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[hermit7]

Great episode, and season overall.

I honestly think that I may prefer this to season 1. The pacing though fast allowed for a lot of character growth, and Gannicus was a fantastic addition.

I think having him heavily involved in the second season will take some pressure off of the new Sparty because it gives them another sure thing almost. I look forward to seeing if there is any fallout between Onamaeus and Gannicus regarding his wife.

 

[Burger]

Re-watched episode 1 of season 1 last night, and suddenly it doesn't seem as bad as when I first watched it. Lot's of green screen work though. Seeing Batiatus and Solonius meet at the senator's house was amusing.

"That man has fingers in all the proper assholes" lol.

 

[Evolved1]

Reviews:
- Onion A|V Club

For all those that couldn’t get over Gannicus’ likeness to WWE’s Shawn Michaels, that mid-arena missile dropkick probably didn’t help.

lol.

 

[Noshino]

Great episode, and season overall.

I honestly think that I may prefer this to season 1. The pacing though fast allowed for a lot of character growth, and Gannicus was a fantastic addition.

That's one of the best parts though, Season 1 took care of creating the backstory for most of the characters, so on GotA they didn't have to put much effort on that.

I think having him heavily involved in the second season will take some pressure off of the new Sparty because it gives them another sure thing almost. I look forward to seeing if there is any fallout between Onamaeus and Gannicus regarding his wife.

Well, the setting has changed, that fact alone takes a lot of focus out of Spartacus (and pressure off the new guy)

 

[jett]

Camelot's first ep was pretty neat, looks like it has potential.

 

[charsace]

Camelot's first ep was pretty neat, looks like it has potential.

Starz is really underrated. Crash and Pillars of the Earth are good and Spartacus is one of the best shows I've ever seen.

 

[Jayayess1190]

I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THE EPICNESS BESTOWED UPON ME. Frickin' amazing. Bring on Season 2!

 

[Kabuki Waq]

Funny thing:

While watching the last fight, the big dude just kept yelling, trying to show off, screaming

I was watching with my mom who loves the ever living shit out of this show, I said out loud "stop screaming like a jackass, or your jaw is gonna get fucking broken fool! (the big dude)", my mom was like Gannicus = bye bye :lulz, I'm like "woman don't you dare say anything bad about Ganny", then the Jaw Replacement Surgery happenes, and I did the biggest U MAD!/Troll face ever to my mom, who was pissed (she <3 Crixus/Sparty)

Ran around the house screaming THIS IS SPARTA...CUS! for 5 minutes to annoy her, was fun

Good lord so many good shows lined up for Spring

The Borgias
Camelot
Game of Thrones
(So Excited!)

you watch this show with your mom?!.......


........

 

[Mrbob]

Wait...what the heck!

Spoiler

Lucretia is going to survive the attack at the end of season 1? This is stretching it Starz.

 

[Noshino]

Wait...what the heck!

Spoiler

Lucretia is going to survive the attack at the end of season 1? This is stretching it Starz.

Spoiler

it was mentioned a few months ago (I believe before GotA even aired), they even spoiled Gannicus fate on GotA by saying that he would appear on Season 2 as well :C

 

[Stinkles]

Wait...what the heck!

Spoiler

Lucretia is going to survive the attack at the end of season 1? This is stretching it Starz.

If you were enjoying delicious sushi and they ran out of Toro, and the Sushi chef said, "The dock is behind the restaurant. I can go get some more of that catch because the captain is still there, or not bother. Oh and that ship isn't coming back here, ever." What would you want?

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Doctore's objection to the Pits in season 1 ep 4 with the mention of Batiatus' father is so different to see now after GotA. This re-watch is so good.

 

[kingdaddy157]

EPIC!!

I have told my friends to watch the show because of reality it demonstrates of Roman times (Sex, Wine and Blood)

 

[Kabuki Waq]

if they were going to cop out and bring someone back from the dead it should have been Batiatus. He really was the main character of the whole series so far.

 

[PSGames]

I thought it was obvious she was still alive. He only cut her enough to kill the unborn child.

 

[Stinkles]

if they were going to cop out and bring someone back from the dead it should have been Batiatus. He really was the main character of the whole series so far.

