STARZ the cable channel that brought you the gay friendly and beefcake laden Spartacus. and then the unfortunately straight-washed DaVinci’s Demon’s have traveled back into gay character waters with it’s newest pirate series Black Sails where in Season 2 it has been revealed that one of the shows major characters, and kickass pirates is gay.

Last week we learned via flashback that the fierce and fearsome Captain James Flint was deeply in love with another man. In fact, it was that love affair and its tragic ending that got Flint exiled from England and motivated him to take the helm of a pirate ship in Nassau.

Via: The Backlot:

For a full season and a half Black Sails had given viewers a big misdirection. It sure looked as if Flint had an ongoing affair with the mysterious Miranda Barlow (Louise Barnes)– but in fact his romantic relationship had been with her sensitive husband Thomas Hamilton (played by Rupert Penry-Jones).

Unfortunately, Flint’s relationship with Thomas Hamilton exists only in flashback. His former lover is presumably dead… or locked away in a British asylum.  It’s possible that Flint’s romantic life won’t be explored further. Still, his being gay is now a major plot point and helps to inform the character’s actions going all the way back to the start of the series. Apparently last night’s big gay reveal was planned from the show’s inception.

Flint is played by actor Toby Stephens (Stephens is the son of Dame Maggie Smith)

Black Sails is a very loosely based prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. It features younger versions of characters from the book, like Billy Bones and (Long) John Silver.

Starz has made the first episode available for free. The entire first season is available on Amazon

If you already have STARZ and humpy pirates are your thing Black Sails air Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT .