Because Sons Of Anarchy just wasn’t hardcore enough, Kurt Sutter will now hit you in the face with something actually called The Bastard Executioner
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, September 15. All times are Eastern.
Top pick, IF YOU’RE HARDCORE ENOUGH
The Bastard Executioner (FX, 10 p.m.): You know, somewhere around the 90th or so 100-minute episode of ultra-macho motorcycle gang realpolitik—all scored by a Katey Sagal song, naturally—you’d be forgiven for thinking creator Kurt Sutter had pushed his oeuvre as far as it could possibly go. But just to prove once and for all that we’re all idiots, Sutter is back with a show that is really, honest-to-goodness called The Bastard Executioner. Like, just read this description, because it’s everything: “Set in the early 14th century, a knight in King Edward I’s army is broken by the horrors of war and vows to lay down his weapon. But when violence finds him again, he is forced to pick up the bloodiest sword of all: an executioner’s sword.” Also, Sutter himself will play a character called “The Dark Mute,” so, again, this is just peak Sutter in a way that Sons Of Anarchy could only dream of. To get a sense of the show, go read Joshua Alston’s review, which simply begins—and we honestly didn’t know this when we started writing all this—“Kurt Sutter may lack restraint.” Yeah, that sounds about right. Kyle Fowle will be back later tonight with the first of his weekly reviews.
Also noted, FOR THOSE UNSURE THEY ARE HARDCORE ENOUGH FOR THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER
Drunk History (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.): The show spotlights the history of America’s most resolutely sober of cities—New Orleans—so we’re not at all sure how it’s going to take its typically inebriated look at this famously straitlaced metropolis. Kayla Kumara Upadhyaya promises a pirate is involved, for whatever that’s worth.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 p.m.): Thanks to the show kicking off after Labor Day, it’s only now that the show has aired the requisite five episodes for Erik Adams to post a first-week review. He’ll check in later today with his thoughts on the show, which we’re pretty sure Erik would be the first to say we can absolutely and definitively judge after a little less than a half-dozen episodes.
Hey, how long is Sons Of Anarchy The Bastard Executioner overrunning this week?
Let’s dust off this section, though the answer this time is simple: As long as Bastard Executioner fucking needs to. You going to tell The Bastard Executioner “no”? Didn’t think so. Also, TV Guide claims this is running until six minutes past midnight, so, yeah, Kurt Sutter is picking up exactly where he left off.
Elsewhere in TV Club, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT AS WELL READ SOMETHING BEFORE THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER
Noel Murray is back with his latest edition of A Very Special Episode, and this time he turns his attention to House’s best ever episode, the kind of episode that reminds us why we ever bothered with House in the first place. (Beyond Hugh Laurie, who is a delight to end all delights, but he’ll always be George and/or Bertie Wooster as far as we’re concerned.)