User Reviews

I had no great expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I don't understand why people trash this show for allegedly inaccurate history. This is a series and not a documentary! The modern language only made the characters more believable to me. Again, I don't understand the criticism, should the actors have spoken in Latin?

Watch it! ;-)

7/10.

Deals with the tough time Livia and her son Tiberias had before her rise. And believable.

Not always accurate. Freed slaves were Freemen or Free-women and Roman citizenship was not lightly given. Also Dictator was a respectable office held for a limited period to overcome great dangers. It ended after Julius Caesar made himself Dictator for Life.

Octavius was probably more dependent on Agrippa than is shown, but is a convincing character.

It needlessly skips over the complex politics that had Cicero sponsoring Octavian against Marcus Antonius, before they became allies.

But it's the most accurate drama I've seen. Much more so than the earlier series Rome.

Started out okay. Stuck with it as it gradually got better and better. I found it both clever and entertaining. At the end and I'm already anxious for the next season. I've seen some criticism concerning language. Seems a silly critique. They are speaking English for a modern audience. I can't imagine sitting through a lengthy series listening to the entire cast speak Latin just for the sake of being historically correct.

This is a fantastic series. Don't get put off by the reviewers who are upset that it isn't like Spartacus (TV show, not movie). Of course it isn't. Spartacus is a TV show isn't history. Domina is history. Livia lived in the public eye. There were witnesses. The writers did their research.

The series is historically accurate, more so than most historical dramas. It relies on contemporaneous sources, as well as writers within one-hundred years of when Livia ruled. And rule she did.

Rome was a dysfunctional mess in Augustus' time. They had just come out of civil war, and they had more slaves in Rome than they had citizens. They were living on a house of proverbial cards, and this show is about the end of the empire that was inevitable at the beginning of it.

For Augustus' to maintain power, he needed two things, an enforcer and a brain. Agrippa was the enforcer, and the actor who plays him absolutely nails the role. Bravo. Livia was the brain. Agrippa's quote: "Your wife is the smartest man in Rome" is from history. Augustus, who stayed in his tent during battles, and left it up to Livia to do his dirty work, was a great leader because he had the two people closest to him who made him great. And Livia, who was as brilliant in history as she was ruthless, made both of them possible.

The way Augustus is described in the first episode, BTW, as a gangster, a criminal, is not far from the truth. It was when he got Livia's connection with her patrician family, again, with her ruthlessness, with her understanding of Rome and how to rule, that he became a dictator. She created him, and she kept him in power until he turned on her. More on that later, because we haven't gotten to that episode yet.

Everyone should watch this, especially a scene midway in Season Two when the family is at dinner, all of them with reasons to kill each other, and, in some cases, where they have killed family members.

The moment when Augustus' sister, Octavia, another fantastic performance, greets and welcomes Livia -- who she despises -- back from exile is a study in every dysfunctional family, business, corporation that has ever existed and will exist.

It's why wars happen, why people screw each other over, and it goes on every day with various stakes. Maybe not the rule of Rome or just simply surviving murder as in Augustus' time, but, if you lose your job because of it, it can be just as bad.

Everyone should watch this.

A few responses to some of the unhelpful reviews:

For those who hate the costumes, well, welcome to 1st Century CE Rome. That's what they wore.

For those who don't like that there are black characters, well, black people lived in Rome, and some were slaves who became free. Some because heads of businesses. They had power. Deal with it.

Those actors, btw, nearly steal the show. Deal with that, too, because the posts here complaining about people of color or strong women say more about the reviewer than the show.

Germans, BTW, were brought to Rome in three ways, as slaves, as prisoners to be murdered in a Triumph, or to serve in the Pretorian Guard were white. You see what happens to them. That's accurate, too.

For those who don't like that the lead has a European accent, really? BTW, she's Polish-Italian. Her accent has hints of both. You have a problem with Italian in Rome? Come on. She's a fantastic actress and she chews the scenery (that's an acting compliment) as Livia.

Oh, one last thing. Romans were infamous for swearing. If you don't like the swear words in English, you should try the Latin equivalents. Wow. And, yes, they had the F word. The original Latin is where it comes from. And that's one of the milder words.

If you're going to review a program based on history, look up the history before you write your review. This one is as accurate as F :)

Decent cast and acting. Great sets and wardrobes but it was all a bit ... dull. Hard to follow and I didn't really want to after long. There was no aura of power or high stakes politics or regality. It was more of a soap opera about bickering families. A very very watered down "Rome".

