Spartcus: Blood and Sand (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

I remember him "losing" the sword in that direction, but I shouldn't have watched at 5 in the morning. I was fairly alert, but I need to watch again.

 

[mattCR]

Actually, watching it back in HD, none of them were shackled at all. They were standing at attention, with their hands in irons. The first of the brothers kills a guard, grabs his keys, and then makes to undo his bonds. Many fight in shackles and die, but many grab the keys and unchain their hands. And Peter Mensah in that scene with Crixus.. that is some wild s***. And again when he confronts asher. To use the phrase, that is one bad man.

WHERE!

 

[benbess]

Glad you like the show too!

(and thanks for the tip--I removed the sentence about Batiatus...)

 

[Greg_S_H]

Yeah, I came to it a little late, but I was instantly hooked. Anyone blind buying this will fly through them, two, three or four episodes a night. Guaranteed.

 

[mike caronia]

So glad I stuck around on this show. What a payoff. I take back any snide remarks I may have made!! ha
Can't wait to re-watch when it comes out on disc to see if the beginning was as cringeworthy as I thought at the time.
The whole season really picked up steam about 3 episodes in and never slowed down.
The finale was as intense as anything on television in a long, long time.
A shame to see the house of Batiatus and Lucretia go down like that...well, not really...but they were great characters!
Loved seeing Crixus do that to her. Cold and quick.
Numerious got his just desserts.
That slime Asher seems to have gotten away. Doctore will get him, he has to.
As did Ilythia. Cannot wait for her and Spartacus to see each other again.

Seal the doors!!! Do not let anyone out until they're done shooting season 2!!

 

[Patrick Sun]

That is how you make unbelievable violence palatable, you raise the stakes, you provide a framework where justice is served when nothing else will address such grievances. I hope fans of "Kick-Ass" will discover this show because it's far more honest in its brutality than that piece of fluffy gore-porn.

 

[mattCR]

I've watched this a couple of times since it ended, and Patrick you nailed it.. where there was violence, they made a point to say "why" and it felt like it was due.. as people figured out they had been betrayed or manipulated, the rage of the characters aided in the payback. When Varro's death was avenged "But he was mine!" or as Crixus destroyed demanded of Lucretia "Where!", Spartacus being challenged if the bloodshed was enough "there be but one more" ..

Every turn completely satisfied the viewer; you looked at it, and each moment felt as though the character earned it. That the struggle through the season to learn things - that the death of his wife was fixed, that Asher had plotted deception against the magistrate, that Varro's death was ordered by a boy because he thought it was fun.. all of those moments came to a resounding head where something simply had to give.

Still, I was absolutely shocked. I had figured in TV logic that most of the main characters would escape so they could be present in Season 2. It's a pretty damn bold move to take not one, but two of your leads and wipe them out. And John Hanna has been so damn good in his role that I really figured they'd have him escape, but nope.

You're also right on the comparison with Kick-Ass. While I enjoyed it more then you, violence just presented as it can seem pretty lifeless. It's hard to really pull for the characters because you don't understand how evil the opposition is, or you can't really go along with insane rage... so many bystanders it seems.
Here, we laid it all out. The Legitus' men were in on the conspiracy to frame Spartacus from the beginning (back to Episodes 1/2) and when put as a benefactor of them, they treated them like whipping boys, beating them frequently for no cause, only sport. The "upper class" viewed them as "not men, they are nothing" and so you felt all of those watching, were in on the abuses, a private death ordered.

They raised the stakes as high as it could go, and rather then back down from it, they really went all in. The moment in the picture above, when Spartacus leaps out of the Arena.. THAT was awesome action. Better then anything I saw in Kick-Ass or anything in a while. In part because the direction was very good, the effects were fine. But mostly because you felt as though you bought in, had invested in the character.. so as he tore up the ludus, you were cheering like hell for them to do it.

Great stuff. I eagerly await the bluray!

