Updated October 12, 2026 · By Shivam Das
Quick answer: The Guardian did not single out one scene as the sole reason for calling the new Treasure Island a “TV stinker.” In Sarah Dempster’s October 12 review, the sharpest criticism focused on Jim Hawkins’s photographic-memory ability, Bess Hawkins’s expanded role and map-burning decision, Billy Bones’s accent, the CGI parrot, slow-motion spy fights, and family arguments that the critic felt played like a soap opera.
The headline is memorable, but the review’s argument is broader than one supposedly disastrous moment. The criticism is about how the adaptation changes the balance of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel: Jim, traditionally the young adventurer at the center of the story, risks becoming a spectator while the series adds new abilities, relationships and action beats around him.
Which moment drew the clearest criticism?
The review’s most specific recurring target is the photographic-memory sequence built around Jim. The adaptation gives the character an unusually powerful ability to memorize information, including the treasure map after Bess burns it. Dempster describes the effect-heavy memory scenes as an unconvincing addition that does not make Jim more compelling. In the critic’s reading, a device intended to make the boy exceptional instead risks turning a resourceful literary hero into someone who mostly watches events unfold.
That distinction matters: the review does not provide a timestamp or label a single scene as “the exact scene” that made the show a disaster. It criticizes a pattern of choices, especially the way the new memory power is repeatedly staged and how much narrative attention shifts away from Jim’s own decisions.
Why Bess Hawkins and the burned map became part of the debate
Hayley Atwell’s Bess Hawkins is a much larger presence in this version than in Stevenson’s novel. In the Guardian review, Bess’s decisions—including burning the physical map after Jim has memorized it—are part of the reason the young protagonist can feel sidelined. The disagreement is not simply that a woman has been given more to do; it is whether the new material gives Jim enough agency to remain the story’s emotional center.
There is a legitimate adaptation question here. A character who was barely developed in the novel can give a modern series room to explore survival, family responsibility and women’s limited choices in a historical setting. But every expansion has a cost: screen time spent on one character can reduce the space available for another. Viewers may reasonably disagree about whether this version gets that balance right.
The other complaints: Billy Bones, Silver and the tone
The Guardian also takes aim at the vocal performance choices surrounding Billy Bones, played by Tomer Capone, and at the adaptation’s use of a CGI parrot on Long John Silver’s shoulder. The review’s language is deliberately caustic, so readers should distinguish the critic’s comic phrasing from a neutral production assessment. The underlying point is that some choices struck this reviewer as distracting rather than immersive.
David Oyelowo’s Long John Silver, however, is the notable exception. Dempster praises Oyelowo’s charisma and presence, arguing that he seems to be operating in a more compelling version of the story than the surrounding script provides. That is an important qualification: the review is not a blanket dismissal of every performance.
The critic’s final concern is tonal inconsistency. Slow-motion spy-style fights, heightened memory sequences and family confrontations sit alongside a classic pirate adventure. For some viewers, that mixture may feel energetic and contemporary; for this reviewer, it weakens the cohesion of the story.
What the actors say about the changes
In a separate TV Insider interview published October 12, Atwell and Oyelowo discussed why the series reworks Bess and Silver. Atwell described Bess as a chance to create a more fully realized female character, while Oyelowo said Silver’s Caribbean background and Jamaican-influenced accent gave him a specific way into the role. Those comments provide useful context for the creative intent, but they do not cancel out the review’s criticism of execution.
Watch the official trailer
The official Paramount+ UK and Ireland trailer gives viewers a direct way to judge the tone, performances and visual style for themselves. A trailer is promotional material, however, and cannot establish how well the full episodes develop their characters.
Does the Guardian review prove the series is unwatchable?
No. A two-star review is one critic’s assessment, not a measurement of every viewer’s response. The Guardian’s piece is sharply negative about the adaptation’s writing and tone, but it also singles out Oyelowo’s performance for praise. The most useful takeaway is to look at the specific trade-offs: a more prominent Bess, a heightened version of Jim’s memory, a reworked Silver, and a more action-heavy style.
For readers deciding whether to watch, the central question is not whether one scene “ruined” the show. It is whether these reinventions add emotional depth and momentum—or distract from the coming-of-age adventure that makes the novel endure.
Frequently asked questions
What exact scene did The Guardian call a disaster?
The review did not identify one single scene as the sole cause of its verdict. It repeatedly criticizes Jim’s photographic-memory sequences and also discusses Bess burning the map, Billy Bones’s accent, the CGI parrot, slow-motion fights and soap-opera-like family arguments.
What rating did The Guardian give Treasure Island?
The Guardian’s October 12, 2026 review gave the series two out of five stars.
Who plays Long John Silver?
David Oyelowo plays Long John Silver. The Guardian review praises his screen presence even while criticizing other aspects of the adaptation.
Who plays Bess and Jim Hawkins?
Hayley Atwell plays Bess Hawkins, and Tom Sweet plays Jim Hawkins.
Where can viewers watch Treasure Island?
The Guardian says the series is available on Paramount+ in the UK. Streaming availability can vary by country, so viewers should check their local service listings.
Sources
- The Guardian: Treasure Island review, October 12, 2026
- TV Insider: Hayley Atwell and David Oyelowo discuss book-to-screen changes, October 12, 2026
- Rotten Tomatoes: Treasure Island (2026) series page
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