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XXI.
7 billy and captain flint
Season 3
Number 21
Date Aired February 7 2016
Writer Jonathan E. Steinberg
Dan Shotz
Director Stefan Schwartz
Previous XX.
Next XXII.

Stranded at sea, Flint pushes Silver to his limit. As Nassau prepares to repel an invasion, Rackham takes the reins, while Max gets her house in order. To stave off defeat, Vane makes a difficult choice.

Synopsis[]

The episode opens on an isolated bluff somewhere near Nassau. The pirates often need to deal with killers and thieves, and now worse – merchants. Max and Anne Bonny are arranging the exchange of 46,121 pieces of eight for 316 black pearls, with the son of the wealthiest man in Saint Kitts, a notorious backstabber. Fortunately, these people also spill secrets. In the middle of insulting Max, he spills the beans about the approach of Woodes Rogers and his fleet.

Max and Anne raise the alarm. Jack Rackham insists they must rally the pirates for the defence of Nassau. However, with the fort not yet finished, the other pirate captains unreliable, and their only true navel strategist James Flint missing, some of them are resigned to defeat.

On Rogers's ship, Rogers reveals to Eleanor Guthrie that he has raised the money for this enterprise by promising to subdue Nassau within two months. He also vowed to find and return the remains of the Urca gold to the Spanish.

On the Walrus, the ship is still becalmed. Flint insists that they must divide the crew into an “A” list and a “B” list. The men critical to sailing the ship once the wind returns will be fed, the others not. Silver tries to refuse, but Flint contends that the ship is in a life-threatening situation, so as captain he has complete control.

XXI 1

In Nassau, Rackham gathers the pirate captains to discuss the defence of Nassau. When they try to refuse, Rackham shows his newly grown backbone, by threatening persuade their crews directly. The meeting is interrupted by Blackbeard, who announces that Flint is believed dead. He offers to step in and coordinate the pirate fleet, provided that, following the battle, Charles Vane would leave with him and become his protégé again.

Back on the Walrus, Billy Bones tries to encourage Silver to stand up to Flint, by making him see him as an equal. When Flint casually executes two men accused of stealing food to make a point, Silver is convinced.

In a cave near Nassau, Max and Bonny split the shares of the black pearls. Max persuades Anne that she must go with Rackham by telling her back story. She is the child of a slave and the slave-owner. She would watch her father whilst his legitimate daughter would eat, read and dance in the safety of the "big house". Max wants that life, Bonny wants freedom.

Back on the Walrus, a dead whale is spotted nearby; Flint and Silver, the only men still on full rations, row out to investigate. The whale is rotted, but they manage to kill a shark feeding on the corpse. During the trip, Silver uses his smarts, and reveals the truth of how he deceived him and stole the Urca gold, to finally win Flint’s respect. His audacity is rewarded by the fates with the return of the wind that they so desperately need.

XXI 3

Rogers's fleet approach Nassau, to find a resolute defence flying the flag of Blackbeard. Eleanor convinces Rogers to send Benjamin Hornigold into Nassau in a longboat, under the flag of truce, to make a pardon address. Much to the pirates' frustration, many of the men begin to lay down their arms.

On the Walrus, a fresh wind drives Flint, Silver and company to an uncharted island. Land at last… populated with hostile natives.

Memorable Quotes[]

"That said, if you're going to behave like children, then I will be your daddy." Rackham to the pirate captains.

"And right now his state of mind's so dark, it threatens to kill us all." Silver to Billy talking about Flint.

"If you're not strong enough to do what needs to be done, then I'll do it for you." Flint to Silver after killing two men accused of stealing food.

"Whatever happens out here, one thing is certain. You will account for me." Silver to Flint after revealing how he deceived him.

Trivia[]

  • The navigational instrument that Flint sets down on his desk in his first scene is a backstaff, which is used to measure the altitude of a celestial body, in particular the Sun or Moon.
  • During the scene in which Jack, Vane, Max and Featherstone discuss the defense of Nassau, Jack rattles off a list of captains, Burgess, Woodall and the Cockrams. These are all the names of actual pirate captains from this era.
  • In real life, the proclamation of the Royal Pardon was very effective in getting pirates to surrender and give up (at least for a time) piracy. After it was issued, Henry Jennings and 150 others sailed to nearby colonies like Bermuda to procure pardons, while another 209 surrendered to Captain Vincent Pearse of the Royal Navy. When Rogers arrived in Nassau, he was greeted by pardoned pirates led by Hornigold, and then he pardoned another 200 pirates. Some returned to piracy, while others like Vane, Edward England and Christopher Condent fled and continued to practice piracy.
  • After filming for Black Sails concluded, Outlander, another Starz production, reused the prop ships and the set for Nassau Town for their episodes taking place in the West Indies in the 1760s. In one of those episodes, titled "The Doldrums," the main characters are on a ship that is becalmed.

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Characters[]

First[]

  • Throckmorton
  • Reuben
  • Colin
  • Kofi
  • Udo
  • Zaki

Deaths[]

  • Palmer
  • Oates

Locations[]

Organizations[]

Ships[]

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