sagestreet:

So, in case you didn’t believe me when I said there were dick jokes in the paintings, here comes further circumstantial evidence…

In Part 4 of my Black Sails art post series, I pointed out that the entire Admiralty scene in s2ep5 is beautifully choreographed so as to make sure the dialogue is perfectly in sync with all those naval paintings appearing in the frame.

Well, the Admiralty scene wasn’t the only scene that was composed and choreographed so meticulously: The same is true for “James’s homecoming scene” (after three months at sea) in the very same episode.

If s2ep5 is already your favourite episode because of the Big Reveal™, I’ve got a little surprise in store for you: s2ep5 is also a well-choreographed masterpiece.

Let’s start with a painting we haven’t discussed yet:

(x)

It’s Jacob Jordaens’ famous ‘Allegory of Fruitfulness’ from the Wallace Collection:

What’s important to keep in mind is that the whole “homecoming scene” mirrors the overall London storyline: Miranda is the one welcoming James into their home in the screenshot above. This reflects the fact that she was also the first one to welcome James into her bed or, rather, carriage. The above scene mirrors the fact that she was the one who was interested in James first, thus ‘opening the door’ for a future relationship between him and her husband. On the surface of the text, the above scene shows no more than a handshake, yet subtextually it is recapitulating what we already know: Miranda (not Thomas) welcomed James into their relationship first.

We will see that this entire “homecoming scene” is structured in such a way that it mirrors and summarizes the overall London narrative. The whole scene in that sitting room is the London storyline in a nutshell.

Keep reading

narramin:

flintsredhair:

narramin:

@flintsredhair I love your Admiral Hennessey portrayals so much. I read most of your fices in like 2 days (I swear I’ll comment!! just have a few more episodes to go!) and was so glad I’m not alone loving him.

I don’t know about the fandom, but I guess most people hate him? And I get it, truly, what he did was terrible, a personal betrayal over Alfred’s ‘simple’ evilness. 

But I think he faced a terrible choice, and he choose the one that did definitely discrace James – though not in public – and ruined his life, but ensured his staying alive. He could have tried to deny the charges – but chances that if there was any possibility of the Hamiltions and James not disapperaing quietly, Alfred would have gone public, which of course would have ended up with James hanged. So he choose the middle solution – great chance of James getting out of it alive, but with severing all ties to his former life in London. This is why Hennessey didn’t even warn him – if James had a moment to compose himself after the shock, if he felt like he got Hennessey on his side, he might have tried to resist somehow, and the Admiral just coudn’t dare to risk it. Yes, he got that decision out of his hand, but woudn’t a parent do anything to ensure his child’s survival?

Because to Hennessey, James was truly like a son, he pratcically raised him since he was, what, 9? He clearly loved him unconditionally, even though he knew James was different in a way. After the bar fight scene, when he remarks that there’s something darked and wilder in James’s nature, he doesn’t use a condeming tone – he accepts it as a part of James, something that can’t possibly be changed. He’s not happy about it, fears what it could drive James to do, but he talks to him with compession, love. It’s a warning, but not the threathening kind, it’s a paternal advice, pointing gently out a flaw, to warn James to watch out about it, to make his life easier. Easier by melting into the crowd, to hide this.

It can either be read as a methaphor for Hennessey knowing about James’s sexuality and accepting it, or not. But it’s clear that whether he knew about it or not, he did not condem him for being different before. It’s a 50-50 chance really, because on one hand, Hennessey knew him practically all his life, it’s possible that he relised it – and honestly, it’s not like there wasn’t any gay shit going on in the navy all the time, so it wasn’t a foregin concept. A lot of men together all the time? Come on. But on the other hand, James took interest in women too – it’s possible that he supressed his interest in men totally, maybe his first male lover was Thomas. I personally think that Hennessey probably didn’t know about it, but we’ll never know for sure, and I don’t think we have to.

It’s clear that Hennessey woudn’t have betrayed him and threw him out just for that. It’s possible that personally he did find homosexuality distasteful – different era, different morals, hell, hanging people publicly was OK!!! – but I don’t think he liked James non-existing impulse control either. It also wasn’t conventional, “normal”. But he dealt with it and accepted it. Loved James unconditionally. And that’s the important part. But honestly, it’s not like homosexuality is a new invention, and Hennessey struck me like a modern man, who has better things to do than care about who fucks whom in their free time. Especially if that one is his son, and exposing him means he’d end up on the gallows.

This story has clear victims – Miranda, Thomas and James, two forced into exile ans one driven to suicide. But I think there’s one more, Admiral Hennessey, a father forced to choose between tha happiness and the life of his child. 

All in all, I think there was at least one more person who felt dark satisfaction over hearing about Alfted Hamilton’s death.

ALL OF THIS SO MUCH OF THIS! This is such a beautiful summary of what I’ve been saying about Hennessey for months. I’d like to add one more thing, and then I’m going to shut up because this is perfect. 

Hennessey knew James was not straight and you’ll never convince me otherwise and here’s why. When James slips and says Thomas’ name, Hennessey gives him a look. That look says a lot. It says, “really, son?” It says, “oh shit.” It’s amused and pleased and concerned and disapproving all at the same time, and it tells me that Hennessey knew what was going on between James and Thomas and he was warning him that it was dangerous, because if anything went down he couldn’t protect James. He hears the element of fondness in James’ voice, and when James says that Hennessey might like Thomas – when he starts expounding on his virtues, Hennessey excuses himself, because he needs a moment to process, to think – maybe even to have a bit of a panic somewhere no one can hear him. He comes back to find James beating the shit out of someone – and issues him a warning that, as you noted, could very well function as a metaphor for something he could not say out loud in public under any circumstances.

FIN, and thank you so, so much for the rec!

Holy shit, I rewatched the secene – and you’re absolutely right, in retrospect, Henessey’s obiosuly like ‘Holy fucking shit, James, son, I can’t believe you asdfghsaff”. Wow. The funny thing is, that it was such a suprise, the affair, that I haven’t noticed these signs efore – it’s pretty good filmmaking! I even remember that I didn’t fully understand Hennessey’s reaction about the assigment, since later he didn’t seem to care about it very much, and it was before the affair acually started,but yeah, now it’s clear that it’s about something else entirely.

It’s really such an excellent moment, because as you said – this is before the affair with Thomas starts, and Hennessey knows where it’s headed, because he’s obviously seen what James is like when he’s head over heels for someone. It says a lot about the relationship they have with each other as family, really – James doesn’t even say anything, maybe has no intention of acting on his feelings, but he’s still very obviously completely gone on Thomas and, more than that, he wants Hennessey’s approval of Thomas. He’s trying, in a very roundabout non-obvious repressed-by-necessity way to tell the only parental figure he has that he’s in love and sound him out, and in a way he gets that approval or at least Hennessey’s vote of confidence in his judgment because you’ll notice that he doesn’t get pulled off the assignment, and it only adds to the disappointment and the horror later because he thought Hennessey understood and at least marginally approved.

parrotsinlondon:

It’s taking me a bit to get my meta thoughts all into one cohesive post. I mean that episode was… EVERYTHING.

Last night on earth and they chose to spend it together, confessing to one another.

Flint shared his last and most meaningful secret with Silver. And all he had to do at this point in their relationship was ask (I swooned, yes). And just like that, Silver, ravenous little thing he is, finally solved the mystery that is Flint. And now that he truly and fully sees Flint (which allowed him in some degree to truly and fully see himself as well), no power in the verse can stop him.

This episode brought us to the victorious culmination of Silver’s season long struggle to regain control.

Now that he’s finally back to rights, he appears to be under the impression he’s Flint 2.0 – the younger and improved model, free of the thing that he considers Flint’s past and future undoing – his passions. 

Silver sees more clearly than ever what love did to Flint and those close to him and he doesn’t want any part of it. Which is why he’s so certain he’ll be the one to “break the curse” and be the end of Flint.

Those who fell victim to the Captain’s “curse” so far were all good people (much better than Flint by any standard), who loved him above themselves.

But Silver? 

Well, not only is he definitely not good but he loves himself above anyone else (I’m sorry but I don’t think the sudden stroke of fancy that cost him his leg went down in his book as “altruism is great!” but rather the opposite. And the daily pain he will feel forever serves only to reinforce his sense of self-preservation and self-entitlement to whatever power comes his way). And after talking Flint off the ledge earlier in the season, its only a logical conclusion. A simple calculation of who needs whom more.

That being said, I sure as shit wasn’t expecting him to come out and actually say all that to Flint. The cheek of it! That boy is terribly needy. 

Telling him all about his new acquired skills, preening and with a twinkle in his eye. Knowing that Flint could do nothing but actually hope he had become the fearsome leader he was spinning himself to be, for both their sakes.

And Flint, poor thing, equal parts offended, excited and proud. Seemingly torn between praising him and challenging him. Talk about between “fuck you and I’d like to fuck you”.

Silver posed it both as a warning and a challenge. I think the fact it came in the wake of Flint finally laying himself completely bare for Silver gave credence to his theory and exposed how Flint can be vulnerable to him. (Kinda rude, really.)

I also feel like Silver was letting Flint know that he isn’t lost or scared any more. He has found his footing in the dark at last and doesn’t need his hand held any longer. And Flint should prepare for his hand not be held any more either, because being Flint’s keeper and going after what Silver wants (like I mentioned countless times before, Silver is nothing if not greedy – financially, emotionally and now power hungry) are likely to soon become incompatible.

There was pride and more than a little danger in Silver’s warning. But there was also an unbearable tenderness to it, I think. Darling, I know myself again and sooner rather than later my nature will overcome my regard (as it always does) and I will eat your heart. 

Like trying to keep a tiger as a pet.