‘The Bastard Executioner’ episode 3 review: Putting your nose to the grindstone
We have never come in to writing any of these articles on “The Bastard Executioner” with any false pretense that we know much about Welsh history. We don’t, and therefore the significance of someone losing a nose in public spectacle is something that is a little more lost on us than it would be some other people.
Yet, it was clear that this moment was one haunting Wilkin Brattle through at least the later part of Tuesday night’s new episode, technically the third for the series. He is trying still to figure out how to handle his cover of wayward executioner as a path to revenge; maybe someday he will get a chance to claim victory after losing so much of what he held dear, but in doing so, he must take others from the world (or at least, in this case, take off a part of their face).
What the show does well lies within the realm of brutality. Lee Jones is great in these physical scenes, and Kurt Sutter has a knack for shocking you and pushing the envelope as far as it can go on basic cable television. You certain saw that with a certain love scene late in the episode.
Also, this show is really hitting some of the political stuff out of the park. Watching the back-and-forth between Milus and the Baroness makes for some compelling debate, mostly because they both have clear and distinct visions for what the future of Ventrishire should and could be. Also, Stephen Moyer is amazing, and continues to deliver for our money the show’s defining performance.
As a whole, we would say that there are still a few too many conveniences, and it feels jarring to have all of this destiny stuff enter the fray with Annora and The Dark Mute. While great characters, is there a better way to include them? We’re still not sold on the show or these people needing to have some sort of higher plan for Wilkin.
We feel like there are still some kinks here and there on this show to be worked out, but given how much time Sutter and company had to go from “Sons of Anarchy” to this, that is to be expected. At least we’re starting to get a shape of what this should could be, and for the most part we like it. Grade: B.
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