Each episode is better than the next. As an Ancient Roman (amateur) historian, this uses actual events to create a gripping narrative of the lives of the characters surrounding Livia Drusilla of the Claudii. Thie writing is as phenomenal as the acting. This cast is AMAZING! Edge-of-your-seat, non-stop intensity. This is officially my favorite show right now. Because of the plethora of instrumental characters with similar sounding names and appearances, sometimes it's difficult to keep track of who's who. This is the only reason I'm not giving this 10 stars. But each character is so engaging, and historically accurate.

Some of the history here is accurate. Some definitely not. I'm not happy about the Antigone character, a weak bit of invention. Also the actress Kasia Smutnik who portrays the older Livia, has a very different accent to that of her younger self, almost Scandinavian and although, she acts well, that accent is so annoying.

I dont feel this is as good as Rome, it all looks a bit cheap and the acting is largely 'B' grade in comparison, though I can see that the paciness of this production chimes well with the 2021 YouTube mentality, short video bite audiences this is aimed at. Its entertaining to binge watch on. I doubt it will win many awards, I enjoyed watching it, but Domina does not enthrall.

Just finished watching the final episode of the first series of Domina, a very smart new show from Sky, based on the life of Liva Drusilla - wife of Augustus Caesar. I really liked it, mainly because it continued the theme of complexity and double-dealing initiated in the character by Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the series I, Claudius. I saw that when it originally broadcast in 1976, and have seen it a couple of times since.. This version of her story presents a much younger version of Livia, but I found many similarities and links which enhanced both series. You do need to concentrate to keep up with her, but its a worthwhile effort . . . Give her a watch!

As a historic series lover I started watching this but without any expectations. Because many of them are low budget gurbage. And many of them falls into comparison with spartacus, rome or vikings unnecessarily.

One may find it boring in first couple of episodes. But it becomes entertaining in the later part. Specially when it comes to plotting and plannig against the authority. Some scences are really engaging.

Annoying part must be the dresses they wear. I mean they are not even medival sometimes. In a scene one of them was wearing a lether jacket!

Ofcourse the DOP could have been better.

But at the end its not rubbish/ garbage rather surprisingly entertaining.

This is an 8 episode series with a strong female lead character being billed as the next Joan of Ark. It quickly dissolves into a routine family drama with bickering and infidelity to try and tease the viewer into caring about characters.

The first 2 episodes do an alright job of developing a good back story and the actors are good enough. The story is straight forward and there is little to no action and anyone looking for gladiators, war or battles will be disappointed.

The 3rd episode starts 15 years after the end of the previous one, and EVERY character has been replaced. This is difficult to follow and doesn't help the story along much, which is just more family drama. I had to quit midway when a family pet becomes a catalyst for more drama. I watched the rest at 4x speed, and didn't miss much.

This show caters to a female audience and will lose anyone who is a fan of Spartacus or the Rome series. It just doesn't compare and resembles the Real housewives of Atlanta type shows instead.

Starts out the first couple episodes and looks like it's going to be some millennial thing for the CW, but then it gets pretty good. Historical femme fatale material, but of course they have to make her less vicious and give her a cause being the woke era and all. Still pretty good though since she is one of the more overlooked historical women and there is a lot of story left if they continue on until her end. They could get a good 3 or 4 seasons out of this at least at the pace they are going and still keep things alive.

It is not really a bad show. It is just so slow... the first few episodes were so boring but i stuck it out because like most shows based in historic settings start out that way.

I waited and waited epidsode after episode. It did pick up a little more but by the time anything grand actually happened, season over!!!

To keep keep alot of people invested, sky really need to pick up the pacing of this show or i dont see it lasting very long at all.

HBO's "Rome" provided them with the perfect template for a historical model, unfortunately they chose to make a sexy telenova set in ancient rome with all the attendant overacting that the dialogue seems like the sort of recycled drivel you'd expect from "The Originals" or a CW production.

Very good, well written, well acted and I binge watched the whole series. I hope there is another. Tiberius is a gem.

After so many historical series of the last two decades, Domina is not exceptional. But correct. Fair dosis of love, politic, nudity, murders, revenges, good acting, interesting themes used in provocative manners and the nostalgia with old series and texts about same characters, including Rome. It can be considered feminist or political correct but both work well. Result - a large fresco of the reign of Octavianus Augustus. Not real example of historical accuracies in real sense but nice crafted at each level.

