"Girls are taught to believe that if a story isn't a love story, it's a tragedy."
"Girls, have you not noticed? We're not them. We're Americans. When did we ever care what people think of us? The English, they're so fascinated by their history. Well, we have a history of being fascinating. It's time that they learn from us."
— Conchita
The Buccaneers is a 2023 period drama and a loose television adaptation of the novel of the same name. It is the second adaptation of the novel, following a prior miniseries by the BBC. Led by an all-female creative team including Katherine Jakeways as showrunner and Susanna White as director, the show's first three episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on November 8, 2023.
Set in the 1870s, the series follows a group of spirited new-money American heiresses — Nan (Kristine Froseth) and Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) St. George, Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag) and Mabel (Josie Totah) Elmsworth — who, at the behest of the discerning governess Laura Testvalley (Simone Kirby) and spurred by the recent marriage of their friend Conchita Closon (Alisha Boe) to an English lord, arrive in London to participate in the season, hoping to land aristocratic English husbands.
The series' cast also includes Christina Hendricks, Mia Threapleton, Josh Dylan, Guy Remmers, and Matthew Broome.
Tropes:
- Anachronistic Soundtrack: The 2023 pop song that scores the trailer ("all-american bitch") is centuries removed from the 1870s setting of the show, but it helps add a rebellious modern sensibility to the American heroines. The show follows suit, playing 20th and 21st-century pop songs.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: An upset Guy gives a speech about how he sees Nan as his equal and he is desperately in love with her. It causes a swooning kiss between the two, but she's unfortunately engaged to his bestie, and tries to run in despair.
- Bastard Angst: Nan, who had spent her whole life thinking she was her mother's trueborn daughter, is left reeling by the revelation that she is actually the product of one of her father's affairs who was adopted as a St. George daughter to avoid scandal. Jinny tries to reassure her that nobody knows anyway, but Nan hates that everyone has been lying to her for her entire life and compares herself to a childhood acquaintance who was ostracized for her illegitimacy. She also fears that it will hurt her own engagement/marriage to Theo, since a duke cannot marry someone of such birth, and hopes that Guy will act as her Secret-Keeper.
- Black Vikings: While American Nouveau Riche BIPOC were plausible by the time of the Gilded Age (of the protagonists, Conchita is Black and the Elmsworths are MENA), the English aristocracy is also more racially diverse than it was at this point in time — for example, several women of color are seen among the debutantes being presented to the queen, including Jean.
- British Stuffiness: The English are portrayed as a cold, unaffectionate people who look down on the American girls' casual and freewheeling mannerisms. The younger English women, Honoria and Jean, however, begin to admire this quality instead of snub it.
- Culture Clash: The girls' American sensibilities are at odds with the reserved English and the London marriage mart. For example, Nan blithely compares the debutantes to cattle. Her unique perspective captures the attention of two men.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Conchita's struggle as a Black American woman to fit in with her hostile aristocratic in-laws and hers and Richard's eventual decision to cut ties with them seems to be leaning pretty heavily on Meghan Markle's experience with the Windsors. In particular, the scene where Conchita tells Nan that she's worried about how the family will treat Minnie if she looks like Conchita rather than Richard or the rest of his family may be a reference to the reported "concerns" within the royal family about the skin tone of their first child, Archie, before his birth.
- Elopement: James and Jinny forgo the big society wedding that would be expected from their social class and elope ahead of the Tintagel ball. From Jinny's perspective this is a fun whirlwind romance, but the audience knows that James is a bad person who has trapped her in a toxic marriage.
- Every Proper Lady Should Curtsy: Lizzy practices how to curtsy to the queen ahead of her society debut.
- Gaslighting: In episode 4, James mentally unsettles his wife by first claiming that he has no idea who her friend Lizzy is (despite the two of them being in a love triangle of sorts with her just months before). He then feigns offense at the gaudy American party and goads her into publicly insulting her mother's taste, only to swoop in and apologize to Mrs. St. George and saying he's no idea what's gotten into Lizzy.
- Gayngst: Mabel and Honoria flirt with each other by imagining what their lives would be like if they could live in their own home like any other couple, but Mabel gets upset when Honoria introduces the idea of children into the fantasy, since they will never be able to have kids of their own.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Nan (outspoken, independent, and knows her way around the arts) is the Smart St. George sister, Jinny (ladylike, demure, wants to find a husband) is the Pretty one (which is lampshaded). Though the girls are close, Jinny resents that Nan's actions make it difficult for her to be noticed.
- Half-Sibling Angst: Jinny accidentally let slip that Nan is secretly her paternal half-sister, adopted by Jinny's mother to avoid a scandal, at the end of a fight. This tenses relations between the sisters and causes an identity crisis for Nan.
- Hypocrite: A recurring theme is the British looking down at the Americans for their lack of decorum and behavior when they're just as bad, simply not as public about it.Duches: I know you come from a country where the people aren't burned by rules of propriety but in this country, that behavior is quite inexcusable.
- Irrevocable Message: In episode 4, Guy drunkenly sends a transatlantic telegram confessing his love for Nan while she's on a trip with her fiance/his best friend Theo. When he wakes up he tries desperately to have it stopped, but alas, you can't unsend a telegram, especially after transcribing such a long one was so expensive, sir. Nan never finds it but Theo does, and rather than tell Nan about it, Theo asks to marry her quickly.
