“Dissolve your marriage, or call me father no more.” – Titus
The affair between Gannicus (Dustin Clare) and Melitta (Marisa Ramirez) continues to escalate. Melitta is still frightened of being caught out (she being married to Oenomaus (Peter Mensah), now Doctore, and all) but Gannicus is undeterred: “I would risk everything for you.”
Overall, a pall remains on the House of Batiatus, as Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) is still reeling over the events of “Behind the Mask,” which culminated with Tullius (Stephen Lovatt) hideously raping and murdering close friend and ally Gaia (Jaime Murray).
Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah) has salt rubbed into the wound – or has insult added to injury if you like – when old pal and fellow lanista of gladiators Solonius (Craig Walsh-Wrightson) tells him that his fighters have been invited to participate in the much sought after opening games of the new arena in Capua. The House of Batiatus has been shut out, of course, another gift of Tullius’ ire.
But even more than that, poppa Titus’ (Jeffrey Thomas) ultimatum still hangs over Quintus’ head: either Lucretia goes, or they both go… forevermore.
Back at the ludus, Titus makes like a new NFL head coach and announces to Oenomaus that since he didn’t select (read = purchase as slaves who were then honed into being gladiators) most of the men he now controls, there will be a competition, with the victors to hold “honored position within these walls.” Even Gannicus, badly injured by Tullius on the same night of Gaia’s murder, is to be forced to prove his worth all over again.
And much like Alec Baldwin’s character explains in the film version of Glengarry Glen Ross, the reward for anyone who doesn’t sell enough leads to win the steak knives? You’re fired.
But in the new regime at the House of Batiatus: “Those who do not will be sold to the mines.”
When Quintus wanders into his own house to find the competition is already underway – Crixus (Manu Bennett), a gladiator star on the rise now, is victorious in his one-on-one combat with wooden swords – his humiliation is only compounded.
“Dissolve your marriage, or call me father no more,” Titus coldly tells his son, though we can see how much it hurts him to say the words.
When Oenomaus and Melitta have a quiet conversation in the former’s quarters (theirs is such a status that, even as slaves, they are able to spend at least some time as man and wife within the House of Batiatus), I’m reminded yet again about how the writing and acting on Spartacus consistently elevates this show to something much more than a flashy and titillating diversion.
When Oenomaus – completely unaware of what’s going on with Melitta – asks what’s on her mind, she responds: “My own [thoughts] are filled with troubling image. The walls alive with secrets, condemning those privy to them.” Oenomaus – as gentle a man (outside his official duties) as we find within this world – attempts to soothe her by saying, “The burdens placed upon us often overwhelm. But it remains our duty to bear them.”
Back on the training grounds, Gnaeus (Raicho Vasilev) seems to have found his way as a Retiarius, a fighter who uses a trident and net as his weapons (which I always find equal parts fascinating and weird that that’s a thing). Quintus, looking at every turn to regain favor with Titus, tells his father, “Soon he will ignite the crowd, as promised.”
Titus is neither ignited nor excited by his son or Lucretia, and has also neglected to tell them that he invited dear old Tullius (read = near murderer of Gannicus and actual rapist/murderer of Gaia) over to the house for a chat.
Tullius offers to make “amends” to Titus by offering “position” in the opening games of the new arena, the very thing that Quintus has long thirsted for. As Titus suspects, the gesture is not selfless: the price is the acquisition of Gannicus (read = the champion murderer he recently very nearly murdered).
Tension has been building for multiple episodes between the conniving Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) and Dagan (Shane Rangi), who has been reliant on his one-time friend for communication and translation (he speaks Aramaic and not Latin). In short, it has to do with the fact that Dagan is the superior fighter, and so it’s fitting the two are paired to compete against one another in Titus’ little training “challenge.”
As their fight begins, Ashur begs his longtime companion to at least not embarrass him. Dagan isn’t having it – Asher essentially set him up to get raped by a Roman “guest” at the same bacchanalia that Gaia got murdered – and swiftly knocks Ashur to the ground. Ashur asks for one last bit of mercy, and when Dagan relents for a moment, Ashur takes full advantage and cracks the much larger man in the head, piercing one of his eyes in the process.
