You Really Should Watch The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself

This series is quite remarkable because in a world where witches are basically super-powered, it manages to keep everything grounded. The Bastard Son & the Devil HImself is considered, paced out quickly with efficient storytelling and has just enough special effects to get the magical point across. It explores cruelty and horror without looking away from just how shitty teenagers can be. It comments on class with a light touch, and seems to ignore race in favor of clan distinctions. The subtext of this series is very much buried amid the action scenes, but considering how little respect this series got during its release it’s probably for the best that Joe Barton, the showrunner, writer, and executive producer, decided to be straightforward with the conflict.

When I say that The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself is a brutal series, I’m not exaggerating. Nathan is frequently beaten up, bullied, and kept in a cage during basic training, Annalise’s power is gorey to the extreme, and Gabriel’s whole childhood was more or less that of an indentured servant, gaslit and manipulated into serving as Mercury’s boy Friday. There is the threat of being overwhelmed by the horrors that these characters experience, but in between the action and loss, the series finds time to give out moments of kindness amid the cruelty.

That’s the real meat of this story-the tendons of connection and love that strengthen the trio of main characters in their convictions against the systems of power. Although Annalise and Nathan hook up pretty quickly, in the fumbling, awkward, first-timer romps of teenagers, Nathan’s clear attraction to Gabriel becomes the real will-they/won’t-they of the series. The show doesn’t make a big deal of Nathan’s bisexuality, his two love interests, or the fact that he’s surviving because of the fact that two people love him, but it makes it clear that this three-way relationship is supportive, kind, and in stark contrast to the way other relationships are portrayed. The polyamorous trio of teens genuinely care for each other, without jealousy or possessiveness, and it’s a wonderfully pure storyline amid all the brutality.

Honestly, The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself is one of the best new Netflix shows that you’ve never heard of. You really should watch it. Straightforward and morally complicated, some of the greatest parts of this series come from the character’s developing their own relationships and dealing with the consequences of their imperfect choices, often forced on them by circumstance. Well-made and wonderfully brutal, the series elevates the source material and creates a touching queer love story amid the horrors of war.

The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself is currently streaming on Netflix.

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