- Love Triangle: Nan is torn between best friends Theo and Guy. In episode 5, they even play poker while sitting in a triangle arrangement!
- Marriage of Convenience: In episode 6, Mabel and Miles agree to marry each other, right down to the proposal at Christmastime — but neither of them are in love with the other. He's a penniless second son who doesn't want a boring rich wife to tie him down; she's a lesbian looking for an excuse to stay in England so she can continue to be with her girlfriend Honoria.
- Meet Cute:
- Nan first runs into Guy while trying to receive Conchita's dropped earring from the street. They share some cute dialogue, setting the stage for the romantic shenanigans to come.
- Nan also has a similarly sweet first interaction with Theo — they run into each other while swimming in the Cornwall sea, and she fondly makes fun of his attempts at painting. Theo, who had previously wished to meet a woman who had no idea he was the most eligible bachelor in England, is charmed by their easy rapport.
- Nouveau Riche: The St. Georges and the Elmsworths are from Saratoga and recently made their money in trade, so they're considered too gauche to be invited to the old-money New York parties.
- Nobility Marries Money: Too Nouveau Riche for the Gilded Age New York social set, the Elmsworth and St. George daughters are sent across the pond to snag even older money to add legitimacy — English aristocracy. Conversely, Lord Seadown is urged to wed one of them as it would keep their noble estates afloat.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Conchita cannot stand her husband Richard's family, finding them stuffy and snobbish. They in turn look down on her crude American ways. Tellingly, Conchita and Richard are only happy when they're away from the rest of the Marables.
- Old Maid: Honoria's aristocratic parents tut that they've given up on finding her a husband. It is eventually revealed that she's interested in women.
- Operation: Jealousy: James wants to marry Jinny, but wants to get some mind games out of it. So at Conchita's cottage party, he snubs her and dances with Jinny's fried Lizzy, which has the intended effect of making Lizzy obviously jealous. Little does Jinny know that James is an asshole who has secretly forced Lizzy to strip nude for him, but Lizzy's proud manner after James proposes the next morning makes Lizzy keep quiet about the real nature of the man her friend is going to marry.
- Prefers Going Barefoot: To show their rebellious and free-spirited natures compared to the uptight Brits, the American heroines ditch shoes and gallavant around gardens, fields, and beaches whenever they can.
- Parental Favoritism: Jinny thinks their mother always stands Nan and stands up for her at Jinny's expense, and considers it ironic because Jinny is her biological daughter and Nan is adopted.
- Parental Neglect: Richard calls out Lady Brightlingsea for actively avoiding doing anything to take care of him. It's also telling that, in her fantasy of life with Mabel, his sister Honoria imagines having children who come home from a normal school everyday rather than fobbing them off to a governess.
- Pretentious Pronunciation: Played with. Brightlingsea is pronounced "Brittlesea". It's an example of "false friend" pronunciation found in some British place names and surnames (e.g. Featherstonehaugh being pronounced as "Fanshawe" or Milngavie being pronounced as "Mullguy"), making it a shibboleth to weed out any arrivistes who don't know the "proper" pronunciation.
- Race Lift: The novel's Conchita is Brazilian-born and specifically not Black, as Mrs. Testvalley clarifies to a relieved Lady Brightlingsea. In the show she is half-Black (like her actress Alisha Boe), which heightens her isolation among the English upper class.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Impoverished Patrician Guy and wealthy duke Theo are both in love with Nan. Theo lets it slip to Nan that Guy was seeking to find a rich American wife to improve his fortunes, making Nan think that Guy wasn't really in love with her. As a result she turns away from him.
- Romantic Rain: A sudden rainstorm hits the Duchess of Tintagel's end-of-season ball. An upset Conchita runs away into it, causing panic among the characters, but she reconciles with her husband after he runs after her. Meanwhile, Mabel and Honoria are secretly sharing a kiss in the rain.
- Scenery Porn: The gorgeous castles of Cornwall and their beautiful seaside views are given plenty of attention by the camera.
- Screaming Birth: Conchita wails throughout her lonely birthing scene. Her mother-in-law disdainfully comments that English women would never make such a fuss.
- Spirited Young Lady: Nan can put on a dress and smile for the ton, she just doesn't like it. Part of it is that she is "merely" American Nouveau Riche and thus implicitly out of place among the British Old Money, but her ladylike sister desires to play the game. However, Nan's forward-thinking views and outspoken nature earn her the attention of two aristocratic bachelors.
- Significant Name Overlap: The gang celebrates Guy Fawkes Night at Guy's estate, allowing Theo to make a few veiled barbs at Guy's expense (e.g. "Guy's failed betrayal" referring to Guy trying to steal his girl, but everyone else thinks he's talking about Guy Fawkes' attempt to blow up Parliament).
- Skinny Dipping: Theo is seen doing this in episode 2, giving the viewers a glimpse of his bare behind.
- Their First Time: Played with. Honoria only reveals after she has sex with Mabel that she had never been with anyone else before.
