John "Jack" Rackham
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| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Quartermaster (formerly) Captain |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Alive |
| Ships | Ranger (formerly) Colonial Dawn |
| Relationships | Charles Vane (Ex-Captain/Friend; deceased) Anne Bonny (Lover) Max (Friend) James Flint (Rival/Ally/Friend) Edward Teach (Rival/Ally) |
| Appearances | First I. |
| Portrayed by | Toby Schmitz |
| Gallery | Jack Rackham gallery |
- "I"ll have you know I have slit men's throats while they have wept, begging my forbearance, and slept soundly that very night."
- ―Rackham[src]
Jack Rackham is a pirate captain who operated in the Bahamas during the early 18th century. He served as the Quartermaster on the pirate ship Ranger, he was the brains behind Captain Vane's brawn, and in some ways even more dangerous than him. Then he moved on and became the captain of the pirate ship, Colonial Dawn. Thanks to John Silver and Max, he learned the location of the Urca gold, and he and his pirates successfully brought it to Nassau.
Biography
Background
John "Jack" Rackham was born in Leeds in northern England, the son of a successful tailor specialising in cotton calico. His father’s business went bankrupt, when corrupt competitors in the wool industry placed an embargo on importing fine cotton. In shame his father descended into drink and died. Shortly after the funeral, a man visited Jack claiming to hold debts belonging to his father. Rackham was forced to flee the country to escape the debtors-workhouse.
Many years before 1715, he met and rescued a 13 year old girl called Anne Bonny when he slit the throat of her abusive husband. The two would later become constant companions and lovers before they joined the pirate crew of Charles Vane sometime before 1715.
Season One
Rackham first appeared outside a bar in Nassau as he observed Gates heading to talk to Mosiah. Later that evening he engaged in a conversation with Singleton, inquiring as to why Singleton was so happy. He stated that he had hoped to have a toast to Singleton's coronation as new Captain of the Walrus, but now he is not so sure it will happen. He then presumably told Singleton about the meeting between Mosiah and Gates. Singleton then confronted Mosiah about whether or not Mosiah and his fellow Africans would vote for him. When Mosiah announced his intention to vote for Captain Flint, Rackham's lover Anne Bonny appeared from behind Rackham and killed Levi, who moved forward to defend Mosiah. Bonny then presumably killed Mosiah. It is later revealed that the confrontation between Mosiah and Singleton was engineered by Rackham for the purposes of advancing Charles Vane's interests. Rackham stated that if Singleton became Captain of the Walrus, he would likely have proved so ineffective that many of his crew would have defected and joined Vane's crew.
Later, Rackham was approached by Max, a local prostitute. She told Rackham that she had something that he might want to buy, the shipping schedule of the Spanish treasure galleon Urca de Lima. Rackham would eventually borrow 5,000 pesos from the crew's prize money to finance the purchase. However, the exchange is totally muffed when Vane lost his temper and assaulted Max and then later when Vane killed a proxy for John Silver, who was in possession of the schedule. Silver was spooked by Vane's violence and fled from the exchange, prompting Rackham to chase him. During the pursuit, Rackham fell from the edge into the ocean, losing the 5,000 pesos in the process.
Rackham began being threatened by members of the Ranger crew who demanded that he replace the money had lost. Desperately looking for some way to redeem himself, Rackham convinced Gates, the quartermaster of the Walrus, to let the Ranger act in tandem with the Walrus in the search for the treasure ship. This arrangement would eventually fall apart because Vane had captured Max and was allowing her to be used for the pleasure of his crew. When Vane's former lover, Eleanor Guthrie, the financier of the mission, found out about his capture of Max, she banished Vane from ever commanding a ship again and demanded that the crew of the Ranger switch allegiance from Vane to Flint. Following the loss of his ship and crew, Vane fell into a deep depression. Despite his best efforts, Rackham could not get Vane out of his drunken stupor. Eventually, when Vane killed the owner of the brothel, Noonan, Rackham seized the opportunity and took over ownership of the brothel, bribing Mrs. Mapleton, with a pay wage to keep silent of her suspicions of Noonans fate.
While lounging in bed with Bonny one evening, he was busted in on by Hamund and other members of the Ranger crew who had been fed a lie that Rackham still had 2,500 of the 5,000 pesos he had allegedly lost and that he had buried them at The Wrecks. To Rackham's astonishment, Bonny admitted that the allegations were true and that she could show them where the pesos were buried. When the Ranger crew went to The Wrecks, they were attacked and killed by Eleanor Guthrie's men, save for Rackham and Bonny. Bonny later revealed that she had formulated the plan to get rid of the remaining members of the Ranger crew since they were a threat to Max and Rackham himself.
