My Real Life

I know, I know…

I cut back on tv watching this year, so why on earth would I add a new show?

I’ll tell you why.

I’ve been watching a lot of my summer shows on the treadmill.

In fact, to make sure that I get on that treadmill, every day, I ONLY allow myself to watch some shows while walking on the treadmill.

So, when I finished the season finales of True Detective and Unreal, I needed something else to watch while I waited for the next episode of Suits to become live on the iPad.

I thought, “Maybe I’ll re-watch Outlander,” but, when I got to the Starz app, I saw a show called DaVinci’s Demons.

I like DaVinci.

The Renaissance is always one of my favorite time periods to teach, and I have always been fascinated by Florence and the patronage of the arts and the Medici family and the flourishing of learning and knowledge that happened during that time period.

And DaVinci?

Have you seen his notebooks?

To call him a visionary is almost an insult to his intelligence.

The man was incredible.

I can’t even fathom what we might have today if he had been born in a modern era where the technology to create the things he imagined existed.

When people ask what historical figure I’d like to go back and meet (and you’d be surprised how many people actually do ask me that question), he’s tied for first on my list.

I like Demons.

Okay, I don’t mean, I like actual demons…if they even exist.

Like, I don’t have pentagrams painted under all the beds in our house and chicken heads dangling from the rafters.

At least not throughout the whole house.

But, I like reading/watching about the supernatural, and when it is religion-related, I love it more.

I thoroughly enjoy ancient religious mystery books, and give me some Illuminati conspiracies and I am all in.

So, I thought I’d give it a try.

I was NOT disappointed.

The first episode hooked me, and I haven’t been able to stop watching since.

And, while I’d like to say this means that I’ve been working out on the treadmill non-stop, my willpower is not that strong.

Tom Riley, as DaVinci is crazy beautiful, and I mean, plays insane crazy very well…and is beautiful to look at.

The political intrigue is high, and much like I enjoyed the politics of The Tudors, I am completely sucked in by the evil Pope Sixtus and his attempts to bring Florence under his control, and out of the light that it enjoys under the leadership of the de Medici family.

It’s also got a bit of humor, and isn’t high drama all the time.

It’s like The Tudors meet Hercules and Xena…just way less ridiculous than the latter two.

The characters are all likeable, except for the evil ones, and those are the ones you love to hate.

And they are complex, because some of them…you love and hate all at the same time.

The show also works in the real sketches from DaVinci’s notebooks, and he winds up making so many of his inventions as he attempts to save Florence time and again.

It’s so good.

Like, really, really good.

Not a show for the kiddies, by any means…language and nudity and violence abound.

But, if you like historical fiction…this could be your show.