‘The Bastard Executioner’ Season 1: Episode 3
In the premiere episode, Lee Jones’ character avenged the murder of his wife and unborn child, by killing the ruthless tax collectors.
The first two episodes of The Bastard Executioner that aired a week ago played like a sprawling epic with a ton of exposition into this new world in 14th century Wales. Sharpening a knife as his wife returns, he asks how Wilkin is.
Now thatThe Bastard Executioner’s Wilkin Brattle has taken up the titular mantle, it’s time to get to work. She is also the college sports writer at The Record and The Saratogian in upstate New York. He’s more interested in what she knows about his past life. Who would’ve thought the father had it in him? “Lost”, Annora says. “Full of doubt”. She takes his hand and sees a bunch of kids play-fighting. I think he had a blast on King Arthur and there’s part of me that’s grateful I didn’t completely crush his soul by the end of our show.
“At least he listens to the witch.”
Get ready for more drama and gore.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group is forced to head out into the woods to look for Ash, who has disappeared while hunting rabbits for their food. They need each other.
The episode starts with Wilkin and Annora practicing cutting dead animals open. Stay tuned. Tucked inside is a stone nose, probably from the statue of the Baron. And they will take back their country. And actually, not only is Lady Love compassionate, but she’s also smart and incredibly observant, pulling a total Sherlock and deducing where the girl is from just by, like, y’know, the curve of her earlobe or some nonsense. She uses logic to know where the girl is from, and seeks out her mother to talk about the Welsh/English relationship.
The girl is a tough one, and even after Wilkin removes one of her finger nails, she doesn’t say a word. She’s a rebel too. For the most part, you really had to travel from village to village to make a living.
The village woman says she doesn’t know of any Wolf. That gets him talking, on the condition that his mother doesn’t find out.
Episode three, “Effigy/Delw”, focuses on a rebel that Baroness’ (aka Lady Love) men capture. The girl’s brother was not as unbending, leading the team to the rebels weapon supply (and putting Wilkin in the first of many awkward situations between the Baroness and The Wolf). Finally, the Baroness makes her plans and ventures off to the church to meet with Wilkin to hand over the orders.
“We all live a past life good Maddy.”
While Wilkin contemplates punishing the girl, Petra comes back to haunt him yet again.
He runs to Annora and asks if she can see his demons. We all see you, Fr. Ruskin. Love asks if the troubles were youthful prank or rebel attack and we finally learn what to call the Sword-Daffs – the Byth Encil. “You must decide”. I would assume it’s the same snake Annora had. As the boys ride off, she sneers and says she holds for no one. “We make our own demons”, she tells him, because of course she does.
By the end of the episode, Wilkin and his friend talk with some soldiers. Now, Brattle finds himself under a new name and alongside a family not his own in the very place that has caused him the pain he still suffers in his dreams.
The Bastard Executioner wastes no time creating division between the “feminine” leadership of the Baroness Lady Love and the “masculine” leadership of Chamberlain Milus. The subsequent power struggle between Milus and Wilkin will obviously be one to watch, but I’m curious to see how far Wilkin is willing to bend for Milus and what kind of political manoeuvring Milus has up his sleeve when it comes to climbing the ladder without the baron around.
Before the beheading, Milus warns Wilkin not to step on his toes. A man who’s just, y’know, nice?
Milus: “Gawain Maddox serves the baroness”. “Wilkin Brattle belongs to me”. You got some stories to tell.
“I’m so sorry”, Wilkin breathes. “A deep secret can cut both ways”. Wilkin’s having a hard time controlling himself.
“A judgment forced by obligation”, she tells Wilkin, who is less than enthused by her decision (which wasn’t revealed to the audience). “The Reeve will live”, says Wilkin. “His devil will die”.