The original post: /r/television by /u/Dead_man_posting on 2026-02-07 04:16:52+00:00.
I was skeptical about the revival like most people since it had been so long, and Ashur wasn’t exactly my favorite character. Goddamn, though! They hit the ground running and regained that special sauce that made Spartacus one of the best action shows ever.
It hits the ludus/political notes of season 1 of the original show (and Gods of the Arena) but with a dominus that’s easier to root for. They smartly softened Ashur a bit when making him lead, since he had no redeeming qualities in the original run, but he’s still appropriately a bastard. All the backbiting and politicking from slimy Romans, all the ludicrously violent fight scenes, all the egregious nudity. The iconic dialog, the epic character arcs, the convoluted scheming; all here. I’m really impressed, especially considering most revivals are complete failures.
The ending to the season is probably going to be the most exciting bit of TV I’ll see all year; I was literally shouting out loud. I see no hype for this show, though, which means it’s probably doomed to be cancelled and we’ll never know what happens next. Damn shame.