A dramatic and tense portrait of the personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty starring the main empress, Livia. Developing the complex life and difficult rise to power of Livia Drusilla, the powerful wife of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. We are introduced to a brave heroine, Livia Drusilla, beginning with a vignette in which she smashed an attacker's head with a stone, showing that Livia was not a damsel in distress but a strong, willful woman who controlled her own destiny. Following Livia's journey from a naive young woman whose world falls apart after the assassination of Julius Caesar, and the tragic death of her father, but she becomes the most powerful and influential empress in Rome. The world inhabited by Livia Drusilla explodes caused by the assassination of Julius Caesar, then Rome is bleeding into a civil war between those who want to return power to the people and those who advocate respecting Caesar's orders and plotting to avenge him. And after going through a hell of obstacles, young Livia undoubtedly made use of her enormous intelligence and beauty to recover everything that had been taken from her and become the wife of the man of the moment, the one who would be the first emperor of Rome: August. In principle, Livia's secret objective is the reestablishment of the republic, following the wishes of her father, but her exercise of power alongside Augustus is intoxicating. Together they would form an unrepeatable duo that would shape the social and political future of Rome, and while she was crowned in the shadows as the true empress and Augustus would become the great emperor of Rome and also a God.

This series follows the history of the Roman Empire, from the first triumvirate: Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, following the death of Julius, while Livia is the cunning empress who little by little gets her son Tiberius to take the throne. This tangled story is about the Roman Julia-Claudian dynasty, during the bloody civil wars and the long Pax Romana ruled by Octavian Augustus that was replaced by worse emperors such as Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. Octavius Augustus, nephew and heir of Julius Caesar, forms the second triumvirate with Mark Antony and Lepidus. Antony is married to Octavia, Augustus's sister. After that, Antony marries Cleopatra and they are defeated by Augustus at Actium. Augustus married Livia, who had previously given birth to a son named Tiberius. The daughter, Julia, was born in a previous marriage to Octavio, and with a husband named Marcello who is suddenly poisoned. Then Julia married General Agrippa, a friend of Octavio, they had two children: Gaius and Lucius, who died prematurely. Agrippa, Germanicus and Drusus also die and Tiberius will inherit the Roman Empire.

This television hit within the historical framework was produced by Sky Atlantic that gives Ancient Rome the sex and swords treatment of "Game of Thrones" with many scenes of love, violence and confrontations. Interesting heroine and eye-catching production values elevate this tour of ancient Rome. So it has a great cast, a good budget and is full of killings and backstabbing. Sex and violence on the Roman scenarios in this peculiar crossover between ¨Rome¨ and ¨Game of Thrones¨, turning out to be quite entertaining. This epic series dealing with the extraordinary rise of Livia Drusilla who overcame adversity to become the most powerful woman in the world was created by Simon Burke (¨Fortitude¨, ¨Strike Back¨, ¨The Kaiser's Last Kiss¨) and starring Kasia Smutniak (¨Devils¨, ¨Silvio and the others¨), Matthew Mc Nutty (Versailles¨,¨The Rising¨, ¨The Musketeers¨) as Augustus, Nadia Parkes (¨Starstruck¨) as young Antigone, Earl Cave ( ¨The Unusual Pilgrimage of Harold Fry¨, ¨The End of the World¨), son of Nick Cave, and Liam Cunningan (¨Game of Thrones¨) as Livia's father.

Domina Season 1 was so awesome and I'm happy to say Season 2 is just as great! This is one of the few shows we look forward to every week and it just keeps getting better!

The sets, the storylines, EVERYTHING is so GOOD. I really hope MGM+ continues this series year after year. There is a so much more to the real Livia's story, enough for many more years to come.

We love shows based on this time period, and this show doesn't disappoint. Nadia Parkes knocks it or out of the park playing Livia, who is the smartest of the bunch.

We had to rewatch some of the first season just to get our bearings on each character. Hopefully a 3rd season won't be as far away.

With series like "Domina" and "From", MGM+ is worth every extra penny we pay.

