The Bastard Executioner

[HaemishM]

So apparently Kurt Sutter has a new TV project - The Bastard Executioner.

The article asks:

So what do you get when you combine the forces of Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, The Americans, The Last Ship, Penny Dreadful, and Galavant?

I'm pretty sure you'll get something that's insanely violent, terribly derivative that will sooner or later devolve into sheer idiocy.

[sickrubik]

A musical about monsters who are bikers at the end of the world?

I think I just sold myself on this idea...

[HaemishM]

So, here's a "First Look" video.

This made me even less interested in watching this than the end of Sons of Anarchy. It feels like Sutter is going to be remaking Braveheart, only from the Welsh perspective. 50-50 odds that every episode will include a horse chase, and Katey Sagal's character will get really fucking annoying about 10 minutes after her first appearance.

[Surlyboi]

Probably won't watch the second episode...

[HaemishM]

I watched the pilot 2-hour episode. Then I deleted the third episode from my DVR and removed it from the recording schedule. Someone must have sent Sutter a DVD of Braveheart. Also, Katey Sagal in a really terrible role, an episode full of trite as hell dialogue and situations that thinks it's somehow edgy or profound. You've seen pretty much everything in these 2 episodes somewhere else before, and it was likely done better.

[satael]

Just watched the first episode for The Last Kingdom. Not exactly sure why but I really liked it especially compared to the Bastard Executioner. 

[Xanthippe]

Ditto to what's been said so far.

Kurt Sutter works well when he has people who rein him in. I think he's one of those guys that the more success he has found, the worse his work becomes because nobody tells him when his shit stinks. And this shit stinks.

It's as though what he thought made the Shield or SoA good was precisely the bits that people endured for the story - glorified violence, it used to be called. Being shocking for the sake of being shocking is not art.

I've watched more episodes and it does get a little better, but it's not compelling. Katey Sagal's character is a mess. The story is a mess.

I like The Last Kingdom more.

[Triax]

It's dead now...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/kurt-sutter-cancels-bastard-executioner-841296

[HaemishM]

He's fucking delusional.

"The mythology was too dense."

No, it was because the story sucked monkey balls and was boring. Last Kingdom was a period piece with dense mythology and the writing has been tight, the acting good and has been an all-around better show.

[Xanthippe]

He's fucking delusional.

"The mythology was too dense."

No, it was because the story sucked monkey balls and was boring. Last Kingdom was a period piece with dense mythology and the writing has been tight, the acting good and has been an all-around better show.

Exactly.

Also among Kurt Sutter's problems is an almost complete lack of self-examination and inability to address criticism in a healthy way. He needs to listen to people who try to pull him in from his excess.

Also, above where I said that it gets better? It does, a little, but then he just completely goes over the edge deep into a cesspool. I won't watch another episode after episode 8. This critic gets it exactly right.