Customer Ratings & Reviews

I ordered this set without any knowledge of the series, nor of the ratings. Just one of those gambles that sometimes pays off! The series is based around a well-known story, but it's far more than "just another pirate" plot. There's the inter-crew grumblings, the political aspects with the land-based fences (sorry, "merchants"), the inland agriculture, and the general trade issues all wrapped up, along with brothels and their inhabitants, a little bit of espionage, and some good, clean pirate shenanigans! The sets are lovely, the settings beautiful when appropriate, the costumes about as good as I've seen in a pirate series, and the acting is (mostly) excellent. The plot is solid, and drives the episodes along, and while there's the odd slow bit, it usually picks up right after. There's nudity, of course, and it's handled well and in character (and yes, mostly gratuitous, but that's what separates these networks from the main ones!). But the main driver throughout is the pirate story of trying to raid other ships, find Spanish gold, and get the girl and happiness without getting caught (or your leg chopped off). After I started in watching the series, I did a little digging on the Internet and found quite a few negative comments about the series. I find almost all the criticisms to be ungrounded, and can't help wondering if a story of fun (with nudity and violence) offends the "art critic" a bit too much. Me? I'll take the fun, nudity and violence any day over something boring and stilted! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the series was, and now will have to wait for Season 2! Well done, all...a pleasant series to watch, and loads of pirate fun!

This is how pirates should be done. An amazing adaptation of Treasure Island with its own twists and ideas. The main character is incredibly awesome. If you like pirates, this is the one.

Black Sails is a fantastic show that knows exactly what it needs to be. On the surface, this show is merely a prequel to the classic tale of Treasure Island, however, once you dive into their world it starts to become as rich as the ever popular Game of Thrones. There are lots of characters to keep track of, and to their credit the series knows when to use them or not. Every time a character is onscreen you're learning more about them, seeing how deep their worries, wants, and trials are. Tension is brewed throughout this show, and done to a great extent. There are only 8 episodes in this first season, but by episode three I felt like I knew everyone. I fell in love with each character so hard that it was painful seeing certain characters die. The characters themselves are not good men, the series never depicts anyone as the good guy or the bad guy, everyone is morally gray and fighting to survive in this turmoil of a world, during the great age of piracy, and Black Sails will make you root for the deadliest people on Earth. This set also includes a few quick, yet informative, behind the scenes.

Was upset I only bought the first season went back and bought the whole series.

Good series that was underrated. The bluray is clear and crisp with good audio.

So this is a show that I could say in on par with just about any HBO tv series, so far. One could say this show is almost like Pirates of the Caribbean with a much darker tone but same atmosphere and overall look with a different plot. Again, no Jack Sparrow. Although Jack "Calico Jack" Rackham and John Silver seem just as witty. Pros: -Vast line of legendary pirates -Good plot -Hardly any noticeable CGI effects -Great accuracy on pirate democracy, fashion and weaponry Cons: -Timeline seems a little off on character appearance, but hey its a tv show. I mean, some characters seem to be missing and others seem to have known each other for along time which they should not, based on historical records. -uh....cant think of any others. But great buy, great series, Cant wait for season 2 to come on blue ray!

There are little Indians running around like ewoks

Although I did not expect a spectacle like Pirates of the Caribbean on a TV series budget, Black Sails Season 1 opens with a loud and exciting ship boarding that also deftly introduces key players and backstory. The rest of the season husbands its resources on creating a land-logged world filled with maneuvering rather than action. As a result, production value remains high, characters are well-drawn and the story is carefully told. Watching Black Sails Season 1 is fun, but a different kind of fun. Pirates who act like conniving politicians rather than swashbuckling rascals take getting used to, but they do offer a new take on a time-worn genre. Nevertheless, the inaugural season could use a sense of adventure, so here's hoping that subsequent, better-funded seasons will find the right balance.