Great drama, good acting - nothing stranger than real life histories. Very entertaining and well written dialogue story lines. Roman un-civilised behaviour! Please do a season 3! Great drama, good acting - nothing stranger than real life histories. Very entertaining and well written dialogue story lines. Roman un-civilised behaviour! Please do a season 3! Great drama, good acting - nothing stranger than real life histories. Very entertaining and well written dialogue story lines. Roman un-civilised behaviour! Please do a season 3! Great drama, good acting - nothing stranger than real life histories. Very entertaining and well written dialogue story lines. Roman un-civilised behaviour! Please do a season 3!

Extremely entertaining historical drama. I, like many others, hope there is a season two. I said all I need to say but since a review must be 150 characters I added this last sentence.

If one recalls the limited series ROME , HBO which the first season dealt with Julius Caesar and his demise, and the second with the rise of Augustus and fall of Mark Anthony. With Historical Fiction, detail and excellent acting and character development. The scenery and set design was truly cinematic.

That being said The pace of this show , the first two episodes moves slowly, but crams in a long time period with tremendous gaps in the protagonists journey.

As the show quickens in pace, it does not allow for Character development, you know from the onset that the political dreams of "Domina" will not come true.

The "Republic" is never 'restored' the Republic before the Emperor/Caesar with a puppet "Senate" were as corrupt as the Roman Nobleman and the only difference was the First Consul became Emperor historically speaking.

The Roman Empire from that point, outside of its inability to conquer Parthia; was expansive and a behemoth until It was split with East and west with Constantine.

Now their are specific points in its long history that are interesting and would make great historical fiction, this show however feels rushed story wise, from her Marriage to Nero, the stay at Sicily, the absence of solidification by Augustus from Mark Anthony and Lipides and doesn't truly take a strong form.

The writers have aspired to focus on one character covering a myriad of events that cannot be told well at the current pace.

It's entertaining enough, but it lacks depth, and it lacks the ability to enjoy the viewers choice of nemesis and hero.

Not much to say, I am afraid.

Simply beyond dreadful. Clunky script, wooden acting, historical inaccuracies, uninspired directing and all the usual essential quotas present.

Honestly, with the costs for the sets and costumes alone a thoroughly decent drama could have been made.

But if none of the above matter and you want a bit of gratuitous nudity and titillation, then enjoy!

But honestly, this is truly dire fare.

Perhaps it was the low quality sets but it felt a slow start getting into this series.

However, look past this and you have an excellent series showing the lives of the political elite after the death of Julius Caesar.

We thoroughly enjoyed the series and are looking forward to Season 2. Well done to the creators of this.

I'm guessing the people who don't like this is because they are men and wanted lots of fighting, wars and gladiator stuff. Well no this is history seen from a strong woman's point of view.

Yes she was real and yes from what I know, all the events portrayed in this show actually did happen. So yes the language is modern, so what? You want them to speak in Latin? I mean it is not in an English speaking time or place so might as well use modern English.

Costumes are pretty accurate. I'm not saying it is a historical documentary but those who are saying that it isn't historically accurate are just upset because of the lack of fighting and lack of real nudity (even if there are a few breasts and bums).

I found the power dynamics very interesting. The way she manipulates the people around her, the way despite people not marrying for love she managed to get her husband soon love with her that he stays by her side through it all. . I like the evolution of her son tybireus. Itjink season 2 will be very exciting.

This series is the most disgusting, obnoxious piece of rubbish ever created.

Drag out the history books before your try to write a period piece...and try to be accurate not just entertaining. Definitely no history lesson learned from watching this junk.

So modernized it is ridiculous.....

.....the 'F' word is used so many times in a sentence it gave one the feeling that the togas should be tossed aside and the characters should be dressed in black leather jackets with motorcycle insignia on the back.

.....we are all familiar with the 2 latest idiotic quotes people are spewing from their mouths....one being, 'it is what it is' the other one 'just sayin'. I was already at the point where I was going to pop a blood vessel and thought if I hear one of the aforementioned that will be it, I will be done watching. Sure enough 'just sayin' rolled out of the mouth of one of the actors. At that point I was done...I couldn't take another minute of this horrible series...what came next?....did Tiberius pull out an iPad?....Probably!!!

Being a fan of Roman history (and of I, Claudius), I came to this series more out of hope than expectation. But, once I got to episode 3 and the show go into its stride, I was gripped. It's pretty accurate with the history and shows the end of the Roman Republic not as some CinemaScope epic but, essentially, as a family affair.

I can't wait for a second season (I hope there is one).