Black Sails 1x07 Reaction
Added 2024-01-12 21:48:53 +0000 UTC
Comments
subbed for black sails. I just needed to watch ahead :P. I'm glad they are allready far. Love this show.
john
2024-02-11 23:16:54 +0000 UTCI mean, I think Flint is largely right about what giving all the information would do, but I don’t think the whole crew is made up of idiots. He has a very paternalistic attitude toward them, and it’s not entirely unwarranted, but I don’t think it’s completely right either. And while Billy’s desire to be so open about everything isn’t the best option, he’s perfectly within his rights to criticize how easily and often Flint treats the crew as expendable in the name of his larger goal.
cosmotron
2024-01-14 10:38:30 +0000 UTCYeah, I agree that’s why he was acting that way in that moment, but it also didn’t seem like it was an unusual occurrence for him to be a bit checked out. That being said I didn’t get the impression that it was like that all the time either. Just that it was one of the ways that show how distant he can be with Miranda, even during moments of intimacy.
cosmotron
2024-01-14 10:33:32 +0000 UTCFor the whole of season 1, Billy’s idealism made him weak. Flint was right not to trust any of his men. They’re all idiots who wouldn’t have kept their mouths shut, and they would have lost out on the Urca because they’d have been competing with other crews. Billy thinks everyone should know everything and they should all sit around and make group decisions about everything and it’s a pretty ridiculous mindset to have in his setting.
Wanda Did Nothing Wrong
2024-01-14 09:53:09 +0000 UTCI didn't read it all (sorry) but there is something I want to comment about, because it seemed to me that Lola and Milena took it the same way: I don't think at all Flint was so passive and absent during sex because of lack of passion or interest, the way I see it, he was just very mad about Miranda reading the book to Richard Guthrie (as we see in the scene after that).
Sweet Owl
2024-01-14 08:14:05 +0000 UTCHe'd be a good captain, but a bad pirate captain.
Eric
2024-01-14 01:43:40 +0000 UTCIn that day and age and especially place, Billy would be a terrible Captain. Unfortunately the type of job they have to make and the place they are living in, requires someone like Flint, or even worse someone like Vane. Vane as he showed in his speech is all about, respect, power and being feared (cause that's what he knows}. Flint on the other hand has a final goal in mind that he believes will be for the greater good and he thinks that anything is worth sacrificing to achieve that goal. He also believes (not without justification) that he knows better than all his men, and that's why he feels comfortable making decisions for them. In that age you needed people like that to move things forward.
AlexBoss
2024-01-13 16:55:42 +0000 UTCI love how much this show utilizes practical effects, and you’re right that’s a great scene.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 16:35:12 +0000 UTCHe’s so incredible. Like there’s acting, and then there’s ACTING, and Toby Stephens is always is always doing the latter. I can’t praise his performance enough.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 16:33:59 +0000 UTCI don’t think Billy being an idealist makes him weak, though I do agree that he wouldn’t be able to make those hard split second choices and that would make him a less than stellar captain. He’s primed for being quartermaster honestly, it’s the QM’s job to look after the crew more than anything else.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 16:32:45 +0000 UTCI didn’t think the big guy was a hallucination. I just figured that Vane got to the island really late, and the guy didn’t want to talk business until the morning. But I could also see him being a hallucination. Then the first time Vane actually sees him is when he’s surrounded by everyone else on the island. The little boy is definitely not a hallucination though. He’s very much there, like other little boys before him.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 16:31:23 +0000 UTCI do think we are meant to watch it thinking that they are about to kiss on the lips/likely have sex. And the characters can tell that will happen as well if one of them makes that move. Flint is in a low enough place that the thought definitely crosses his mind, but I think he also just as quickly realizes that’s not what either of them are really looking for with each other. Not that kind of comfort anyway. So he makes the deliberate choice to kiss her forehead and set that term for their relationship. From Eleanor’s end I wouldn’t be surprised if she is attracted to Flint, both in general and because their goals are aligned. But again, I don’t think she really sees him that way either. In the moment she’s not sure what she wants. If he had kissed her lips I think she would have went along with it, and she seemed to be expecting it. But the forehead kiss gives her what she actually wants from Flint: another kind of father figure. One that supports her goals and sees what she can do and has accomplished, and isn’t afraid for her to push forward. So, yeah. The scene uses what our expectations would normally be - that these characters alone in a room and standing so close will get physically intimate- and instead makes a different choice. I think a lesser show would have made the choice for them to have sex, even though it would have ultimately been a bad choice for both characters.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 16:28:21 +0000 UTCThe Eleanor and Flint scene where they nearly kiss and he instead kisses her on the forehead always confuses me. It seems like it could have gone either way because she certainly wasn’t resisting and I don’t really understand it. Why would he do either thing in that scene? Because I don’t think it was that unlikely that just like he chose to kiss her on the forehead he also could have kissed her on the mouth especially considering he lets say wasn’t in the best state at that moment lol. How do you read that entire scene and what’s the point of it? We’ve not seen anything romantic between them before as I can recall and does he suddenly have fatherly feelings for her?
