Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
As of January 21, 2011, Starz’ popular TV show ‘Spartacus’ is back on, bringing to its audience even more mesmerizing intrigue, steamy sex scenes and exciting fights with impressive sword manoeuvres and blood swirling in the air.
The new ‘Spartacus: Gods of the Arena’, as many of the show’s devoted fans already know, is the prequel to the first series ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’, focusing on the rise of the House of Batiatus. Although it wasn’t the producers’ first choice to make a prequel, Andy Whitfield’s (the actor who portrays Spartacus in the first series) need to undergo cancer treatment urged them to make this decision. Unfortunately, because of Whitfield’s returning non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he will not be able to take part in the filming process, thus, a new actor (Australian Liam McIntyre) has recently been chosen to play the role of Spartacus in the second series. Until then, however, we’ll have John Hannah and Lucy Lawless entertaining us with their amazing performances.
As we already know how this six-episode prequel ends, it is interesting to follow the twists and turns of events that lead up to that ending, and on the way to observe each character’s evolution, for a better understanding of the first series and the following ones.
Friday night’s premiere offered a great insight into how this prequel and the next series are going to be: grittier, more violent and more graphic, and introduced new characters, such as the red-haired Gaia, who is definitely going to have a great influence on Lucretia’s (Lucy Lawless) evolution as a lanista’s wife, and the very skilled gladiator Gannicus (Dustin Clare), who is clearly an example of a God of the Arena for the newly arrived slave Crixus (Manu Bennet), champion-of-Capua-to-be in the first series.
However, the six episodes are going to focus on the character of Batiatus (John Hannah). He has not yet taken control over his father’s Ludus, but proves to have higher ambitions and a more ‘aggressive’ business strategy than his predecessor, things that are not necessarily welcomed by his rivals. Interestingly enough, Batiatus is friends with Solonius (Craig Walsh Wrightson), his main rival in the first series. Another interesting fact is that some boundaries have been pushed even further: Gannicus fights blindfolded in the open marketplace against another gladiator, and scores yet another victory after offering the audience a breathtaking blood spectacle, and Batiatus is majorly humiliated by his rivals who try to convince him to sell them Gannicus by beating him down and pissing on his face – alternatively, we are shown scenes of Lucretia engaged in a sex scene with her friend Gaia.
Here’s what the creator of the show, Steven S. DeKnight, had to say about the new mini-series:
All in all, if you liked ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’, you’d better check this prequel out too. You’ll not regret it!
Related articles
- Spartacus Draws Up a New Battle Plan With Prequel Series Gods of the Arena (seattlepi.com)
- A Who’s Who Primer for the Spartacus Prequel Gods of the Arena (seattlepi.com)
I can’t wait to watch it!!!
Crixus rulz! 