Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: "Past Transgressions"

Spartacus: Blood and Sand was the worst best show of 2010. Its conceit was wholly unoriginal (300 + Gladiator + Caligula). There was little character development to speak of, and that which did happen was laughable. Per the budget of a third-tier premium cable network, it was obviously shot on the cheap. But like a nightclub frequented by SNL's Stefon, this show had everything: penis candles, decapitations, abundant nudity, grudge sex, crucifixions, and statutory rape. That's just skimming the surface, incidentally. Although the show was purely plot-driven, it weaved storylines together brilliantly. The trump card was John Hannah's performance as Batiatus, the scheming, social climbing head of the ludus (gladiator school) who chewed scenery and spit out overwrought profanity with aplomb (the supporting cast as a whole was quite excellent, actually).

Spartacus was also a minor surprise hit, with the finale attracting nearly double the viewers of the premiere. Although most critics shrugged the series off after its admittedly choppy first episodes, those who stuck with it were generally enthusiastic. Unfortunately, Spartacus himself, Andy Whitfield, developed a lingering case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Not wanting to lose the show's momentum, Starz decided to produce a six-episode prequel series documenting Batiatus' rise and fleshing out the backstories of the other supporting characters.

The networked hoped that Whitfield could recover from cancer with enough time to film the follow-up to Blood and Sand this year. Sadly, the cancer returned. With Whitfield's blessing, Starz recast the role. While I wish no ill will towards Whitfield, he was the weak link in the cast and his absence is probably to Spartacus' benefit. The characters in Gods of the Arena are far more interesting; the actors more talented.

Enough backstory. On with the review.

Casting spoilers to the wind, "Past Transgressions" opens with a montage of events that happened in Blood and Sand, most of which occurred in the final episode, and chiefly among them Batiatus' death (the montage is also notable as perhaps one of the few "previouslies" that is actually a "consequently"). Those who tuned into GotA with no prior knowledge of the series may be dismayed to learn a character's fate so quickly, but the reveal makes sense. Rest assured, he gets what he deserves. For veterans of the show, the following ten minutes pack in everything they loved about the first season: nonstop profanity, lurid violence, full frontal nudity, and scandalous depictions of everyday Roman life.

From there, the show goes about its considerable place-setting, introducing the multiple plotlines that will encompass GotA if not the series at large. Capua is a city on the rise, and Batiatus seeks to step out of his father's shadow and make a name for himself within it (he's also good friends with future rival Suetonius, who once again sports the douchiest hairstyle in all of the Roman Republic). Batiatus' prized gladiator is a hotshot named Gannicus, Crixus is a newly-purchased trainee, Ahsur walks without a limp, and Oenomaus has not yet assumed the mantle of Doctore. Meanwhile, one of Lucretia's typically slutty friends is back in town, fresh off a dead husband, and will be staying at the ludus for a while.

Seeing the familiar faces in unfamiliar positions is interesting enough, but it's the new blood that provides the most intrigue. The primary antagonists, Capuan bigwig Tullius and rival lanista Vettius, aren't around for Blood and Sand, and it would surprise nobody if both died due to Batiatus' machinations (Batiatus' infirm father is referred to but not seen, and it would be a bigger surprise if Batiatus doesn't eventually kill him). The biggest name in the new cast is Jaime Murray as Lucretia's friend Gaia. Murray was Lila in the second season of Dexter, and she's a perfect fit in Spartacus given her character's penchant for toplessness. Gaia will be appreciated the most by people who liked Paz de la Huerta in Boardwalk Empire but thought she didn't get naked enough, and it's a wonder that she nearly stays clothed throughout the entire episode.

The most notable new character is Dustin Clare's Gannicus, the "star" of Batiatus' ludus and given his placement in the show's marketing, not to mention how he looks shirtless compared to John Hannah, the star of the show. He's a hotshot gladiator who one-ups Crixus and Spartacus at their cockiest. He spends most of the premiere fighting, drinking, and screwing, so we don't have a good feel of what makes him tick yet. But a scene between him and Oenomaus is cleverly ambiguous - is he reckless, or genuinely suicidal? Either quality is, in some respects, necessary to be a gladiator. His fate is similarly up in the air. Perhaps Crixus' rises to prominence while he falls from favor, or perhaps he moves on to the "big leagues" in Rome, if such an achievement would realistically happen back then. I'll say this, though: don't Google him if you don't want a hint of his fate.

"Past Transgressions" is predictably heavy on exposition. It's not an unsatisfying episode but one wishes that there weren't so many pieces to put into position. Then again, the same could be said for the first episode of any season of The Wire. The bone-crushing violence still delivers, especially in the climactic marketplace brawl. The soap opera plotting hasn't skipped a beat. But best of all, it's good to see John Hannah back. Just hearing him curse brings a smile to my face. Even if Gods of the Arena can't match Blood and Sand's highs, the show will still have the best Villain You Love to Hate currently on television.