[SPOILERS] Black Sails Season 4: All that glitters is not Silver

[sweetsunray]

Quite honestly, I found the finale too sweet an ending for some characters. Yes, it's all you wish for those characters to have as happy ending, but it feels like a cop-out, especially in relation to the events of 4x06. The ending for Max, Jack and Flint/McGraw felt good, but not right. If they were going that sugarsweet for all those characters, then they could have had Eleanor survive, leave and have her child.

So, good feel finale, but it doesn't feel right to me, and then in retrospect Eleanor's fate becomes dishonest to me, and while I felt it was painful I was good with it until 4x09. Now, I think they might as well given all of them a happy ending. 

[Red Tiger]

Spoiler

Madi and Silver's ending felt....ambiguous to me.

 

[Pliskin]

They're not really happy endings, knowing what happens later on from History and Treasure Island.

Spoiler

Silver will eventually grow unsatisfied as Flint predicts. Rackam hanged. Flint drinking himself to death. Even the one who had a "bad" ending will eventually turn things upside down and get back his seat (Rogers). I think they did a great job with the endings, in the sense that the spectator knowing what lays ahead will see it as bittersweet and read it differently from the one free of any knowledge.

 

[sweetsunray]

43 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

They're not really happy endings, knowing what happens later on from History and Treasure Island.

  Hide contents

Silver will eventually grow unsatisfied as Flint predicts. Rackam hanged. Flint drinking himself to death. Even the one who had a "bad" ending will eventually turn things upside down and get back his seat (Rogers). I think they did a great job with the endings, in the sense that the spectator knowing what lays ahead will see it as bittersweet and read it differently from the one free of any knowledge.

 

Well, I sort of disagree with that, because they broke TI canon with Billy ending up marooned on TI and Ben Gunn free. Clearly, how will Flint end up drinking himself to death now? They make TI a lie in a way. I did reckon they would make TI something more as a fictional garbled tale based on what happened "truly" in BS, but not in this "wishful ending" way.

I agree with Jack. You know that in the end, him and Mark Read (aka Mary Read pretending to be a guy) and Anne end up caught. And Rogers does return. The contemporary histories of pirates book makes him a national hero again, reinstated as governor, and his debts cleared and absolved.

With those characters I can see it as only a temporary happy ending. But Flint? Although someone made a comment that Silver's story to Madi about what he did for Flint might be a lie. That he actually killed Flint physically on TI.

[Pliskin]

6 minutes ago, sweetsunray said:

Well, I sort of disagree with that, because they broke TI canon with Billy ending up marooned on TI and Ben Gunn free. Clearly, how will Flint end up drinking himself to death now? They make TI a lie in a way. I did reckon they would make TI something more as a fictional garbled tale based on what happened "truly" in BS, but not in this "wishful ending" way.

I thought that was weird yeah, but I'm not sure they broke the canon anymore. Did Ben say when he was left on the island? It may be later on. And Billy could still find his way out. Actually, Ben could be left there by the same crew that will take back Billy.

If someone with a fresh knowledge of the book could help us on that, I would appreciate.

[sweetsunray]

Which crew would that be. Without Featherstone, Rackham's not going there anymore. And Silver wants that cache to stay in the ground on Skeleton Island. And would Woodes go there years later, after getting pay and his actual due?

Even the writers in the Inside Episode say they want it to be stand-alone, that if you read TI you would read an entirely different story.

I don't mind a partial ambiguous story, a happy ending for some, but this "high note" was very very one sided to end the story here. Bad show endings for all those on "civilisation" side, regardless of redemption arcs or efforts or not. Good show endings for all those on the "pirate" side, even if they continue to blame others for their own misdeeds. I always felt they had the ability to kill their darlings in an honest way. And now they backed off from that in the end with plot gifts. It's like watching Hamlet or Romeo & Juliet and get the ending you wish they have, but not honest to the rest of the pain and heartache of the story. I would have been ok with McGraw-Hamilton reunion if Jack bit the dust, or the other way around.

