Da Vinci’s Demons : The Maddening, Brilliant Blueprint for a Renaissance Superhero
In the golden age of “prestige television,” we were spoiled with anti-heroes, dragons, and methamphetamine. But nestled between the political machinations of Game of Thrones and the gritty realism of Breaking Bad was a strange, swashbuckling gem that tried to answer a question nobody else was asking: What if Leonardo da Vinci was actually the world’s first superhero? Da Vinci-s Demons
For the first two seasons, the mystery of the Book of Leaves —a pre-flood archive of ancient science—drives a thrilling global chase. Leo travels from the sewers of Rome to the temples of the Incas (yes, really) and the caves of the Middle East. The show argues, rather beautifully, that the Church suppressed science not out of malice, but out of fear that knowledge would make man equal to God. Da Vinci’s Demons : The Maddening, Brilliant Blueprint
Watch it for the flying machines. Stay for the scream in the Sistine Chapel. Forgive it for the rushed ending. Because for 30 glorious hours, you will believe that one man’s imagination is the only revolution that matters. Leo travels from the sewers of Rome to
Created by David S. Goyer (the mind behind The Dark Knight trilogy and Blade ) and aired on Starz from 2013 to 2015, Da Vinci’s Demons is not a historical biopic. It is a gonzo, glorious, and gloriously messy historical fantasy. It is Assassin’s Creed by way of Sherlock —a fever dream of clockwork ornithopters, labyrinthine conspiracies, and a Florentine genius who fights the Pope with a tank built out of church bells.
8/10 (Perfect first two seasons, messy final act).