Jump to content

The Bastard Executioner

From Alfawiki
The Bastard Executioner
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedSeptember 15, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-09-15)
FounderKurt Sutter
DefunctNovember 17, 2015 (2015-11-17)
Headquarters
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Kurt Sutter (developer)
ProductsHistorical fiction drama television series
OwnerFX Networks
Parent20th Television, Imagine Entertainment

The Bastard Executioner is a historical fiction drama from the United States, developed by Kurt Sutter, which was broadcast on FX between September 15 and November 17, 2015. On November 18, 2015, Sutter revealed that he had chosen to conclude the series after a single season, anticipating its cancellation by FX.

Overview

Set in early 14th-century Wales, the narrative follows Wilkin Brattle, a Welsh knight in service to King Edward I of England, who is betrayed by an ambitious English nobleman and left for dead. As he nears death, a mysterious child apparition advises him to forsake his sword and pursue a different destiny.

Years later, Brattle has adopted the life of a married peasant farmer, awaiting the birth of his child. His tranquil existence is shattered when "Baron" Erik Ventris—the man who betrayed him—imposes harsh taxes. After succumbing to village pressure, Brattle leads an attack on the Baron's tax collector. In retaliation, Ventris destroys Brattle's village, slaughtering all women and children.

Brattle’s group retaliates by killing Ventris and his soldiers but sets out to hunt down every soldier involved in the atrocity. Taking on the identity of Gawain Maddox, a journeyman executioner introduced just before Ventris’ death, Brattle infiltrates Castle Ventris to uncover those responsible for the massacre and exact vengeance. However, court politics ensnare him in this new persona and role, compelling him to live a double life as he contemplates whether this path aligns with the apparition’s prophecy.

The plot is influenced by the historical Welsh revolt of 1294–95, led by Madog ap Llywelyn, which opposed English domination.

Main cast

  • Lee Jones portrays Wilkin Brattle / Gawain Maddox, the Executioner
  • Stephen Moyer plays Chamberlain Milus Corbett
  • Flora Spencer-Longhurst appears as Baroness Lowry "Love" Aberffraw Ventris
  • Kurt Sutter takes on Ludwig Von Zettel, also known as The Dark Mute or The Scarred Templar
  • Sam Spruell acts as Toran Prichard / Marshal the Soldier
  • Katey Sagal features as Annora of the Alders
  • Darren Evans plays Ash y Goedwig
  • Danny Sapani portrays Berber the Moor
  • Timothy V. Murphy appears as Father Ruskin, the manor’s priest
  • Sarah White acts as Isabel Kiffin, Lady In Waiting to the Baroness and childhood companion
  • Sarah Sweeny plays Jessamy Maddox, widow of Gawain Maddox
  • Ethan Griffiths portrays Luca Maddox, son of Gawain and Jessamy
  • Elen Rhys features as Petra Brattle, Wilkin Brattle’s wife

Special guest stars

  • Brían F. O'Byrne appears as Baron Erik Ventris, ruler of the fictional Barony of Ventrishire
  • Matthew Rhys plays Gruffudd y Blaidd, nicknamed "The Wolf," leader of a rebellion against corruption and ally to Wilkin; also the Baroness’ half-brother

Recurring/guest stars

Production

The Bastard Executioner, the inaugural pilot from Imagine TV in collaboration with FX Network, was inspired by a concept from Grazer, who found the executioner figure to be "morally ambiguous" and thought-provoking. Grazer presented this idea to 20th Television executives Dana Walden and Gary Newman, who, along with Fox21 president Bert Salke, recommended Kurt Sutter as the writer. Sutter then crafted the series' setting and pitched it to FX.

Sutter discussed the complexities involved in writing, particularly the challenge of authentically representing historical dialogue without audio references. He began scriptwriting after concluding work on Sons of Anarchy in late 2014, with Katey Sagal confirmed as part of the cast.

Paris Barclay, having directed 15 episodes of Sons of Anarchy, took on directing duties for the pilot and acted as an executive producer. Writers and co-executive producers Charles Murray and Nichole Beattie, both veterans of Sons of Anarchy with credits on AMC’s The Walking Dead and Rubicon, also joined the creative team.

The show was filmed in Wales, UK, featuring mainly British actors. From January 2015, Barclay managed casting and location scouting while Sutter completed scripts stateside before joining him on location. The pilot’s script draft reached FX executives by January 7. Filming locations included Caerphilly Castle and Fforest Fawr.

Production began on January 23, 2015. Over a ten-month period, the team carefully selected Welsh sites with assistance from the Welsh Government's Wales Screen initiative, which supported local crews and production facilities. The series was among the first major projects to utilize Pinewood Studios' new Cardiff complex. A medieval village set, complete with a castle, was constructed at Dragon International Film Studios near Cardiff in Llanilid.

On May 22, 2015, FX commissioned a 10-episode season scheduled for fall release. Nevertheless, on November 18, 2015, Sutter revealed he chose to end the series proactively amid FX’s intentions to cancel it, aiming to avoid additional production expenses despite no formal cancellation announcement.

Reception

The Bastard Executioner garnered mixed critical responses; its action scenes and performances were praised, whereas its writing quality, pacing, character depth, and graphic violence drew criticism. It holds a 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 53 critic reviews, with consensus noting that Kurt Sutter's series "prioritizes brutality and gore over coherent storytelling." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 55 from 37 critiques.

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Bastard_Executioner&oldid=74084"