Parents' Guide to

The Bastard Executioner

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Brutally violent Medieval drama is epic, not for kids.

TV FX Drama 2015
The Bastard Executioner Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

samp1
samp1 Parent of 18-year-old
November 18, 2015
age 18+

Pilot and season finale

14th century. An English soldier fighting the Welsh in Wales. Has an angelic visit on the battlefield. Tells him to put down the sword and begin a new lifestyle. He becomes a Welsh barley farmer and marries. His pregnant wife and unborn child are murdered. He meets up with a mystical healer. Her mate is an ancient Templar. They tell him about the real Jesus and that the bloodline of Jesus continues on through her and to him. It is a show for mature audiences. Bloody, sexual.
mrs.atownsend
mrs.atownsend Adult
September 20, 2015
age 15+

unecessary scenes

Within the first few minutes you see a naked behind of a woman during a mans dream. Then another scene with another man and woman having sex with minimal nudity but you see the entire scene of them having sex. Another scene with that man talking to another man while he sits on the toilet trying to "go". Another scene they use slang words to mention oral sex and semen as "the noble seed in the mouth". In my opinion it's got too much useless, sexual, derogatoryand bloody scenes to be worth watching.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In epic historical drama THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER, a Welsh knight in the service of King Edward vows to lay down his sword and lead the life of a common farmer after a near-death experience on the battlefield and an unearthly vision. But fate will intervene in the life of Wilkin Brattle (Lee Jones), with English nobles such as Baron Erik Ventris (Brian F. O'Byrne) and his right-hand man, Chamberlain Milus Corbett (Stephen Moyer), exacting a brutal price on the lives of the Welsh serfs who work the lands the English owns. The Welsh are chafing under the bit of English rule, and the English are ever more determined to bring them under control. The result? Brattle is forced to take up an executioner's sword and fight for both his country and his life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Epic in scope, sprawling in cast, and so beautifully photographed that every shot is a glorious painting, this period drama's brutal violence will polarize viewers, but it's still high-quality TV. Even viewers who know nothing of the history behind the plot points will quickly fall under the spell of the dramatic setting: medieval Wales in the midst of a bloody revolution against England. Life, death, battles, court intrigue -- this is classic period drama stuff, done very well under the hands of show runner Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), who brings a similar feel to his new outing.

The show has big events, big drama, Grand Guignol violence, and a massive cast, including Sons of Anarchy's Katey Sagal, almost unrecognizable here as a witchy mystic/healer. It's mesmerizing, but it's really very disturbingly violent and not for kids. Anyway, kids would have a tough time understanding the Welsh (or pretending-to-be-Welsh) accents. Even adults may want to put on the closed captioning.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the real-life events behind this drama. Is this historically accurate? Does it depict real events? Real people?

  • Period dramas with a lot of violence are TV staples. Why? What sorts of dramatic possibilities do they offer, and why are they attractive to viewers?

  • Are the viewer's sympathies supposed to lie with the English or the Welsh in this show? How can you tell? Consider dialogue, plot, and characterization.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate