TV Review: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE – “Wrath of the Gods”

By SEAN ELLIOTT / Contributing Writer

Posted: April 2nd, 2012 / 12:35 AM

Stars: Lucy Lawless, Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker
Writer: Steven S. DeKnight, Created by Steven S. DeKnight
Director: Jesse Warn
Network: STARZ, airs Friday nights
Original Telecast: March 30, 2012

So endeth SPARTACUS VENGEANCE. What a glorious and bloody end everything came to. “Wrath of the Gods” has so many deeply satisfying moments, not only tying up loose ends from the original series, but also from the prequel.

Following hot on the heels of several main character deaths in the last episode let’s take a tally of who gets hacked off in this one.

List of the DEAD:

Mira (Katrina Law) – axed
Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) & baby- backwards trust fall over a cliff
Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) – stabbed and hacked
Ashur (Nick Tarabay) – emasculated and beheaded
Glaber (Craig Parker) – stabbed, hacked, and fails to pass a sword swallowing test
Illithyia (Viva Bianca) – will she die from having a pretty rough c section…time will tell
Numerous Roman Soldiers – hacked, slashed, disemboweled, etc. (slow motion death)
All of Illithyia’s Slaves- stabbed by Lucretia (that house will never get all the red off the floors!)

That’s a pretty significant body even for this series. Some of those deaths have been building in anticipation since the first series years ago, and it’s nice to finally get some closure and release from them!

I called Lucretia taking off with the baby. I actually figured she’d off Illithya during the birth and then take off to Rome or somewhere with her prize to raise the child as her own. I was completely caught off guard by the fall off of the cliff. I seriously doubt some stitching and a poultice is going to make her all right after this one.

Ashur was such a lovely drawn out death. I love the fact that his showdown doesn’t come with anyone that you would expect, but rather with Naevia (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). She hacks away at him, and just when it seems she is bested, she turns him into a eunuch. AWESOME! The series of hacks it takes to finally part his head from his body also was deeply satisfying.

Oenomaus’ passing was one of the most touching moments of the episode. I was pleased that he forgives Gannicus and tells him he will be embraced as a brother when they meet again in the afterlife. Oenomaus has been one of my favorite characters consistently in all three series of the show and I will truly miss him.

I kind of figured that Mira would buy it before the end. She and Spartacus (Liam McIntyre) had parted ways romantically so it only stood to reason that she had to die so he would feel even more regret and remorse. It’s all about motivating our leading man to do the things he has to do.

Then we come to the death of Glaber. Nicely done. I liked the intercuts of Spartacus’ wife and all of the wrongs done to her. It was a nice reminder of exactly why this man had to die. The look of grim satisfaction on Spartacus’ face was also a perfect ending note for his path of vengeance.

That’s it for the series for now. Next onwards and upwards. Time to build an army. This ending is only a beginning to bigger and bloodier things!

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Article: TV Review – Spartacus: Vengeance – “Wrath of the Gods”

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