I don't entirely disagree with what you're saying. Even the appearance of Mark Read hints that Max will soon discover that she and Anne won't be lovers again ever. It's more like the "promise" of bitter future is there (some sooner than later), but watching it is overdosis of sweet to me.

[Arkash]

Kinda frustrated they didnt go with the Parson's Farewell at full blow for the closing titles, as they teased it in the scenes at the tavern with Mary... ahem Mark Reade. This music is just amazing and would have made for awesome closing titles.

And... that's my one and only complaint... it was everything I hoped it would be : giving a great sense of closure, a continuity with the whole narrative, epic moments, beautiful ones, some funny ones as well, bittersweet on some regards and still managing to drop a few twists and surprises on its way out ! 

I'll miss this show but I sure as fuck watch it sail away with a smile on my face.

[Corvinus85]

Thanks to McCreary's music I teared up in the parallel scene between Rogers/Rackham/Flint fight and Silver finding Madi. Then again when Flint and Thomas are re-united. It was a good ending, to an amazing show and season. 

I've had two shows end for me this weekend, shows that I was with since they began. 

[sweetsunray]

@Pliskin

You may have convinced me to take the ending as far more duplicious than it seems at first watch. I'm going with - Silver and Jack lied about Flint's end. We don't hear an actual shot, but we do hear birds cawing and flying up, and then see Hands, Ben Gunn and that captain who supposedly went to discover whether Thomas was alive or not all look in the direction and walk over there... as if there was a suddensound. Jack and Silver agreed to a lie, a fairytale ending for Flint, so that he wouldn't be a martyr. A darker real ending of Flint, might explain why Silver becomes a bitter man later in life. His action comes to gnaw on him. The fairytale lie seems a conscious sweetener that may end up making him bitter, with Flint's last conversation forever haunting him. It's as if Silver wrote his own AU fanfic for Flint, right? Would Thomas truly welcome the murderer of his parents, involved in the death of Miranda his wife, and massacrer of Charlestown and other towns with such an embrace, when even Madi's reconciliation with Silver is far more realistically subdued? Would McGraw not be racked with guilt over the knowledge that he killed people who could have revealed the truth about Thomas years and years before?

Mary Read dampens Max's personal happiness - no actual lover reconciliation for her. She'll eventually see Woodes return. Featherstone goes back on the account with Jack, Anne and Mary Read, with only Anne as possibly survivor who disappears. The 4x08 ending between Max and Anne was more promising than the finale ending for Max at least.

[akh]

I liked the ending. Mainly for Jack Rackham's short-term happy ending (considering his story in history will end up with him getting hanged). Relates nicely to what that old man said in the penultimate episode regarding enjoying the pirate-life while you have it, and Julius' words that months matter, since there's not going to be any everlasting happiness or peace.

@sweetsunray , I hope your theory on Flint being shot in the jungle is correct. I don't think a happy ending for Flint would work for me.

As for Ben Gunn - I read on the reddit thread for the episode that Ben Gunn supposedly returned to the island later, without a map, to try to find the treasure and when him and whoever he went with didn't manage to find it, they left him behind n he went insane. My last reading of Treasure Island was when I was a kid, so I don't know whether that holds true of course.

[sweetsunray]

5 minutes ago, akh said:

As for Ben Gunn - I read on the reddit thread for the episode that Ben Gunn supposedly returned to the island later, without a map, to try to find the treasure and when him and whoever he went with didn't manage to find it, they left him behind n he went insane. My last reading of Treasure Island was when I was a kid, so I don't know whether that holds true of course.

There seems to have been more scenes shot than shown in the finale. I'm actually quite certain that they filmed a scene for Eleanor's ghost in the ship battle scene for the finale. Schmitz posted a pic of her on the last day on the set right after 4x06 aired. She wears the green dress, no fake blood on it and she holds a sword, laughing. And when you look carefully, it's taken aboard the ship scenery, just right next to the stairs. And there's a guy laughing seated on the stairs who wears the Flint clothes and has the hair, but it isn't Toby Stephens - a stunt double. Why the hell would Hannah New be in costume with a sword on that set with a Toby Stephens stunt double, if it wasn't for the finale. Either she fought for or against Woodes, no idea. Same for a still of 4x09 where you see Eleanor in the background, walking on deck, but in 4x09 we don't actually see her walk on deck (different angle than the picture still).