Agreement, good Waq. But since I care not one whit to see balls dropped from trouser, yet yearn for Xena teat fallen from toga, I capitulate.

 

[Monocle]

if they were going to cop out and bring someone back from the dead it should have been Batiatus. He really was the main character of the whole series so far.

Lucretia has that whole thing going on with Illythia, which got double tasty in the final episode of Season 1. I'm glad it'll continue in Season 2.

 

[Recon]

if they were going to cop out and bring someone back from the dead it should have been Batiatus. He really was the main character of the whole series so far.

Its not a cop out, batiatus throat was slashed, lucretia was barely stabbed in the stomach.

 

[The Storyteller]

This turned out pretty damn great, I had my reservations at first, but it developed some really great new supporting characters and managed to add a lot to the already existing ones. I'm happy we'll be seeing more Gannicus too.

Lucretia has that whole thing going on with Illythia, which got double tasty in the final episode of Season 1. I'm glad it'll continue in Season 2.

Plus they developed her into a far more complex character in the miniseries, it should be interesting to see where her character goes in season 2 (she has lots of people she needs to take vengeance out on, I guess it's a question of who she'll go after first).

It should also be really interesting to see how season 2 turns out overall, they pretty much have to reinvent the show in so many ways: brand new setting and the loss of the main catalyst of most of the plot - Batiatus, are the major changes. It'll truly be a test for the writers, more than the miniseries as proof that the first season wasn't just a fluke.

 

[hamchan]

Gods of the Arena showed Lucretia is much more snaky than Batiatus, so I think it's a good idea to bring her back.

 

[Clevinger]

Wait...what the heck!

Spoiler

Lucretia is going to survive the attack at the end of season 1? This is stretching it Starz.

The creator talked about how originally he was adamant that she wouldn't. Then he said he thought up a storyline for her that he just couldn't resist.

 

[squicken]

Man I took the advice of this thread and watched that Camelot stream. Holy shit it's bad. Like last couple seasons Tudors bad. Or Pillars of the Earth bad.

I'll give a try, b/c Spartacus started so poorly. All that vamping by Fiennes, Purefoy, and Green, I thought was terrible. Sex scene was hot though

 

[Chris R]

Hey now, pillars of the earth wasn't that bad :<

 

[RiccochetJ]

Just watched the final episode. Holy shit that was good. I want a prequel to the prequel dammit! More Gannicus! More Quintus! More Lucretia! More Barca!

Spoiler

I want to see Barca in a proper fight! At the end of the show with all the splendor that surrounds it!

Maybe they will do these short seasons in between to whet our appetite?

 

[ZephyrFate]

Man I took the advice of this thread and watched that Camelot stream. Holy shit it's bad. Like last couple seasons Tudors bad. Or Pillars of the Earth bad.

I'll give a try, b/c Spartacus started so poorly. All that vamping by Fiennes, Purefoy, and Green, I thought was terrible. Sex scene was hot though

Spartacus has one terrible episode, the first one. Every other episode after is amazing.

 

[Kak.efes]

Man I took the advice of this thread and watched that Camelot stream. Holy shit it's bad. Like last couple seasons Tudors bad. Or Pillars of the Earth bad.

I'll give a try, b/c Spartacus started so poorly. All that vamping by Fiennes, Purefoy, and Green, I thought was terrible. Sex scene was hot though

Your opinion is shit, and I'm now willing to give Camelot an opportunity in spite of it.

 

[bathala]

Spartacus has one terrible episode, the first one. Every other episode after is amazing.

this.
the first two episodes of Spartacus are not as good as the rest. So I'll give Camelot a few more episodes

 

[squicken]

Wow lots of Pillars defenders here. It was pretty poor. At least 3/4 of the actors were comically terrible.

Also lots of rose tinted glasses for S1 of Spartacus. The first 3 episodes of Spartacus S1 were pretty bad (first 2 are downright terrible). It wasn't until episode 4 were we all were going "hey this is kind of good" after he survived The Pit

 

[Amir0x]

Wow lots of Pillars defenders here. It was pretty poor. At least 3/4 of the actors were comically terrible.

