Da Vinci's Demons

*** From STARZ, the channel that brought you Spartacus and Trochwood: Miracle Day a David S. Goyer {W268} creation, Da Vinci's Demons. Goyer's credits span from comic to video games and more than a few feature films; The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel (June 14) and a big film that is shooting in Nanaimo, BC, under the title Nautilus.

So what is the gist for this new eight-part series? Da Vinci, the young man,the artist, inventor, creative genius, investigator and true Renaissance man, gets himself in and out of continuous trouble with the De' Medici's that rule over his home city state of Florence, Italy in the 1470s. This is a fictional account of events, but with ties to the people and events of the time and place.

While nudity and breasts have become typical of a US cable shows, I was surprised at the degree male nudity too. In truth none of the nudity is there for the sake of nudity, people don't get out of bed fully clothed.

The story in the first two episodes is good, both written by Goyer, but the VFx (visual effects) are lacking. Costumes and sets feel right and there is a good mystery running thru the series, even some hints that Da Vinci was up to the things proposed in The Da Vinci Code.

I'm going to keep watching this series and see what the other writers do and if the intrigue can be held. Collectively I give the first two episodes a high three stars.