Then there's a still of Rogers in the Assembly Room, seeming taken by surrpise by something. That was likely a scene of the warrant for his arrest arriving, after Silver managed a treaty with the Maroons.

I think they had more scenes: a Ben Gunn scene, a Rogers arrest scene, an Eleanor ghost scene... not much, but it got cut in the cutting room.

[Astromech]

Knowing  the characters' fate or expected fate, I thought the finale was an excellent mischievous wink to the informed viewer. We know most of the characters don't have a happy ending so I enjoyed the twist.

Loved many of the little details: the introduction of Mary Read and Jack's cluelessness; Mrs. Hudson reading Capt. Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates to her children; the cook palindrome(Silver said he was a cook in the very first episode and he found the cook cowering when they boarded the ship); Billy falling overboard again; the Jolly Roger; Jack being present for Rogers' trial(forget what they called it)

The action scenes were once again wonderful. Loved Billy v Flint and Flint/Silver v. Rogers.

However, I was really hoping we would see the news of Thomas' fate delivered to Flint by Silver. We all expected that resolution of Flint's arc, but I was hoping it played out a little differently on screen. Poor Miranda is forgotten.

Damn, no more Black Sails. I'll miss the hell out of this show, but it ended on a high note.

[The Fattest Leech]

I only have a quick second, and I had to watch the episode late (here), but just a few quick notes:

 I loved watching Flint go to Savannah and him realizing why he was brought there. Good stuff.

 I loved Rackham bringing on Mary (Mark) and Jack being dim about it, but Anne was like, "really???." It was great. In the beginnng I figured the show replaced Mary Reed with Max.

 I could not have been happier to hear Rackham say he wanted to write Woodes story. NIce throw back to season 3(?).

 How surreal was it that Silver found his past self in the cook on the ship (in a vague way). That gave him a moment of pause.

 Did I miss any more Eleanor ghost glimpses? I had to get up twice because my dogs wanted in and out and I sorta thought we might get one more. But then again, Eleanor's clicking needles made that dramatic stop last episode.

One more, I felt that Max got away too easily with everything and still ended up on top. That was a little disappointing for me.

So, so sad it is over... but thank the gods there is On Demand!!!!

[sweetsunray]

3 hours ago, Astromech said:

However, I was really hoping we would see the news of Thomas' fate delivered to Flint by Silver. We all expected that resolution of Flint's arc, but I was hoping it played out a little differently on screen.

I think Silver's story to Madi is a lie. That Flint is dead-dead. We don't actually hear a shot, but birds caw and fly up like they do when someone fires a shot, and then Ben Gunn, Tom Morgan and Hands go up to where Silver is. Showing us that particular scene is a hint of the real fate. Without it, Silver's fairytale about Flint's fate would be less doubtful, aside from that vaguery of his of Flint reverting back to the man of the past the closer they got to Savannah. There is something even in McGraw that is unwilling to give up - Miranda begs James not to continue pushing the pardon plan with the Admiralty, because it would end up getting Thomas or him or both killed. McGraw nor Flint ever recognized their hand in the outcome, which is not dissimilar a responsibility as Woodes calling in Spain and getting Eleanor killed (albeit that is death at a bigger scale). Neither McGraw nor Flint would give up. McGraw can't give up trying to change the world. Flint can't give up burning the world. Which is why I think he can never survive. The last determined look of Silver as he points hte gun at Flint is him realizing this imo and thus he shot him. I don't think he even told Flint about Thomas before he shot him. Imo Silver became an AU fanfic writer, for a moment believing it himself. Flint warned him that he couldn't tell Madi a narrative that would make her forgive him. Well, he could. He told her a story ending that anyone who cares for Flint would end up wanting to believe.

