HBO’s Rome

I’m having trouble keeping up. Two episodes have gone by since my initial update and things are progressing.

Atia avoided a gruesome death thanks to a slave’s sneaking a taste from her dinner. This led to a little torture session for the poisoner, curtesy of Timon, followed by the abduction and beating of Servilia. This was more than Timon could handle however and he stomped out, after releasing Servilia, shouting “I’m not an animal!” Appears that Timon has found religion, or perhaps refound it, as last we saw him he was praying alongside his supposedly rehabilitated brother. I still think the brother sounds like a Zealot though.

Pullo ran into the grown up Octavian while searching for Vorenus. It appears Octavian still looks upon Pullo and, by extension, Vorenus favorably, although Vorenus’s loyalty to Antony could be a problem down the line.

For the moment however that’s all sort of irrelevant. Cicero has recalled Brutus and Cassius to Rome at the head of a large enough Army that Octavian and Antony have buried the hatchet in the face of the common threat.

Vorenus and Pullo managed to locate Vorenus’s children and rescue them from slavery with only one death, that of the overseer. That was a little disappointing as I was expecting a bloodbath. Unfortunately the two daughters are holding a grudge. With some justification they blame Vorenus for their time in slavery and for the death of Niobi. They’ve already tried to run away once and only returned in response to Lyde’s urging.

In the meantime, Vorenus has re-assumed gang command in the Aventine and negotiated a peace with the two gangs his group had been in conflict with. Getting demoted back to number 3 didn’t thrill the ex-soldier that had been in charge during the absence of Vorenus and Pullo.

So, it’s Octavian and Antony in an alliance of convenience in order to deal with Brutus and Cassius. Timon has found religion and Vorenus has conflicts brewing both within his criminal gang and within his family. One wonders how they’re going to work this all out? Oh yeah, Agrippa has the hots for Octavia.

Brutus and Cassius are marching toward Rome from Asia. Octavian and Antony need to meet up with them in Macedonia for the battle of Philippi so the two need to get moving. I’m wondering if Vorenus and Pullo will remain behind or march with the army? I can envision a developing plot between the disgruntled #3 in command and the disgruntled older daughter while daddy is away.

The battle of Philippi was rather a long drawn out affair, far too drawn out for it to be accurately represented on a TV series. Look for a fast march to Macedonia by Octavian and Antony followed by a quick decisive engagement. Historically both Brutus and Cassius committed suicide. One wonders how HBO will portray their deaths?

Near the end of last season, Vorenus’s life was going well while Pullo descended into the depths of depression and depravity, but that all came apart in the last episode. Early this season it was Pullo’s life on the upswing, with his marriage to Eriane, and Vorenus’s life in ruins. Now things appear to be stabilizing but it’s the eye of the storm. All around them are conflicts brewing. I wonder how it’s all going to end? With the emergence of Timon as a man of God one wonders if somehow monotheism in general, and Christianity in particular, will end up with a role to play. There are still 40 years to go until the birth of Jesus, but a little thing like historical accuracy has never bothered TV before.