Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Pirate adventure has bloody violence, political intrigue.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Crossbones
What's the Story?
In NBC's hour-long drama CROSSBONES, dread pirate Captain Teach, aka Blackbeard (John Malkovich) has semi-retired from skulduggery and is attempting to transform a tropical island into his own personal rogue nation, complete with miscreants, prostitutes, and assorted castaways. But there's a spanner thrown into the works when one of his associates brings him the fabled Longitude Chronometer, an invention that will change the world by making it possible to calculate the Earth's longitude while they're on the water. Now everyone wants to get his (or her!) hands on the Chronometer and topple Teach's empire at the same time -- especially Tom Lowe (Richard Coyle), who's posing as the island's mild-mannered surgeon but is really an English spy, sent to keep the Chronometer out of the hands of pirates and murder Blackbeard while he's at it.
Is It Any Good?
Arrrr, matey, the pirate theme be overdone! But the makers of Crossbones manage to squeeze some juice out of it by laying heavy on the political intrigue -- no surprise, since one of the show's backers is fresh from The Tudors. There's a similar vibe at work here: sex and secrets, lush costume and set dressing, and duplicitous characters with complicated motivations. Since we're talking network TV here instead of cable, the sex isn't as sexy (though the blood is as bloody). John Malkovich makes a compelling central character, and writing in an English spy as his opposition lends a cool historical note to the proceedings. But did almost all the female characters have to be prostitutes?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why pirates are such an enduring theme in movies and television. What other movies or TV shows have you seen about pirates? How are they similar to Crossbones? How are they different?
Have you seen the actor playing Captain Teach/Blackbeard before? Has he played a hero, a villain, or a comic character? How does that affect how you view his performance in Crossbones?
Why do you suppose the creators of Crossbones decided to make most of the female characters prostitutes? What types of themes or images does this lead to? Why would these be appealing to television producers?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 30, 2014
- Cast : John Malkovich , Claire Foy , Richard Coyle , Yasmine Al Masri
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Adventures , Pirates
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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