CROSSBONES Season 1 Episode 1: ‘The Devil’s Dominion’ Recap
Episode Title: “The Devil’s Dominion”
Writers: Neil Cross and James V. Hart & Amanda Welles
Director: David Slade
Welcome to NBC’s new pirate series, “Crossbones!” The NBC Friday night genre series apparently aspire to be basic cable shows. “Crossbones” does feel a bit similar to “Black Sails” on STARZ, with less Michael Bay and more insanity.
The Chrono-MacGuffin
This is the Chronometer, a longitude device that’s so high tech for the 18th century that it’s practically steampunk. The “Crossbones” pilot spends a good deal of time building up the Chronometer as a game changer for both the pirates and the British. Everyone wants it, which is why the pirates attack the British trading vessel, the HMS Petrel.
Swashbuckling Doctor Crazy Eyes
You may not be familiar with Richard Coyle and his face is rarely seen in the “Crossbones” promo posters, but he is the defacto lead character of this show. Coyle plays Tom Lowe, a British surgeon who is kind of a secret agent badass on top of everything else. Lowe has been assigned to kill the infamous Blackbeard and to make sure that Blackbeard’s pirates never get the Chronometer.
Towards that end, Lowe fatally wounds the inventor of the Chronometer and he bargains for his life with the pirates by attempting to save his victim. Also along for the ride with Lowe is Mr. Fletch (Chris Perfetti), his medical assistant. But I’m just gonna call Fletch “Cabin Boy.”
Because Whitebeard Just Doesn’t Have The Same Ring To It
And here is Blackbeard himself, Edward Teach (John Malkovich). Or the Commodore, as he likes to be called. Malkovich is the big star of this show and Blackbeard gets the best of the scenery chewing moments as he threatens Lowe into saving the inventor. When that fails, Lowe manages to memorize the dead man’s encryption key and he offers to decrypt his journal in return for his life.
Blackbeard seems to have some admiration of Lowe’s intellect, even as he figures out that he can get to Lowe by threatening Cabin Boy’s life. Blackbeard is also haunted by blindingly painful headaches and visions that make him cover his mouth like a little girl.
Kate Is Enough
Fortunately, the island of Santa Campana has a few women in power. And Lowe attracts the attention of Kate Balfour (Claire Foy), a British fugitive who seems to be attracted to him despite her wheelchair bound husband, James (Peter Stebbings).
Kate is barely even angry when she catches Lowe sneaking around in her home to find a hidden vial of poison, but she believes he only came to retrieve a portrait of his dead wife. Of course, Lowe tells Cabin Boy that he has no wife, which frees him up to lust after Kate.
This Ain’t a Cable Show
Did I mention that Kate has a hobby of skinny dipping on the beach? The blurred pic above is NBC’s way around of actually depicting the nudity. Regardless, Lowe clearly likes what he sees and he even joins Kate for a swim before the end of the episode.
The Evil Woman
Blackbeard has a love interest of his own in the form of Selima El Sharad (Yasmine Al Masri). Selima is smart enough to decode the chronometer code herself and ruthless enough to torture Lowe to make him give up his secrets faster.
But more tellingly, Selima appears to be working with the Spanish behind Blackbeard’s back and she’s not that upset when she finds that Lowe has managed to poison Blackbeard. As Blackbeard says later, she was content to avenge him rather than save him.
Put a Pin on It
After poisoning Blackbeard, Lowe and Cabin Boy were just on their way off the island when they spot Selima’s pirates meeting with the Spanish Viceroy. Concerned about what this will mean for his beloved country, Lowe decides that he has to save Blackbeard’s life even though he has to fight his way back to him.
Selima even shoots Lowe, but the good doctor manages to administer the antidote and win Blackbeard’s favor… for now. Blackbeard is dismayed that Selima and his most loyal pirates didn’t try very hard to save him, but he doesn’t know if he can trust Lowe.
That’s where the pilot episode of “Crossbones” leaves us. Which means that it’s time for you to let us know what you think of the show in the comment section below!
