Why So Blu?

Black Sails: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray Review)

The Walrus crew is stranded with an army of Spanish soldiers standing between them and their precious Urca gold. And with their crimes against their brethren no longer a secret, Flint and Silver must join forces in a desperate bid for survival. Meanwhile, Eleanor Guthrie struggles to maintain her grip on Nassau, as a new breed of pirate arrives in the form of Ned Low, a man for whom violence isn t just a tool…it’s a pastime. As blood is spilled and tensions mount, Charles Vane must decide which he values more: Eleanor’s life or the respect of his men. And unbeknownst to all of them, a prize of immeasurable value has already been smuggled onto the island…one whose discovery will alter the very landscape of their world and force everyone in Nassau toward the ultimate judgement: are they men, or monsters? 

The Series  

The year flew by as we have now had two full seasons of pirate and ship anarchy on the seven seas. Black Sails has returned to the Blu-ray format in this complete second season set. Betrayal, deceit, untold riches, and survival are just a smattering of what this season has in store for viewers and these characters. When we last left off, our main characters were stranded on a beach with the Spanish armada. The armada stands between them and their gold. It won’t be easy trying to get past them.

Complicating things even more is the vicious Ned Low, Captain of the Nancy, and fellow rival to Captain Flint. Whereas Flint tends to be a bit diplomatic on certain affairs Ned tends to bring forth the ultra violence to any scenario. The rivalry between both men was one of the best parts of season two but what really elevated the show was the rise of a couple of characters who could have very well have been left in subplot territory but were leveled up towards the end. The cherry on top in terms of character development would have to be with Captain Flint himself. We are given an awesome backstory that finally sheds light on his inner turmoil and what drives him to the present day. I was blown away by the revelations and that made Flint all that more interesting.

The show continues on with sex, nudity, violence, and dastardly villains and even more dastardly (anti) heroes. I like that it doesn’t play it safe with its portrayal of women as weak willed. Some of the main female characters will literally cut you in half. They’re also portrayed as equals and as power players, which is great, because damsels in distress they are not. They hold power in these port towns where pirates come to spend money on their vices and whatnot.

Black Sails started off as a curiosity and has now developed into a damn fine show. STARZ has renewed the show for at least a 3rd season that is set to premiere in January. I saw that the IMDB page has a placeholder for a possible 4th season. I do hope the show continues full speed ahead, because there is a lot to take in in every episode.

Production values are strong and yes, the ships are actually full-scale and they function on large sound stages and on actual water. The CGI used to integrate these wooden boats is seamless. Black Sails is one of those shows that you won’t have to suspend your disbelief in terms of what’s on screen. As much as I enjoyed the first season of the show I think the second season set the bar really high. January 24th, 2016 cannot come fast enough. For now, you have some digging in to do. Black Sails: The Complete Second Season is highly recommended!

 

Video 

Encoding: AVC/MPEG-4

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:

Clarity/Detail: This might sound gross but you can drink the seawater. Contrast and sharpness levels are terrific and there are no signs of intrusive postproduction tinkering anywhere to be found on this Blu-ray set.

Depth: The show is not in 3-D by any means but the level of depth is outstanding.

Black Levels: The black levels are deep, inky, and crush free.

Color Reproduction: The color palette is that of a rainbow, granted, you wouldn’t want to be a tourist on these sea adventures.

Flesh Tones: Everyone looks good – some folks are a tad vitamin C depleted and suffer from a bit of sunburn but that’s the point.

Noise/Artifacts: Surely you jest.

 

 

 

 

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 7.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Dynamics: Watching the show is a visual feast but with the added thunder of this epic soundtrack pushes the boundaries of Blu-ray on television. The cannonballs will fly and they will hit their target with massive force. This is a good thing.

Low Frequency Extension: The LFE packs a wallop behind every action scene. The giant has awakened and his name is subwoofer.

Surround Sound Presentation: The rear surround sound channels carry more than just ambience. You will hear and feel the wooden splinters, debris, etc., fly all over the place. Watch your head.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is crystal clear.

 

Extras 

The special features included on this set are educational and entertaining. We get some nice interviews with the cast and they don’t sugar coat anything, which is appreciated. The rest of the featurettes showcase the grand production of the show. The special features are all presented in high definition.

• Inside the World of Black Sails (HD)

• Man O’War (HD)

• Expanding Worlds (HD)

• High Seas Action (HD)

• History’s Influence (HD)

 

Summary  

As much as I liked the first season of Black Sails the complete second season came in like a hurricane and turned the series over on its head – all in a good way. The drama and motivations behind certain characters revealed themselves and made us root for them that much more. The Blu-ray set features demo-worthy technical specifications and a nice serving of extras. Black Sails: The Complete Seconds Season is available on Blu-ray & DVD now!

 

 

 

Black Sails: The Complete Second Season is

available on Blu-ray!

ORDER NOW!