Spartacus – A Legendary TV Series

Plot and Seasons

Spartacus is one of the most amazing TV series that I have ever watched. From the minute it premiered I was hooked on it until it ended. The TV series is based on historical events. For those not familiar with Spartacus he was Thracian gladiator who was able to escape slavery and eventually fought against Rome. He fights besides other gladiators including Crixus, Agron and Gannicus. His story unfolds with high graphic gory violence and mature sexual content. The series has a total of 3 seasons and 1 miniseries. In order is Gods of the Arena, Blood and Sand, Vengeance and War of the Damned. Gods of the Arena was released as a prequel following the first season Blood and Sand. There are a total of 39 episodes following this breakdown 13,6,10 and 10. Spartacus: Blood and Sand premiered on Starz on January 22, 2010. Take a look at the Season 1 trailer.

Main Character Change

Spartacus season one named Blood and Sand was played by Andy Whitfield. After the first season Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with lymphoma. Starz decided to release the prequel Gods of the Arena to allow him time to recover. Gods of the Arena is lead with the main character being Gannicus played by Dustin Clare. I must say Gannicus is a badass gladiator and the name is justified during this mini season. Unfortunately Andy never came back for season 2 due to the cancer taking his life. Starz gave the role of Spartacus to Liam McIntyre for Season 2 Vengeance. I must say at first I did not like Liam McIntyre playing Spartacus since Andy Whitfield had done such an amazing job. After a couple of episodes he convinced me. It also helped that none of the other major characters were changed including Crixus, Agron, Gannicus, Doctore and Lugo. Watch the Spartacus: Vengeance trailer and compare.

Verdict

Overall even with the necessary sudden character changes Spartacus is an amazing TV series. If you have not watched it I highly recommend you do so.  Start with Gods of the Area which is the prequel to the first season. For those Bros who are into history, wars and gladiators you will not be able to stop watching it. This is a true underdog story. You might even find yourself on a weekend Spartacus marathon trying to finish the 39 episodes. I must warn you, you will end up in a “show hole” also known as post series depression. Let us know what you think about it.