Also lots of rose tinted glasses for S1 of Spartacus. The first 3 episodes of Spartacus S1 were pretty bad (first 2 are downright terrible). It wasn't until episode 4 were we all were going "hey this is kind of good" after he survived The Pit

Yeah Pillars was really bad. That was poor form. And yeah, first 3 eps of Spartacus S1 almost made me give up the show forever. I was shocked at the turn around after that - I've never seen a show so mystically about face into the realm of high quality in so short a time.

I wonder if there was a point in the development when the writers of Spartacus realized that the show was going to have to be more than poor CG gore and backgrounds and chicks with their tits out every five seconds and slow mo sword slashing every two seconds. If there was such a moment, it started with episode 4.

 

[Pkaz01]

I wonder if there was a point in the development when the writers of Spartacus realized that the show was going to have to be more than poor CG gore and backgrounds and chicks with their tits out every five seconds and slow mo sword slashing every two seconds. If there was such a moment, it started with episode 4.

It seems to me like the writers didn't have finished products of any episode until they were fully complete with the whole season. One thing they were really good at was the build up of excitement with every episode, and always somehow left viewers wanting the next episode as soon as possible. I don't think they really had a moment where they all just said this isn't good enough. If anything they probably just got a better feel of the characters and got a good understanding of what they were going to do with them.

 

[squicken]

Yeah Pillars was really bad. That was poor form. And yeah, first 3 eps of Spartacus S1 almost made me give up the show forever. I was shocked at the turn around after that - I've never seen a show so mystically about face into the realm of high quality in so short a time.

I wonder if there was a point in the development when the writers of Spartacus realized that the show was going to have to be more than poor CG gore and backgrounds and chicks with their tits out every five seconds and slow mo sword slashing every two seconds. If there was such a moment, it started with episode 4.

Ghaleon has mentioned before that they didn't launch the series the way most shows are done. Something like they shot a pilot, then didn't have time to rework it. So those first few episodes were them really just stuck with a bunch of things they realized didn't work.

Rewatching the pilot . . . I still cringe at the awful dialog and action of Spartacus and his Thracian pals. It was just brutal

 

[ZephyrFate]

Yeah Pillars was really bad. That was poor form. And yeah, first 3 eps of Spartacus S1 almost made me give up the show forever. I was shocked at the turn around after that - I've never seen a show so mystically about face into the realm of high quality in so short a time.

I wonder if there was a point in the development when the writers of Spartacus realized that the show was going to have to be more than poor CG gore and backgrounds and chicks with their tits out every five seconds and slow mo sword slashing every two seconds. If there was such a moment, it started with episode 4.

I disagree. Once the scene shifted to the ludus it became an incredible show, and that started with the end of episode 1 into episode 2.

But then again you think Spartacus' writing isn't that great to which I totally disagree, it has some fantastic writing.

 

[Host Samurai]

Loved the ending but was expecting Vorro to show up. It would be great to have one more episode that takes place before Spartacus shows up.

 

[Vlad]

Loved the ending but was expecting Vorro to show up. It would be great to have one more episode that takes place before Spartacus shows up.

Uh, didn't Varro and Spartacus train together in the ludus? I still got the impression that S1 took place a while after GotA. Ashur's leg had healed a bit by the time S1 started, and Crixus seemed to have been champion and fan favorite for a while.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Loved the ending but was expecting Vorro to show up. It would be great to have one more episode that takes place before Spartacus shows up.

Varro was signed on at the same time as Spartacus, he didn't have any prior involvement in the ludus.

 

[Eric C]

I haven't seen any episodes of Spartacus yet, and was wondering what series to start with?

I've heard the first few episodes of "Blood & Sand" aren't that great. So I was thinking "Gods of the Arena" might be a better introduction to the series.

But then a few pages back I read this.

Loved how this finale closed, but it should serve as reminder to everyone to make sure your friends who ask definitely see Blood & Sand first, and then this.

Is this the general consensus? Watch "Blood & Sand" first then "Gods of the Arena"? Even though GOTA is a prequel?

 

[ZephyrFate]

I haven't seen any episodes of Spartacus yet, and was wondering what series to start with?

I've heard the first few episodes of "Blood & Sand" aren't that great. So I was thinking "Gods of the Arena" might be a better introduction to the series.

But then a few pages back I read this.



Is this the general consensus? Watch "Blood & Sand" first then "Gods of the Arena"? Even though GOTA is a prequel?