When Titus and Quintus leave the house to head into Capua and “break words,” Lucretia takes the opportunity for radical action, having Melitta bring her Crixus. She questions him about his background as a Gaul, which she believes to be a… uh, background conducive to producing many children. “How many children sprang from your father’s c—?” she asks him, very much in tone with Spartacus’ penchant for highbrow/lowbrow dialog. When he reluctantly tells her the answer is “five” (for both his father and his father’s father), we can see where this is headed – getting pregnant by any means possible is the only thing that can ensure the future of her marriage and her economic security both.
So much is conveyed in so few words when Lucretia says, “You are never to speak of this. Do you understand, slave?”
All Crixus could ever possibly say in return is, “Yes, Domina.”
Meanwhile, father and son palaver by moonlight in the now abandoned old arena where so much of the action has taken place through this Gods of the Arena prequel limited series. Instead of an angry outburst and lambasting of his son as we might expect from Titus, he is heartbroken and desperate to keep his son by his side in his hoped for peace making deal with Tullius.
“You are my son, Quintus, and I will always love you,” he says. “No matter the path you take.”
“What moves such downpour after eternal drought?” Quintus responds, in an exceptional example of the highbrow dialog that meshes so well with the low.
It’s clear that Quintus is just as desperate as Lucretia, and after refusing once more to abandon her, he picks up a heavy plank of wood.
One look at him and it’s completely unclear whether murder, patricide, might be on his mind.
Instead, he hands the wood to his father and quietly says, “A memento of day’s past.”
The next day, Oenomaus reports to Titus that two gladiators share victory in the competition: Crixus and Gannicus. When Titus tells his Doctore that Gannicus is slated for sale to Tullius, Oenomaus prevails upon him that keeping who he sees as a clear champion in house is both the right and honorable move – even if it means losing out the chance to compete in the new arena games.
Surprisingly, Titus agrees “to leave it to the gods”: if Gannicus bests Crixus one-on-one, he can remain.
The fight between Crixus and Gannicus takes an interesting turn. Clearly, the two are now at least fairly evenly matched, and after some standard back-and-forth action, Gannicus eyes Melitta on the balcony (attending Quintus and Lucretia, who seem to be on the precipice of leaving the House of Batiatus forever), and becomes noticeably distracted as we’ve seen before.
And then through his actions, we realize that by allowing Crixus to win, it solves multiple problems: Melitta can be at peace with her husband, and honor can at least ostensibly remain within their realm of slaves where so little is actually in their control.
Just after the match, Titus’ declining health takes a turn for the worse – he collapses, and later the medicus declares that the older man has a high fever.
With Quintus and Oenameus out in an attempt to procure the medicine (“herbs,” as they call it) to bring down the fever, Lucretia is left to take care of her (technically, still) father-in-law. A weakened Quintus asks her, “Tell me I have been mistaken about you” after admitting that his son is never happier than when he’s by her side.
The mood turns when she tells him that she’s “far worse” than the “serpent” he imagined. We then learn that she’s been poisoning his “beloved honey wine” (just when it was natural to suspect that Tullius might have been doing the same – he had presented a gift of wine earlier). “My intent not to rob you of life, only to mimic illness.” Her plot: to force him back to the better climate of Sicilia.
But now “a more permanent solution is required between us,” she tells him. “One that I added to Tullius’ gift.” Plot twist! And then Titus starts seizing up in a coughing fit that quickly turns bloody.
Meanwhile, Melitta is given permission to visit Gannicus in his slave quarters. As he is to be sold the following day, she feels free to tell him that she is as weak in her feelings for him as his for her. She drinks from the very same wine that had been served to Titus, and as they start to make love, she too coughs up blood. Plot twist, Part II, and poor doomed Melitta!
Quintus and Oenameus return from their mission to find two people have died in their absence – both have lost a close family member.
Some stats and info about Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – “Reckoning”
TV SHOW – Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 1, Episode 5
AIRED ON – February 18th, 2011
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Starz
GENRE – Drama, Period Show, Historical Epic, Swords & Sandals
CREATED BY – Steven S. DeKnight
CAST – John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare, Nick E. Tarabay, Lucy Lawless, Craig Walsh-Wrightson, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Antonio Te Maioha, Stephen Lovatt