Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Season 2 delayed

Although Spartacus: Blood and Sand was renewed even before the first Season had aired, the filming has now been on hiatus some time.

Andy Whitfield, who plays Spartacus, was diagnosed with Cancer, and although he is expected to beat it and recover, filming has had to take a break for him to fight and recover.

In this break, producers have been considering a prequel miniseries to keep the actors and crew occupied in the interim. So, I ask, what are you hoping the miniseries will focus on?

Some suggest that a younger actor will be cast to play Spartacus, but I cannot see how this would be useful regarding the cast who remains - none of them would have a part in this life.

I hope that the miniseries will focus on Crixus and how he came to be champion of Capua, how the hatred between he and Ashur grew. If John Hannah and Lucy Lawless were not available, it would still be possible to focus on the goings on in the ludus underbelly and in the arena.

What do you think?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Kill Them All, S01E13 - Season Finale

Although many call this show a guilty pleasure, I maintain that Spartacus: Blood and Sand not only has a fair amount of depth considering it is a show which primarily showcases sex and violence, but also, even in the last bloodbath episode, used interesting storytelling techniques.

The episode begins with Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) and Crixus (Manu Bennett) beginning a gladiatorial battle to the death before the elite crowds of Capua, celebrating the prestige of Batiatus (John Hannah) and the honour of patronage bestowed upon him by the Legatus, Claudius Glaber.

Then the flashbacks begin. We see the set up of how this fight came to happen, all the foreplay of Spartacus's plans for vengeance, of Lucretia (Lucy Lawless)'s hatred and yet continued love for Crixus, of Batiatus and Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay)'s insurance that Spartacus would win the final battle, of Aurelia (Brooke Williams)'s continued mistrust of Spartacus for poisoning Crixus, of Ilithyia (Viva Bianca)'s resentment of Lucretia and Batiatus.

I particularly enjoyed the scene where Spartacus and Crixus, finally to fight to the death, shock hands and declared that in other circumstances they might have been brothers. Although Crixus would not be convinced to Spartacus' cause, he promised, should he live, to kill Batiatus one day. Spartacus promised, if the outcome where in his favour, to find and protect Naevia.

When the fight began, Spartacus was reluctant to kill Crixus. He still hoped to bring the man to his side, but Crixus would not be swayed. Batiatus' very fatal mistake was in drugging his former champion. When Crixus began to slow and Spartacus determined the reason for it, their cause became one and the gladiators loosed themselves on the terrified but useless people within the ludus.

Here, Ilithyia's revenge was taken. She left the building as soon as fighting broke out, and instructed her guards to seal all guests within. Many were her friends, whom she had invited her self, but all stayed behind to pay for the grievance she had against Lucretia.

Amid the bloodbath, certain character's had to have their death's properly attended to.

Doctore (Peter Mensah) had to be brought over to the cause, or killed. Although he had been promised freedom by Batiatus, he must have know that once the killing started, his fate was with the rest of the gladiators, and so he took sword and went after the man he blamed for all the dishonour - Ashur.

The fight, the clear dominance of Doctore, and the final appeal to honour that Ashur used to escape death were all in perfect accordance with the personalities we got to know. I am very glad Ashur survived, for I love to hate him.

Of the gladiators, some died and some lived, but only a few remained familiar to us. Of those, the two German brothers suffered the worst. The elder, always the more cautious, was finally saved by the younger in an act of bravery which cost him his life. It was the proper way for him to go - he had never been a particularly strong fighter - and it made the sacrifice of those fighting for their freedom all the more real, since it was obvious they could not all survive.

Numerius (Lliam Powell) could also not simply die. And, although he was considered a man and had cost Varro his life, the lad was only 15. Killing children must always be properly and carefully approached, and I thought his death was exactly what it ought to have been. When he was escaping the enraged gladiators, he fell to the care of Aurelia. A clear indication of how little the Romans thought about their slaves, despite the revolt, she was trusted to keep him safe. Naturally, she asked him about Varro's death, and when he dismissed the man as having absolutely no value, the little wife directed all the pain and anger she had felt over the matter, which formerly had been aimed at Spartacus, as the boy. Varro was avenged by his tiny wife.