Rackham initially found running the brothel to be a losing venture. He could not figure out why the brothel wasn't turning a profit. He eventually uncovered, through the help of Max, that the prostitutes at the brothel weren't paying him the full amount that they earned.[1]
With the help of Max, Jack is able to turn the brothel around and bring in steady profits. It becomes so good, that Jack decides to cut ties with Mrs. Mapleton and sever their agreements. After protecting, threatening to tell people what happened to Noonan, Jack and Max remind her that most people would not care, as the brothel has been giving discounts and benefits to anybody who might pose a threat. She storms out telling Jack that he will regret what he has done, to little avail.
A few days later, Vane returns to the island and takes over the fort overlooking the port, giving himself total control of the island. He soon hears from Mapleton what had happened to the crew and goes to pay Jack a visit. He tells Jack that he wont kill him, but he promises to make sure that everybody knows how Jack sided with Anne over his own crew. While Jack remains alive, any dreams of joining or leading his own crew are killed.[2]
Season Two
Rachham is now a pariah in Nassau, as word has gotten out that he took part in killing members of his own crew. When Rackham finds out that Max has been selling leads from the prostitutes to other pirates, he comes up with the idea to get a ship and a crew, and use the leads that Max receives to enrich the three of them with equal profit of the spoils. Meanwhile, a tense three-way sexual relationship has developed between Max, Bonny and Rackham.
However, Rackham's attempts to raise a crew end in abject failure, due to his reputation. That continues until Max finds out information on a hostage held by a pirate called Ned Low for Charles Vane, in exchange for him forgiving Rackham and Bonny so that they may sail again.
Max continues to demonstrate her shrewdness when she helps manipulate an influential pirate named Featherstone to join Rackham, along with 28 other men and their ship. However, the new crew will not accept both Max and Bonny receiving such a significant share of any future profits. When Rackham tells Bonny she must stay ashore for a while, Bonny storms off. Meanwhile, Flint has returned to Nassau, but Rackham notices that none of Flint’s crew has visited the brothel. Rackham tells Max to find out from him anything she can about the Urca gold.
Out at sea, Rackham and the crew of the Colonial Dawn are following a lead from Max to the True North. Rackham's crew successfully capture the ship, but another pirate ship, the Goliath, pulls up alongside to claim the prize also. A tense negotiation ensues between the captain of the other pirates, Linus Harcourt, and Rackham on how to split of the prize.
Harcourt quickly recognises Rackham’s inexperience as captain, and offers him just 1/10th of the profit. Rackham realises that if he were to accept such paltry terms, his men would vote him out as captain. Instead, Rackham decides to fight Harcourt man-to-man. Despite being truly awful at fighting, Rackham comes out on top thanks to a lucky slash at Harcourt’s throat. Rackham then negotiates more reasonable terms with the new leader of the Goliath crew.
Back in Nassau, Max has learnt that the Urca gold is still on the beach, and Rackham immediately begins preparations to retrieve the gold. He also learns that Bonny has left Nassau, and is clearly distraught. Featherstone, Max, and Rackham try to figure out what they are going to do once they actually get the gold back to Nassau. Rackham eventually comes up with the idea of asking Vane to store the gold in the fortress. However, when they go to the fortress they find it empty, except for Richard Guthrie’s corps.
Meanwhile, Eleanor has figured out what Max and Rackham are up to, and sends men to assassinate them. However, Bonny reappears and saves them, killing both assassins. Taking refuge in the brothel, Max insists that they must leave immediately.
Aboard the Colonial Dawn to retrieve the Urca gold, Rackham and Anne Bonny reconcile; she tells him that they will be together until they are both dead. The Spanish men on the beach put up an admirable fight, but Rackham’s crew win the day. They return to Nassau with not only the Colonial Dawn but also the salvaged Walrus in order to carry all the gold. They meet Max at the beach, and Rackham tells her he wants to show her something "shiny". He takes her into the hold of one of the ships, revealing the long desired Urca gold. Max smiles in the light of the glittering gold.
Season Three
In the months since the end of Season 2, the Urca gold has been split between Rackham, Bonny, Max, Flint, Vane, and their crews. Rackham is in charge of restoring the fort in Nassau, however with the pirates newfound wealth, he cannot get anyone to work. Rackham reluctantly tricks Vane into capturing a slave ship, and using the slaves to rebuild the fort.
Fearing that the Spanish or English will respond overwhelmingly to the theft of the gold, Max tries to persuade Rackham to exchange their gold for pearls, so that it is easier to transport should they need to abandon Nassau. Soon, Blackbeard arrives on the island, and renews his friendship with Vane. Teach is less than impressed at Rackham's status as a partner, because he remembers Rackham as a scrawny crew member. Realising that Blackbeard is a volcano building towards its inevitable eruption, Rackham agrees to Max's plan - as long as it's done quietly.
