Category: TV Recap

Black Sails Season 1 Episode 4 Review – IV
An undertaking by the Walrus crew ends in disaster. Silver warns Flint about Billy. Rackham and Bonny try to regain their livelihood. Eleanor needs help from her father. A figure from Vane’s past pays a visit.

(Summary provided by starz.com)

REWATCH Q&A

Q: What happens to Randall’s cat, Betsy?
A: She is seen running away unsquished, so I choose to believe she found a new home in the Nassau interior and is being treated well there. Sad that Randall doesn’t get to keep her, but honestly, having a cat on the ship would have stressed me out any time there was violence.

BEST FLINT MOMENT

I love that he steps up as captain to risk being crushed in order to save his crew, but even more, I love his mini-speech to Eleanor. Big picture, idealistic Flint is my favorite!

“Nobody will believe that it’s possible until we show them. But when that day comes, you know what they’ll say? They’ll say that it was inevitable.”

Oh Captain, my Captain!

TODAY’S RUNNER UP

Miranda! I’ll talk more about her under “Well-Formed Thoughts,” but I love this passionate, sad woman that we are slowly getting to know. Especially heartbreaking was her kindness toward a little boy who then threw rocks at her and called her a witch. Dangerous era to be a woman with secrets.

LOL MOMENT

Silver can’t cook a pig, must take lessons from pirate captain on the sly. ❤

Flint: What the FUCK did you do to that?
Silver: I…cooked it?
Flint: You absolutely did not.

WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS

I really love the slow reveal of Miranda and Flint’s backstory, and it’s a testament to the show’s brilliance that it’s even more compelling on rewatch. Let’s review some of the things we learned about them in this episode, shall we?

We know that Flint hunted the Maria Aleyne in order to murder two people, and that when he returned to Nassau, he told Miranda it was “done.” We know that they have sex together, and that it is pretty spectacularly bad. Flint is a non-participant, and when Miranda finishes and lays against him, his eyes are dead and hers are teary. We know that after they are dressed, they show astounding vulnerability and intimacy toward each other.

Miranda: That book is something I shared with Thomas. I just – missed it. Our life then, when he was alive. I can feel myself forgetting it, and I don’t want to forget it. This place, this life that we’ve been living here, it doesn’t feel like living anymore. I can’t be alone in feeling this way. Some part of you must feel it too.
*Flint holds her face*
Flint: Things will get better here. I promise you they will.
*Flint kisses her forehead*

These mixed relational signals are further confused when Mr. Guthrie confronts Miranda with his knowledge that she is not Mrs. Barlow but Mrs. Hamilton. The mystery deepens!

“The portrait in your room depicts you alongside Lord Thomas Hamilton, son of Alfred Hamilton, the lord proprietor of these Bahama Islands…You see, I’ve had extensive dealings with the earl over the years, and so I’d long heard of the tragedy that befell his eldest son. But Thomas’s wife, long rumored to be the cheating sort, had begun a torrid affair with her husband’s closest friend, a promising young officer in His Majesty’s Navy. Upon discovering the affair, Thomas went mad with grief. His despair was so great, even the asylum couldn’t protect him from himself. As for Thomas’s wife, she’s said to have fled London along with her lover, partly out of shame, partly to escape retribution. Given the facts at hand, I am forced to assume that the lover is none other than our friend Captain Flint.”

FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
- Gates and Billy are two of the only non-ambitious characters in this show, and they both receive promotions in this episode with the blessing of the crew. This contrasts quite nicely with John Silver and Captain Flint, both of whom have to scheme and lie in order to find/keep power.
- I do not enjoy the “fuck tent,” and I’m happy that this is the last time we ever have something like that.
- In a similar but even worse circumstance, we find Max making the best of a horrible situation. I love that she uses her captivity to try to teach pirates the joy of good, consensual, gentle sex, but Asshole Pirate ruins everything by being an Asshole. Anne has Feelings about this, but she is not yet a character that says or does much.
- Eleanor’s actions in taking away Vane’s ship and crew are starting to have significant repercussions re: her power in Nassau. The other pirates are resenting her and even calling her “Queen Eleanor” – a dangerous title in a democratic pirate republic.
- Mr. Scott is trying to be the voice of reason, but both Eleanor and Mr. Guthrie are using him. I liked that they finally addressed the fact that Mr. Scott is the Guthrie’s slave – this serves to make their relationships even more twisted, and his power and gravitas even more impressive.
- Also, Mr. Guthrie’s wig is hella awful.
- “Trust me. I am purely in this for myself and you know this. I have no reason to tell you anything other than the truth. Both our futures depend on this.” Flint doesn’t want to be won over by Silver, but he can’t help but listen!
- Jack is so impotent this season, and he’s far from the joy he will become, but this exchange with Noonan was a DELIGHT.
  “Then I believe we are at an impasse.”
  *blank stare*
  “A disagreement without prospect of resolution.”
  “Fuck you, Jack.”
- Vane’s having a trippy episode, high on opium and envisioning Eleanor and a Mysterious Bearded Man. His dream of Eleanor is especially revealing of his inner world, something we needed to see. I’m impressed by his knowledge of Eleanor and her ambition, as well as the revelation that this is exactly what attracted him to her. It’s also a joy to see him vulnerable, weeping, grieving, and fearful. He’s a human now!
- RIP Morley
- RIP Noonan, no wait, you can rest in agony for making a living off abused women.
“You know that she will stop at nothing to save this place. A place where she matters. A place where you matter. Except that in your heart, you know the truth – places like this aren’t meant to last.”

ACCUMULATING QUESTIONS
- Why is the Guthrie family repeatedly said to live in Boston when later they are said to live in Philadelphia?
Someone befriend this woman! No, not you, Mr. Guthrie.

Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
March 31, 2021
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2 RECAP – The Star Spangled Man

Episode 2 starts with an extended scene designed to make John Walker sympathetic…and it works on me. He’s got a hot girlfriend, and they have special pinky promise kisses. He’s got a best friend who gives him pep talks. He is all chin.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is great at anticipating my skepticism, because just as I was wondering why this huge crowd of people would be cheering for a Captain America without superpowers, he gives this really inspiring speech about just that – he’s not super strong, but he does have guts. Guys, he’s winning me over!

Finally we cut to our heroes. Bucky is feeling all kinds of emotions while watching this guy fill his best friend’s suit, and he finds Sam to yell at him about giving up the shield. Everything about this tv show is instantly elevated as they bicker at each other.

“You can’t call me that.”
“Steve called you that.”
“Steve knew me longer, and Steve had a plan.”

Out of pure spite, Bucky throws himself out of a PLANE. This show is a gift. And Sam films it! Although episode one was good, these last five minutes immediately make me wonder why they wasted an entire sixth of the story with these two people not interacting.

They snipe about how many Flag Smashers are loading cargo, then chase the semis. Bucky runs faster than a truck, and rips the door open. The only thing I love more than this is the realization that the helpless redheaded girl is actually a badass! She looks a lot like the first class girl in Snowpiercer, and I am scared of her.

Oh, and people stealing vaccines? In this economy!? Must be evil. Unless they are giving vaccines to people who don’t normally have access, in which care. Hm. I’m conflicted about these badies.

The fight atop two semis is very good. Karli kills Redwing, and people are tossed between trucks. When Captain America (henceforth referred to as New Cap’n) shows up, it is deliciously wrong to see the three fighting together again. However, I am distracted by the fact that other cars are still driving on the highway while this fight is happening?? Stop your cars!

The fight ends when New Cap’n escapes with his bestie, Lamar Hoskins, and SAM AND BUCKY TUMBLE INTO A FIELD OF FLOWERS IN EACH OTHERS ARMS. Be still, my shipper heart.

New Cap’n and Hoskins drive past the petulant men, and I laughed out loud when New Cap’n repeated Sam’s “Big Three” question. The dialogue is really popping in this episode. Unfortunately, New Cap’n can’t quite stick his invitation to work together, calling Sam and Bucky Steve’s wingmen. It’s like he doesn’t know that this show is named after them.

We cut to the Flag Smasher super soldiers who are hunkering down in a civilian’s space. They’re given a room with chicken livers, cot beds, and…high tech computers with three screens? Sure, whatever. They encourage each other with their rallying cry: “One world, one people,” and I’m already sad that they’re going to turn out to be villains.

