Crossbones

I just watched the first episode and I didn't feel the need to go on. I don't care to know what will happen to Mr Lowe, Mr Blackbeard or the other characters of this hasty paced mess.

John Malkovich looks lazy, he just sits and glorifies himself. Richard Coyle on the contrary is hyperactive, trying to overshadow his real rival, Doctor Stephen Maturin, from Patrick O'Brian's 'Master and Commander'. The only pearl is the beautiful Claire Foy, to whom the authors reserved an intriguing role and some very good lines.

The other characters are taken from comic books of the 1930s.

Did you know that Longitude could kill pirates? Socks could harm too.

Opening with a healthy battle at sea makes a good start to any film about pirates, and 'Crossbones' plays it safe by delivering just that; ship cannons are fired, people get shot up close by muskets, throats get slit and heads get bashed in: welcome to the new NBC-show about one of the most famous – and notorious – pirates ever: Blackbeard.

Enter John Malkovich, the show's star, who delivers yet another great turn playing the outlaw legend. His portrayal of the character is rather original; instead of giving us a stereotypical, larger-than-life performance with a Keith Richards look, we get a coldly calculating older man, well spoken and with a nicely tamed - grey - beard.

Malkovich's portrayal might not even be so far off: according to Wikipedia, Blackbeard was not a tyrannical pirate and he commanded his vessels only with their crews' permission; apparently there is also no known account of him murdering prisoners and he preferred using his cleverly constructed fearsome image to induce terror over committing actual acts of violence.

But that is (probably) as far as historical accuracy will go in 'Crossbones', for this certainly isn't a history lesson (not that I complain), but solid entertainment with a historical background. So far, I'm satisfied with what I've seen. The cast – especially Richard Coyle, who plays the show's protagonist Tom Lowe – is very good, the plot evolves nicely and the set design looks real; fake looking CGI is – so far – mercifully absent. Judging from the first episode, my verdict is a solid (if not overly excited): "Yar!" – 7 stars out of 10.

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I was very sceptical about watching this show, especially after seeing the less than great score on IMDb, however I must say I really enjoyed it. It made a nice change to have a show without the now customary gratuitous sex scenes which seem now to be added for ratings and not for the plot.

It is an interesting take on the Blackbeard story and I would have like to have seen a second series as I feel the characters had more to offer. i too watched Black Sails and enjoyed it, but I would say I enjoyed this slightly more.

Definateley worth a watch

I like John Malkovich and he doesn't disappoint in this series...his first time doing television. The production quality is excellent and it is filmed on location. The storyline is interesting and intriguing. I will continue watching this series. It is on Hulu+ . I've read some negative reviews here and they mostly centered on the issue of historical accuracy and authenticity. This show is based on a historical figure but the storyline is fictional. As for authenticity, I am not an expert on pirates, nor do I watch or have I watched much in the pirate genre. Perhaps for me ignorance is bliss because this is not an issue for me. Or perhaps the other reviewers were nitpicking. This does not seem to be a huge issue to me at least. It seemed authentic enough for me. The production is high quality. If the story is unbelievable to some it is not to me. This show is highly entertaining and there are any twists and turns in the plot. John Malkovich's portrayal of Blackbeard leaves me hanging on his every word and action. Good show.

It took few episodes to get interested in the show. A pirate/period drama seemed so out of place in contemporary culture (British series are exempt). Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of TV and have only recently heard of 'Black Sails'.

'Crossbones' grew on me with the very solid acting - 10 stars for most of the leading cast - the writing was intelligent, with high ideals shining brightly through all that history (accurate or not). Richard Coyle and Claire Foy were outstanding. John Malkovich's performance was uneven and that was unfortunate as everyone's eyes were on him. It was a complex role and he could have done a lot with it.

Mid-way through the series, I looked up the reviews. I was curious whether it was building a following. While I didn't think it would (a pirate/period drama built around complex characters set in a peripheral episode in history), coming across an open dislike was unexpected. It seemed that the series was doomed right from the start. It's a shame. I came to enjoy the characters and look forward to the next episode. It was interesting and entertaining, with minor flaws.