Don't be surprised if you find yourself rooting for Crixus, even when he goes toe-to-toe with Spartacus. Crixus' story is so compelling that, for a time, Spartacus becomes a secondary character. His relationship with Lucretia brings him little comfort and he soon discovers the love of one of her handmaidens. We discover a conflicted man who lives for the glory of the fight yet is clearly missing something in his life. Crixus, who initially comes off as a brutish, mindless slave, proves to be anything but. The story of Crixus (Manu Bennett), the Champion of Capua, takes center stage in the early half of the season as his sexual relationship with Lucretia ( Lucy Lawless) is brought to the forefront. While Spartacus may be the title character, he shares the spotlight equally with many of the supporting cast. The entire season is filled with these brilliantly hatched schemes. Batiatus' machinations are reminiscent of something lifted from a Mission: Impossible episode. For example, in " Old Wounds" Batiatus hatches a plan to frame one of his competitors for a murder. From about " Delicate Things" onward, it's almost as if these vile, deceitful (yet utterly fantastic!) characters are continuously trying to top their scheming from the prior episode. Soon after, the stories shift into a complex stratagem of ruthless, power hungry Romans whose duplicity is only outweighed by their lust for power. The first three or four episodes work to introduce us to the hellish world of the gladiator giving us a very straightforward rundown of the key players and their ambitions. By far, the greatest strength of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, is in its intricate storytelling. And while there is an abundance of violence, sex and gore, it's the exceptionally told stories that eventually steal the show.Īndy+Whitfield+as+Spartacus. We're introduced to a fascinating and diverse supporting cast, some of whom develop even more intriguing stories than the titled character.
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As we are introduced to the city of Capua and the world of Batiatus' ( John Hannah) Ludus, we quickly discover that this series is much more than the mindless display of violence, sex and gore that "The Red Serpent" would have us believe. Many, including myself, were not convinced that this series would ever achieve anything more than mediocrity. Movies that some may appreciate in their own right, but give this opening foray into the world of Spartacus an uninspired feel. It's also weighed down by trying to mimic movies like 300 and Gladiator. You'll find none of the Roman political intrigue, subterfuge or any of the memorable characters that we meet later in the series.
While " The Red Serpent" chronicles Spartacus' ( Andy Whitfield) journey from noble Thracian to enslaved warrior, it lacks much of what makes this series so great in later episodes. The series' premiere episode feels detached from the rest of the series. DeKnight, Spartacus is a dark, violent and fascinating look at the life of a gladiator through the eyes of a Thracian slave seeking vengeance. By the end of Season 1, I'm thrilled that I had the opportunity to review this gem of a show. Not impressed initially, I continued to watch, giving Spartacus the fighting chance it deserved. With very little fanfare, this little gem of a series sprung up on my radar mere days before the premiere. Spartacus: Blood and Sand is one of the early surprise hits of the year.
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