Melkor
2024-01-13 12:11:08 +0000 UTCInteresting. Do you think the little black kid he saw was an hallucination too?
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-13 10:51:38 +0000 UTCBilly would be a TERRIBLE Captain btw. He wouldn’t be able to make any hard decisions that would involve possibly harming the men, even tho they’re pirates and it’s literally their job to get shot at. And he definitely wouldn’t be able to sacrifice a couple men to save all the rest. He’s an idealist and it makes him weak. Plus Flint is a much better sailor, as shown when they were chasing the cannons
Wanda Did Nothing Wrong
2024-01-13 10:40:14 +0000 UTCToby is phenomenal. The things he does with his face sometimes, man. Next season there is a scene where his face slowly morphs from James and turns into Flint, and it’s all done in a couple of seconds with literal micro expressions. It’s amazing.
Wanda Did Nothing Wrong
2024-01-13 10:35:21 +0000 UTCI’m with Cosmo on this one it’s pretty much what guides the show.
Melkor
2024-01-13 09:59:09 +0000 UTCFlint is my favorite live action character ever and 50% of that is due to writing and 50% of that is due to the sheer thespian superiority of Toby Stephens Monologues
Ninaly
2024-01-13 09:10:27 +0000 UTCToby Stephens is such a phenomenal actor, both his scenes with Miranda and Gates were so well written and acted, and it really shows you some of the depths of Flint. "This ends when I grant them my forgiveness" is one of my favorite lines in the entire series. I love how much you ladies have grown to love John as well because he is one of my favorites for all the reasons you ladies mentioned as well. So many hints to Vane's past but I absolutely love how this episode didn't confirm/tell you anything, you just had to make your own inferences based on his facial expressions, superb writing and acting. Can't wait for the finale!!!!
Nyeisha Melvina Clark
2024-01-13 06:51:19 +0000 UTCDouble upload? Maybe? No?
Basjvw
2024-01-13 04:59:17 +0000 UTCI love the feeling of vindication from when we said "You'll love it eventually, it builds at the end of the season!" and now we see you get pulled into one more episode after spending an hour going over every tiny detail.
JBK405
2024-01-13 03:13:48 +0000 UTCPlenty has been said already in the comments so I'll write only about the final scene with the ships departing: it's such a great shot to me, those were actual ships they built, not cgi or partial reconstructions, Flint and Gates nod to each other, the look of understanding while we just learned about the crew intentions. All of this while listening to the amazing arrangement of the Parson's Farewell made by Bear McCreary. Perfection.
Sweet Owl
2024-01-13 02:41:29 +0000 UTCWhen Vane approached the island he didn't meet the big guy, it was an "allucination" like the other times before.
Sweet Owl
2024-01-13 02:32:40 +0000 UTCVery curious to know how you will feel about Flint after the finale
Wallas
2024-01-13 01:30:22 +0000 UTCI don't know if you saw my above comments but I'm absolutely loving the dialogue as it stands so that has me very excited!!
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-13 01:06:32 +0000 UTCA few other odds and ends I wanted to comment on! I mentioned loving Max’s dress but I also love Eleanor’s outfit. The costuming on this show, like everything else, is amazing. I don’t think it was an intentional pun, but I always laugh when Max says “Get your fucking house in order.” Because it is literally a fucking house haha. The discussion you guys have at the end just confirms what I always knew: that you both watching this show would be an absolute treat. We are still really early in the show but you’re already having such wonderful conversations about the characters and themes. I seriously can’t wait for you guys to get further into the show.
cosmotron
2024-01-13 01:06:16 +0000 UTCIf you already think the writing is fantastic, you are in for a treat. Season 1 is the weakest one, but of course still great. The dialogues in the next seasons are the best I've ever seen in any show.
Gustavo
2024-01-13 01:05:47 +0000 UTCVery well said!
cosmotron
2024-01-13 01:00:14 +0000 UTCGreat point!
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-13 00:50:53 +0000 UTCIn this episode it is shown what is the most important thing to Vane, and it's freedom. The guy had already given him the men, he could've just left, but as he once got free from that place, he wanted that to all of them as well. Of course this was not the only reason to fight the guy, remember his conversations with Idelle (about how Eleanor is strong and everyone else is just weak) and Jack (that their problem is not Eleanor, it's just themselves), the other reason was him facing his fear, the only thing still holding him back, because the guy might not be physically his owner anymore, but mentally he still very much was. And now that Vane fought him, he is trully free.
Gustavo
2024-01-13 00:45:09 +0000 UTCSometimes I think I'm smart picking up on overarching themes, but it took this reaction to realise the deliberate parallel of the pastor at the episode's beginning talking about rebirth and the episode ending with Vane literally emerging from the ground naked, as though being born from death itself, in order to bury his past life and to begin a new life whilst covered in figurative and literal ashes. Fantastic writing.
