The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself
The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself
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The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself

7.3
Yr 2022
Status Canceled
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action & Adventure Mystery
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Series Brief

Overview

Caught between two warring clans, the son of a notorious witch responsible for a deadly massacre tries to find his place in the world — and his powers.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 85 /100

Critics widely praised The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself as a dark, edgy, and violent elevation of standard young adult fantasy tropes. Reviewers highlighted the show's willingness to lean heavily into mature elements—including explicit gore, dark magic, and complex themes surrounding pre-determinism and systems of power—distinguishing it from more conventional magic series.

The writing and character dynamics were heavily commended across reviews. Critics highlighted the nuanced performances, emotional depth, and strong onscreen chemistry among the leads, which provided a grounding sense of humanity amidst the show's wicked and high-stakes worldbuilding.

While a few reviewers noted minor genre cliches or occasionally rushed character arcs, consensus remains overwhelmingly positive, with critics hailing the series as a brilliant, dangerous, and uniquely compelling entry in modern fantasy TV.

“taking the safest and most cliched of genres and making it feel suddenly edgy and dangerous”

“gory deaths have rarely looked so beautiful”

“focuses on the ways that the systems of power affect children, and provides a nuanced look at identity and determinism”

“edginess... that distinguishes it from the herd of fantasy TV series”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
US • CA • UK
Netflix Standard with Ads
US • CA • UK
Why fans love it

The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself moves through familiar fantasy geography with a sharp, idiosyncratic edge. It centers on a teenager struggling to define his own nature while trapped in the crossfire of clashing witch clans. Jay Lycurgo carries the tension of this transition from isolation to agency, grounding the show as the reality of his lineage and the weight of a violent history close in around him.

The narrative prioritizes messy, authentic humanity over clean archetypes. It weaves themes of bisexuality and polyamory into the character arcs without treating them as metaphors for magic. This approach creates a rare balance where sudden bursts of gore and high-stakes spellcraft exist alongside intimate explorations of identity. The result is a coming of age story that feels restless and unpredictable.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 21
Longest run 8 eps
Jay Lycurgo
Jay Lycurgo
as Nathan
8 episodes
Nadia Parkes
Nadia Parkes
as Annalise
8 episodes
Paul Ready
Paul Ready
as Soul
8 episodes
Isobel Jesper Jones
Isobel Jesper Jones
as Jessica
8 episodes
Karen Connell
Karen Connell
as Ceelia
8 episodes
Fehinti Balogun
Fehinti Balogun
as Bjorn
6 episodes
Kerry Fox
Kerry Fox
as Esmie
4 episodes
Franc Ashman
Franc Ashman
as Reutger
4 episodes
Show 67 more
Hector Hewer as Kieran 7 episodes Misia Butler as Niall 4 episodes Róisín Murphy as Mercury 4 episodes Valéry Alteresco as Student 1 episode Kitty Anderson as Young Jessica 3 episodes Kathleen Cranham as Hayley 2 episodes Hasan Dixon as Cop 1 episode Alhaji Fofana as Jack 1 episode Scott Folan as Mike 1 episode Gus Hudgins as Fire Witch 3 episodes Laura Lake as Mya 3 episodes Sophie Lamont as Rita 1 episode Theo Mason as Young Nathan 2 episodes Daisy Maywood as Teacher 1 episode Luke Polie as Teemu 5 episodes Deka Walmsley as Steve 2 episodes Kaine Zajaz as Taylor 3 episodes Liz White as Penelope 3 episodes Tim Plester as Rowan 2 episodes Harriet Cains as Hazel 1 episode Daniel Coll as Hazel's Father 1 episode Jake Dunn as David 2 episodes Andrew Greenough as Alfie 2 episodes Billy Gunnion as Hazel's Boyfriend 1 episode Emiko Ishii as Alex 4 episodes Shereen Martin as Aoife 4 episodes Orla McDonagh as Young Ceelia 3 episodes Dylan Devonald Smith as Blood Witch 2 episodes Jermaine Young as Lennox 5 episodes Aidan Gaddass as Hunter (uncredited) 2 episodes Nina Sia as Blood Witch 2 episodes David Webber as Geoff 1 episode Emilie Largier as Nicky 4 episodes Alexander Devrient as Safir 1 episode Christelle Elwin as Ruby 1 episode Uriel Emil Pollack as Habir 1 episode Jean Baptiste Fillon as Young Fain Cop 1 episode Claire Ganaye as Marie 2 episodes Alex Gaumond as Sergeant 1 episode Thomas Grant as Clark 1 episode Priya Kansara as Flo 3 episodes Laurent C. Lucas as Jacques 1 episode Charles Nicol as Young Gabriel 2 episodes Raad Rawi as Lucas 1 episode Philippine Velge as Odette 2 episodes Niseema Theillaud as Sylvie 1 episode Éric Godon as Henri Ozanne 2 episodes Rémi Pedevilla as Zale 1 episode Olivia Brown as Lucy 1 episode Sam Gittins as Aaron 2 episodes Christian Greenway as Prisoner 1 episode Alice Hewkin as Maeve 4 episodes David Isiguzo as Bernard 4 episodes Sue Maund as Bette 2 episodes Lawrence Walker as Nolan 4 episodes Louis Walwyn as Max 2 episodes Emilien Vekemans as Gabriel 6 episodes David Gyasi as Marcus 3 episodes Joey Akubeze as Hugo 3 episodes Nadia Albina as Muldoon 2 episodes Ahmed Elhaj as Young Marcus 2 episodes Shivam Joshi as Blood Witch 1 episode Natalie Kimmerling as Ella 3 episodes Sam Newton as Camp Rep 1 episode Maks Borzemski as Blood Witch (uncredited) 2 episodes Severine Howell-Meri as Alice 2 episodes Jeśka Pike as Gill 8 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Executive Producer
Jonathan Cavendish Phil Robertson Andy Serkis Will Tennant Joe Barton Colm McCarthy
Associate Producer
Catherine Slater
Producer
Adrian Sturges Steve Clark-Hall
ADR Recordist
Antoine Pradalet
Military Consultant
Paul Biddiss
Creator
Joe Barton
"B" Camera Operator
Hannah Jell
Steadicam Operator
Hannah Jell
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

witch bisexuality gore coming of age polyamory spell
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 28, 2022
Status
Canceled
Origin
GB
TMDB Votes
171