Isle of the Dead.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Black Sails walloped us with a complex and thrilling episode this week - one all about Spain invading the island and wreaking serious havoc. A major character (or two) died all in the name of Woodes Rogers' need for pride-fueled retribution. I wouldn't go so far as to say this was the "Empire" installment of the final season, since it's not like we're all predicting a huge un-historic win for the pirates, but this was definitely a massive loss for our anti-heroes considering all the ground they made just a few chapters ago.
It all does get you fired up by the end though. In a strange way. Max, who got the semi-self aware line of "how can we all have sacrificed so much and have nothing to show for it?," is now hell-bent on making Rogers pay, but her plot doesn't involve a violent counter-attack (yet). It involves the sneakier ploy of hitting up Eleanor's grandfather. Black Sails' writers, however, already discovered a way to make Rogers pay dearly after he discovered that his defiant and reckless actions got his own wife murdered.
Woodes unleashed chaos that he couldn't control and in going against Eleanor's original wishes, he got her killed. It's a savage and ironic twist, for sure, though I do wish we'd spent a little longer on the moment when he found her dead. It was shot from a bit of a distance so we didn't get to dig in there and be a part of the emotion the way I would have liked.
Eleanor's death, and her final ferocious moments, were pretty harsh to watch. The scene was still pretty suspenseful though since one was never quite sure, even after she got wounded, what her fate would be.
By being killed by a random Spanish soldier (though not before she fought back with vigor and lit the man on fire!) really gave the feeling of her being overwhelmed by all the violence and all the blood that's been spilled over the ownership of Nassau. On both sides. She didn't have a counterpart enemy to face, just a vast "conflict" to try and wrangle. From both sides, as it were, since Eleanor's arc took her across both camps of the war. Her exit (which certainly won't be the last meaningful death this year) was powerful and proper.
Now did Madi actually die? We didn't see her death, really. We can assume Eleanor tried to save her but couldn't muster the strength, but not seeing it happen leaves a lot of wiggle room. The news most definitely hit Silver lack a sack of wet sand, but it didn't feel like it served Madi, as a character, in the right way. Meaning she either snuck out of the burning house or she woke up and told Eleanor to report she was dead. For whatever reason. If she's alive, it would be odd though since she'd be purposefully making Silver think she was dead in the same way she thought he was dead for a while after the season premiere.
There were instances, during the Spanish attack, where it felt like our scattered pirates could fight back and fend off the marauders, but their victories were fleeting and soon Silver and Flint had to make a full retreat. Hell, Silver and his men only survived the attack on the Underhill estate thanks to Julius and his crew of warring former slaves. Speaking of Julius - it's sort of strange to introduce a new character this late in the game. I wonder how impactful he'll truly be going forward.
The Verdict
Black Sails unleashed war all over the island in a big episode that contained top-level action befitting a season finale. The pirates were sent reeling, and with crushed spirits, though not crushed enough to call off the rebellion. In fact, Flint and Silver (along with Jack and Max) are now more determined than ever to win back the ground they'd lost and more.
Lost in the carnage was (a pregnant) Eleanor, who fell in the midst of trying to broker peace, which would have given Flint his paradise and her husband a relief from eternal debt. Woodes has won the day, but at a severe cost. Pride and escalation tend to do that.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire