Some great reviews for Da Vinci's Demons season 2 episode 3 'The Voyage of the Damned' have been appearing online.
As the third chapter in an ten part series, this felt like a good gear shift into the further adventures of these characters. Tom Riley also got to shine in this episode in a way he hasn’t been able to for much of the season. Here, besides his excellent Ritson impression, he revisits the charming egomaniac that was in the forefront of the first season, and his arrogance at the end of the fight was a great return to form. ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’ seems more in line with serials than the great dramas of the day, but at the end of every episode, the measure of success should be if it makes you want to watch the next episode right away. By that standard, tonight’s episode was a smashing success. Screencrush
The most obvious thing the episode has going for it is da Vinci himself, who is at times equally hilarious and genuinely impressive in his capabilities as a Renaissance man. Admittedly, I was completely duped by the opening scene in which Leo is posing as Riario, with his signature sunglasses and a downright hipster fedora. As a sight gag, it’s brilliant. As a plot device, it’s just as good, showing how clever Leo can be in a pitch and how that’s sometimes not enough. More impressive, however, is da Vinci’s world’s-first submarine. Both Leo and Zoroaster kind of can’t believe the thing works (and when you see it on the screen, you most certainly can share that feeling). Sound on Sight
Leonardo impersonates Count Riario, and it may be the best thing I have ever seen in my life. Examiner.com
“Anyone gullible enough to be duped deserves it.” Thanks Amerigo Vespucci- that’s basically everyone on the planet & in the world of Da Vinci’s Demons! And let me say the beginning of “The Voyage of the Damned” consisted of some brilliant duping and my favorite moment of Da Vinci’s Demons so far. If every episode was Da Vinci pretending to be Riario it would be riveting. Cheers Tom Riley. TV Equals
One of the most amusing scenes in the entire series took place in Da Vinci's Demons Season 2 Episode 3. Da Vinci doing his best imitation of Count Riario was absolutely brilliant. Tom has got Blake Ritson's voice and mannerisms down to a science. TV Fanatic
Another stirring episode that is afraid to be silly at some points and dead serious in others. Some new players bring the intrigue as we look forward to Da Vinci’s adventures at sea. Den of Geek US
Da Vinci pretending to be Count Riario was a hilarious start to the episode. Those glasses must be easy to come by and that hat was a perfect mockery of Riario’s Renaissance Hipster look. The voice was a nice touch as well... ...“The Voyage of the Damned” is a packed episode that introduces and expands upon a lot of new plotlines and characters for the upcoming season... ...Nevertheless, there is plenty to be excited about. IGN
A new interview with Tom for Assignment X has been shared online has details about the sword fight between Leonardo and Alfonso in 'The Voyage of the Damned'. Snippets below - read it in full on the website.
AX: Is it difficult or fun playing somebody with that much upfront ego?
RILEY: Both. Because it’s been fun knocking him off his pedestal in Season 2. I enjoy that. I enjoy trying to show the vulnerability behind the arrogance. But yeah, it’s certainly fun. It’s fun to play the smartest guy in the room, and then it’s fun to suddenly not be the smartest guy in the room any more. But it’s also difficult, because you want to be likable and you want the audience to invest in the central character and not be put off by the fact that he can achieve anything just by looking at it. It’s a balance.
AX: Did you have to work on how to convey that he’s figuring out something just by looking at it?
RILEY: I think really hard in those scenes [laughs]. I said it [before] – I’m just trying to remember my lines, and that’s maybe fifty percent true. It is hard, but a lot of the script does it for you, and that beautiful da Vinci vision look that they have, where we go into his mind, we see the sketches, and that covers anything that I’m not bringing through my eyes.
AX: How much does he worry about his effect on other people?
RILEY: Not enough. I think he begins in this season, certainly. Last season, he didn’t really care about the effect, the consequences of his behavior on the people around him. This season, the consequences of his behavior are going to start affecting him, and then he’s going to start thinking, “Oh, maybe I should reevaluate how I see things and how I behave.” So yeah, it’s a change.
AX: Leonardo gets into a lot of altercations. How much did you know about sword-fighting and punching and rolling and ducking before you got this job?
RILEY: Not as much as I do now. Fortunately, I went to a drama school in England called LAMDA [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art], which had a specialized course on stage fighting. So I sort of came to it with a foundation that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t been to that school. So that did make it easier. I got better because we trained and trained, especially those difficult sequences. We’ve got a four-sword fight in the third episode [of Season 2] that we spent hours on, Kieran Bew, who plays Alphonso, and I. That was a really hard fight, because it goes like a rocket, there are so many moves and it’s so quick. We’ve both got two swords, both ambidextrous. Not easy. Lots of bruised knuckles.
AX: What’s been the most physically uncomfortable thing you’ve had to do as da Vinci?
RILEY: Oh, well, that’s every day. I’m constantly in a harness, I’m constantly wet. I do a lot of riding in the final episode of Season 2 that’s really hard riding, galloping, and that was tough on my thighs [laughs]. So there’s always something.
