The CW’s Messy ‘Leonardo’ Is Actually Kind of Fun
It's not exactly a secret that The CW isn't a network traditionally known for its serious historical dramas. And although its Mary, Queen of Scots-focused series Reign ran for three seasons, its intense love of headbands and colorful prom gown-style court dresses could hardly be called historically accurate. This isn't necessarily a bad thing—and to be fair, I watched every episode of Reign and unironically loved it—but the show is not exactly a prestige period piece. But it does mean something like Leonardo is a strange fit for the network, a relatively straightforward historical drama starring former Poldark leading man Aidan Turner.
Granted, much like Reign, Leonardo plays a bit (okay, a lot) fast and loose with the historical record, making up several notable characters and a murder mystery in the name of entertaining television. However, at its heart, that's what Leonardo is. Look: If you're tuning in, hoping for an earnest high-end drama or character study here, you will be disappointed. The framework of the series requires a particular (read: large) suspension of disbelief to work, as it seems to think its audience is more interested in the twists of the mystery it has just created from whole cloth than any profound truths about the life of man. But, the story is undoubtedly propulsive, with a plot full of poisonings, political machinations, and betrayals. Even if you may not be able to articulate precisely why you're suddenly so invested in this made-up tale, you'll still push play on the next episode.
The show introduces us to Leonardo in two different timelines: One, in which he is a fresh-faced apprentice at the very beginning of his journey to greatness, and another, set sixteen years later, where he is a brooding, grubbily bearded prisoner accused of murdering his muse and BFF Caterina de Cremona (Matilda De Angelis) and is being questioned by an officer of the Podesta known as Stefano Giraldi (Freddie Highmore). The timelines shift back and forth as multiple figures from Leonardo's life appear to be questioned by the police and occasionally make dour or downright weird pronouncements about how the genius valued art above all other things and is unstable enough to kill someone.
