As the sixth episode of Leonardo begins, Stefano (Freddie Highmore) approaches Leonardo (Aidan Turner) to ask if he stares at the wall like it is a painting. Leonardo claims the room is not a prison and he can see all the way to the horizon. Stefano admits he saw the fresco and it captivated him. He felt like he was sitting at Christ’s table. Leonardo tells him about the trick of perspective. The strange thing about a vanishing point is that there are dimensions and it cannot be measured. Leonardo tells him he is chasing an invisible point, but Stefano pleads with him for something because they’re going to hang him otherwise. Leonardo says he was chasing the truth although he was chasing it all the wrong way. He was blinded by his ambition and was ready to sacrifice anyone who got in his path. It was a path that led him to darkness. Although Stefano might be glory when he looks at the wall, Leonardo sees emptiness.

That is why he came back to Florence. He entered an even darker world. Stefano wants to know more about the darkness that led him back to Caterina. Francesco Giocondo (Lorenzo Adorni) tells Leonardo that it is good being back in Florence. They have a new villa in the countryside that looks empty so they want to commission a portrait of his wife, Lisa Del Giocondo (Maria Vera Ratti). When Leonardo says he isn’t taking on any portraits, Francesco admits he was hoping he could persuade him otherwise. Leonardo asks Lisa to sit so he can look at her face and in her eyes before saying he’ll need to begin by making some sketches. They agree to start the day after tomorrow. Once they leave, Leonardo tells Salai (Carlos Cuevas) Lisa is an interesting subject. He is reminded he is late for his meeting with the Gonfaloniere. Leonardo meets with him and they discuss The Last Supper. They want Leonardo to create a public work of art that will rival The Last Supper.

The Gonfaloniere was thinking about a sculpture to adorn the city square. Leonardo admits he devoted his life to The Last Supper and it left him empty. He doesn’t want to confine himself to another major work and he has already been commissioned for another portrait. Leonardo apologizes to him. Later, he begins sketching Lisa’s portrait. He learns that Madonna is in mourning for her daughter Lucrezia who left them when she was only six months old. As they talk about her, Lisa asks Leonardo if there is something wrong. Leonardo apologizes for saying he isn’t sure he knows how to paint him. If he is going to paint her, he must see more than her outward appearance. He needs to see who she really is and her soul. Leonardo says God took her child, yet she continues to smile. She claims she is grateful for the time she had with her. She goes on to say suffering brings you closer to God. Leonardo only sought to get close to God’s truth through beauty. She suggests he might be looking in the wrong place.

Lisa says there is only one truth we mortal can hope to know and it is love. Later, Salai thinks Leonardo is having difficulty painting this woman because she looks too much like Caterina. He believes they’ll find her if she is in this city. Piero Soderini (Corrado Invernizzi) meets with Lieutenant Ramiro (Claudio Castrogiovanni). Piero says they’ve heard about his conquests since half of Romagna is under his protection. Ramiro admits his master Cesare Borgia has a hobble vision of bringing together the warring factions. Piero knows he wants to install himself as ruler, but Ramiro claims his ruler only wants peace. Piero accuses them of burning and looting towns as well as stringing men up to achieve their goals. Ramiro informs him that Cesare requires each city living under his protection to pay him 30,000 florins. There is another alternative. Leonardo learns that Cesare Borgia asked for him by name. Piero tells him that Borgia has great plans for his court at Imola.

He recommends Leonardo take up service as his court engineer for a while. When Leonardo admits he isn’t interested, Piero tells him Florence desires peace with Cesare and he could be the architect of that peace. He will not charge them 30,000 florins if Leonardo joins him in his court. Leonardo can prove to the world that he is a great artist and a great engineer. Leonardo returns and tells Salai that he turned down a new offer for work before Salai reveals he found her. Leonardo goes to the place where Caterina de Cremona (Matilda De Angelis) is working to say he has been looking for her for months. Leonardo apologizes and admits she was right about his ambitions destroying him.

He was stupid and blind so he wrote to her many times trying to explain. Caterina tells him she is working like the other women here. This is the way most people live instead of staring at the skies for a living. Leonardo tells her about his new studio and how he needs her there because nothing is the same and he can’t paint. She accuses him of only coming because he needs her and not because he cares. Since Leonardo wants it to be the way it was, he pleads with her to come with him. Caterina tells him she can’t be what he wants. While she returns to work, Leonardo goes to the studio where Salai asks him what is wrong. Leonardo tells him to pack their things because they’re leaving. 60 miles north of Florence in Imola, Leonardo follows Ramiro into the palace. Leonardo meets with Cesare (Max Bennett) and thanks him for saving his painting.  He tells Leonardo he needs a great mind like his.

Cesare shows him how the Santerno River runs beyond their walls. If they were attacked, they would have no water. Cesare wants Leonardo to bring the water to him. He is offering him the greatest canvas he has ever painted. Later, Salai is thrilled to flop down onto a feather bed. Leonardo and talk about Cesare who is young and conquered half of Italy. Leonardo calls him a visionary. Leonardo is introduced to emissary from Florence, Niccolo Machiavelli (Davide Iacopini). He makes sure Leonardo knows to come and ask him if he needs anything during his stay. Salai tells Leonardo he is different since he came here and even smiled this morning. Leonardo walks through the water while saying it can have its own personality. Instead of fighting it, they should use its energy to divert it. He believes they can build a second channel from the banks straight through to the city walls. Leonardo shows Cesare his idea and explains he’d need 40 days and 40 men.

They’d make a trench using the walls of the Red Fort right under the sluice gate. Then, water will be diverted along the canal. Cesare says Leonardo has not disappointed him. When Leonardo says it was an honor to serve him, Cesare says diverting the river is just the start. Once Leonardo sits with him, Cesare says the walls of the Red Fort are old so they would never withstand a siege. He wants to redesign them to strengthen their defense. After Leonardo says it might take months or years, Cesare asks what he has in Florence to go back to. Leonardo is told to draw up the plans and start by mapping the city. Ramiro tells Cesare that the soldiers are ready for the drills tomorrow. Caterina goes to Leonardo’s studio only to find he isn’t there. Lisa arrives moments later and learns the same. Caterina notices that the sketches are meant to be Lisa who says Leonardo was having trouble capturing her image.

Caterina admits he had the same problem with her when she was his model. She says he has a peculiar sense and can see suffering in people’s faces. Caterina believes he can’t understand the suffering she has gone through. Truth gets in his way. When Lisa asks, Caterina admits they used to be friends. Caterina tells her good luck before sitting down to write a letter. Leonardo gets upset while sketching the city because it doesn’t seem like a true depiction. Some of the buildings are missing since they’re obscured. Salai tells him to calm down, but Leonardo says he wants to do something right when he does something. When Leonardo notices the birds above him, he suggests he will need to draw the city from the air. Salai jokes he is getting crazier by the minute, but Leonardo seems to have an idea. Leonardo says it is impossible to see with God’s eyes when you’re connected to the earth. He says there are eight sectors and they will measure each one step by step.

Leonardo builds a machine that allows them to measure perfect distances. As they work, Salai thinks the people seem frightened and there is something going on they don’t know about. The feeling of living in this city is what is missing from his parchment. They spot a man sharpening an ax before they’re approached by Machiavelli. He takes Leonardo inside and asks how long he intends to stay here. Leonardo learns that Florence has sent him there so he can study Cesare. He needs to know what threat he poses and if he harbors plans to invade their city. Leonardo was sent here to appease him, but he is now getting in the way. Once Leonardo gives him one success, Cesare will expect another and another. Leonardo promises to leave once he finishes his work, but he doesn’t think Cesare will let Leonardo leave so easily. When Leonardo shows the map to Cesare, he is told he has never seen anything like it before.

Leonardo shows him the defenses he should build to make his fort unassailable. Cesare believes something is up so he asks Leonardo who doesn’t have time to answer. Ramiro interrupts to say Duke Guidobaldo da Montefeltro wants an audience with Cesare who says it is two toads trying to balance on the same log. Leonardo follows him out to where Cesare tells Guido that he doesn’t see his 30,000 florins. Guido says he brings nothing and demands nothing. He has a son and wants him to have a future instead of growing up in a war-torn land. Cesare tells him to surrender his arms to live in peace. Guido says he will respond in kind when a man raises a sword to him. He recommends a truce so they can both lay down their arms. Borgia tells him he reeks of weakness. When Guido pulls out a sword, the archers come out causing him to hesitate. Borgia warns him to go back to his valley and wait because he is surely coming for his whole family.

