Black Sails 4.04.
Feb. 20th, 2017 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIt's a bit late in the game, but I wish I had an Eleanor Guthrie icon to use. Not that I'll ever get tired of Flint of course.
Another great episode full of layers. Mind you, this better not be the ending of Anne Bonny, because not only is she supposed to be protected by history (we don't know when and how the historical one died, I think, but she made it out of piracy alive), but it would be unbearable. Though of course this is how she'd wish to go: saving both Jack and the remaining crew in a physical fight against impossible odds, by her wits as much as by her fighting skill.
(Incidentally, I was wondering how the show would extricate itself of the problem that capturing Jack & Anne this early in the season by British forces would limit their use as characters to tragic death - for Jack! -, and this episode answers that in a way that makes sense. Thouigh does have Woode Rogers the worst luck with the guys he leaves in charge immediately fucking things up or what? What part of "sail to Port Royal, deliver prisoners" is so hard to understand? And yet given the big theme of escalating violence and counter violence, it does make psychological sense Not Faithful Lieutenant would make that mistake. Also, of course, that Woode Rogers returns to Nassau himself instead of continuing to Port Royal and sending someone else back to Nassau.)
Meanwhile, there's the pirate in fighting I expected, now complete with slaves against pirates in fighting, thanks, Billy. This episode's Silver and Max bracingly honest conversation was another jewel. Though it gave me the suspicion that Madi might not make it out of this season alive, especially with Billy harping on Flint eventually getting her killed in order to split up Flint and Silver. Why do I think that? Because this season actually seems to bother to build up a relationship between Silver and Max, not a romantic one, but a relationship, and that makes Max a viable candidate for Future Mrs. Silver, Tavern-Owner in Bristol again, which in this case would be a partnership of two survivors. Also because I now have a new suspicion re: why Treasure Island Era Billy Bones is so deeply scared of Long John Silver that he literally dies of it, aided by some (okay, a lot of) alcohol. What if Billy, frustrated, tries to speed up this whole "Flint will get Madi killed" prediction by fulfilling it himself in a way that he thinks will Silver make blame Flint but which Silver, either immediately or later, will see through?
The other guess I have is the one Silver immediately has when Max mentions the guy in Florida whom aristocratic families pay to make their black sheep disappear. This is actually the scenario at least one Black Sails fanfiction used: Thomas' dastardly father, the unmourned Earl of Ashburn, only faked his death and paid Florida Guy to take on his son as a convict in his plantation. It would be a way for the show to actually give Flint a happy ending. James Flint dies, James McGraw is reborn after Flint fakes his death (remember, nobody was present when he died according to the Treasure Island backstory, they just heard his cursing voice) and sails off with Thomas Hamilton into a happily ever after. After a decade and more as a convict, Thomas would have his own trauma behind him, which would help me buy this, because one problem I had with a lot of Thomas Lives! fiction is that much of it presents Thomas as he was when he was separated from Miranda and James - and I can't see that man with Flint as he's now. Otoh a Thomas who has gone through hell as well? Absolutely.
Silver's question to Flint as to whether he'd trade victory against England for Thomas Hamilton also points in that direction, though of course Flint refuses to answer in the way the question is intended and avoids it by saying "Thomas would want...", which, as Silver points out, wasn't the question. And thus Silver keeps his suspicion to himself for now. Also because Flint redefines "partnership" again by unilaterally accepting Eleanor's offer and trading himself to her as a hostage in order to make Silver go along with it, which is such a Flint thing to do, and such a great pay off to so many things - Flint's early s3 near suicidal "is there any point left?" mode which was temporally solved by his strengthening relationship with Silver; Flint's awareness that Silver's other relationship with Madi is competition; Flint's long term relationship with Eleanor Guthrie and the two of them getting each other.
And Eleanor. This was a great episode for Eleanor as well. And a great deja vue/parallel/contrast - remember the last time Eleanor was in this particular place where she is at the end of the episode, where she decided to get Abigail - which as far as she knew would doom Vane - in order to end the stalemate war between Flint and Vane and allow Flint to use Abigail to get a Lawful Peaceful Nassau? Flint and Silver do, and Silver at least simply takes Eleanor's offer at its face value, i.e. that all she wants is the treasure. But as Mrs. Hunter has pointed out earlier in the episode, Eleanor is someone who actually tries to be change and not repeat old mistakes, be better than she was. Eleanor has various problems to solve:
- upcoming new wave of of bloody war between pirates and Rogers' forces
- she knows, though the others don't, that Woode Rogers can't have reinforcements yet other than that one captured ship - it would have been HER job to get reinforcements
- Rogers is heavily in debt and now due to Sarah's family has the debtor's prison impending, so even if he with the help of the fort somehow manages to retake Nassau entirely, he'll end up in prison as soon as the next British ships arrive
- also, she's pregnant.
