Black Sails Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

The Pilot had me worried for a second. This is a great cast with a solid concept and impressive production value, but the first couple episodes seemed to focus too much on the bells-and-whistles of an adult drama (cussing just to cuss, bringing sex into almost every scenario to the point where you aren’t sure what’s really going to happen) instead of the plot itself. By Episode 3, I, a huge fan of Pirate lore, was almost ready to tearfully say goodbye to what I thought was a truly potential story.

But I kept watching, partly because I had seen articles saying it would find its pace and partly because I wanted a good pirate show SO BADLY.

And I’m glad I did. From Episode 4 onward, the show not only hits its stride but starts running. The characters I loved in the first few episodes got even better, and I started getting nervous anytime they had a brush with danger. After all, this ain’t club med. The characters I didn’t feel were as strong? Boom. Suddenly you find out their story, or at least the one thing that truly drive them, and not only does it make sense, they start to fit together wonderfully. By Episode 6 I had gone from worried to hooked, and I leaped right into Season 2 with fervor.

In short, if you feel a bit detached in the first few episodes, keep going. Don’t make that decision until you’ve hit Episode 5. I know that’s a ways to go, but like many shows sometimes that’s how the development finally comes to completion. If you don’t like it then, I’d guess it’s not the show for you. But I have a feeling you’ll be in for a treat.

– John

We love Game of Thrones but are OBSESSED with Black Sails. Maybe it’s because it’s based on history, but this is the series we actually own and watch again and again. It’s a masterpiece: the glorious cinematography and production values, the acting talent, the intricate storytelling and strategy, the articulate and beautifully written dialogue, the ships and amazing battles, all the lush sets and costumes. For every viewing we even watch the entire opening credits for the gorgeous imagery and music by Bear McReary. Others have written that season 1 was slow, but we were hooked from the beginning – and each season is better than the one before.

– MicheleNYC

I enjoyed this show for the most part. Most of the acting was fairly decent, dialog and plot were good and the setting is fun and interesting. My only real issue with the show itself was that season 1 felt a bit too much like a soap opera most of the time. I have since watched season 2 and felt that it picked up a bit better and got rid of that feeling and have decided to watch for season 3 when it becomes available as well.

My reason for only a 3 star instead of a 4 star which I feel this show deserved however was for the packaging. It has to be about the worst package I’ve ever seen! The little foldout is completely cardboard, which is no big deal, most season sets usually are but they always contain the plastic layer for the disc to sit in. Not this one. This series has a very inconvenient pouch where the discs slide in at stupid angles, scratching the discs to pieces as you try and remove them or put them back. This should have been better thought out and done completely differently. I’m mad to have to pay nearly $30 for a set of DVDs only to have them damaged from the cases, on top of the usually already damaged discs included in DVD cases as it is.

-Jennifer Reid

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, Zach McGowan, Hannah New, Jessica Parker Kennedy
Format: Multiple Formats, Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 3
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
DVD Release Date: January 6, 2015
Run Time: 456 minutes