Finally, we come to Lucretia and Batiatus. Crixus stabbed Lucretia in the womb, for he would see no child of his born from her. The cut was fatal, but she did not die immediately. She was able, bleeding, to go to her husband. He, surrounded by gladiators, awaited Spartacus. Wishing to go to Lucretia, he was prevented by the man whose wife he had killed. As Lucretia fell dying, her husband was cut down beside her. I could not help but feel some pity for these two, despite the fact that the machinations that led to their deaths were of their own design.

That Lucretia was killed, and not only that, but that she was stabbed so that her child would die, was not what I expected. The cruelty of the act, however, did not affect me as it might have done. I felt that her living, knowing she had lost her child, might have been proper payment for the cruelty she had inflicted on her slaves, even if it had not seemed cruelty to her. That she died was perhaps a kinder fate than she deserved. Still, a horrible act, even if it is not completely unjustified.

Season 1 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand far surpassed my expectations for intelligent television, as well as fulfilled my every wish from a sexy, violent show.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Revelations, S01E12

The penultimate episode of Season 1 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand has set things up nicely for a very exciting and bloody season finale, entitled Kill Them All. Are you ready for a slave revolt? I know I am!

The episode started with a little bloodshed. Batiatus (John Hannah) continued to find favour in the Gods and in men as he not only watched his former champion, Crixus (Manu Bennett), successful again, but also saw his enemy Solonius (Craig Walsh Wrightson) executed by Spartacus (Andy Whitfield). Solonius fought and died well, and his last moments were sweet as he saw the champion of his enemy promise that Batiatus' favour was coming to an end.

There was a whole lot of plotting going on this episode, too, but, while most of it was initially successful, there were aspects that the plotters did not take into consideration.

Ashur (Nick Tarabay)'s manipulations are finally coming to fruition. Not only did he get Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt), but with her his long awaited revenge over Crixus. And though Naevia had her hair cut off and is being removed from the ludus and Crixus was badly whipped for his offenses, the events force Naevia to reveal to Doctore (Peter Mensah) what actually happened to Barca. The anger over that news will not only soon be felt by Ashur, but by Batiatus as well.

Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) was even less successful. Although she had her husband wrapped around her finger, planning a proper betrayal of Batiatus and Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), she had not anticipated that they had insurance. When Glaber (Craig Parker) refused Batiatus patronage, the latter produced the hand of Licinia, whom Ilithyia had murdered. Of course, getting in bed with that much hatred is not a great idea, but Batiatus clearly does not shrink from his goals. The only concern was whether or not Glaber would believe his wife capable of the act. Perhaps he thought no one would reveal such information without it being true, or perhaps her earlier comments about the lewd behaviours that likely got Licinia killed, forced him to believe the horror. And poor Ilithyia was left behind.

Spartacus' plotting will come into play next week. This week the presence of his best friend's wife prevented him from doing anything too stupid and getting himself and the rest of the slaves in the house killed. Good thing. With the latest events, Crixus will be more likely to side with him, and Doctore now also has doubts about the faith of his master. There will be lots and lots of blood on the sands.

And that is the debate. Who will die next week? I suspect Ilithyia, Batiatus, and Ashur will all fall, but I think that Lucretia may live. I'm not sure about what place she might have in next season, but losing her would be very very sad. And now that she is pregnant...well, Aurelia (Brooke Williams) did get rid of her baby, so the writers aren't afraid of killing babies...but what was the point of getting her pregnant if she is only to die next week? We shall have to see.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Old Wounds, S01E11

Batiatus (John Hannah) is a very smart man, with great ambition, and the determination and cold heart to accomplish whatever task is necessary to get him where he wants to go. Since the beginning of the series, he has been struggling and prevailing, slowly climbing forth, and now that he seems to have everything exactly as he wishes it, one mistake will cost him everything.

