History Series / BlackSails

* ArtisticLicenceHistory: The show is based on stories of real pirates in and around the real pirate federation in Nassau, but only loosely.

* Hypocrite: While the likes of [[spoiler:Woodes and Beringer might have a point in decrying the pirates as violent savages by the time of Season 4, it still undermined by them resorting to brutality in equal measure, not to mention being the representees of an empire fueled by brutal imperialism and widespread slave labor.]]

** The crewmen of the Spanish man of war wear outdated uniforms, resembling Habsburg-era fatigues rather than the colourful French ''casacas'' they should be wearing by the 18th century. Although this might be chalked to the year being still an early date into the country's Francophile reforms, the uniforms featured are also black, a color presumably chosen for thematic reasons that was never used in the Spanish navies at all. At least one Spanish marine can also be spotted wearing a ''morrión''-type helmet, which by this time would be almost a museum piece.

*** Benjamin Hornigold is portrayed as a grizzled old veteran sailor, when in reality, at the time of his death he was just 39 years old.

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Mosiah, who seems to speak for a sizable number of the black members of Flint's crew until Captain Vane murders him.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Than more recent pirate fare.

** Arguably Subverted due to historical sexual behavior looking different from contemporary sexuality. The exact contemporary labels applied to various characters is hotly debated by fans.

* BadassBeard:
** Flint wouldn't be the same without his waxed 'stache and beard, whereas in Season 2 flashbacks he is a clean-shaven Royal Navy officer.
** Albinus, Vane's former captain, sports a huge one.
** Silver is sporting one of his own by Season 3.
** And, naturally, Blackbeard.
** "Blackbeard" from the pilot.

* RealityEnsues: In Season 3, the pirates have finally secured the treasure but their dreams of a new Nassau are hitting massive roadblocks that no amount of gold can solve. Further, their actions have caused people with real power in Britain to take notice of the pirate problem which means that a big anti-piracy crackdown is coming their way. And building off of that, no matter how plucky and clever they are, a small island of ragtag pirates will not be able to fight off something on the scale of a world power forever.

* NotSoDifferent: Jack Rackham and Woodes Rogers have a few of these conversations, in which Rackham asserts that Rogers isn't as morally superior as he seems to think.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler:Flint to Silver, after the final betrayal.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Flint:''' "All this will be for nothing. We will have been for nothing. Defined by their histories, distorted to fit into their narrative, until all that is left of us are the monsters in the stories they tell their children."\\

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Delivered by John Silver in ''XXV'' (s. 3, ep. 7) to the pirates in Nassau who took the King's pardon after pledging to defend it against England.
** Miranda's glorious one to [[spoiler:Peter Ashe]], [[spoiler:even though it doesn't end well for her]].
--> [[spoiler:"What do I want? I want to see this whole goddamn city, this city that you purchased with our misery, —burn. I want to see you hanged on the very gallows you've used to hang men for crimes far slighter than this. I want to see that noose around your neck and I want to pull the ''fucking lever with my own two hands''!"]]

'''Coward:''' "Please, sir. I'm just the cook."\\
The parallel is clearly not lost on Silver.

''Black Sails'' is a [[CostumeDrama historical drama]] created by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine that aired for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017, on Creator/{{Starz}}. Intended as a prequel to ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', the series focuses on Captain Flint, his allies and his rivals during the Golden Age of Piracy, their relentless pursuit of the gold that would likely one day become Flints treasure, and their on going war with ‘civilized society'. It's a good deal DarkerAndEdgier than ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and its like, and it took up the mantle of Starz's signature show after ''[[Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand Spartacus]]'' reached its end.

''Black Sails'' is a [[CostumeDrama historical drama]] created by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine that aired for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017, on Starz. Intended as a prequel to ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', the series focuses on Captain Flint, his allies and his rivals during the Golden Age of Piracy, their relentless pursuit of the gold that would likely one day become Flints treasure, and their on going war with ‘civilized society'. It's a good deal DarkerAndEdgier than ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and its like, and it took up the mantle of Starz's signature show after ''[[Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand Spartacus]]'' reached its end.

''Black Sails'' is a [[CostumeDrama historical drama]] created by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine that aired for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017, on Starz. Intended as a prequel to ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', the series focuses on Captain Flint, his allies and his rivals during the Golden Age of Piracy, their relenntless pursuit of the gold that would likely one day become Flints treasure, and their on going war with ‘civilized society'. It's a good deal DarkerAndEdgier than ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and its like, and it took up the mantle of Starz's signature show after ''[[Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand Spartacus]]'' reached its end.

** Arguably Subverted due to historical sexual behavior looking different from contemporary sexuality.

*** After Anne Bonny falls in love with Max, she tells Jack Rackham that she "can't be [his] wife" despite him remaining the most important person in her life. Could mean she does not love him romantically, [[spoiler:though his rescue in ''XXVI'' (S3E8) seems to speak to the contrary]], or simply that she doesn't want to marry him, because she loves someone else too.

*** Captain Flint and Thomas Hamilton can also be interpreted a number of ways due to the vagueness of their situation and the historical context of their relationship.
*** We don't actually know Thomas and Miranda's relationship was ever sexual. It's ''assumed'' to be, since they're married, but Miranda does have a history of infidelity, and Thomas doesn't seem to care in the least; while they are always affectionate with each other, Thomas seems much more interested in Flint.

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Jack Rackham delivers one to Woodes Rogers about how he was sentenced to debtor's prison as a boy because of political corruption that ruined his father's family business, saying that he's had to fight for everything he's ever had.

* BitterSweetEnding: [[spoiler: Silver sabotages the war effort and brings about peace, bringing an end to the carnage of Flint's rebellion. In doing so he betrays his only true friend and the woman he loves, and while she stays with him, it's implied he's irreparably damaged that relationship. Flint is reunited with Thomas and the two embrace and kiss, but are condemned to live the rest of their life as prisoners in a labor camp. Billy survives but spends the rest of his life a broken man afraid that his former crewmates will find him and exact retribution for his betrayal. Rackham and Bonny are together and still pirating but their historical fate is waiting for them over the horizon.]]

-->'''Jack:''' Godspeed, Charles.
-->'''Charles:''' [[PhraseCatcher Fuck you, Jack]].

* TheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Anne Bonny and Jack Rackham's OddCouple relationship has its ups and downs, but it always comes back to them declaring their devotion to each other.

''Black Sails'' is a [[CostumeDrama historical drama]] created by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine that aired for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017, on Starz. A prequel to ''Literature/TreasureIsland'', the series focuses on Captain Flint, his allies and his rivals during the Golden Age of Piracy. It's meant to be a good deal DarkerAndEdgier than ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and its like, and take up the mantle of Starz's signature show after ''[[Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand Spartacus]]'' reached its end.

* RealityEnsues: In Season 3, the pirates have finally secured the treasure but their dreams of a new Nassau are hitting massive roadblocks that no amount of gold can solve. Further, their actions have caused people with real power in Britain to take notice of the pirate problem which means that a big anti-piracy crackdown is coming their way.

** Miranda's glorious one to [[spoiler:Peter Ashe]], even though [[spoiler:it doesn't end well for her]].
--> [[spoilers:"What do I want? I want to see this whole goddamn city, this city that you purchased with our misery, —burn. I want to see you hanged on the very gallows you've used to hang men for crimes far slighter than this. I want to see that noose around your neck and I want to pull the ''fucking lever with my own two hands''!"]]