review of Black Sails 3.2 

The third season of Black Sails continues in its second episode to be the most rip-roaring of the series so far - at least insofar as pirate versus the elements, in the form of the "ship killing" storm that Flint chooses to sail into, rather than enter into a losing battle with Hornigold or accept his pardon, which would amount to the same thing.

Flint and his crew\'s battle against the sea is outstanding - full cinematic in power - and a sight to behold and enjoy on this safe side of the screen.   Not only Flint, but Billy and Silver have strong and defining moments - Silver in particular, who continues his role as unwilling but ubiquitous witness to the death and heartbreak and irony that this life can dish out.  Actually, Billy\'s moment is just as crucial, being obliged once again to see that Flint knows what he\'s doing, or at least is the best person around to see what needs to be done to survive, when all the options are so close to destruction.

Meanwhile, we get a good shot of Eleanor in this episode, who looks a little older and certainly a little wiser, though she was pretty shrewd before.  But in place of the touch of deceptive sweetness we saw in previous seasons, we get a whiff of almost weary wisdom, and that actually works better in the story.

From Eleanor we learn how Teach aka Blackbeard fits into this narrative, and his relationship with Vane portends an even more unpredictable future than usual for Vane and Eleanor.   She understands the major players better than does anyone, but will this be enough to get her what she wants - back to being Queen of Thieves on the island?

Not likely, because no one gets what they want in this world, but nor do they quite lose everything either, and sometimes they win enough, which is what makes

And see also Black Sails 2.1: Good Combo, Back Story, New Blood ... Black Sails 2.2: A Fine Lesson in Captaining ... Black Sails 2.3: "I Angered Charles Vane" ... Black Sails 2.4: "Fire!" ... Black Sails 2.5: Twist! ... Black Sails 2.6: Weighty Alternatives, and the Medium is the Message on the High Seas ...Black Sails 2.7: The Governor\'s Daughter and the Gold ... Black Sails 2.9: The Unlikely Hero ... Black Sails Season 2 Finale: Satisfying Literate and Vulgar

And see also Black Sails: Literate and Raunchy Piracy ... Black Sails 1.3: John Milton and Marcus Aurelius ... Black Sails 1.4: The Masts of Wall Street ...Black Sails 1.6: Rising Up ... Black Sails 1.7: Fictions and History ... Black Sails 1.8: Money

w/stories about Orson Welles, John Lennon, David Bowie

The Chronology Protection Case movie, with new extended ending

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The Plot to Save Socrates on 10 Perfect Summer Reads Authored by NYU Alums

my Internet Science Fiction Data Base bibliography

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Sopranos Conference at Fordham Universty, May 22-25, 2008

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Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City.  His 8 nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003),  Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009, 2nd edition 2012), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into 12 languages. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, ebook 2012), Borrowed Tides (2001), TheConsciousness Plague (2002, 2013), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To SaveSocrates (2006, ebook 2012), and Unburning Alexandria (2013).  His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards.  Paul Levinson appears on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News,"  “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS),  “Nightline” (ABC), NPR, and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2009 (CD) and 2010 (remastered vinyl). He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

Chronicle of Higher Education puts Paul Levinson in Top 10 (#7) of Academic "High Flyers" on Twitter ... Online University Data puts PL in "Top 50 Online University Professors on Twitter Worth Following"...

Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy of The Plot to Save Socrates for seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren\'s fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchidren. Thanks! Tom

President, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 1998-2001

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Downton Abbey 6.4: Sneak Preview Review

Downton Abbey 6.3: Sneak Preview Review

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Colony 1.1: Alien Occupation with Potential

Downton Abbey 6.2: Sneak Preview Review

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John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert on AMC: My New Y...

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100 rare + unreleased tracks were on sale April 18-21, 2011. All proceeds went to help Japan! Thanks for your generosity! Tracks included Tori Amos, Sara Bareilles, Josh Ritter ... and Paul Levinson singing "Sunshine\'s Mine"!

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Paul Levinson appears on "The O\'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News," "Nightline" (ABC), the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" (PBS), "The Dylan Ratigan Show" (MSNBC) and frequently on NPR and all-news radio...