Y’arr, our hearties, ‘tis that time of year once again, when the sun hangs high over the mizzenmast, and the Starz align to renew pirate drama Black Sails for another year. The network gave the Treasure Island prequel the go-ahead for a fourth season at the Television Critic Association meeting today, presumably on the strength of the show’s second, since the planned third season won’t air until January of next year.
Set long before young Jim Hawkins and his merry band of Muppets went sailing in search of pirate treasure, the show stars Toby Stephens—who recently lent his beard and glower to Michael Bay’s upcoming Benghazi movie, 13 Hours—as pirate captain Flint, the man whose treasure Long John Silver (Luke Arnold) schemed after in the book. Although nothing is known yet about the fourth season, we do know that the third will see an appearance by Ray Stevenson from Dexter and Rome, who’ll be joining the show’s hodgepodge of historical and fictional pirates as the fearsome Edward Teach—better known by his infamous nom de parrot, Blackbeard.