WRITER: Steven S. DeKnight[SPOILERS] An improvement over the premiere, "Sacramentum Gladiatorum" benefitted from fewer geysers of CGI blood and more in the way of performances, even if the acting's at the level of a straight-to-video Conan spoof. The only way this could get any cheesier is if Kevin Sorbo had been the one spilling Spartacus's (Andy Whitfield) gruel to provoke him, or Frankie Howerd arrived to deliver "an ode". This episode existed to show us the inner workings of the ludus owned by Batiatus (John Hannah), where Spartacus is "broken in" by fearsome, whip-crackin' gladiator trainer Doctore (Peter Mensah).
DIRECTOR: Rick Jacobson
GUEST CAST: Peter Mensah, Jai Courtney, Craig Parker, Antonio Te Maioho, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Eka Darville, Karlos Drinkwater & Raicho Vasilev
There's still a weird atmosphere to Spartacus, on account of the fact creator Steven S. DeKnight has been allowed to indulge profanity, violence and nudity. In some ways it gives the show a realistic weight, but it can be rather distracting. I hope no important dialogue was imparted during the scene where Batiatus and his wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) were (ahem) "fluffed" by their slaves, because for some reason I missed it. Fortunately, most of the series' signature gimmicks (soft porn scenes, cartoon-y arterial sprays) were kept to a minimum, meaning the fight sequences were particularly improved by choosing realism over comic-book style. The occasional artistic flair is fine to land a surprise impact, but too many full-frame explosions of blood just distances you from what's already an intrinsically artificial-looking series.
A few relationships were setup here, too: Spartacus gained a nemesis in reigning champ Crixus (Manu Bennett), who perceives him as a threat to his title, and a friend in flaxen-haired Varro (Jai Courtney), who's become a gladiator to pay off gambling debts. It also became clear that Batiatus has money problems and wants to curry favour with Legatus Glaber (Craig Parker), who arrived to taunt Spartacus about the fate of his enslaved wife Sura (Erin Cummings); and that Glaber's wife Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) fancies Batiatus' own wife, which became obvious after their farewell kiss on the lips.
It's not difficult to guess where Spartacus is headed, particularly if you have a cursory knowledge of the historical Spartacus story (are we in for a "I'm Spartacus!" moment, signaling the Thracian embracing his given gladiator name in the finale?), and familiarity with beefcake male fantasies in general. It's reasonable entertainment right now because it's relatively fresh in a TV context and knows how to titillate the part of the brain that can't resist muscles, boobs, blood and swordplay. But that attraction won't last without some nourishment for the higher-minded grey matter.
1 JUNE 2010: BRAVO, 9PM
