The first season of
Black Sails received mixed reviews from critics. On
Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a rating of 65%, based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 6.05/10. The site's consensus reads, "
Black Sails boasts visual appeal, but the show's bland characters aren't strong enough to keep the show from being dragged down into its murky depths of aimless exposition". On
Metacritic season one has a score of 58 of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Tim Goodman of
The Hollywood Reporter said, "This ambitious pirate story is helped immensely by going beyond the pay cable freedoms that often bog down lesser shows in boobs, blood and sex.
Black Sails steers itself out of that realm after a few episodes and makes a play for bigger, more complicated stories". Robert Lloyd of the
Los Angeles Times said, "
Black Sails is a pirate treasure. The Starz series vividly depicts the daily life of pirates." Jeff Jensen of
Entertainment Weekly said, "Not even a guilty pleasure,
Black Sails is arrrrrr-estingly good". Tom Long of the
Detroit News commented "Alliances are made and broken, power shifts go this way and that, blood is spilled, and wenches keep wenching. It's oddly addictive, and the cast—made up mostly of British, Australian, and Canadian actors—is as sharp as you'd expect from pay cable". Conversely, Brian Lowry of
Variety said, "
Black Sails never quite takes off, developing into a tired treasure hunt with indifferent casting and stock characters. Counting Michael Bay among its producers, this South Africa–lensed production might tempt adventure-seeking viewers to plunge into its crystal-blue waters, but despite some handsome aspects, the show ultimately proves as hollow as its CGI-rendered ships". Emily St. James of
The A.V. Club said, "
Black Sails is a handsome illusion at times, but it rarely finds its way beyond that." The second season holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10.
Neil Genzlinger of
The New York Times said, "Starz knows the formula for these costume-heavy action dramas from experience with shows like
Spartacus and
Camelot. And that formula is executed with particular skill in
Black Sails, thanks to some strong performances and an exploration of the consequences of greed that could have come out of modern-day Wall Street". Season four holds an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "
Black Sails marks 'X' and hits the spot during a swashbuckling final season that maintains the series' penchant for rum-soaked spectacle while gracefully delivering these roguish characters to their destinies."
Accolades ==References==