Rotten Tomatoes logged a 67% for the first season, but the pilot episode itself holds a noticeably higher user rating. Many fans cite the sword fight and the dungeon sequence as instant hooks.
[The Vatican (Pope Sixtus IV)] <--- Spies On ---> [Florence (Lorenzo de' Medici)] | | Employs Count Riario Employs Leonardo da Vinci | | +-----------> Secretly Intersects With <----------+
—Lorenzo’s mistress and Leonardo’s new love interest—is actually a secret agent for the Vatican. Blending Fact and Fiction
Upon its premiere on April 12, 2013, "The Hanged Man" was met with a generally positive but mixed reception from critics. It currently holds a Metacritic score of 59 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" based on 27 critic reviews.
Goyer wisely refuses to let the episode become a simple biopic. Instead, Florence is rendered as a pressure cooker of Renaissance politics. The episode introduces three distinct pillars of power that will constrain Leonardo: the political (Lorenzo de’ Medici, played by Elliot Cowan as a shrewd but vulnerable lion), the religious (the ominous Pope Sixtus IV and the sinister Inquisition), and the mercantile (Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo’s jealous master).
Lucrezia is introduced as the breathtakingly beautiful mistress of Lorenzo de' Medici. Leonardo is instantly captivated by her, and the two share a passionate, secretive encounter. However, the episode's closing twist delivers a massive shock: Lucrezia is actually a double agent. She is secretly feeding intimate Florentine intelligence to Count Riario and the Vatican, setting up a dangerous love triangle where Leonardo’s heart and mind are completely compromised. Themes and Visual Style
Meanwhile, the Vatican is monitoring Florence closely. The main antagonist, Count Girolamo Riario, arrives as an envoy of Pope Sixtus IV. Riario is a ruthless tactical operator. He seeks to crush the Medici influence and control the secret knowledge that Leonardo is tracking.
Lost half a point only because the hallucination sequence lingers a bit too long. Otherwise, a flawless opening act.
Director David S. Goyer uses unique visual effects to show how Leonardo perceives the world. When Leonardo observes a bird in flight or a mechanical gear, the film slows down. Superimposed sketches and anatomical drawings appear on screen. This styling illustrates his instant calculations and deep understanding of physics. Historical Revisionism
Unlocking History: A Deep Dive into Da Vinci's Demons Season 1 Episode 1