The Buccaneers Review: AppleTV+ is all set to come out with a retelling of Edith Wharton’s last (unfinished) novel of the same name, which coincides with the ending in the BBC miniseries written by Maggie Wadey, instead of the ending of Marion Mainwaring’s 1993 complete version. The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 50 minutes.
The latest British period drama series is written by Katherine Jakeways, directed by Susanna White and stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, Mia Threapleton, Christina Hendricks, Josh Dylan, Barney Fishwick, Guy Remmers, Matthew Broome and others. The theme music is composed by Aisling Brouwer and Anna Phoebe.
The Buccaneers Trailer
The Buccaneers Plot
Out to find husbands in England, 5 friends from America in 1870s London society face various obstacles, including culture clashes that set them apart from their English counterparts. What they find themselves in is a feminine fight for survival amongst those who wish to take away the light from their lives and a chance to find themselves in the vast sea of control and society’s need for women to be “seen not heard”.
In the midst of this is Nan, a young, free-spirited woman whose feelings get pulled in different directions when she finds herself attracted to the Duke and his best friend. With her friends each battling a difficult battle on their own, along with every other woman around her, will Nan find herself, her happiness and the person who makes her feel most like herself?
– The Buccaneers Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
The Buccaneers Review
Edith Wharton’s period drama focuses on five different American women who are, essentially, trying to find themselves after a lifetime of being told that their only worth is as a wife and as a mother. The series sort of feels like Bridgerton at first, with its formulated chemistry and opposite genders longing for each other oh-so-vehemently. However, it chooses to stray away from the maddening lust and the salacious drama that Shonda Rhimes’ world provides so well. Rhimes’ steamy show is a complete package of entertainment, although it doesn’t portray the “different” stories quite as well as we might like.
The Buccaneers, however, doesn’t hold on to the interest of the audience quite as well as its predecessor. If anything, it goes down more serious avenues of abuse, control and grief apart from the fluffy moments of romance and ravenous snogging. The longline of the series calls the match between America’s new rich and England’s old titles to be made in heaven – and I am not entirely sure whether being constantly pronounced less than and their worth being measured by their father’s riches is the idea of a romance that every person dreams of.
Either way, the storyline has its moments, and the characters are sometimes magnetic enough to reel you into their problems. Essentially, unlike Bridgerton, which was mostly salacious with feminist issues discussed briefly, The Buccaneers discusses a whole host of issues pertaining to women and the issues that they face as they are shown to be lesser than the men in their lives and all around them. Although the five friends are portrayed to be expressive, honest and open, it still showcases that life after marriage is more or less the same for women, whether they are on one side of the Atlantic or another.
I think the storyline has merits and gets into some interesting and important topics. Since it doesn’t go the salacious route, it does have time to give these topics some thought and allow discourse. Although these messy characters sometimes make it difficult to sympathise with them, when the credits roll and the series comes to an end, you do understand most of the characters’ points of view. This is to say that the characters are definitely flawed; Nan is sort of a hypocrite and very confused about most things, Conchita constantly craves attention which can get very old very fast, and Jinny is selfish through and through.
However, the characters are mostly written well enough for you to like them, regardless of their deplorable and “main girl” behaviour. I also think that The Buccaneers showcases the differences between the New and Old Worlds well, and the difference in class and culture between the two worlds is shown well. You do get the distinct feeling throughout that the British, in spite of mostly being in debt and marrying American women for their money, have a superiority complex and, on the other hand, the Americans, by their own volition, constantly think of themselves as inferior in some ways.
The differences are interesting to watch, especially when American women are thrust into the equation because, you know, it’s the worst of both worlds!
Although I have not read the novel, some light readings have given me an inkling that the Apple TV+ series is somewhat different from the raw material it is based on. And I think I like the series’ interpretation of the girls’ lives is a bit better, although poor Lizzie gets the short end of the stick, never to be heard of again afterwards. The gay angle is also a patent in today’s stories, whether or not it is necessary for the plot – but at least the young Mabel gets an arc and a backstory that makes us understand her and she isn’t the token gay woman whose only role is to make out with another woman.
That being said, I am eternally thankful that the end is somewhat of a realistic affair instead of what we saw in the BBC show. It showcases the importance of family and how far they will go to keep their loved ones safe. I, surprisingly, enjoyed how it went, although the silly little cliffhanger was rather unnecessary and a nod a maybe another (unnecessary) season. Another thing I sort of liked was showcasing men being at the receiving end of sexual abuse and acknowledging it. However, it’s disappointing that we don’t see it discussed enough, and eventually, the characters just… disappear into the background.
That being said, at 8 episodes, The Buccaneers is a bit too long. There are extended moments wherein we are left watching the same thing over and over again but in different ways. Nan’s feelings, albeit valid, are really exhausting to keep up with, and most of the time, she herself doesn’t know what is happening. Conchita is equally exhausting, and if it weren’t for the actors doing a good job with their roles, it would’ve been absolutely annoying to watch it all go down.
The Buccaneers Review: Final Thoughts
This Bridgerton-esq (but not really) show discusses some important issues with its drama turned down and doesn’t go the more salacious route with its period story about 5 women fighting for a chance to happiness. It’s an entertaining watch, but the important issues, although discussed, find themselves a bit lost with the annoying characters who are mostly too selfish to back up. If it comes to a fight to the death between this one and Netflix’s hit series, I feel like a lot of people will go for the latter, if only because of how hot and heavy it becomes!
The Buccaneers will stream on Apple TV+ from November 08, 2023.