Black Sails 1x01 Reaction

Cosmotron if you're still peeping comments, I'm in the middle of 1x02. I'm Dalecooper9919 on Discord if you wanna talk about it. I already have VERY hot takes!

Okay so, seeing as so many people were asking for it, here's my thoughts on 1x01. I would've left it earlier but I'm working mad hours with it being the run-up to Christmas. I thought our introductory episode was a good bit denser than I thought it was going to be, I'm glad I had the ability to re-watch with the girls. I'm not that thrown off by not knowing every single character yet, but I definitely did think that the second watch alongside the girls with the subtitles on helped me pick up on details I otherwise would've missed. There's one or two things I'm still a little bit unclear on, but I'm sure that by the second and third episode I'll have it figured out. Anyways, as to the episode itself: I think I'm going to enjoy this show, even though it's quite different from what I usually consume. It does remind me of Game Of Thrones for its fantasy premise, but it seems as though it will be less gritty overall, which honestly I think I'd appreciate. I know Game Of Thrones comparisons can often be a bit inappropriate but in this case I think it's justified given that it's an adventure-fantasy genre and that the show does tend to be a bit more explicit than other shows. On my first viewing of 1x01, I kind of rolled my eyes at Eleanor's character as it seemed to come across as the "female character who says fuck and emasculated the men" stereotype which is just so corny and lazy, but upon my second watch it came across as a lot more natural. From the beginning the show seems to indicate that it will have a balanced ratio of boys to girls, which is interesting to see. I'm not necessarily one of those people who demands representation of a show, nor would I seek out a show purely on the basis that it has female/LGBT/POC characters etc., I'm moreso concerned that when it *is* there that it's done respectfully and that it feels natural to the story. Hence my initial anxiety with a character like Eleanor, that she was going to be the lazy "not like the other girls, i used to wrestle my brothers" cliche, but the inclusion of the other female characters as well as further development of Eleanor by the episode's end put my mind at east. Similar to Mr. Robot, I think the gender ratio will be done in a way where it isn't shoe-horned in and will feel organic to the story, which is great! The strongest aspect of the show so far for me is that from the first episode we establish that the pirates aren't just cartooon knuckleheads, but they are realised people with their own rules and subsequent politics. I was very interested to hear the girls say that there are only 38 episodes, which means that if the show is establishing this level of tension from the beginning, then the overall story will have lot of twists and turns. Again, given the genre, it does remind me of what I did and didn't miss from Game Of Thrones, even though I absolutely loved those first four seasons when they came out. The world is just so compelling, it's pirates afterall. A show about pirates is akin to a time-travel movie, it's such a compelling premise that it hooks the audience in when it's well made. I just hope that they don't rely too much on the shock value that Game Of Thrones did even in the earlier seasons. Like, I'm an adult, I don't need constant swearing and sex scenes to mantain my attention, at a certain point it really takes me out of the show. That being said, the 'blackbeard' joke got a genuine chuckle out of me. I could write more but I might just leave it at that for now. I don't think I'm going to watch the show in advance this time around, I'll probably just stay one or two episodes ahead of the girls. I'll probably be a bit warier of the comments than I usually am because of that. But if I end up really getting into the show and feel like watching one episode a day or even binging it, then I'll do that. So yeah, that's it :)

I watched the first season last year and I really liked it but I haven't gotten around to watching the rest of it, I guess now is a good a time as any. Milena mentioned that she stopped watching after episode 3 because of a scene she didn't like, I have a vague recollection of that episode but I can't think to what scene she could referring. I guess we'll find out when they watch episode 3.

At 46:30 they start getting into spoilers for 1x03. Can someone please give me a timecode for when the spoilers stop? I don't want to try skipping ahead by myself coz knowing my luck I won't skip far enough 😭

i’ve never heard anyone talking about this show irl or it ever being mentioned on any ‘best show’ lists online yet someone it has like every youtuber reacting to it, idgi

LETS GO!!! My favorite tv show of all time. You guys are going to absolutely love this series its straight up phenomenal

As Max obviously comes from a French slave colony her name probably comes from either Maxime or Maxence. Both popular French names coming from the Latin Maximus, so, not actually a modern name lol and it means “greatest,” so it’s pretty perfect imo

Im new as a patreon, and I was not aware of the struggles of Black Sails on the polls lol. Cheers to the OG's who recommended it for so long! One of my favourite shows

Oh! Before I forget to bring it up, I also have to recommend the podcast Fathoms Deep, which is an episode-by-episode analysis of the show. It's so good. Not only are the hosts really great at discussing the characters and themes, but actors on the show actually discovered the podcast while the show was still airing, and eventually started appearing on it as guests. Anyway, while it wasn't an official podcast at all, the actors on the show organically became aware of it and appeared several times to talk about their characters and behind the scenes stuff. As did many writers, directors, and more people who worked on the series. I really can't recommend it enough, and I'll be bringing it up a lot because their analysis is so good. Also, what cinched loving the podcast for me is that they're big fans of Max's character. It's on Applepodcasts, commonroomradio, spotify, and more!