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-13 00:42:43 +0000 UTCOh and listening to the discussion makes me realize you guys have watched episode 8 now. I cannot wait to see what you both thought of it. It's quite the episode.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 23:36:30 +0000 UTCI can't disagree, honestly.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 23:27:18 +0000 UTC“This ends when I grant THEM, MY forgiveness”. I LOVE HIM. I LOVE THEM. Honestly I think THAT is THE most important line IN THE WHOLE SHOW
Wanda Did Nothing Wrong
2024-01-12 23:20:17 +0000 UTCFor some reason my full comment didn't paste in, even though it was shorter than 1x06. Anyways, here's my last few points: - At 44:50, that's an interesting edit. Not bad by any means, just unusual to see it in a mainstream show. - Jesus christ, Flint is going through it. I don't know why El is so keen to encourage him when she sees he's so beaten down. Of course there's what she has to gain personally in taking the Uncle Dua Lipa, but I wonder what exactly is going through her head with Flint. Does she genuniely believe that Flint doing all this is going to save him? And not just in a rationalised manner, but sincerely, be it fully conscious or not? I don't know, I'd like to hear from others on that one. - Randall with the potatoes... All I'll say is that it doesn't take a genius to like fart jokes, but you have to be an idiot to not find farts funny. - Gates and Dufresne. First of all, totally understandable in my opinion that Dufresne, De Groot and the others want to see Flint gone, it really does. As for Gates, the show is deliberately setting up for us that Gates is apprehensive towards letting Flint die despite agreeing with Dusfresne, but with a show like Black Sails that's so well-written that you can genuinely interpret story beats as red herrings, it's genuinely a 50/50 as to whether or not Gates will decide to act against Dufresne's wishes or not (assuming a 3rd option doesn't come in to disrupt the plan altogether, that is). - A gif of that shot of Vane's eye in the dirt would look great looped for a slowed and reverbed music video. - Closing scene with Vane was incredible. Obviously it's easy to make a joke from it but I have to say that it was just such an immensely powerful scene, brief as it is. If his character is progressing this quickly then I can only imagine what's in store if he ends up being a character we'll see for another 3 seasons.
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-12 23:08:23 +0000 UTCThey really have been. And we are still so early into the show too!
cosmotron
2024-01-12 23:04:53 +0000 UTCYour guys reactions to this show have been everything ive hoped for and more
MOB12
2024-01-12 23:03:11 +0000 UTCI like the small moments where we see Eleanor just doing normal things around her tavern. But it also leads into a really interesting scene between her and Flint. The show has deliberately paralleled these characters quite a lot, and they are similar in a number of ways. Chief of which is Eleanor giving Flint much the same advice that he gave her a few episodes ago when she was feeling doubt. “Tell me we’re not crazy, you and I.” Eleanor said almost the same thing to him, and how here he is appealing to her. “The outcome is only uncertain to those that disbelieve,” She says. Reaffirming what he told her. And then there is an interesting moment where it feels like maybe they’re going to kiss. You can tell even Eleanor isn’t sure what is going to happen, and seems a little confused afterward as well. But Flint doesn’t kiss her lips: he kisses her on the forehead, and seems to deliberately draw that line in their relationship. I think Eleanor is more used to people (men) looking at her sexually, and is surprised when Flint doesn't take it that direction. I don’t think she’s disappointed either, exactly. I think you could read a certain amount of attraction into her feelings toward him, but ultimately a kind of fatherly relationship feels much more accurate. He sees himself in her, and she in him, and he tries to give her advice and guidance. I love love love this back and forth shot of Flint and Gates looking at each other from their ships, cutting between them until it then snaps to a small flashback. Gates having a conversation with Dufresne, confirming that it was not Billy who told him, but Gates. That Gates has been meeting with Dufresne to plan moves against Flint. That others are involved, and a mutiny is well and truly forming behind Flint’s back. And it’s because of Billy. Gates agrees that he won’t argue against the crew putting Flint to death after they’ve successfully taken the Urca gold. He agrees to betray Flint, and we cut back to them nodding to each other as they set sail after the Urca d’lima. Buuut that’s not actually the end! It’s easy to think so at first. We’re actually ending on Charles Vane rising from his own grave to kill his former slavemaster. Talk about being reborn. Naked and covered in sand, badly injured, and yet in this moment Vane feels stronger than ever. And THAT is where we end. Only one more episode in the season! I can’t believe we are almost at season two. Really looking forward to seeing what Lola and Milena think of the S1 finale, as well as anyone else watching along for the first time.