The Buccaneers Thrives With Conversations In Quiet Settings

While Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers enjoys its brash nature of loud and happily uncaring Americans in England, two of the show’s episodes, “Failed Betrayal” and “It’s Christmas,” reveal that this drama thrives when things quiet down, and the main characters are allowed to talk about their feelings seriously.

Lizzy’s talk with Guy portrays an unexpected brief connection as the duo sits down away from the chaos of the rest of the group. Their discussion, which is mainly led by Lizzy, invites Guy, and the audience, into Lizzy’s mental and emotional state as she continues to work through the trauma she faced from James.

Nan and Conchita’s discussion about love participates in growing the love triangle between Nan, Guy, and Theo. Their separate outlooks on love are encouraged by their vastly different circumstances. But it is also a stronger look at Nan and Conchita’s friendship and the support they have for each other.

The Buccaneers even offer some insight and development into Honoria and Jean. Having grown up in England, their perspective of etiquette and decorum is broadly dissimilar.

They do not raise their voices or freely laugh and play as the American girls do. Instead, they are quiet and passive. Honoria and Jean’s conversation highlights how they had grown up taught not to challenge men, only to enter the marriage market and watch the men they had been taught how to love go after American girls who challenge and argue with them.

It also perfectly mirrors Lizzy’s discussion with Guy, where she mentions how she and her friends had grown up being told to be small so they would be noticed.

While The Buccaneers does well in highlighting the joys of strong and unapologetic women stating clearly what they want, the quieter moments allow the series to revel in giving insight into who they are as people.

When taking away from the confusing time-bouncing dialogue choices and music that does not match the time period, The Buccaneers creates a stronger identity when it allows the chaos to be put on pause so that the characters can discuss and reflect on the events occurring in their lives.