Well, well, well, the ship has sailed on this show and by that I mean we're at the finale. Finally. It's been a long haul with some high points... and some low ones. Nevertheless, Pirate Master has come to an end. Even though I knew this was the last show, it didn't alleviate any sense of impatience I felt with the episode. It was never-ending. Maybe it was the first challenge between Christa, Ben and Jay to determine who would participate in the finale challenge for Captain Steele's treasure. That was long enough, but the second one went on forever. Especially since Cameron repeated at least three times the players on each crew. Yeah, I heard that the first time. Black crew: Ben, Cheryl, Azmyth, Jupiter. Red crew: Christa, John, Jay, Nessa. Yes my friends, Ben won his first term as captain and $50K in that initial challenge, automatically making Christa and Jay receive the black spots. The "ghosts" all came back to vote in this last Pirates Court. Long-story-short, all the ghosts h...
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It is not a wise move to sail the seas in a clueless haze. It is even worse to sail knowing you are in treacherous waters and doing nothing about it. Captain Christa is sailing in such a sea.The statuesque Sweetbeard has made her bed and Jay will soon be kicking her out of it. As captain, Christa has avoided making the tough decisions by relying on democratic input from the crew, but this week she faced a situation where she had to make the difficult call on her own and as a pirate, she failed. Tears and feelings have no place aboard a pirate ship. So when Christa learned that Jay had been plotting against her, she should not have been reduced to tears nor commenced worrying about the fate of Jay’s children should he receive a black spot and be cut adrift. Doesn’t she have a child of her own that she’s playing for? Issue Jay a black spot and be done with it. But no, Christa chose instead to risk the future of her more trustworthy, though just as sneaky, cohort Ben and...
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Love 'em. Hate 'em. It’s a fine line and one especially hard to toe on this pirate reality show. On the one hand, the players are supposed to be pirates who commit dastardly deeds in the pursuit of their own desires. On the other hand, they’re contestants on a game show, and as a viewer you want the best one to win. But "best" in this scenario doesn’t always translate to the nice guy, the honorable player, the person you could see yourself hanging out with if you knew him or her in real life. What makes a pirate good is their ability to put themselves first at all costs in order to stay on top and take home the most booty. These are not necessarily the traits you look for in a best friend. But in Pirate, now you’re talking. And on Pirate Master you’re specifically talking about Jay.Jay puts the "smarm" in smarmy. He solidifies the stereotype of used-car salesman. He has slithered through this game like that serpent from a certain garden. Watching him on this...
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I watched Episode 10 of Pirate Master online at my desk today, making the random note: Nessa, Kendra, Louie = weak team; Jay Christa Ben — New “triad”; Jay = snake. Stuff like that. I had to laugh at myself though, because there I was taking notes to blog a show that was no longer on the air. Why exactly was I doing this? I still don’t know. I blame it on an odd quirk of mine — that strange compulsion I have to finish something that I’ve started. So, here I am discussing that Titanic of reality shows (probably with myself). This is the task I have set before myself. Here I go.I bet that if this episode had aired, a lot of folks would have really enjoyed tonight’s show. The challenge was great. It was grueling. I don’t know if they are getting longer as the show progresses or if they just seem that way now that there are fewer players. Regardless, the challenge was great. People actually had to use some smarts to figure out the "bottle in the p...
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CBS ought to send every viewer who caught this most recent episode of Pirate Master a gold coin. After canceling this ratings disappointment, those who did follow this show now have to log on to CBS.com to catch streaming video of the remaining few new episodes. Given what could have happened — being forever left to wonder at the outcome like, say, fans of Invasion, Reunion, or Threshold — we few fans should be grateful that we can at least see the full run of the show. Watching this episode, however, I kept asking myself why? Why pull the show now when this episode involved so many tweaks to the game that it is now at its most interesting? Why do they ever let Louie do the puzzles? Why did Christa bid for the royal pardon?First off, the changes: Ben and Jay have been stripped of their officer statuses, courtesy of the host. (Coincidence that this move comes right after the ghost pirate debacle?) Now these former officers are both eligible for a black mark, but they can no...