It's especially suspect as the TI story of Flint reflects TI Silver - dissapointed. Silver is filled with hope in the finale, so he tells a fairytale ending. TI Silver is bitter, disappointed, feeling like he's owed, so Flint's end is bitter and a waste. Flint predicts what Silver will become. Silver is not just lying to Madi. He tries to lie to himself. "I am not the villain you think I am. I am not him." Silver didn't want to be the villain, but it was unavoidable. Sivler said his past was irrelevant to Flint in 4x09. But in the future, the murder of his friend becomes that past attached to the wrist, that he cannot separate himself from. He wants to be defined by this supposed good deed he did for Flint, saving Flint, but he ends up being defined for killing him, never recognizing the truth of it. It's the start of the future cycle, just as he walked into a defining moment in the past, which also was a lie. He met the cook in 4x10. But Silver wasn't the cook in 1x01. He lied that he was the cook to save his life. He killed the cook, and pretended to be him. So, his story begins with a lie and it ends with it. 

Anyway, the ambiguity of Flint's ending requires it to be shown the way we saw it. If we saw it in another way, then it would actually make it real, less ambiguous.

2 hours ago, The Fattest Leech said:

 I could not have been happier to hear Rackham say he wanted to write Woodes story. NIce throw back to season 3(?).

Yes and no. He can't tell the "real" story. He can only tell the financial story. And we get to see Mrs. Hudson read Contemporary Histories of Pyrates to her children. The book handles mostly on pirates that Woodes met, either at New Providence OR at Madagascar. One chapter is about Charles Vane, the one after that about Jack Rackham, and then Mary Read and Anne Bonny - including their fates. He and Featherstone are hanged in Jamaica. Mary Read dies of a fever in prison, while supposedly pregnant. Anne Bonny's fate is unknown, but she was never hanged. So, if Mrs. Hudson reads it, we are actually shown Jack's fate. More importantly, it was a very clever piece of propaganda. Its subject supposedly are the biographies of pirates. But they are almost all pirates that Rogers dealt with or met at some point in his life. In the introduction we get a neutral, factual account of him being made governor, the pardon address and how he dealt with pirate issues - giving them a chance, but those going back on the account being hunted down. Then in almost every chapter of each pirate his name is dropped. On a meta-level the book is about Rogers, but disguised by putting the pirates in front of him.

While neither the government was lenient nor the former partners honored his debts, his credtors took pity on him and absolved him. He wasn't in debtor's prison for more than a year. Still, he believed his prospects were destroyed, until he was approached by the author of that particular book. It's published another year after (after Rackham is dead). He becomes a celebrity again, and he petitions with the king for a financial redress. The governor he was replaced with received state payment, while he was sent as a governor without any wages at all. The king dismissed the governor that had replaced Woodes (after Woodes' 1st term), partly because there was fear that this governor's actions might bring the pirates back to Nassau, and reinstated Woodes as governor (this time for life and paid by the government). The king even awarded him back-pay from the time he was first dismissed. In other words, England and the king acted in a way financially to Woodes that basically says "you should have remained governor, not this other guy". Woodes returns to Nassau, this time without any further external threats, only internal issues - that is with the politcal body that was installed during his absence (the council assembly), and he dismissed and disbanded them all.

If you know this, we thus get the positive story of Jack going pirating with Mary Read and Anne Bonny, but ending up dead within the year. The 2nd governor wasn't Featherstone, but since he dies with Jack as a pirate, and with there being rumors that Featherstone allows Jack to be a pirate, based in Nassau, we certainly have the "oh, shit this governor is like the one we had in 1705" and it can only lead to bringing the pirates back. And then we have Mrs. Mapleton and Max in the council that will end up being disbanded by Woodes himself, and thus Max will lose her power again.

A lot of stuff is accelerated in the BS timeline, so basically at the latest in another 3-4 years, Max has lost everything, unless she abandons Nassau and seeks the disappeared Anne Bonny.

So, while Jack ends up writing "Woodes' financial story", that will eventually be pardoned altogether. Grandma Guthrie will take pity on him (likely because she's given Eleanor's diary). Woodes ends up telling/helping to write Jack's story. The book thus is a double call back to S3: Jack never wrote his own biography, which was the advice Woodes gave him. Featherstone gets the sack or turns pirate again. Max loses Anne (Mary Read and Jack are a new trio with her) and eventually her position of power. Woodes dies of malaria in Nassau, in his bed, in his 50s. His grave is unknown.