Her solution as of the end of this episode: prevent new fight by trading the remaining Urca treasure for the Fort, thus making it impossible for Rogers to invade but also keeps him out of debtor's prison.
I mean, it won't work, because that treasure doesn't end up with Eleanor Guthrie and Woode Rogers in the Stevenson-ordained future, and it will likely cost her her marriage (which appears to be a marriage, not a common-law marriage, in this 'verse), but still, Kudos. Oh, and I loved both her scene with Max - to repeat what I kept saying throughout season 2, that relationship is SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING now than it was when they'd been very unequal lovers at the start of s1 - and her earlier scene withMrs. Toby Stephens Mrs. Hunter. If you want proof Eleanor changed: the old Eleanor from s1 would have ignored or forgotten the fact Mrs. Hunter just got screwed out of a chance to see her son again by the Nassau goings-on. Four seasons and/or years (not sure about the timeline?) later, Eleanor does remember such things, and more importantly does her bit to ensure Mrs. Hunter will get her chance after all.
"I've become you" Max told Eleanor last season, and in this episode we see the reverse is true as well because what Eleanor now intends is what Max wanted to do at the very start of the show - use a bit of treasure and run away with her beloved. No wonder Eleanor brings this up, and they have the much delayed conversation about why Eleanor said no back then. "What would have been sharp enough?" Max asks Eleanor in this episode, taking up Eleanor's image of having been bound to Nassau, of having put so much of herself into it that she couldn't have left. In this episode, Eeanor finds out her answer to that question, because even in the Alt!Future where her plan works, it would mean giving up on Nassau and that life long dream for good.
It's also Eleanor's answer to the question Silver asked Flint, in a way. And of course Silver will be asked that same question. He thinks he'd prioritize Madi, but that was before Flint made himself a hostage. What I suspect will happen is that Silver will end up in a scenario where he has to help either Madi or Flint immediately, Flint will assume he'll pick Madi (that's what he's said through the ep, after all), but Silver will pick Flint to help, Madi will suffer for it (not necessarily by death, although, see speculation above, but she will suffer), and that will split up Silver from Flint for good.
Madi in the meantime finds out that you can't put the genie back in the glass, that the slave revolt is already happening, only against all the white people, with Billy's actions probably only having been the last straw, and so I suspect she, too, will be forced to choose soon, either the pirates or her people. Madi has been raised to rule and serve and see this as a responsibility more than anything else. So however strongly she feels about Silver, I think she'll end the pirate alliance since it can't be upheld now.
Is it next week yet?
Another great episode full of layers. Mind you, this better not be the ending of Anne Bonny, because not only is she supposed to be protected by history (we don't know when and how the historical one died, I think, but she made it out of piracy alive), but it would be unbearable. Though of course this is how she'd wish to go: saving both Jack and the remaining crew in a physical fight against impossible odds, by her wits as much as by her fighting skill.
(Incidentally, I was wondering how the show would extricate itself of the problem that capturing Jack & Anne this early in the season by British forces would limit their use as characters to tragic death - for Jack! -, and this episode answers that in a way that makes sense. Thouigh does have Woode Rogers the worst luck with the guys he leaves in charge immediately fucking things up or what? What part of "sail to Port Royal, deliver prisoners" is so hard to understand? And yet given the big theme of escalating violence and counter violence, it does make psychological sense Not Faithful Lieutenant would make that mistake. Also, of course, that Woode Rogers returns to Nassau himself instead of continuing to Port Royal and sending someone else back to Nassau.)
Meanwhile, there's the pirate in fighting I expected, now complete with slaves against pirates in fighting, thanks, Billy. This episode's Silver and Max bracingly honest conversation was another jewel. Though it gave me the suspicion that Madi might not make it out of this season alive, especially with Billy harping on Flint eventually getting her killed in order to split up Flint and Silver. Why do I think that? Because this season actually seems to bother to build up a relationship between Silver and Max, not a romantic one, but a relationship, and that makes Max a viable candidate for Future Mrs. Silver, Tavern-Owner in Bristol again, which in this case would be a partnership of two survivors. Also because I now have a new suspicion re: why Treasure Island Era Billy Bones is so deeply scared of Long John Silver that he literally dies of it, aided by some (okay, a lot of) alcohol. What if Billy, frustrated, tries to speed up this whole "Flint will get Madi killed" prediction by fulfilling it himself in a way that he thinks will Silver make blame Flint but which Silver, either immediately or later, will see through?
