By Shivam Das | October 12, 2026
David Oyelowo’s Long John Silver arrives with a striking visual companion in the new six-part Treasure Island. Does the parrot add character, or does it underline the adaptation’s reliance on familiar pirate imagery?
Quick answer: The parrot is an instantly recognizable pirate image, but its value depends on how the series uses it. It makes Silver visually memorable; it cannot, by itself, explain his motives or deepen the story. The more interesting question is whether the show gives Silver enough complexity beyond familiar pirate shorthand.
Why the parrot matters in a new Treasure Island
A parrot on a pirate’s shoulder is one of the most familiar images in popular culture. That familiarity can be useful shorthand: viewers immediately recognize the genre and the character’s theatricality. It can also feel like a shortcut if the character is not given enough room to surprise us.
Paramount+ describes the six-part drama as a reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel, following Jim Hawkins and his mother Bess as they become entangled in the hunt for Captain Flint’s treasure. The show makes substantial changes to the familiar setup, including a more prominent role for Bess and a heightened memory ability for Jim. Those choices make every added genre flourish part of a larger debate about how far a classic can be changed before its center of gravity shifts.
What The Guardian actually criticized
In its October 12 review, The Guardian gave the series a sharply negative assessment, criticizing the adaptation’s additions and its treatment of Jim Hawkins. Reviewer Sarah Dempster questioned the decision to give Jim an extraordinary photographic memory, arguing that the device does not make him compelling. The review also criticized the show’s tonal choices while describing Oyelowo as charismatic even as it argued that his performance could not rescue the plot.
That distinction matters. The review’s central complaint is not simply that a parrot appears. It is that the production piles on reinvention—special abilities, heightened action and family melodrama—without consistently making those changes serve the adventure. The bird is better understood as one visible symbol of that broader stylistic choice, not proof that the entire series succeeds or fails.
Does the bird make Silver more memorable?
Potentially. Silver is most interesting when charm, danger and calculation coexist. A distinctive silhouette can help introduce him, and the parrot can work as part of his public performance. But the bird becomes decoration if it never affects a scene, reveals a relationship or contrasts with Silver’s behavior.
Oyelowo’s performance is the stronger test. The Guardian review praised his screen presence while criticizing the material around him. That suggests a useful way for viewers to judge the parrot: does it support the actor’s characterization, or does the series rely on a familiar pirate prop to do work that the script should be doing?
Classic imagery versus a modern retelling
Adaptations do not have to reproduce a book scene for scene. A new version can shift perspective, reconsider neglected characters and bring historical questions into view. The risk is not change itself; it is change without a clear dramatic purpose. When a production adds a memorable prop, a new ability or an expanded character, the audience still needs to feel that the choice strengthens the stakes.
For viewers who love pirate stories, the parrot may be part of the fun. For book purists, it may signal a production leaning too heavily on recognizable imagery. Neither reaction settles the larger question of quality. The decisive measure is whether Silver’s choices feel dangerous and human, and whether Jim remains an active participant in his own adventure.
Watch the official trailer
The official Paramount+ UK & Ireland trailer gives viewers a look at the series’ visual style and cast.
Verdict: a memorable prop is not a substitute for character
The parrot is neither automatically a clever detail nor automatically a lazy cliché. It is a familiar visual choice whose success depends on how it is used. The stronger criticism raised by the premiere’s negative review concerns the balance between spectacle and storytelling: when an adaptation adds more flourishes, it must also give viewers a stronger reason to care about the people at its center.
For a fair judgment, watch how Silver behaves when the bird is not the focus of the shot. Does he manipulate, threaten, negotiate and reveal contradictions? Does Jim make consequential decisions? Those are better tests of the adaptation than the presence of one classic pirate accessory.
Frequently asked questions
Does Long John Silver have a parrot in the new Treasure Island?
Yes. Paramount+’s official first-look material shows David Oyelowo as Long John Silver with a parrot on his shoulder.
What did The Guardian dislike about Treasure Island?
The October 12, 2026 review criticized the adaptation’s major changes, including Jim’s extraordinary memory, the emphasis on Bess and the show’s tonal and plot choices. It also praised Oyelowo’s charisma despite its broader negative verdict.
Who plays Long John Silver in Treasure Island (2026)?
David Oyelowo plays Long John Silver. The series also stars Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins and Tom Sweet as Jim Hawkins.
Where can viewers watch Treasure Island?
Paramount+ says the six-part series premiered in the UK and Ireland on October 12, 2026, with episodes scheduled weekly through November 16.
Is the parrot enough to make the adaptation inaccurate to the book?
No single prop determines whether an adaptation is faithful. The more important question is whether its changes preserve the story’s central conflicts, character motivations and sense of adventure.
Sources and further reading
- The Guardian: Treasure Island review (October 12, 2026)
- Paramount+ UK & Ireland: Treasure Island — cast, premise and official first-look images
Image credits: Paramount+ UK & Ireland official promotional images. Confirm applicable reuse rights before republishing or migrating these images. This article is independent commentary and is not affiliated with Paramount+ or The Guardian.
