Seriously Geeky Sundays – Ahoy Matey!

Oh, crikey. Now you’ve done it.

You’ve essentially given me free rein to talk about pirates this week, which means a lot of Black Sails talk is incoming…

But anyway, let’s rewind it back a bit and discuss what this post is all about and, of course, where it came from. This post is part of the almighty Seriously Geeky Sundays, a weekly writing challenge in the form of six themed questions created by Just Geeking By’s Heather. She’s not only Glasgow’s greatest resident (well, one of, Pix of Shoot the Rookie does live there too) but also forges some mighty challenges.

Anyway, let’s get into the rum-sodden core of today’s challenge, shall we?

Yesterday was International Talk like a pirate day so, of course, this week is pirate themes. So it’s time to answer these questions or walk the plank!

Question 1 – What is Your Favourite Pirate Fandom?

Well, you’d never guess, but it’s Black Sails!

This four season-long epic is a mash of real life pirate figures, such as Charles Vane, Jack Rackham and Anne Bonnie, and the fictional swashbucklers of Robert Louie Stevenson’s Treasure Island, characters such as Captain Flint, John Silver and Billy Bones.

The story interweaves real events from the 18th century with a prequel of sorts to Stevenson’s tale. Action is focused around Nassau in the Bahamas, which was the unofficial headquarters of the Caribbean pirates, and mainly follows Flint, Captain of the Walrus, on his quest to track down and capture the Urca, a Spanish treasure galleon packed with good, old fashioned gold!

There’s love, betrayal, land battles, sea battles, racy scenes and, of course, one of the coolest soundtracks known to man or beast, using contemporary 18th century instruments!

Question 2 – Who Is Your Favourite Pirate Character?

Let’s stick with Black Sails and go with Captain James Flint of the Walrus.

In the first season, Flint comes across as a real merciless, rage fueled asshole, I admit I found him hard to get along with at first as he uncaringly led the crew of the Walrus to ruin against the massed guns of the Spanish galleon Urca.

Season two, however, not only explained Flint’s Royal Navy backstory but also made him a sympathetic character. It turns out that the not-so-good Captain was forced to flee England in disgrace, after it was discovered that he was was romantically involved with another man. Naturally, 18th century London wasn’t exactly welcoming of gay relationships and, unfortunately, he is informed of his partners death before, driven by anger and grief, he leaves Europe and heads over to the Caribbean to take up the pirate’s life, to get rich and cause as much damage to England’s interests over there as he can.

Flint’s arc is very well written (and acted by the excellent Toby Stephens) and to go from asshole to tragic hero is really a feat of character development.

Question 3 – Who Is Your Favourite Pirate Crew?

I always quite liked Captain Barbossa’s mad crew from Pirates of the Carribean, the undead, scary looking crew of The Black Pearl before that loser Jack Sparrow gets it back for the (mediocre to awful) sequels!

Question 4 – What Pirate Ship Would You Love to Sail On?

The Jackdaw from Assassin’s Creed 4 I reckon!

At its most upgraded it has super strong armour, tons of big old cannon and a huge ram to smash other ships to splinters with! There would be no better way to cruise around the Carribean sea, harassing Spaniards and the Royal Navy, smashing up forts with mortars and stopping off near tropical islands untouched by humanity for a a bit of rum around the campfire!

That’s the life!

Question 5 – Who Is the Best Pirate Swordsman?

I would probably have to say Westley, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride. He dresses like Zorro, tricks people into poisoning themselves, befriends Inigo Montoya and, of course fights the Rodents of Unusual Size and lives to tell the tale, all in his quest to save a princess from a rather unpleasant suitor!

Question 6 – Who Is the Best Pirate Sidekick?

Any parrot from a pirate IP!

Pretty Polly! Pieces of eight! Who’s a pretty boy then!?

Seriously though, parrots are amazing! Colourful, highly intelligent and capable of mimicking human voices? I’d replace mt crew with a gang of them.

We wouldn’t get much done, but it would be a laugh!

And there we have it, another trip across the high seas of my thoughts and opinions, let us heave to port and reach port at the end of the article! Before you step off, please make sure to visit the posts from other aazing writers under the #SeriouslyGeekySundays hashtag, they’re actually much better than me, far more guns, metaphorically speaking…

Anyway, hard to starboard, full broadside, and I’ll catch you next time!