Part 1 of the seminal pirate novel's surprise revival is upon us (with Ridley Scott’s adaptation starring Hugh Jackman slated for next year). The new Treasure Island limited series from MGM+ and Paramount+ makes drastic departures from the source material and some cringe-worthy craft choices, but is also too fascinating to turn away from.
Jim Hawkins (Tom Sweet) and his mother Bess (Hayley Atwell) are scraping by running the Admiral Benbow Inn, earning extra money through wagers hinging on Jim’s photographic memory. They are both captivated when suave shipwrecked pirate Billy Bones (Tomer Capone) washes up on their shore and confesses to them that he holds the map to Captain Francisco Flint’s (César Martel) treasure.
Shortly, the infamous Long John Silver (David Oyelowo) shows up at the inn, leading to a violent altercation and the Hawkinses fleeing, with Jim committing the map to memory before his mother burns it. So yes, when they secure passage on a ship to Jamaica and Silver maneuvers his way into being the cook, they are aware from the start what he is after.
Treasure Island’s reimagined character dynamics are enthralling
Despite excellent production quality, this series is extremely goofy at times. Simple acts are dramatically framed, there are a lot of romanticized pirate tropes, and a more restrained score could have done wonders. But the interpersonal drama shines, making for a genuinely intriguing story. Primarily, the divide between Bess and Jim is immediately apparent, as Jim is still just figuring out what he wants to be in life.
Free-wheeling Bess will take a risk or two to get her son the affluent future she wants for him. Moreover, her longing for a bit of passion and luxury for herself adds another shade to the familial conflict. Once they are in the beautiful pressure cooker situation aboard the Hispaniola, mother and son clash further over the best route to the treasure. Jim is drawn to Silver, while Bess tries to manipulate British merchant Aaron Graham (Jack Huston).
Atwell, Oyelowo, and Capone are all playing characters with a capital C. But Atwell and Oyelowo obviously know what they are doing, and are expressive enough for Bess and Silver’s emotional arcs to be compelling. Sweet is stiff but serviceable as Jim; his chess matches with other characters are generally interesting enough to make up for his acting.
These changes tease out themes of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel — the departure from a mother’s care and influence, competing father figures, allying with someone morally ambiguous, and thinking independently under pressure as one comes of age — enhancing them with new angles. This Treasure Island is kitschy, but worth it for this reason.
Treasure Island kneecaps itself with plot twists and set dressing
Treasure Island wants to catch us off guard, but at least one plot twist deprives the remaining episodes of the pieces the series needs to reach its full potential. It is ultimately still Jim Hawkins’s story, but he is undoubtedly the weak link, most compelling when he is caught between more interesting characters.
The writers also seemingly wanted to imbue this series with more relevance by alluding to 18th-century revolts against the European powers. While concerns about how a box of treasure could affect a burgeoning revolution aren’t handled terribly, the Haitian Revolution amounts to a side quest for the main characters.
The limited use of this historical backdrop and the favoring of some characters over others is where Treasure Island gets its wires crossed with what exactly it is trying to do. It is deeply amusing that the showrunners substantially truncated the roles of Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and Captain Smollett, the least charismatic characters from the book.
The idea was for Jim’s internal conflict to be embodied by Silver, the original character of Aaron Graham, and the expanded role of his mother. But there is no clear meaning to it all beyond that everyone in the world is duplicitous and out for something. For a series that explicitly talks about imperial power, there is little notion of Jim being caught between nation and piracy — his loyalties are simply divided between people.
I said previously that Black Sails is the prequel you must watch before Treasure Island, because it is a masterpiece that entwines political and historical topics with Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary characters. But this Treasure Island admittedly had me on the edge of my seat for a good amount of its runtime, ridiculous pirate talk and all.
Treasure Island is streaming now on MGM+. New episodes premiere Sundays until its finale on November 15.
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