User blog:Tim Thomason/I am the Black Wolf! I mean, I am Spartacus!

Spoilers

I saw the first episode of Spartacus: Blood and Sand the day before it aired (thanks to T101), and, without delving too much into my personal opinion or rehashing the countless reviews on the web, it was exactly as expected. A bit of Rome, a bit of 300, some incredibly excessive violence balanced with excessive lovemaking, all with a still recognizable Renaissance Pictures feel (especially with the tons of familiar names in the credits).

Ms. Lawless didn't have much of a role in the first episode. I thought she might not appear until she showed up about forty minutes in. She was mainly accompanying her character's husband to a Gladiator car-show sorta thing (showing off the upcoming games' Gladiators). The interviews say she's supposed to be nearly poor and you get that feel from the episode, even if they don't outright say it (her husband only has two gladiators left and is trying desperately for more recognition). Of course, the purchase of Spartacus at the end brings either good fortune, or ultimately bad fortune.

From a Xenaverse POV, there are a few characters who appear or will likely appear in Blood and Sand:
 * Spartacus: The 1960 Kubrick-Douglas version appeared in a clip in Athens City Academy Of The Performing Bards and is one of the primary inspirations for the series
 * Pompey: The main (non-Xena) opponent to Caesar in history fought against Spartacus' forces at the conclusion of the Third Servile War.
 * Crassus: The main opponent to Spartacus in the War, years before Gabrielle caused his demise.
 * Julius Caesar: In the 1960 film, he commanded the Roman Garrison. In history, no one knows what he was up to (presumably in Rome). In the series, they can have the legendary 29-year-old do just about anything from a cameo to major figure. Of course, historically the Servile War was just after the time Caesar was kidnapped and ransomed by Cilician pirates (the inspiration for "Destiny").

There are also a few episodes which bear similarities to Spartacus' life:
 * "Gladiator" - Hercules doesn't start a war, but he gets the whole Spartacus-first class treatment in what was intended to be a pre-Roman world.
 * "The Black Wolf" - more about an underground guerilla movement, but featuring a nod to the 1960 film.
 * "Athens City Academy Of The Performing Bards" - Since Gabrielle already told tales of the Trojan War, Homer had to make due with stories of Spartacus (a figure born 700 years later, historically)
 * "Destiny" - How all of Xena's Army is crucified by the Romans is reminiscent of the same fate for Spartacus' men in the film.