“This will be our little secret.” – Lucretia
Spartacus Season 1 Rankings: where did “Whore” rank?
Spartacus’ “Whore” came in as the #8 ranked episode of Spartacus’ 13 Season 1 episodes!
Here’s why “Whore” was ranked as the #8 episode of 13 Spartacus Season 1 episodes.
CATEGORY – TV
SHOW – Spartacus
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Starz
GENRE – Drama, Period Show, Historical Epic, Swords & Sandals
EPISODE – “Whore”
BEING RANKED FOR – Spartacus Season 1
RANK – #8 of Spartacus’ 13 Season 1 episodes
Spartacus, “Whore” (S0109) review
“Whore,” strangely enough, is a relative term. It can mean many things, like many words when it comes down to it. Whore is in the mind of the speaker of it, and can vary to the relation of the person that it is applied to. So it is with our man Varro (Jai Courtney), who had been something of a sidekick and comic relief for our man Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) until relatively recently in Spartacus Season 1.
He was enslaved due to gambling debts, yet continues to gamble even while gambling with his life as a gladiator. And yet, when his wife came to him, revealing that she was raped during his self-imposed absence and pregnant with her attacker’s child, he cast her off. Calling her “whore.” And now, what has become of her? “Ashur has found only blood,” Spartacus tells Varro.
Meanwhile, the wife of Marcus Crassus (Licinia, played by Brooke Harmon), who is the richest man in the Roman Republic, requests to have Spartacus, er, service her. Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) is only too happy to oblige, both to raise the station of the house of Batiatus (John Hannah) and his gladiator school, and to please her friend (and lover?) Ilithyia (Viva Blanca). However, this turns around on Lucretia when Ilithyia is inspired by Licinia’s yearning and request to have “relations” with Crixus himself.
This has potentially cataclysmic repercussions when Lucretia attempts to teach Ilithyia a “lesson.” A scene of Eyes Wide Shut-meets-hedonistic Roman sex party proportions ensues in which Ilithyia is scandalized (after having wild “relations” with Spartacus), and then Licinia, at her victorious social peak, is brutally taken down by Ilithyia herself. So much for (sex) party etiquette.
“You have killed me,” Ilithyia says. “No. You have brought us closer,” replies the scheming, pragmatic Lucretia. “This will be our little secret.”
And meanwhile Part II: Crixus returns (Manu Bennett) to the gladiator fray, and for real this time! In “The Mark of the Brotherhood,” Spartacus took Crixus to (gladiator) school when he attempted to return too soon. Now Crixus is back with something of a vengeance, eager to prove that he’s ready to retake his place as Champion of Capua and to show his “domina,” Lucretia, that he loves her (when really, of course, his emotions are with Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt).
More thoughts on “Whore”:
- “That man shits gold.” – Batiatus
- The complicated relationship between Batiatus and Spartacus, master and slave, noble and gladiator, is one of the more interesting on the show.
- It’s a bit bizarre that we’re at the point that it’s a recurring theme that Lucretia likes talking business with her husband Batiatus while he’s having sex with a slave (and graphically so). It’s another one of those “hey, Romans rolled like this!” kinds of scenes.
- Peter Mensah is great as Doctore in a relatively small role. This guy needs to be in more things.
- And meanwhile Part III: Ashur (Nick Taraby) continues his machinations, selling out his master Batiatus in a manner in speaking in protecting Batiatus’ main rival.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.
Spartacus, “Whore”: episode and cast info
Air date – March 19, 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