I’m not sure what to say about “Antoinette.” It was a perfectly serviceable hour of television. It didn’t make any major stumbles, and didn’t improve drastically on what Crossbones already is. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, but it was a decent way to spend an hour.
“Antoinette” basically revolves around Blackbeard requiring Thomas’s help in stealing a map from the Spanish. He needs the map to find treasure, which he needs to pay off a pirate army, which he needs to attack the English at Jamaica, which I’m not sure why he’s doing that because he’s spent so much time trying to keep it secret that he’s still alive.
Also, where is Santa Campana? When he goes to meet with the mercenaries, the screen says they’re 200 miles southeast of the island, but Blackbeard is back by the end of the day. Also, Thomas, Nella, and Charlie are able to sail to Cuba in about a day’s time. So, somewhere in the Caribbean, obviously, but as close to or as far from anything as the plot requires.
Thomas also helps Kate’s husband James rehabilitate himself. He gives James water therapy, and advises him to get off the opium. More importantly, he breaks things off with Kate. I’m calling it now: James will die before the end of this season. If Crossbones wants to continue the Thomas-Kate affair – and it clearly does – it has to get rid of James in order to keep Thomas blameless. To that end, they’ll probably have Blackbeard kill him, the seeds of which were sown by Blackbeard showing up to get James back on his opium. Later, James begs Kate to remove it, but I think I see where this is going. But it was nice to see Blackbeard’s “bad guy” side, instead of him being something of an antihero.
It sounds like I’m being hard on this episode. Truthfully, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. Crossbones has its problems, but certain parts of the show – namely John Malkovich and Julian Sands as William Jagger – make it worth watching. It’s never going to be appointment television, but screw it, it’s good enough.
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