He Killed Many, You Bastard

Kurt Sutter created Sons Of Anarchy, which I've heard good things about, but haven't watched a second of.  From what I understand, it's about a gang of motorcycle outlaws. So it seems a bit odd that his new show, The Bastard Executioner, is set in 14th century Wales.  I just watched the first two hours and I think that might be it.

I guess I could end the review there, but let me fill you in just a little bit.

The backdrop is the struggle the Welsh are having with the oppressive British.  The title character is Wilkin Brattle, a former warrior who, due to a vision, lays down his sword, but before you know it, has to become an executioner.  There are a whole bunch of other characters, such as his pregnant wife, not to mention Katey Sagal (Sutter's wife) as some sort of healer witch with her own special accent.  There are also a bunch of men, some royal, some common, some cruel, some kind, though no matter who you are in this world, you better be ready to fight.

The drama, on FX, features a lot of violence and gore, and not a little sex, which I guess means they're going for the Game Of Thrones crowd.  You might hardly notice the difference, except GOT has compelling characters, witty dialogue and smart plotting.

Perhaps I'm not being fair.  I admit my attention flagged after the first half hour, and maybe it needed closer attention.  Perhaps, overall, the show will take the audience on a big adventure. That's fine, but I'm not going along.