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:49:57 +0000 UTCSilver’s situation with Randall is quite interesting. There have been hints that Randall knew Silver took the page, even before the moment he mentions where he overheard Silver talking in Eleanor’s office. Back in the second episode after Singleton was killed and the other crew members were like, pissing on his body, Randall very pointedly said that “you shouldn’t steal” because that’s what happens. At the time it comes off like he’s just making a statement about that specific situation, and perhaps that’s still all it was. The show doesn’t make it clear, and quite deliberately so. That continues here. Randall has the presence of mind to accuse Silver of being a thief now when it best suits him, and again to start calling others thieves in order to work things back in his own favor. It’s not much of a stretch to think that he orchestrated all of it for his own benefit…but, then again, maybe not. Ultimately Silver is left just as unsure as we the audience are. There are other aspects of that whole part to take note of as well. Other people know that Silver took the page now, and we saw more just how smart Silver is and how capable he is at talking himself out of situations. His words really are his best weapon, and he’s proven that over and over. It’s such a relief that Eleanor was able to purchase and then free the slaves from the Andromache, even ones like Eme that Scott had been sure would just go back into slavery. But while she seems to want to try to have their relationship go back to how it was…it just can’t. Not with the path she is choosing to go down, and the choices Scott has made in turn. On top of that, the show has deliberately reminded us of the unequal power inherent in their relationship. One that Scott is aware of but Eleanor tries to ignore. Of course, I think in her mind this very much feels like yet another person she loves leaving her, like she’s always thought they all would. And hasn’t all of this just proved her right? That they were all going to leave her anyway, so she has to choose other things over them first. And it will be worth it. It has to be. It has to be. I love this scene with Jack in the brothel. The crying prostitute, and Jack trying to say that her tears won’t work on him, no they won’t! He’s killed men while they begged for mercy, these tears have no effect on him! None whatsoever. It’s kind of adorable, and also easy to see why he’s been taken advantage of. Of course, that’s when Max swoops in and saves Jack and his business. She does it so easily too, in front of everyone, to make a clear message. Not just to the other prostitutes, but to Jack as well. “Get your fucking house in order.” I LOVE MAX.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:49:32 +0000 UTCRandall chooses this episode to finally point his finger at Silver. There was a scene earlier on that implied perhaps he has known for a long time, though Randall only mentions hearing about it in Eleanor’s office. And now of course, for the sake of remaining on the crew, Randall is using that information to his advantage. Of course, there’s more to it than that, and I love how the show intercuts between the conversation Randall and Silver are having vs Degroot/Dufresne and etc. The show does that a lot, cutting between conversations in a way that really adds to the scene. Back with Vane, we get the actual reveal of his brand. I remember Lola commenting on it and asking if it was from his clan. But no. It’s like a cattle brand. Vane was the property of this man, and clearly when he was a child. The way his eyes have followed the young boy slave around communicated that already. Why does Vane do what he does here? Was he always planning to do it? Or was it his slavemaster saying “make me rich” and putting his arm around another young slave boy that made Vane try to do this? I think he was planning something like this from the start, but this moment solidified his choice. Vane didn’t come here to work for his slavemaster. He came to challenge him. To “stop being so goodman afraid”. For a moment all goes well for Vane in the fight, but it turns around just as quickly. There’s something so insidious about this slavemaster saying “I’m proud of you” before doing what he thinks is a killing blow to Vane. But it seems like even death won’t take Charles Vane just yet. Scott visiting the slaves from The Andromece brings such complicated feelings. He asked Eleanor if she can help them all find work as free people, but as he warned back on the ship Nassau is not some special place where slaves are always freed. Sometimes they are, but it’s far from a guarantee. I don’t know if it’s a spoiler of not to say the name of the woman he speaks with, but I’m not sure if it comes up casually or not so…her name is Eme. Easier than referring to her as ‘the woman’. Anyway, I like the moment where Scott almost comforts her and then seems to think better of it, like he knows such a thing would feel hollow. Right afterward Scott has another interesting conversation with Hornigold. “I asked you once to get her under control. The truth is there is no controlling her, is there?” I think it’s kind of an unstated fact that a lot of that language about “controlling” is because Eleanor is a woman. Sure, anyone who was in that position is someone the pirates would want to be able to use to their advantage, but…the way he and a lot of other people talk about it really comes off that way. It’s not the only element at play, but the specific aspect of trying to “control” her very much feels like it is. Anyway, I like Mr. Scott’s response a lot, where he points out that Hornigold forced her hand in a lot of ways. “Really, Captain. What choice did you give her?”