 

[Greg_S_H]

Somehow, I have this post above:

*Awesome* show. The last two episodes are mindblowing.

Edited by Greg_S_H - Yesterday at 10:11 pm

This was actually in the DVD/Blu-Ray forum, but I guess that thread got nuked for some reason. The author had spoiled the death of Batiatus, so I asked him to edit. When he did, I edited my post to this so there would be no further clues to what had happened. No big deal, but mine appears a stupid post when merged in here.

 

[Quentin]

That was seriously awesome.

Count me among the many who are shocked and saddened to see John Hannah and Lucy Lawless done. I loved his character and admired her breasts. But, we still have the incredibly evil Illythia (now free of any proof of her murder) and the slimy Asher roaming free. And, of course, that prick Glaba.

It's going to be tough to keep up the level of intensity they had this year for next season without the ludus to assist. But, I'm sure we'll begin getting into the politics of Rome and the presence of Crassus as well as the growth of Spartacus as a leader.

Man...the last 5 episodes of this season ratcheted up the suspense and paid off in ways I haven't seen in a long time. Some really, really good stuff from a show I considered guilty fluff at the beginning of the season.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Perhaps the use of flashbacks would enable a visit from characters who have met their demise, and the jury is still out on one of them (but it's a stretch).

 

[Greg_S_H]

With a gut wound like that in that day and age (and even today), she should be a goner. I can see any of them returning via either flashbacks or dreams/visions, as was done with Sura and Varro.

 

[mattCR]

I can see Flashbacks, especially with Batiatus, about who he contacted and promises made that got him into debt, and who now cares about what happens next now that he's gone.

 

[Josh Dial]

Amazing finale, for an utterly amazing show. I honestly feel bad for anyone who gave up on it after one episode. This just might be one of the best season finales of a show. Ever.

Spartacus threw the "rules of TV" off the cliff, that's for sure. If the entire series (barring complications in shooting schedules--I wish Andy Whitfield the best) moves at this pace, then we're in for a wild 3-4 seasons of TV. At the moment, even though the second season is moving ahead, I can see how perhaps tossing in a few early flashback episodes might help Andy get back into "fighting shape."

 

[Stephen Orr]

I was recording these but never got around to them. You guys have convinced me I need to sit down and check them out. I think they are on Netflix now.

 

[mattCR]

It starts out kind of rough. But about episode 3 on is a great ride, and the last five are fantastic.

 

[lowdefref]

I had no idea so many people disliked this show. I love it! I describe it to people as 300 meets Gladiator meets, well, porn. It's definitely a guys show. And they throw a lot of things at you that you totally don't expect. Since I fell behind on LOST this has been my favorite show this year (until I get to sit down and watch LOST that is).

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by lowdefref

It's definitely a guys show.

My fiance absolutely loves it.

 

[PhilipG]

Originally Posted by Josh Dial

My fiance absolutely loves it.

Which kinda proves lowdefref's point! ;-)

(fianc é refers to a guy, fianc ée a girl) :-D

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by PhilipG



Which kinda proves lowdefref's point! ;-)

(fiancé refers to a guy, fiancée a girl) :-D

Mistake on my part! My french teachers would be mad Though, to be fair, here in Canada we don't often make the disctinction (nor do we with divorcé and divorcée); perhaps it's laziness, or perhaps it's a silent protest to Quebec

 

[Vaughan Odendaal]

Also, just finished watching the show. Unfucking believable. I watched all 13 episodes, 3-4 episodes a day for the past 3 days. One of my favorite shows now.

Just a question. Who felt that Sparticus could have bested Krixxus (sp?) in the fight at the end ? Very dynamic evolution of 'Sparticus' being weak in battle against the gladiators to eventually becoming the greatest of all. But I thought the poisoning of Krixxus was a tad bit disappointing. I wanted both champions at their peak, not one weakened.

I believe Sparticus could have bested him in the fight without being poisoned. Although that would rob the show of a great character, I know.