Black Sails has had a resoundingly successful season so far and while slower paced, XXIII keeps the plot going by doing what Black Sails does best-spinning everything on its head. There was really only one big action scene this episode and it’s when Blackbeard and Vane take a Spanish ship. Vane mentions that the pirates now avoid Spanish ships to avoid retribution. Blackbeard immediately breaks this rule and they over take the ship. We see an amazing fight with Vane and a Spanish man and an even better death scene afterwards.

Vane has been split on his loyalties lately. To be a free, ruthless rebel that terrorizes the high seas for his own greed or going back to Nassau and protecting it and helping it to prosper. The man puts another chink in Vane’s resolution to stay with Blackbeard when he talks about what this does, how none of it matters to those in charge and how their biggest treasure will disappear anyhow. The best line was when he said, “the money makes sheep of us all.”

We find out the treasure is actually the knowledge a man has that is hiding below. As soon as they find him he kills himself and they find the remains of his paperwork. Papers that tell of the comings and goings of Nassau. Blackbeard is uninterested in them, but Vane, again, seems to take the matter more seriously. Now that he knows Spain is on to Nassau will he return to warn them and maybe fight with them? Will he leave Blackbeard and that carefree, rebellious life he has always sought? Or will he use this information for his own gain? Whatever the decision it will determine the kind of man Vane wants to be. I hope he chooses Nassau.

Back on the secret island, we find that Mr. Scott has made it back alive. The island can’t be that far from Nassau, but far enough no one has tried to live there. I doubt we’ll get clarification, especially if it is to be Treasure Island one day. He convinces his wife to hear Flint out and tries to get them to agree to work with each other. He also speaks with his daughter. Neither of these conversations go quite how he has in mind. His daughter disagrees with him (and I’m still betting she’ll be Silver’s future wife one day) and his Queen decides on a completely different course of action.

This is mostly due of course to Silver’s help. He isn’t the one that speaks with her, but he finally gets through to Flint who is still in a deep depression and not seeming to care that they’re all about to die. Billy is even for him dying if it means the rest of them get to live. I can’t say I blame him. Jon Silver is a very clever man though and he finally gets Flint to realize there is more yet to live for and that he shouldn’t give up. Flint finally sees another way and as all his ideas are grand, this one may be the biggest of all.

Flint goes into that meeting with the Queen and tells her that if they were to just be partners, she wouldn’t go for it. They would all be killed. He suggests instead that they all strike out. That instead of fearing England, they should make England fear them more. That they should no longer take their abuses and instead rise up as one and defeat England and take Nassau back over. The Queen goes for it, but asks how he can accomplish this plan. Flint states that when Nassau thought he was alive they listened. When they thought he was dead, they gave up. So now he’ll come back from the dead and make them all see him again.

I have a feeling England won’t know what hit them when he gets there. Good luck Woodes and Eleanor.

Speaking of those two, they both did quite a bit in this episode as well. Eleanor goes and has a very awkward and passive aggressive meeting with Max. Max is having none of this and makes a huge play to become one of the insiders and leaders on the island still. She interrupts a meeting and speaks with Woodes semi-privately (Eleanor is there as well) and tells him that they can be friends with no past and offers him one of her gems, free of anything negative. It is a greedy thing to do, but Woodes seems to go for it. Max also sticks in a couple digs at Eleanor and I couldn’t help but cheer. I like Eleanor, but I love Max and I’m siding with her.

Afterwards Eleanor and Woodes almost kiss (called it!), but are interrupted by her maid, Mrs. Hudson who admits to being a spy. I did not see that coming! I just thought she was nosy. She says she sends reports and that Spain is seeking all their wealth back and won’t except a single gold coin less. They know how much should be on the island and they want it all or bad things will happen. It looks like Woodes and Max’s agreement may be off the table now as he will need her money as well (and exchanged back I’m assuming), but that still isn’t all of it.

Jack and Anne have the rest and they are currently walking away with it scot-free.

Anne wants to leave, but Jack has second thoughts. He has worked hard to earn his name, even harder when they were blackballed by Vane and he doesn’t want to lose it. Anne reminds him that they are just half a mile away from getting off this island and ‘winning.’ The usual pragmatic and smart Jack though can’t seem to let this go. He promises Anne that he’ll be back in only a few hours, just long enough to get the pardon and be able to keep his name (famous last words if I have ever heard them). Then in an adorable move, teases her by tugging on her hat and kissing the top of her head.

Now we know that Woodes will be out hunting for him and Anne now. More than likely he is going to get caught up in this and won’t be able to return to Anne at all. What will Anne do? Run away with the money? Go back for Jack? Seek help from Max? It will be one of the first times Anne is truly alone and must choose for herself what to do. Much like Vane, this decision will decide what kind of person she is and set up a chain of events we’ll see through the rest of the season.

While a much slower paced episode, I very much enjoyed it. This was needed at the halfway point to really set up how the season will go and point our characters in the right directions. I can’t wait to see how it all ends up! The next episode will be on this Saturday on STARZ at 9:00PM/ET. I will be livetweeting it later, but please feel free to join me @quietlikeastorm.

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-Erica