Really enjoyed this first episode! A nice setup to the story and characters and I’m already very excited for the next episodes. Also very excited to see that Bear McCreary is the composer and is once again using the hurdy-gurdy. I’m a huge fan of his work on the God of War games and I’ve practically had those soundtracks on repeat for the last few years. P.S. The entire episode Captain Flint’s actor looked very familiar to me but I couldn’t place him, so I went and looked at his past works, but nothing stuck out to me. Then I saw that his mother is Dame Maggie Smith?!?! Talk about strong genes!

Its not my first choice, but I am very happy for the fans of this show. I think its fantastic that you are rewarding the fans for this show coming in second every time. I hope Queen's Gambit gets a watch at some point. It is amazing and very short.

No to Sons of Anarchy. 🙄🙄🙄Insanity

Man I really thought you guys might watch Andor. 😢😢😢😢😢

I was going to say this will be my last comment on this post, but I don't want to make promises I can't keep haha. But I wanted to elaborate a little more on something I mentioned in my very long comment further up: the way pirates use fear and the 'story' of Flint to take the ship, and how the show deliberate contrasts that initial impression of them afterward. The buildup before we see any pirates is quite tense and scary, as Lola and Milena both mentioned. Then they burst through the door and we see a guy with pointed teeth, and it's easy to think that they're going to slaughter everyone. But they don't. And more and more we see how much of a performance all of that was. The pointed teeth are fake, and the guy wearing them uses them next to play a prank (one he's clearly pulled many times haha). The Captain and Quartermaster discuss paying their crew for injuries, and the profits they made like they're normal business partners. It humanizes them, though that doesn't take away what they are capable of doing. Just very interesting stuff, right off the bat. Wanted to edit to add something I noticed when watching the full reaction. There's a very specific line I need to highlight. When Captain Hume comes to arrest Richard Guthrie, he says this: "Gossip is what holds civilization together. It reinforces shame." I can't go into it now, but while this seems like a small moment...there's something in this sentiment that vitally ties into themes that the show explores. If you know, you know.

Such odd timing, I actually began re-watching this series just last week after I purchased the Blu-ray. It's a sign! A sign I say! I also would have been happy with "The Sopranos" or "Mad Men" (Or even "Barry") but we need to bow to the sign! I'm sure it's been mentioned in every recommendation before, but the first season is a little wonky (And the sequence you talked about in episode three really is unpleasant). The show gets its balance and really takes off in season two. It was ended deliberately in season four with a completely concluded plotline, it wasn't cancelled or shortened on its episodes. The show is a blend of real-life history with fictional characters. The historical figures and events are (obviously) heavily fictionalized for the sake of the story, but you can look them up on Wikipedia and see what really happened (But in some cases that will actually spoil the plot). The story itself is a prequel to the novel "Treasure Island", so once the show is over you can read that to see 'what comes next'.

I’ve never even heard of this show besides people in the comments but you guys have never liked a show I didn’t so it will probably be good.

More info on terminology! A Boatswain (Billy's position on the ship, formerly Randall's) is basically the senior manager of the deck crew. They delegate tasks and are the most involved in overseeing day to day maintenance of the ship itself. A Quartermaster on a pirate ship is always the right hand of the Captain. They are in charge of looking out for the crew most of all, and are in charge of discipline, they supervise stores/provisions, and often serve as a helmsman as well (steering the ship). Like captains they are elected by their crews. Definitions aside, I love that right away one of our primary characters is a black sex worker. Max is amazing, probably one of my favorite characters ever. I love how smart and savvy she is, how clearly she understands people's emotions (immediatly noticing John paying attention to the schedule, and immediately noticing when Eleanor was upset). I could gush about her more, but really can't until we get further into the show lol.

