On January 22nd, Starz debuted their newest series Spartacus: Blood & Sand. S:BS follows the adventures and misfortunes of an unnamed Thracian warrior who volunteered to assist Rome in battle only to be betrayed by the Romans. When the unnamed Thracian saw what the Romans were planning, he defied orders and raced back to his village to save his wife. Their reunion was short lived though as the Roman caught up to the Thracian and took his wife as well. His sentence for Legate Claudius Glaber was death in the arena. Sadly, Glaber did not get to see our hero die. After a brief and motivating vision, the Thracian proceeded to kill all the gladiators. This ferocious display surely meant death until Batiatus, owner of the gladiator Ludus, decided to intervene and purchased the Thracian in hopes of reversing his fortunes. Batiatus took the liberty of naming our hero Spartacus due to his fierceness in battle. Spartacus was the name of a legendary Thracian king.
At first glance, you will see a large number of similarities with the 300 film. From the CGI blood to the vicious combat, the inspiration from this film helped shape Spartacus into what we are currently seeing. I also noticed a lot of similarities with the hit HBO series Rome.The first few episodes were a tour-de-force of violence, sex and bloodshed, and many may deem these depictions as excessive. Personally, I feel that they accurately represent a time of barbarism and therefore should be depicted as such. The overall story, while considered thin by many, has potential to lead to something greater. In addition, they are creating intertwining stories between the other characters as well as the gladiators. Thus far responses for the show have been mixed, yet Starz has already ordered a second season.
I personally have enjoyed the series thus far. Howeverm there are some cringe-worthy moments which made me wince a bit due to the graphic nature of the scenes. But, much like the gladiator sport, I was entertained.
I recommend you check out one or two episodes and make your own judgment. You can watch new episodes Fridays & Sundays on Starz or Starz OnDemand. If you have Netflix streaming at home or on XBL, you can also find all the episodes there.
What do you think of this series?
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I have been watching this show from the beginning and to anyone who is on the fence, you definitely need to watch it. Like Rich said, the first episode is totally like 300, and the visuals are very cool. Eps 2 and 3 really start to build the characters and relationships. Lots of crazy sex, fighting and a story that is starting to really move. Ep. 4, which just aired this past Friday is where things get cranking and the show has become excellent. If you want to see an episode that has everything moving on all cylinders, this is it. Definitely watch Spartacus!
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