Critics nitpicked this episode when it aired. Yes, Leonardo was 25 in 1477, but he was not a swashbuckling action hero. He was vegetarian, gentle, and struggled to finish commissions. The real da Vinci did not design a bronze ball for the Duomo—that was Filippo Brunelleschi decades earlier.
But Da Vinci’s Demons never promised a documentary. It promised a myth. The showrunners explicitly state in the commentary track for Season 1 Episode 1 that they are treating Leonardo like “a Renaissance Indiana Jones.” The violence, sex, and magic are deliberate exaggerations. If you want truth, read a biography. If you want wonder, watch this episode.
The Introduction of a Genius The episode opens in 1477 Florence. We are introduced to a twenty-five-year-old Leonardo da Vinci (Tom Riley) in a prison cell, sketching the details of a fly's wing with charcoal—a motif that establishes his obsessive, observational nature. Through a series of flashbacks and interrogations by a mysterious figure, the story unfolds.
Leonardo is depicted as a brilliant but chaotic apprentice in the workshop of the renowned artist Andrea del Verrocchio. He is plagued by insomnia and strange, prophetic visions which he medicates with a "tea" made from embedded substances (later revealed to be cocaine). He is a man ahead of his time, designing prototypes for machine guns and diving suits, yet constantly frustrated by the technological limitations of his era. da vincis demons season 1 episode 1
The Commission and the Conspiracy Leonardo’s talents attract the attention of the ruthless ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici (Elliot Cowan). Lorenzo is under immense pressure to secure an alliance with the Duke of Milan to protect Florence from the encroaching armies of the Pope, Rodrigo Borgia. To secure this alliance, Lorenzo needs a gift of immeasurable value. He commissions Leonardo to create a masterpiece: a massive bronze statue of a horse for the Duke's father.
However, the political landscape is treacherous. While scouting a nunnery for a portrait subject, Leonardo encounters Lucrezia Donati (Laura Haddock), the Duke of Milan's mistress. He becomes instantly infatuated, using his knowledge of anatomy and observation to seduce her. This liaison, however, puts him in the crosshairs of the Medici family's enemies.
The Mystery of the "Hanged Man" The central mystery of the episode begins when Leonardo witnesses the public execution of a monk by hanging. His keen eye notices something odd: the monk was already dead before the noose tightened. Leonardo uses his invention—an early form of a hang glider—to soar above the city, observing the scene from above and later stealing the body to perform an autopsy. Da Vinci's Demons — Season 1, Episode 1:
During the autopsy, Leonardo discovers a golden key hidden in the monk's stomach. This leads him to a hidden vault beneath Florence. Inside, he finds evidence of the "Sons of Mithras," an ancient cult protecting the "Book of Leaves," a mystical tome said to contain the knowledge of the universe. The discovery triggers one of his intense "flashes," hinting that his own missing father may be connected to this secret society.
The Cliffhanger As the episode concludes, Leonardo is left with more questions than answers. He has defied Lorenzo de' Medici by delaying his work on the horse statue to pursue the mystery of the Book of Leaves. The final moments see him confronting the implications of his discovery, realizing that his quest for knowledge has drawn him into a dangerous game of power between the Medicis, the Vatican, and a shadowy, ancient order.
Episode 1 functions as both origin story and manifesto: it frames Leonardo as a liminal figure—scientist, artist, and seeker—whose intellectual curiosity and technical genius threaten established power structures. The episode establishes a dialectic between illumination (knowledge, invention) and suppression (political control, religious authority), using visual style and narrative pacing to position Leonardo as a modern Prometheus in Renaissance guise. He was vegetarian, gentle, and struggled to finish
The episode ends not with a painting, but with a promise. Leonardo, having escaped execution, stands on a Florentine rooftop. He looks at the stars, then at the city below. His voiceover echoes: “The future is a puzzle. And I am very good at puzzles.”
He then unfurls a canvas. It is not the Mona Lisa. It is a schematic for an ornithopter—a flying machine. As the camera pulls back, we realize he is not just an artist. He is an engineer, a warrior, and a heretic. The final shot is a burning bridge (literal and metaphorical), signaling that the Renaissance is about to explode.