The latest success of Batiatus rests completely on Spartacus (Andy Whitfield); the gladiator's winnings are his master's glories. And when the Magistrate refused to help with Batiatus's political ambition, after hurting Spartacus by forcing him to kill Varro (Jai Countney), Batiatus plans to get even. Promising Spartacus vengeance for Varro, he and Ashur (Nick Tarabay) and another man capture the Magistrate, planning to kill him.

Mid-episode, things began looking ill for Batiatus. Spartacus, planned to compete in the primus of upcoming games, fell literally ill due to an infection in the wound Varro gave him before he died. Crixus (Manu Bennett) was chosen to replace him, even though he no longer had the crowd's love and it had been a long time since he fought in the arena. If those circumstances were not worrisome enough, Ashur's meetings with Solonius (Craig Walsh Wrightson) continued. Ashur was clearly debating telling Solonius about the Magistrate; he hesitated the first time they met, but he looked to tell him the next time.

Although things looked bad, however, all of Batiatus's machinations worked out perfectly.

Crixus won his primus, promising Batiatus the choice of two champions. Ashur led Solonius to the Magistrate, only so that it would appear as if Solonius had killed him, and not Batiatus. Spartacus healed from his wounds and would fight again.

The thing that Batiatus did not count on, however, was that Spartacus would discover the hand he played in the death of his gladiator's wife. As the episode ended, Spartacus claimed to be returned to himself - not gladiator, but husband. The biggest problem for his master is that, since his wife's death, Spartacus has learnt to play the game. When he will strike and how are as yet unknown, but he will not do so with the careless rashness that he would have formerly.

I cannot wait to see the last two episodes of this season!

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Party Favors, S01E10

Spartacus: Blood and Sand started as a show devoted to sex and violence, a show that was pure candy for those who enjoyed blood and nudity. But every episode since the premiere has given more and more depth to consider.

I knew. I knew from the very beginning of the episode that Party Favors would end with the death of Varro (Jai Courtney). Perhaps it was how the episode started with his success, perhaps because he recovered his wife, or perhaps because he was back on track to making his life right. But regardless of what tipped me off, I certainly had no idea how it was going to happen.

Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) may have lost her mind, seeing the bloody body of the woman she married appear at her feet, but what's left of her senses have only taken a stronger hold to one consuming thought - bringing Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) down. Sane, she took a direct course, only wishing to cause him physical harm, but insane, she has become more clever, taking an indirect route to his destruction.

As the ludus celebrated the birthday of the son of the esteemed Magistrate, Ilithyia put an evil plan into motion. Seducing the young man, she convinced him to request that Spartacus fight Varro, instead of Crixus (Manu Bennett) as originally planned. And she also told him not to grant life to the gladiator who lost. And since Spartacus naturally bested Varro, he was then told to kill him.

Spartacus' hesitation, with tears forming in his eyes, might have been distressing for those looking on, but the choice to take his friend's life...losing his own life would not have been so horrid. Although in many ways, Spartacus can get away with a lot of things most slaves could not because he is a slave, there are still command which he must follow that he will hate.

With only 3 episodes of season 1 left, how will it conclude?

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.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Mark of the Brotherhood, S01E08

Although Spartacus has been charged with being exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness in its violence, a point well demonstrated by the opening of Mark of the Brotherhood, every episode does an exceptional job of conveying a theme.

This episode was founded in motivation: what motivates these characters, why does it do so, and what is the result?

Crixus (Manu Bennett) is recovering slowly from his injuries. Though not yet ready for battle, he feels he must prove his worth to his dominus, Batiatus (John Hannah), causing his to take on Spartacus and be embarrassingly defeated because he took on the challenge before he was ready for it. His desire to prove himself capable had the opposite effect, and had it not been for a different motivation more important to Crixus than his own sense - that of protecting a gladiatorial brother from death at the hands of a slave - he would have been sold - the exact opposite of his desire.

Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt) also acts against her desires to see greater desires answered. She convinces Crixus to show their domina, Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), his sexual prowess so that she will convince her husband not to see him. Though she would rather her mistress lose interest in their shared lover, she would rather he share both beds than neither.

Segovax (Mike Edward) suffers the worst for giving into a motivation he held higher than others. Although he arrived at the ludus fully prepared to give himself over the gladiatorial training, far more dedicated to learning the ways than Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) was when he arrived, his desire for freedom was no less strong. When promised it by Ilithyia (Viva Bianca), he attacked Spartacus whom he had up till then held in great regard. What a waste of talent and potential, but what could he do. Regardless of the promise of freedom, his domina asked something of him.

I do not, however, understand his motivation for keeping silent despite torture as to what prompted him to attack the champion. It is a strange kind of honour that has a slave protect the master that got him in the scrape in the first place.

Even Varro (Jai Courtney) explored his motivations, as Spartacus finally learnt why his friend had returned to gambling and whores. Pained by his wife's betrayal, although it was brought on by his own, he turned from her and himself, and lost himself in his former vices. Good thing he has a friend like Spartacus, who knows the pain of having lost a wife, to keep him on course.

Only Spartacus has unclear motivations. As Crixus put it, he is playing the part of champion, and doing a good job of it too, but he does not understand or believe in what he is doing. When Crixus saved him from Segovax, he could not understand why his enemy would help him. To Crixus, it is quite simply, a brother should not let a brother be killed by a slave, even if that brother is hated when he is named. Spartacus clearly still has much to learn, but perhaps that is alright, as I'm not sure that we want him to conform.

And so, Spartacus: Blood and Sand continues to deliver more than what first appeared to be the whole of the show. Do you watch it for this depth, or is the sex and violence what brings you back again and again?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Great and Unfortunate Things, S01E07

The first thing anyone things of when they hear the name Spartacus is "I am." And I certainly would not expect those words to never be used in a television based on the character. However, to end the episode which marks Spartacus (Andy Whitfield)'s transformation from the Thracian he was before to the gladiator is is now with him yelling "I am Spartacus" to a crowd driven into a frenzy by the battle he just won is...well it sets a strange precedence.

Of course, him taking on the name, which up until now he has categorically rejected, shows his willingness to be a new man. I can't say I'm not thrilled that he is finally going to accept his fate; I was a little tired to the stupid decisions he kept making in his defiance. I wonder how much longer it will take him to learn to play the game, or if he will never succeed at it, and that is why he must start a slave revolt.

And while Spartacus' change signifies a change in the direction of the series, other plot lines carry through. Ashur (Nick Tarabay) put himself in a very difficult position over the death of Barca. Particularly in that Pietros did not die too. Those who knew Barca find it hard to believe that he abandoned his lover, and, if Doctore (Peter Mensah) continues to pry, they may discover that that was not in fact the case.

But what will be the result? Will the blame be on Ashur, or will the other gladiators rise against the dominus since their loyalty is repaid in blood and death?

Where do you think this new path that Spartacus is carving will take him?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Delicate Things, S01E06

This episode of Spartacus was rife with betrayal and deception, and was so well crafted that I did not know who was telling the truth and who was lying until everything was said and done.

Although I have never liked Barca (Antonio Te Maioho), I could not help but pity him in this episode. Though I might pity his lover, Pietros (Eka Darville) more.

Barca made a bet with Ashur (Nick Tarabay), which he won, and Ashur certainly did not expect to have to pay. And since he could not, and did not wish, to pay, Ashur came up with a different solution.

The confusion was over whether Barca killed the little boy whom Batiatus (John Hannah) had told him to kill. Barca told Pietros that he had not, which Ashur overheard. Then, news reached the ludus that the boy was still alive, and when Batiatus cleverly confronted Pietros on the matter, he was told this fact was true. By all accounts Barca had betrayed Batiatus is the worst possible way.

To save himself, Batiatus had Barca killed, only to learn moments after that the boy had in fact been killed in the first place.

