“That’s how you send a dog to the afterlife!” – Batiatus
Spartacus Season 1 Rankings: where did “The Ring in the Pit” rank?
Spartacus’ “The Thing in the Pit” came in as the #9 ranked episode of Spartacus’ 13 Season 1 episodes!
Here’s why “The Thing in the Pit” was ranked as the #9 episode of 13 Spartacus Season 1 episodes.
CATEGORY – TV
SHOW – Spartacus
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Starz
GENRE – Drama, Period Show, Historical Epic, Swords & Sandals
EPISODE – “The Thing in the Pit”
BEING RANKED FOR – Spartacus Season 1
RANK – #9 of Spartacus’ 13 Season 1 episodes
Spartacus, “The Thing in the Pit” (S0104) review
There’s a giddy and spot on snarky Reel Big Fish song called “In the Pit” that ridicules dumbass frat boys and all around “haters” who enjoy taking to the mosh pit at rock shows simply to take pleasure in beating the crap out of fellow concert goers. The chorus culminates with:
- When I’m in the pit, don’t you know? I’m gonna f- up s–t!
When it comes to Spartacus, it’s not all that different in the pit. Except that there’s no rock music. And the frat boys are blood splattered subterranean-looking beasts this side of The Warriors. And those blood splattered beasts enjoy taking sledgehammers to the skull for purpose of carving off your facial skin and wearing it for a mask.
Other thoughts on “The Thing in the Pit”:
- John Hannah is a supremely gifted actor. It’s hard to believe that the self-effacing, warm, and witty characters portrayed in movies such as Sliding Doors and Four Weddings and a Funeral come from the same guy who brings us Batiatus, the scheming, brutal, yet surprisingly human gladiator school master in Spartacus.
- Is that really a flesh mask that that dude rips off the “Fugitivus” guy in the pits? I know it is, but I’m asking, like really, it went there?
- While the scenes in the pit particularly are literally drenched in (fake) blood, it’s noteworthy and nice to see that the 300-derivative slow motion and blood slasher action scenes have subsided a bit over the course of the season.
- Each episode features extra little (naughty) bits and pieces that let you know LOUD AND CLEAR that THISISCABLEWECANSHOWCRAZYS–THERE, and this one is… no exception.
- Some of the pit fighting scenes reminds one of MMA, no?
- “That’s how you send a dog to the afterlife!” – Batiatus
- “Mandrake root, chew it to numb the pain.” Varro (Jai Courtney) to Spartacus (Andy Whitfield). I’ve always wondered what the heck mandrake root is as it’s the title to an old Deep Purple song.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.
Spartacus, “The Thing in the Pit”: episode and cast info
Air date – February 12, 2010
Spartacus creator – Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by – Michael Hurst
Writing credits – Steven S. DeKnight, Miranda Kwok, Todd Helbing, Aaron Helbing
Cast
Andy Whitfield – Spartacus
John Hannah – Batiatus
Peter Mensah – Doctore
Manu Bennett – Crixus
Erin Cummings – Sura
Nick E. Tarabay – Ashur
Lucy Lawless – Lucretia
Jai Courtney – Varro
Antonio Te Maioha – Barca
Lesley-Ann Brandt – Naevia
Eka Darville – Pietros
John Bach – Magistrate Calavius
Lliam Powell – Numerius
Mark Mitchinson – Aulus
Matt Gillanders – Marcellus