Black Sails has any number of women in positions of power, but is Eleanor Guthrie overplaying her hand?
The women of Black Sails certainly aren’t cowering in a corner, waiting for the men to protect them. They are driving much of the action either by their own ambitions, or by manipulating the men around them to achieve their ends. It’s a high stakes game of chess, and mistakes usually mean death. The question is, is Eleanor (Hannah New) playing the smartest game that she can?
Arguably, Eleanor has the most to lose. She is the head of commerce on the island of New Providence. Love her, or hate her, without her no one would have any supplies. Despite her father’s, Mr. Scott’s, and Max’s betrayals, she’s managed to land on her feet and rise back to just about her former position. She is also the only person who has shown any degree of skill in getting petty factions to align for the common good.
Even with all the above going for her, at the end of the day Eleanor has to deal with Captain Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) and Captain James Flint (Toby Stephens). Both men are powerbrokers on par with Eleanor. They both want a controlling stake in the island. Neither man holds the moral high ground, or is entirely trustworthy despite their ties to Eleanor. In fact, the moral high ground is so far off, you’d need the Hubble telescope to see it.
So, the question is, is Eleanor up to staying one step ahead of both of these very dangerous men? Without question, Flint feels she betrayed his interests to Vane even though Flint wasn’t around to see the tough situation Eleanor was in when Vane captured the fort. Secondly, it looks like Vane may believe that Eleanor betrayed the weak spot of the fort to Flint and his powerful Spanish warship.
In this week’s preview video, it sure looks like these two sides are going to war. Can Eleanor stop it? If she has to choose, who does she side with, or does she pick another ally all together? Is it even an option for her to cut her losses and retreat?
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