Maybe I am a sucker for pirates, but I really like this series. The production values are superb and the gratuitous elements effectively shocking. Each episode in the series gets better because no alliance is permanent and the characters are always evolving. The scripting in this series is fantastic, as is the acting. There are no true heroes but the material is close to historically accurate - closer than Hollywood usually gets, anyway. By the time you get to the end of the last episode, things are completely turned around is the most unexpected ways. If you are looking for an unpredictable action series, you can't do better than this!

I am not going to rate the show low because of my issues with the packaging. Great Show, takes patience to get into it. However trust me when i say, the packaging on this blu ray set is the WORST i have ever seen. It is impossible to get these blu ray disks out, without putting finger prints on the disks which i never do. The disks are so tightly packed into built in cardboard slip cases, that in order to get them out, you have to drag them out from both sides of the disk. The show itself is really good. The Packaging however is truly awful.

I was given Black Sails Season 2 for Christmas, so I ran to Best Buy and purchased season 1. Black Sails is STARZ network series (which I had not seen before). But, my wife and I love historical type pieces. This is an EXCELLENT series! Do yourself a favor and purchase the seasons. Black Sails is set about 2 decades prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's book Treasure Island. The series centers around Captain Flint and his crew of pirates sailing near New Providence Island. From episode one you'll be hooked!

So I'm into watching new series and I wanted to watch this one about pirates. Great first season shedding light on pirates and the pirate life. Black sails doesn't portray pirates in the traditional peg leg and burried treasure way but more so showing that they're just like anyone else in that time period trying to make it and bring diference to their little slice of the world. Excellent season and I am eagerly awaiting the second season to come out.

Black Sails is the marriage of tales of infamous pirates and the main characters from Treasure Island (albeit more of a prequel to Treasure Island). This show is not a Hollywood depiction of pirate life. This show is quite graphic with language, adult situations, and physical altercations. However, the first season really sets up the characters that will become increasingly important in subsequent seasons.

This show is like the "adult" version of Pirates of the Carribean! Add to that the great buy one get one free deal that was available via Best Buy and I'd say it's a "must buy." For those looking for a new series to watch, this one is definitely for those that love a good mix of drama, adult situations, comedy, and action. Can't wait until deals are available for Season 2, which was arguably even better.

This is a well shot high quality looking show..the blu Ray is gorgeous with the scenes of sandy beaches and blue waters. The names of the characters are familiar showing up in different literature and movie adaptions over the years..I did like the show..it held my interest but did not hook me like other shows have, but it did come out at the right time of year where there was not much going on..a good Saturday sunday view in the cold winter months.

This has become one of my favorite shows on television. Toby Stephens is outstanding. If you see some of his other work, you will appreciate how versatile an actor he is and with a great range -- watch the British TV series "Vexed" and you'll see what I mean. The overall show may not be entirely historically accurate, but the pirate boarding and fighting scenes are.

Great show for lovers of pirate lore! Black Sails blends historical events and fictional characters very well, although certain liberties are taken with timelines and dates of actual events. The first season seemed off to a slow start, it takes a few episodes to get to the first great at-sea pirate battle. A lot of season 1 is a build-up to the more exciting season 2 - stick with it and you won't be disappointed.

I watched the first two episodes of this cable series on DVD. The show is about a group of pirates and the Nassau Island they retreat to in order to sell their booty. There are multiple characters with intertwining plots that are very engaging. There is gore and action scenes as well as romance. ...I found this all to be very entertaining. I recommend this to anyone who this sounds appealing to.

This season of Black Sails is one of the best seasons of television I've seen in a long time. If you liked Justified, Game of Thrones, or any gritty, fast-paced show with well-developed characters that doesn't pander, it's worth the watch. (Ignore the character names; it's completely historically inaccurate -- but it's such a great story, you won't even care!)

Best pirate drama ever produced with bits of actual British sea faring lore and history for realism. How does the Captain, just one man keep control of a ship's crew? How do you exchange raw materials such as sugar, cotton or spices for gold? Where are the safe ports that can keep you out of sight from the British or Spanish Navies? Don't mess this series!