Black Sails manages each season to get better and better. The season opener already tried to avoid the pitfalls of most season openers, while doing what it always does, you win some, you lose some.
SPOILERS - The stakes are set high, and in 4x03 one of the major stakes loses its head, just not the head many viewers and pirates have been demanding. Teach's death did not come too early. It propels the plot of Jack, Anne and Woodes forward as well as their characterization. Season 4 is not about vengeance for Vane, but the ending story lines of the remaining pirates, citizens and Nassau. The keelhauling was brutal, well built up and made me shiver and cringe, while giving the "last laugh" to Teach. It's especially amazing, because it's a ten minute scene with almost no dialogue.
HISOTRY - While some cry foul on account of "history" and "illogic", I completely disagree, even on some of history that is cited. While it was Maynard who captured Teach, it went down pretty much the same way - Maynard kept most crew below deck, waited until Teach boarded and then had his men charge out. Secondly, the fact that Maynard threw the headless body of Teach overboard begs the question what reason Maynard had for doing this. The claim of 20 cuts and 5 shots comes from Maynard, after he allegedly examined the body. Firstly, it is possible that many of those cuts and shots were inflicted on Teach after death. And secondly, Maynard had a motive to exaggerate - a victor benefits from making his foe close to invincible (Caesar already applied that style of propaganda in his De Bello Gallico), because it only makes the victor more formidable. So, the historical "facts" may not be so factual after all. And then there is the legend of his headless body swimming thrice around Maynard's sloop. This does sound like an echo of keelhauling, and if Teach was indeed keelhauled then Maynard had plenty of motive to rid himself of the body afterwards and only keep the head for identification. So, what 4x03 shows to have been Edward Teach's end might actually be more closer to the truth than Maynard's historical log about it.
As for Woodes Rogers: I would not call him a failure, when he historically managed to prevent the pirates from ever re-taking Nassau, while a third of his forces succumbed to disease, the Navy deserted him and he had to take on personal loans to keep Nassau going. He also effectively repelled a Spanish invasion attempt. The reason why he defaulted was because of a conflict he had with a Naval Captain Hildesley of the HMS Flamborough. After the several HMS ships that had accompanied him to Nassau sailed off to New York, Hildesley arrived with the HMS Flamborough in Nassau to have repairs done to it, pretty much acting like a potentate and abusing the Nassau workers. Hildesley was also completely unwilling to remain and protect Nassau against Spain or pirates. Woodes went to Charleston to recuperate from illness, where he mete Hildesley again and the men dueled. When Hildesley returned to London he portrayed Woodes disfavorably to defend his own choices and destroyed Woodes' reputation. It's likely the biggest cause for Woodes' creditors to abandon Woodes, when Woodes sailed for London to find out why no help came anymore. He landed in debtor's jail, became the foremost source of the West Indy pirates for "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates", written by the pseudonym author Captain Charles Johnson (most likely Daniel Defoe). The book was a piece of propaganda that bombarded Woodes back to national hero status, and the king appointed him governor of Nassau again and gave him back-pension even for the years spent in debtor's jail (in other words - the king believe Woodes had been wrongly used). Woodes was to be governor for life of Nassau. His second term was a peaceful and successful one. He died however, four years later of illness. And I would not call a man a failure for dying from say typhoid or malaria, not in those times. And while he was not a superhero, he did manage to quell a mutiny, capture 2 Spanish Galeons (in other words 2 Urcas de Lima) on his round the world voyage, raided Cartagena, saved the marooned inspiration for Robinson Crusoë, had half his jaw shot and was operated in Guam, and was one of the few sailors at the time who took a whole load of limes on board to prevent scurvy. He is also the man who originated the universal pardon plan, and tested the willingness of pirates to accept a king's pardon at Madagascar in 1715. The East Indy Company however preferred pirates on Madagascar than a company that might infringe on their monopoly. So, he executed the plan in Nassau.
LOGIC Teach's aim was to get his hands on Eleanor. It is likely that Teach wanted to capture Woodes alive, and force Nassau forces to exchange Eleanor for Woodes. This would explain the way he boarded Woodes' ship. Furthermore, in S3 it was very much established that Jack Rackham believed Woodes to be a soft boiled egg who "stood on a beach and said 'please'". He always underestimated Woodes' personality. With Anne captured as well, Jack likely believed that surrendering was the best option to keep as many of their crew alive. He would also have expected Woodes to take them to Nassau and treat them well enough, giving Teach, Anne and him ample time to plan a take-over. He did not expect Woodes to keelhaul Teach. So, what Jack chose to do, was very logical from his POV. Yet, it surprised Woodes just as much, when Rackham struck the colors.
27 out of 37 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink