Spartacus: Blood and Sand

[Samwise]

Dear God that episode was win.

    

[Ghambit]

If anyone deserves the pick of any slave in the villa, it's the writers of this show.  They gain strength with every episode. 

[waffel]

Dear God that episode was win.

     

 

I'm amazed at how well the writers are doing, too. I go into episodes now thinking "what crazy shit are they going to think up next?" and they always surprise me.

Now, if only the CGI guys could step their game up a bit...

[tgr]

I have only one word that is worthy of this episode, and that word is:

Code:

    ___        _______ ____   ___  __  __ _____ _
   / \ \      / / ____/ ___| / _ \|  \/  | ____| |
  / _ \ \ /\ / /|  _| \___ \| | | | |\/| |  _| | |
 / ___ \ V  V / | |___ ___) | |_| | |  | | |___|_|
/_/   \_\_/\_/  |_____|____/ \___/|_|  |_|_____(_)

Dear god the writers are on a fucking roll. I dearly hope they will keep this up, this is literally the best show on TV right now.

[Signe]

Just an FYI for people with Netflix and a media player or whatever.  They have the 12 episodes of this on Starz Play via Netflix.  I'm finding this media player stuff really awesome so far.  I'm in the middle of the first season of Dead Like Me and just added this series to my queue.  I've also just added all the seasons of Weeds that they have (I didn't watch this series) and the complete series of Yes, Minister.  They have a lot of stuff plus I still get one DvD at a time, but they've stepped it up around here and they always come within two days, unlike my previous Netflix experience.   

I'm not usually too crazy over shows that contain lots of hairy, sweaty fighting men (eww) but I'll give it a shot on the recommendation of people in this thread. 

[Ghambit]

I'm not usually too crazy over shows that contain lots of hairy, sweaty fighting men (eww) but I'll give it a shot on the recommendation of people in this thread. 

They're shaved.  And oiled.  It is Rome of course.

[Samwise]

We don't have cable, so I've been watching the series on Netflix via my PS3.  Netflix is so fucking awesome.  If I'd had to catch this on DVD odds are good I would never have seen it.

[Der Helm]

Not really going to help the men though. Our bisexual urges are largely limited to this and Dante's Cove.

That took a minute to process.

[Paelos]

The part with Spartacus facing Roman Legionnaires was fucking win.

Here's my hilt, bitches! 

[Ghambit]

[raydeen]

That episode was over 9000. I was really ready to completely write this series off after the first two episodes but it went from 0 to awesome so damn fast after that. And it's paced so damn well. Each episode feels like a movie in it's own right. As for the CGI, it seemed corny to begin with, now it seems...elegant. There seems to be a lot more finesse to it than in the earlier episodes.

[Ozzu]

Oh ho ho man. This last episode was such greatness. I hope the season finale will be that good. The buildup sure makes it seem like it will be.

[angry.bob]

The CG are a lot more forgivable if you think about how sickening the show would be if they were more realistic instead of cartoony. It's probably not done on purpose but I don't consider it a bad thing.

Also, fucking Syrians. Asha is way to clever for his own good. I actually find him to be the most sympathetic character on the show. All he wanted was a little friendship and respect - he did earn the brand after all. No he's just paying back what he got.

[climbjtree]

This show is better and better every week. Was that the last episode of the season, or are there any more?

[Slayerik]

Just wanted to chime in another 'best show on TV' remark.

I'm going to be a sad bitch after the finale.

[Threash]

This show is better and better every week. Was that the last episode of the season, or are there any more?

There is one more. 

[Oban]

Another great episode from a great series.

[Cyrrex]

This show is better and better every week. Was that the last episode of the season, or are there any more?

There is one more. 

I'm a very sad puppy, because after the next one we're going to have to wait a long fucking time.  I may just have to start watching them all over again immediately.