Bucky takes Sam to meet Isaiah, a super soldier from the 50s who is not pleased to see Bucky (who was Winter Soldier during their previous run in). Turns out that not only did the US government not advertise a black super soldier, they also incarcerated him for 30 years and ran experiments on him! It’s really bad, and then it gets worse! Sam and Bucky are arguing in the street when cops pull them over and immediately target Sam as the problem. It is heartbreaking to watch Anthony Mackie’s face as Sam is confronted with the reality that no matter how much of an international hero he is, some podunk cop can still pull him over.

I’m honestly really impressed with how this show is handling race, not only by giving a black man the lead role and filling in supporting roles with black men and women, but also because they’re making the inequalities black people face in America explicit. Unexpected but very welcome!

In another spot-on observation, the white cops who thought the black man was the problem have accidentally let their racism blind them to the fact that it’s the WHITE guy who is the problem. Bucky is arrested for missing court-mandated therapy, but New Cap’n releases him from jail. Well, not until his therapist demands an impromptu session and drags Sam along.

It is a testament to this episode’s greatness that a tumble through flowers is not even the shippiest thing that happens. The therapist says the two of them need to have couples counseling so that they can figure out how to build a life together. She orders them to face each other and sit closer, no, closer. Eventually their legs are intertwined and I am cackling with glee.

It works, though. Bucky’s anger that Sam returned the shield is a cover for his fear that if Steve was wrong about Sam, he might have also been wrong about Bucky. Sam just wants his decision to be respected. Neither can empathize with the other, so nothing is resolved.

New Cap’n is waiting for them outside, and ominous music when Cap’n says “Stay out of my way” after they reject his offer of teamwork. I’m sure THAT doesn’t mean anything.

The military tries to capture the Flag Smashers, and the one guy’s sacrifice ought to feel impactful, but instead I just wondered, Why did he run into open fire after knocking down a power line? He already stopped them. They have super strength, but not super intelligence.

Bucky convinces Sam to go to a man with some answers – Zemo! Some awesome requiem music kicks in, and it’s like the music in the Avengers when Loki smirked and then whacked someone’s face with his staff. There’s a shot of a chess board, so we know that Zemo is going to be Smart Villain. Can’t wait!

March 26, 2021
Black Sails Season 1 Episode 3 – III
Flint and Gates seek a partner to hunt the Urca d’Lima. Silver helps Billy with a morale problem. Vane impressed Eleanor by being reasonable. Gates gets a promotion.

(Summary provided by starz.com)

REWATCH Q&A

Q: Now that I know the characters and plot, does the rape scene serve any real narrative purpose?

A: I’m going to have to say yes, even though I still truly hate this scene. On rewatch, without the shock value, I can even appreciate that they made clear what was happening without lingering on Max’s pain or turning it into rape porn.

But the thing that really stood out to me this time was how much this was of Max’s choosing, and what this reveals about women’s options during this time period. Eleanor keeps trying to save her, but Max’s relationship with Eleanor has always had skewed power dynamics. First Eleanor is paying for the privilege of sleeping with Max, and it seems that also being rescued is too much for Max. By saying, “My actions cost you your pearls. Until my debt is paid, I am yours,” Max is asserting what little control of the situation that she can claim. I really think the show is trying to highlight just how shitty it was to be a woman at that time while allowing her some agency.

BEST FLINT MOMENT

We are introduced to Unreasonable Rage Monster Flint in this epsiode! We saw him rage in episode 1 when he fought Singleton, but that was strategic. Here he is just pouty and furious and I love it! It is also a wonderful glimpse of Flint’s relationship with Gates (father and emo teenager), and honestly, the comedy in this moment is just delightful.

TODAY’S RUNNER UP

Gates! He is a first-class quartermaster in this episode, conferring with Hornigold and Jack, negotiating, appeasing Billy, and ultimately being handed captaincy of Ship #2. He really is the only reasonable person in the show right now who’s focused on doing his job. I love Gates!

LOL MOMENT

Randall’s scream!! “That’s what I’ll do if he should wander.”

WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS

Let’s talk pirate alliances!

It’s clear now that although each pirate captain is fiercely ego-centric, they must rely on each other in order for Nassau to survive. There’s so much that must be navigated: captains, crews, ships, supplies. As Flint, Gates, and Eleanor plan to take the Urca gold, they must form alliances with first Hornigold and then Charles Vane in order to have everything necessary. It is fascinating to watch their negotiations, and to take note of whose decisions are based in reason, whose are based in emotion, and whose have a little bit of both. I love watching these fundamentally different people try to find a way to work together…at least until it all falls apart.

FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
- We see a lot of Miranda Barlow this episode, though we don’t actually learn all that much about her yet. She’s clearly very intelligent, and she seems rather sad. Her relationship with Flint is a Mystery: she’s comfortable seeing him half-naked and bleeding, he’s making intense eye contact, and she seems very familiar with his plans to take the Urca gold. Just when she starts to open up and admit she’d hoped to spend more time with him, they’re interrupted and we must wait for more information until another episode!
- Silver is still being smart, revealing only part of the schedule and helping Billy ferret out potential mutineers.
- Flint: And when the Urca’s ours? What’s to stop me from killing you anyway?
  Silver: Well, it’s a few weeks from now. We might be friends by then!
  Flint: *smirk*
  Silver: *face falls*
  Me: Hehehehehe!
- Speaking of Silver’s attempts to win people over, his trying to charm Randall is so rewarding.
- Pirate fashion includes: billowing shirts, earrings, necklaces, ponytails and braids. ❤
- More statements on women’s roles during this time period when Eleanor talks to her dad: “We made you into the man you always insisted to us that you were.”
- Hornigold wants so badly to be important, but he’s just, like, sitting in a tent.
- “No matter how many lies we tell ourselves or how many stories we convince ourselves we’re part of, we’re all just thieves awaiting a noose.” (Callback to previous episode when Flint says the pirates are men in need of hope.)
- FLINT’S LAUGH WHEN GATES SUGGEST THEY WORK WITH VANE! I tried very hard to find a video clip of this, but failed. Anyone who can will earn major brownie points with me!
- This is the episode I started to like Vane, first with his “Be honest. Are you as surprised as I am that I’m the only one here behaving myself?” and then with his empathetic talk with Max. Although I don’t love his assertion that he had no choice in letting his men assault her while she’s chained up. YOU HAD A CHOICE, VANE. Sexual assault should never be a form of debt payment.
- “You’re too clever for your own good, Jack.” Truer words.
- There’s a lot going on with Miranda and Pastor Lambrick, but I’ll stick with this: Lambrick’s assertion that “It is Christ’s love of sinners that gave him strength to endure his agony” sounds a lot like Flint, and it’s telling that Miranda takes issue with this!
- Eleanor rewards Vane’s good behavior with sex. Vane continues to grow on me as he makes it clear that he wants to cuddle with her afterwards.
“How should you be? You should be like a rocky promontory against which the restless surf continually pouds. It stands fast while the churning sea is lulled to sleep at its feet. I hear you say, ‘How unlucky that this should happen to me.’ But not at all. Perhaps say instead, ‘How lucky I am that I am not broken by what has happened, and I’m not afraid of what is about to happen. For the same blow might have struck anyone, but not many who would have absorbed it without capitulation or complaint.”

ACCUMULATING QUESTIONS
- Are men ever forced to repay their debts through sexual favors?
  I thought not.
A rare Smiling!Flint appears ❤

Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
March 24, 2021
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 1 RECAP – New World Order

Captain America and the Winter Soldier is my favorite Marvel movie, both on its own merits and for its role in creating excellent fanfic (Ain’t No Grave by spitandvinegar is one of my all-time favorites), and I adored Marvel’s first foray into episodic storytelling with WandaVision, so there was no way I was going to miss Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson sniping at each other in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Of course, in episode 1, Sam and Bucky aren’t even in the same city. This feels like a real misfire to me, especially because their chemistry is what the trailers have been advertising. It’s not that there aren’t interesting things happening in the show; it’s just fairly underwhelming so far.

We start with Sam Wilson on an Air Force mission in Tunisia. There are a lot of aerial escapades that are entertaining to watch, and I loved seeing Baltroc “the ballet fighter” again. After he saves the day in the knick of time, Sam enjoys some tea with his military contact Joaquin. All of this was action movie heavy and not really what I was here for.

Things get a little better when we shift to the Winter Soldier, and I know it’s horrific, but rank-haired murder goblin efficiently massacring people and grabbing someone through a wall is EXACTLY what I am interested in. It’s just a nightmare, though, and Bucky awakes after murdering a civilian who happened to witness the violence. Bucky goes to therapy, which would be much better without the INTENSE close up shots. This lays the groundwork for his arc: Bucky has no friends and is trying to make amends in the most awkward, semi-violent, horrific smiling way possible. It’s good.

