#if i received a novelization of interest in my inbox for every show tumblr wands me to watch

[trashbaget]

Hello i see you haven't heard of black sails?? I am DELIGHTED to inform you that it's a four season masterpiece and that if you like pirates you should ABSOLUTELY check it out.

It's set in 1715, and it's a prequel to the story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It tells the tale of where the treasure un that story came from; how it came to be hidden on the island, how Long John Silver came into existence, how he knew James Flint, etc -- and it is SO fucking good.

It SEAMLESSLY merges real life historical pirates like Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Charles Vane, etc, with the various fictional characters from Treasure Island (the aforementioned James Flint and John Silver; Billy Bones; etc) and is genuinely the best tv show I've ever seen in my life. The character development that all the characters go through is unparallelled, and it's also very much a study in motivation - what motivates people to do the things that they do; what can drive people together or apart. The way that alliances and enemies shift around and swap places with each other based on character motivations and what each individual values is so amazingly done and so interesting to watch. You'll have two people who could not be more aligned with each other, and then one thing will change, and suddenly they're on opposing sides-- and youve got sworn enemies who, again, one thing changes, and the enemies suddenly find themselves as allies.

It's also very much an analysis of colonisation and the power of the English empire. One of the characters, Flint - he hates the British empire with every cell in his body, and initially you don't get to know his motivation for that hatred; you know he wants to find the gold and you assume it's because it's gold, right, of course he wants it; everyone wants gold. But then you find out WHY he hates the British empire and everything that England stands for; you find out WHY he wants the gold; what he wants do do with it, and suddenly not only does his character have SO much more depth than you thought it did, but also, you look at every heinous thing he's done so far and you're like "Yeah actually you are SO correct for this, keep doing what you're doing."

The writing for the show is PHENOMINAL - there are several pieces of character dialogue that I deadass want to get calligraphied so I can frame them and put them up on my wall. And the layers to the show and the themes of it, the reflections of society, the analysis of what a story truly is, are incredible once you start noticing them.

It's the kind of show that you can watch over and over and over again and still pick up new details. New themes new parallels new Easter eggs new musical motifs new messages. Honestly I say with my whole chest that it is unquestionably the best show I've ever seen in my life. I ABSOLUTELY recommend you check it out. ESPECIALLY if you already like pirates.

this sounds absolutely brilliant omg alfhskdj thanks lovely ✨✨

i am so two cakes excited about this and gonna write black sails on my forehead so i remember to watch it soon