The story of Spartacus is known to most people and Showtime has done a great job telling their version of the classic tale. Now in its final season, the series gears up for the beginning of the end for Spartacus and his revolution.
Check-in to Spartacus: War of The Damned, with the iPhone Movie Countdown Clock App.
Check-in to Spartacus: War of The Damned, with the iPhone Movie Countdown Clock App.
In Episode 2, we saw Spartacus and his band of warriors take a Roman city for their own, using the supplies held within to feed his hungry men. We also saw the seeds of what will certainly become a larger division for Spartacus and his people, when he chose to spare some of the Roman citizens and keep them as prisoners.
Episode 3, "Men of Honor", sees Spartacus struggle to keep the peace as he digs in tight to his newly conquered city, as many of the freed slaves thirst for Roman blood, specifically that of their prisoners. At the same time, Spartacus makes a deal with a band of "pirates" who used to deal with the Romans, but who are clearly equal opportunity thieves. A deal with these men could help to keep his soldiers fed as the reserves within the city are running low. Our fearless leader also struggles with his own ranks, as they see any Roman left alive as a waste of air, while Spartacus does not wish to spill unnecessary blood.
Many miles away, Marcus's army prepares for war, while his son looks to make his mark on the battlefield. His boldness may prove to be his downfall when what he perceives to be an opportunity to strike down Spartacus, winds up costing the lives of his men.
In the following episode, "Decimation," many of the seeds that were laid in the previous two episodes finally bare fruit, first with Spartacus and his men. The over abundance of freed slaves seeking sanctuary within the city walls brings the threat of starvation for the warriors as well as the possibility of infiltration, which occurs when Caesar poses as a freed slave in an attempt to kill Spartacus from within. Still, many of his men wish to see all Romans killed, regardless of reason. Spartacus, now seeing that his revolution is starting to slip away from him, is barely able to keep the peace.
Back with Marcus's legion, the calculating leader finally arrives, ready to deal out harsh punishment to his son's battalion for retreating during their earlier battle with Spartacus, and disobeying orders. A very harsh lesson is learned here and no one, not even Marcus himself, benefits from it.
The most interesting thing about Spartacus, aside from how it's produced (think 300 meets light Shakespeare with a dash of Deadwood), is the moral questions it asks. When Spartacus began, his thirst for vengeance and justice was enough to rally those to his cause, but with each victory his soldiers blood lust increased while his own has diminished. Now he faces the choice: continue on his bloody path at the cost of his soul, or aspire for more than spilled blood. Time will tell how the show will handle his downfall, but one thing is for sure, it will be epic.
