It’s almost scary how many great, queer streaming options there are this Halloween season. But, when we heard there was a new series that’s been described as “X-rated Harry Potter,” well, that shot straight to the top of our must-watch lists.
That series is The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, a supernatural horror-fantasy that just dropped on Netflix. It’s got witches and magic, murder and mayhem, and one sexy, queer love triangle at its core—what more could you want from your “Gay Christmas” weekend viewing?
Its story concerns itself with a British teen named Marcus (Titans‘ Jay Lycurgo), who just so happens to be the illegitimate child of the world’s most powerful (and, not coincidentally, most evil) witch. Out of fear that he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps, Marcus has been closely watched most of his life by a council of so-called “good witches.” But, as Marcus comes of age, he learns one of life’s most important lessons: That everything’s not so black-and-white.
Related: All the spooky queer entertainment to look forward to this Halloween season
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Finally out on his own, Marcus begins to uncover the secrets of his past—and the depths of his magical powers. As he’s told time and again, he may be the only witch strong enough to stop his father’s merciless killing spree. But can he bring himself to take down his own family, or will he join him?
Though based on the popular young adult novel Half Bad, the series doesn’t water itself down for younger audiences. For one, it’s extremely gory, with a high body count and characters who are frequently covered in splatters of blood (to see what we mean, watch the first few seconds of its trailer). It all contributes to a spooky, anything-can-happen vibe that truly makes the stakes of Marcus’ journey feel sky high.
And there’s also the fact that The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a very queer show, refreshingly fluid in its approach to sex and sexuality. Marcus’ two closest allies are young fellow witches, Annalise (Doctor Who’s Nadia Parkes) and Gabriel (Belgian actor Emilien Vekemans), and the series really keeps everyone on their toes by playing up the crackling chemistry between all three points on this love triangle.
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So, is it “X-rated Harry Potter,” as an early review in The Telegraph suggests? We wouldn’t got that far, but it is thrilling to see how much the series is willing push boundaries in the name of a bloody good time.
Sexy, scary, shocking, and suspenseful—all of that makes The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself an ideal binge watch over the Halloween weekend.
Watch the trailer below, and then you can check out the entire first season, now streaming on Netflix.
Prax07
Thanks for the warning. Been damaged by bi guys in my past, so not interested in seeing it play out on my tv. I’ll skip this after all.
Aaron1818
Bi guys can be challenging.
DarkZephyr
5 episodes in and I am not seeing much of a “love triangle”.
Gabriel IS gay, yes, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on between him and Nathan in a romantic sense (Marcus is the name of the “Devil” father, not the main character). The pic that suggests otherwise is a little misleading. The scene its lifted from is a lot more mundane than the pic seems to suggest.
That being said, I am thoroughly enjoying it, its definitely worth a watch and yes, it does have Gabriel as a gay character. So I guess it can be described as “queer friendly” at least.
Here’s to hoping the last 3 episodes have a nice surprise in store on the “love triangle” and “very queer” front.
DarkZephyr
So, they kinda did. lol
DarthKitsune
Watched the first episode, couldn’t even make it through the second. I hate everyone except Nathan, but I don’t care for him much either. I would rather watch The Big Bang Theory than watch children and adults alike abuse a literal child, his own sister enticed another kid to cut him, and then when it inevitably led to a knife in the chest of Nathan, she left him there to die.
Queer or not, I will not be watching that shitshow.