And it's started! Yarrrrrr!
It's interesting... Unlike regular TV, where you get weeks of build-up announcing and previewing new series, one of the things with the streaming services (well, Amazon Prime anyway, I don't take Netflix) is that because there is no downtime between programmes, there are no promos. So wonderful new things suddenly appear, largely unheralded.
Last week, I was surprised and delighted to find a new season of Ripper Street underway, and this week, season 3 of the brilliant Black Sails.
Episode one was as good as ever. Great to have it back.
I know some people find it a bit slow, but for me, it's a perfect evocation of the pirate genre. The action, when it comes, tends to be brief, bloody and utterly brutal. The rest of the time it's politics, personality, sex, and machinations of power and commerce - all linked together. I love it. Above all, the visuals and production design is just stunning. Episode 1's shots of ships were utterly believable and wonderful. I don't know whether it's CGI, or models, or real ships - but they look blinking marvellous. If you're into pirates as a fictional / wargaming genre, I can't see how you can fail to be captivated by Black Sails.