And at the rate the episodes have been getting exponentially better each week, I full expect we're going to be blown away with the finale.  I find it pretty funny that the last episode was so awesome in so many parts that we aren't even talking about it.  It's as if the amount of awesome was so great that we don't know where to begin.

[JWIV]

There's talk of doing a small spin-off since the main actor is undergoing cancer treatment right now and they don't want to leave the writers and sets completely idle. 

[Mrbloodworth]

The CG are a lot more forgivable if you think about how sickening the show would be if they were more realistic instead of cartoony. It's probably not done on purpose but I don't consider it a bad thing.

Quite sure its done to match the overly stylized feel of the show (I assume you guys are talking about more than just the blood splats), that, and some of the stuff they do...imagine matching the frames up. No, really, that isn't a cakewalk. Everything in the show has that "golden" look/shine to it.

[Slayerik]

There's talk of doing a small spin-off since the main actor is undergoing cancer treatment right now and they don't want to leave the writers and sets completely idle. 

Varro's previous life, gambling whoring, fighting? (im assuming the whoring part)

Enslavement and Rise of Crixus

The Two Brothers story

More Asha....

What would you want to see?

[Cyrrex]

This is the best show on TV, and the occasionally cheesy effects don't detract from it one iota.  Considering the sheer quantiity of CG work they must be doing, I'll forgive them.  I can't imagine this show started out with the hugest budget, either.

There's talk of doing a small spin-off since the main actor is undergoing cancer treatment right now and they don't want to leave the writers and sets completely idle. 

Varro's previous life, gambling whoring, fighting? (im assuming the whoring part)

Enslavement and Rise of Crixus

The Two Brothers story

More Asha....

What would you want to see?

Ilythia's naughty bedtime stories.

[Tebonas]

All of the above

[Slayerik]

Ilythia's naughty bedtime stories.

I think we have a winner!

[Samwise]

I vote for the story of Crixus, told as a naughty bedtime story by Ilythia and Lucretia.

[Wolf]

I just want to take a second and say THANK YOU GUYS!

Seriously after watching like half an episode one I had written this off. But this topic kept on getting bigger and bigger, so I decided to read some and that made me watch a couple more episdoes...

[Velorath]

There's talk of doing a small spin-off since the main actor is undergoing cancer treatment right now and they don't want to leave the writers and sets completely idle. 

Varro's previous life, gambling whoring, fighting? (im assuming the whoring part)

Enslavement and Rise of Crixus

The Two Brothers story

More Asha....

What would you want to see?

The fight where Ashur's leg gets fucked up and him subsequently having to learn other ways to make himself useful.

What happened to Doctore's wife.

Batiatus' childhood.  Did his father run the ludus in a similar manner, or did Batiatus become such a scheme bastard all on his own?

[Slayerik]

I just want to take a second and say THANK YOU GUYS!

Seriously after watching like half an episode one I had written this off. But this topic kept on getting bigger and bigger, so I decided to read some and that made me watch a couple more episdoes...

Same boat here, episode one was really fuckin' cheesy. The comments were up to two pages so I figured it was worth another go. Good stuff f13 :)

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, it's funny how we went from cheesy to what is probably the Best Show on TV.  I feel that we need to start talking about this in other sub-forums...just think of all the people around here who have no idea what they are missing!

[Mrbloodworth]

Most shows have that honeymoon period where all the introductions have to happen. I normally give shows about 3-5 episodes before panning it.

[Ghambit]

Once he stepped foot in the Ludus the show rocked from there (especially since there was no wife in the way).  That was only 1 episode really and even then you could tell this was something "different," between the gratuitous nudity and the execution scene which sent Spartacus to Batiatus' graces.

The Producers have to be chomping at the bit with this show's success.  Reminds me of what happened with True Blood; has a similar vibe.

[Teleku]

The Producers have to be chomping at the bit with this show's success.  Reminds me of what happened with True Blood; has a similar vibe.

