The Buccaneers is a show that premiered on Apple TV+ back in 2023. Created by Katherine Jakeways, the show stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Matthew Broome, Josh Dylan, Barney Fishwick, Aubri Ibrag, Guy Remmers, Mia Threapleton, Josie Totah, Imogen Waterhouse, and Christina Hendricks. The first season follows a group of fun-loving young American girls in 1870s London, kicking off an Anglo-American culture clash. Now the Buccaneers are no longer the invaders – England is their home. In fact, they’re practically running the place.

Anyone who knows me that I watch anything and everything. The same can be applied towards Apple TV+. I just never got around to this show between other things on my watchlist and this type of genre just not being one that strongly appealed to me. Since Apple TV+ was nice enough to grant me early access to the second season, I decided to check it out from the beginning to see what this is all about.

Much like Netflix’s Bridgerton, I do believe this is Apple’s response to that. If you were a fan of that show, I can easily see this show appealing to you. The show has a clear demographic that I even felt like I didn’t personally feel like I fit into. However, I’d strongly encourage everyone to check this show out. Apple puts a lot of production value into their shows, this one included.

The first season is a slow burn, character study that takes its time developing the story and its characters. In some respects, the structure reminded me a lot of Game of Thrones based on the way it just throws you into the story and the way it skips over time. The show is adapted from an unfinished novel, and you can tell where the people behind this show are putting a lot of work into giving this story more depth.

If the story isn’t enough for you, the production & costume design will surely impress you. The show brings a lot of authenticity to its time period. The cinematography also does a great job at making the locations feel real even when they are shot on a sound stage. The work they put into making this as realistic as possible shouldn’t go unnoticed. By doing so, the show is able to authentically these character’s stories that feel timely and thematic. Production & costume design are underrated components that often get overlooked. Those who helped bring everything to life should be proud of what they have done here.

By creating an authentic & realistic environment, the talent flourishes in their performances. Christina Hendricks was the most popular actress here that I knew of from her work on Mad Men, but her character takes a back seat compared to the main characters that steal the spotlight. The chemistry the characters have all work, making you believe their relationships, as well as their flaws. Kristine Froseth is a star in the making with her lead performance. I did recognize Mia Threapleton from her performance in The Phoenician Scheme. She’s also going places as much as the rest of the cast shows here.

With 8 episodes, the first season creates a lot of groundwork required to help us care about these characters and what happens to them in the end. As I am writing this, I have already seen the second season, and I can say with full confidence that the writing presented here helps establish a world that will help this season carry on for multiple seasons. If cancelled for some reason, I can’t say it will go over well with the fans. It should deserve the same fate the unfinished book had.

As mentioned briefly before, this can be a slow burn and that’s my only real complaint. Slow burns can be good, but for a TV show, I could feel the pacing at times. It makes more sense to live with this world on a weekly basis over binging it. It can feel like not much is happening at times. I can assure you that with what we get from the second season, they are just setting the groundwork. My full review on the entire second season will be released this Thursday at 3 AM EST.

Overall, the first season of The Buccaneers sets the groundwork for what will surely continue to be a big show for the streamer. It’s Game of Thrones meets Bridgerton. The world the show creates brings plenty of authenticity that knows how to keep their viewers invested.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)