Alright, let's open this up with a disclaimer. Leonardo doesn't really get his gay on in DaVinci's Demons opening episode. That's a shame, because the media constantly glosses over historically queer characters' sexuality like it's no big dealTom Riley is just otter-ly gorgeous. That didn't keep me from enjoying the show, and I've heard things get queerer deeper in the season. Given some of the responses we've seen in our past articles just wanted to state that up front.
We get it, Leonardo. You're ambidextrous. Quit showing off.
Anyways, so everything kicks off with a lit Leo and a mysterious stranger recreating Confessions of an Opium Eater. The unknown man solemnly informs the genius that time is like a river, history is a lie and man that apothecary hooked us up with good stuff to smoke, right?
Surprise! That was a flash forward, and we do the timewarp again back four days prior. The Medici-affiliated Duke of Milan (played by Downton Abbey'sHugh Bonneville) rises from drunken slumber, shoos away last night's male companion and is promptly murdered. So yeah, in the first five minutes we basically see Robert Grantham die. Bold move DaVinci's Demons, bold move.
This leaves the Medici looking weak and unable to protect their allies. They decide throwing one helluva party will remind everyone of their importance, because TOLO (Thou Only Liveth Once).
Meanwhile Leonardo paints some topless tart. They banter about how he can't remember his mother's face, which isn't Freudian or anything. Cue Leo's young nubile assistant appearing with a prototype hang glider. The apprentice almost dies when Mr. Of Vinci makes him test it out, because back then science was fun.
The episode's second gay moment comes when Pope Sixtus IV holds some dude at knifepoint while canoodling in holy water. What an old school romantic. His Eminence's enforcer Girolamo shows up to spread word of The Duke of Milan's demise. After gravely mentioning “The Turk” arriving in Florence, Girolamo kills Sixtus' tubfellow.
Other than the killing and evilness, he seems like a nice guy.
Side note: every time men form the beast with two backs in “The Hanged Man”, one dies within moments. Weird.
The Medici hire Leonardo as their new party planner. His patrons want a large mechanical bird, so it's off to the drawing board for sketching plans. This apparently requires smoking more opium, as it slows his thoughts down. Has the FDA heard about this? Sounds like a great ADD treatment.
Seeking inspiration, Leonardo ventures into the marketplace. He pays a merchant to release his birds and watches them soar away while flashes of diagrams flit across the screen. It's a beautiful sequence, basically the closest thing I've seen to a comic book coming alive. David Goyer's past of adapting graphic novels to film really shines here.
Seeing his father out and about accompanying the Medici, Leonardo bops over to say hi. They brush him off, so Leonardo heads off for carousing with his good buddy Zoroaster. While they're fooling with Tarot cards, some guards start harassing the mysterious stranger from the opening scene. Turns out said stranger is “The Turk” His Popiness got his rosaries in a knot over. Leonardo saves him in a sweet swashbuckling sequence, delivering choice one liners throughout. Gotta say Tom Riley shows himself to be a strong lead here. Also there seems to be some tension between him and Zoroaster. I'm definitely shipping err... gondola-ing those two hard.
DaVinci Sr. (yeah, yeah, that just means "Of Vinci Senior", whatevs) puts his son in the corner with some torture for saving The Turk, and reminds Leonardo he's a real bastard. After his release, Leonardo flirts with Lorenzo Medici's mistress Lucrezia (impeccably played by Laura Haddock). Afterward, he witnesses someone get hung who repeats The Turk's strange message.
That reminds Leo he's got an appointment with The Turk to smoke another bowl of that good stuff. He learns there's this tome of limitless knowledge called The Books of Leaves held in the Vatican. Suddenly Leonardo remembers emerging from a cave covered in blood as a child without knowing what transpired underground. Uhhhh... huh.
Later the Medicis commission the Renaissance man as their in-house engineer after seeing his brilliant weaponry plans, and Leo trots off to their grand ol' party. Lucrezia's there, and after she witnesses his clockwork bird take flight they boink like it's 1499.
Just thought a picture of someone looking incredulous would fit here for some reason.
The final scene features Girolamo revealing the identity of his spy inside the Medici is actually someone Leo was just inside of. Yup, Lucrezia's a double agent. Hope that won't complicate this relationship, because we all want it to succeed right?
So yeah, DaVinci's Demons isn't all that gay... yet. Still, “The Hanged Man” is a beautiful, high-energy Renaissance romp and another solid addition to Starz's lineup.
Images courtesy of Starz