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:34:42 +0000 UTCOoof, that tattoo Dufresne is getting looks painful. I’ve been in the process of getting a big chest tattoo, and that’s been extremely painful. I can’t imagine doing it the old fashioned way where it took even longer. We also learn that he was voted Quartermaster in Billy’s place, but as Gates and Flint laugh about biting a man’s throat out tends to leave a lasting impression. For a moment, all seems normal between the two, but the tension is back very quickly. Gates asks Flint if he is going to “attend” to Mrs. Barlow, but Flint clearly doesn’t want anyone else confronting her about this “betrayal”. We know if anyone else had done this Flint would have probably been comfortable killing them, but with Miranda? He tries to talk it down to the other people involved, and it’s very obvious he doesn’t intend to harm her in any way. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t angry of course, but it’s very different from the anger he would have shown to anyone else that did this. The conversation between Eleanor and Mr. Scott is short, but excellent. Eleanor is right that her life is her own and as are the choices she makes. But it’s undercut with Scott’s point that he cannot go anywhere else. She’s angry at him for “waltzing back in here”, but he has no other choice. He is her father’s slave, and belongs to her family. And even if Eleanor says she doesn’t see him that way, it doesn’t change the reality of their situation. And him literally being chained up alongside other slaves the previous night did nothing but drive that point home. And from this discussion of slavery, we go to depictions of more of it. These kind of logging camps were very real. Sometimes they would be run by formal naval officers or pirates, and sometimes the people “working” there would be doing so in the name of paying off debts. Others were simply taken as children, as we also see. And knowing that Vane was clearly one of those kids…well, it sure explains a lot about him, to see that this is where he grew up. The camera work here really makes Vane feel ‘smaller’ in these scenes, even when not literally next to a giant man. It makes the audience in turn feel the way this person looms over Vane in his own mind. I like that Flint actually tries to talk to Gates about the Miranda situation. While he doesn’t go into details, he is honest about Miranda’s intentions, as well as the fact that Flint doesn't understand completely why she did what she did. Just that she is desperate to leave and have Flint leave with her, and all of that is true, though Gates doesn’t seem to think it is. But then of course it comes back around to Billy. Flint insists that Billy fell. He seems surprised that people think otherwise. Is that because he truly didn’t do it, or because he’s trying to act innocent? It almost doesn’t matter, because it’s clear that Gates believes he did it. Flint’s history doesn’t help him there either: he clearly has been willing to use the crew for what he thinks are justified ends. “If last night was one of those times then we have a problem, because Billy wasn’t expendable to me. Billy was a son to me.” Awww Gates. We really saw how true that was too: Gates was always trying to guide Billy and prepare him, and was clearly very proud of him. Even stopping the men from questioning Flint in the previous episode was as much about protecting Billy as it was about anything else. Aaaand Flint’s next words are incredibly cruel. Telling Gates that he “should have been a better father” to Billy. Is this proof that Flint pushed Billy? It certainly can come off that way. Like ‘if only you had done better by him I wouldn’t have been forced to take matters into my own hands’. Of course, you could also argue that Flint is simply lashing out: Gates already thinks he pushed Billy, and nothing he says will change that. “I’m tired of this. I’m tired of the energy it takes to believe you. To believe in you.” Oof. That’s quite a statement from Gates. And you can see it has an effect on Flint too. But this is where Flint admits what he wants with the gold, what his ‘betrayal’ of the crew would be. To take some of it for himself, without the crew knowing, in order to build the Nassau he is dreaming of. One where they can defend themselves. Be a “nation of thieves” as he once put it. Some of this Gates knew, at least in broad strokes. But not this detail. Flint tries to explain it, and there are good points he makes. We have seen how likely many members of the crew are to just spend all the money and leave themselves with nothing. “Everyone’s lied to for their own good.” This whole speech really emphasizes Flint’s paternalistic attitude toward his crew. He really believes he wants what’s best for them, that this will lead them there, and isn’t that worth any sacrifice? To be “delivered into something better”? Not to Gates, it isn’t. This is their breaking point, and he truly turns his back on Flint here.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:29:34 +0000 UTCOkay okay, now to rewind back to the start of the episode to discuss everything else! Flint and Eleanor’s meeting at the start of the episode is great. Both experienced very chaotic times and dealt with it in different ways. “All this since yesterday?” really sums it up. As does Flint’s follow-up comment “What a day I missed.” In that single day Eleanor regained control of the island, made an ally of Silver, and planned the murders of eight men. Really shows how quickly things can change on Nassau. The Anne and Jack sex scene shows that they’re quite an established relationship. They have their own specific sex things that they do together - including tying Jack to the bed and so on. While it’s not a scene where either are left satisfied, it’s also not like the sad sex we saw between Miranda and Flint. Jack is quite distracted by recent events, and he’s clearly someone who needs to be completely mentally engaged in sex. So if his mind is elsewhere, sex isn’t happening. It also shows Anne being more of the ‘dominant’ one, with her