After giving up Captain America’s shield to the Smithsonian, Sam heads to his hometown in Louisiana, where I become a lot more interested in his story. I love his sister, who needs his help and resents her savior-brother who thinks he can swoop in and take control after she held things together for the five year Snap. It feels really great to focus on a working class black family and how superheroes and missing people have effected their lives: hint, it’s not good.

Bucky meets up with his closest friend, an adorably cranky Japanese man. They bond over obituaries, warming my fanfic-loving heart. The man asks out the cute Japanese-American waitress for Bucky, and Leah accepts. She is an excellent human being who saves their painfully awkward date (“How old are you?” “106.” “Why are you wearing those gloves?” “….Poor circulation.”) with the board game Battleship and beer. Unfortunately, the topic shifts to the old man Bucky was hanging out with, and Leah sympathizes that it is uniquely terrible to not only lose your son, but to not know how he died. Bucky abruptly leaves and heads to the old man’s house…where we see a memorial shrine set up to his son: the civilian who Bucky murdered in his Winter Soldier nightmare. Ouch.

Sam takes his sister to the bank, thinking his Avengers status will help her get a loan so that they can keep their parents’ sweet houseboat. In a devastatingly accurate scene, even a superhero can’t get a loan if he’s black. Even worse, he heads home to watch the news only to see that Captain America’s shield has been passed on to some random who winks at the screen. Sam! You should have kept it!

There is also a whole thing with the Flag Smashers (dumb name) that I do not yet have any interest in. Honestly, I wish this show were just character studies of Sam and Bucky, hanging out with people and getting on with life. And together! I hope their paths cross in the next episode.

Overall, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier lacks the hook that WandaVision had. It feels a lot more traditionally Marvel, which is fine but not fascinating. I’m definitely interested to know what will happen next, and I’m loving Sam breaking out of the token black person role. But I do kind of wish that Sam and Bucky had found themselves in a 1950s sitcom…

March 20, 2021
Black Sails Season 1 Episode 2 – II
Flint unmasks a thief on his crew. Rackham chases a score over Vane’s objection. Silver hides with Max in the brothel. Eleanor faces an impossible choice.
(Summary provided by starz.com)

REWATCH Q&A

Q: When did I fall in love with Charles Vane?

A: NOT THIS EPISODE, that’s for sure. Despite the intriguing hints of his past with Eleanor, he is AWFUL here: nearly murdering Max and actually murdering his second innocent black man in as many episodes. Booooo!

BEST FLINT MOMENT

“They’re not animals. They’re men starved of hope. If you give them that back, who’s to say what could happen?”

Idealistic Flint is my favorite Flint!

TODAY’S RUNNER UP

Eleanor! During my first time through the show, I was too annoyed by her male-gazey big dick energy to pay attention to her character (this is why exploitative nudity and poor writing for women is so damaging), but this time I finally noticed how amazing she is.

Her first scene finds her comparing herself to her father, who saw the pirates as animals. She, on the other hand, saw more in them and did more for them when she took over the island’s business. Of course, she does later calls Vane’s men animals, so there’s also some interesting hypocrisy going on.

I also really like her conflicting motives about siding with Flint to pursue the Urca gold and remake Nassau – I’d wager she’s about equally motivated by communal good (Flint’s dream) and personal good (reassuring herself that her work there is not in vain). I like a character with conflicted motives!

LOL MOMENT

Silver’s belly flop, and especially the groan-scream he makes when he resurfaces.

WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS

The conversation between Flint, Eleanor, and Mr. Scott is the most important of the episode, the season, and perhaps even the entire show. As such, I want to quote it in full!

Eleanor: Why return at all to Nassau? With money like that and my father out of business, why not run? What’s coming our way can’t be outrun.

Flint: But with the money I strip from the Hulk, we could add fifty guns to the fort. We could build ships to defend our shores and train new men to sail them. We could work the land, grow crops and raise cattle. Then whoever arrives on our shores first, be it England or Spain, will be in for a most unwelcome surprise. A nation of thieves. …You have your doubts?

Mr. Scott: Of turning pirates into farmers and soldiers? Of fighting a war against Whitehall from a sliver in the Atlantic? Doubt, Captain Flint, does not begin to describe how I am feeling.

Flint: They’re not animals, Mr. Scott. They’re men starved of hope. Give that back to them, who’s to say what could happen?

