Spartacus: Blood & Sand; a Review – By Miss Bunny

It is very rare to come across a decent TV series these days. UK soaps like Corrie and EastEnders are just massive piles to recycled shite with depressing story lines and one dimensional characters; they really aren’t for me. I’m not saying that the people who watch them religiously are depressing and one dimensional…or maybe I am! In my opinion (which is after all what this article is about) they are an overly sanitised and dramatic portrayal of life in the UK, and a giggle is a rare treat in the never-ending stream of rubbish storylines. I much prefer the light-hearted (and sometimes darkly genius) exports from the US. The best ones have to be Family Guy, the Big Bang Theory & My Name is Earl. Family Guy is simply amazing, end of story. It’s dark, funny and sometimes totally sick. It must be the first and only animated series that makes you think ‘wow, they very nearly crossed the line there’. It has a massive cult following and as the years pass the quality of the animation and the plots is only getting better and better. The other two programs; The Big Bang Theory and My Name is Earl are much more light-heated, and in the case of The Big Bang Theory; utterly and completely genius. Both programs have a stellar cast, funny story lines and you really learn to care about the characters. I have a massive soft spot for Earl and for Sheldon and I really care about their lives and how they interact with the other characters, they are easy to love. This is something which you cannot say about any of the people who frequent the Queen Vic or the Rover’s Return!

Baring all of this in mind, I was very intrigued when I first heard about a new US show called ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’. Filmed on location in New Zealand; Spartacus is the story of a Thracian soldier who joins a Roman auxiliary unit in order to defend his land from an enemy tribe. After the Roman’s betray him and his people, the Thracian (who will later be named Spartacus) leads a mutiny against the Roman commander and returns to his wife to find his village burned to the ground. He then goes on the run with his wife, but is quickly tracked down by the Roman commander and condemned to die in the arena as a gladiator. His wife is ripped from his arms and taken into slavery.

I won’t tell you any more of the storyline because I don’t want to spoil it for you! But seriously, go and buy/download it now because it is awesome! As a qualified archaeologist with a keen interest in ancient Rome I knew I would love this before I laid eyes on the first episode. I can even forgive the multitude of historical inaccuracies, such as the type of armour the Roman soldiers wear (this would not have been worn until AD something or other, certainly not BC), and the fact that Batiatus (the lanista) even considered breaking into political office. None of that spoilt Spartacus for me in any way. There is something for everyone in this series; an exciting plot, good actors, excellent character development, sex, action, blood and guts! An action-packed, mile-a-minute historical drama with gorgeous actors and a sexy (very nearly pornographic) twist! What’s not to like?

The great news is that following on from the massive success of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the network decided to move forward with the project and make a second series. Unfortunately the star of the show; Andy Whitfield (Spartacus) fell ill with cancer, so while he received treatment they created a six part prequel called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and are filming the third season- Spartacus: Vengeance as I type this. Sadly Andy is still ill, so was unable to return to the series and the role of Spartacus had to be recast. So far all of the tiny bits of information I have gleaned from Googling ‘Spartacus: Vengeance’ suggest that the new actor; Liam McIntyre, is doing a great job of filling Andy’s shoes. I literally can’t wait for the new series to be released at the beginning of next year!

Keep your eyes peeled for my follow up review of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena!

--Miss Bunny x