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Grrr! Ahhhh! Ughh! That’s me trying to find a word to express the frustration I felt after tonight’s show. I was comforted, however, by the fact that our dear Pirate Master host, Cameron Daddo, was feeling much the same way — or was that merely annoyance that I heard in his voice? I can’t blame the guy, who I’m sure thought he was going to be the next Jeff Probst when he accepted this gig. (It’s Survivor on a boat — sounds like a no-brainer.) A reality show is only as good as the twists and turns it provides (and a great cast doesn’t hurt either). Tonight’s return of the “Ghost Pirates” — players who had been cut adrift — should have been great. It should have turned this show on its head. That is what it was designed to do. A win by the ghost crew would have earned them $50K, unseated a long-standing captain and given them the power to dole out black spots. Instead this twist fizzled. Why? Because as Daddo said, “...
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It’s with a heavy heart that I lift my pen to write this recap. Joe Don has been set adrift, leaving Louie and Nessa behind at Pirates Court. The Triad is still in power and captain Azmyth grows more conniving with each passing day. Of course, this all makes for an entertaining episode that leaves you anticipating next week’s show wondering: With Azmyth’s biggest threat gone, who will he campaign against?But first I have some questions because there are some things that I do not understand on this show. Why did the crew keep Louie, and more importantly, why did they cut their strongest teammate, Joe Don, loose? Why don’t the crew members on the black crew throw their challenges to oust their leader? Does Azmyth come up with a list of chores on his own or is Cameron feeding him ideas. I mean, really, checking the hull for barnacles? Yes, of course, it’s a legitimate concern, but did you see any? Me neither. Here’s another question: Why did the producers ...
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What is it about those in power that makes you want to root against them? It must be their corruptible nature. Reigning captain, Azmyth, held on to his hat after the black crew won this week’s grueling challenge. This time, however, when divvying up the $40K prize, he and his officers preferred ye old 60/40 booty split over the share-and-share-alike split that had kept Az in power. Between that and the intermittent accent, as well as the self-referential use of "Triad," I’m ready for a change of power. As is Laurel, who catapulted herself to the rank of favorite in my standings by calling Azmyth a “superfreak in a blue coat.” My second favorite is JD, who is clearly in the underdog position yet consistently keeps the show interesting with his maneuvers to stay in the game. Whether he’s ponying up $12K to buy an unnecessary pardon or making out with Nessa, JD is the perfect foil to Captain Azmyth. And let’s face it, if JD hadn’t played so hard in th...
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What can I say about tonight’s show? Ah, yes, the eye candy is gone. Not only has Sean been cut loose, but a powerful triumvirate has emerged in two-time captain Azmyth, the conniving Jay and the seemingly innocent Ben. Waves are being made on this show and I’m wondering what next week will bring. Before leaping ahead, let’s address the time issue on this show. Just how long do they have between challenges? Jay mentioned at least twice that Sean had gone back on his word “two weeks ago.” Weeks, not days? That makes me wonder how much of the footage we’re not seeing. And if indeed weeks are going by, shouldn’t we be seeing some changes in the crew like longer hair, skinnier waists, fuller beards? Maybe I’m not noticing these things because that Nessa is just so darn cute. See? Her flirting is a valid strategy! I jest. She’s grating. Nessa worked that pardon, though, even if she eventually did not need it. The vote came down to Sean and for...
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What is it about Louie that just makes me grit my teeth? I get that he's supposed to be the lovable one. He's the happily gruff pirate with an everyman appeal. I get it. I do. Yet his appeal is lost on me. Is it that Louie's a blatant reminder of the charmingly natural Rupert from Survivor: Panama who falls somewhat short? Or is it that Louie's received an inordinate amount of screen time — time filled with his vows to get Joe Don, to mutiny and to share the wealth? Maybe it's just that Louie, while full of vim and vigor, regrettably just doesn't deliver. Because of that, another week on the Picton Castle sails by and I feel like I’m still in port.One good thing for this viewer is that while most things were different this week, some things stayed the same. New twist: the royal pardon, which pirates can bid upon to nullify a black mark. New challenge winner: Yes, the red team finally won (though it's not like we care since the team changes weekly). New Captain: Louie. And ...
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