Eleanor: Why do this? Why here?

Flint: Odysseus, on his journey home to Ithaca, was visited by a ghost. The ghost tells him that once he reaches his home, once he slays all his enemies and sets his house in order, he must do one last thing before he can rest. The ghost tells him to pick up an oar and walk inland and keep walking until somebody mistakes that oar for a shovel, for that would be the place that no man had ever been troubled by the sea. And that’s where he’d find peace. In the end, that’s all I want. To walk away from the sea and find some peace.

This is the moment when Flint gets Eleanor on board with his plan for a stronger, securer Nassau. A Nassau so strong and secure that pirates can settle down and become farmers. All Flint wants is to be free enough and secure enough that he can leave the sea behind him, and he assumes that everyone else feels the same way. It will be fun to see whether or not he is correct!

I had a hard time believing that the pirates of these first few episodes weren’t animals and did, in fact, deserve Flint’s vision for them. After all, in just this episode we see them pissing on corpses, beating prostitutes, and murdering innocent men. I think we’re meant to have this visceral reaction to the crudeness of the pirates we’ve seen so far, because that is how “civilization” sees them. It’s only as our story continues and we get various characters’ backstories that we understand what pain, trauma, and abuse led them to a life of debauchery and cruelty. A good reminder that first impressions are often only part of the story.

FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
- That’s a lot of nudity. As I mentioned earlier, it still feels exploitative and cheap.
- I would love to know more about the history of Flint and Vane’s rivalry!
- I don’t know how to feel about Eleanor’s relationship with Max. Apparently, she only recently split from Vane, so they can’t have been together long. And can someone truly be together when one party is paying for the company of the other? I do believe Max loves Eleanor, but I don’t really believe it’s fully reciprocated.
- Silver is seriously so smart, both with his misdirection on the beach and with his memorizing the contents of the page.
- Max is also so smart, making the evaluator inspect every single pearl.
- Flint: “I never much liked your father; too caught up in appearances.” LOL, okay, James.
- Silver: “Do you have a candlestick or…perhaps a heavy shoe?
  Idelle: *pulls out sword*
- I think that might be our first hint that background prostitutes are also real people with lives and intelligence (and not just Max as the token Special Prostitute). Also, hello Idelle! I didn’t realize you were a part of the show since the beginning!
- It’s only episode two and we already have lovers being torn apart by the consequences of their own choices. Friendly reminder that this show is a tragedy 😀 This is one of my favorite things, though, that relationships are rarely broken because of outside influence or lack of interest, but because of fundamentally different worldviews and goals. Far more nuanced and interesting!
- Honestly, what even is Jack’s hair?
- Ninja!Flint makes his first appearance when he goes to the house of a Mysterious Woman and collapses. He’s so tired! If I hadn’t already fallen in love with him before, I would now.
Let me take care of you!!

ACCUMULATING QUESTIONS
- What is Mr. Scott’s plan for Nassau if he’s opposed to Flint seeking the Urca gold?
Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
March 17, 2021
Black Sails Season 1 Episode 1 – I
The once powerful Captain Flint faces mutiny by his own pirate crew. John Silver joins Flint, hiding something of great value. On New Providence, Eleanor Guthrie keeps order in the face of a resurgent Royal Navy.

(Summary provided by starz.com)

REWATCH Q&A

Q: When is the exact moment that I fell in love with Captain James Flint?
A: Other Captain: “I won’t give you the satisfaction of crying out.”
Flint, walking away: “Good for you.”
Me: Oh, he’s SASSY.

BEST FLINT MOMENT

I’ve got to go with Flint’s first real power speech, given only to Billy, nicely outlining the thematic plot of this show.

Flint: There’s a war coming, Billy.
Billy: One ship isn’t a war.
Flint: One ship isn’t what’s coming. That man Hume, captain of the Scarborough, told you as much. When the king brands us pirates, he doesn’t mean to make us adversaries. He doesn’t mean to make us criminals. He means to make us monsters. ‘Cause that’s the only way his God-fearing tax-paying subjects can make sense of men who keep what is theirs and fear no one. When I say there’s a war coming, I don’t mean with the Scarborough. I don’t mean with King George or England. Civilization is coming, and it means to exterminate us.

