Black Sails Season 3 Episode Guide
3.01. XIX - Review
3.02. XX - Review
3.03. XXI - Review
3.04. XXII - Review
3.05. XXIII - Review
3.06. XXIV - Review
3.07. XXV - Review
3.08. XXVI - Review Coming Soon
3.09 XXVII - Review Coming Soon
3.10. XXVIII - Review Coming Soon
Black Sails 3.07. "XXV"
Directed by Rob Bailey, Written by Marc Berzenski & Josh Rothenberger
This looks like the final episode that sets the scene for the upcoming conflict between Flint and Rogers. Rogers is desperately trying to appeal to Flint but Flint is having none of it, and he wants his Island back. However Rogers is first going to have to get the Urca gold off Anne Bonny, who is faced with a dilemma. Take the gold and run, or exchange it for Jack Rackham? And to make matters worse, the Spanish don't just want the gold anymore, they want Jack. However, Flint and Vane are also after Anne and the Gold, believing that if they can get it first, they have leverage over the English. It's a race against time, and whilst it wasn't exactly the most action packed episode of Black Sails ever, the seventh was still a very exciting one.
Flint has his eyes on winning back the pirates of Nassau and has sent John Silver along with a small team into the Island to offer a warning. It's simple, if they join Flint then they live, and honour their oath, or else they will not be spared when Flint's forces attack the Island. However, Dufrense is sceptical about this, and stands up to Silver, asking how powerful Flint really is if he sends a trickster to do his bidding. However, Silver has grown as a character since Dufrense last saw him, and he has a long memory, so wastes no time in brutally smashing Dufrense's head in to emphasise the point. Those who cross Silver will pay, and his intimidation scene was fantastic to watch. The transformation over the course of the first three seasons from a thief who isn't afraid to backstab anyone into a loyal, determined and ruthless pirate was great to watch for the character, and it also represents just how unified the pirates have become under Flint's rule. It makes a far cry from that of Vane & Rackham's leadership where they were willing to put aside their offers of Pardons in exchange for a normal, civilised life. Flint's crew won't be swayed, and anyone who crosses him will fall. It was perhaps somewhat disappointing to leave Flint out of the original invasion of the British but it seems to have worked very well here, and you start to wonder, would there have even been a successful invasion at all had he been there? It certainly seems that less pirates would have defected to Hornigold's side, that's for sure.
Hornigold, now without his quartermaster, recognises the reality of the threat and decides to bring forth an army to meet Flint but is objected to this plan by Rogers who doesn't want to be viewed as weak if Flint doesn't actually show up after all. Rogers sends Max to the brothels to warn the pirates against going to the beach, and Eleanor offers an alternative to the fighting. If Rogers goes to the beach himself to meet Flint in a parley, then they could possibly talk Flint out of going to war. It's the first time these two leaders have met and Rogers offers the pardon to Flint, reminding him that it was originally Flint's idea in the first place along with Thomas Hamilton's to offer pardons to pirates in order to convince them to abandon their posts. However, Flint - much like Silver, has changed. He's lost his wife to the English and is determined to stop Rogers, but Rogers counters this by saying that if Flint goes to war then the pardon will no longer be on the table and anyone who is participating in piracy will be deemed as one of Flint's men. Rogers goes out of his way to remind Flint that he will not cower in fear like others have done in the past. He also insists that he is not a villain but if Flint wants to paint him as a villain then he will play the part.
So this was very much a calm before the storm moment of two rivals testing each other out, observing each others strengths and weaknesses. If this chapter didn't have much in the way of action you can be assured that the next one most certainly will, and you have to wonder what lies in store for Nassau. The Spanish will show up presumably at the end of the season and will that cause the English and the pirates to fight against them on a unified front? It looks extremely unlikely but it would be pretty cool to see Rogers and Flint working together at least on a temporary basis in defence of Nassau. Even if that doesn't happen though the two are more than formidable advisories and Rogers is proving that he's more than a match for Flint, and the character has been one of the best new additions to the cast so far and I really hope that he'll stick around for as long as possible. His prescience is always felt whenever he's on screen, and much like Blackbeard, you feel that both new additions have been around a lot longer than the past seven episodes.
Meanwhile, Rogers is having problems of his own with the Spanish Gold. The Spanish now have changed their demands and they want Rackham, the thief, as well as the actual gold itself, something that Anne isn't too happy with because she agreed a deal with Rogers for the Gold in exchange for Jack. It'll be interesting to see whether this sees the people of Nassau start to loose faith in their Governor, especially when you consider that Jack was going to accept the pardon and was arrested. After all, only Vane was denied the pardon. There wasn't a talk of anybody else. And if Rogers is going to arrest Jack, then you've got to wonder who else will he turn his attention to next in Nassau. Presumably anyone who decides to help Flint. Regardless though handing Jack over to the Spanish is going to be harder than anticipated, because Vane has decided that it would be a good idea to give the English the Gold so they can intercept both it and Jack before the prisoner exchange can take place. Of course, Anne is pissed off at Max for siding against her and Jack, and now at the English for not handing over Jack as promised, and it's going to be very interesting to see how her character will fit into things going forward, and how big of a role she's going to play in the forthcoming battle for Nassau.
It'll be interesting for sure to see whether Eleanor and Max will switch back to the sides of the pirates in the remaining episodes to come. At this stage presumably not, because they're both aligning themselves with Rogers although it's pretty clear that Max will try to get on the side of whoever looks the likeliest to win and at the moment it's still Rogers, and Eleanor at the moment has her own safety in mind as well, going as so far as to sleep with him this episode to further ensure the likelihood of her chances of protection and survival in the war. Because you can be sure that the conflict to come will see her and Vane on opposite sides and it will be interesting to see what happens when the two inevitably meet again.
On the whole then XXV, the twenty-fifth episode of the series so far, was another satisfying one even though it was light on action. Dufrense's death was the highlight of the episode with Silver's effective scene really leaving an impression, and now that the gauntlet has been thrown, you can presume that the remaining three episodes of the season will be all out war. I can't wait to see what happens next, and given that this season has now surpassed even Game of Thrones in terms of quality, we're going to be getting some very good content for sure.
Let me know what you thought of XXV in the comments below and remember to keep an eye out for the next episode of the series which airs tonight at 9pm on Starz!
Overall Episode Verdict: A-
Positives:
+Dufrense's death.
+Silver's Speech.
+Rogers and Flint.
+The calm before the storm.
