Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Whore, S01E09

We move from the overtly violent world that Spartacus: Blood and Sand takes place in, and focus on its sexual side. But, have no fear, that sexual side still had a very violent aspect to it.

Licinia (Brooke Harmon), the cousin of the very wealthy Marcus Crassius, wishes to sleep with one of the gladiators of the house of Batiatus. Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) is only too pleased to help her to such a venture, providing her with a mask so that her lover may no see her face while he gives her great pleasure. Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) decides that she too now wants this pleasure, and, likely out of a sense of revenge for Lucretia's new friendship with Licinia, she picks Crixus (Manu Bennett) as her lover to be despite her knowledge of Lucretia's preference.

The result was the greatest temper tantrum a woman has ever thrown. If I had any doubt about the depth of Lucretia's feelings for Crixus, they were certainly banished from my mind.

And Lucretia is not one to be slighted. She arranges Ilithyia's night of pleasure, but gives her Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) instead. Their mutual disgust upon discovering whom they have been bedding was so clearly apparent on their faces, and Spartacus' lack of control as he wrapped his hands around her neck reminded us that despite his subjection, the memory of his wife still holds some sway.

What I was not expecting was what happened next. Licinia began to laugh at Ilithyia. The embarrassment of the entire situation, completely apart from Licinia's own plan to bed the gladiator, was too great a burden for Ilithyia to bear upon the emotional pain of discovering she had been pleasured by Spartacus. Something inside her broke, and she attacked with such violence as may be expected from women in that world. I think all woman should take it as a great warning - when a woman feels cornered, she is as dangerous as any man.

I can't say what will happen next; I did not see this coming. But I did love that Batiatus (John Hannah) apologized to Spartacus, his champion but also his slave, for having had him bed Ilithyia. And Spartacus, with the perfect composure of the champion he is trying to be, responded in such a way as to almost make one think that, had only he known who he was to bed beforehand, he would have done the same thing, only he would not have tried to kill her afterwards.

Whether this murder, which ought to be so easily hidden, will be the undoing of the house of Batiatus, I cannot say. But I am very interested in seeing where the rest of the season goes.