(Side note, this is VERY fun to read in light of what we later learn of Flint. If only he had kept what was his and feared no one. *sob*)

TODAY’S RUNNER UP

Max! From the very beginning she’s presented as intelligent, which is something considering her first appearance is in the middle of an orgy. *eye roll* Even there she is noticing where Silver’s attention is, and after that she is everywhere, talking to everyone, holding her own and making sure people know she knows what’s up.

LOL MOMENT

When Joshua, the fearsome pirate with terrifying jagged teeth, jumps out at Gates to scare him, then giggles and takes his teeth out.

FRAGMENTED THOUGHTS
- WATER! SHIPS!! I’m so excited to re-watch all of this!
- The Other Captain IS urged to surrender, but refuses. I’m glad that is established early on, though I missed its significance the first time through.
- We meet Silver before Flint – interesting.
- “So you’re a coward, then.” “Yeah, and you?” LOL Silver, you’re so delightfully selfish.
- Me in a pirate fight = the guy sitting in the corner with his arms wrapped around his legs, screaming.
- In our first sighting of Flint (“It’s done”), he’s showing mercy. INTERESTING.
- Shirtless Billy does not want to be Silver’s friend, lol.
- Why are they torturing the Other Captain? This is not something that ever happens again and it only makes our pirates look like the monsters Flint later says they aren’t.
- Flint’s earrings, Flint’s sleeves!
- Randall and his cat!
- Flint definitely thinks he’s better than everyone, and usually he’s right.
- NASSAU!
- Ugh, except this is not the Nassau that I’m actually in love with. This is Edgy Nassau where boobs are everywhere and all anyone talks about is sex and Eleanor LOVES saying the word fuck while being sexually inappropriate toward her subordinates. WE GET IT, this is an adult show. I wonder when exactly they stopped this nonsense and let the story’s awesomeness stand on its own?
- Mr. Scott, already establishing himself as the knowledgable one!
- The first thing we see inside of a “civilized” home is a painting of Judith beheading Holofornes. SALIENT.
- Flint does know who Billy is (says he’s the bosun), so the whole “who’s Billy?” thing was just to fuck with him? I like this even more than arrogant, distracted Flint.
- Once Flint knows that his crew thinks he’s weak, the devastating beatdown is inevitable.
- Love seeing Billy realize that Flint has a method to his madness, but still not sure if it’s enough to justify the madness.
- “Gossip is what holds civilization together. It reinforces shame, and without shame, well, the world is a very dangerous place.” IMPORTANT QUOTE ALERT.
- Jack, Anne, and Vane, how did you become three of my favorite people? I don’t like you here.
- “I am your king.” LOL, okay, Tyrant Flint.
- I still don’t get the feather thing.
- “The most important thing in a ship is trust between captain and crew,” says Flint as he lies to his crew.
- If I have a type, it’s people getting beat down and then raging back to a win.
- But also, ewwww.
- I LOVE the power play of Flint putting Billy on the spot like that.
- Flint sounds craaaaazy, but let’s see where this story of a Spaniard named Vasquez leads us next!
Mother, Father, this is the man I have chosen to love.

WELL-FORMED THOUGHTS

Everything makes so much more sense, from the pirate codes (valuing freedom, democracy, loyalty, and equality) and roles (captain, quartermaster, bosun) to the politics of trade in Nassau. I was so confused the first time through! However, none of the characters really feel settled into who they are yet. I enjoy them, but I don’t quite feel like I know these pilot-versions of people I love. I know I soon will, though!

Other than that, I don’t have a lot of thoughts about this episode, because it’s mostly introductions and setups and not nearly as rich as the ones that are coming.

ACCUMULATING QUESTIONS
- Who is Flint’s spy in Port Royal who first heard about the Urca gold?
Not done reliving the episode? Listen to Daphne and Liz’s podcast at Fathoms Deep!
March 10, 2021
WandaVision

Wow, that finale!! Here’s your warning – go no further if you want to avoid spoilers for the entire season of WandaVision on Disney+.

I have to admit, I stopped watching WandaVision after it’s first two episodes. I admired the 50s TV pastiche, but it wasn’t exactly gripping despite hints that more was happening. Of course, it was immediately after that point that the show got interesting, with color and twins and characters being forcibly thrown into the real world. The internet lured me back, and by episode 5 I was watching each week, desperate to know more.

Can I add a brief aside to say how much fun it’s been to watch a show that comes out weekly? It took me awhile to set aside my binge-watching tendencies, but I found I really loved the agony of waiting, getting to read theories and reviews online, and letting each episode settle before heading into the next one.

