Review: Spartacus: Vengeance "Fugitivus" (Blood Soaked Vengeance Stained on the Lips of Gladiators)

Review: Spartacus: Vengeance “Fugitivus”

Air Date: Friday, January 27, 2012 10PM E/P only on STARZ

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Spartacus: Vengeance "Fugitivus" (Blood Soaked Vengeance Stained on the Lips of Gladiators) 1

L-R: Manu Bennett as Crixus and Liam McIntyre as Spartacus

Rapturous applause for Spartacus: Vengeance and cheers to the new Spartacus, Liam McIntyre! As I watch anxiously to see how McIntyre embodies our beloved Thracian on the heartbreaking heels of Andy Whitfield’s passing last year, I am happy to report that not only does McIntyre perform admirably, “Fugitivus” in and of itself is enthralling! I wait with bated breath as the first scene unfolds, bloody and unyielding in its violence. If you are faint of heart and cannot stand the gore of blood splattering, I suggest you steel yourself because this is a show not to be missed!

Following the bloody escape in the season finale of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus and Crixus (Manu Bennett) lead the gladiators in a war against the Romans spilling tons of their blood in the heart of Capua. We are introduced to several new characters and witness the miraculous return of Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), the fallen Domina of the House of Batiatus. How did she survive that vicious wound inflicted by Crixus, her former lover? Stabbed through the abdomen that carried the unborn child of possibly Crixus himself, it seemed certain she would soon join her husband in the afterlife — were it not for the slight movement of her fingers while she lie bathed in blood. Now, a destitute and delusional Lucretia resurfaces to find Glaber (Craig Parker) and his wife Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) are temporarily ensconced in the House of Batiatus while Glaber and his Romans hunt for Spartacus and his men. Will Ilithyia’s presence help restore Lucretia’s broken memories or will Ilithyia leave her friend to ruin as she did the night Crixus’ sword pierced Lucretia’s womb?

Review: Spartacus: Vengeance "Fugitivus" (Blood Soaked Vengeance Stained on the Lips of Gladiators) 2

Lucy Lawless as a destitute Lucretia

I’m very anxious to see how a now pregnant Ilithyia will behave now that Lucretia is alive. I’m curious about the father of Ilithyia’s unborn child. If you recall, unbeknownst to Ilithiya, during the passionate masked tryst Lucretia arranged for her, Lucretia switched Spartacus for Crixus because she would never share her beloved Crixus. Could Ilithyia’s unborn child actually be Spartacus’ child?

There are new characters coming into the fold. I’ve not seen enough to truly comment, but I can already tell that the young Roman leader Seppius (Tom Hobbs) is very cunning and ruthless but still very immature. His younger sister Seppia (Hanna Mangan) looks to be a handful herself. There seems to be an underlying connection between them that lends itself to the possibility of an incestuous air about them but I’m not sure if that will manifest in the show. It may just be something under the surface to cause tension.

“Fugitivus” finds our gladiators and the few women enslaved in the House of Batiatus on the verge of divide. Men loyal to Crixus don’t like taking orders from Spartacus and vice versa. But with Crixus’ mind preoccupied with finding his beloved Naevia (now played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and Spartacus hell bent on seeking revenge against Glaber for the enslaving and subsequent death of his wife instead of making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep the army together, can these two gladiators come to terms and meet in the middle before they are permanently divided? I was eager to see how McIntyre would interact with Bennett to see if they had good chemistry and it doesn’t feel forced or unnatural. They seem to have really great chemistry – as they should being brothers in arms against the Romans.

There is a moment during “Fugitivus” that leaves a nasty sting. It is a line said by Aurelia (Brooke Williams), the widow of Spartacus’ very good friend Varro (Jai Courtney), to Spartacus that makes me catch my breath while bringing tears to Spartacus’ eyes. As you continue to watch the scenes unfold, you are easily swept up in the heat of the battle, the rush of the kill, and the taut sexuality salivating on the tips of everyone’s tongues. While we don’t see a lot of sex scenes, per se, there is no lack of skin being shown in “Fugitivus.” As a matter of fact, there is quite a feast for the eyes when Crixus and Spartacus visit a local whorehouse to talk to someone who may know Naevia’s whereabouts. Some of it is very appetizing…some, not so much. To each their own, eh?

Don’t miss the season premiere of Spartacus: Vengeance!

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Tune in to Spartacus: Vengeance Fridays at 10PM E/P only on Starz.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.