having tied Jak to the bed and being on top, plus the offer to “stick a finger in your bum” lol. It’s not unsurprising, but I still think it’s interesting to see this dynamic of their relationship as well. Max! It’s so good to see her out of that tent. And while she looks beautiful as always you can tell from the way she is standing and how far away her gaze is that all of it has been weighing on her. Which, of course it has, it would be unrealistic if it wasn’t. It’s clear she’s been keeping to herself and staying in her room, and that’s a very reasonable response to have. Idelle comes in and says people are wondering what kind of “voodoo” Max used to make eight of Vane’s crew disappear. I love Max’s response: “Haven’t you heard? They left for Port Royal.” Not that Idelle believes it of course. Oh, and when she says “Yeah, and I’m Henry Fucking Avery”, she’s talking about another real pirate. Henry Avery was a pirate of Nassau who retired before the start of this series. He was quite famous and successful, taking one of the biggest prizes in the history of piracy. He was only a pirate for a few years, and had a massive bounty placed on his head that caused him to go into hiding. No one knows what happened to him - some say he retired in Madagascar, others that he died destitute on the street, but what is clear is that he avoided capture, and his story lived on. Anyway, back to the scene at hand! When Idelle tells her that everyone - all the prostitutes, the Madam Ms. Mapleton - is stealing from their new brothel owner (Jack), something in Max’s face shifts. Idelle is telling her so that Max can steal money for herself while she can - we saw in the first few episodes that they were friends, so it makes sense Idelle would be telling her this. But I think what Max chooses to do with this information says a lot about her character, though more on that later. I do also have to comment that I love her blue dress- it’s giving Belle from Beauty and the Beast vibes.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:05:05 +0000 UTCThis is another great episode, and I can't believe we are almost to the end of the season! It's not how I've normally been posting my comments, but I'm going to have this first one of mine focusing on a specific scene, rather than starting from the beginning of the episode. Because I really really need to talk about that scene with Flint and Miranda. This scene is, to me, the most important part of the episode. I can only go into so much detail on it now, but…even with the little we know now there is so much in this moment to discuss. The conversation - no, more like confrontation - between Flint and Mirand is *electric*. The scene gives me goosebumps, and the acting is so good. Before we get to that though, another point to confuse the whole ‘did Flint push Billy or not’ debate comes up here. Flint talks about Billy finding the letter and “if not for dumb luck” he would have ended up dead. That…certainly doesn’t sound like what he would say if he killed Billy. “Dumb luck” fits a lot more with the idea of Billy simply falling. Especially since Flint is speaking to Miranda, the only character he is ever remotely honest with. He’d have no reason to lie or omit the truth from her. Of course, it could still just mean “if not for the dumb luck of getting the opportunity to kill him, I’d be dead.” Buuuut I’m not sure, and that statement is definitely one that I come back to when I’m arguing the idea that Billy fell and wasn’t pushed. Anyway! That’s not what this scene is really about. Miranda tries to say that she would never want him to come to harm, that she wanted to free him, show him “a way out”, but Flint is just confused by that notion. Asking if she remembers how they got there “what they took from us?” Much like when Miranda discussed her past with Pastor Lambrick, we are getting a very different vibe when hearing Flint talk about it. Not about him and Miranda doing something wrong, but instead them being wronged. They don’t talk about feeling guilty, or how they messed up. No, something was “taken” from them instead. Not exactly what you’d expect based on the rumors. And it’s clear Miranda hasn’t forgotten at all, what happened and what they lost is something she lives with every day. At the same time, she doesn’t view whatever happened then as something they should hold onto for the life they have now. Because that “life” they are living is so hollow, and they both feel it. She’s been all but screaming this at him since episode three when she said that the life they were living “didn’t feel like living anymore”. And we’ve seen how incredibly isolated she is. Even if Flint doesn’t exactly maintain close relationships with the people on his crew, he is still out there interacting with them, and has had a fairly close friendship with Gates. Miranda is stuck at this house by herself, with only people like that kid who threw a rock at her or Pastor Lambrick (who is only there partly out of sexual desire) to interact with. And even when Flint is there he’s barely present in the moment, as seen when they were having sex. “Because there is no life here, there is no joy here, there is no love here.” “What are you TALKING about? What do you think I’m out there fighting for if not to make all those things possible here?” “You’ll fight a war so we can make a life?” “You don’t get one without the other, my sweet.” God this whole exchange always gives me chills. And there’s something about the way he says ‘my sweet’ too, it feels almost venomous but not quite. Miranda tries to insist that they could have that life somewhere else, in Boston away from all of this, that doing so would require no war or blood or sacrifice - But Flint stops her. Says it would require an “intolerable” sacrifice. “To accept a pardon?” “To apologize.” “Apologe? Who would you be apologizing to?” “To ENGLAND!” Miranda’s face changes at that. But Flint isn’t done. “They took everything from us. And then they called me a monster. The moment I sign that pardon, the moment I ask for one, I proclaim to the world that they were right. This ends