I knew that Ashur had arranged so that Batiatus would learn that the boy was still alive, but I had not realized that he was lying about it. Money is, has been, and always will be worth killing for, and people who make large bets cannot forget it.

But I feel the worst for Pietros. Ashur has him believing that Barca abandoned him because he cost too much, but if he knew the truth, that his words to his master caused his lover's death, the pain would be greater.

Meanwhile, Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) was planning a great escape when his wife, Sura (Erin Cummings) was returned to him. I was horrified the entire episode, concerned that Spartacus would get them both killed with his rashness, annoyed that he had yet to learn gratitude and patience. And what did we get in the end? Batiatus brought him Sura, just in time for her to die from injuries she incurred en route. What a bastard! Spartacus should kill them all.

But what happens now? Spartacus no longer has the recovery of his wife to look forward to, no longer has his wife to live for. How will Batiatus keep his loyalty now that his reason for anything is gone?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Shadow Games, S01E05

Again, despite the violence and sex that permeates the entire concept of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, relevant and emotionally poignant subject matters are addressed with sadness and irony.

Yes, as I watched Shadow Games, I had to wonder how these gladiators kept their beautiful smiles when at least once a week Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) gets hit in the face, spraying blood and teeth. How many teeth can these gladiators have? And how do the manage, with so many shots to the head, to retain any sense of intelligence. Or perhaps it is this jogging of Spartacus's memory that has helped him keep his sanity after the trials of the pit.

But hits to the face were hardly the focus of the episode. Instead, love and children dominated the forefront.

Spartacus, as is quite obvious, does everything he does for the sake of his wife. That he holds on to her love so strongly may well be what saves him, though what is in fact happening to her has yet to be revealed to us. Crixus (Manu Bennett), perhaps impressed by this devotion, or perhaps confused by his recent development of affection for Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt), has begun to take after Spartacus. Rather a dangerous course of action for either to take. Yet Crixus becomes more and more likable despite his continued rivalry with Spartacus.

And while their love for their women kept them focused and alive in this episode, Batiatus (John Hannah) was consumed by the threat to his own life, and neglected his wife.

Poor Lucretia (Lucy Lawless). In many ways, she is flawed. Beyond flawed, one might even say, but her desire to have a child and her self-loathing for her failure are truly palatable. The tragedy for her that her husband is not at home for the hour when the priestess's medicines should help her quicken is made worse for us by the knowledge that he is out on a bloody business. As he kills an entire family, including a young boy, his chance for an heir slowly disappears.

How anyone can't feel for a woman trying so desperately to conceive is hard to imagine, but to watch her choose to let the moment pass so that Crixus might be strong, so that he might survive the battle ahead, that she is willing to make such a sacrifice for a man already alive...that is powerful. The question, though, is why she made this choice. Does she love Crixus so much that she would choose him over a child? Or was the idea that the child would not be her husband's enough to dissuade her when Crixus did not immediately rise to the occasion? Or perhaps Lucretia does not feel that she deserves children?

I eagerly anticipate seeing where the choices that were made will lead these characters as the series continues.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - The Thing in the Pit, S01E04

Is Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) cursed by the gods? It is quite possibly so. After all, his wife was taken from him, his village destroyed, and he ended up as a gladiator with far too much pride and not enough intelligence to be successful. And yet he lived and lives.

In The Thing in the Pit, Spartacus fights men in what looks like an underground fighting ring. The pit, as it is called, pits beast against beast, for to be in the pit causes an insanity that destroys most of what it means to be a man. Luckily for Spartacus, his sanity was never intact to begin with. His continued visions of his wife, and the inspiration to kill them all which he receives from her - a lovely gift from wife to husband, I must say - had him on the brink of a different kind of insanity long before he began fighting in such a way as to lose his own humanity.

And so he stays sane, and with purpose. Well, that is, I'll call it sanity that he promised Batiatus (John Hannah) that he would die in the pits so that his master would have the coin to save his wife. His life has no meaning but her, and if his death is the means to save her, so be it.

