Here’s the problem with getting your hopes up: They can be dashed so easily.
NBC’s “Crossbones” series drew me in with the prospect of John Malkovich as Blackbeard, and while he does indeed dig into the pirate role with relish, it’s not enough to save the show. The period yarn begins with great verve Friday night, but stumbles over narrative gymnastics to keep key players plotting against each other in subsequent episodes.
Blackbeard must die, we keep hearing, but if he really did, the show would be over at that moment. That might work in the movies, but not for serial entertainment.