Black Sails

Black Sails is a TV show that ran on Starz for four seasons between 2014 and 2017. The series is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island. It features both characters from Treasure Island and fictionalized versions of real life historical pirates. It is set in 1715, about twenty years before the events of Treasure Island, and is centered around New Providence Island.
==Canon==
On New Providence Island, Captain Flint aligns himself with Eleanor Guthrie to seize the greatest prize, a Spanish treasure galleon. He is frustrated by John Silver, a new member of his crew who holds the vital piece of information he needs to achieve his goal. 
Seasons 1 and 2 are mainly preoccupied with getting the Spanish gold, eventually revealing Captain Flint's plan to use the wealth to establish Nassau. The third and fourth seasons focus on the characters efforts to protect Nassau from British naval attack and colonial rule.
===Main Characters===
Actor/Actress 	Character 	Seasons
Toby Stephens 	Captain Flint/ James Flint 	Seasons 1 - 4
Luke Arnold 	John Silver/Long John Silver 	Seasons 1 - 4
Louise Barnes 	Miranda Barlow/Miranda Hamilton 	Seasons 1 - 2
Hannah New 	Eleanor Guthrie 	Seasons 1 - 4
Tom Hopper 	Billy Bones 	Seasons 1 - 4
Jessica Parker Kennedy	Max 	Seasons 1 - 4
Toby Schmitz 	Captain Jack Rackham/"Calico" Jack	Seasons 1 - 4
Clara Paget 	Anne Bonny 	Seasons 1 - 4
Zach McGowan 	Captain Charles Vane 	Seasons 1 - 3
Zethu Dlomo 	Madi Scott 	Seasons 3 - 4
Hakeem Kae-Kazim 	Mr. Scott 	Seasons 1 - 3
Ray Stevenson 	Edward Teach/Blackbeard 	Seasons 3 - 4
Rupert Penry-Jones 	Thomas Hamilton 	Referenced in Seasons 2 - 4. Guest character, appears in flashbacks.
===LGBT Characters in Black Sails===
While the character's sexualities and gender performance in Black Sails are never directly stated, several characters are shown to be queer through their relationships. Most notably Captain Flint whose backstory was revealed in season two, much to the dismay of many in the largely straight, male audience. His past (and the wreckage of his polyamorous relationship with Thomas and Miranda Hamilton) is a major driving force to his actions in the series. http://my.xfinity.com/blogs/tv/2015/03/04/whats-the-fuss-why-fans-react-negatively-to-some-but-not-all-same-sex-tv-romance/ However, it should be noted that the reveal made the show more popular with queer audiences and resulted in growth for the fandom.
Before this, one of the other main characters, Eleanor Guthrie is shown to have an established relationship with one of the girls at the whorehouse, Max. Notably she has an agreement with the owner of the establishment that she pays for exclusivity. Eleanor's other partners during the show are men, Charles Vane and Woodes Rogers, but Max is consistent in her attraction to women when she pursues Anne Bonny. 
Anne Bonny herself is in a relationship with Jack Rackham, and both of them exhibit gender non-conforming presentation. Anne wears pants and a long jacket and signature hat to blend in with the pirates, but seems uncomfortable in women's clothing. Meanwhile Jack is somewhat of a dandy, preferring brighter and brighter colors as the series progresses and his pocketbook allows. 
Anne's arc in the show is ultimately one of self-discovery, finding her own identity outside of what is expected of her due to her station and relationship to Jack. She has a sexual awakening with Max, who gives her what she didn't know she needed. There is tension between Max and Jack over which of them Anne will ultimately choose to stay with, but Anne later decides that she doesn't want to choose between them, and alters the terms of their partnership to include both Jack and Max, and cementing that she will not play the role of "wife" to Jack, but they would "be partners till they put us in the ground."
The decision to begin a relationship with a person of the same sex is not viewed either positively or negatively in Nassau, possibly because of the setting for this show; a pirate community living outside 'civilised' colonial rule. The only heckling shown is to Billy Bones via Logan, who ribs him about never having any sexual partners or visiting Noonan's. 
In the flashbacks in London, there even seemed to be a small amount of leniency for sexual deviance for the wealthy and powerful; Flint's 'affair' with Thomas and Miranda was used against them for political motive when Thomas' pardon plans were gaining traction in Parliament.
Black Sails is attributed with one of the first instances of straightbaiting and UNbury your gays.
==Fandom==
===Pairing===
* Captain Flint/John Silver is a semi-canonical pairing, featured in subtext and very artful parallels but not actually realized during the run of the show. 
* Captain Flint/Thomas Hamilton is a canonical pairing
* Eleanor Guthrie/Charles Vane is a canonical pairing
* Billy Bones/Captain Flint is a non canon pairing
* Eleanor Guthrie/Max is a canonical pairing
* Madi Scott/John Silver is a canonical pairing of Long John Silver and Madi Scott also referred to as Silvermadi
* Anne Bonny/Jack Rackham is a canonical pairing of two historical characters, who were partners in real life.
