(Contains spoilers)
I was looking forward to the finale, even though the series as a whole has been a bit uneven, but I ended up feeling more than a little disappointed. I had the impression that the writers were leading up to a much darker ending, right up to when Silver is holding a gun on Flint, then chickened out and decided on a feelgood ending instead. Basically, almost everyone has a happy ending (the exceptions being Billy Bones and Rogers and even they get off pretty lightly). Flint is reunited with Thomas (who just happens to have been alive all along - yeah, right), Max gets to rule Nassau, Jack and Ann have their own ship (and a new flag) and it would appear that Madi forgives Silver for saving herself from herself. Even Fetherston becomes Governor (officially) of Nassau - I mean, really? You're left with the impression that everything in Nassau is hunky dory now for the pirates now that Flint's obsession with having a war has been deflected (but in the nicest way possible for him, of course). In reality, of course, the age of piracy had run its course, Rackham is due to be hanged within the next couple of years and Rogers will return as Governor.
So what ending should it have had? Something that reflected the fact that the pirates had had their day. Silver kills Flint because nothing else will stop the war, but loses Madi over it (because her people's freedom is more important than him - Flint actually means more to her than Silver by now), so Silver loses everything (as Flint predicted) and becomes the embittered character we see in Treasure Island (which he isn't at the end of the series). Much more dramatic (if darker), but much more reflecting actual history as well. Essentially, the pirates were doomed characters all along, but the ending we've got implies that they're going to prosper from now on.
I was looking forward to the finale, even though the series as a whole has been a bit uneven, but I ended up feeling more than a little disappointed. I had the impression that the writers were leading up to a much darker ending, right up to when Silver is holding a gun on Flint, then chickened out and decided on a feelgood ending instead. Basically, almost everyone has a happy ending (the exceptions being Billy Bones and Rogers and even they get off pretty lightly). Flint is reunited with Thomas (who just happens to have been alive all along - yeah, right), Max gets to rule Nassau, Jack and Ann have their own ship (and a new flag) and it would appear that Madi forgives Silver for saving herself from herself. Even Fetherston becomes Governor (officially) of Nassau - I mean, really? You're left with the impression that everything in Nassau is hunky dory now for the pirates now that Flint's obsession with having a war has been deflected (but in the nicest way possible for him, of course). In reality, of course, the age of piracy had run its course, Rackham is due to be hanged within the next couple of years and Rogers will return as Governor.
So what ending should it have had? Something that reflected the fact that the pirates had had their day. Silver kills Flint because nothing else will stop the war, but loses Madi over it (because her people's freedom is more important than him - Flint actually means more to her than Silver by now), so Silver loses everything (as Flint predicted) and becomes the embittered character we see in Treasure Island (which he isn't at the end of the series). Much more dramatic (if darker), but much more reflecting actual history as well. Essentially, the pirates were doomed characters all along, but the ending we've got implies that they're going to prosper from now on.