We’re introduced to Lorenzo de’ Medici (Elliot Cowan), the Magnificent ruler of Florence. Unlike the benevolent patron of history books, this Lorenzo is sharp, cynical, and pragmatic. He commissions a play mocking the rival Pazzi family. Leonardo, invited for his reputation, arrives late and proceeds to mock the Medici’s artistic pretensions. The tension is immediate: Lorenzo needs Leonardo’s genius, but hates his insolence.

, this Da Vinci is a charismatic heretic seeking to "set knowledge free" in a world where thought is controlled by the Political and Mystical Plots