Unfortunately, when the wager should have been won, Batiatus is set upon by assassins, and Spartacus, knowing that with his master's death, his wife will never be found, must live so that his master may also. And yet, in doing so, he undoes everything that the both had intended.

Is that a curse from the gods, or a disguised blessing?

Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) continues to fascinate as well. She is proud, and she enjoys the pleasures Crixus (Manu Bennett) gives her, but she loves her husband too. Yet her relationship with Crixus cannot simply be called lustful, since she was genuinely pleased with the gift of a necklace which he gave her. The idea that he might love her is a source of happiness. And her pride is often piqued by the current constant failures of the man she married.

Yet, for him she sells her jewels, and not to those who would dishonour him. Nor can she stand the idea of being left a widow, or being forced to marry another. Batiatus and Lucretia may not have the kind of affectionate and lustful love which Spartacus and Sora (Erin Cummings) share, but it is not less deep and real.

And so, amid the gratuitous sex and violence, which is excessive to the point that I turn away and would not eat while watching the show, a solid and interesting story line persists. Is that why you watch? Or is it for the blood?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Legends, S01E03

This episode of Spartacus was aptly named. The primary focus was the telling of stories of how Spartacus (Andy Whitfield)'s fellow gladiators earned their fearsome reputations.

In this, I found the graphics in the ring perfectly fitting. Though I have complained about the ease in which the gladiators removed limbs in combat, the difference between the fight sequences taking place in reality and the ones taking place in the imaginations of our heroes while they describe the legendary battles were distinct. The fogginess and exaggeration was there, but it was superseded by fear.

The idea of Barca (Antonio Te Maioho) fighting his people to the death, and finishing with one-on-one combat with his father, is not only gruesome, but also explains why he's as cruel as he is. To do that, even for your own survival, your mind can hardly stay properly grounded in reality, and no idea of compassion can remain in you.

Crixus (Manu Bennett)'s battle gave me far more terror. The images of the two insane men he fought, dressed in animals skins and more beast than man, struck fear even before they attacked. I felt his reputation earned by those images alone, and though Spartacus was not able to see them, his arrogance in disregarding them was hard to stomach.

The humility that he felt, not only in his fight against Crixus in which he should have died, but afterwards when he realized that it was too late for humility, was well earned. One can only hope that now he will make wise choices, and realize that brash bravery based on nothing will not win him his wife.

I am glad that he lost, and that he learned humility. I thought for certain that he would win, and kill Crixus in the ring, and that just after I had started to like him. Unlike Barca, we have seen a human side of Crixus. His feelings for Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt) might originate out of a sense of lust and of power, but what he wants is what Spartacus wants. A woman he can love who loves him. Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) does unman him; she has the power in their relationship, and he is obliged only to please her and to act please himself, even if he is not. The appeal of a relationship where both are there from mutual affection, now that is a goal he cannot easily obtain.

I am glad that Crixus did not die, and that Spartacus will hopefully get his head on straight from now on. But only time will tell how well everything will work out (with the expectation, of course, of how the entire series must end). What are your thoughts?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - Sacramentum Gladiatorum, S01E02

Which is better - fake gratuitous sex and violence as watched on shows like Spartacus, or the real thing which the Romans indulged in at his time? Or, what does it say about our society, in comparison to theirs, that we watch as much of it, but are less involved because it is all fake?

That there are so many shows on right now which remind us that we, like Rome, find ourselves floundering in a society so full of desires and expectations. What has become of community, of family values, of morality? What has become of decent hard work, and pf actually producing something? No wonder we are caught in a recession, and yet, for those who weren't already fighting financial difficulties, what difficulties do we encounter? We are certainly not close to starving to death!

What is it that we do not have? Video games or movies we want to buy, a house that is larger than we need anyway? And entire new wardrobe?

When was the last time that anyone we knew, even one person, found survival to be their priority? We sit, every day, thinking of how we can make money, of how we can get what we want, and of how we can accomplish that without having to do very much ourselves. Crop failure and drought are still a problem for our farmers, and if they happen, then we are annoyed at the higher cost of food, but, in Canada, in the States, there will not be a food shortage.

