ravi02
Sophomore
@ravi02
Posts: 795
Likes: 418
 
|
Post by ravi02 on Dec 26, 2017 6:52:52 GMT
Thought I'd create a thread for the TV series that aired from 2010-13 on the Starz network. It was created by Steven DeKnight (who worked on Smallville, Buffy, Angel and he was the showrunner of the first season of Daredevil) and loosely based on the life of the historical gladiator.
Spartacus is often dismissed as being "soft-porn with 300-esque visuals" and I feel that's selling the show very short. While it started as a guilty pleasure, it soon developed into a great show with compelling characters, intriguing plot twists, quotable dialogue, exciting action, poor vs rich class struggles and simply a good story about the evils of slavery in Ancient Rome.
The early episodes are very uneven (I'll say the pilot episode is the worst episode of the whole show), but by the midpoint of Season 1 (Blood & Sand), it finds its groove and it remains engrossing to the end. One of the more underrated shows in recent years, I feel.
|
|
|
|
Post by President Ackbar™ on Dec 26, 2017 7:07:21 GMT
Thought I'd create a thread for the TV series that aired from 2010-13 on the Starz network. It was created by Steven DeKnight (who worked on Smallville, Buffy, Angel and he was the showrunner of the first season of Daredevil) and loosely based on the life of the historical gladiator. Spartacus is often dismissed as being "soft-porn with 300-esque visuals" and I feel that's selling the show very short. While it started as a guilty pleasure, it soon developed into a great show with compelling characters, intriguing plot twists, quotable dialogue, exciting action, poor vs rich class struggles and simply a good story about the evils of slavery in Ancient Rome. The early episodes are very uneven (I'll say the pilot episode is the worst episode of the whole show), but by the midpoint of Season 1 (Blood & Sand), it finds its groove and it remains engrossing to the end. One of the more underrated shows in recent years, I feel. Loved it. Hated the terrible pilot, but, as you said, it only got better and better from then on. The season ending revolt was effing amazing!
I also enjoyed the Season 2 "prequel"
The show never really recovered from the loss of Andy.
The series ending montage with him was heartbreaking. |
|
ravi02
Sophomore
@ravi02
Posts: 795
Likes: 418
|
Post by ravi02 on Dec 26, 2017 8:39:45 GMT
Oh, I agree Andy Whitfield was great in the role and he couldn't be duplicated, yet I also felt Liam McIntyre was a solid replacement. (Andy actually gave the producers his blessing to continue the show and approved of Liam to be his successor)
Blood & Sand (despite a shaky start) and Gods of the Arena were both great.
Vengeance is probably my least favorite season. We have to get used to the new actors and the Roman villains this season aren't as memorable as the others. I think it gets better in the second half though.
The final season, War of the Damned is quite good. Liam really makes the role his own and the Romans here (like Crassus and a certain famous Roman who'll go on to bigger things) aren't bumbling idiots, but more intelligent and complex than the ones before. The series finale is great and ends the series on a high note.
|
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Dec 27, 2017 17:01:18 GMT
I love it. Extremely entertaining show. I also give some credit to Executive Producer Sam Raimi.
The actors are excellent in the roles, the story is compelling and thrilling, and the action is addictive.
|
|
|
|
Post by THawk on Dec 28, 2017 13:36:59 GMT
It's very sad and rather inexplicable that a talent like Steven DeKnight decided to go down the softcore porn route. Whatever the show's other strength may or may not, if you need sex to sell your material, you have nothing.
|
|
ravi02
Sophomore
@ravi02
Posts: 795
Likes: 418
|
Post by ravi02 on Dec 29, 2017 6:52:58 GMT
Whatever the show's other strength may or may not, if you need sex to sell your material, you have nothing. Again, the sex is part of what the show's about. It's about slavery and how human bodies are used - be it or love, deception or debauchery. Each sex scene serves a purpose to the stories being told. Calling it soft porn is missing the point. |
|
|
|
Post by THawk on Dec 29, 2017 13:10:29 GMT
Whatever the show's other strength may or may not, if you need sex to sell your material, you have nothing. Again, the sex is part of what the show's about. It's about slavery and how human bodies are used - be it or love, deception or debauchery. Each sex scene serves a purpose to the stories being told. Calling it soft porn is missing the point. Right, and is it stylistically presented in a manner meant to arouse the viewer, aka for the sex to sell, or as a source of historical/plotline information? hint: as all the scenes in question have coincidentally found their way on pornhub.com, that kind of gives you a clue. |
|
ravi02
Sophomore
@ravi02
Posts: 795
Likes: 418
|
Post by ravi02 on Dec 29, 2017 19:17:37 GMT
Right, and is it stylistically presented in a manner meant to arouse the viewer, aka for the sex to sell, or as a source of historical/plotline information? Mostly the latter. Sure, the sex was nice, but ultimately I, and many others watched the show for the great characters and interesting story. That was why we are all hooked from first season to the last. Since they wanted the show to show the depths of slavery and how things were back in Ancient Rome, they really needed to push the boundaries and an explicit tone was required. I don't visit pornhub so I wouldn't know. All it tells me is that certain people only watched the show for its superficial elements and missed the bigger story being told. |
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Dec 29, 2017 19:56:35 GMT
TV shows try to reach the largest audience possible. So often they will put a little bit of everything they can into them to appeal to various sub-audiences. Being on Starz they were able to put a lot of sex into Spartacus with the intent to appeal to those who are into that sort of thing. There's no point arguing about that.
However, I didn't watch for the sex and I don't think the whole show should be judged by that aspect of it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2018 14:16:10 GMT
Agreed. First episode, or first few were quite poor but it soon became a great show. Shame we never got that Caesar sequel  |
|
|
|
Post by bluerisk on Jan 26, 2018 12:04:17 GMT
Gannicus and Ilithyia were my favourites.
And my German bretheren of course: Saxa, Agron etc. pp.
Fucking Gauls!
An now the Syrians...all fuckers.
|
|
|
|
Post by moviebuffbrad on Feb 17, 2018 12:00:33 GMT
Thought I'd create a thread for the TV series that aired from 2010-13 on the Starz network. It was created by Steven DeKnight (who worked on Smallville, Buffy, Angel and he was the showrunner of the first season of Daredevil) and loosely based on the life of the historical gladiator. Spartacus is often dismissed as being "soft-porn with 300-esque visuals" and I feel that's selling the show very short. While it started as a guilty pleasure, it soon developed into a great show with compelling characters, intriguing plot twists, quotable dialogue, exciting action, poor vs rich class struggles and simply a good story about the evils of slavery in Ancient Rome. The early episodes are very uneven (I'll say the pilot episode is the worst episode of the whole show), but by the midpoint of Season 1 (Blood & Sand), it finds its groove and it remains engrossing to the end. One of the more underrated shows in recent years, I feel. Agree with all of this. |
|
|
|
Post by QueenB on Mar 10, 2018 7:51:37 GMT
I absolutely loved this show. Every time it's on, I will always watch. Pretty much agree with everyone else regarding the pilot episode. I actually first saw the third or fourth episode first and then went back to watch from the beginning. I was always hoping for a Caesar spin off. That was a missed opportunity.
|
|