And you can speculate who the author of that books turns out to be, because it was written under a pseudonym "Captain Charles Johnson". It is generally believed to have been Defoe, a personal friend of Woodes, who wrote Robinson Crusoe several years earlier based on Woodes' account of Selkirk, (the marooned guy he saved). Others think it was written by a befriended publisher Nathaniel Mist who was a former sailor, especially because the book is registered with the HMSO under Mist's name. It's not really Defoe's writing style or tone, but it's written by an entertaining storyteller, who very much condemns pirates as wretches. So, you could actually insert Silver as the author here. He definitely does not want a return of a pirate cause, as that directly endangers the safety and the treaty with the maroons. He ends up owning a tavern in Bristol, which is Woodes' actual official living town. And within BS universe there must be a reason why Flint, Silver, Eleanor Guthrie and certainly the maroons are left out of the biographies, as if it never happened, as if they don't exist. We can certainly understand why Woodes as a source would want to leave Eleanor out of the book. But for Woodes to leave out (distorted) accounts of Flint and Silver, Silver himself would need to step in. 

4 hours ago, The Fattest Leech said:

 Did I miss any more Eleanor ghost glimpses? I had to get up twice because my dogs wanted in and out and I sorta thought we might get one more. But then again, Eleanor's clicking needles made that dramatic stop last episode.

I think an Eleanor ghost appearance was filmed for the finale, but it got cut out. Woodes' visions of ghost Eleanor reflected what he believed her ghost's feelings would be towards him. When he says he's sorry to her, we get a tear. She's sorry too. When he offers the treaty to Madi he tries to overcome his rage and instincts. The knitting needles act like a drum almost in his mind, when Madi rails in on him with "Flint's war, my war". It's like Eleanor's ghost is saying "Don't give in to your rage. Take the higher ground." It stops when Madi says he got Eleanor killed, and the image becomes very shadowy and darker. The last needle sound is more that of something sharp, like a sword being drawn. So, in his mind, he fears Eleanor's ghost will turn on him. And I think that was the intended and filmed ghost scene in the finale - she with a drawn sword, rallying the pirates against him. However, that would totally end up destroying the romance story, albeit very tragic one (Othello like), and Eleanor's actual death scene.

I think they had a Thomas embraces Flint and forgives him everything instantly fantasy (because let's be honest - Thomas wouldn't have like the man that McGraw became, the massacring, the death of Miranda). Madi forgives Silver based on a lie, realistically reluctant and reserved. And then Eleanor's ghost appearing to not forgive Woodes for the truth. Since they basically robbed Woodes' feats and character blind in the show and turned him into a villain already, it would have just been too much. It would make it too black and white, and that's a lie to the 37 other chapters they wrote. So, no, there's no Eleanor ghost glimpses. Hannah New wasn't even credited for the finale.

And if what I suspect is true, then I'm glad they kept that out.

[GallowKnight]

Ha, Govenor Featherstone.

That was a good episode and a good ending I think. Although and unexpected one. I expected major death, destruction and tragedy, instead most things was tied up quite neatly. A little bit too neatly in some cases. In particular Flint's happy ending. Although there is still room for the interpretation that Silver just killed him and is lying, and I feel kinda partial to that interpretation. The power of a well told story has been somewhat of a theme throughout the show and Silver has always been one of it's foremost storytellers.

The battle scene was great. The fight between Billy and Flint was great. As was Rogers steely-eyed determination to see every pirate dead. Plus, Rackham finally got to be a genuinely bad-ass ass-kicker.

Regarding Ben Gunn, in Treasure Island I don't think he has been stranded for more than three years, after a failed attempt to recover the treasure. So there is still room for that.

Jack Rackham has been my favourite character throughout the show and I think he got a fitting ending. He got everything he wanted yet he still yearned for something different. I kinda figured that show Rackham was too likeable to meet his real-life end on the show and I'm glad that he didn't, even if it still lays in his future. Also, it was nice to finally get Mary Read and Calico Jack's classic Jolly Roger.