Niccolo wonders if they should’ve waited until the defenses were built, but Cesare believes his courage will be enough. When Niccolo leaves, Cesare tells Leonardo that men like that will try to outrun their own shadow. Leonardo tries to explain that he wants to leave and return to his studio only for Cesare to say he’ll build him a studio here. Caterina writes a letter to Leonardo apologizing for pushing him away. She didn’t think she wanted him back in her life, but she was wrong. A man ambushes Leonardo outside of his room and forces him to call for Cesare. Leonardo uses the shadows on the walls to alert Cesare to the presence of the assassin. When the assassin comes after Leonardo, Cesare kills him. Ramiro promises to tear the city apart to find the traitor. Cesare says they must attack so he wants weapons and engines of death. Leonardo claims this is not why he same. Cesare believes he has made him into a God so he cannot forsake him. Leonardo tells him he wishes to go home.

Cesare tells him they are the same and don’t need the things that others need. They don’t need love when they can inspire awe and fear. He offers to let Leonardo go home if he designs a weapon that will slaughter a hundred souls. Later, Salai wakes up and learns that Leonardo is building him weapons of war so he can regain his freedom. Leonardo falls asleep working before he is awoken by a man telling him Cesare wants him. Leonardo joins Cesare who is preparing to sacrifice his most loyal soldier Ramiro so everyone will know he is willing to do the unthinkable. They watch as the execution is carried out. Cesare says cruelty has its value before walking away. Leonardo doesn’t think they’re the same at all. He rushes over to Niccolo to talk to him about the execution. Leonardo wants him to help him escape but soon realizes that Niccolo admires him. Niccolo admires that he is unclouded by the thought of conventional morality. Leonardo promises to never get in his way again if he gets him far away from here.

Later, he writes to Caterina to admit what she said about him was true. He ran to Imola to escape himself and because he hated the man he had become in Milan. He tells her that he has linked himself to another tyrant who has no intention of ever letting him leave. Caterina visits Piero da Vinci (Robin Renucci) and his wife to tell them about Leonardo being in trouble. She wants his father to help Leonardo get back home. Caterina pleads with him not to fail Leonardo again before his wife tells her to leave. The next day, Caterina tries to talk to Piero about helping Leonardo. Leonardo’s father arrives and goes inside to meet with Piero. Leonardo shows Cesare the 25-meter-long ballister he has designed. Although Cesare calls him a genius, Leonardo admits he is not proud of this.

Cesare asks Niccolo if he thinks he can afford to let Leonardo go. He worries it might not work, but Niccolo believes the threat that he might use it matters more. Niccolo recommends sending Leonardo back to Florence to tell them about his deadly creation so no one will ever dare breach his walls. Leonardo is given permission to leave so he goes. Niccolo is surprised Cesare let him go. Cesare shows him the 30,000 florins that just arrived from Florence. Leonardo visits Caterina who lets him in. As they hug, Caterina admits she was afraid they’d never release him. He wants her by his side, but Caterina says there are many things he doesn’t know about her. Leonardo tells Stefano that ambition can destroy a man’s soul. He heard the guards saying Stefano’s promotion depends on getting his confession, but Stefano isn’t going to put him on the rack because he wants the truth. Leonardo asks him for pen and paper so he can write his confession.

He thinks all the evidence and witnesses point at him so he will hang regardless of what he says. Stefano eventually goes to get pen and paper. Francesco (Alfie Rigby) approaches his mother Caterina who tells him he needs to go.

 

Leonardo Review

Leonardo’s story is quickly unfolding as he transitions from one patron to another and designs more masterpieces. In the present, it seems Leonardo is ready to give a confession to Stefano since he believes he is going to hang regardless. He got entrapped by Cesare Borgia’s snare until he created him a weapon that could crush 100 souls and it also appears that his father and Piero Soderini helped. Caterina was integral in his escape and seems ready to go with Leonardo. The episode had some interesting moments such as Leonardo and Salai surveying the city so he could create an accurate map.

There were some good performances as well. Max Bennett was fun as the unhinged ruler intent on keeping Leonardo prisoner. Despite this, the series still seems to be lacking in certain categories. It sometimes feels like Leonardo is a side character in a show named after him because the actual side characters are often stronger and more intriguing. The murder mystery doesn’t add a whole lot to the series and maybe even detracts from it since the show is regularly jumped back and forth.

The episode was just okay because we knew the risks to Leonardo will low thanks to the present-day scenes with Stefano. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Leonardo can be found on Reel Mockery here. We appreciate any support from our visitors. If you wish to learn how to support us, click here.