Spartacus: Vengeance

[Rutabaga]

Just watched the first episode of Spartacus: Vengeance, and so far it's off to a rollicking good start. It's definitely going to take some time to get used to Liam McIntyre in the lead role, but overall I thought he did a pretty good job. I really like the fact that we're being shown that Spartacus isn't perfect, that he's capable of making mistakes, and the dynamic between him and Crixus is very promising.

The tribute to Andy Whitfield at the end of the credits make me kinda do this ----> :cry

[Crusader]

I always loved the chemistry between Crixus and Spartacus in season one. Seeing Liam fill Andy's shoes looks odd since he looks so similar to him in some scenes that you would expect him to do a certain facial expression but then you realize that it is not Andy anymore.

You can tell that Liam was not able to workout as much as Whitfield did since his breast muscles look kind of "cheerless" next to Crixus' broad chest.

[Rutabaga]

I want Asher to die the most horrible death possible, stretched out over as many episodes as possible. :shakefist

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Me too! Ashur is a great villain though, and the show needed one to try to fill Batiatus' shoes. Or rather, sandals.

The recast of Naevia is almost more jarring than replacing Andy. The two women don't really look similar to me.

I miss Andy. :cry it makes me sad to think about him being gone. So young and with a young family too. :cry

[Crusader]

OMG episode 5 was totaly badass this season.

Ironic that Gannicus saw the first and the last battle in this colloseum.
I really liked how Craig Parker solved his marriage issues with his father in law

[Rutabaga]

Best episode so far...I thought the last few minutes rivaled the last few minutes of the first season finale. Totally, totally kicked ass. :partyhard

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Season finale on Friday! I CANNOT WAIT it is going to be so awesome.

I don't know what Lucretia is going to do to retain or gain more station but I hope she doesn't end up being Ashur's wife. How awful. Not that she's not an awful person who deserves everything that's happened to her but...

This show is great at making you care for people you despise, lol. Also, poor little Seppia. Like a lamb among wolves!

[Rutabaga]

Damn, this show really knows how to do great season finales.

Dead Glaber, yay! :eee

Dead Ashur, double yay! :eee :eee

Dead, Oenomaus, boo! :cry I'd been hoping to see him with a bad-ass eyepatch next season, so he could be like the medieval version of Nick Fury. At least his death scene with Gannicus was awesome.

Dead Mira, meh. :\ She never totally clicked for me, sometimes she came across as too much of an insecure nag. But I did jump and let out a gasp when she got nailed by the axe, that was pretty brutal.

I think Lucretia's story arc came to a very satisfying end. Lucy Lawless did a great job of keeping the character skirting the edge of madness, so her suicide with the baby made sense. And since Ilithyia's barring of the doors in the first season finale led to so much of the bloodshed, it was some pretty juicy revenge. I just wonder if Spartacus will ever find out that his son is dead.

I never warmed up to the new Naevia, she was just too different from the original actress, but the scene where she ended up killing Ashur was great. On a purely female level, when she stabbed Ashur right in the junk, I cheered.

I love Crixus. :love

And although it took me a while to get used to Liam McIntyre, I think he grew into the role as the season went on. He did a good job. And I'm looking forward to season 3. :thumbup

PS - Although Peter Mensah is now gone from Spartacus, he's going to be in the new season of True Blood. Yay! :eee

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The moment where Lucretia goes over the edge was so shocking to me! And you realize that Lucretia was insane all along...WOW. Really ballsy to send the baby over with her and probably the most personally disturbing. A real 'oh shit!' moment for me.

Oenemaus - I was pretty sure he was dying tonight and I'm glad his death scene was so bad ass. And that he finally accepted Gannicus back as his brother!

Ashur got everything that was coming to him and it was good. Still wish Naevia hadn't been recast because it was harder for me to connect to her than it was to Liam as Spartacus.

All in all, fucking awesome finale. Bring on Crassus!