Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: "Missio"

Has Spartacus done the unthinkable this week and gained - gasp - thematic depth?

Answer: maybe.

For the second consecutive week, Spartacus crosscuts a sex scene with a fight. This time it's Gannicus getting it on with Melitta while her husband fights Doctore. It's a situation that nobody wants to be in, although Oenomaus eventually grows into the title of Doctore and Gannicus and Melitta appear to eventually give in to some dormant sexual tension. That latter development is going to have some consequences very soon, though. Whatever metaphor the show might be constructing with sex as an act of violence is blunted by how pervasive both are. Do the writers have a larger purpose at work, or do they just realize that since fight scenes and screwing are part of the show's calling card it makes sense to give both to the viewer at once?

A more likely intentional recurring theme would be that of freedom, or more accurately the lack thereof. For slaves in Capua, it's either work in servitude, fight as a gladiator, or be sent to presumably die working in the mines. The gladiators can only aspire to be champions - as Gannicus says, it's the only time he feels free. Some freedom, but hey, it's the best he can do. No wonder Crixus is looking past becoming a mere gladiator and has his sights set on champion. However, even masters like Batiatus aren't totally free. "Missio" has one of those classic Batiatus plans in which he ultimately gets what he wants but not before several mishaps, detours, and a death or two. He's confined initially by the legacy of his father and grandfather. Rising in stature and making a name for himself requires becoming beholden to Varus, Vettius, and Tullius. And as seen in the first season, as his ambition grows he becomes more and more dependent on slaves and patricians alike. To be truly free is rare.

Then again, life isn't so bad for Batiatus since he gets to have a threesome with Lucy Lawless and Jaime Murray. Murray is 2-for-2 in episodes with nude scenes, a third of the way towards what I predict will be a perfect season.

Spartacus is still a wellspring of trashy delights - namely, the aforementioned threesome and sex/fight scene. But it's slowly doing more than just delivering lurid thrills on a meager budget. Batiatus' flashback/nightmare in the beginning of the episode showed unexpected panache for a show that is usually content to steal all of its style from 300. Manu Bennett, completely out of his element in the first season when attempting to show his love for Naevia, does much better playing a desperate underdog looking to prove his worth as a gladiator. Murray's character may be one-note, but she plays that note for all it's worth. The show's ambitions will always be outpaced by its excess, and its romantic subplots will probably continue to be laughable. But at least in this season, it's not missing the target entirely.