when I grant them my forgiveness. Not the other way ‘round.” It’s so clear from her expression that Miranda understands, but also knows what he’s asking for won’t happen.. England doesn’t apologize to anyone it’s wronged, let alone some former naval officer turned pirate. “This path doesn’t lead where you think it does.” But Flint of course can’t accept that. This all can’t have been for nothing. But it’s Miranda’s last words to him that feel like a true blow. “If he were here, he’d agree with me.” It’s enough to make Flint pause. But not enough to stop him from slamming the door and stomping out. Gur jnl guvf jubyr fprar whfg funggref lbhe urneg vagb n zvyyvba cvrprf jura lbh XABJ jung vg'f nobhg. Lbh pna pbzcyrgryl haqrefgnaq jul vg jbhyq or fhpu na "vagbyrenoyr" fnpevsvpr, naq lbh pna frr gung Zvenaqn trgf vg gbb. Fur whfg nyfb xabjf gung guvf tbny bs trggvat na rzcver yvxr Ratynaq gb ncbybtvmr vf sbbyuneql. Naq bs pbhefr gurer'f gur hfr bs gung jbeq "zbafgre". Ur'f orra hfvat gung fvapr gur svefg rcvfbqr. Naq jura lbh vavgvnyyl urne vg lbh qba'g dhvgr haqrefgnaq gur gehr zrnavat bs vg. Yvxr, lrnu, lbh urne uvz fnl "gurl zrna gb znxr hf zbafgref", ohg lbh qba'g haqrefgnaq ubj qrrc gung fgngrzrag gehyl tbrf. Syvag xabjf jung vg vf gb or pbafvqrerq zbafgebhf juvyr ba gur erprvivat raq bs gehyl zbafgebhf npgf. Xabjf jung vg zrnaf gb unir pvivyvmngvba cnvag lbh va guvf yvtug, naq gur oheqra bs yrnavat vagb gung znagyr sbe gur fnxr bs fheiviny. Gurer'f nyfb gur ryrzrag bs Zvenaqn fubjvat whfg ubj bsgra fur frrf gur gehgu bs gur znggre. Fur xabjf gung uvf tbny jvgu Ratynaq jvyy arire jbex, "guvf cngu qbrfa'g yrnq jurer lbh guvax vg qbrf". Gung Gubznf jbhyq rira nterr jvgu ure. Naq jura jr frr gur synfuonpxf va F2, fur nyfb xabjf jura gur qnatre vf nccebnpuvat gurz. Fur qbrf rirelguvat fur pna gb pbaivapr gurz gung vg vf pbzvat naq gurl arrq gb or pnershy, ohg arvgure Wnzrf be Gubznf yvfgra gb ure, naq gura vg vf gbb yngr.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 22:02:01 +0000 UTCthe bread tradition you were talking about is very similar to rosca de reyes (also celebrated on jan 6 in spain and many latin american countries) instead of a coin its a little plastic baby that supposed to be jesus. its been a while since ive gotten it
Sebastian
2024-01-12 22:01:51 +0000 UTCReally like your comments about that Gates and Flint scene in particular. It really is a great conversation with so many layers to it.
cosmotron
2024-01-12 21:58:32 +0000 UTC1x07 First Impressions - The prologue scene with the Pastor, has a bead of sweat fall onto 'Chapter 8' on the page, which is the title of our next episode. Nice little cheeky foreshadowing. Not a huge amount to say about the scene itself, it's fairly self-evident. - Heh, people joking that Flint and Silvy will end up bestos might be onto something. Interesting that Silvy has made it this far into the story with just his ability to talk himself into (and out of) situations. Speech skill maxed to 100 by the looks of things. I'm also glad that El was able to restore things, for now at the very least. - The scene with Jack and Anne was great, I'm actually quite the fan of how the show handles humour. It doesn't feel shoehorned in or cringe enducing, it's just a part of who those characters are. Jack still maintains his composure even when tied to the bed, he's probably my favourite character of the show just far. Reminds me a little of Sawyer from Lost in a way, there's great comedic relief and voice-of-the-audience moments whilst also being a three-dimensional character. - Great development (or at the least reinforcement) of Max's character that she refuses to steal from Jack and instead wants the place to run as a legitimate establishment. Perhaps her time being held with the disgusting crewmen has instilled in her a sense of valuing order and decency more than she did before. - OH MY GOD SAM SMITH IS IN BLACK SAILS?! - Seriously though, glad for the development of Dufresne there, it'd be interesting to see if he's a character that makes it to season 4. Having Dufresne become some sort of hardened pirate whilst maintaining his no nonsense attitude would be a very interesting sight. - Gates and Flint's talk about Barlow and the letter, this scene is introduced and then followed on with several scenes later, so I'm going to address it all here. Yeah so to me, I'd probably go ahead and say it's my favourite scene of the entire show so far. I'm sorry for always referring back to GOT, they are just too similar to not be compared unfortunately, but this scene is really up to that standard of writing. It's very Shakespearean, the fact that we know enough about both of these men going into the scene that the subtext itself does a lot of the heavy lift. Flint is fully aware of how Gates doesn't trust him, and Gates of course aware of Flint's awareness. Flint is probably aware of *that* awareness too because the men know each other so well. So much of this scene has to do with both men going through the motions. Neither one of them are naive, at least not consciously. They're both competent to know what conversation is being had here. Case in point is when Gates questions Flint on BB, and Flint responds to him in a way that would probably convince many of the crewmen, but not Gates. Even if BB really did fall, the fact that it would be of such benefit for Flint to have killed him, and for Flint to do everything to dodge that premise in the conversation, is enough. When Flint eventually breaks and admits that he plans to sequester the portion for himself, it's interesting from the audience perspective in that at this point, we truly do not know how much of this is truly for the benefit of his crew, or moreso for him to acquire peace. It has something of a Walter White 'I'm doing this for the family' rationalisation, but it's more nuanced in that he seems to be far more balanced than Walt does in that he's already spent so much of his life looking out for the benefit of the crew that he may vary well be mixed up himself as to whether or not he's doing this for himself or for his crew. In any