This week the pirate drama Black Sails is finally on Netflix, marking the first time this Emmy-winning series has ever been available on the streaming platform. Similar to the recent to Netflix hit Killing Eve, Black Sails ran for four seasons, albeit on Starz instead of AMC, from 2014 to 2017, where it carved out a passionate fanbase thanks to its stellar production values, ensemble cast of brilliant actors, and smartly crafted story. Now, it's finally widely available! But is it something you'd want your kids watching?
Black Sails is one-half historical drama set during the Golden Age of Piracy, and one-half a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. It takes fictional characters like Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and Long John Silver (Luke Arnold) and imagines what this period of bloody pirate history might have looked like if they actually sailed the seas alongside real-life buccaneers like Charles Vane (Zach McGowan), Anne Bonny (Clara Paget), Calico Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz), and Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson). All of these pirates congregate around the island of Nassau, which they've managed to seize hold of from the English in order to build their own stronghold in the Caribbean. The result is a masterful series, and I'd be lying to you if I didn't admit that I have a deep and abiding love for Black Sails.
However, even though Treasure Island is a story that can be enjoyed by kids of any age, Black Sails originally aired on the premium cable network Starz, home of shows like Spartacus and Outlander. It's very much in that same tradition of gritty, adult-oriented television. Even for seasoned adult viewers, there are scenes that can be difficult to watch.
Now let's get into specifics about the content you can expect in Black Sails.
Black Sails Parents Guide: Explaining the TV-MA Age Rating
Black Sails is rated TV-MA for "gore, language, nudity, sex, smoking, violence," and having watched this show through multiple times... Yeah, that sounds about right. Each of those rating elements features early and often in the series, so go into this knowing that there will be lots of gore, substances, and sex on screen.
Sex & Nudity: There's plenty of nudity and sex in Black Sails. The series takes us to the historical city of Nassau during the 18th Century, and it doesn't pull any punches depicting things like brothels or how prostitutes extract information from their clients. These elements are often pretty integral to the plot as well, so not only are people getting it on in Black Sails regularly, but those scenes are often graphic and crucial enough that you'll miss important plot details if you look away. They may be pirates, but the sex and nudity aren't just there for titillation! This category also needs an extra trigger warning, because Black Sails does feature some scenes of sexual violence and rape, especially in its first season.
Violence & Gore: Yup, Black Sails has it. A lot of it. I've got a pretty strong stomach when it comes to gore and violence on television, but there are still a few moments in Black Sails that are difficult to watch. It's on a comparable level with Game of Thrones or Outlander in that department, with lots of bloody deaths, beheadings, hangings, amputations, and far too many other varieties of mutilation to list them all. This is a brutal show, full stop. Are you familiar with the idea of a keelhaul? Well, you will be by the time you finish Black Sails.
Language: This show is about pirates who are forced to carve their own bloody place on the map after their very existence was outlawed by society. It should come as no surprise that they swear often and inventively.
Drinking & Drugs: Again, pirates. Drinking and smoking happen in pretty much every episode of this series, and it does have a few plotlines that revolve around characters struggling with addictions as they go through difficult times. It is a historical drama though, so the trappings of these things are accurate to the time period — for example, opium plays a role in the show. Can substance abuse also be educational? You decide!
Overall Verdict: What Age Is Black Sails Appropriate For?
Look, I'm not going to mince words here: Black Sails absolutely deserves its TV-MA rating and is really not for children. I'd also have a hard time recommending it for young teens under the age of 16 or so. Obviously, you know your teenager best when it comes to what adult content you're willing to let them see but keep in mind that this series was made on a premium cable network with all the violence, sex, and other graphic content that entails.
A good rule of thumb is that if your teen is old enough that you'd watch Game of Thrones with them, they're probably old enough to handle Black Sails as well. Just be prepared to have some conversations, because there's a lot of material throughout the series that can be difficult for viewers of any age.