Black Sails features women who drive the action, so is it about time one of them was captain?
After last Saturday’s episode, one thing is clearer than ever: women drive a significant portion of the action in Black Sails. They don’t just let things happen to them; they make things happen. Even if adversity has thrown obstacles in their way, they don’t just sit there and take it. They look to achieve their goals, even if those goals present a credible risk to their own lives.
This brings us to the point of it being time for a woman captain. Women already are playing significant leadership roles, why not captain? Gender politics aside, the major obstacle to success in New Providence seems to be money. With enough money you can get what you want. It’s the universal language. So, how could money placed in the right hands create a woman captain? The answer is possibly somewhat obvious: have another woman back the best woman for the job.
We have Max, who has clawed her way back from degradation with the help of Anne Bonny. She is the monetary partner and the brains of the brothel/information operation. Max might not be ready to command a ship herself, but she could sure bankroll one to serve her own ends. Why not make amends with Anne, and together create their own crew? The only downside might be that Anne may never fully trust Max again, and trust is everything.
On the other hand, Eleanor Guthrie has single-handedly managed as a successful entrepreneur in Nassau. She’s stood up to more alpha-males than we can count, and she’s currently on a rescue mission to save Abigail. These are all calculated risks designed to save her business.
Arguably, Eleanor also could be highly successful if she threw in with Anne Bonny and bankrolled a ship for her. Anne certainly has the head for understanding the business end and the greater good. She and Eleanor have done business before, so they already have an established level of trust. Eleanor is tired of the petty jealousies, hidden agendas, and out-in-out war of the men. Anne might actually accomplish something given half the chance.
This all brings us around to Anne Bonny herself. Black Sails is loosely based on the actual pirates of the Caribbean. Bonny, Vane, Horingold, and Rackham are all historical figures, just to name a few. Historically, Anne Bonny and another woman named Mary Read sailed with Jack Rackham aboard the ship called Revenge. Why not change things up a bit and have Bonny captain her own ship? She has the fortitude, insight, and experience — not to mention she’s a major badass.
The show hasn’t been a slave to history before. It’s a drama, not a docudrama. Captain Flint is entirely fictional, drawn from the pages of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island. The same is true of Billy Bones and John Silver. Could perhaps even adding another fictional pirate to the mix, only female this time, work out?
Who knows, maybe we’ll get a woman captain on Black Sails yet. The next episode is this Saturday on Starz 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.