Soon, news reaches Nassau of the imminent arrival of Woodes Rogers and a fleet, intent of re-establishing English governance. Rackham tries to rally the pirates for the defence of Nassau. However, with the fort unfinished, and their only true navel strategist Flint missing, some of them are resigned to defeat. However, Blackbeard offers to step in and coordinate the pirate fleet.
The pirates fight to save Nassau proves short-lived. Rogers offers all the pirates pardons and most accept. Rackham, Vane, Bonny and their crew are stuck in the fort with men slowly gathering for the bounty on Vane’s head. Rackham is force to acknowledge that the defence of Nassau is over and comes up with a new plan; to destroy a portion of the fort so Vane can escape with Blackbeard’s fleet.
Rackham and Bonny also flee Nassau overland with their share of pearls. However when they are almost clean away, Rackham has a change of heart. He insists he wants to keep his name by going to Nassau to take the pardon.
Unbeknownst to Rackham, Governor Rogers has learned about Rackham and Bonny’s cache of pearls. When Rackham attempts to garner a pardon, he is taken into custody. Rogers warns Rackham that if the pearls are not returned, the Spanish will invade. Rackham eventually agrees to send a letter to Bonny seemingly instructing her to turn over the cache. However, he has secretly given Bonny instructions to take the cache and run. Outside Nassau, Bonny follows Rackham’s orders, and kills the Governor’s messenger.
On learning that Governor Rogers has Rackham in their custody, the Spanish demand that both the gold and the man who stole it are handed over. Rogers eventually tricks Bonny with Max’s help into handing over the cache. He prepares to deliver them to the Spanish, departing Nassau in a convoy accompanied by a large contingent of armed soldiers.
On route to the southern coast, the convoy comes under swift attack from Flint’s men on horseback. After killing all of Rogers’ men in the convoy, Vane shoots the wheel of the carriage sending it careening off the road. Jack is banged up pretty badly, but alive, and he and Anne share a passionate kiss. Vane urges Flint to take the pearls and run ahead, while he frees Rackham from his chains. Rackham and Bonny flee as they spot more of the Governor’s men approaching, however Vane is outnumbered and arrested. Billy Bones is sent back to Nassau to try and stir resentment towards Rogers and rescue Vane.
On the Maroons Island, Rackham and Bonny contemplating the cache of pearls, and how it now represents Vane’s sacrifice. As they prepare for the English fleet to attack the island, Rackham asks Flint to command the Walrus during the battle. Rackham wants to strive to meet Vane’s own ideals and avenge his name.
While Rackham is preparing to attack the overwhelming English fleet, a second fleet appears to the East, which Rackham recognises as Blackbeard’s fleet. He persuades Teach join the fight. While the two fleets engage cannon fire, Bonny leads a boarding party swimming unnoticed to capture one of the English ships. They open fire on the rest of the fleet, forcing them to retreat. The victory may have won Rackham some respect from Teach.
Personality
Rackham begins the series as the Quartermaster of the Ranger, and the brains behind Captain Charles Vane's brawn. He is stylish, witty, well-read, and very proud of his wits, which he takes every opportunity to flaunt. He’s ever fixated on his legacy and a bit obsessed with the adventure he’s invented.
However, Rackham is initially not a very good pirate. He’s not a skilled fighter and his attempts at strategy usually land him in dire situations his girlfriend Bonny bails him out of. His foppish appearance and effete mannerisms tend to lead others to underestimate him, and he can’t seem to gain respect. However over the first three series, he has proved time and again that he is very capable at what he does, culminating in his victory at sea against an overwhelming English fleet. It may have won Rackham some respect from Teach.
Trivia
- John "Calico Jack" Rackham was born in Cuba in 1682 to English parents. He first appeared in history as quartermaster on a ship captained by Charles Vane.
- The real "Calico Jack" Rackham is most notable for having designed the famous "Jolly Roger" flag.
Memorable Quotes
- "Yes, well, we all have our roles to play."
- ―Rackham[src]
- "Won't take much to lose that new crew of yours. You may have them fooled now, but at sea, perhaps you'll oversleep the bells and need a few hours. Perhaps you'll be handed the glass and need help where to point it. Perhaps you'll slip and fall, and that knee of yours will finally give out. Perhaps, perhaps, ...perhaps. Of course no one will say anything, they respect you to much for that, but the moment the Urca looms close, and the first shot is fired, and you and me will know what every last man on that crew will really be thinking."
- ―Rackham to Gates[src]
- "I feel compelled to state out loud...LIFE IS SIMPLY TOO FUCKING SHORT!!!"
- ―Rackham[src]
- " I"ll have you know I have slit men's throats while they have wept, begging my forbearance, and slept soundly that very night."
- ―Rackham[src]
Image Gallery
