# Da Vinci's Demons (2013)

> A young Leonardo da Vinci, part artist, inventor and swordsman, navigates the intrigue of Renaissance Florence while beginning to glimpse the future he hopes to build.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/36945

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 28
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: David S. Goyer
- Network: STARZ
- Cast: Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Hera Hilmar, Gregg Chillin, Eros Vlahos, Blake Ritson, Lara Pulver
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094262/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: swashbuckling, witty, adventurous, sardonic, brisk

## What critics say

Viewers broadly find Da Vinci's Demons an entertaining, handsomely staged Renaissance adventure carried by Tom Riley's charismatic lead, with ratings holding steady across its three seasons.

## Synopsis

Da Vinci's Demons (2013-2015) is a American historical drama series created by David S. Goyer for STARZ, a three-season serialized period drama spanning ten episodes per season in most cases. Tom Riley plays a young, restless Leonardo Da Vinci, an artist, inventor, swordsman and dreamer, alongside Laura Haddock as Lucrezia Donati and Elliot Cowan as Lorenzo Medici. Set in 15th-century Florence, the engine of the show is Leonardo's struggle to earn and keep the trust of the Medici family while his inventions and visions of the future clash with the ambitions of rival power brokers, including Pope Sixtus IV and the scheming Riario. Each episode mixes courtly intrigue, sword duels and workshop experiments, with visual effects that bring his machines and mathematics to life. The tone is swashbuckling and witty, with a sardonic streak that keeps the drama brisk and entertaining. Its story unfolds across a single continuing arc rather than standalone cases, and its mood mixes adventure with the heavier weight of political betrayal and violence. Fans of The Borgias, Rome and Vikings will find resonance in its blend of historical grit, conspiracy and speculative wonder.

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