Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Black Sails: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 8, 2016

If any show has proven capable of sticking to its guns while expanding its horizons, it's Black Sails. The show, from Creators Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, seems eager to capitalize and pounce on its core blend of history recreated meets epic violence, deep intrigue, betrayal, and darkness, the latter of which is as much inside the characters as it is seeping through the world around them. But there's also a goodness, in some of them, anyway, a quest for a better world and change, and it's the clash between two fundamental views, which often necessitate a betrayal of one's own core, that makes the show tick. Exploring well-known historical characters is the broader allure, but it's the show's willingness and ability to deglamorize the world and show it for its ugliness -- while that occasional sliver of goodness seeps through -- is what makes Black Sails stand as one of the finer programs going on TV today. Newcomers are encouraged to go back and start with seasons one and two before diving into season three.

Official synopsis: In the wake of the burning of Charles Town, all the New World lives in fear of Captain Flint. But when his campaign of terror crosses over into madness, and new threats emerge to challenge his supremacy, it falls to John Silver to locate the man within the monster, before Flint's war against the world consumes them all. Meanwhile, on the pirate island of Nassau, it's a new day. With Eleanor Guthrie facing judgment in London, Jack Rackham sits atop a fortune in Spanish gold, hoping to secure his legacy as a king among thieves. To do so, he'll have to compete with the return of one of history's most notorious captains, who holds a different vision for their home, as well a a complicated past with Rackham's chief ally, Captain Charles Vane. All will be tested when a new opponent arrives to claim Nassau, one the pirates could never have anticipated. It knows them. It understands them. And in the blink of an eye, it will do the one thing they never thought possible...turn them against each other.

Season three is notable for its introduction of Blackbeard, a.k.a Edward Teach (Ray Stevenson), and for a dramatic send-off for one of the series' staples. It's also notable for its continued excellence and story construction, evolving its tale of high seas history with a flair for the modern entertainment dramatic. Perhaps no other show has proven so adept at meshing the two, molding history to today's conformities and vice versa. The result is a show that remains a stellar TV experience, mature beyond its good-not-great first season, and finding a footing of frenzied action with carefully crafted character and world drama. Dramatic elements seem always as metaphorically telling as they are linearly telling; physical and emotional storms alike play a major role in the season, and while the season's, and the series', arcing character moments and broader themes aren't exactly challenging the status quo or redefining the human condition, it does dabble in some greater metaphysical concepts and telling character angles along the way through plumes of gunpowder and high seas adventure.

The show's exterior dealings are top-notch as well. Production design is off the charts, with much of the world tangibly gritty and real and special effects often blending in rather seamlessly with the larger whole. Every wooden plank, grain of sand, bit of cloth, caked-on grime, bead of sweat...the show oozes an authenticity and tactile realism that help draw the audience into the world well beyond the core dealings and machinations and have them practically feel the intensity on display in every scene. Whether large-scale battles on sea or land or hushed and shadowy intimate dealings, Black Sails dazzles with its finely honed production, which is as evident as ever throughout the third season. Performances are fantastic as well; there's a sense of absorption into character and world, an intimacy of clarity and depth that many other shows lack. For a program that's very much in tune with presenting its superficialities and cosmetics just right, Black Sails is equally adept at bringing the finer point character elements into focus and play as the true driving force, relegating even the terrific production work as mere support pillars for the greater whole.

Black Sails: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Black Sails has always been a looker on Blu-ray, and season three is no exception. Dynamically punchy colors and refined details are the chief highlights of the digitally sourced show, one of the rare few that manage to present the multitude of gritty, worn, sweaty, and grimy textures with remarkable clarity and tactile definition, even through the otherwise clean digital photography. Unlike many other digital sources, the picture never runs smooth or glossy, only clean, with noise only really an issue in lower light shots. Otherwise, the 1080p presentation excels by revealing the finest pores, beads of sweat, dollops of blood, hairs, and other natural elements with about as much definition as the format allows. Clothing is resplendent, whether lacy garments or heavier, more densely constructed fabrics. Every stitch, fray, and bit of caked-on grime is clearly visible in close-up and, usually, in medium distance shots as well. Woods on ships, sands on beaches, grass, brickwork, practically everything on shore and ship alike spring to life with terrific definition near and far alike. Colors are very well saturated and remarkably vibrant, particularly British army red, but natural greens, blood red, bronzed skin tones, and resplendently colored fabrics all look amazing. Nothing escapes the transfer's might. Black levels are wonderfully deep with only a mild push to crush. Beyond the light crush and noise in darker shots, this is practically a perfect transfer that's right in-line with the series' rich history of visual dazzle on Blu-ray.

Black Sails: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Black Sails: Season Three features a healthy, hefty, and fully charged Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The track makes use of every foot of real estate in the stage and every inch of speaker at its disposal. It's wonderfully dynamic, from the most whisper-quiet dialogue exchanges to the most intensive action extravaganzas. The second and final episodes serve as sonic highlight reels, true reference-worthy stuff in every regard. Clarity of action is fantastic even through, in episode two, a powerful storm and, in the season's finale, a beachside battle between dug-in defenders and landing soldiers. The former is a glorious example of rainstorm done right. Beyond the ship's creaking and the crew's frantic work around it, the howling winds, driving rain, splashing waves, and other bits of mayhem converge into a cyclone of sound that's impeccably defined through the chaos and that effortlessly saturates the stage, transforming the listening area into a ship's deck under natural siege. The battle in the final episode is terrific, too, with mortar fire hurling overhead, explosions rocking hard, screaming combatants all around, and small arms fire crackling from every position. It's a symphony of violence that immerses the listener into combat in a way that's rare, if not otherwise nonexistent, in a TV show. Lighter ambient effects -- creaking wood on ships at sea, rolling waves in calmer waters, city atmospherics in town -- are realistically presented and precisely positioned around the stage. Dialogue is clear and focused with natural front-center placement. This is an extravagant, high energy, and reference worthy soundtrack from Starz/Anchor Bay.

Black Sails: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Black Sails: Season Three contains all of its supplemental content on disc three. Note that the review of one supplement contains a major spoiler for the season, and is marked. Proceed with caution.

• Season 2 Recap (1080p, 4:30): As the title suggests, a quick look back at key moments from the last season.
• Inside the World of Black Sails (1080p, 24:03): An episode-by-episode examination of key moments, plot points, themes, and character arcs from throughout season three.
• The Storm (1080p, 3:43): Creating the storm from episode two. This was touched on in the supplement above but is expanded upon here.
• SPOILER ALERT A Pirate's Last Words (1080p, 4:03): A closer look at the dramatic importance of Vane's hanging.
• Blackbeard: An 18th Century Pirate (1080p, 10:03): A piece that looks at Blackbeard's season three debut and a bit of the real history that has made the character one of the more infamous in pirate lore.
• Woodes Rogers (1080p, 5:33): As with the last supplement, this one examines one the season's new characters, both in the show and in history.

Black Sails: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Starz recently revealed that Black Sails would be sailing to its conclusion in season four. That's depressing news, but better the show fly its flag high into the sunset than to limp out of the way after overextending its welcome. As for season three, it's another winner. Great new characters, dramatic twists and turns, and the hallmark high end action and production values keep it in-line with previous seasons and continue to mold the show into one of the best of the past few years. Black Sails: Season Three features a decent allotment of bonus content on disc three. As with the first two seasons, video and audio presentations are practically above reproach. Highly recommended.