The Bastard Executioner
Season 1 Episode 5: “Piss Profit/Proffidwyr Troeth”
Directed by Kari Skogland
Written by Roberto Patino
Created by Kurt Sutter
Starring Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Matthew Rhys, Timothy V. Murphy, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Elen Rhys, Danny Sapani
FX
Air Date: Tuesday, October 6th, 2015, 10:00pm

Last week on The Bastard Executioner, while Lady Love (Flora Spencer-Longhurst) is away, Milus Corbett (Stephen Moyer) will play… manipulative violent games. Lady Love is summoned by the king to decide the fate of Ventrishire. However, she is treated poorly, the king only caring of play, so is at the mercy of his right hand. The decision is to split up her land, which she stops by faking a pregnancy. What is this? General Hospital? Meanwhile, Corbett is home trying to sell her. Plus, he imprisons Wilkin Brattle’s (Lee Jones) friends as leverage. That crazy Milus! Wilkin is starting to care for his fake children, but is a bit horrified by his crazy fake wife (Sarah Sweeney). Watch out for her!

Spoilers below.

The Bastard Executioner
Season 1 Episode 1.4: “A Hunger / Newyn”
Directed by Ciaran Donnelly
Written by Curtis Gwinn
Created by Kurt Sutter
Starring Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Matthew Rhys, Timothy V. Murphy, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Elen Rhys, Danny Sapani, Ed Sheeran
FX
Air Date: Tuesday, September 29th, 2015, 10:00pm

Last week on The Bastard Executioner, Wilkin Brattle (Lee Jones) and Miles Corbett (Stephen Moyer) continued their mutual blackmail dance (although I think odds are in Corbett’s favor). “Our buried truths bind us.” Brattle continues to pose as the executioner, in order to bide his time and find all the culprits of his village’s massacre. He is finding it harder and harder to play this role, ending up pulling the fingernails off a young girl for info, then slicing off her nose as punishment. I understand that the snake visions are symbolic of evil or Wilkin’s situation, but I still haven’t connected the sorcery to this setting. And yet. I totally believe the supernatural stuff in Vikings because it belongs to myth. Lady Love Ventriss (Flora Spencer-Longhurst) is a big surprise – calm, just, wise – the antithesis of her now-dead husband and many of the nobles we get to know.

If you haven’t watched the episode yet, spoilers ahead!

We are 3 episodes (in 2 weeks) in to The Bastard Executioner, Kurt Sutter‘s highly anticipated next project after his highly acclaimed Sons of Anarchy, and if you’ve been watching… week 1 and week 2 have been worth the wait. This 14th century period piece follows Wilkin Brattle, a former soldier weary of the fight, forced to play an executioner while lying in wait for vengeance. Modern day actors aren’t just born swordfighting, British-accented, horseriding masters, they need serious training to make their work look authentic. How do they do that?

Check out the video below.

The Bastard Executioner
Season 1 Episode 1.3: “Effigy / Delw”
Directed by Paris Barclay
Written by Kurt Sutter, Charles Murray, Nichole Beattie
Created by Kurt Sutter
Starring Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Matthew Rhys, Timothy V. Murphy, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Elen Rhys, Danny Sapani
FX
Air Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2015, 10:00pm

Last week during The Bastard Executioner’s premiere, we were sucked into the bloody violent 14th century world of Wilkin Brattle (Lee Jones), former knight who wants nothing to do with war, giddily happy with his pregnant wife in his little life. We all knew (even if we didn’t see all the trailers), that that meant her imminent death. It was more graphic than I have ever seen, even as the hope for her survival was snatched away at the end (we think by The Dark Mute – Kurt Sutter – but are not sure) That’s not the last we will see of Petra (Elen Rhys), as she haunts Brattle during at his most desperate moments during moral battles. She is slaughtered, as is the entire village, and the grief is palpable. The reason? The lord of the land in consultation with his chamberlain, Miles Corbett (Stephen Moyer), raised the already hefty taxes, and Brattle joined his fellow villagers to send a rebellious message. Brattle already had crossed their paths in battle, after they left him for dead. They attack Ventris, who is killed via sword through the head (works every time), but it is not over. Also killed during this fight is the real executioner, whose family was sent ahead to the castle. Brattle poses as he (thanks to Annora marking him as such), and is almost exposed, but the abused wife and child claim him. Corbett knows who he really is, and they are bound by this secret.

The Bastard Executioner
Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2: “Pilot”
Directed by Paris Barclay
Written by Kurt Sutter
Created by Kurt Sutter
Starring Lee Jones, Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal, Kurt Sutter, Sam Spruell, Darren Evans, Matthew Rhys, Jack Greenlees,
FX
Air Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2015, 10:00pm

It has finally arrived! The highly anticipated period piece The Bastard Executioner, created by Kurt Sutter, has sliced its way into our television screens and it is as bloody as we expected. I had to look away many times. This is the tale of a warrior, in the time of King Edward, who only wishes to lay down his sword. Fate has something else in store for him, as he must lift up his sword once again to mete out justice in the land.

If you haven’t caught the 2-hour pilot yet, be warned, as there are spoilers ahead!