Rome - The 1st Season

I was going to talk about it after I watched both seasons, but I figure the way I ramble I should hit em separatly. So I decided a couple of weeks ago to watch the HBO series Rome since Mark has it on DVD. Low commitment, only 2 seasons, looked cool, heard raves. Well, I popped in the 1st DVD and was completly lost. Sadly I realized later - I watched the 1st episode of Season 2. FUCK. So unfortunatly I knew who died in season one due to that episode. Oh well, shit happens. ***Spoilers below***

First I want to touch on the acting. Its fucking brilliant. There isnt one weak link in the whole damn thing. From the leads all the way down to the walk on parts. Everyone is brilliant. Lucius Vorenus is played by Kevin McKidd. At 1st I thought he was an asshole, but you grow to really like him. The character is moral, hard, a true soldier. He loves his family but doesnt know how to be soft about it, he learns and its lovely. He continues to prove himself as loyal, steadfast - just your typical respected bad ass soldier. His relationship with his wife Niobe played by Indira Varma is my favorite couple. She's stunning. The shitty thing is - she's the one that dies!!! So all thru season 1 I'm growing to love this gal, and I know she gets axed at the end of the season. I think it made me love her more tho. She does have a dark secret - the kid that Vorenus thinks is his daughters is actually hers from another lover - BUT - she thought he was dead. So I'm sorry, I was totally ok with that infidelity believe it or not - I mean she thought he was dead - and when he came back she loved him and stood by him. Oh I just adored those two.

Next up we'll talk of Titus Pullo. This is my new boyfriend. He's fucking HAWT. But not only that, his character is a thug, he's sweet, he's stupid, he's loyal, he's a true friend, he's a total guy. He's a bit of the comic relief. He does have some great lines, and he's always doing something that makes you giggle. He becomes Vorenus's great friend and thier friendship is amazing. I loved how it grew throughout the season - and climaxed during the gladiator scene. This scene made me cry. Pullo is sent to death (fight the gladiators) and he kicks all thier asses - screaming "13" the whole time (This was thier soldier's unit), Your watching Vorenus watch this crying and wondering if he's going to step in - he does and I died. It was so noble. My heart soared. Pullo also has the hots for his little slave - Eirene played by Chiara Mastalli who is GORGEOUS mind you. The 2 of them are adorable - I hope to see them grow together in season 2.

Then we have Caesar played by Ciaran Hinds. He is outstanding. I start to like the character of Ceaser and respect what he's doing, then I start to believe he actually is a tirant as they say. But he's smart as hell. The decisions he makes I think are fucking brilliant. It hurt to see that tirant die.

The 2 women - Atia played by Polly Walker and Servilla played by Lindsay Duncan. Atia is Ceasers great niece and lover to Mark Antony. Servilla is Brutes's mom and lover to Ceaser. Both these women are what I've heard called as shadow rulers. Women had no place in those days - but "behind every great man is a great women" and this is so true. Both these ladies are conniving, evil, sinister, yet gorgeous, sexual etc. You LOVE to HATE them. Both of them. I honestly dont like one better then the other - they both made me laugh, gasp and hate.

Some of the men are Brutus played by Tobias Menzies, Mark Antony played by James Purefoy, Octavian played by Max Pirkis who are worth mentioning. Mark Antony of course is an arrogant ass, but he's loyal to Ceaser and in love with Atila. Brutus does a fine job showing the torment he goes thru before his betrayal to Ceaser. Octavian is this interesting kid. He's smart as hell, somewhat Ceasar's advisor in a way, has amazing intuition.

All in all this series is fantastic. It shows things that happen that lead to huge events, that make you wonder - what really went down. Everything is very real to the time. The brutality, the loyalty, the sexuality the religion. Its all spot on. I'm always fascinated by this time - they will lop your head off, or stab you in the street and no one thinks twice - yet if you go against morale - WTF. People are treated as objects - the slaves especially. I watch this wondering what it was like to be a slave to be a slave to the rich - to hear and see what they saw. I wonder if slaves somtimes made shit happen. (Seen Gosford Park?) The way women are treated, I mean the whole time period was a fucking trip. The gods they worshiped, everything. I loved it. I cant wait to get started on season 2!!!!