Reasons We Loved Watching TV in 201210 of 14
One great episode is all it takes for a veteran TV series to convert a non-believer -- one solidly constructed, brilliantly executed episode that illuminates everything that makes it extraordinary. Every ardent TV viewer has such a chapter in his or her back pocket, ready to share with anyone who questions whether the show they adore is worth watching.
In the realm of "Spartacus (2010)", Libertus (2012) is that hour. Action heavy, filthy, oozing with slo-mo CG-animated blood spurts and gore, fairly explicit soft-core sex, and nudity, this chapter of "Spartacus" has everything that makes the non-believer roll his eyes at the slightest implication that this show might actually be good.
Dedicated fans also enjoy the drama's sharp and poetic dialogue, multi-layered political machinations and scheming, and of course, those brutally acrobatic fight sequences.
Libertus brings "Spartacus: Vengeance," and its prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)", together at last, in one gruesome nail-biter of a gladiator bout, one fans likely figured was coming since the prequel's end: a face-off between Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) and Gannicus (Dustin Clare).
The two characters have an agonizing back story, but each earned our sympathy along the way. Which made the stakes of this episode's central battle so much higher. In order for one beloved character emerge as the victor, any fan that is emotionally tied to this franchise would lose.
A newcomer might not understand all of the subplots at play here, but that's the point -- you will want to see more episodes in order to understand all of the implications of what happened. And isn't that what a great slice of television should do?
In the realm of "Spartacus (2010)", Libertus (2012) is that hour. Action heavy, filthy, oozing with slo-mo CG-animated blood spurts and gore, fairly explicit soft-core sex, and nudity, this chapter of "Spartacus" has everything that makes the non-believer roll his eyes at the slightest implication that this show might actually be good.
Dedicated fans also enjoy the drama's sharp and poetic dialogue, multi-layered political machinations and scheming, and of course, those brutally acrobatic fight sequences.
Libertus brings "Spartacus: Vengeance," and its prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)", together at last, in one gruesome nail-biter of a gladiator bout, one fans likely figured was coming since the prequel's end: a face-off between Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) and Gannicus (Dustin Clare).
The two characters have an agonizing back story, but each earned our sympathy along the way. Which made the stakes of this episode's central battle so much higher. In order for one beloved character emerge as the victor, any fan that is emotionally tied to this franchise would lose.
A newcomer might not understand all of the subplots at play here, but that's the point -- you will want to see more episodes in order to understand all of the implications of what happened. And isn't that what a great slice of television should do?
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