I have pretty much loved everything about this show. Watching their lives cycle through tv decades became more enjoyable as they hit on eras I was more familiar with, and I screamed, “That IS how shows used to be!” more than once. The different introductions and theme songs alone should win them an Emmy.

I also loved all of the interesting, fully developed female characters, from Wanda to Monica to Agnes to Darcy. I do wish we had gotten a little more from Monica in the end, since it felt like she was being set up to participate in the finale a bit more. But I will forgive them if she gets the role she deserves in the upcoming Captain Marvel film. Agnes was delightful, and obviously the whole internet loves Kathryn Hahn, so I don’t think I have more to add here.

The person I really want to talk about is Wanda. I always liked her because she was a woman in a Marvel movie, but I can’t say I ever truly connected to her. My heart broke during the scene where she must kill Vision only to see him brought back and killed again, but it was more because of the drama than because of an attachment to their relationship. But now! This show gave us everything that Wanda deserved, and I loved getting inside of her head.

Wanda’s moral complexity really shone here, and I loved watching her struggle with the realization that not everyone wanted to be forced into a sitcom dreamland the way she did. She’s not a hero and not a villain; she’s just a woman/supernatural cosmic entity who wants a quiet life with her husband and children.

Also, Wanda and Vision are so cute together?? I loved their conversations, their flirtations, their fights. They felt so effortlessly coupled that I couldn’t believe it took this show to get me to ship them. And the kids were pretty great, getting just enough air time and no more. I was truly shocked when all three of her constructed family members faded with the Hex; I knew from the internet that these kids of hers are true Marvel characters…will we see them again?

My god, that ending between her and Vision.

“We have said goodbye before, so it stands to reason–“
“We’ll say hello again.”

I didn’t cry, but I didn’t NOT cry, you know what I mean? I can’t wait to see her meet White Vision again and start their love story all over again.

I think the only other thing I need to say right now in the aftermath of it all is:

How hot is Scarlet Witch’s look??? She’s so gorgeous, and her outfit is the perfect example of sexy but not sexualized.

March 6, 2021
Why You Should Watch Black Sails

Two years ago, I was a normal woman with a variety of interests. Ever since I watched Black Sails for the first time, my life has been consumed by thoughts about this impossibly compelling Starz production that demands rewatch upon rewatch.

Over the course of four seasons and thirty-eight episodes, viewers are introduced to a world that combines pre-Treasure Island characters with historical pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy in 1715. What seems like the premise of a rollicking pirate adventure is exactly that…with the addition of challenging political themes and philosophical debates. If you’re looking for a television show that is equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking, then Black Sails is the show for you!

Do You Need More Proof?

1. Captain James Flint is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever seen represented on popular television. Despite knowing little of his motivations until halfway through season 2, he is dramatically intriguing from the very first episode. Phenomenally performed by Toby Stephens, Flint is a ruthless idealist whose pursuit of a free Nassau destroys almost every relationship he values, and I love him.

2. One of Black Sails‘ central themes is that oppressed people are easily villainized because the only options they have to claim their freedom are so often villainous. Intentionally choosing diversity, Black Sails showcases main characters who are enslaved, queer, disabled, and poor. It is, actually, a history told from the perspective of the oppressed.

3. Queer relationships are respectfully represented throughout the series. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships are represented amongst the main characters of Black Sails, and multiple relationships are shown as polyamorous. The show does an impressive job of normalizing these relationships while also portraying historically accurate consequences.

4. In a television world that is traditionally male-dominated, Black Sails intentionally puts women in leading roles of various kinds. One review I read (that I unfortunately cannot remember and therefore cannot credit) said that this show “demonstrates that it’s possible to depict a world that devalues women without constructing the show itself that way too.” As such, we have female pirates, prostitutes, business leaders, and princesses, all of whom reveal a part of what it meant to be a woman in the early 1700s.

5. All of the characters are both flawed and lovely (with one exception for me personally). Everyone is selfish and desperate, which naturally leads to shifting alliances and betrayals on a regular basis. Despite this, the show constantly asks us to see from their perspective and have understanding. We are refused the baser joy of loving to hate a character, and instead are shown how to do the better thing: love a hateful character.

Here’s an Hour+ Video by Rowan Ellis

March 3, 2021