Black Sails

Nassau is a place where a successful raid is only the beginning of the argument. Black Sails follows pirates who still need buyers, supplies and cooperation once they return to shore. The struggle over who can control that trade gives the adventure more substance than a succession of sea battles.

Set before Treasure Island, the series combines literary characters with figures from pirate history. Toby Stephens's Captain Flint and Luke Arnold's John Silver are compelling for different reasons: authority and adaptability are both valuable, but they do not produce the same loyalties.

There is plenty of spectacle, yet the negotiations are often just as consequential. Ships require crews willing to follow an order, and a captain's reputation does not settle every dispute. The early setup asks for some patience before those relationships gather force.

For viewers who enjoyed the competing interests in Rome or the settlement politics of Deadwood, the pirate premise should not be a deterrent. The rougher action belongs to the adventure, but the people trying to build something unstable are what make it worth following.