Cliff Notes – This ‘hidden gem’ period drama took me by surprise – I’m now obsessed
- Unexpected Depth: The Buccaneers transcends typical period drama tropes, offering a nuanced exploration of women’s struggles and triumphs in the late 19th century.
- Character Development: The ensemble cast, including both women and men, is given significant room for growth, moving beyond clichéd romantic entanglements.
- Pacing Issues: While the show balances light-hearted and serious themes effectively, some storylines suffer from pacing inconsistencies, impacting character development and audience engagement.
This ‘hidden gem’ period drama took me by surprise – I’m now obsessed
I remember rolling my eyes when I first heard the premise for Apple TV Plus’s new period drama – The Buccaneers. Now, I’m up at midnight crying my eyes out as I binge my way through the new season.
The show is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Edith Wharton’s final unfinished novel of the same name.
Her repertoire chronicles the complex lives of those living in the upper class echelons in the US around the end of the 19th century. In the case of The Buccaneers, we follow a group of New York debutantes shipped off to London to find husbands.
This thoroughly contemporary adaptation, using a 21st century soundtrack and an ethos of female and LGBTQ+ empowerment throughout, was not originally my cup of tea.
I usually find modern takes on period dramas hit and miss, and although they can sometimes be groundbreaking (see Apple TV+’s Dickinson), other times the historical leniency can take you out of the story (say with Reign or even shows like mammoth hit Bridgerton).
So, I went into the first season expecting to dislike the merging of the US and UK aesthetic and perhaps cringe at the on-the-nose ways they try to bring it to the 21st century. I was quickly proven wrong.
The Buccaneers is an unexpected delight
Our main group of women – Conchita (Alisha Boe), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel (Josie Totah), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Nan (Kristine Froseth) – prove themselves a powerful ensemble cast with vivacious personalities.
Far from my initial impression of a shallow drama with trite love triangles, predictable affairs and stereotypical aristocracy, this only scratches the surface.
Don’t get me wrong, for people who love those soap operatic style storylines, there is still plenty to sink your teeth into, but the show also goes much deeper than that – as proven by season two.
Despite already being convinced by the show, the second season still managed to take me by surprise by never going where I expected it to.
Instead, the show flies off in a completely different, often more refreshing, direction.
The second proves this show is far from surface level
It’s clear in this second season that the show takes the responsibility of portraying both the joy and hardships that women faced in this period seriously.
The Buccaneers allows those moments of solidarity and the celebration of womanhood in all of its glory to shine while still giving the space and depth to explore the tougher aspects, always ending on a hopeful note.
We delve into everything from the consequences of domestic violence to the misogynistic judicial system to compulsory heterosexuality, and our heroines fight for a just world.
The leading men – such as Nan’s love interest Guy (Matthew Broome) and her husband Theo (Guy Remmers) – are also given room to breathe this season and grow as characters in their own right beyond the situationships they have been thrust into.
The men also get their moment in the sun
In many ways, love takes a backseat this season. The show ambitiously tries to balance its wide-ranging storylines in a fast-paced eight-episode series and doesn’t always succeed.
There were times when the pacing came across as confusing, either too abrupt or too slow.
We see this with Leighton Meester’s newly introduced character when she disappears for large chunks of time impacting her character development and the audience’s relationship with her.
Elsewhere, although I enjoyed most of the avenues the story explored, there were times when the story beat or dialogue felt rushed or out of nowhere – simply put there to advance the story forward.
For the most part,however, The Buccaneers gets the balance between light-hearted and serious just right, which makes for a delightful and gripping watch that could be just your cup of tea.
The Buccaneers season two will premiere on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 18 and air weekly until August 6.