All in all I think they got a fitting ending to what has been a fantastic show, despite the mostly weak first season. It has had a fantastic cast and a fantastic buck of characters. In particular Toby Stephens and Captain Flint who has been brilliant since the very start and through the show. And the soundtrack has been amazing too. I hope everyone involved has a bright future a head of them. I will miss this show

Although I'm still curious about how Luke Arnold is going to turn into Tim Curry

[Leofric]

Nice finish to the series. 

I think it can be tied to the Treasure Island story pretty well.   If Silver actually did kill Flint, then Billy actually drew the map.  He was marooned on the Island at the end of the show, and like Ben Gunn years later, had time to search for the cache and it would have been easier to find since it was freshly buried.   He may have taken only a small amount with him when he escaped the Island, meaning to go back later for the rest.  He may also have gone a little crazy and found Flint's body, which is why years later he said Flint gave him the map.

As the show stated, Billy created the Long John Silver legend and it became his own nightmare.    So years later when Silver, Hands, and the others learn Billy survived and may have sold some black pearls and they deduced he had located the cache and they came looking for him, Billy's nightmare came true and he basically died of fright when they left him the black spot.

 

 

 

[Zorral]

Is it difficult to reconcile some of these endings with the fact that Savannah (f. 1733) does not exist, no more than does Georgia as a colony?

 

[Astromech]

Steinberg and Levine interview about the finale: http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/03/black-sails-creators-break-down-the-series-finale-name-their-favorite-final-season-moments

[YoungGriff89]

I don't believe that Silver killed Flint simply because Flint's last words in Treasure Island are "Darby McGraw fetch aft the rum" which I'm assuming is his grandfather.  The same grandfather he told the story about in 2x09 to Miranda, which also includes fetching rum.  Unless we're supposed to assume he told Silver that same story in 3x10, then Silver fabricated Flint's last words and referenced a person he wouldn't have known about.  On top of the fact Silver told Madi where the place was, she could have checked up on Flint's fate somehow.

[red snow]

Excellent finale and I loved the meta ending. Flint told Silver he couldn't spin a tale that would justify him killing him to Madi - so Flint made a tale in which he didn't kill Flint. But sadly, what we saw was just a tale. I imagine Flint kept walking towards Silver forcing him to shoot him then they concocted that tale, largely for the benefit of Madi. The only thing that makes this ambiguous is the opening scene where it's clear an agent of Silver is tracking Hamilton down. I think that actually happened but  Madi nailed it when asking about the timing of it all. After all, if the knowledge of Thomas was in Flint's hands there's no good reason why he wouldn't have opened with that gambit almost immediately. If he left it to the point where he shot Flint as Flint approached him it would be tragic and stupid.

What gets me though are Rackham's words on how we choose the story we want to believe. After everything I want Flint to find peace and so I'd like to pretend what we saw was true. Deep down I know it isn't. But I envy those who can square Flint's ending as real. I also don't think Hamilton's embrace of Flint was far fetched. He loved this man and even if he knew James was Flint (which may not have been the case) he a) probably wasn't as close to his father as we thought given he sent him to a penal colony and b ) he saw the love of his life for the first time in years. You can forgive a lot given time as we see with Madi. But I still think Flint died on the island

A moment that stood out for me was the exchanged looks after the battle between Madi, Flint and Silver. That was when Silver probably decided on killing Flint because he knew he had a rival. Not for love but for respect and he could tell that Madi was a follower of Flint. It gave the line of "I am not him" a more desperate edge at the end.

A great ending to a great show. I think the genuis of season 2 is still hard to top but this season was technically as good it's more a case of me really enjoying Flint's backstory in season 2 and it having the best group of characters. Just a shame the first few episodes were hard work and that, along with it not being a HBO show cost it the wider recognition it fully deserved from around episode 5 onwards. I look forward to seeing what the creators do next and will probably give a show starring Tobys Stephens and Schmitz (the latter of which while not as good an actor has an infectious likeability).

I'll miss it but glad it didn't outstay its welcome.