Spartacus: War of the Damned

I started watching this very belatedly in early 2019 while waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones. I figured some swords-and-sandals would fit the bill in the meantime.

For the first two episodes, that's exactly what I got. Nothing special; a lot of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and colourful baroque mock-Shakespearean dialogue so over-the-top that I couldn't tell whether the acting was good or not. However, I had seen John Hannah (Batiatus) and Lucy Lawless (Lucretia) in other things before, so I stuck with it.

And damn, did the show hook me quickly after that. Yes, the dialogue is absurd and nobody ever spoke like that, but the actors deliver it with such unrestrained gusto and are clearly having such a blast making the show that you can't help but get swept up in it. Also, the dialogue has the added virtue of being clever and well-written: for example, there's a scene in the final season (don't worry, no spoilers) in which Marcus Crassus is having a discussion with his son Tiberius and a young Julius Caesar. Crassus is speaking to both of them, and they are answering him -- but Crassus is completely oblivious to the fact that Tiberius and Caesar are simultaneously having their own verbal sparring match against each other, while still advancing their three-way discussion. I rewound that scene a few times just to watch it play out.

Gory violence and graphic sex can only sustain a show for so long; fortunately, the characters are beautifully written and developed, and their relationships with each other (romantic or otherwise) are allowed to evolve and progress. By the end of the show I had come to care greatly about the central characters -- and what else could possibly be the mark of well-written characters effectively portrayed?

It's the stuff of TV legend by this point that Andy Whitfield, who gave a virtuoso performance as Spartacus in season one, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after filming wrapped, and that it took his life. The switch to his successor Liam McIntyre took a little bit to get used to, but McIntyre stepped into the unenviable position of taking over from a well-liked and tragically departed predecessor in a central role, and made it his own. No small feat, that.

In closing, if you're not a fan of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and casual profanity, this show won't be for you. If you're a "fan" of those things, watch the show, and you'll be surprised by how quickly they take a back seat to the story and the characters. Enjoy!

Spartacus is ridiculously underrated and absolutely one of my favorite tv shows ever! It is one of the rare shows where each season is just as incredible as the others, all 4 seasons are fantastic & some of the best tv I've ever seen! I've watched the entire series 3 times already. After the original actor (Andrew Whitfield) who played Spartacus sadly died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after Season 1, they had to recast it and the actor who replaced him (Liam McIntyre) as Spartacus was just as terrific! Do yourself a favor and watch this incredible series immediately...you will not be disappointed! It really is the perfect show!

I watched the whole Spartacus series back when it first came up and now I'm revisiting it. Still, it does stand it's ground. I had no recollection of Jai Courteney being in the series and I don't like him as an actor but as Varro he is just great. All the acting is great, even when it's over the top, it all just fits together so nicely. Yeah, the GCI is a bit funny now and then but after just a few episodes, I really started to enjoy it. This show is sad, exciting and just pure fun to watch. To Andy: you made such an impression on younger me and you still do. You are a legend.

It's so good I'm watching it all over again. 10 years later it still holds up. Amid all the glorious violence I had forgotten just how surprisingly emotional this series was.

If you have not seen it, watch it!

For fans of Gladiator, Xena, Hercules, and works by Sam Raimi. You need not have seen the original 1960 film Spartacus to enjoy the series as they are not related.

Warning - every episode contains nudity and explicit sex scenes. You have been warned.

And don't forget to watch the 6 episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which aired between seasons one and two, but could be watched after this series. This was basically a holdover for the fans while it was hoped for and assumed by everyone involved that Andy Whitfield's return would be eminent.

Sadly, Andy Whitfield was taken from us a year and a half after the final episode aired. If you like Andy and enjoyed his performance make sure to check out the documentary Be Here Now. RIP Andy Whitfield.

The complete series is an absolute masterpiece. As a former Australia producer I am so proud of the most sincere work not only from the cast but also the crew. Based in New Zealand it brings a complete smorgasbord of the great talents from director, producers, cinematography to a unique editing style and I must impress upon the casting just perfect. To all involved you do yourselves proud and you bring credit to our industry. Job well done!