Those About to Die
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
TWO ARMIES OF 5,000 MEN FOUGHT TO THE DEATH.
THE SHOW WAS LIT AT NIGHT BY HUMAN TORCHES.
LEOPARDS AND BULLS WERE TAUGHT TO RAVAGE WOMEN.
Except that, well, it kind of is.
Well, I do, anyway.
Much of that entertainment value stems from the casting of Iwan Rheon as Tenax, the shows main character.
His work here is a lot less over the top but no less mustache-twirling.
Tenax is what fans of todays answer to gladiatorial combat, professional wrestling, would call a cool heel.
You could easily read his entire story line as a warning about the dangers of legalized sports betting.
Also as in contemporary sports, its a hotbed of backstabbing, political cronyism, and corruption.
Contemplating his mortality, hes faced with a choice of heir between his two sons.
Seeing as how shes secretly colluding with the Judaean slaves, people are right to doubt the guy.
He taps Titus to succeed him, though Domitian vows to fight on.
Tenax and Scorpus may be his way forward.
A pair of families from the outer reaches of the empire fill in the remaining side plots.
Theres also a big CGI albino lion, which seems worth mentioning.
What there isnt is anything thats gonna leap out and grab you as especially artistically vital.
The chariot races are reasonably exciting, and theres promise of gladiator-versus-lion fights to come.
The bottom line is: Theres summer television to be found here.
