – possibly agoraphobia? She becomes absolutely frantic when Charles tries to remove her from the house – something Blackbeard only gently tried to do. Selima tells Charles (after stabbing him!) that “Outside around people. I find it vexing.” Selima realizes that Blackbeard left Charles to kill her and that Charles couldn’t do it. They have sex, but she immediately pushes him away in disgust afterwards. Was Selima’s motivation gratitude to Charles or a way of getting back at Blackbeard? She certainly looks troubled at the end of the episode when Blackbeard returns. Is she feeling guilty or is she worried for Charles and possibly herself? It was nice to see Hoflin and Al Massri get more to do and to flesh their characters out more. Al Massri’s performance was great and conveyed both Selima’s fiery disposition and her conflict.

    I did find some of the episode a bit implausible – such as how quickly both Jagger and Blackbeard arrive at Adderly Cay. I don’t think it would have taken much – a sentence – a subtitle – to explain the distance, communication, something... We do get the carrier pigeon coming to James so that’s something anyway.

    I am a bit frustrated by the relationship between Lowe, Kate, and James. Does James know about them? It seems likely, yet he goes to Lowe immediately for help in saving Kate. How do the characters imagine this ending? Kate runs into Lowe’s arms and holds his hand on the ship as they dock, but then runs into James’ arms? I think my frustration, however, is a result of how well drawn and complex the characters are.

     It’s also the same sort of frustration that I imagine Lowe beginning to feel in being torn between Jagger and Blackbeard. Jagger is clearly just as cruel as Blackbeard – and we haven’t seen Blackbeard beat a woman and lock her in a coffin yet! For his own part, Blackbeard is clearly starting to trust Lowe more as he tells him that  his headaches are growing worse, and he even admits that he sees a woman but stops short of revealing her identity. Blackbeard looks to Lowe for reassurance that he will live long enough to finish what he’s begun.

    Crossbones is not without some problems, but overall, I’m very much enjoying the story and the acting. There is lots of beautiful scenery and action, but a closer reflection on the story itself reveals more depth than might be assumed at first glance. The benefits to a 10 episode run is that the story has to be tight, but the drawback is that occasionally some things are not given enough explanation which may result in us simply wanting more or scratching our heads. What did you think of the episode? Do you think Selima was feeling guilty? Do you think Lowe is well on his way to joining Blackbeard’s merry men? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!