Spartacus: Blood and Sand

[Evildrider]

[Cyrrex]

I have no words to adequately describe it.  Best season finale of the best show I've seen since...maybe ever.


My biggest fear for this show, other than Whitfield's medical issues, is that it's so niche that it won't get the credit it deserves.  Or that it even gets (gasp!) canceled as a result.  Does anyone know how well the show actually performs?

Anyway, fucking win.  It's going to feel like an eternity before we get anything new.

[lac]

Hah!

[HaemishM]

So much fucking awesome.

[Tebonas]

The German Bros are new Gladiators, it would be hard to incorporate them into a Prequel about the Ludus.

[raydeen]

I don't know if I want a sequel. The ending was perfect. Just like the first Matrix movie. They didn't need to spoil it with two more movies. Let it end and let us imagine the rest. Do another story about another character if needed, but that ending was perfect. Sublime.

[Threash]

I don't know if I want a sequel. The ending was perfect. Just like the first Matrix movie. They didn't need to spoil it with two more movies. Let it end and let us imagine the rest. Do another story about another character if needed, but that ending was perfect. Sublime.

You know its not exactly a made up story right? and it clearly does not end here.  This show was better than Rome, there i said it.

[raydeen]

I don't know if I want a sequel. The ending was perfect. Just like the first Matrix movie. They didn't need to spoil it with two more movies. Let it end and let us imagine the rest. Do another story about another character if needed, but that ending was perfect. Sublime.

You know its not exactly a made up story right? and it clearly does not end here.  This show was better than Rome, there i said it.

I must admit I don't know the story. I inferred from one of the earlier episodes that this Spartacus was given the name/title of the original hero of the original story. If there's more story to be told, great. I just don't want to see the show suck after such a great first outing. Expectations would be high. I would not see them dashed against the rocks below the ludus.

[Ard]

This show was better than Rome, there i said it.

I was just thinking that same thing when I finished watching the last episode.  Especially since they spent all those episodes building up the intrigue as if it was going somewhere long term, Rome style.  I think I prefer this sort of resolution to dealing with scheming bastards personally.

[Tale]

Especially since they spent all those episodes building up the intrigue as if it was going somewhere long term, Rome style.  I think I prefer this sort of resolution to dealing with scheming bastards personally.

Knowing the history, I've been watching the entire series expecting it to end this way. It's all about a slave revolt, so to me the intrigue was about building up the reasons for the revolt and who would side with whom. And the initial revolt is only step 1 in the story of Spartacus.

[Ghambit]

How is it that a mere obscure cable TV show has the best melee combat scenes in cinematic history?  Seriously, I have not seen better save for a few Samurai Sunday scenes, which are mostly just acrobatic Wushu.  The fighting in Spartacus is just grossly real and visceral, and the most well done of anything ever imo.  It's not Matrix-flashy (although many moves are subtlely slowed down so you dont miss anything), but it really brings you into the fighting - to the point you cringe and hold your own guts... making sure they're still there.

I cant for the life of me recall a better TV show, let alone a better season finale of any show... ever.

Maybe HBO will grow balls and fashion "A Game of Thrones" after Spartacus... and hopefully that keeps us satiated until season 2.

[Bunk]

You know its not exactly a made up story right? and it clearly does not end here.  This show was better than Rome, there i said it.

It was better than Rome ended up being, because as great as Rome was initially, it fell apart when they new the series wasn't going to contiue and they had to drastically change the pace of the show. The strength of Spartacus so far has been in how well they've paced it and gotten so much story out of the episodes.

Stop and think about all the characters and everything that has happened in this series so far. Then realize, it's only 13 episodes.

[Ard]

Knowing the history, I've been watching the entire series expecting it to end this way. It's all about a slave revolt, so to me the intrigue was about building up the reasons for the revolt and who would side with whom. And the initial revolt is only step 1 in the story of Spartacus.

I was more talking about all the stuff they were building up with Battiatus, Lucretia, and Illythia, and how it all ultimately came to naught prematurely.

[Ghambit]

[Evildrider]

[Tale]

What?

[Cyrrex]

What?

[Mrbloodworth]

[Bunk]

[Mrbloodworth]

[Slayerik]

A great finale to an amazing season. Hope Sparty fights through the cancer.

[MrHat]

I was actually sitting on the floor the whole episode, like 2 feet from my TV.

That was fucking awesome.  I'm so glad they went through with it.

[Wasted]

[Segoris]

I was actually sitting on the floor the whole episode, like 2 feet from my TV.

I feel this quote is the best compliment a TV show can get. Stating that the show is so great that its tractor beam of awesome is too strong to pull away from, even for the purpose of getting a comfy seat.

Nice edit, without the [/s] it just felt kind of wrong. Sadly, that quote was so close to a perfect fit too.

[Ceryse]

I'm surprised this show isn't more popular as it has.. everything. Tits, ass, cock, fucking, blood, death, plot, etc., etc..

[Wasted]

Nice edit, without the [/s] it just felt kind of wrong. Sadly, that quote was so close to a perfect fit too.

I misheard Siciliian for Syrian in one episode somewhere and it stuck and I kept comparing him to the genius in The Princess Bride in my head. I was reading up on the show some more after the post and saw my mistake.  Fucking Syrian.

[Paelos]

Holy fuck, I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30 minutes. That had to be the most expertly satisfying finale I've ever seen in a TV show.

[shiznitz]

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.

We do not know if this show is actually successful. We just know that we love it. Plenty of shows loved here have not been commercially viable.

[Riggswolfe]

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.

We do not know if this show is actually successful. We just know that we love it. Plenty of shows loved here have not been commercially viable.

It's been renewed for 2 more seasons I believe so it must be successful enough.

[Teleku]

Well, I know they were renewed for the second season even before the first season aired.

[shiznitz]

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.

We do not know if this show is actually successful. We just know that we love it. Plenty of shows loved here have not been commercially viable.

It's been renewed for 2 more seasons I believe so it must be successful enough.

I am not trying to shit on it. I am just wary of extrapolating this very narrow sampling of opinion into something it isn't.  I have mentioned this show to several professional male colleagues that are married and in their late 30-early 40s and no one had heard of it. I only found it because of this forum.

[Slayerik]

Weird, I had the opposite. A lot of people that I wouldn't have expected to have watched it, or heard about it, had.

[Draegan]

There is so much win in this show.  I will buy the DVD set for sure.

Edit:
Spoiled it.  Sorry.  Animated gif of the last episode.

[Slayerik]

You should spoiler that I'd think...

[Segoris]

Thanks for that