Arr you ready to walk the plank into some sexy, swashbuckling pirate action? Well, then you’re about as lucky as a treasure chest full of gold coins, because all four seasons of Black Sails are now streaming on Netflix.

The historical adventure drama, which originally ran on Starz from 2014 to 2017, hails from creators Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine. Black Sails combines characters from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island with real historical figures and events to make an action-packed prequel to the classic 1883 adventure novel.

The pilot episode is directed by Neil Marshall, who also helmed Game of Thrones’ famous nautical battle episode “Blackwater,” which should give you some idea of what Black Sails is like. And action movie maestro Michael Bay (Transformers, Armageddon, 6 Underground) is one of the series’ executive producers, which should definitely give you a sense of its scale. It’s an ambitious show that attempts to portray the world of pirates with unusual depth and nuance.

If you’re a landlubber, here’s everything you need to know to get your sea legs about Black Sails. 

What happens in Black Sails? 

Black Sails is set on and around the Bahamian island of New Providence in the early 18th century, during an era known as “the Golden Age of Piracy.” Pirates are terrorizing the Caribbean and the North Atlantic, creating huge financial and image problems for the colonial rulers who conduct trade in the region. It’s a time of lawlessness and political instability, and the city of Nassau is a haven for pirates. 

Into this maelstrom steps John Silver (Luke Arnold), a crafty British merchant sailor who joins the crew of the pirate vessel The Walrus after they take over his ship. The Walrus is captained by Flint (Toby Stephens), a charismatic leader who aims to capture a ship whose bounty will make him the richest, most powerful pirate on the seas. He just needs a page from a captain’s log that will show him where he can find it — a page that happens to be in Silver’s possession. 

This quest leads to the development of a complex friendship between Silver and Flint that takes them through conflicts with the British navy, rival pirate crews, and the world at large as they try to defend their outlaw way of life from the encroaching march of civilization. It’s sort of like a Western on the high seas. 

Who’s in the Black Sails cast? 

• Toby Stephens (Lost in Space) as Flint, the fearsome captain of The Walrus
• Luke Arnold (Salvation) as Long John Silver, The Walrus’ clever cook 
• Hannah New (Bridgerton) as Eleanor Guthrie, a well-connected fence who controls the flow of pirated goods in and out of Nassau
• Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash) as Max, a sex worker who understands that knowledge is power
• Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) as Billy Bones, the first mate of The Walrus and an unusually ethical pirate
• Zach McGowan (Shameless) as Charles Vane, a scheming pirate and captain of the ship Ranger
• Toby Schmitz (Boy Swallows Universe) as “Calico Jack” Rackham, the eccentric quartermaster of the Ranger
• Clara Paget (Fast & Furious 6) as Anne Bonny, a ruthless pirate and member of the Ranger’s crew 

Is Black Sails based on a book? 

Yes and no. Some characters in Black Sails, such as Flint, John Silver, Billy Bones, and Ben Gunn (Chris Fisher), are from Treasure Island, the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson that in many ways created the popular image of pirates that still endures today. 

Treasure Island tells the story of Jim Hawkins, a boy who, after hearing a story about Captain Flint’s hidden treasure, becomes part of an expedition to find it. Along the way, he meets Long John Silver, who’s also after Flint’s treasure. Jim has to outwit the charming but duplicitous pirate to secure the booty.

The events of Black Sails take place about 20 years before Treasure Island, and therefore the two don’t directly connect much. Flint, arguably Black Sails’ main character, doesn’t actually appear in Treasure Island, though he’s discussed at length and his actions incite the plot. While there are nods to Treasure Island throughout Black Sails, the show’s creators operated on the principle of “the book is the book, and the show is the show.” There are some details from the book they treated as canon, but they did not strictly adhere to it — Black Sails has fictional characters interacting with historical figures.

There’s a Treasure Island prequel novel with no connection to Black Sails called Porto Bello Gold. It was written by A.D. Howden Smith and published in 1924 with the blessing of Robert Louis Stevenson’s estate. 

Are Black Sails characters based on real people? 

Again, yes and no. It features heavily fictionalized versions of real pirates, including Charles Vane, John “Calico Jack” Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Edward “Blackbeard” Teach (the late Ray Stevenson). The characters are based on historical accounts of the real-life people, but everything about their interior lives is created for the show, and most of the scenarios are invented. For example, there’s no evidence that Rackham ever owned and operated a brothel, as seen in Black Sails.

Where was Black Sails filmed? 

The action takes place in the Caribbean, but Black Sails was actually filmed thousands of miles away at Cape Town Film Studios in Cape Town, South Africa. Other productions that have filmed at Cape Town include Outlander, Warrior, and Mad Max: Fury Road. 

Where can I stream Black Sails?

Batten down the hatches and set sail with all four seasons right here.

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