The first season is definitely the roughest. I think the showrunners erroneously believed that the shock factor from violent sex and gore made for engaging writing, and that foreshadowing was proper character development. Fortunately, the show gets its shit together after season 1, and I’m so excited for your journey with these characters as the payoff is extraordinary

"The schedule? that's not a treasure map!" - Lola I too was expecting a map with a comically large X drawn on it lmao

Here are some trivia facts: A 'piece of eight' or 'real de a ocho' was a Spanish silver coin and was one the most valuable international currency at the time. The Urca de Lima was a real Spanish treasure ship. Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, was renowned as a main base of operations for pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy. Captain Flint is loosely inspired by the character of the same name from Robert Louis Stevenson's book 'Treasure Island'. Also some of the crew members (like 'the cook') are based on characters from that novel. Captain Charles Vane, the pirate girl Anne Bonny, and the fancy dressed Jack Rackham, also known as Calico Jack, were real historical pirates. Calico Jack was the inspiration for Jack Sparrow in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

So, question for those that have seen the show...Fubhyq jr oevat hc Gernfher Vfynaq? V srry yvxr vg'f obhaq gb pbzr hc sebz ng yrnfg bar pbzzrag ng fbzr cbvag. Jbhyq gung or gur xvaq bs guvat gurl'q pbafvqre n fcbvyre? A few answers to your questions in the discussion: 1. Yes, Vane is a popular character. I think some people like him right off just based on performance. On my end, I think not liking him right now is the intended effect. Naq ubarfgyl V bayl ernyyl pbzr nebhaq ba uvz gbjneq gur raq bs F2. Inar vf na vagrerfgvat punenpgre naq nyjnlf sha gb unir ba fperra, ohg vg nyfb gbbx zr n ybbbbbat gvzr gb trg cnfg jung ur/uvf perj qb gb Znk va guvf svefg frnfba. 2. The show wasn't cancelled, and it has a definitive ending. 3. The Scarborough was a real Naval ship in history. The Walrus (Flint's ship) was not, and Flint was not a historical pirate.

Yes!!!! One of the best shows ever made. Hope you guys enjoy

Omg I watched Merlin in middle school and even at 24 it still holds a special place in my heart <3 I believe his name was Percival in Merlin haha. Been years since I've seen black sails excited for a re-watch!

Words cannot express my happiness that you guys have replaced one of my all time favorite shows (The Wire) with another one of my all time favorite shows (Black Sails). Seriously, this show is a masterpiece, I have never seen another show with such a clear and concise way of storytelling as this one. Like most shows, the first few episodes does start off slow, but once it picks up, it doesn't let up for anything. I can't wait to see you guys fall in love with the characters and it will be interesting to see who becomes your favorites. Like The Wire, there definitely are some scenes that are hard to get through, but bear with them cuz there will be payoffs. My only hope is that this comment section is as amazing as the comment section was for The Wire.

Lola saying she wants to know Flint's motivations....oh boy did we all at this point. Naq jura lbh xabj...onfvpnyyl abguvat pbzrf bss va gur fnzr jnl. Gurer'f fb zhpu zber gb ernq vagb Syvag'f npgvbaf naq orunivbe. EDIT: Also, let me just say, one of the reasons I really wanted Lola and Milena to watch this is because I knew they would like Max and Eleanor.

So happy you are watching Black Sails!! One of my favorite show. But yeah, Barry is very good. Severance is a MUST WATCH. But you could probably wait a bit since Season 2 is so far away right now.

LMAO I imagine it would be this i’m not a fan but i’m happy for everyone who is they waited too much

Omfg I don’t know if you have seen my previous comments but fucking hell thank you soooo much LM Reactions I fucking love you guys after this lol. Much appreciated : )

A few other scattered facts: This show was filmed entirely on location in Cape Town, South Africa. So yeah, that's why it looks so gorgeous. There were several physical ships built for the set, so those are actual ships the characters are standing on. The show utilizes a lot of great practical effects like that.

Oh, and since you mentioned the flag looking funny, it was actually typical for pirate vessels to have their own unique flags. That's how you would identify them. The typical jolly roger flag that we associate with pirates came later. Gunaxf gb bhe irel bja Wnpx Enpxunz!

happy for the all long suffering black sails fans. ill give it a try!

Oof, yeah I know the scene Milena means in episode 3. I've talked about it in my other posts pitching the show, so if anyone else wants to know about it, I'd recommend checking those out. I don't blame Milena for feeling that way at the time, and I really appreciate her being willing to give this show another chance. <3

as someone who was hoping for a different show. I ain't mad at their reason for picking Black Sails. I have no idea what the show is about, but i'm looking forward to the reactions

Oh man, ALL the regular Patrons on board with this one?! I'm grinning, this one is gonna be so great guys 😀

"Civilization is coming. And it plans to make monsters of us." Tbq gur zrnavat guvf gnxrf ba jura lbh XABJ.