The other guess I have is the one Silver immediately has when Max mentions the guy in Florida whom aristocratic families pay to make their black sheep disappear. This is actually the scenario at least one Black Sails fanfiction used: Thomas' dastardly father, the unmourned Earl of Ashburn, only faked his death and paid Florida Guy to take on his son as a convict in his plantation. It would be a way for the show to actually give Flint a happy ending. James Flint dies, James McGraw is reborn after Flint fakes his death (remember, nobody was present when he died according to the Treasure Island backstory, they just heard his cursing voice) and sails off with Thomas Hamilton into a happily ever after. After a decade and more as a convict, Thomas would have his own trauma behind him, which would help me buy this, because one problem I had with a lot of Thomas Lives! fiction is that much of it presents Thomas as he was when he was separated from Miranda and James - and I can't see that man with Flint as he's now. Otoh a Thomas who has gone through hell as well? Absolutely.
Silver's question to Flint as to whether he'd trade victory against England for Thomas Hamilton also points in that direction, though of course Flint refuses to answer in the way the question is intended and avoids it by saying "Thomas would want...", which, as Silver points out, wasn't the question. And thus Silver keeps his suspicion to himself for now. Also because Flint redefines "partnership" again by unilaterally accepting Eleanor's offer and trading himself to her as a hostage in order to make Silver go along with it, which is such a Flint thing to do, and such a great pay off to so many things - Flint's early s3 near suicidal "is there any point left?" mode which was temporally solved by his strengthening relationship with Silver; Flint's awareness that Silver's other relationship with Madi is competition; Flint's long term relationship with Eleanor Guthrie and the two of them getting each other.
And Eleanor. This was a great episode for Eleanor as well. And a great deja vue/parallel/contrast - remember the last time Eleanor was in this particular place where she is at the end of the episode, where she decided to get Abigail - which as far as she knew would doom Vane - in order to end the stalemate war between Flint and Vane and allow Flint to use Abigail to get a Lawful Peaceful Nassau? Flint and Silver do, and Silver at least simply takes Eleanor's offer at its face value, i.e. that all she wants is the treasure. But as Mrs. Hunter has pointed out earlier in the episode, Eleanor is someone who actually tries to be change and not repeat old mistakes, be better than she was. Eleanor has various problems to solve:
- upcoming new wave of of bloody war between pirates and Rogers' forces
- she knows, though the others don't, that Woode Rogers can't have reinforcements yet other than that one captured ship - it would have been HER job to get reinforcements
- Rogers is heavily in debt and now due to Sarah's family has the debtor's prison impending, so even if he with the help of the fort somehow manages to retake Nassau entirely, he'll end up in prison as soon as the next British ships arrive
- also, she's pregnant.
Her solution as of the end of this episode: prevent new fight by trading the remaining Urca treasure for the Fort, thus making it impossible for Rogers to invade but also keeps him out of debtor's prison.
I mean, it won't work, because that treasure doesn't end up with Eleanor Guthrie and Woode Rogers in the Stevenson-ordained future, and it will likely cost her her marriage (which appears to be a marriage, not a common-law marriage, in this 'verse), but still, Kudos. Oh, and I loved both her scene with Max - to repeat what I kept saying throughout season 2, that relationship is SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING now than it was when they'd been very unequal lovers at the start of s1 - and her earlier scene with
"I've become you" Max told Eleanor last season, and in this episode we see the reverse is true as well because what Eleanor now intends is what Max wanted to do at the very start of the show - use a bit of treasure and run away with her beloved. No wonder Eleanor brings this up, and they have the much delayed conversation about why Eleanor said no back then. "What would have been sharp enough?" Max asks Eleanor in this episode, taking up Eleanor's image of having been bound to Nassau, of having put so much of herself into it that she couldn't have left. In this episode, Eeanor finds out her answer to that question, because even in the Alt!Future where her plan works, it would mean giving up on Nassau and that life long dream for good.
It's also Eleanor's answer to the question Silver asked Flint, in a way. And of course Silver will be asked that same question. He thinks he'd prioritize Madi, but that was before Flint made himself a hostage. What I suspect will happen is that Silver will end up in a scenario where he has to help either Madi or Flint immediately, Flint will assume he'll pick Madi (that's what he's said through the ep, after all), but Silver will pick Flint to help, Madi will suffer for it (not necessarily by death, although, see speculation above, but she will suffer), and that will split up Silver from Flint for good.
Madi in the meantime finds out that you can't put the genie back in the glass, that the slave revolt is already happening, only against all the white people, with Billy's actions probably only having been the last straw, and so I suspect she, too, will be forced to choose soon, either the pirates or her people. Madi has been raised to rule and serve and see this as a responsibility more than anything else. So however strongly she feels about Silver, I think she'll end the pirate alliance since it can't be upheld now.
Is it next week yet?
