# The Bastard Executioner (2015)

> A 14th century warrior is divinely commanded to abandon his sword and live as a journeyman executioner in rebellious northern Wales.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/56253

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, action
- Created by: Kurt Sutter
- Network: FX
- Cast: Lee Jones, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Ed Sheeran, Sam Spruell, Kurt Sutter, Darren Evans, Katey Sagal, Stephen Moyer
- TMDB rating: 6.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4218618/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: brutal, gritty, melancholic, intense

## What critics say

Audiences rated the single season negatively, citing its violence and uneven storytelling against its medieval epic ambitions.

## Synopsis

The Bastard Executioner (2015) is a United States FX medieval drama series created by Kurt Sutter. Lee Jones plays Wilkin Brattle, a 14th century warrior whose life is upended when a divine messenger orders him to lay down his sword and take up the trade of a journeyman executioner. Wilkin must keep his true identity hidden while serving a mysterious destiny, and the engine of the story is his struggle to survive among nobles, rebels and royal schemers. Katey Sagal plays Annora of the Alders, and Stephen Moyer plays Milus Corbett, both figures drawn into the web of loyalty and betrayal. Across a single ten-episode season, the show moves through a case-by-case rhythm of executions, skirmishes and courtly maneuvering that builds toward a larger rebellion. Set in a stormy, mud-soaked northern Wales of political upheaval, it foregrounds a brutal, blood-soaked atmosphere with grim, earthy textures and a melancholic sense of fate. Its tone is dark and intense, its themes concern secrecy, duty and forbidden love, and it carries the feel of a gritty medieval epic. Fans of Game of Thrones and Vikings will find resonance in its violence, intrigue and outsider hero.

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