* Miranda Barlow/Captain Flint is a canonical pairing
* Anne Bonny/Max is a canonical pairing
* John Silver/Muldoon is a non canon pairing, often referred to as silvermoon
* Captain Flint/Hal Gates 
* Charles Vane/Billy Bones
* Billy Bones/Benn Gunn
* Joshua/Joji 
* Madi/Eme
* Miranda Barlow/Captain Flint/Thomas Hamilton is a canonical threesome pairing, also referred to as Flinthamiltons
* Jack Rackham/Anne Bonny/Max is a canonical polyam ship, in a v formation, where Max and Jack are not romantically involved with each other but both have a partnership with Anne.
* Captain Flint/John Silver/Madi Scott is a popular ship, sometimes in a v formation with Flint and Madi being metamours, though sometimes they are seen as romantic. Aka Silverflintmadi
* Captain Flint/John Silver/Thomas Hamilton is most often seen in post-canon fics, usually with a triangle formation, with Thomas and Silver in a relationship in addition to their relationship with Flint. aka silverflintham
* Charles Vane/Jack Rackham/Anne Bonny is often shipped in a v formation, where Anne and Charles are not romantically involved with each other but both have a partnership with Jack. 
* Billy Bones/Jacob Garrett/Ben Gunn
===Common Headcanons===
* Ace Billy Bones
* 'John Silver' is not Silver's true name. 
* John Silver has left several previous lives behind in pursuit of survival. 
* The narrative is itself a character, and everyone was doomed from the start. 
* Billy Bones adopted by Hal Gates.
* One or both of Anne Bonny/Jack Rackham are GNC.
=== Challenges ===
* Beach Blanket Black Sails founded and run by Mia ugly and Pinehutch (2021)
* Built On Sand founded and run by etoilesombre and Jaynovz (2023)
==Fanworks==
===Artwork===
File:Know No Shame by luluxa.jpeg|alt=illustration of James Flint holding a rainbow pirate flag|Know No Shame by luluxa 
===Fics===
*Fairlead by Farasha. (Captain Flint/John Silver)
*Fifteen Men in September by ballantine. (Captain Flint/John Silver)
*Reorienting by Palebluedot. (Post Finale Canon Compliant. Captain Flint/Thomas Hamilton)
*The New World by sebastianL (felix_atticus). (Post Season 3 Canon Divergence. James McGraw/OMC)
*With Strange Aeons by Amiril. (Cthulhu Mythos AU. Captain Flint/John Silver, Captain Flint/Thomas Hamilton)
*Another Troy To Burn by x_etoile_x. Missing scenes fic.
*A Stained Glass Variation of the Truth by Jaynovz(Christel_Jenkins). Silver backstory
*This Stretch of Sea and Sand by princesskay. Hanahaki disease.
*The Haunted Island by piratecaptainraven
*Pull Me From Myself Again by Wellfuckyousir
*Our Hands Covet the Hour Thirteen by Thiebes
*The Visitor by mycapeisplaid. Modern Au, ghost possession
*To Make a Life by gone_girl. Modern au feat. Max
*Be My End by brasspetal Post-canon Flint and Silver go to Treasure Island au
*We Were Never Meant to Survive, But What If We Did? by explosiontimothy, inwardphae. This is How We Lose the Time War Au
*I Will Try To Fix You by Trinity_Blaze. Modern Au Silverflint
*With Nothing on My Tongue by RosieTwiggs. Character fic, Jewish Silver. 
*The Tether Series by stele3
*Swords and Sand by I_ship_an_armada.
*Butterscotch Series by robotboy
*St. Augustine is That Way, aka Orangeverse by vowelinthug
===Vids===
* Black Sails Broken Crown
* James Flint So Far From Who I Was
* Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, Promise
* Black Sails True Victory
* Black Sails | Crack Video Pt.1!
* Black Sails | Gold
* Black Sails | 99 Problems
* Black Sails | a choir of furies in your head
* Black Sails | Can't Hold Us
* Black Sails | Born to be Wild
* Good Rowdy Pirate Boys 
===Meta===
* the historicity of queerness in black sails
* In Praise of Charlotte & Female Legacy
* overarching themes of black sails seasons
* Flint’s transformation from a realist to an idealist
* on disempowerment in backstories
* on correct Homeric assignations
* Black Sails Timeline
* "the pretenders speech"
* Thomas Hamilton, Jacobitism and the Catholic connection
===Music===
* The album Sword and Stone by Fate-Touched , which includes the songs Madi's Lament, Follow the Silver, Sword and Stone, and Daylight
===Zines===
* Freedom in the Dark
===Podcasts===
* Hoist the Colours - A monthly LGBTQ+ themed podcast.
* Fathoms Deep - Episode by Episode discussion + cast and production interviews.
==Archives & Fannish Links==
* Black Sails works at AO3
* Black Sails works at FFN
==References==
Category:Black Sails
Category:Age of Sail