case, Gates gets right to the bigger picture of Flint positing himself as their 'king' in this situation, and I absolutely loved how the men are framed from a slightly lower angle for this close-up, a visual cue for strength. Both men are truly just as strong as the other. An absolutely fantastic scene. - Randall's reveal of Silvy's stealing of the page, I didn't think we'd necessarily be getting this plot point back but I suppose it does make sense given that if a significant amount of the series will involve the crew needing to trust one another, then Silvy's past actions can't be ignored. - El and Scott, quite a lot there. Again, I think a lot of it is self-evidnent that doesn't necessarily need detailing. Scott obviously has an affection to Eleanor that's the result of her actually viewing him as human. His 'chattel' remark was not meant as a serious dig, but instead serves as a dark reminder of what his place is in the world. As viewers it's pretty much impossible to not watch the remaining episodes with Scott and not have that in our mind as a result of the previous two episodes. - So, when Vane arrived to this island in the previous episode, was he knocked out by the huge dude with the beard and now we're seeing the conversation, or was Vane just told by another one of the islanders to get some rest first? It's somewhat immersion breaking that Vane and Big Dude are talking now and not when they were first approaching one another at the end of 1x06. If someone has an explanation for this I'd love to hear it. - Great direction here in this same scene with Vane and Big Dude. When Vane is questioned on how he knows of BD's previous conquests, the camera is positioned to have a downward angle on his face. He's beneath the lens, rather than in front of it, in order to enforce his weakness and fear in this moment. Really great visual direction here. - The continutation of the scene with Silvy and Randall. It definitely implies that Silvy can just about talk his way out of anything. - Got to give the actor who plays Vane credit here, he's able to portray shame and fear so well in this scene. I guess the final scene of the episode really drives that home to, but we'll discuss that when we get to it. Back to the scene in question, and jesus fucking christ... We can only imagine what type of life Vane as lead up to now in which he has the balls to get into a fatal fight with Big Dude as confidently as he did. The dude is a monster lmao, great casting. - If I had four minutes to memorise anything, the pressure would be too much to me and my brain would just make the windows shut-down sound instead. - Ughhh, that scene with Scott and the slaves. Sometimes the production is too good, for this type of subject matter it makes watching unbearable. Reminds me of 12 years a slave in that sense. - The mutual respect between Ben and Scott is good, it shows that there are people who are rooting for El. Very interested to see what's in store for the season finale. - Great further development of Flint here in his scene with Miranda. On the surface we can say that the war he fights is inside him and not in front of him, but it's clearly more than mere stubborness. He's clearly traumatised by what he and Miranda have had to survive, and he needs something physical in the world to fight against. And Miranda can 100% see that, which is why it's so hard for her to be truly angry with him, instead she's heartbroken. Reminds me very much of the break-up scene from Good Will Hunting, an all time classic. - I love smart characters, so seeing characters like Silvy and Dusfrene interact, even if it's brief, is such a joy. Not that they're infallibale, of course. The 'deal' he makes with Randall sort of proves that point. Even though I do wish there was a bit more depth, I can't deny how much I love seeing Silvy's comedic side. - Scott and El, that's hard to watch. Totally understand where both parties are coming from, of course. I wonder at this juncture if Scott will come to the rescue in some way in 1x08, or if El is truly going to be left on her own to face her battles. Either way is very very compelling! - Jack and the sex worker, a great way of showing weakness to Jack's intellect. Stuff like this is great as it makes the characters more three-dimensional. And I love Max <3 - At 44:50, that's an interesting edit. Not bad by any means, just unusual to see it in a mainstream show. - Jesus christ, Flint is going through it. I don't know why El is so keen to encourage him when she sees he's so beaten down. Of course there's what she has to gain personally in taking the Uncle Dua Lipa, but I wonder what exactly is going through her head with Flint. Does she genuniely believe that Flint doing all this is going to save him? And not just in a rationalised manner, but sincerely, be it fully conscious or not? I don't know, I'd like to hear from others on that one. - Randall with the potatoes... All I'll say is that it doesn't take a genius to like fart jokes, but you have to be an idiot to not find farts funny. - Gates and Dufresne. First of all, totally understandable in my opinion that Dufresne, De Groot and the others want to see Flint gone, it really does. As for Gates, the show is deliberately setting up for us that Gates is apprehensive towards letting Flint die despite agreeing with Dusfresne, but with a show like Black Sails that's so well-written that you can genuinely interpret story beats as red herrings, it's genuinely a 50/50 as to whether or not Gates will decide to act against Dufresne's wishes or not (assuming a 3rd option doesn't come in to disrupt the plan altogether, that is). - A gif of that shot of Vane's eye in the dirt would look great looped for a slowed and reverbed music video. - Closing scene with Vane was incredible. Obviously it's easy to make a joke from it but I have to say that it was just such an immensely powerful scene, brief as it is. If his character is progressing this quickly then I can only imagine what's in store if he ends up being a character we'll see for another 3 seasons.
TeaDrinker3000
2024-01-12 21:52:28 +0000 UTC