(I wrote most of this before the reaction was posted. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the next show, but I was trying to be prepared.) I’m so happy we’re here. I hope Lola and Milena, and anyone who is deciding to watch along for the first time, enjoys the show even half as much as I do, because that would still be a lot. Right off the bat, you may notice that the episodes do not have typical titles. Rather, they are only numbered, and it reminds me of chapters in a book. In turn, the first season is very much like the prologue of that book. Even in this first episode actions taken here have ripple effects that we will continue to see the effects of. I love that we start off with the point of view of a ship being boarded by pirates. So much is set up within the first minute, and well before we actually see any pirates. The people on this ship are *terrified* of the pirates boarding them - or more specifically, they are afraid of its captain: Flint. Some of you may hear that name and immediately recognize it as well. In other words, the ‘story’ surrounding Captain Flint and his crew is enough on its own to provoke fear. The rest of the attack by the pirates relies on this too: in fact, they leave the vast majority of the crew alive, and simply used the fear they had in order to subdue them more easily. After all, the first time we actually see Captain Flint, he is getting another member of his crew to *stop* attacking, not encouraging more violence. And of course we’ve got our ‘cook’ hiding below, John Silver. Again, a name some of you may immediately recognize, and help you to understand some of the kind of story this show will be telling. As well as the kind of character John is: he immediately recognizes that the page is something important, even if he doesn’t know what it actually is. The “Blackbeard” scene is kind of weird, and not the kind of thing the show typically does. On the one hand, it does kind of feel like the kind of thing you’d have at a brothel lol. I also appreciate the show isn’t afraid to have women with body hair. I remember in Game of Thrones there was a whole thing where the actress that played Osha wanted to have body hair in her nude scenes, and she was basically told that wouldn’t be attractive enough. Even though her character would likely have never shaved, and it didn’t make sense. So I do appreciate the show being comfortable with women having body hair. I also like it for how we are introduced to Max. Not because of the scene itself, but from an outside perspective she doesn’t seem important at first. Just prostitute #5 in the background. In another story, that is all she would be. But she is actually much more than that. So, yeah. I LOVE ELEANOR AND MAX. Znk vf zl dhrra. V pna haqrefgnaq jngpuvat gur fubj naq abg yvxvat Ryrnabe (rira gubhtu V qb), ohg gur qvfyvxr Znk trgf sebz fbzr bs gur jvqre snaqbz vf onssyvat gb zr. V ybir ure fb zhpu naq fur'f fhpu n terng punenpgre. There are some real life pirates introduced in this episode! Charles Vane, Benjamin Hornigold, Jack Rackham, and Anne Bonney are all real historical pirates. So we have a mixture of actual historical characters alongside completely fictional ones. It reminds me a little of Vinland Saga in that way, and that’s not the last comparison to that show I’ll be making. And, uh….I quickly realized I was going to run out of room in one comment. So I’m going to watch the reaction and maybe add more comments as I go. It’s like I have a lot to say about this show or something.

Well guess I will start watching this show finally lol

also, not that important but this one along with buffy and the leftovers s1 are my all-time favourite opening credits of any show. like, a fucking masterpiece.

You can’t start watching my favourite live action show ever when I’m literally about to fall asleep!!! 😩I’m soo happy and DEVASTATED that I need as many hours of sleep as can and can’t watch now. But I’m soo bloody thrilled you don’t understand!

Holy shit yess

How many of you are first time watchers out there? Looking forward to your thoughts!

By the time the girls have watched Black Sails and The Sopranos, hopefully we'll have developed memory altering technology so they can forget they watched Lost and experience it for the first time all over again. Then and only then will every single one of my favourite tv shows have been reacted to 😅

Black Sails declared winner of the poll with a shocking 100% of the votes! If you didn't see the poll, try looking harder 🥰 (excited to watch this for the first time, heard good things from friends)

KNEW IT! The fans of this series definitely deserved this after recommending it for so long, haha. I hope it's as good as people's dedication towards it!

Well well this would be my first time watching something blind.

Yall are the best!!!

OH MY GOD

😂🤣 finally. This is a good series

LETS GO!!!!!

well, as much as i want to see your reaction to violet ep 10 and the emotional wreck that's going to be... black sails first!

I had a feeling It'd be this 😄 I'm happy for all the fans wanting this for so long!

Lmao I'm not a black sails watcher (maybe one day) but I'm happy for everyone who is

I’ve waited so long for this 😭

Cosmotoron, get in here!!!

omg? i could kiss you right now!

HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/045/730/i_used_to_pray_for_times_like_this_cover.jpg

Oh my god, it’s happening folks!