HBO’s Rome – Series Finale

There were only ten episodes in the final season instead of twelve so it’s all over. The series finale opens in the aftermath of the battle of Actium with Antony and Vorenus leaving the smoking ruins of Antony’s fleet. They retreat to Alexandria and take refuge in the palace at while Octavian attempts to either negotiate a surrender from Antony or an act of treachery from Vorenus. He is successful at neither. Antony challenges him to single combat and Vorenus remains loyal just as PUllo predicted.

Finally Octavian finds the weak link in Cleopatra. In exchange for promises that she will retain the throne, and that no harm will come to Caesarion, she fakes her own suicide. This leads Antony into doing the real thing. As Vorenus braces his sword Antony pushes himself upon it in classic Roman fashion. Vorenus then cleans the make-up from Antony’s face and dresses him in his Roman General’s armor.

As Vorenus places Antony’s body on the throne Cleopatra shows up. That leads to a heated exchange between Vorenus and Cleopatra with Vorenus warning her that Octavian can’t keep his promise about sparing Caesarion’s life.

After a brief audience with Octavian, Cleopatra realizes that Vorenus is right, and that Octavian has played her for a fool. She ends up following Antony, courtesy of an asp bite, and Vorenus flees with Caesarion.

Octavian sends Pullo after Vorenus and they meet where they once had awaited the messengers leaving to murder Cleopatra. The two of them decide to attempt and get Caesarion out of harms way. Vorenus agrees to accompany them as far as Judea.

When I heard that I thought I had nailed the ending, but it wasn’t to be. Along the way they encounter a Roman roadblock. They try to talk their way past but the officer in charge tricks Caesarion into revealing himself. In the ensuing melee the two manage to overcome the Roman troops but Vorenus is seriously wounded and asks Pullo to take him home.

They arrive in Rome just in time for Octavian’s triumph where Atia is putting Livia on notice that she doesn’t take a back seat to anyone as she usurps Livia’s position of precedence. In the ensuing scenes of the triumph, very much reminiscent of Caesar’s triumph, they actually make you feel sorry for Atia as she is clearly remembering Antony and days past. The wounded Vorenus in the meantime is reconciled with his children.

Pullo reports to Octavian that he killed Caesarion himself and that Lucius Vorenus “didn’t make it.” It’s hard to tell from the look on Octavian’s face whether he believes Pullo or not, but in any event he rewards him and send him on his way. In the final scene Pullo tells Caesarion that “he bought it.” As they walk down the crowded Roman street, and Caesarion begins plotting to avenge his mother and his father, Pullo says, “Listen about your father…”

So they ended it very open ended. Did Octavian believe Pullo or not? If he has any doubts it would be easy enough for him to find out. Or is it that he values Pullo’s friendship enough to let it slide? Is Vorenus really dead? We only have Pullo’s word for it and he was lying about Caesarion. Is there a possible sequel? It’s certainly possible but I find it doubtful.

So each of us can put whatever spin on it we want. Personally I think Vorenus is alive and living with Lyde and the children on the farm that Caesar gave him, Pullo will convince Caesarion of his true parentage and Octavian knows full well that Vorenus and Caesarion are alive but chooses to ignore, it as long as they present no danger to him, out of his desire to preserve his friendship with Pullo. But hey, I could be wrong.