FX Network’s "The Bastard Executioner", rolled out its two-hour premiere two weeks ago, offering viewers with a dark and bloody form of entertainment. The series which hailed from "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter, is set on a 14th century medieval era described as an epic tale of a Welsh warrior.
Following the anticipated debut of “Bastard”, critics are having mixed feelings about Sutter’s latest TV offering. Forbes thought positively about the first eighty minutes of the series, citing that the compelling fight sequences allowed for the audience to be glued to their seats. “The pleasant surprise of Bastard Executioner is that it actually sets the hook quite early thanks to epic battle scenes,” the publication noted.
They also approved the performance of lead actor Lee Jones, the portrayer of Wilkin Brattle, who they thought offered an “engaging presence”.
However, The Hollywood Reporter saw some flaws as they looked deeper into the season opener of Bastard. “The show feels much like a lesser "Game of Thrones" minus the fantasy elements. However, the thing "Game of Thrones" has always succeeded brilliantly at is being able to find modern ways to tell its fantastical story where everyone speaks in sometimes hard to understand Middle English,” the site commented.
Since the series has the same paradigm with the HBO smash, the site questioned the lack of modern element applied to Bastard. “This modern sensibility is what’s missing from a large chunk of The Bastard Executioner’s debut episode, and it unfortunately harms the viewer’s ability to take in the story without getting lost along the way”.
The cast also did not miss the meticulous eyes of the critics. Apparently, they didn’t find Katey Sagal’s performance worthy of an award. In the series, Sagal plays the role of Annora, the Slavic witch. “While Sagal is a fine actress, here her thickly accented mystic healer risks lapsing into parody, sounding as if she were impersonating Maria Ouspenskaya from those old “The Wolfman” movies,” Variety commented about Sagal’s delivery.
"The Bastard Executioner", the latest TV offering of Kurt Sutter, received mixed reviews following its two-hour premiere on FX. Some think that it lacks the modern element of "Game of Thrones", while others thought that the battle sequences were compelling. With Bastard’s higly-convoluted storylines, it is going to be a challenge for the cable network to establish a strong and consistent host of weekly followers.
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