Spartacus: Blood and Sand – Season 1 Review

Bloody, sexy and insanely adult, Spartacus: Blood and Sand was an insane journey into a drama based on an historic event. It was a glorious ménage trois of 300, Caligula and Gladiator mixed together to produce 13 episodes of outstanding writing and character development. The characters, every single one were not only interesting but well acted, I found myself drawn not only to Spartacus (Andy Whitfield), but to his rival Crixus (Manu Bennett), the pompous Legatus Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker) and the overly ambitious Batiatus (John Hannah). Within this initial season you get enough information about the main players to care about their separate fates as they interact, love or kill one another. The love of Spartacus for his wife Sura (Erin Cummings), the aspirations of Batiatus and Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), the conniving of Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) and the godliness of the mighty Crixus.

While there are a ton, and I mean a whole lot of Historical inaccuracies with the armor, the ranks of certain players and the rivals/enemies of certain tribes, Spartacus: Blood and Sand is still an entertaining ride on a historical backdrop. If we wanted to nitpick we can do that for days but the basic story is set, a man becomes a slave, who becomes a Gladiator, who leads a revolt and amasses an army of former slaves so huge to take on Romes legions. That is all we need worry about, the details, if you want it is in the history books, look for them there, come to this show for drama, entertainment and excellent acting.

Why should I watch Spartacus: Blood and Sand?

We have all heard of Rome and her advancements in politics along with the perversion of her people. Well imagine a show where you get the impact of the bloody, brutal and scary arena in one scene and the rawness of power players raping, using and manipulating their slaves in the next. Literally there are moments where a person of power will get “the urge” and bend over a slave to take care of it. The manipulation of the privileged by the not-so privileged and the bloodlust of the aristocracy are shown in a way that does not make light of them, just shows you as “here, this is how it is”. You get to follow a dark hero as he is betrayed, sentenced to death and rises from the ashes to become the “Champion of Capua”, a title given to the undefeated Gladiator in Batiatus’s Ludus.

Who Are Your Favorite Players in Spartacus?

Let me preface this by saying that Viva Bianca is amazing as naughty Ilithyia, wife of the Legatus. Her innocently evil ways get her into trouble at every turn but you can’t really hate her for them. She is sexy, beautiful and one of the best acted roles in the series. I can see people hating her but like me they will see her differently near the end. She is definitely one of my favorites.

Crixus the Gaul, Champion of Capua – This man was the epitome of greatness. If the gladiator game was basketball, Crixus is Micheal Jordan two times over, the man is just a badass. With an abrasive personality and eyes that look as if they could stare holes into you, Manu Bennett’s Crixus will be the guy you hate most for the first 5 episodes or so but as with all complex characters, once you get to know the man you will find your anger misplaced. Crixus’s only crime is in being the ultimate Gladiator, sworn too hardcore to the ideals and willing to blindly follow its code to the end. While he may be the baddest of the bad asses, he also turns out to be a stud amongst the collective, a god that every Roman woman wants and every fighter wants to be.

The mega elitist Legatus Gaius Claudius Glaber was a man that really pushed my buttons. His unwavering stance as a man who believes himself above all else is so sincere that it really impacts the scenes in which he plays across from Andy Whitfield’s Spartacus. Glaber is not only a dick to slaves but he is a dick to their masters, the people and his soldiers but it is done in a way where it is just him and nothing personal. He truly believes himself to be a Roman untouchable, forced to ride his white steed amongst filth. An excellent and most hate-able portrayal by Craig Parker.

The Doctore Oenomaus is my final favorite due to his nature alone. If there is anyone in this show to exemplify the aspects of the consummate warrior, the Doctore would be he. Passing on wine, praying to his gods and being a master of the whip and dual gladius, you do not learn how great Oenamaus is until midway through the season. The only Gladiator to survive a fight with the “Shadow of Death” and live to tell about it. We do not get the impact of how good Doctore is until a particular scene where he takes on both Spartacus and Crixus, only to toss them about like mere rag-dolls. Proud, loyal to a fault and a faultless retainer to his Dominus Batiatus, Peter Mensah’s Doctore Oenamaus is an intensely likable character.

Final Thoughts

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is rawer than you can imagine. It has gratuitous sexual events around every corner ranging from man and woman, man on man and man on slave. It is explicit, unapologetic and damn near offensive about it but I love that there is a show to bring this to us without censor. The cosmopolitan crowd of the Arena patrons and the gladiators that varied in race and background seemed so much more factual than the white-washed Spartacus movie of old. Yet at the base of the perversion, blood and filth is manipulation and corruption, which you will find is the true heart of this series. It is a tale that becomes addictive after the 4th episode or so when the cliff-hangers will kill you.

Watch Spartacus: Blood and Sand on Starz or on Netflix, it is well worth the time, trust me.