Black Sails season 4

[Malamute]

For those of us behind the curve - Series three has just started on the History Channel

Just got it for my birthday on DVD.

[flags_of_war]

As much as i like it. I'm always confussed why they bother to change the costumes so much from what they would have been. It's not as though Pirate costumes are not already cool enough. Even the British Marines have weird costumes, despite the actual period having cool ones.

Vikings is the same.

[Captain Blood]

I suppose it depends on what you like.  There is a lot of conversation, as LeadAsbestos says.  The writers take their time developing a complex situation, and you have multiple factions with their own agendas - and allegiances to those factions are constantly shifting (personally, I love that sort of thing).  The action sequences are very well done when they appear, but they definitely do not dominate the show.  I find them all that much more effective because they are infrequent, but fairly brutal when they occur.  It has a strong cast, and the special effects with the ships are very well done.  So I quite like it.  But if you are not much of a fan of political intrigue and constantly-shifting alliances, you will not like it as well.  There is indeed a lot of conversation.

-Michael

Sums up my feelings on it perfectly, Michael.
It's down to what you like.
I like the fact that the excellent action sequences are few and far between, and I like all the politicking and back stabbing intrigue too. Guess it's just what appeals to you.
I think it looks sumptuous, the effects are convincing, the characterisation has been excellent all the way through, and the acting has been terrific. I think Toby Stephens, who I've sometimes found a bit of a hammy actor in past movies, has played an absolute blinder as the tortured, conflicted Captain Flint.
Possibly the only character who for me has struck a bit of a bum note throughout is the guy playing Charles Vane.

I wish I could say the same of Vikings, which I also like very much as entertainment, but has bum notes all over the place - not least in the shape of the directors' two dreadful wooden daughters. A shameless example of nepotism - and why it is usually a bad thing!

[flags_of_war]

Finished last night. Was a good season but not a good end imo. It seemed rather rushed to finish the series off and was a bit of a damp squib.

[Malamute]

Thats disappointing to hear. I loved season three and was eagerly awaiting season four. Am going to have to wait until the DVD is reasled though before I can pronounce my verdict

[flags_of_war]

Thats disappointing to hear. I loved season three and was eagerly awaiting season four. Am going to have to wait until the DVD is reasled though before I can pronounce my verdict

Don't get me wrong it was still good. I'm not sure how i would have expected it to finish.

[Captain Blood]

I enjoyed it. Thought it rounded things off well.
I hope they will now go ahead and make Treasure Island (or an extended riff on same) with the same cast... They brought all the familiar characters into it by the end: Israel Hands,  Tom Morgan, Ben Gunn, etc... With Flint's treasure left buried on the island.
I thought the location for Skeleton island itself was brilliant. A better treasure island than I had ever imagined...
The only slight problem is that it's left with Billy Bones marooned on the island and Ben Gunn not so. But then, in the novel, Ben Gunn is marooned there by a later expedition. So maybe that's how Billy Bones escapes, and fetches up years later at the Admiral Benbow...

This series has come in for a fair amount of disappointed stick over the last 2 - 3 years. Personally, I loved it all the way through. Lots of wonderful characters, scenery, sailing ships, and fantastic fight and battle sequences. But also lots of politics, back stabbing and intrigue. I think this is what has made it 'slow' for some people, but I've found it an excellent balance. I'd also say the lead actors have been fantastic. Toby Stephens finest hour as the tortured, conflicted, basically decent, but driven to desperate measures 'Captain Flint'.

[flags_of_war]

I enjoyed it. Thought it rounded things off well.
I hope they will now go ahead and make Treasure Island (or an extended riff on same) with the same cast... They brought all the familiar characters into it by the end: Israel Hands,  Tom Morgan, Ben Gunn, etc... With Flint's treasure left buried on the island.
I thought the location for Skeleton island itself was brilliant. A better treasure island than I had ever imagined...
The only slight problem is that it's left with Billy Bones marooned on the island and Ben Gunn not so. But then, in the novel, Ben Gunn is marooned there by a later expedition. So maybe that's how Billy Bones escapes, and fetches up years later at the Admiral Benbow...

This series has come in for a fair amount of disappointed stick over the last 2 - 3 years. Personally, I loved it all the way through. Lots of wonderful characters, scenery, sailing ships, and fantastic fight and battle sequences. But also lots of politics, back stabbing and intrigue. I think this is what has made it 'slow' for some people, but I've found it an excellent balance. I'd also say the lead actors have been fantastic. Toby Stephens finest hour as the tortured, conflicted, basically decent, but driven to desperate measures 'Captain Flint'.

I agree that overall that it is excellent. It's certainly left open to be a follow on series if they wanted.

[Dublindawg]

The wife and I started watching the show just after Christmas and caught up to the current season a few weeks ago.  All along we kept commenting that it would be great if they brought the surviving cast back in a few years to make a Treasure Island.  I started re-reading Treasure Island about the same time as I had also just gotten into Blood & Plunder and I had been wondering how they would work in where Billy Bones had stated he met up with Flint in the book.  While they don't show that in the finale it would make a great start to the hopefully Treasure Island series.

[Coenus Scaldingus]

Just seen the last episode (will avoid spoilers). The slowness of the show to me isn't so much the fact that there is a lot of talking, but more that it seems to result in so little. Flint and Silver, Flint and Billy, Eleanor and Vane in the earlier episodes - some eventually parted ways (perhaps a stronger division after having seen them get together again previously?), but often so long in the making that I couldn't find myself caring anymore. For all its faults, Vikings has a stronger ongoing narrative: goals are achieved, people die. Black Sails saw treasure, ships, towns and forts change hands repeatedly, in a way that while believable didn't feel too satisfying to me. This pretty much summarises the end too: not bad, but Flint, Silver and Rackham's storylines weren't finished in the way they could or should have been. An enjoyable enough show to watch however, and at least the longer run meant transitions in character (Silver most of all of course, Rackham too) were gradual and subtle instead of rushed and sudden.