Black Sails is back with its second season and the power struggle has shifted. Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy) has formed an uneasy alliance with Anne Bonney (Clara Paget) and Rackham (Toby Schmitz), one that includes one very steamy scene. The big threesome, however, is clearly about power, not sex. Vane (Zach McGowan) has control of the fort, but Flint (Toby Stephens) isn't having any of it. Partnerships are shifting and Eleanor (Hannah New) is losing control of Nassau.

I got a chance to visit the set of Black Sails in Cape Town, South Africa and chat with the cast. We saw fully built pirates ships, the entire pirate village in Nassau and and the interior of the fort. The cast told us that during the shoot, a South African cobra decided to watch a little filming in there as well.

During my video interview with Zach McGowan and Jessica Parker Kennedy we talked about the changes to their characters this season, their love for Eleanor and how physically difficult the show is to shoot. Over the next few weeks, we'll have additional exclusive video interviews with the cast of Black Sails, and even more when Season 3 begins in early 2016.

Here's the video interview followed by a time index to give you an overview of the conversation.

Zach McGowan and Jessica Parker Kennedy:

  • :26 -- Zach and Jessica talk about the big changes in their character in Season 2, including Max and her alliance with Rackham and Bonney.
  • 1:50 -- Zach talks about Vane's feelings on the freedom of Nassau.
  • 3:45 -- A discussion about whether or not Vane and Max really love Eleanor and whether you can have love with an imbalance of power.
  • 6:07 -- Zach talks about how he manages to get secrets out of the producers.
  • 8:08 -- Jessica tells us about creating a backstory and how the producers surprised her by changing it.
  • 10:55 -- Zach discusses the physical demands of the role, from the stunts to the costumes to the heat in South Africa.
  • 12:09 -- Jessica talks about wanting to do some Buffy-style scenes, and discusses Max and her violent nature
  • 14:04 -- Jessica talks about how discovering how Max really feels about Bonney.

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