Black Sails

:

Season 1
  • Network: Starz
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 25, 2014
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 415 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 316 out of 415
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 415
  3. Negative: 73 out of 415
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User Reviews

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  1. Hogwa
    Oct 5, 2014
    3
    Black marks more like it. It sounds like a bunch of uppercrust schoolboys on a day at the seaside who spend all of their pieces of eight looking at what the butler saw. Spare us please any more of this drivel. Come back Robert Newton your Long John Silver has never been mastered. Trying to modernise the speak sound of past pirates is just not cutting the cake can you imagine a pirate onBlack marks more like it. It sounds like a bunch of uppercrust schoolboys on a day at the seaside who spend all of their pieces of eight looking at what the butler saw. Spare us please any more of this drivel. Come back Robert Newton your Long John Silver has never been mastered. Trying to modernise the speak sound of past pirates is just not cutting the cake can you imagine a pirate on the Spanish Main saying Pass the ale please old chap. Not likely, more like" shove that beer over erh b!for I slit ya from arsend to breakfast time" Did the producers not look back at some of the golden oldies like" The Bucaneers" or" Treasure Island" ? I will never forget watching that film and how at the start Blind Pew came tapping along the path on his way to the" Admiral Benbow" to deliver the Black Spot. Who among those that watch this over rated sex and baccy tale even know who Flint,John,Bones etc were? The cast are all dressed to look as though they have been to the most expensive clothing shops in the modern world. Adam Ant had more going for him than some of these would be pirates.If we are going to depict the time then lets get dressed as they would have in the day. Deadwood had it right. A great show. I am compelled to watch this fancy dress pirate show because I want to see the mexican stand off at the end as there surely will be. Although I am all for the female form it is sickening to see so much nudity and an insult to women. The odd flash of a female thigh or a quick glimpse of a breast is quite enough, leave the rest to guess work. The plot is rubbish and the actors need more time at rada.Oh dear now I have done it old chap.… Expand
  2. pythagorus
    Feb 25, 2015
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I sort of enjoyed this for a few episodes, but the recent writing is just awful. Richard Guthrie has an unbelievable metamorphosis from an ass to a caring father, not believable. And Captain Flint with a gay affair? Please. I know the writer must be gay, but does that mean everyone else in the world has to swing from your side of the plate. It was bad enough when Anne Bonney had to be a lesbian or bisexual or whatever. So I guess we just get one dimensional writing where every character has gender identity issues. Ms Barlow explains to us that Flint is a violent pirate blowing up the fort because he feels guilt about his gay affair? ROTFL. And then Rackham has to make a choice between Max and Anne because the crew can accept one but not two women? LOL - how contrived. Guess the writing room has writers block, so they are definitely mailing it in for season two. Didn't take long to jump the shark, just barely into season 2 and it is no longer worth watching.… Expand
  3. meg_n_mon
    Feb 12, 2014
    3
    I have really tried to like this. Starz has been amazing in bringing us some wild and wonderful programs to watch. The plot is 'meh' and I have not really liked any of the characters. I had it on my schedule - but I just would rather watch something else. Great sets and scenery. Excellent production quality. There are better programs out there. Sorry!
  4. Ur_all_idiots
    Apr 5, 2014
    1
    NO no no. A show with no simi-likable charters. Sorry I've watch the first 8 episodes and I now feel that I've wasted my time. I can not get behind any of the charters at this point. Starz put a lot of money behind this but very little in the writing and character development. No one is likable. You want all of them to fail so why watch? I'll stick to my Vikings on the history channelNO no no. A show with no simi-likable charters. Sorry I've watch the first 8 episodes and I now feel that I've wasted my time. I can not get behind any of the charters at this point. Starz put a lot of money behind this but very little in the writing and character development. No one is likable. You want all of them to fail so why watch? I'll stick to my Vikings on the history channel which is free! This fail of a show is behind me now.… Expand
  5. Charyllee
    Mar 15, 2016
    0
    I cannot understand why some producers have to turn a series like this into a porn flick. The nudity, horrible language and constant sex scenes make it impossible to stomach. I love pirate series; however, I am unable to get past the garbage on this one. It is such a shame that this one couldn't be more like the Viking series. Good acting will out do garbage any day.
  6. firedragon99
    Mar 17, 2014
    3
    I feel really let down by this show. I was hyped up for this show. And was let down by a lot of the casting choices. Even the main character-flint is a questionable choice, while he looks fearsome, he comes out as a bit monotonous, or simple expressions.