Yes, GOTA spoils the ending to Blood & Sand in the first few moments of the first episode.

Only the first episode of Blood and Sand is terrible. Every other episode following is amazing.

 

[Zzoram]

Yes, GOTA spoils the ending to Blood & Sand in the first few moments of the first episode.

Only the first episode of Blood and Sand is terrible. Every other episode following is amazing.

It also spoils the ending to Blood & Sand in the last few moments of the last episode.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I haven't seen any episodes of Spartacus yet, and was wondering what series to start with?

I've heard the first few episodes of "Blood & Sand" aren't that great. So I was thinking "Gods of the Arena" might be a better introduction to the series.

But then a few pages back I read this.


Is this the general consensus? Watch "Blood & Sand" first then "Gods of the Arena"? Even though GOTA is a prequel?

Always watch/play stuff in the order they were made in. That's how we were MEANT to see them.

There are a lot of events in the prequel that won't have the intended impact on you if you don't know what happened already, and watching the prequel afterwards gives new life to season 1 so it works hand in hand.

 

[Monocle]

I haven't seen any episodes of Spartacus yet, and was wondering what series to start with?

I've heard the first few episodes of "Blood & Sand" aren't that great. So I was thinking "Gods of the Arena" might be a better introduction to the series.

But then a few pages back I read this.



Is this the general consensus? Watch "Blood & Sand" first then "Gods of the Arena"? Even though GOTA is a prequel?

Blood and Sand first, no question. It's a much better introduction to the world of Spartacus than the prequel. Also for the reasons everyone else mentioned.

 

[Orenhy]

I really liked the "

Spoiler

happy

ending", came surprising that

Spoiler

Gannikus got to leave

, or as they say, he "had cock removed from ass".

 

[Net_Wrecker]

"My ears suggests a tempest...But my eyes reveal a wife gone fucking MAD!"

My re-watch of season 1 has reminded me of so many great quotes, especially from later in the season. That one stuck out for some reason from Batiatus. Perfect delivery.

 

[Cornballer]

- AssignmentX interviews Steven DeKnight about GotA:

SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA has ended a trifle happier than one would guess from the previous season of BLOOD AND SAND. True the six episode series was bookended with death, but that doesn’t mean the story within didn’t have a bit of a happy ending.

Steven S. DeKnight, series creator and executive producer, has had a blast writing within the world of SPARTACUS and was more than happy to re-visit favorite characters and the Ludus of Batiatus once more.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Ghaleon has mentioned before that they didn't launch the series the way most shows are done. Something like they shot a pilot, then didn't have time to rework it. So those first few episodes were them really just stuck with a bunch of things they realized didn't work.

Rewatching the pilot . . . I still cringe at the awful dialog and action of Spartacus and his Thracian pals. It was just brutal

It was from an interview with the series producer a while back when asked about how rough the first few episodes were. I can't find it off hand right now, but he said the went straight from pitch to production, without a pilot at all. So the first episode was basically their pilot, and it showed.

I still haven't seen the prequel series. I'm planning to start my run on it on Sunday.

 

[Cornballer]

- Maureen Ryan breaks down who's returning for S2 of Spartacus B&S *vague spoilers for S2*

 

[The Storyteller]

- Maureen Ryan breaks down who's returning for S2 of Spartacus B&S *vague spoilers for S2*

• The character Naevia, a slave loved by Crixus, will return, but Lesley-Ann Brandt will no longer play the role. Producers are recasting Naevia, who will return in season 2.

Goddamnit, I hate it when this happens.

 

[Ihya]

That final episode delivered 110 %. Love the show. I just hope the next season is as good, as hardly any of the main characters/actors will be familiar.

 

[hermit7]

Goddamnit, I hate it when this happens.

Eh she was minor enough that it won't really bother me.

Looking forward to the next season... too bad it is a year away. :/

 

[Weenerz]

Finally gotten into this show, watched the first season and completely loved the finale. Is there really only 6 episodes of Gods of the Arena? Or only 6 that have aired? I need more of this show.

 

[hamchan]

Finally gotten into this show, watched the first season and completely loved the finale. Is there really only 6 episodes of Gods of the Arena? Or only 6 that have aired? I need more of this show.

Yep, that's all the episodes until 2012.