The funny thing about that is that they are (much to my delight) moving the story along at a very good pace.  We are getting just about to the point where the slave revolt could happen, and they could finish up the story with all the war stuff in one 13 episode season if they wanted.  They aren't dragging things out like most shows telling a set story would.  I really hope they actually have some balls and kill the series once the story is done, instead of dragging it out needlessly (but I should know better than to get my hopes up with American TV).

Then again, with the main actor getting cancer, they might not have a choice.

[Segoris]

We are getting just about to the point where the slave revolt could happen, and they could finish up the story with all the war stuff in one 13 episode season if they wanted.  They aren't dragging things out like most shows telling a set story would.

I'm taking that as you're saying the season 1 finale starts the revolution, and then season 2 finishes the series? If not then sorry for misunderstanding, but if so then I'll just say I'm hoping this lasts for 3 or 4 seasons. Not because I want them to stretch it out, but rather because there is still a lot of story left to be told. There is another major character to be introduced while they are still in the ludas. Even if they do bring him in during the season 1 finale, the time to build up everyone's trust in Spartacus (especially a new Gaul character and Crixus) to want to work under the command of Spartacus will take some time. Well, at least if they want to keep a good pacing and not just have them say "I'm new here but I'll trust you and go with you Spartacus," or "they took my woman and gave her to Asher, even though I hate you I'll go with you" and be done with it.

For those reasons, I'm thinking 3-4 seasons to finish the story would be perfect without rushing it, especially since, iirc, there were a good number of battles during the war that should be interesting to watch how they are done. Though, sadly, I just can't put faith in the show having 2 or 3 successful season and them not wanting to stretch this out as long as they can, and thus letting the quality that it does have drop. I'm hoping they don't, but I also hope they don't cut it off with only 2 seasons either.

[tgr]

If they manage to keep this up, I'd happily watch more than 4 seasons as well. But they would have to keep the level of awesome up. I wouldn't care if they made stuff up after the main story of spartacus was told, as long as it was awesome.

And had tits wagging all over the place.

[HaemishM]

I wrote this show off from the trailers, thinking "Yeah, Gladiator done like 300." You guys interested me with all the talk of tits, specifically Lucy Lawless tits, so I put it on the Tivo and let it go. I missed the first 3 episodes, and started watching with the pits episode. I thought it was decent - a little too over the top but I'd give it another episode or two before dismissing it. Holy fuck. Somewhere along the way it got REALLY FUCKING GOOD and I can't quite pick out where it was. But by the 6th episode (the 3rd episode I watched), I was hooked. I don't think the acting is bad at all, nor is the dialogue. It actually makes me think of a mashup of Deadwood and 300 with all the gratuitous bits turned up to 11. Battiatus and the actor who plays him reminds me very much of a less cool version of Ian McShane's Swearingen character - a complete cock who somehow manages sympathy despite not really deserving it. I am actually hoping that somehow he survives the slave revolt because his character has been that compelling. The twist he gave to Solonius was masterful.

Every character has hidden motivations and agendas, and their actions are consistent with those motivations. Varo's death was gut-wrenching, as I'd really come to like that character. Crixus isn't a bad actor, IMO, but his character seemed to have no depth early - and then we get that depth as he gets removed from his throne and falls in love. The line he delivered to his slave girl love as she was taken from him at the end of the last episode was fantastic, both in the writing and the acting. The guy playing Asha has done a masterful fucking acting job at playing the cunning snake.

My original snickering at the buckets of blood spewing out of people is gone - not only am I used to it, it fits the style they've gone with. It's best use was in the fight between Spartacus and the Roman Legion before the Legatus in this last episode. That was so fucking cool. The entire episode was so full of win I don't even remember it all.

It may not be the best show on TV, but goddamn, it's close. Fringe may be the only show I'd put above it at the moment, but it'd be a close run thing. And thanks to Netflix on the Wii, I'm catching up to the episodes I missed as well.