    And the storyline is way under par from anything. The character Max should've been killed off, and I wonder the reason for her    I feel really let down by this show. I was hyped up for this show. And was let down by a lot of the casting choices. Even the main character-flint is a questionable choice, while he looks fearsome, he comes out as a bit monotonous, or simple expressions.

    And the storyline is way under par from anything. The character Max should've been killed off, and I wonder the reason for her existence every episode.

    Way below the par of even Pirates the Carribean And way more boring too, doesn't have any fantasy elements to it, and doesn't do a great job of explaining things, and the mundane things that pirates do, doesn't really explain like anchoring, and seeing the hour glass and measuring knots.

    So, So BORING! I was expecting an exciting adventurous or bloody and realistic pirates of the carribean. There's actually nothing in the show.

    This is from a guy who loves the Pirates of the Carribean movies, loves Game of Thrones, Spartacus seasons 1 &2 with the original actor, HBO's the pacific.

    This show had a lot of promise, but unfortunately let down. But will probably make it across for season 2. But, it needs a new director. And needs to incorporate some fantasy elements to it. And it can make a lot of money , and be Starz's Game of Thrones.    … Expand
  7. xenowars
    Dec 8, 2016
    0
    What a load of pretentious nonsense this is. I was so looking forward to watching this before I subscribed to Amazon Prime, especially as the concept looked inviting, but it just goes to show that IMDb's ratings can sometimes be so wrong.

    Some of the acting is laughable: the Charles Vane character is right over the top. And "Long" John Silver doesn't look too long to me. Billy Bones    What a load of pretentious nonsense this is. I was so looking forward to watching this before I subscribed to Amazon Prime, especially as the concept looked inviting, but it just goes to show that IMDb's ratings can sometimes be so wrong.

    Some of the acting is laughable: the Charles Vane character is right over the top. And "Long" John Silver doesn't look too long to me. Billy Bones looks like he's been in the gym too long, and the women all look like models from Playboy. And can Anne Bonney stop trying to look enigmatic all the time with that silly hat on?! At least Calico Jack seems real.

    The drama isn't credibly dramatic at all, and apart from a few London accents there aren't any Cornish/Devonshire etc accents at all: too many of these pirates sound like BBC newsreaders. It's obvious that a load of money has been thrown into this, however it would have been money well spent if they had hired some decent script writers rather than trying to make early 18th C Nassau look like Benidorm. Definitely for the American market.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
2
#2 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 27
  3. Negative: 2 out of 27
  1. The Lincoln Journal Star
    Reviewed by: Jeff Korbelik
    Mar 27, 2014
    50
    The drama is nothing more than a video game, with a story secondary to the blood and sex.
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  2. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Feb 13, 2014
    67
    The era is a rich vein to mine, and to their credit, the creators are light on pirate cliches--I do not believe one "aargh!" is uttered--but at the same time, there's a little too much emphasis on pirate economics and labor disputes than is necessary, and the sprawling cast and hierarchy a little hard to keep straight.
    Read full review
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 27, 2014
    70
    While the series, which opens with a ship being boarded and taken, does have its moments of big, noisy action (see: Michael Bay, above), it spends a lot of time on land, as well, with the main characters taking care of business, making plans, laying traps and working on their surprisingly complicated personal relationships. There is also, tedious to relate, an abundance of female nudity.... Other than that, Black Sails' depiction of daily life among the pirates is plausibly authentic and workaday, and the Nassau through which they roam feels real and well-peopled.
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