While I prefer writing about books I do also come across some good TV. I just finished Black Sails and it was very good. I started watching this on Prime, but ended up finishing it on Starz, which we happened to have right now. 4 seasons x 10 episodes per season x about an hour an episode.
I’m going to use the same system I use for books for rating TV, plus a little extra. Engaging characters, good writing and interesting story/storylines drive the majority of the rating, but for TV there is also weight on the pace and the conclusion. When the series is over does the story actually wrap up? Did it take the right amount of time to get there? Where there filler episodes? Was the shark jumped?
Black Sails gets an 8. Good characters that swayed between likable and unlikable. Evolving story that hit a very satisfying bit of darkness at the start of season 3. Good enough writing and pretty good storytelling. Season 4 bogged down a little but was redeemed by a darn good final episode. Not as good as the last episode of Friday Night Lights, but FNL is a challenging standard against which to measure. Black Sails also concluded - there’s no more story. No sequals. No movie.
Back to books soon. I had one recently that should have been a did-not-finish but I foolishly stuck it out. Stay tuned.