We aren't sitting idle by as Haiti is in crisis, but we have no idea of what that would be like. How many of us could survive such a thing, how many of us would have a clue what we ought to do?

And then there is an unnamed gladiator, called Spartacus (Andy Whitfield), who wants nothing more than to battle against the difficulties of the elements with his wife at his side. His wife who is a treasure to him, more important than anything, including his own life. He is the hero, our hero, and yet don't we identify far more with the Romans that with him? Certainly, he is suffering an injustice, but were we there, we would not see it. We would consider that he had wronged Glaber (Craig Parker);however, now, enlightened as we are, we would not think it right that his wife suffer for his crimes, nor that he should have to battle to the death because of them.

Still, perhaps the judicial system would not be in such difficulty if our criminals earned us money by fighting to the death in pay-per-view matches, rather than costing us to shelter, feed, and rehabilitate them.

What are your thoughts?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - The Red Serpent, Pilot, S01E01

Spartacus: Blood and Sand as been called 300 + Gladiator, and that isn't wrong given that the filmography takes after the first, and the plot is not so very different from the second. Still, I think I will enjoy the story at least as much as Gladiator, even if the imagery misses the 300 standard.

Blood and Sand is an appropriate title for this show, where gallons of computerized red blood splashed across the screen from every sort of injury. Though some of the fights were pretty cool, and I particularly enjoyed the face that Spartacus (Andy Whitfield)'s wife, Sura (Erin Cummings), also knew how to wield a weapon, I could not help laughing in the final battle as Spartacus used a gladiatorial short sword to lop off the limbs of his adversaries as if their bones were made of butter.

I know, we've seen if for years and both the silver screen and the small one, but you need a really, really sharp blade with a whole lot of force behind it to accomplish that task. And once you've done it once, your blade will have dulled enough to make doing it a second time rather difficult.

But I will not dwell on the fighting or the graphics, which varied between cool and cheesy, or the plot, which varied between the two as well. Enough people have weighed in with the contrasting opinions that they really like it or they really hate it. Instead, I want to examine the relationships between the husband and wife pairings of the three main couples.

Spartacus and Sora are, as expected, the perfect couple. They love each other, both with a violent physical passion and with a terrible depth of emotion. And though their sex scenes did not quite meet the 300 standard of Gerard Butler and Lena Headey, it was pretty intense.

Still, all they want is to be able to love a quiet life together, undisturbed by violence, raising crops and children.

Glaber (Craig Parker, whom you might recognize as Haldir from Lord of the Rings), a Roman commander, has an equally passionate relationship with his wife, but they, as a couple, have a far different goal. They both seek glory. Glory for him means glory for her, and that goal supersedes any other driving factor in their relationship. Not that Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) does not love, or at least lust, for her husband. I very much get the impression that she had a great deal of choice in her husband, and she picked Glaber over any already successful man because she did have affection for him, physical or otherwise. Still, she expects him to deliver that success, and his recent failure, which both blame on Spartacus, hurts them.

Despite the greatest amount of affection, their relationship is undermined by their inability to achieve their goal, and Ilithyia will likely continue to hurt their chances of success because she undermines her husband rather than supporting him.

Finally, Batiatus (John Hannah!!!) and Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) are a Roman couple who actually understand the nature of their marriage. It may be that there is also physical passion there, or that Batiatus would be jealous of any dalliance of Lucretia's, but that was not apparent in the premiere. Instead, they seemed as business partners, both intent on the success of the Gladiators and thus their livelihoods. Lucretia, unlike Ilithyia, understands that any power and standing that she has comes from the success of her husband; therefore, she wants to build him up, as well as his business. This marriage may not be based on the love and affection of the previous two, but in the face of adversity, unlike Ilithyia and Glaber, and much like Spartacus and Sura, they aren't likely to self-destruct.

So what were your thoughts on the premiere itself? And on these three couples?