Crossbones has sailed into the sunset. This show never really lived up to expectations, though it did have moments of brilliance. The entire cast delivered terrific performances on occasion, but the show suffered from some inconsistent storytelling. It also seemed at times that the direction lacked a firm hand.
John Malkovich is always fun to watch. I’ve heard him criticized for the accent he adopted for the role because it was unrecognizable. However, given the nature of him trying to establish a new country, unlike any other, it is a consistent characterization that underscores the characters main goals. The problem I had with it was that occasionally, it was difficult to understand what he was saying, and I had to wonder if the directors were reluctant to give him “too much” direction or correct him. He did get the best lines, however, and delivered them with conviction – making this another great role for him.
I came to very much like Richard Coyle’s portrayal of Lowe. He delivered a consistently solid performance and proved equal to keeping up with Malkovich. This is in direct contrast to Julian Sands (Jagger) who failed to impress at all – though he did seem to improve slightly in the last three episodes.
Claire Foy (Kate), David Hoflin (Charlie), Yasmine Al Massri (Selima), Chris Perfetti (Fletch), and Peter Stebbings (James) all had some great scenes but were generally inconsistent. I don’t feel like this was their best work, though we got glimpses that all of these actors have more to give.
I had a hard time getting past the costuming. I know I’ve complained about this before and it may seem like a small thing, but in a period piece such as this, it was often enough to take me out of the story. One of the major gaffs in the second last episode was the ship to ship fight. In that time period, volleys would be fired broadside. They would never have simply run straight at another ship, firing.
The last three episodes were all written by Neil Cross. They introduced a lot of elements that could have benefitted from a longer and more logical build up. Nenna’s (Tracy Ifeachor) story is basically dropped after “Beggarman,” which was directed by Dan Attias. “Crossbones” was directed by Deran Sarafin, and the finale, “Blackbeard,” was directed by Ciaran Donnelly.
I thought it a little contrived that Lowe should turn out to be the one who turned in James in the first place. We never did get a satisfactory explanation as to why he was spying. If he was that much a King’s man, he would hardly have turned against that sentiment in a reasonably short time. It was intimated that there was more at play though – that he’d been coerced into spying and was trying to make amends to be able to go home again.
I also thought Kate’s pregnancy and attempted abortion were unnecessarily melo-dramatic. And the blood transfusion also had me rolling my eyes. I would have liked a more satisfying resolution to the love triangle. And having them all seemingly working together happily wasn’t that.
Lowe’s journey from spy to leader did resonate for me even with my many quibbles. I liked him taking the lashes for Balfour to make amends – although again, it was a bit melodramatic. I have to give credit to Coyle for making the character relatable.
The scenes between Malkovich and Hoflin in “Crossbones” were particularly good. I especially liked the look of pride on Blackbeard’s face as Charlie gives his first speech as Captain. I also had to wonder, however, whether Blackbeard set Charlie up to bring the fleet to Santa Campana all along – the red coat would hide the blood, but it would also be highly visible in the water. Of course, there is also the nickname of “Redcoat” for British soldiers – so it could also be a way for Blackbeard to call Charlie a traitor.
The final fight scene was very good. They certainly did a good job in destroying their set! I have to say that Aimee Mullins as Antoinette was simply awful. I was also pretty angry that she killed Selima – I didn’t see that coming! Although as soon as Selima said yes, that she’d marry Blackbeard, I should have known she was doomed! However, her actual death scene didn’t do the character justice at all. We’d seen her practicing with a sword in a previous episode, and we’d seen her bravely face off against any number of enemies. Why run past a bin full of swords and hide under a desk now?
I was happy to see Blackbeard NOT get killed in the end. I loved using the crossbones on a coin to plug the hole in his head, and then using Jagger’s head as a substitute – allowing Blackbeard to finally disappear.
I thought the series came to a reasonably satisfying conclusion. If the series had been envisioned as a mini-series rather than an on-going series, I think it might have tightened up and been more satisfying. My apologies for the tardiness of posting this review. In addition to attending San Diego Comic Con, I spent most of the summer on the road – also attending Worldcon in London – and thought that I had posted this some time ago. I hope that you will still share your thoughts on the series…What did you think? Was Crossbones a satisfying summer amusement? Are you sad that it was cancelled? Let me know your final thoughts in the comments below!
